Walid Jumblatt Abdullah
Dados Biográficos
| ID | 97950 |
|---|---|
| NOME | Walid Jumblatt Abdullah |
| PRENOMES | Walid Jumblatt |
| SOBRENOME | Abdullah |
| ASSINATURA | ABDULLAH W J |
| AFILIAÇÕES | Nanyang Technological University |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7889-5532 |
| VERIFICADO | Sim |
| TOTAL DE OBRAS | 29 |
| TOTAL DE CITAÇÕES | 121 |
| TOTAL COMO AUTOR | 29 |
| TOTAL COMO EDITOR | 0 |
| PRIMEIRO ANO DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2013 |
| ANO MAIS RECENTE DE PUBLICAÇÃO | 2026 |
| ÍNDICE H | 7 |
Not quite the podcasting turn – evolution and political fundamentals in online campaigning during Singapore’s 2025 General Election
Singapore’s 2025 General Election signalled a novel development in political communication, bearing witness to the extensive use of podcasting by all sides of politics. The ruling People’s Action Party, traditionally slow to adopt emerging media technologies, took easily to the emerging format, which helped to present a more charismatic face of a party better known for its technocratic prowess. This new development in Singapore’s media frontier w…
Singapore in 2023 and 2024
The years 2023 and 2024 were politically significant for a few reasons. (1) A presidential election was held, which was convincingly won by the former deputy prime minister, Tharman Shanmugaratnam. (2) The third handover of power in the country’s independent history took place as PM Lawrence Wong assumed office, in May 2024. (3) The corruption case of former minister Iswaran resulted in a conviction. (4) Four politicians resigned, including the s…
(Cautiously) Embracing pro-Palestinian activism in Singapore
Flight to Quality and a New Prime Minister's Mandate
The 2025 general elections (GE) in Singapore returned the People's Action Party (PAP) to power, with 65.57 percent of the vote share, an increase of more than 4 percent from 2020. The elections took place amidst global uncertainty. The results were more significant considering it was Prime Minister Lawrence Wong's first election as the leader of his party, and the first time that a new PM outperformed his predecessor. The Workers' Party (WP), Sin…
The Roots of Resilience
Meredith Weiss provides a timely analysis of regime durability in Singapore and Malaysia. While the longevity of authoritarian regimes has long been a topic of study in comparative politics, Weiss manages to contribute to the literature through her study of “grassroots” politics. She posits that the way local politics is structured in the two countries results in “authoritarian acculturation,” or citizens accepting the rules of the game as determ…
The Politics of Compromise
This article discusses the repeal of Singapore's Section 377A, the anti-gay sex law, which was announced by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong during the 2022 National Day Rally. I contend that the declaration by PM Lee demonstrates the possibilities and limits of advocacy coalition-building in Singapore. Utilizing the concept of calibrated social liberalization, I postulate that the repeal of Section 377A was the government's response to shifti…
The Model Muslim Minority
In the post 9–11 world, Muslims have had to grapple with various challenges, which often involved justifying their faith to others within secular contexts. The matter is more acute, if not existential, for Muslim minority populations. This paper analyzes attempts by the Singaporean Muslim community to deal with a post 9–11 world, through a development of the concept of wasatiyah (justly balanced). It investigates key initiatives by two important …
The state prunes the banyan tree
This paper investigates the Singapore state’s varied responses toward dissent and explores the modes of control employed by the state towards varied dissent. We argue that any attempt to understand the politics of control in Singapore is incomplete without understanding how the state calibrates liberalisation as a third primary strategy. This study contributes to a more nuanced comprehension of how hybrid regimes can expand their modes of control…
(Not) democratising through strength
How and under what conditions do autocratic parties democratise through strength'? Prior scholarship suggests that authoritarian parties embrace political liberalisation when there are warnings of their decline. However, Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) has not 'conceded-to-thrive' despite seemingly waning dominance. This paper explains why autocratic parties resist democratisation. Drawing from historical and sociological institutionalism…
Islam Secular State
The overtly secular state of Singapore has unapologetically maintained an authoritarian approach to governance in the realm of religion. Islam is particularly managed by the state. Muslim activists thus have to meticulously navigate these realities - in addition to being a minority community - in order to maximize their influence in the political system. Significantly, Muslim activists are not a monolith: there exists a multitude of political and…
Chinese privilege in politics
This article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of privilege as a conceptual category through the case study of Chinese privilege in Singapore politics. It does so through two main ways. First, at the theoretical level, we emphasise the importance of foregrounding the salience of political hegemony in the analysis of privilege. Second, at the empirical level, we interrogate the concept in an Asian context, with specific reference to Sing…
Conceptualizing the Malay World
Reviewed by: Conceptualizing the Malay World: Colonialism and Pan-Malay Identity in Malaya by Soda Naoki Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah Conceptualizing the Malay World: Colonialism and Pan-Malay Identity in Malaya By Soda Naoki, Kyoto Area Studies on Asia, Trans Pacific Press, 2020, 206 pp, ISBN 9781920901370 In Conceptualizing the Malay World: Colonialism and Pan-Malay Identity in Malaya, Soda Naoki begins with problematizing the conventional appro…
Singapore’s Responses to the Covid-19 Outbreak
This article reviews how Singapore has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, from late-January to early May, 2020, through the three-phase approach to “learning”: in-between learning, trial-and-error learning, and contingency learning. Given its unique political system dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP) and bureaucratic culture, the Singapore government has progressively implemented numerous control measures including strict travel bans, …
New normal” no more
After the “watershed” General Elections (GE) in 2011, Singapore seemed primed for greater democratization. The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) adopted a softer tone, and promised an expansion of the political space. Yet, after the subsequent GE in 2015, in which the PAP attained a much higher share of the votes in a resounding victory, there is an apparent democratic backsliding. Academics have been publicly censured by state leaders, legislat…
Ethnic Diversity in the Recruitment of Diplomats
Diversity and its management have become an issue in all organisations. Ministries of foreign affairs ( MFA s) do not escape the issue. In the 2000s, states decided to consider more ethnic diversity in the recruitment of their diplomats. In some countries, this new goal requires affirmative action programs. This article is based on three case studies. The first case study analyses two Western countries — France and Norway — where MFA s have to re…
Electoral Secularism in Singapore
In recent years, the interventionist self-avowed secular state of Singapore, like many non-Western countries, has had to wrestle with the issue of homosexuality and Lesbian, Gay, Transsexual and Bisexual (LGBT) rights. Managing the demands of the conservative elements of society alongside the increasingly vocal liberal factions is a priority for a state whose legitimacy depends, in large part, on maintaining social order. This article makes the f…
The Mahathir effect in Malaysia’s 2018 election
The 14th Malaysian General Elections (Pilihanraya Umum, 14, PRU 14) in 2018 proved to be a watershed election as Barisan Nasional (National Front, BN) lost power for the first time in history. Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope, PH), led by former BN leader and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, captured the majority of parliamentary seats. This article analyses the impact of Mahathir specifically, and credible personalities in general, in unseating…
Inclusion-moderation or political opportunity? Lessons from the case of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, PAS)
Much of the recent literature on the inclusion-moderation thesis revolves around Islamist political parties. This paper contends that the case of Parti-Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) is instructive in this regard. I argue that political opportunity is what decides whether a party would adopt more ‘moderate’ tendencies, not its mere inclusion in the electoral system. PAS’ raison d’etre was initially based on campaigning for an Isl…
Bureaucratising Islam
Southeast Asian countries have, since independence, grappled with the issue of religious management. Many of them, especially in the Malay Archipelago, have attempted to bureaucratize Islam specifically, as they attempt to keep religion in check and/or harness it for political and nation-building purposes. This paper investigates how the state in Singapore has drawn the boundaries for Islam’s involvement in public affairs via this bureaucratisati…
Selective history and hegemony-making
This article attempts to analyze the process of selective history and hegemony-making in Singapore, and makes the following arguments. Firstly, the birth of the nation-state led the political elites to rely on several hegemonic ideologies as founding myths, chief of which is the idea of ‘survival’. Secondly, to create and sustain these ideologies, two things needed to be done concurrently: de-emphasize the Malay-ness of the nation’s past; and acc…
Bringing Ideology in
This article explores the nature of the main opposition parties to the incumbent hegemonic regimes in Malaysia and Singapore. I argue that the differing characters of these opposition parties should be considered. In Singapore, where there is no ideological challenge to the ruling party, I contend that even if the opposition takes over it will be the end of a hegemonic party but not hegemony. In Malaysia, the opposite is true. This article contri…
Conflating Muslim “Conservatism” with “Extremism
In late 2015, there was a controversy with regard to a foreign Muslim preacher being “barred” from delivering a speech in Singapore. While the government did not comment directly on the incident, it subsequently expressed concern about the growing trend of Singaporean Muslims refusing to greet “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Deepavali” to their non-Muslim friends, and stated unequivocally that it would not hesitate to ban foreign preachers who promot…
Merits and Limits of Counter-ideological Work Against Terrorism
Counter-ideological work is touted as crucial in combating terrorism. This article attempts to analyse the role of counter-ideology in dealing with a particular type of terrorism: Muslim jihadist extremism. This paper reiterates findings from existing research, in arguing that counter-ideology is indispensable for three reasons: firstly, to prevent Muslims from genuinely believing that terrorism is sanctioned by the faith; secondly, it is instruc…
Managing minorities in competitive authoritarian states
This article assesses the Singapore state's approach towards multiracialism by focusing on the hijab issue. I argue that a combination of elite ideology and regime type can explain the state's overall stances on religion, including the hijab issue. Previously, when the state was hegemonic, its policies were determined solely by the ideologies held by its key elites. However, as the state moves towards competitive authoritarianism with increased e…
Assessing party structures
This article attempts to answer the puzzle of why, amongst undemocratic states, some regimes are more authoritarian than others. The author contends that differing party structures result in different authoritarian outcomes. A ruling, competitive authoritarian regime that has a party structure akin to a cadre party, or where there is little or no intra-party democracy, is more likely to be more authoritarian than a party which has intra-party dem…
Bringing Ideology in
This article explores the nature of the main opposition parties to the incumbent hegemonic regimes in Malaysia and Singapore. I argue that the differing characters of these opposition parties should be considered. In Singapore, where there is no ideological challenge to the ruling party, I contend that even if the opposition takes over it will be the end of a hegemonic party but not hegemony. In Malaysia, the opposite is true. This article contri…
Chinese privilege in politics
This article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of privilege as a conceptual category through the case study of Chinese privilege in Singapore politics. It does so through two main ways. First, at the theoretical level, we emphasise the importance of foregrounding the salience of political hegemony in the analysis of privilege. Second, at the empirical level, we interrogate the concept in an Asian context, with specific reference to Sing…
The Mahathir effect in Malaysia’s 2018 election
The 14th Malaysian General Elections (Pilihanraya Umum, 14, PRU 14) in 2018 proved to be a watershed election as Barisan Nasional (National Front, BN) lost power for the first time in history. Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope, PH), led by former BN leader and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, captured the majority of parliamentary seats. This article analyses the impact of Mahathir specifically, and credible personalities in general, in unseating…
New normal” no more
After the “watershed” General Elections (GE) in 2011, Singapore seemed primed for greater democratization. The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) adopted a softer tone, and promised an expansion of the political space. Yet, after the subsequent GE in 2015, in which the PAP attained a much higher share of the votes in a resounding victory, there is an apparent democratic backsliding. Academics have been publicly censured by state leaders, legislat…
Selective history and hegemony-making
This article attempts to analyze the process of selective history and hegemony-making in Singapore, and makes the following arguments. Firstly, the birth of the nation-state led the political elites to rely on several hegemonic ideologies as founding myths, chief of which is the idea of ‘survival’. Secondly, to create and sustain these ideologies, two things needed to be done concurrently: de-emphasize the Malay-ness of the nation’s past; and acc…
Religious Representation in Secular Singapore
This paper investigates the nature of secularism practiced by the Singapore state, focusing on the two main Islamic organizations, MUIS and Pergas. I postulate that the state uses “muscular” and “calibrated” secularism to manage them, and co-opts them either formally or informally. The two organizations agree to such an arrangement
Singapore’s Responses to the Covid-19 Outbreak
This article reviews how Singapore has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, from late-January to early May, 2020, through the three-phase approach to “learning”: in-between learning, trial-and-error learning, and contingency learning. Given its unique political system dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP) and bureaucratic culture, the Singapore government has progressively implemented numerous control measures including strict travel bans, …
Assessing party structures
This article attempts to answer the puzzle of why, amongst undemocratic states, some regimes are more authoritarian than others. The author contends that differing party structures result in different authoritarian outcomes. A ruling, competitive authoritarian regime that has a party structure akin to a cadre party, or where there is little or no intra-party democracy, is more likely to be more authoritarian than a party which has intra-party dem…
Electoral Innovation in Competitive Authoritarian States
This article investigates the efficacy of a form of electoral innovation unique to the island-state of Singapore, the Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) scheme, and its impact on democratic governance, in light of the changing political landscape. A comparative perspective will be employed and broader conclusions on electoral engineering will be reached, especially for democratizing countries. Contrary to conventional scholarly wisdom, I argue …
The Politics of Compromise
This article discusses the repeal of Singapore's Section 377A, the anti-gay sex law, which was announced by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong during the 2022 National Day Rally. I contend that the declaration by PM Lee demonstrates the possibilities and limits of advocacy coalition-building in Singapore. Utilizing the concept of calibrated social liberalization, I postulate that the repeal of Section 377A was the government's response to shifti…
Inclusion-moderation or political opportunity? Lessons from the case of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, PAS)
Much of the recent literature on the inclusion-moderation thesis revolves around Islamist political parties. This paper contends that the case of Parti-Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) is instructive in this regard. I argue that political opportunity is what decides whether a party would adopt more ‘moderate’ tendencies, not its mere inclusion in the electoral system. PAS’ raison d’etre was initially based on campaigning for an Isl…
The state prunes the banyan tree
This paper investigates the Singapore state’s varied responses toward dissent and explores the modes of control employed by the state towards varied dissent. We argue that any attempt to understand the politics of control in Singapore is incomplete without understanding how the state calibrates liberalisation as a third primary strategy. This study contributes to a more nuanced comprehension of how hybrid regimes can expand their modes of control…
Electoral Secularism in Singapore
In recent years, the interventionist self-avowed secular state of Singapore, like many non-Western countries, has had to wrestle with the issue of homosexuality and Lesbian, Gay, Transsexual and Bisexual (LGBT) rights. Managing the demands of the conservative elements of society alongside the increasingly vocal liberal factions is a priority for a state whose legitimacy depends, in large part, on maintaining social order. This article makes the f…
(Not) democratising through strength
How and under what conditions do autocratic parties democratise through strength'? Prior scholarship suggests that authoritarian parties embrace political liberalisation when there are warnings of their decline. However, Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) has not 'conceded-to-thrive' despite seemingly waning dominance. This paper explains why autocratic parties resist democratisation. Drawing from historical and sociological institutionalism…
Bureaucratising Islam
Southeast Asian countries have, since independence, grappled with the issue of religious management. Many of them, especially in the Malay Archipelago, have attempted to bureaucratize Islam specifically, as they attempt to keep religion in check and/or harness it for political and nation-building purposes. This paper investigates how the state in Singapore has drawn the boundaries for Islam’s involvement in public affairs via this bureaucratisati…
Conflating Muslim “Conservatism” with “Extremism
In late 2015, there was a controversy with regard to a foreign Muslim preacher being “barred” from delivering a speech in Singapore. While the government did not comment directly on the incident, it subsequently expressed concern about the growing trend of Singaporean Muslims refusing to greet “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Deepavali” to their non-Muslim friends, and stated unequivocally that it would not hesitate to ban foreign preachers who promot…
Singapore in 2023 and 2024
The years 2023 and 2024 were politically significant for a few reasons. (1) A presidential election was held, which was convincingly won by the former deputy prime minister, Tharman Shanmugaratnam. (2) The third handover of power in the country’s independent history took place as PM Lawrence Wong assumed office, in May 2024. (3) The corruption case of former minister Iswaran resulted in a conviction. (4) Four politicians resigned, including the s…
Ethnic Diversity in the Recruitment of Diplomats
Diversity and its management have become an issue in all organisations. Ministries of foreign affairs ( MFA s) do not escape the issue. In the 2000s, states decided to consider more ethnic diversity in the recruitment of their diplomats. In some countries, this new goal requires affirmative action programs. This article is based on three case studies. The first case study analyses two Western countries — France and Norway — where MFA s have to re…
Merits and Limits of Counter-ideological Work Against Terrorism
Counter-ideological work is touted as crucial in combating terrorism. This article attempts to analyse the role of counter-ideology in dealing with a particular type of terrorism: Muslim jihadist extremism. This paper reiterates findings from existing research, in arguing that counter-ideology is indispensable for three reasons: firstly, to prevent Muslims from genuinely believing that terrorism is sanctioned by the faith; secondly, it is instruc…
Of Co-optation and Resistance
Journal Article Of Co-optation and Resistance: State-Ulama Dynamics in Singapore Get access Walid Jumblatt Abdullah Walid Jumblatt Abdullah [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Church and State, Volume 58, Issue 3, Summer 2016, Pages 462–482, https://doi.org/10.1093/jcs/csv003 Published: 06 May 2015
Religious Representation in Secular Singapore
This paper investigates the nature of secularism practiced by the Singapore state, focusing on the two main Islamic organizations, MUIS and Pergas. I postulate that the state uses “muscular” and “calibrated” secularism to manage them, and co-opts them either formally or informally. The two organizations agree to such an arrangement
Managing minorities in competitive authoritarian states
This article assesses the Singapore state's approach towards multiracialism by focusing on the hijab issue. I argue that a combination of elite ideology and regime type can explain the state's overall stances on religion, including the hijab issue. Previously, when the state was hegemonic, its policies were determined solely by the ideologies held by its key elites. However, as the state moves towards competitive authoritarianism with increased e…
Assessing party structures
This article attempts to answer the puzzle of why, amongst undemocratic states, some regimes are more authoritarian than others. The author contends that differing party structures result in different authoritarian outcomes. A ruling, competitive authoritarian regime that has a party structure akin to a cadre party, or where there is little or no intra-party democracy, is more likely to be more authoritarian than a party which has intra-party dem…
The Malay Community
This article attempts to analyse the reasons for the Malay community’s seeming support for the People’s Action Party (PAP) government in Singapore, in spite of online discontent that was expressed towards the party immediately prior to the elections. The article makes three main arguments: first, that the reasons explaining the community’s support for PAP are similar to other Singaporeans, such as the death of founding leader Lee Kuan Yew and the…
Electoral Innovation in Competitive Authoritarian States
This article investigates the efficacy of a form of electoral innovation unique to the island-state of Singapore, the Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) scheme, and its impact on democratic governance, in light of the changing political landscape. A comparative perspective will be employed and broader conclusions on electoral engineering will be reached, especially for democratizing countries. Contrary to conventional scholarly wisdom, I argue …
Of Co-optation and Resistance
Journal Article Of Co-optation and Resistance: State-Ulama Dynamics in Singapore Get access Walid Jumblatt Abdullah Walid Jumblatt Abdullah [email protected] Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Journal of Church and State, Volume 58, Issue 3, Summer 2016, Pages 462–482, https://doi.org/10.1093/jcs/csv003 Published: 06 May 2015
Bringing Ideology in
This article explores the nature of the main opposition parties to the incumbent hegemonic regimes in Malaysia and Singapore. I argue that the differing characters of these opposition parties should be considered. In Singapore, where there is no ideological challenge to the ruling party, I contend that even if the opposition takes over it will be the end of a hegemonic party but not hegemony. In Malaysia, the opposite is true. This article contri…
Conflating Muslim “Conservatism” with “Extremism
In late 2015, there was a controversy with regard to a foreign Muslim preacher being “barred” from delivering a speech in Singapore. While the government did not comment directly on the incident, it subsequently expressed concern about the growing trend of Singaporean Muslims refusing to greet “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Deepavali” to their non-Muslim friends, and stated unequivocally that it would not hesitate to ban foreign preachers who promot…
Merits and Limits of Counter-ideological Work Against Terrorism
Counter-ideological work is touted as crucial in combating terrorism. This article attempts to analyse the role of counter-ideology in dealing with a particular type of terrorism: Muslim jihadist extremism. This paper reiterates findings from existing research, in arguing that counter-ideology is indispensable for three reasons: firstly, to prevent Muslims from genuinely believing that terrorism is sanctioned by the faith; secondly, it is instruc…
Inclusion-moderation or political opportunity? Lessons from the case of Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, PAS)
Much of the recent literature on the inclusion-moderation thesis revolves around Islamist political parties. This paper contends that the case of Parti-Islam Se-Malaysia (Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party) is instructive in this regard. I argue that political opportunity is what decides whether a party would adopt more ‘moderate’ tendencies, not its mere inclusion in the electoral system. PAS’ raison d’etre was initially based on campaigning for an Isl…
Bureaucratising Islam
Southeast Asian countries have, since independence, grappled with the issue of religious management. Many of them, especially in the Malay Archipelago, have attempted to bureaucratize Islam specifically, as they attempt to keep religion in check and/or harness it for political and nation-building purposes. This paper investigates how the state in Singapore has drawn the boundaries for Islam’s involvement in public affairs via this bureaucratisati…
Selective history and hegemony-making
This article attempts to analyze the process of selective history and hegemony-making in Singapore, and makes the following arguments. Firstly, the birth of the nation-state led the political elites to rely on several hegemonic ideologies as founding myths, chief of which is the idea of ‘survival’. Secondly, to create and sustain these ideologies, two things needed to be done concurrently: de-emphasize the Malay-ness of the nation’s past; and acc…
Ethnic Diversity in the Recruitment of Diplomats
Diversity and its management have become an issue in all organisations. Ministries of foreign affairs ( MFA s) do not escape the issue. In the 2000s, states decided to consider more ethnic diversity in the recruitment of their diplomats. In some countries, this new goal requires affirmative action programs. This article is based on three case studies. The first case study analyses two Western countries — France and Norway — where MFA s have to re…
Electoral Secularism in Singapore
In recent years, the interventionist self-avowed secular state of Singapore, like many non-Western countries, has had to wrestle with the issue of homosexuality and Lesbian, Gay, Transsexual and Bisexual (LGBT) rights. Managing the demands of the conservative elements of society alongside the increasingly vocal liberal factions is a priority for a state whose legitimacy depends, in large part, on maintaining social order. This article makes the f…
The Mahathir effect in Malaysia’s 2018 election
The 14th Malaysian General Elections (Pilihanraya Umum, 14, PRU 14) in 2018 proved to be a watershed election as Barisan Nasional (National Front, BN) lost power for the first time in history. Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope, PH), led by former BN leader and Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, captured the majority of parliamentary seats. This article analyses the impact of Mahathir specifically, and credible personalities in general, in unseating…
Conceptualizing the Malay World
Reviewed by: Conceptualizing the Malay World: Colonialism and Pan-Malay Identity in Malaya by Soda Naoki Walid Jumblatt Bin Abdullah Conceptualizing the Malay World: Colonialism and Pan-Malay Identity in Malaya By Soda Naoki, Kyoto Area Studies on Asia, Trans Pacific Press, 2020, 206 pp, ISBN 9781920901370 In Conceptualizing the Malay World: Colonialism and Pan-Malay Identity in Malaya, Soda Naoki begins with problematizing the conventional appro…
Singapore’s Responses to the Covid-19 Outbreak
This article reviews how Singapore has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic, from late-January to early May, 2020, through the three-phase approach to “learning”: in-between learning, trial-and-error learning, and contingency learning. Given its unique political system dominated by the People’s Action Party (PAP) and bureaucratic culture, the Singapore government has progressively implemented numerous control measures including strict travel bans, …
New normal” no more
After the “watershed” General Elections (GE) in 2011, Singapore seemed primed for greater democratization. The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) adopted a softer tone, and promised an expansion of the political space. Yet, after the subsequent GE in 2015, in which the PAP attained a much higher share of the votes in a resounding victory, there is an apparent democratic backsliding. Academics have been publicly censured by state leaders, legislat…
Islam Secular State
The overtly secular state of Singapore has unapologetically maintained an authoritarian approach to governance in the realm of religion. Islam is particularly managed by the state. Muslim activists thus have to meticulously navigate these realities - in addition to being a minority community - in order to maximize their influence in the political system. Significantly, Muslim activists are not a monolith: there exists a multitude of political and…
Chinese privilege in politics
This article contributes to a more nuanced understanding of privilege as a conceptual category through the case study of Chinese privilege in Singapore politics. It does so through two main ways. First, at the theoretical level, we emphasise the importance of foregrounding the salience of political hegemony in the analysis of privilege. Second, at the empirical level, we interrogate the concept in an Asian context, with specific reference to Sing…
The Model Muslim Minority
In the post 9–11 world, Muslims have had to grapple with various challenges, which often involved justifying their faith to others within secular contexts. The matter is more acute, if not existential, for Muslim minority populations. This paper analyzes attempts by the Singaporean Muslim community to deal with a post 9–11 world, through a development of the concept of wasatiyah (justly balanced). It investigates key initiatives by two important …
The state prunes the banyan tree
This paper investigates the Singapore state’s varied responses toward dissent and explores the modes of control employed by the state towards varied dissent. We argue that any attempt to understand the politics of control in Singapore is incomplete without understanding how the state calibrates liberalisation as a third primary strategy. This study contributes to a more nuanced comprehension of how hybrid regimes can expand their modes of control…
(Not) democratising through strength
How and under what conditions do autocratic parties democratise through strength'? Prior scholarship suggests that authoritarian parties embrace political liberalisation when there are warnings of their decline. However, Singapore's People's Action Party (PAP) has not 'conceded-to-thrive' despite seemingly waning dominance. This paper explains why autocratic parties resist democratisation. Drawing from historical and sociological institutionalism…
The Roots of Resilience
Meredith Weiss provides a timely analysis of regime durability in Singapore and Malaysia. While the longevity of authoritarian regimes has long been a topic of study in comparative politics, Weiss manages to contribute to the literature through her study of “grassroots” politics. She posits that the way local politics is structured in the two countries results in “authoritarian acculturation,” or citizens accepting the rules of the game as determ…
The Politics of Compromise
This article discusses the repeal of Singapore's Section 377A, the anti-gay sex law, which was announced by Prime Minister (PM) Lee Hsien Loong during the 2022 National Day Rally. I contend that the declaration by PM Lee demonstrates the possibilities and limits of advocacy coalition-building in Singapore. Utilizing the concept of calibrated social liberalization, I postulate that the repeal of Section 377A was the government's response to shifti…
Political science (26 obras) · Politics (24 obras) · Asian Studies and History (23 obras) · Sociology (23 obras) · Law (22 obras) · Socioeconomic Development in Asia (22 obras) · Law (17 obras) · Political economy (15 obras) · Economics (9 obras) · Ideology (9 obras)