International and Area Studies Commons^™

Balancing The Sacred And The Secular, Singapore Management University

Research@SMU: Connecting the Dots

Professor Lily Kong, widely regarded as one of the world’s leading social and cultural geographers, studies the complexities that surround a society’s religious spaces and practices.

See her book: Religion and space: Competition, conflict and violence in the contemporary world

and journal article:

Religious processions: Urban politics and poetics

Berita Autumn 2017, Eric C. Thompson

Berita

Table of Contents

Chair’s Address...2

Editor’s Foreword ...3

Announcements ...3

Research Report: Mahathir’s 2018 Campaign ...4

Book Review: Taming the Wild ...9

Call for Papers: AAS 2020 (REVISIONING 2020) ...12

Call for Papers: Performing Citizenship in Singapore ...13

Call for Papers: Malaysian Politics and Peoples ...14

Call for Papers: Database of Religious History ...16

AAS 2018 Conference Panels with MSB Content ...17

Building Gender-Inclusive Workplaces In Singapore: A Practical Guide For Companies And Human Resource Practitioners, Benjamin Tien Yong Wong, Gillian Pei Wen Loy, Claris Wan Xin Teo

Student Publications

We are a team of students from the Singapore Management University (“SMU”) Diversity Leadership Development Programme and SMU Women’s Connections. We believe that all employees are valuable members of many organisations that operate in Singapore. Companies can therefore harness the potential of stronger teams by ensuring that all employees feel safe, valued and included - regardless of one’s gender. In 2014, Singapore saw more women than men enter tertiary educational institutions. Despite this progress made, a study conducted in 2015 found that women were part of only 9.1 per cent of SGX- listed boards, with almost half of these boards …

How Crisis Managers Define Ethical Crisis Communication In Singapore: Identifying Organizational Factors That Influence Adoption Of Ethical Stances, Augustine Pang, Yan Jin, Benjamin Meng-Keng Ho

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This study explores the veracity of the six ethical variables proposed in the contingency theory of strategic conflict management – the role of PR practitioner, the role of top management, nature of the crisis, the activism of stakeholders; government regulation/intervention; diversity to different cultures and exposure external business environments. In-depth interviews with 10 communication professionals in Singapore were conducted. In line with the patriarchal management structure, the top management plays a critical role in determining ethical stances, with practitioners playing important consultative positions. Also, the role of the relevant government almost predisposes the organization toward certain ethical stances. The study …

Speaking Out & Speaking Up: Xinjiao Perspectives, Eng Fong Pang, Arnoud De Meyer

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Contents: A Singaporean in Xinjiang by Wong Ee Vin; Sex for Sale and Second Wives by Xue Jiarong; Singapore Families: Mixed Salad or New Rojak? by Darren Lim; Singaporean-Burmese, Burmese-Singaporean or Both? by In Jin Zaw; Foreign Workers: Seen but not Heard by Mohammad Muzhaffar & Rohith Misir; Wheel You Ride? by Khew Pei Xuan; Gaelic Kallang Roar by Kate Whyte; Gaming Virtual Reality, Seriously by Lin Junkang & Low Kai Loon; Cyber Vigilantes: Mobs or Cops? by Timothy Lim & Hermanth Kumar; Online Dating: Waiting for the Stars to Align by Alex Cherucheril & Muhammed Ismail; Tying the Knot, …

Making Sense Of Life @ / & Smu: A Partial Guide For The Clueless, Eng Fong Pang

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This volume provides unexpectedly heartwarming and heartbreaking insights into the interior lives and thoughts of SMU business graduates. It is both a paean to and an indictment of Singapore’s education system and its excessively powerful formative impact on individual lives, family relationships, and Singapore society as a whole. The youthful contributors overwhelmingly accept life aspirations imposed by the expectations of family, society and self, which they themselves recognise are uniform and limiting. Their intensely personal reflections, unleavened by humour, lay bare the contradictory liberating and homogenising effects of an undergraduate business education (not peculiar to SMU or Singapore only), while …

Retirement Adequacy Of Mature Workers In Singapore, Rhema Vaithianathan, Stephen Hoskins

Research Collection School Of Economics

In the last decade, the Singapore resident population has grown older with more elderly and fewer younger people. As Singapore Department of Statistics noted, the proportion of residents aged 65 years and over has increased from 9% to 13% over the past ten years. There are now fewer working-age adults to support each resident aged 65 years and over as indicated by the falling resident old-age support ratio from 7.7 in 2007 to 5.1 in 2017. The support ratio is expected to halve to 2.5 by 2030. As Singaporeans are both living and working longer, it is vital for the …

Singapore Update On Open Access, Pin Pin Yeo

Research Collection Library

An overview of the landscape in Singapore for open access is provided for the last 12 years. It covers the developments in institutional repositories, open access policies and mandates in the universities and also developments in the research funding side in Singapore. A start has been made to collect research data in Singapore and there is a research data policy from NTU in 2016. Some future developments are also outlined.

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2016: Q3 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, sub-sector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time and across countries. This is the CSISG’s tenth year of measurement.

Opening Address By Smu President Professor Arnoud De Meyer At The Official Launch Of The Institute For Societal Leadership And The Societal Leadership Summit 2016, Arnoud De Meyer, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

No abstract provided.

Institute For Societal Leadership Officially Launched By Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam At Societal Leadership Summit 2016, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The Institute for Societal Leadership (ISL) under the Singapore Management University (SMU) was today officially launched by distinguished Guest of Honour Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) and Coordinating Minister for Economic and Social Policies of Singapore, during the Societal Leadership Summit 2016. DPM Tharman also delivered a keynote address on societal leadership. ISL is the first and only institution in Asia that focuses on societal leadership. The Institute was formed to advance Societal Leadership in Southeast Asia and beyond. It is anchored on SMU’s foundation of academic rigour and aims to achieve a greater applied understanding of societal …

Audit Committees And Financial Reporting Quality In Singapore, Yuanto Kusnadi, Kwong Sin Leong, Themin Suwardy, Jiwei Wang

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

We examine three characteristics (independence, expertise, and overlapping membership) of audit committees and their impact on the financial reporting quality for Singapore-listed companies. The main finding is that financial reporting quality will be higher if audit committees have mixed expertise in accounting, finance, and/or supervisory. In addition, we do not find evidence that incremental independence of audit committees enhances financial reporting quality because audit committees already consist of a majority of independent directors. Finally, we fail to find any impact of overlapping membership on audit and remuneration committees on financial reporting quality. Overall, the results have policy implications on improving …

Smu Is First Asian University To Offer Master’S Degree Accredited By International Professional Hr Body Cipd, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

The Singapore Management University (SMU) has become the first university in Asia to offer a master’s degree accredited by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD). SMU joins prestigious universities such as the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and Kings College London to deliver the CIPD’s premier level accredited qualifications. SMU’s Master of Human Capital Leadership (MHCL) has been designed in partnership with the CIPD, the Human Capital Leadership Institute (HCLI), and the Wharton Centre for Human Resources (USA), resulting in a market-leading study programme that provides unparalleled professional qualifications, business acumen and academic knowledge.

Grab Taxi: Navigating New Frontiers, Mei Lin, Christopher Dula

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

In mid-2016, Anthony Tan, the CEO of Grab, an on-demand transportation-app company serving Southeast Asia, was locked in a high stakes struggle to win the hearts and minds of drivers, passengers and regulators alike. Valued at an estimated US$1.5 billion, Grab (known among consumers as ‘GrabTaxi’) had become one of Asia’s most successful start-ups.

Invitation Strategy For Cutting Edge Industries Through Mncs And Global Talents: The Case Of Singapore, Kim Song Tan

Research Collection School Of Economics

Singapore presents an interesting case of how a country achieves dynamic economic development and innovation through the "invitation" strategy of a business hub. Despite being a small city-state with limited domestic market size and no meaningful hinterland or natural resources to speak of, Singapore has managed to transform its economy dramatically over the past 50 years by leveraging the strengths of other economies. Specifically, it has been able to attract (or "invite") various types of productive resources, including foreign capital, foreign technology and foreign workers (both skilled and unskilled) to make up for what it lacks. This has helped Singapore …

Smu Enhances Curriculum And Expands Offering To Prepare Undergraduates For The Digital Age, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Demand for infocomm professionals in Singapore is outpacing supply with 30,000 new infocomm jobs expected by 2020. The Infocomm Media 2025 masterplan has identified salient trends that are significant for the next decade, these include Big Data & Analytics, Internet of Things and Cybersecurity. The masterplan also highlighted future key infocomm job areas: Software Development, Cybersecurity, Data Analytics, and Network Infrastructure. In response to these industry trends and demand, SMU has strengthened its undergraduate curriculum in three schools to contribute to the 'future-proofing' of Singapore. The School of Information Systems (SIS) has revised its undergraduate curriculum in response to changes …

Berita Autumn 2016, Eric C. Thompson

Berita

Table of Contents

Chair’s Address ... 2

Editor’s Foreword ... 4

John A. Lent Prize ... 5

“After Decolonization” – A Panel Report ... 6

Association for Asian Studies 2017 (Toronto) – Panels with Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei Content ... 8

Housing Policies In Singapore, Phang Sock Yong, Matthias Helble

Research Collection School of Economics

Singapore has developed a unique housing system, with three-quarters of its housing stock built by the Housing & Development Board (HDB) and homeownership financed through Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings. As a result, the country’s homeownership rate of 90% is one of the highest among market economies. At different stages of its economic development, the Government of Singapore was faced with a different set of housing problems. An integrated land–housing supply and financing framework was established in the 1960s to solve the severe housing shortage. By the 1990s, the challenge was that of renewing aging estates and creating a market …

Mimicking Religion As Coping Strategy: The Emergence Of The Bell-Curve God In Singapore, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

The importance placed on education and, relatedly, examinations, in many Asian societies is well known. The means adopted to cope with the stresses that come along with such intensity are myriad. It is in such contexts that the emergence of a “Bell Curve God” in Singapore must be understood.

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2016: Q2 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, sub-sector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time and across countries. This is the CSISG’s tenth year of measurement.

A Guide To The Singapore Constitution (2nd Ed.), Smu Apolitical

Student Publications

This primer is an introductory guide to the Constitution, its history, the legal concepts associated with it (such as the separation of powers and constitutional supremacy) and so much more. With illustrations and diagrams to aid in understanding, it is designed for readers of all ages and from all walks of life. The Constitution is the supreme law of the land. It provides for, among other things, the 3 branches of the Singapore government (namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary) and secures our fundamental liberties. The provisions in the Constitution are applied in our daily lives, both directly …

In Fair Value We Trust, Or Not, Joyce Tang, Nick Leong, Pan, Gary, Keng Kevin Ow Yong, Chu Yeong Lim, Tee Yong Jeffrey Ng

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

The objective of financial reporting is to provide financial information that is useful to existing and potential investors, lenders and other creditors (IASB’s Conceptual Framework ED/2015/3). General purpose financial reports provide information about the financial position of a reporting entity, as well as information about the effects of transactions and other events that will change a reporting entity’s economic resources and claims (para 1.12 ED/2015/3). Investor confidence and trust in the financial statements is a crucial component for financial markets to function smoothly. This report presents the attitudes and concerns of over 700 respondents toward fair value accounting. The survey …

Hedging The Aging Society: Challenges To The Insurance Market And Law In Singapore, Christopher C. H. Chen

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The greying of society has become a significant problem in Singapore and many parts of Asia, putting great financial pressure on various aspects of the economy, including the insurance and pension markets. In this article, we generally examine certain key aspect of legal infrastructure in Singapore to see if insurance law and financial regulations in Singapore is well equipped to cope with potential problems from an aging society in the near future. In addition to conventional insurance products, we also explore other ways to hedge the so-called ‘longevity risk’ by alternative risk management products in both the wholesale and retail …

Customer Satisfaction Index Of Singapore 2016: Q1 Results, Institute Of Service Excellence, Smu

Research Collection Institute of Service Excellence (2007-2024)

The Customer Satisfaction Index of Singapore (CSISG) computes customer satisfaction scores at the national, sector, sub-sector, and company levels. The CSISG serves as a quantitative benchmark of the quality of goods and services produced by the Singapore economy over time. 2016 marks the 10th year of the CSISG national study.

Tort Law, Kumaralingam Amirthalingam, Gary Kok Yew Chan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The plaintiff in Tan Bee Hock v F G Builders Pte Ltd was riding a motorbike when he skidded on a metal plate placed by the defendantat the entrance to a condominium. The plaintiff sued for his injuries in negligence, nuisance, and breach of statutory duty. On the facts, Kannan Ramesh JC (as his Honour then was) found that there was nothing unsafe about the metal plate and dismissed the claims in nuisance and negligence. Having found that the defendants had not done anything unsafe, Ramesh JC also dismissed the breach of statutory duty action, and in doing so, observed …

Tort Law [2015], Kumaralingam Amirthalingam, Gary Kok Yew Chan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

No abstract provided.

Designing An Accounting Analytics Course Using Experiential Learning Approach, Pan, Gary, Shankararaman, Venky, Poh Sun Seow, Gan Hup Tan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

This paper describes an undergraduate accounting analytics course which was delivered based on an experiential learning approach. This accounting analytics course is timely as, with the proliferation of Big Data, several accounting professional bodies have highlighted the importance of developing analytical skills among accounting graduates. The experiential learning approach was adopted because there is a need to equip students with future work skills so as to tackle increasingly complex problems. The professors collaborate with external partners to design a course which combines theory with experiential learning through heavy use of projects involving real world problems. Students rated the course favourably. …

Joseph Conceicao [Singapore, Diplomat, Member Of Parliament], Joseph Conceicao

Digital Narratives of Asia

Joseph Conceicao was a diplomat and served as Member of Parliament for Katong for 16 years. He shares with DNA what it was like working with Singapore's founding leaders, as well as how he manoeuvred through the tricky situations in his career.

Language And Inter-Racial Harmony: The Battle For English As Singapore Lingua, Margaret Chan

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Against the backdrop of world religious violence, Singapore is as a beacon of inter-ethnic harmony: A 2015 poll, carried out in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore, returned the unanimous verdict that it was Singapore that had made the most social progress among the four Chinese ethnic Chinese societies. In 2014, the Pew Research Center ranked Singapore at the top of their Religious Diversity Index. The nation's bilingual policy is critical to the integration of the multi-racial communities of Singapore. This position is highlighted in a discussion of how, in the early years after independence in 1965, the Singapore government …

Singapore's Vision Of A Smart Nation, See Liang Foo, Gary Pan

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

With a population of 5.4 million and land area of 718 square kilometres, 94 percent of Singapore’s population live in high-rise apartments, of which, 82 percent dwell in public housing. As an ultra-dense city-state, effective and innovative urban development is a social and economic imperative intricately intertwined with Singapore’s competitiveness and quality of life. Harnessing information and communications technology (ICT) is not only essential to achieving this, but also serves as a template for answering some of the global challenges faced by urban centres around the world–particularly in regard to economic development, social cohesion, better city administration and infrastructure management.