Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Universal Minimum Wage Is Not Suitable For Singapore, Zhengxiao Wu

Research Collection School Of Economics

In a commentary, SMU Senior Lecturer of Statistics Wu Zhengxiao examined the concept of a universal minimum wage, and discussed how it is not suitable for Singapore.

Covid-19, Lockdown, And The Dynamics Of Subjective Well-Being, Terence C. Cheng, Kim, Kanghyock Koh

Research Collection School Of Economics

We provide novel evidence on how the COVID-19 global health and economic crisis is affecting overall life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction using data from a monthly longitudinal survey of middle-aged and older Singaporeans. Using a difference-in-differences framework, we document large declines in overall life satisfaction and domain-specific satisfaction during the COVID-19 outbreak, except satisfaction with health. These declines coincide with the introduction of a nationwide lockdown, with life satisfaction remaining below its pre-pandemic levels even after the lockdown is lifted. We also find that individuals who report a drop in household income during the COVID-19 outbreak experience a decline in …

The Future Of Work Now: The Multi-Faceted Mall Security Guard At A Multi-Faceted Jewel, Thomas H. Davenport, Steven M. Miller

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

One of the most frequently-used phrases at business events these days is “the future of work.” It’s increasingly clear that artificial intelligence and other new technologies will bring substantial changes in work tasks and business processes. But while these changes are predicted for the future, they’re already present in many organizations for many different jobs. The job and incumbents described below are an example of this phenomenon. Steve Miller of Singapore Management University and I co-authored the story.

Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Survey [2019], Paulin Straughan, Mathews Mathew

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The Singapore Management University undertook the third wave of the Public Cleanliness Satisfaction Survey (PCSS) with 1716 Singapore resident respondents providing responses before the start of the Circuit Breaker.

The 2019 wave of the PCSS continued to reflect the overall satisfaction with public cleanliness in Singapore. Satisfaction with cleanliness and cleaning services has improved substantially across all domains.

Ninety three percent of survey respondents were satisfied with the cleanliness of public spaces that they had recently visited, a 9% increase from the findings in 2018.

There was a substantial increase in satisfaction with the cleanliness of food and beverage (F&B) …

Forging Alternatively Sacred Spaces In Singapore's Integrated Religious Marketplace, Orlando Woods

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

This paper expands the notion of sacred space within the geographies of religion by arguing that spaces of religious praxis need to be understood in relation to the broader spatial logics within which they are embedded. Given that the spatial logics of urban environments tend to be secular and neoliberal in nature, it considers how religious groups respond to the realities of the marketplaces in which they operate by forging “alternatively sacred” spaces. These spaces augment the appeal of religious groups in non-religious ways, thus making them more competitive players in a religious marketplace. Specifically, it explores how independent churches …

Screening Southeast Asia: Film, Politics, And The Emergence Of The Nation In Postwar Southeast Asia, Darlene Machell Espena

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Hearing Essential And Urgent Court Matters During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Kwan Ho Lau, Daryl Xu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This chapter discusses the hearing of essential and urgent court matters in the Singapore courts during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 27 march 2020, the Singapore judiciary notified courst users that remote hearings were to be implemented for certain types of hearings by means of video and telephone conferencing facilities. Court users were also provided with indicative lists of matters which might be considered essential and urgent.

Exorcising The Ghost In The Wills Act, Hang Wu Tang

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Ingenious lawyers all over the Commonwealth are dreaming up rigmaroles for the signing of wills amid the pandemic. An English law firm has suggested that the will should be signed at a park bench, with witnesses lurking nearby, ready to rotate around the document. Another option allows for the will to be signed at the person’s doorway while the witnesses stand outside, using the services of a well-trained pet to deliver the signed will to the witnesses. Singapore has passed many sensible temporary measures in response to COVID-19 disruption, including marrying couples remotely so that the newly-weds, witnesses and solemniser …

“In Case Of Emergency, Break Contract”? The Case For A Unified Regime For Changed Circumstances In Singapore Contract Law, Nicholas Liu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

It has been accurately observed that the incremental nature of the common law’s development makes it inherently unsuited to dealing with unprecedented crises.208 This is particularly true of what I shall refer to (for convenience) as the law of changed circumstances, which in the common law regime comprises the doctrine of frustration and the operation of force majeure clauses, but could potentially encompass other doctrines and issues as well.209 I suggest that in this area, the flaws of the common law run deeper and broader than its inability to respond quickly to unprecedented crises. Rather, from a lay user’s point …

Constitutional Literacy In Times Of Crisis, Maartje De Visser

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

At the same time she announced her withdrawal from public life in 2018, former US Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor made a passionate plea for “all citizens to understand our Constitution and unique system of government, and participate actively in their communities.”441 The timing coincided with the halfway mark of Donald Trump’s term in presidency, a president who has very publicly declared his knowledge of the US Constitution, but whose understanding of it has regularly been called into question.442 At its foundation, the democratic legitimacy of a government arguably presupposes a working familiarity with the constitution qua social contract. …

Covid‐19 Crisis And Its Impact On Trustees And Beneficiaries, Man Yip

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The COVID-19 pandemic has been described by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as the “crisis of our generation”. We have to swiftly adjust to a new “normal” characterised by safety measures, travel restrictions, economic downturn and uncertainties in the days ahead. What is the new “normal” for trustees and beneficiaries? How should they respond to the legal and practical uncertainties in these challenging times? This commentary discusses two categories of uncertainties for trustees and beneficiaries: (1) uncertainty relating to trust investments; and (2) uncertainty relating to day-to-day administration.

Covid‐19 As A Frustrating Event Under Singapore Contract Law, Yihan Goh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

COVID-19 has had an unprecedented impact on commercial arrangements around the world. This would appear to fit the textbook definition of a frustrating event under Singapore contract law. Alternatively, one might expect COVID-19 to be covered by the doctrine of force majeure. This commentary will provide a brief overview of the contractual issues arising from COVID-19.

Pragmatism In The Pandemic: The Protection Of Commercial Tenants In Singapore, Edward Ti

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The COVID-19 epidemic has not spared any country, not least a densely populated country like Singapore. The government has been working tirelessly developing new policies and laws to mitigate the human and economic devastation brought on by the virus. The COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) Act 2020 (COTMA) is intended to tackle some of the negative effects brought about by COVID-19. With an initial application period of 6 months which can be amended at the Minister’s discretion, the COTMA covers a wide range of issues. Summarily, the COTMA provides for public health controls necessary to manage the health crisis, increases bankruptcy and …

Defeating The Scourge Of Terrorism: How Soft Law Instruments In Singapore Can Develop Societal Trust And Promote Cooperative Norms, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The maintenance of a ‘moderate, mainstream’ Muslim community as a bulwark against the fraying of harmonious ethnic relations has become a key governance concern in multiracial, multi-religious societies post9/11. In light of the global concern, and often paranoia, with diasporic Islam, Islamic religious institutions and civil society have been portrayed in the popular media as hotbeds of radicalism, promoters of hatred, and recruiters for a “conflict of civilisation” between the Muslim world and the modern world. Singapore has taken a broad-based community approach in advancing interreligious tolerance, including a subtle initiative to include the putative Muslim civil society in advancing …

Understanding Singleness: A Phenomenological Study Of Single Women In Beijing And Singapore, Chin-Siang Ang Dr., Kam-Fong Lee Ms., Xinyi Lie Ms.

The Qualitative Report

The aim of this phenomenological study was to gain a better understanding in the lives of single women by exploring their thoughts and experiences of being single. Data were collected from semi-structured interviews of a group of six well-educated, ethnic Chinese single women aged between 30 and 45 living in Beijing and Singapore. Transcribed interviews were analysed through reading and rereading and culling for like phrases and themes that are then grouped to form clusters of meaning. Through this process, we found four salient themes: (a) the women had equivocal feelings over the reasons they were single; (b) they recognized …

Sense Of Place: The Intersection Between Built Heritage And Intangible Cultural Heritage In Singapore, Jack Lee

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

Built heritage in Singapore is safeguarded through two legal regimes, one relating to national monuments declared under the Preservation of Monuments Act (Chapter 239, 2011 Revised Edition), and the other relating to conservation areas declared under the Planning Act (Cap 232, 1998 Rev Ed). In contrast, no particular legal protection exists for intangible cultural heritage. Considering examples such as tomb inscriptions and rituals for honouring the deceased at Bukit Brown Cemetery, this article explores how built heritage can be secured and enriched by giving greater recognition and protection in international and domestic law to the intangible cultural heritage associated with …

The Business Of Heritage In Singapore: Money, Politics & Identity, Kevin Tan

Journal of Comparative Urban Law and Policy

Singapore is one of the most rational and unsentimental places on earth. Its government prides itself on its pragmatic approach to policy-making, and is not afraid to slaughter sacred cows if they have to. This is perhaps most dramatically demonstrated by the radical modernization of Singapore’s built environment through its various Master Plans and public housing programmes. This massive physical transformation is perhaps modern Singapore’s most visible sign of progress. In such a milieu, ‘heritage’ is viewed more as a commodity to be bargained over than a common good in itself. The discussion over whether a building should be preserved …

The Hunger Report: An In-Depth Look At Food Insecurity In Singapore, Tania Nagpaul, Dalvin Sidhu, Jinwen Chen

Lien Centre for Social Innovation: Research

This report provides a detailed account of the first nationally representative study on the largely hidden problem of food insecurity in Singapore.

14th Parliament Has Weighty Duty Steering Singapore Into Post-Covid-19 Future, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

In more ways than one, the five-year term of Singapore’s 14th Parliament has been and will be defined even before it begins. How this institution of the people’s representatives leads the nation amid the raging Covid-19 global pandemic and positions Singapore for the post-Covid world matters immensely.

Laden With Great Expectations: (Re)Mapping The Arts Housing Policy As Urban Cultural Policy In Singapore, Su Fern Hoe

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The arts and artists need space to thrive. However, as much of the land in Singapore is state-owned, the finiteness of space – literally and figuratively – remains a key challenge. Yet there is a rich variety of arts infrastructure in Singapore today, from exhibition spaces to performing arts venues and state-subsidised artist studios. This infrastructure comes at a cost - these arts spaces are positioned as policy interventions capable of achieving a broad confluence of cultural, urban, economic and social outcomes for Singapore.

This article aims to provide an understanding of how arts spaces in Singapore has been framed …

News Media Influence On Public Trust In Bike-Sharing Operators In Singapore, Leonard Wong, Lyon Tan, Rachel Wong, Su Lin Yeo

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Purpose: The overnight introduction of tens of thousands of dockless bike-share bicycles in Singapore with its indiscriminate parking drew the attention of the media, which generated extensive news reports on the activities carried out by bike-sharing operators. Given the meteoric rise and fall of the industry, this study examines the influence of agenda-setting of news reporting on the public’s perception of the industry and the impact on the firms’ corporate reputation. Design/methodology/approach: Utilizing the Reputation Quotient Index, the study content analyzed 147 textual data of online reports which were crawled over two years between 2017 and 2018 from six mainstream …

How A Young University Can Launch And Grow A Digital Repository, Pin Pin Yeo

Research Collection Library

Learn how SMU, a young university under 50, launched a digital repository back in 2010 and opened their research and scholarship to discovery by the world.
Get tips on how to improve the visibility and profile of your institution’s research and scholarly publications, to provide access to full text articles (wherever possible), to organize the university’s records for research and publications and how repositories discoverability drove some great individual successes for the faculty. This case study is very useful to better understand the importance of a good repository.

Preparing First Year Students For Online Learning In Digital Academia: Smu Libraries’ Peer Advisors Step Forward, Zhenyan Li, Constance Tan, Shubhangi Gupta

Research Collection Library

With the new normal being online learning or a hybrid thereof, the academic community is quickly trying to upskill themselves including librarians. But what about incoming first year students? Who and what support networks are being created to help them navigate the different facets of online learning? In this presentation, participants will learn about SMU Libraries’ Library Peer Advisors (LPA) initiative. LPAs provide peer-to-peer support by students for students in areas such as citation help, effective use of databases and introducing new students to the physical libraries through tours. Research shows that peer-assisted learning is beneficial in providing supportive social …

Legal Constraint In Emergencies: Reflections On Carl Schmitt, The Covid-19 Pandemic And Singapore | Symposium On Covid-19 & Public Law, Wei Yao, Kenny Chng

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The controversial legal theorist Carl Schmitt’s challenge to the possibility of meaningful legal constraint on executive power in emergencies could not be more relevant in a world struggling to deal with Covid-19. Scrambling against time, governments around the world have declared states of emergency and exercised a swathe of broad executive powers in an effort to manage this highly infectious disease. In times like these, if Schmitt is indeed right that emergencies cannot be governed by law, we are on the cusp of (or perhaps have already entered) a post-law world – where the business of government is characterised by …

Tort Law, Amirthalingam Kumaralingam, Gary Kok Yew Chan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This review examines the ten most significant decisions in tort law for 2020. It was an interesting year for the range of significant decisions in tort law handed down by the courts on matters including limitation period, medical negligence, the scope of duty in negligence, breach of confidence, conspiracy, and defamation.

Family Law, Wei Jing Tricia Ho, Siyuan Chen

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Two salient trends emerge from the decisions issued by the Singapore courts in 2019. First, cases with international elements are featured increasingly, with the Court of Appeal adjudicating its first case on financial relief consequential on foreign divorces and the High Court releasing a decision on sham marriages to obtain an immigration advantage. It is evident that the law is evolving to cater to the needs of a changing community in Singapore. There is a recognition of the increase in the number of Singapore citizens working abroad and marrying non-Singaporeans, which has prompted certain legislative changes that seek to provide …

Ge2020 Commentary: Assessing The Voters’ Message To Pap (And Other Parties), Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Despite the “crisis of a generation”, the 2020 general election results point to a considered flight from the status quo, rather than a flight to safety. Singaporean voters, through their 2.54 million ballots cast, sent a nuanced message to all political parties and election candidates. It was a renewed, urgent expression of a vote for change, more so than in the 2011 election.

Three Essays On International Economics: Global Value Chains Of Singapore And The Cptpp; The Effects Of Oil Price Shocks On Trade, Tran Bao Phuong Nguyen

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

This dissertation discusses two questions in international economics. The first two chapters focus on the matter of global value chains. We first explore the participation of Singapore in the global value chains by characterizing the position of Singapore in the global network and identifying Singapore’s key upstream and downstream trade partners. This is done at both the country aggregate and at the sector level. We trace how the country’s position in global value chains has changed in the past two decades: whether it has moved upstream or downstream, how involved it is in global value chains, how its trend compares …

Busting Myths And Dispelling Doubts About Covid-19, Mark Findlay

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The Centre for AI and Data Governance (CAIDG) at Singapore Management University (SMU) has embarked over past months on a programme of research designed to confront concerns about the pandemic and its control. Our interest is primarily directed to the ways in which AI-assisted technologies and mass data sharing have become a feature of pandemic control strategies. We want to know what impact these developments are having on community confidence and health safety. In developing this work, we have come across many myths that need busting.

Attitudes, Behaviours, And The Well-Being Of Older Singaporeans In The Time Of Covid-19: Perspectives From The Singapore Life Panel, Paulin T. Straughan, William Tov, Seonghoon Kim, Terence Cheng, Stephen Hoskins, Micah Tan

ROSA Research Briefs

COVID-19 has affected all Singaporeans, regardless of age and socioeconomic status (SES). Many measures have been implemented by the government to control the spread of this disease, including restrictions on social gatherings, restrictions on overseas travel, and making it compulsory to wear a mask. Measures have also included a partial lockdown – known as the ‘circuit breaker’ – which began in April 2020. This forced Singaporeans to quickly adapt to a new normal with some doing better than others. This research brief provides an overview of how COVID-19 and its related measures have affected seniors in Singapore using data from …