SINGAPOREAFTERLEE:LESSIMF,MOREWORLD

BANK?

{Lessemphasisoneconomicgrowthandmoreemphasis
oncitizenengagementofferasustainableoptionfor
Singapore.ThepassingofLeeKuanYewisaclosing
chapterformaximumutilitarianismandanopeningfor
morepositivecitizenparticipation.}

TheWorldBankGroupispromotingcitizenengagement
forworlddevelopment,especiallyindevelopingcountries.
Beingafirstworldcountry,Singaporeinfactdoesnot
needsuchanadvice.However,inthepast50years,
despiteeconomicsuccess,ourcitizenengagement
movementsarelikeourpressrankingfarfromsatisfaction.
Itisavoicepovertysimilartotheassetpovertyin
developingcountries.

Singaporeisveryproudofherachievementoverthepast
50years,namingfromthirdworldtofirstworldinone
generation.However,afterincreasingtheaggregate
utilities(wealth)tothetopoftheworld,Singaporeruling
party,thePAP,isnowfacinghugepoliticalpressure.
PeopleinSingaporearerethinkingthisutilitarian
approach.

Richbutnothappymeanthewelfare(wellbeing,utilities)
isnotincreasinganymore,i.e.marginalutilitiesnot
increasing.Perhaps,Singaporeisnowahighincome
countryandpeopleshappinesswillfailtoincreasewhen
theirincomehasreachedacertainlevel,e.g.US$75000.
However,SingaporehasaveryhighGiniindexbigrich
andpoorgap.Thecontinuedincreaseintotalincomeand
utilitieswilladdmorepressuretothelowerandmiddle
incomecitizens.

LeeKuanYewcreatedamodelofPAPknowsthebest.
Underthismodel,Singaporepushedformaximumutilities
ofeconomicgrowth.Whencomestocitizenengagement
andconsultation,thePAPonlyengagedpeoplewhocan
contributetogrowthandincreasetheirmarginalutilities.
Peoplewhodisagreeormakenocontributionwillhaveno
sayindecisionmaking.

LessIMF,moreWorldBank

BothIMFandWorldBankoffermassopenonlinecourses
overedXandcourseraplatforms.Singapores
performancemeasuredbyIMFfinancialprogrammingand
policiesanddebtsustainabilityanalysisistoprate,except
perhaps,theissueofhighpublicdebt.

However,whenweconsiderthedevelopmentapproach
undertheWorldBankguidelines,Singaporeinmanyways
isabelowaveragestudent.ItisbecauseWBconsiders
riskandopportunityoftransparencyandaccountabilityin
acountry.WBalsowantsdevelopingcountriestoengage
theircitizensasagamechangerfordevelopment.

IMFconsiderslessaboutcitizenconsultationandmore
abouteffectivepolicyimplementation,forexample,an
austerityprogram.Itaimsforshorttermandimmediate
solution.WhileWBconcernsmoreaboutsustainable
development,longtermeffects.Hence,public
participationandcitizenengagementareimportant
feedbackloop.WBbelievescitizenengagementcan
improvepolicymaking.Anditinvolvessocial
accountability,transparencyandresponsiveness.

CitizenengagementunderLee

ThePAPgovernmentis,infact,activelyengagingcitizens
butinawrongway.Itisusingamonopolyapproachas
wellasfearfactor(ISA,defamation).Itisverydifferent
fromtheWBmodel.

ThePAPhasamonopolyininformation.Themainstream
mediaisunderthegovernmentcontrol.Italsocontrolsthe

labourmovements,hardlyanytruelabour/citizen
engagement.Thegovernmentsfeedbackunitiscollecting
progovernmentfeedback.Almostallcivicorganisations
sports/tradeassociations,charity/religionbodies,NGOs,
areheadedbyproPAPorgovernmentfriendlypeople.

WBcitizenengagementhasfiveconstitutiveelements.

However,inSingapore,thereisonlyonebigelement:
StateAction.Civilmobilization,informationandcitizen
actionareallundercontrolormanipulation.Theonce
powerfulgrassrootsmechanisminthepasthashelpedto
maintainsomedegreesofcitizenstateinterface.

However,thecurrentgrassrootsfeedbackhasbrokenas
showninthedropinpopularvotesin2011.

Afiveconstitutiveelementsbalancebecamean
unbalanceofonesuperStateActionelementunderLee.
Thisisnotasustainablesituationandbadforthe
longtermdevelopmentofSingapore.

IfwereconsiderthepublicdebtissuementionedbyIMF,
itisinfactalsoacitizenengagementissue.TheMonetary
AuthorityofSingaporethinksthehighpublicdebtsisless
ofaproblembecausethesearedomesticdebts,not
internationaldebts.ThedomesticdebtsareSingapore
governmentsborrowingofCPFmonies(throughbonds
issuing).CPFmoniescomefromcitizensandPRs.Is
thereapropercitizenengagementinCPFmonies,bonds,
debtsandreturns?Thiswillcontinuetobeahottopicif
theStateignoringengagingSingaporecitizens.

Citizenengagementisadirtyword

CitizenengagementisnotnecessaryasthePAPisthe
bestgovernmentthatknowsalltheproblemsin
Singapore.Inthenameofinclusivesociety,thePAPsets
upmanyfeedbackchannels,eitherunderdirectcontrolor

throughproxy,toshowtheeffectivenessof(false)citizen
engagement.

However,thefiveconstitutiveelementsinthepast50
yearshavenarroweddowntoStateAction.Weseeonly
theStateisinactionnotthecitizens,forexample,the
StatecansuddenlyrevoketherighttospeakatSpeakers
Corner.TheStatecandetainapersonwithtrialunderISA.

IntheviewsofthePAP,citizenengagement(e.g.
#ReturnmyCPF,PopulationWhitePaperetc.)isadirty
word.ItpreventstheStatetoachievehighereconomic
growth,higheraggregateutilities,anditalsopreventsthe
distributivejusticethatthePAPischampioningfor,e.g.
highmedicalcosts,housing,etc.

However,forlongtermsustainability,Singaporeas
suggestedbyWBhastoengagehercitizens.Itisagame
changerfordevelopmentafterLee.

#formoreinformationoncitizenengagement,youmay
visit
https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/100419219887402079673
http://gpsaknowledge.org/
https://consultations.worldbank.org/consultation/engagingcitizensimprovedresults