Quest for Political Power: Communist Subversion and Militancy in Singapore

Quest for Political Power: Communist Subversion and Militancy in Singapore
Author: Bilveer Singh
Publisher: Marshall Cavendish International Asia Pte Ltd
Total Pages: 300
Release: 2014-12-15
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9814634492

The history of communism in Malaya (including Singapore) almost coincided with the rise and fall of communism worldwide, best epitomized in Europe by the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Operating through the Malayan Communist Party, communism posed an existential threat to Malaya. While the communist threat in peninsular Malaya was manifested dramatically in armed struggle with guerrillas in the jungle, in Singapore it was primarily in the form of united front subversive activities, interspersed with episodes of violence and assassinations. This new book examines the MCP’s quest for political power in Singapore in the midst of a raging Cold War between communism and the free world, with particular focus on events in the 1950s and 1960s. From its close collaboration with the two leading communist great powers (USSR and China) to its united front strategy of infiltrating student, trade union and political organizations, the MCP’s activities are related here in a clear and engaging manner

Understanding Singapore Politics

Understanding Singapore Politics
Author: Bilveer Singh
Publisher: World Scientific Publishing Company
Total Pages: 231
Release: 2017-03-23
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9813209259

Understanding Singapore Politics is written to address the dearth of a succinct overview on Singapore politics. This introductory text looks at the factors that shape the island-republic's domestic politics, the key institutions and issues in the city-state, electoral power as well as the political direction Singapore is likely to take in a post-Lee Kuan Yew era. The specific institutions covered for discussion include the mass media, trade unions, civil service and grassroots organisations. The role of civil and civic society, including pressures for democratisation, is also examined. In addition, various new political issues — the importance of race, income equality and migration — and their implications are discussed. Finally, the linkage between Singapore's domestic and foreign policy is analysed. This foundational guide to Singapore politics is recommended for anyone who has an interest or a stake in the island republic.

Perspectives On The Security Of Singapore: The First 50 Years

Perspectives On The Security Of Singapore: The First 50 Years
Author: Barry Desker
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 353
Release: 2015-07-22
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9814689351

Perspectives on the Security of Singapore: The First 50 Years explores the security of Singapore in the last 50 years and its possible trajectories into the future. This volume brings together the diverse perspectives of a team of academics with different expertise, ranging from history to political science to security studies with a common interest in Singapore. The book is further boosted by the recollections of key civil servants involved with foreign affairs and defence, such as S R Nathan, Peter Ho, Bilahari Kausikan and Philip Yeo.

Unmasking Singapore's 2020 General Elections: Covid-19 And The Evolving Political Landscape

Unmasking Singapore's 2020 General Elections: Covid-19 And The Evolving Political Landscape
Author: Bilveer Singh
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 386
Release: 2020-12-29
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9811227659

On 10 July 2020, Singapore held its 18th general elections in history and the 13th since independence in 1965. The ruling People's Action Party (PAP) once again retained its supermajority by capturing 83 out of the 93 seats, controlling 89.2 percent of parliamentary seats. In spite of a changing social, political and economic landscape, Singapore is still very much identified as an illiberal democracy that has somehow thrived over the years.As the general elections was held during the COVID-19 pandemic, there were expectations that Singaporeans would overwhelmingly vote for the PAP government as the country was facing a serious crisis of a generation. The 'flight-to-safety' mode that some had expected in an election during a crisis, however, did not materialise. In the end, Singaporean voters decided to send a strong warning to the PAP that not all was well, with the opposition achieving its strongest gains since 1965, capturing 10 seats and an additional two Non-constituency Member of Parliament seats. The PAP's total votes dropped from 69.9 percent in 2015 to 61.2 percent in 2020. The rise of a credible opposition has also further strengthened Singaporeans' resolve to ensure that a fair-playing field exists in the political realm. With the highest voter turnout since independence, many have made it known that their voices mattered. The PAP also saw some cracks in its ranks, with some former cadre members and supporters being critical of the new fourth-generation team.Against this backdrop, this book hopes to address the following questions. What were the key issues in the general elections? Who were the main contenders in the polls? What accounted for the PAP's continued hold on power in Singapore? Why did the opposition perform much better than in the previous general elections? What are the main implications of the 2020 general elections results for the PAP, opposition and the broader society at large? How far have electoral issues shifted from 'bread and butter' concerns to much broader topics of social injustices and diversity of voices in parliament? What were some of the crucial talking points during this election? Last, but not least, how far did social media and internet campaigning determine the outcome of this election?

Singapore

Singapore
Author: Michael D. Barr
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 370
Release: 2018-12-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 1786725274

Singapore gained independence in 1965, a city-state in a world of nation-states. Yet its long and complex history reaches much farther back. Blending modernity and tradition, ideologies and ethnicities, a peculiar set of factors make Singapore what it is today. In this thematic study of the island nation, Michael D. Barr proposes a new approach to understand this development. From the pre-colonial period through to the modern day, he traces the idea, the politics and the geography of Singapore over five centuries of rich history. In doing so he rejects the official narrative of the so-called 'Singapore Story'. Drawing on in-depth archival work and oral histories, Singapore: A Modern History is a work both for students of the country's history and politics, but also for any reader seeking to engage with this enigmatic and vastly successful nation.

Is The People's Action Party Here To Stay?: Analysing The Resilience Of The One-party Dominant State In Singapore

Is The People's Action Party Here To Stay?: Analysing The Resilience Of The One-party Dominant State In Singapore
Author: Bilveer Singh
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 333
Release: 2019-07-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9811200114

This book examines the staying power of the People's Action Party, a political party that has governed Singapore since June 1959. A political titan with few chinks in its armour, the party has kept winning elections under three prime ministers and Singapore is about to witness a transition to the fourth prime minister. The party's seemingly unstoppable sterling performance makes the issue of the durability of the PAP highly critical. In light of the serious weakness of the Opposition and the strong performance legitimacy of the ruling party, it is worthwhile asking the question, can the PAP stumble and fall? Addressing this question is highly relevant given that similar political parties and structures have almost all collapsed elsewhere — the Barisan Nasional as the latest casualty with its defeat in Malaysia's 2018 General Elections. With an extensive coverage on domestic and international issues, up-to-date developments on the finalisation of the PAP's 4G leadership, the Workers' Party town council saga, and the efforts to form an opposition coalition led by Tan Cheng Bock are also analysed in this book.

Learning From Violent Extremist Attacks: Behavioural Sciences Insights For Practitioners And Policymakers

Learning From Violent Extremist Attacks: Behavioural Sciences Insights For Practitioners And Policymakers
Author: Majeed Khader
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 648
Release: 2018-12-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9813275456

How can we use psychology and the behavioural sciences to aid law enforcement to better identify violent extremists? What can we learn from past attacks to ensure that our society is more prepared? How can societies deal with tension after these attacks?Violent extremists are evolving, constantly honing their strategies to out-manuever the 'good guys'. Faced with the quandary, challenges, and responsibilities of ensuring the safety of the society, practitioners and policymakers have to take decisive steps to respond and mitigate the impact of an attack. However, the daunting task of countering violent extremism is still plagued by the lack of basic understanding of the phenomenon.This book, Learning from Violent Extremist Attacks: Behavioural Sciences Insights for Practitioners and Policymakers, attempts to fill a gap in the extant literature by offering a behavioural sciences approach to integrate our understanding of the threat of violent extremism, with knowledge drawn from diverse fields, such as psychology, sociology, history, political science, technology, and communications to identify the lessons learned and provide scientifically defensible interventions and approaches for both the practitioners and policymakers.

The Palgrave Handbook of Global Approaches to Peace

The Palgrave Handbook of Global Approaches to Peace
Author: Aigul Kulnazarova
Publisher: Springer
Total Pages: 779
Release: 2018-12-19
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 3319789058

With existing literature focusing largely on Western perspectives of peace and their applications, a global understanding of peace is much needed. Spurred by more recent debates and discourses that criticize the dominant realist and liberal approaches for crises in contemporary state- and peace-building, the contributors to this handbook emphasize not only the need to solve this eternal conundrum of humanity, but also demand—with the rise of increasingly more violent conflicts in international relations—the development of a global interpretive framework for peace and security. To this end, the present handbook examines conceptual, institutional and normative interpretive approaches for making, building and promoting peace in the context of roles played by state and non-state actors within local, national, regional, and global units of analysis.

Indonesian Presidency, The: Assessing The 2024 Presidential Elections And Beyond

Indonesian Presidency, The: Assessing The 2024 Presidential Elections And Beyond
Author: Bilveer Singh
Publisher: World Scientific
Total Pages: 343
Release: 2024-07-30
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 981129691X

The book examines the various dynamics involved in Indonesian presidential elections, inter alia, the political and changing presidential system, the history of the presidency, the various forces at work in the 2024 presidential elections especially the personalities and political forces involved in the elections and eventually, the factors behind the victory of Prabowo Subianto who had tried four times, first as a vice-presidential candidate and thrice as a presidential candidate, and how he won the presidential election in a single round without a runoff. The implications of this victory for Indonesia and the wider world are also discussed.