chapter 3: How do we decide what is good for society?

• description of differing needs and interests:

  • people depend on for survival
  • things that people depend on for their well-being
  • things that are indirectly or directly related to the fulfilment of needs
• example of differing needs and interests:

  During the COVID-19 circuit breaker, only essential services such as supermarkets, pharmacies and critical food services could remain open. Other non-essential services such as hairdressers and barbers and retail laundry services must be closed. There were those who disagreed as they felt that the non-essential services were in fact essential for their well-being.
• description of differing priorities:

  different priorities about what is most urgent or important
• examples of differing priorities:

  Different groups of people may disagree on which priorities are more important. For instance, land is scarce in Singapore. Parents with school-going children would want the government to prioritise investing more resources and land for education facilities. On the other hand, families with elderly in the same household would prioritise having more resources and land to keep healthcare affordable.
• description of unequal sharing of costs:

  varying impact that a decision has on different groups of people
• example of unequal sharing of costs:

  In Bishan, some residents felt that the space for the nursing home located at an existing open field would deprive children of a football field and block the breeze coming into their flats. In Woodlands, some residents were concerned that with such facilities, there might be more deaths in the area, which would be inauspicious and result in emotional stress.
• description of managing trade-offs:

  • making a decision between two or more things that cannot be obtained at the same time due to limited resources
  • having more of one thing would result in having less of another
• description of having good leadership:

  • ensures country's stability and progress, leaders must be honest and capable.
  • must be courageous enough to make right decisions for the country, even if these decisions prove to be difficult
• example of having good leadership:

  Leaders in the Public Service are guided by the values of integrity, service and excellence. The founding Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew, played a key role in several decisions that were difficult in the short term, but beneficial in the long term. For instance, he initially opposed the construction of casinos in Marina Bay Sands (MBS) and Resorts World Sentosa (RWS) because of the social problems of gambling that the casinos might cause.
• description of anticipating change & staying relevant:

  forward-looking and taking sound actions early. minimise threats and maximise opportunities
• example of anticipating change & staying relevant:

  For example, during the 2019 National Day Rally (NDR), PM Lee spoke of the impact of climate change on Singapore and the early decisions taken to prepare Singapore for this long-term problem. This influenced the decision in 2020 to set aside $5 billion for the Coastal and Flood Protection Fund to help prepare the country for rising sea levels due to climate change.
• description of ensuring stake for everyone, opportunities for all:

  caring about something and wanting it to succeed. They have a say in decision making and have opportunities to improve their standard of living
• example of ensuring a stake for everyone, opportunities for all:

  For example, the Emerging Stronger Conversations (ESC) were launched in June 2020 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic It involved thousands of Singaporeans in focus discussions to express their opinions for the future and for national issues that matter to them. In addition, the government gives Singaporeans a stake in the country’s future by helping Singaporeans obtain homes through home ownership.
• description of practising meritocracy:

  rewards people according to their own efforts and achievement
• example of practising meritocracy:

  For example, students in Singapore schools are offered Edusave awards from MOE because of their efforts and achievements in character, leadership and academic performance. The EAGLES award is given to the top 10% of students from each school who have demonstrated leadership qualities, good conduct and service to the school or community.