Moving Beyond the OB Markers: Rethinking the Space of Civil Society in Singapore
Lenore Lyons James Gomez
Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, Volume 20, Number 2, October 2005, pp. 119-131 (Article) Published by Institute of Southeast Asian Studies DOI: 10.1353/soj.2005.0015
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SOJOURN Vol. 20, No. 2 (2005), pp. 1 19-31
Moving Beyond the OB Markers: Rethinking the Space of Civil Society in Singapore
In January 2004, prior to his appointment as Singapore's third Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong gave a landmark speech to the Harvard Club
of Singapore in which he outlined a new style of state-society relations. Claiming that "I have no doubt that our society must open up further",
Lee emphasized that one of the important tasks facing the government was to "promote further civic participation, and continue to progressively widen the limits of openness" (Lee 2004). In his comments, Lee sought to signal a break between the ruling style of
former Prime Minister Goh ChokTong, and himself.1 In light of Lee
Hsien Loong's claims that under his leadership Singapore will experience greater "openness", it is timely to reflect back on the nature of civil society under his predecessor. This collection of papers contributes to
that understanding by bringing together a diverse number ofcase studies ofcivil society activism in Singapore during the latter years ofGoh Chok
Tong's rule. By drawing on in-depth research of non-government organizations (NGOs) and other civil society actors, these papers not only provide nuanced understandings of specific organizations and activist groups, but also broaden the terms ofscholarly debate about the
nature of state-civil society relations in Singapore.
Civil Society in Singapore
Civil society in Singapore has...