Constructing poverty in anti-welfare Singapore

Chong, Yen Kiat; Ng, Irene Y. H.

doi:10.1080/13504630.2016.1207514

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Singapore is in a league of its own with criteria that demand an alternate contemplation in urban planning and design for 2050. Although there are criticisms of the Singapore government's anti-welfare policies and socio-politically controlled retirement and healthcare governance (Chong & Ng, 2017), which have been debated as infringements of human rights, these socio-political discussions are not included in the scope of this paper. The focus is on the urban planning context.…”

Section: Un and Who Global Initiatives Derived Baseline Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-thinking Urban Planning for Singapore’s Extended Lifespan Population of 2050: A League of Its Own

Yew

2020

eTropic

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The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the World Health Organization’s Healthy Aging and Age Friendly Environment are comprehensive guidelines in ascertaining global standards for betterment of aging populations. However, as an economically established and highly organised city-state, Singapore has its own separate set of criteria regarding successful aging. This paper explores the contexts of living, working, and playing in Singapore’s current 65 and over population and the population over the age of 65 by 2050. The study demonstrates that these elderly life contexts are not only dissimilar to those on which the UN and WHO guidelines are based, but are uniquely Singaporean. These life, work and play contexts of an aging population also generate a new set of criteria that impact the model in urban planning and design for the tropical island-state. In this paper I argue that Singapore’s current 65 and over population is not the typical aging population, but one characterised by an extended lifespan with autonomy, employability, and vitality. These characteristics will be even more prominent for the country’s over the age of 65 by 2050 population, which will be comprised of the current Gen X and Millennials. To maintain sustainability and adaptability, urbanisation strategies in Singapore need to take into consideration these different generations of an aging population, which necessitate that planning and design recognise sets of criteria unique to each generation.

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Section: Un and Who Global Initiatives Derived Baseline Criteriamentioning

confidence: 99%

Re-thinking Urban Planning for Singapore’s Extended Lifespan Population of 2050: A League of Its Own

Yew

2020

eTropic

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“…Singapore differs in several ways from the Western economies discussed in the previous section. It is an Asian economy with a welfare system that is premised strongly on familial support and self-reliance (Chong and Ng, 2017; Teo, 2013). Thus, welfare provision is residual and conservative, with strong work conditions and incentives.…”

Section: Low-wage Development In Singaporementioning

confidence: 99%

Singapore’s restructuring of low-wage work: Have cleaning job conditions improved?

Lee

2018

Econ. labour relat. rev.

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Singapore’s Progressive Wage Model, introduced in 2012 and mandatory in the cleaning industry since 2015, is a skills- and productivity-based approach to redesigning jobs and restructuring wages in the largely outsourced cleaning, security and landscaping sectors. Focusing on cleaning work in the food and beverage industry, this case study examines some early outcomes of this national drive to reduce wage inequality by improving the pay and conditions of commodified work in a sector subject to outsourcing-based cost competition. Based on interviews with cleaners, supervisors and managers, the findings suggest that in general, government and the trade union and employers’ association have worked together, to set wages and conditions transparently. Nevertheless, enforcement issues mean that cleaners remain vulnerable. They have limited information about their employment benefits and face various types of poor conditions, some sanctioned by and others in violation of labour laws. These vulnerabilities have structural roots, including rent imbalances and cheap sourcing, factors that commodify jobs. The implementation of the Progressive Wage Model may have helped de-commodify cleaning jobs for Singaporeans and permanent residents, but such outcomes are still dependent on non-systemic and unenforceable factors such as the kindness of individual supervisors. While a promising start has been made, Singapore’s initial efforts to improve incomes and conditions in low-wage work will nevertheless require stronger regulatory commitment. JEL Codes: I38, J31, J48, &58, J88

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The Texture and History of Singapore’s Education Meritocracy

Chiong¹

2022

Education in Singapore

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Constructing poverty in anti-welfare Singapore

Cited by 6 publications

References 18 publications

Re-thinking Urban Planning for Singapore’s Extended Lifespan Population of 2050: A League of Its Own

Re-thinking Urban Planning for Singapore’s Extended Lifespan Population of 2050: A League of Its Own

Singapore’s restructuring of low-wage work: Have cleaning job conditions improved?

The Texture and History of Singapore’s Education Meritocracy

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