Institute of Policy Studies, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy

Singapore’s cohesion rests on a clear compact: a secular state protects freedom of religion, while keeping partisan politics free of sectarian mobilisation. In this op-ed for The Straits Times, IPS’ Mathew Mathews and Melvin Tay explain why these guardrails matter, and how they should be upheld.   They argue that mobilising religion for partisan gain is divisive and risks turning political competition into a communal tug-of-war. They also emphasise that faith should remain in the public sphere, without morphing into state power or partisan leverage. Finally, they add that religious convictions must be open to contestation and anchored in the constitutional order, in order to keep politics free from sectarianism while keeping religion as a positive force in society.   Discover more of their insights here: https://lnkd.in/gm3R6BGA

What do Singaporeans feel about the severity of various online harms, and how they should be tackled?   Between June 2024 and May 2025, IPS researchers conducted the study "Online Harms in Singapore: From Evidence to Action", which drew on three phases: (1) a review of laws and platform rules, (2) focus group discussions and in-depth interviews with victims and supporters, and (3) a survey of 600 Singapore Citizens and Permanent Residents.   Here are the key findings: ❌ Most severe harms: Child sexual exploitation and abuse, violent content, terrorism-related content, and content supporting vice and organised crimes ranked top.  🫂 Victim-first lens: Nearly three-quarters of respondents rated harm to individuals (73.5%) and victim vulnerability (74.3%) as very or extremely important in shaping their perceptions of severity. ✊ Shared responsibility: 75% believed government, tech companies and individual users all need to do “much more” to improve online safety. ⚖️ Support for legal reforms: Respondents viewed legislation and quicker takedown of harmful content to be the two most useful remedies. The study was conducted by Dr Han Ei CHEW (PhD) (IPS), Assoc Prof Carol Soon (PhD) (Department of Communications and New Media (CNM)) and Ms Harkiran Kaur (IPS), from the National University of Singapore (NUS). Research collaborators included Professor Sun Sun Lim from Singapore Management University, Assoc Prof Natalie Pang (CNM, NUS) and Ms Natalie C. from SG Her Empowerment (SHE).   Learn more about the study at the link in the comments.   #singapore #onlineharms #victim #harm #abuse NUS Communications and New Media SHE Singapore

⚠️Are you working in or affiliated with an Institute of Higher Learning? 🏫🎓 ⚠️Are you passionate about understanding and contributing towards community models for businesses? 💖 Join us for a partnership information workshop on 29 October, as we explore how to design and implement community business programmes. Participants will work together to identify key design principles and financing models that promote community ownership and economic inclusion. This session is organised specially for members of IHLs. A separate session will be held for business affiliates on 4 November. Learn more and register your interest via the link in the comments.

✨📢🤝Call for participants – Join the Consensus Conference 🤝📢✨   IPS and REACH Singapore are inviting residents of Changi Simei constituency to participate in a Consensus Conference. Over four in-person sessions, participants will deliberate on local-foreigner integration through facilitated discussions. Participants will share personal experiences and listen to one another’s views in establishing common ground and clarifying disagreements, as well as co-develop community projects.   Join the Consensus Conference and be part of the conversation.   Find more details and register your interest via the link in the comments. #IPSsg #reachsg #everyvoicematters

📱Screen time for teenagers has been an oft talked about topic. What about its effects on well-being and family dynamics in Singapore?   In the IPS Working Papers No. 67, IPS researchers Mathew Mathews, Clara Lee, Elizabeth Lim and Roslina Yong surveyed over 1,000 parents in Singapore, half of which formed matched parent-teenager pairs.    ☹️They found that higher total screen time was associated with poorer sleep quality, greater loneliness, and lower emotional well‑being for both teenagers and parents.    🛜However, the relationship between screen time and its negative effects is not so simple: what people do online, and how much time they spend offline, play an important role.   Read the IPS Working Papers No. 67 at the link in the comments. #singapore #screen #teenager #wellbeing #offline

IPS is pleased to announce the appointments of Khoo Yi-Hang, Senior Editorial Strategist at AsiaOne.com, and Douglas Toh, Business Journalist at The Edge Singapore, as the IPS News Fellows for 2025. At AsiaOne, Yi-Hang has covered stories on entertainment, lifestyle and current affairs. Beyond those areas, he also has a strong interest for digital culture where relevant to Singapore. Douglas has filed online and print articles on the aviation, maritime, semiconductor and manufacturing sectors for the Edge Singapore. Before joining The Edge, he freelanced for a range of outlets including Rice Media, The Peak Singapore and GovWare. The IPS News Fellowship is designed to provide outstanding mid-career journalists with an opportunity to take a short sabbatical from their regular work to further their personal and professional development through the process of research. They will embark on a research project of their interest which explores a societal issue in Singapore, where their research will be compiled into a paper or a journalistic format such as a monograph or video. Find the press release at: https://lnkd.in/djtUYRGC #IPSsg #IPSNewsFellows #Singapore #Journalism #Research

Mr Piyush Gupta, former CEO and Director of DBS Group and IPS’ 17th S R Nathan Fellow, recently delivered his first lecture, examining the unique combination of factors that underpin Singapore’s long-term success as a financial centre. Writing in an op-ed for The Business Times, Mr Gupta shares that Singapore’s financial sector did not become world-class by accident. Singapore’s enduring success lies in a "secret sauce": the careful balancing of trust, stability and unorthodox innovation. He suggests that this unique equilibrium is what allows the nation to adapt and thrive, cautions that undermining any one of these three elements could jeopardise the country's future. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gdWnMtxx DBS Bank

Singapore’s tight labour market masks a deeper challenge: many young graduates face unstable early careers, slowing both personal and economic growth. In this op-ed for The Business Times, IPS’ Han Ei CHEW (PhD) and NUS’ Vincent Chua argue that early career continuity is not just a social issue but an economic one, shaping productivity, retention, and confidence in upward mobility. Disrupted starts, they note, can leave lasting “scars” on earnings, household formation and social cohesion. Ultimately, Singapore’s next advantage lies in ensuring every new entrant has a place to start, a skill to build and a future to claim. Read more below.

The first lecture of the 17th IPS-Nathan Lecture series by Mr Piyush Gupta, former Chief Executive Officer and Director of DBS Group, was held today.   Titled “Balancing Stability, Trust and Innovation”, it traced Singapore’s rise as a global financial hub and explained how policy choices, institutional design and public–private partnership underpinned growth across banking, capital markets, asset management, insurance and commodities. It highlighted the creation of the Asian Dollar Market and two-tier banking system, the founding of SIMEX and SGX Group, and the 2000s liberalisation that strengthened local banks while attracting international players.    Mr Gupta also discussed MAS’ dual roles in prudential supervision and sector development, and how the wealth management industry illustrates the ongoing need to calibrate openness, innovation and safeguards against risks such as mis-selling and money laundering. He concluded the lecture by stressing the importance of nimbleness, foresight and collaboration to sustain Singapore’s position amid technological changes.   The Question-and-Answer session of the lecture was moderated by Ms Teo Swee Lian, Chairman of CapitaLand Integrated Commercial Trust Management Pte Ltd. The discussion included what Mr Gupta would do if he became the new Minister for Finance or President; what the new generation of investors, who are more willing to invest in riskier products, can learn from past investors; and how Singapore continues to encourage innovation while building trust and maintaining stability.   #singapore #banking #finance #october #tech DBS Bank Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS)

Neighbour disputes, though often seen as private irritations, can have serious consequences if unresolved. In this commentary for The Straits Times, IPS’ Nicholas Thomas reflects on what more can be done to bring disputing neighbours to the table. Besides stronger enforcement and faster mediation, he argues that Singapore should deepen civic engagement and community-level solutions, to build trust, empathy and shared responsibility within our communities. He concludes that neigbourliness cannot simply be legislated, and a “we-first” society depends on everyday goodwill built through daily acts of give and take. Read more in the link below.