In the 19th century, European colonial powers routinely tried to make sense of their colonial subjects by classifying them according to “race”. In British Malaya, the most overt tool in this exercise was the census.
Even if the People’s Action Party proves less able to manage and contain conflict under this new phase in Singapore’s political economy, its diminished ideological hegemony will not necessarily translate into diminished political domination by the PAP.
According to the People’s Action Party’s moral ideology of accountability, personal behaviour is seen as core to the critique of a public official’s performance. But two examples highlight growing questions about this line of thinking.
Singapore’s People’s Action Party has long opposed “Western welfarism”, preferring to emphasise self-reliance. However, this core ideology has been challenged in recent years as concerns have mounted over the cost of living, inflation, and the adequacy of Singaporeans’ retirement funds.
Part one of a series of four articles on capitalism, inequality and ideology in Singapore. With widening inequalities and issues with increasing productivity for economic growth, Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party has sought to make policy adjustments—such as boosting healthcare subsidies and bringing in housing reform—to address its citizens’ concerns. But over the past decade, there’s been an increase in questioning of the party’s core ideologies.
What are the ethics of journalism when it comes to reporting on the implementation of criminal bylaws in Aceh, Indonesia? The 2012 suicide of a 16-year-old girl triggered a debate among journalists that remains unresolved.
678 members of New Naratif’s community responded to stage 2 of The Citizens’ Agenda, and this is how they responded based on their constituency.
After a successful career as a colonial administrator, John Crawfurd forged a second career as a staunch anti-colonial activist, in particular in opposition to Sarawak’s “White Raja”, James Brooke.
678 members of New Naratif’s community responded to stage 2 of The Citizens’ Agenda, and they were very clear about the biggest issues facing Singapore and what they want politicians to talk about at the next election.
Can words kill? Research suggests that by describing drug users as “sinners”, religious leaders are helping to justify their murder as part of Duterte’s war on drugs.
“Low crime doesn’t mean no crime.” This hackneyed slogan, plastered across public spaces, effectively captures the Singapore state’s attitude towards law enforcement. The dominant consensus, echoed across mainstream media and official narratives, views lawbreakers as threats to the greater good of society. Yet in 2016, two independent local films—"A Yellow Bird" and "Apprentice"—brought to the surface different views of society, crime and those who commit it.
在‘公民议程’第1阶段调查时，《新论述》要求本地（新加坡人）读者说明，他们认为新加坡当下所面临最为重要的课题有哪些；他们希望在来临的大选中，参加竞选的候选人讨论些什么。这里是读者回应时提及的（以及他们不提的）课题。
Di Fasa 1 Agenda Rakyat, New Naratif meminta pandangan daripada para pembaca kami di Singapura tentang isu-isu paling penting yang dihadapi di Singapura, dan apakah yang mereka ingin melihat calon-calon pilihanraya bicarakan di pilihanraya umum yang akan datang. Di sini adalah jawapan mereka (di samping pendapat yang tidak disuarakan).
In Stage 1 of The Citizens' Agenda, New Naratif asked Singaporeans readers what they think are the most important issues facing Singapore, and what they'd like political candidates to talk about in the next general election. Here's what our readers said (and didn't say).
Multiple landslides and flash flooding on Penang Island have ignited a fiery debate about the state's development trajectory and the tremendous pressure it places on the environment.
Marketed as picturesque, up-market “heritage” experiences, Singapore’s colonial-style restaurants—whether knowingly or unknowingly—end up enforcing a racial hierarchy inherited from the British colonial era and maintained by Singapore’s ruling elite.
As transnational feminists, Filipino Catholic nuns move constantly between the local and the international, becoming in the process effective activists. A peripatetic lifestyle gives them multiple perspectives and the credentials to speak for/about the Filipina post-colonial condition.
Sekitar tahun 1960an sehingga 1980an, maksud perkataan pendatang dalam Bahasa Melayu/Malaysia bertukar daripada ‘migran’ yang bernada neutral kepada sinonim dengan perkataan bahaya dan tidak boleh dipercayai: orang luar politik yang membanjiri negara dan mencabar identiti kebangsaan dan keselamatan. Bagaimana perubahan ini terjadi?
Between the 1960s and 1980s, the meaning of "pendatang" in Bahasa Malaysia shifted from a neutral "migrant" to become synonymous with danger and treachery: a political outsider whose influx in large numbers challenges national identity and security. How did this happen?
A visit to the historic site of Suara Revolusi Malaya (Voice of Malayan Revolution) radio station, by a former member of the Malayan People's Army, brings back nostalgic memories of another era. Includes audio clips.
