Terrorism threat in Singapore

 

Will North Korea's decision to restart nuclear reactor creates new tension?

The conflict between North and South Korea - difference in political ideologies?

ASEAN on South China Sea

Do you think ASEAN would be effective in resolving the territorial disputes in South China Sea?

Role of ASEAN in resolving conflicts

Will Southeast Asian nations stay united on the South China Sea dispute?

China claims sovereignty over nearly all of the resource-rich sea, which is home to vital shipping lanes, but ASEAN members the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei have overlapping claims in the area.  There were divisions over ASEAN members' territorial disputes with Beijing.  The rift has held up progress on a proposed "code of conduct" between ASEAN and China aimed at preventing flare-ups in the contested waters.

Extracted from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1214450/1/.html

What is the role of ASEAN in resolving conflicts as reflected here?

Role of UN in Syria conflict

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1213488/1/.html 

What is the role of UN as a peace keeping organisation in this?
Would sanctions be effective in resolving the conflict?

Anti-terrorist drill and keeping Singapore safe from Terrorism

From a car bomb explosion to a chemical leak, watch how Singapore's security agencies respond to emergency situations in Exercise Northstar VIII on RazorTV.

Keeping Singapore Safe From Terrorism - What should you do if you spot a suspicious person or object on the MRT? (Source: http://www.safejourney.sg/index.asp)

 

Conflict between Kuwait and Iraq

Causes of Conflict between Iraq and Kuwait

Conflict over territories
One of the causes of the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait was the claim over the Bubiyan and Warbah Islands. These islands belonged to Kuwait, but Iraq wanted these islands as it would help Iraq gain access to the open waters of the Persian Gulf. The Iraqis had even attempted to gain these islands by force in the 1960s and 1970s. Since 1978, Iraq had tried to lease the islands instead. Kuwait’s refusal to grant this request worsened the relationship between both sides as Iraq saw Kuwait’s refusal as an attack on its national interest. This lead to the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait

The borders Iraq & Kuwait inherited from the British after independence were not well-defined. One such contention was over the profitable Rumaila oilfields in 1990. Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing its oil at the Iraq side of the oil filed by using slant-drilling technology & demanded Kuwait stopped drilling and pay Iraq US$2.4 billion in compensation. This led to the Iraq-Kuwait war as Kuwait refused to compensate, standing firm that their drilling activities were legitimate. This led to worsening of tension between both countries that increased the chances of war.


Historical Enmity
Another factor that caused the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait was the historical enmity that existed between them. Iraq had all along considered Kuwait to be part of Iraq. As such, Iraq expected Kuwait to give in to its demands. Kuwaiti’s refusal to give in to Iraq resulted in shock and anger. As a result, Iraq was even more aggressive in trying to force Kuwait to give in to their demands. The result was a worsening of the relationship between the two as Kuwait might have seen the Iraqi actions as bullying.

Overproduction of Oil by Kuwait / Economic problems / Oil Production
Overproduction of Oil by Kuwait is another cause of conflict between Iraq and Kuwait. Before the start of the Iran-Iraq war of 1980 to 1988, Iraq was a relatively prosperous country with about US$35 billion in reserves. Iraq suffered tremendously during the war with Iran. Besides the heavy loss of lives, Iraq’s economy was in ruins. Iraq owed about US$80 billion in debts to its neighbours and other countries that had supplied it with food and war equipment. The reconstruction of the war-torn country also required a massive US$230 billion. Iraq, thus, had to find ways to pay off this massive debt as well as to rebuild the country. Iraq had hoped to pay off its debt by earning more revenue from the sale of oil. However, oil prices were falling due to over-production by some countries. OPEC had put quotas on the amount of oil that its member countries could produce to prevent a further decline in oil prices. Kuwait and the UAE, however, ignored the quota set and produced oil well about their assigned limits. This caused oil prices to fall from US$18 to US$7 per barrel at one point. Iraq lost a lot of revenue due to the fall in oil prices. Iraq lost US$1 billion from oil sales each time the price of oil fell by one US dollar. Iraq felt that the action of Kuwait and the UAE was equivalent to waging an economic war on Iraq as 90% of its income came from the sale of oil. This worsened the relationship as Iraq saw Kuwait’s refusal as an attack on its interest and hence Iraq decided to launch an attack on Kuwait.


Which is most important reason for the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait?
Although there were many reasons for the worsening of relations between Iraq and Kuwait, perhaps the most significant cause of the conflict could be the over-production of oil by Kuwait which resulted in the worsening of Iraq’s economic problems. Iraq was already facing immense debts and problems with rebuilding the country after the long war with Iran. The money to pay off this debt and rebuild the country would come from the sale of oil. The over-production of oil meant that Iraq received less revenue than it needed and this increased pressure on the Iraqi government. Historical enmity is not as important because it was an issue that had existed since the time of Kuwait’s existence and did not threaten Iraq’s survival then. It could have been a contributing factor but the immediate problem facing Iraq then was economic in nature.


Role of United Nations

One of the aims of UN is to maintain world peace and security. Despite UN less successful attempts in bringing peace and security to some troubled areas in the world, the Gulf War serves as a good example of the capabilities of the UN to gather its resources to deter aggression.

The main reason for the success in the Gulf War is the involvement of the five permanent members of the Security Council (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States).

UN peacekeeping missions could be effective in resisting aggression if the following conditions were met:

High threat to all UN members leading to general consensus among permanent members of the Security Council
US leadership and support for UN resolutions
The legitimacy of working through UN Resolution and the rule of law.

Iraq-Kuwait conflict was a crisis that destablished the Middle East and affected the price of oil. The Oil prices jumped 15% in the first few days of the Iraq Invasion. If the price of the oil continue to rise, all countries in the world would be affected negatively, which led to UN resolution 678 being passed, supporting the US-led liberation of Kuwait.

However, due to the limitations of UN resolutions, US and allied troops could not take direct military action to support the Kurdish and shi’ite rebellions against Iraq.
The UN would later only provide safe and humanitarian aid for fleeing Kurdish refugees through no-fly zones and continued to apply economic sanctions against Iraq.

The Gulf War was resolved in a relatively short period of time due to the fact that the aggressor was known. As such diplomatic attempts could be made to negotiate for a settle, and when that failed, there was a target for coalition force to attack.

Impacts of Iraq-Kuwait conflict

The Impact on Kuwait was a damaging result of the conflict. Kuwait suffered heavy losses on both its society as well as on its economy. Many Kuwaiti civilians were killed and thousands of others were tortured. Kuwaitis were also treated harshly to force them to flee their own country. The economy also suffered tremendous losses as the Iraqi army set fire to 600 out of the 950 oil wells in Kuwait. Damages to Kuwait amounted to over US $25 billion.

The Impact on Iraq was a damaging result of the conflict. The Iraqi military capability was badly destroyed as coalition forces had utilised state-of-the art weapons in their campaign against Iraqi troops. The heavy losses suffered by the Iraqis resulted in a loss of morale among the remaining troops.

Political instability in Iraq arose as Kurds tried to overthrow Saddam as they felt that his power was on the decline. However, Saddam dealt harshly with the uprisings against him. As a result, thousands of Kurds were massacred and almost one million Kurdish refugees fled Iraq.

Suffering of Iraqis was also apparent. Operation Dessert Storm resulted in the destruction of a large part of Iraqi infrastructure. Also, the Iraqi people suffered as they could not carry out their daily activities due to a disrupted supply of electricity. They also suffered from a spread of diseases as the water supply in the country was contaminated

The Regional and Environmental Impact was another damaging result of the war. The Gulf War created an environmental catastrophe and also resulted in a severe displacement of foreign workers which created great suffering for their families back home. The Iraqi forces set fire to Kuwaiti oil wells, dumped about 11 million barrels of oil into the Persian Gulf, thus greatly threatening marine life and cost millions of dollars to put out the fires and clear the oil slick. The displacement of foreign workers was so severe that nearly 2 million foreign workers from Bangladesh, India, Egypt, the Philippine and Palestine fled Iraq when war broke out. Workers supporting large families back home suffered sudden loss of income and created great suffering for their families.

II Good Governance Notes

Why is governance important?

Policy Process: Formulation and Implementation

                    • Meeting the needs of the people and nation, using the transport policy as an example to examine:

                - principles of governance

                - roles and responsibilities of the legislature, executive and judiciary

                - role of media and feedback channels in the policy process

• Case study of Singapore’s population policies to examine policy changes over time

                - population policies from the 1970s to the 21^st century

                    - challenges of and responses to ageing population and declining birth rate

Similar Problems, Different Approaches

• A comparative study of public health care policies in Singapore and United Kingdom

                - how policies work in different countries

                - impact of policies on society and nation

Factors for sustaining good governance in Singapore

• Anticipate Change and Staying Relevant

A good government also needs to be forward-looking. A forward-looking mindset anticipates future challenges and needs. This prepares the country for changing times and helps Singapore remain ahead in a competitive global economy. NeWater and desalinated water are examples of how the government prepares for the future by ensuring self-sufficiency in water supply, a resource important for the survival of Singapore. The reason being, Singapore has long depended on Malaysia for its water supply and its two water agreements with Malaysia will end in 2011 and 2061. It is thus important for Singapore to look ahead and look for alternative sources of water to reduce its dependence on Malaysia so as to ensure that the country is not left stranded and vulnerable if Malaysia decides not to renew the two contracts, thus hindering Singapore’s development, progress and survival.

Another example of how the government anticipates change and stays relevant is the implementation of the Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) System. Although the Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) had been effective in controlling traffic flow in designated areas, the government anticipated future needs and took a step further in looking for improvements to the system. The labour-intensive ALS was replaced by the ERP system. Although both serve the same purpose, the ERP which uses up-to-date technology to monitor and regulate traffic flow was more efficient and effective.  

Another example of how the government anticipates change and stays relevant is the decision to build two integrated resorts at Marina Bay and Sentosa not just to keep abreast of competition in the tourism industry in the region and to capture the growing tourist market but also to provide jobs and to make Singapore a more exciting city.

Thus being forward-looking has helped the government to secure long-term commitment that will ensure that Singapore’s development can continue unhindered and help Singapore to stay competitive in the global economy.

• Leadership is Key

Good leadership in the government is also a key principle of good governance in Singapore. There is a need for honest and capable leaders to maintain stability in the government and to make the right decisions for the country. These leaders also had to be talented, with a good foresight and vision for Singapore, understand Singaporean’s needs and aspirations, and can work together as a team. They must also have the moral courage and integrity to do what is right and not what is popular with the people.

An example was in 1985, as a result of its open economy, Singapore experienced a serious recession which resulted in high unemployment. The government responded quickly to this crisis by a series of bold and unpopular measures that were aimed at quickly lowering the cost of doing business in the country. Such policies include reducing company taxes, wages and employers’ CPF contributions. These measures were bold because they reduced the government’s revenue and the employees’ income. Workers were unhappy but with the help of NTUC, they realized that the measures were needed to strengthen the economy. The policies were effective because within two years, the economy recovered.

Another example is the introduction of the Vehicle Quota system (VQS). Although the VQS was unpopular with some of the people, the government went ahead to implement it as it needed to control the growth of the car population.

The government thus needs to select its leaders very carefully, grooming them to take on leadership roles. Leaders who proved to be capable were given senior positions to test their ability through their rotation of duties in different government departments.

Good leadership ensures that Singapore continues with its path to economic success. This is because good leaders make wise and correct decisions based on sound principles. The latter will help to win the trust and support of the people for its policies and plans. It will also win the confidence of foreign governments & investors.  In turn, this will bring in increased foreign investments, success and growth to the economy.

• Reward for Work and Work for Reward

Meritocracy is a key part of the principle “Reward for Work and Work for Reward”. It refers to a system that rewards hard work and talent. Meritocracy helps to give everybody in society an equal opportunity to achieve their best and be rewarded for their performance, regardless of race, religion and socio-economic background. Rewarding hard work and talent would encourage more people to do well and so provide Singapore with a pool of committed and hardworking people who can continue to contribute positively towards the country’s progress and leadership, thus ensuring continued harmony and good governance. Edusave Scholarship, Merit Bursary and ability driven education encourages students to excel in their studies. and other areas of expertise such as the arts, music or sports. This would provide us with the best people to lead in different sectors of the country.

Meritocracy ensures that the best and talented people are available for the government. This would ensure and sustain good governance as we will have capable leaders who can bring the country forward. This is important as it ensures that talented and capable people in Singapore are able to develop further. This will lead to having more capable and talented people taking up leadership positions and, as a result, wise decisions and policies will be made, helping Singapore become a more efficient country that will enjoy economic progress and growth.

Possible conclusion:

There is no doubt that ‘reward for work and work for reward’ gives rise to good governance but it just encourage people to do well and provide Singapore with a pool of committed and hardworking people who can continue to contribute positively towards the country’s progress.

However, without good leadership in the government, there will be no one for the masses to look to for directions. Good leaders are not only capable, honest and able to anticipate future challenges and needs, but they also have the moral courage to do what is right and not what is popular. Without such good leaders, the policies which are pragmatic, encourage meritocracy and forward-looking may not even be there. Only good leaders can ensure that such policies are in place to prepare the country for changing times and helps Singapore remain ahead in a competitive global economy. Good leaders will ensure that the government practices meritocracy and reward hard work and talent so that it can sustain good governance. It will also ensure that there is fairness as Singapore is a multi-racial society with different races and religions. It also knows that it needs to win the trust of the people and will plan to ensure there is transparency in government. Therefore, good leadership in the government is the key principle of good governance in Singapore because it enables Singaporeans to have trust in their leaders, confident that they understand their needs and keep their promises to deliver results.

Measures to keep traffic smooth in Singapore

• Vehicle Quota System (VQS)

The Vehicle Quota System is a system which controls the number of new motor vehicles allowed for registration by the number of quota set by the LTA which is dependent on how many older vehicles were expected to be taken off the road. The COEs for new cars would be like a replacement of an older vehicle taken off the road. Aspiring buyers of new cars must bid for the limited number of Certificate of Entitlement (COE). Successful bidders will pay the quota premium to obtain the COE. The COE must be renewed after 10 years. The system ensures that the traffic flow is better managed with fewer new cars on the road and older cars are taken off the road unless owners are willing to pay for new COEs. The growth of the car population is better controlled and

thus, managing traffic flow is better.

• Area Licensing Scheme (ALS) and Electronic Road Pricing (ERP)

The Area Licensing Scheme which was started in the 1970s is a scheme whereby motorists had to pay for the use of certain roads in Singapore for example, the Central Business District (CBD). Gantries were set up at the boundaries of the city areas to monitor motorists who drove into ‘Restricted Zones”. It has been replaced by a more efficient technology known as the ERP. The scheme is effective because the volume of traffic flow going into the CBD after the implementation in June1975 was reduced from 32 500 vehicles to 7 700. The Electronic Road Pricing system is implemented to control the traffic flow of designated areas using the ‘pay-per-use” principle. As the payments for the scheme became electronic and drivers could not escape detection if they did not have their cash cards inserted for payment. The ERP system discourages road uses from adding to the congestion of the designated areas when there are alternative routes available, thus reducing the volume of traffic in the areas where ERP is implemented.

• Park and Ride Scheme

The Park and Ride Scheme was introduced in the 1970s also. It is a scheme whereby motorists could park their vehicles at specific car parks which were outside the city area. The motorists who parked here could then use the public transport to enter the city areas. The scheme was not as effective as many motorists were not keen about leaving their cars at designated car parks only to

have to continue their journey using a public transport. For eg, of the 7700 additional parking lots created at 9sites just outside the Restricted Zones only 585 lots were taken up. Thus effectively, it means that not many motorists

supported the scheme. As such the system is not effective.

The Vehicle Quota system must first be implemented before the ERP system can be implemented smoothly. The curbing of car population complements measures like the ERP to control specific road usage. Without the VQS to control the car population, the ERP might still work on its own, as users would still be discouraged to use certain roads, but the level of effectiveness would definitely be lower, since the car population might grow to a level which cannot be supported by the roads available.

Reasons for Singapore’s declining birth rate

• Late Marriages

Singapore’s declining birth rate due to the trend of Singaporeans marrying at a later age. A later marrying age will result in a declining birth rate because women who start a family at a later age tend to have fewer children than those who marry at an earlier age. Singaporeans tend to get married much later than they used to. In fact, the mean marriage age of women has been increasing over the year. Women have equal rights and they want their own careers. They know that having children too soon might mean that their progress at work will be interrupted, so they delay marriage and having children. This delayed in marriage and motherhood resulted in less babies being born. Hence the declining birth rate was due to the trend of Singaporeans marrying at a later age which resulted in the dangers of having children at a later age and the lower chances of conceiving at a later age.

• Previous population policies

Singapore’s declining birth rate could be due to the successful population policies implemented in the 1970s and early 1980s which have changed people’s attitude towards having large families. Between 1966 and 1981, three five-year plans were implemented to persuade people to have fewer children. For example, various measures were introduced to encourage smaller families. These disincentives included no paid maternity leave for women who had their third child and increased delivery charges in hospitals with each additional child. There was also no income tax relief for parents who had the third and fourth child. All these measures contributed to the slow population growth as people realised the advantages of smaller families.

• High costs of raising children

In recent years, the government has introduced the Baby Bonus Scheme in which parents are given cash incentives when they have children so as to help reduce the financial burden on parents taking care of their children. However, this has not helped to raise the birth rates significantly. Many Singaporeans still find it expensive to raise a child. The childcare cost has become too expensive for some Singaporeans due to the increased foreign maid levy, increase in school fees, childcare costs and medical costs. These parents who want to give their children the best will find it expensive to bring up a child. Hence, they chose to have only one child. Moreover, some adults today feel that having children will be a financial burden. Hence there is little incentive to have more children or even to have a child. 

• Improved educational status of women

Since 1970s, the educational status of women has improved. More women received formal education compared to the past. Education allowed women a place in the workforce and the satisfaction of a career. Women are no longer content with being confined to traditional, subservient roles. They desire to advance their careers, be leaders in society, enjoy life and see the world. The monetary incentive of the baby bonus schemes are not an attractive enough stimulant to the modern educated women. As a result, there was a trend of women marrying at a later age or not at all. Motherhood was also delayed. This delayed in marriage and motherhood resulted in the declining birth rate.

In conclusion, previous population control policies were effective in contributing the declining birth rate. The measures made people realised the advantages of having smaller families and provided ways in which people can have small families. However, the improved education status of women contributed more to the declining birth rates as it brought about a change in attitude and mindsets of young Singaporeans.

Measures taken by the Singapore government to encourage population growth

• The Graduate Mothers Scheme

Based on research, it was felt that the education level of the parents had a direct impact of their children in schools. The research showed that parents who were university graduates were more likely to have children who performed better in schools. As a result, the Prime Minister felt that female graduates should be encouraged to have more children so that there would be a higher chance of the new generation workforce being more educated. Thus, in 1984 the Graduate Mothers Scheme was started to encourage marriages among graduates and to encourage them to have more children.

• Pro-family policy

The government ‘Have 3 or More if you can afford it’ policy allowed couples can use their Medisave to pay for the delivery charges of the first 3 children. This scheme was slightly successful and led to a slight increase in population between 1986 and 1988, from 1.48 in 1986 to 1.96 in 1988. Part of this was due to 1988 being the Dragon Year which Chinese consider as an auspicious year for having babies. However, this was still below our replacement target of 2.1. So, pro-family incentives in 2004 such as income tax relief, working mother subsidy to families with up to 4 children and a 5 day working week, were introduced to attract some couples to have more babies. In 2004, Singapore recorded one of the lowest fertility rates among developing countries. So, the 3 child policy did not really help to promote a credible increase in population.

• The other pro-family measures 2004

In that year the Prime Minister introduced a package of new marriage and parenthood measures that were aimed at boosting population figures. These measures came about as a result of public feedback. The new measures included equalized medical benefits for both parents which meant that mothers too could make medical claims from their employers (and not just fathers ). Another measure was the grandparent caregiver relief by which a couple could claim $3,000 in income tax relief if a grandparent was helping them to take care of their child. A third measure is the 5-day work week for the Civil Service. This is to allow for a better work-life balance. Finally, there is the extended maternity leave which was an extension from 8 weeks to 12 weeks. Through these various measures, there is sufficient reason for married couples to have more children as the high cost of raising children and the lack of suitable childcare arrangements (concerns which the public raised) were addressed.

• Attracting foreign talent

The foreign talent policy was slightly more successful, with foreigners contributing to 1% of the 2.8% population growth in 2000. Relaxing immigration policy and providing subsidised housing and education package made it easier for foreign talents to live and work in Singapore. By making it easier for foreigners to work and live in Singapore, the government hoped that some of these individuals would develop an attachment to the nation and take up permanent citizenship or residence. This did help to increase the country’s population. In fact, the government now hopes to attract more foreigners to make up for the declining birth rate as Singapore aims to increase its population from 4 million to 6 million.

The government measures to increase population after 1980s were largely unsuccessful. After 1988, the number of babies per woman fell steadily to 1.59 in 2000. Despite public campaigns on the joys of parenthood, married couples opted to have not more than 2 children. These resulted in fewer babies being born despite the pro-family incentives given after 1980s. So, the policy was largely unsuccessful as it failed to have any lasting impact on the population growth rate until today. Birth rates continue to dip. Even the baby bonus scheme of 2001 that gives monetary incentives for giving birth to more children failed to promote population growth. So, attracting foreign talent is at present the more effective strategy for Singapore to overcome its manpower needs.

Ways in which Singapore prepare for her ageing population

• Government

The government has made laws and introduced measures to protect the interests of the senior citizens.  The first law is the Tribunal for the Maintenance of Parents where parents can obtain the help of the court to seek financial support from their children who are capable of supporting them but are not fulfilling their responsibilities.  Another law is under the Public Housing Scheme which allows first time buyers of government’s flats to obtain a housing grant if they buy a flat in the vicinity where their parents live so that they can look after their elderly parents.

• Community

The community can also play an important role in enhancing the well-being of senior citizens.  It can give social and emotional support and provide healthcare and social services.  The government provides subsidies to voluntary welfare organizations that run community-based services for senior citizens.  An example of such an organization is the Home Nursing Foundation for Elders.  Most of such organizations involved members of the community such as housewives, students and retirees to help look after the needs of senior citizens.  Some community organizations also offer free health checks and organize recreational activities for senior citizens.  These services and activities are means to help senior citizens to remain physically, mentally and socially active.

• Individual

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle is the responsibility of the individual in preparing for their old age.  He should watch his diet and exercise regularly.  He should also plan early and be financially prepared for old age.  At the same time, family support is also important to bring about social stability and harmony.  To strengthen family bonds, Grandparent’s day is also celebrated to bring families together to show their appreciation for the elderly. 

The most important factor is the role of the individual as he is ultimately liable for his own health and therefore life.  The government support is primarily aid to sustaining one’s health while the community helps doubles as reinforcements.  At the end of the day, the community and the government cannot determine nor intervene entirely where the individual’s health or wealth and therefore standard of lifestyle are concerned. 

Ways to meet the healthcare needs of the people in Singapore

• Promoting a healthy lifestyle

Promoting a healthy lifestyle ensures that people of all ages remain healthy. Schools, workplaces and community centres have programmes to emphasise the need to maintain good health. For example, regular physical exercises and a well-balanced diet are encouraged and given active support. If more people were to follow a healthy lifestyle, there would be less people seeking medical treatment. This would mean a savings, not only for the individual, but also for the government which would then not have to invest heavily in healthcare. The funds could instead be channeled to other areas which require more funding such as education.

• Encouraging Self Reliance

Encouraging self-reliance is the best way of meeting the healthcare needs of Singaporeans as this involves people sharing the costs of healthcare with the government. This is done through two schemes – the Medisave and MediShield schemes. Under Medisave, 6-8% from every workers central provident fund contributions every month is channeled into their Medisave accounts,. This money can be used to pay hospital bills and certain medical treatments, including expensive ones, when needed such as chemotherapy. Medisave can be complemented by MediShield, a national healthcare insurance scheme which makes it possible for patients to claim for large medical bills which Medisave does not cover. Making workers self-reliant through such schemes lightens the government’s burden of paying for healthcare services. This means the government does not need to raise taxes to pay for rising healthcare costs, as would happen in a welfare state.

• Means-testing

Means-testing is an effective way to keep healthcare cost affordable as it would mean subsidies that are provided by the government would benefit patients who need them most. Resources would be more fairly distributed if those who cannot afford to pay for healthcare get the most subsidies. In the same way, those who are more well-to-do would benefit less from subsidies. This would ensure that healthcare cost does not become expensive as it would ensure that limited resources are given to those who need it more, etc

• Government Subsidies

In Singapore, providing subsidies for government hospitals is one of the ways to keep healthcare costs affordable. When the government gives subsidies to hospital wards, patients need not pay the full amount for the healthcare treatment received.

This is especially so for patients who choose to stay in Class ‘C’ wards where the subsidy is 80% of the hospital bill for the patient. People who cannot afford to pay for extra facilities during their hospital stays can choose to be treated in Class ‘C’ wards. In this way, healthcare cost is kept manageable for the lower income group, etc. To ensure that healthcare remains affordable for most Singaporeans, means-testing was introduced in Jan 2009. Under the means-testing, patients whose income is $3200 and below would receive subsidies of 65% for Class B2 and 80% for Class C. Those whose income are $5201 and above would receive 50% subside for Class Bs and 65% for Class C.  Patients whose income falls between $3201 and $5200 would receive graduated subsidies between 50 and 65% for Class B2 and between 65-80% for Class C. Government subsidies helps to meet the needs of the people as it ensures that whoever cannot afford to pay for healthcare get the most subsidies.

• Support services/ Working with organisations

The community plays a supportive role in helping the government manage healthcare. It is not possible for the government to run all healthcare services. Some patients who are discharged from hospitals may still need medical care. Voluntary welfare organizations and some private organizations are given grants to run community hospitals, nursing homes and day rehabilitation centres for this group of patients. Organisations also cater to the needs of specific groups of people such as the poor or those with a particular illness like the Home Nursing Foundation, which provides quality and affordable home nursing services for the needy and elderly sick in Singapore. By playing a supportive role to the government, the community helps by providing resources and shares the costs and burden of healthcare services.

Aims of healthcare policies

• Social equality

The healthcare policies must ensure that the lower-income group is not deprived of healthcare. No person must be deprived of healthcare because he can’t afford it. Some lower income groups are not able to afford medical expenses in spite of Medisave, Medishield and government subsidies, thus Medifund was set up & the interest earned is given to public hospitals to provide help for needy patients. The government also gives direct subsidies to government’s hospitals, polyclinic and some nursing homes for elderly to ensure healthcare services are available to all. More subsidies for different classes of wards e.g. Class C gets the most subsidies. It provides good basic medical care at an affordable rate. Government has given assurance that sufficient wards would be built to cater to lower-income Singaporeans. Under means testing, the system of pegging how much person pays to his income, well-to-do will get fewer subsidies than lower income.     

This is essential as it is unhealthy for social cohesion if lower income feel their needs are not taken care of and there’s no scheme to help them level up.

• Economic consideration

It is necessary to reduce healthcare cost in view of rising health cost or the government has to increase taxes.  This can be done through for e.g.  Many Helping Hands approach – which involve the community.  Healthcare policies must also be able to sustain economic growth. Singapore aims to develop itself into a medical hub that provides world-class health care services for the region. It has ventured into new areas like the Life Sciences, which involves the study of genetics and the development of new medical treatments using gene therapy, new drugs and food products that have been genetically engineered.

Reducing healthcare cost means there will be more fund for other sectors e.g. education, defence. By diversifying into services e.g. healthcare, we sustain our economic growth better. Good healthcare services will attract patients from other countries to engage our services.

• Inculcate self-reliance: Social/Shared responsibility

With rising health costs due to use of more expensive equipment and latest technology and increased wages of medical profession, government cannot give very generous health subsidies to the public as it had no wish to raise funds through taxes. Self-reliance must be inculcated – give people good incentives to stay healthy and not use medical services he or she does not really need by making them pay part of their medical expenses through Medisave and Medishield. Medisave scheme is a compulsory savings scheme to help Singaporeans pay for their family members and their hospitalization fees, especially after retirement. It constitutes 6%-8% of a worker’s salary. Medshield scheme is a voluntary insurance scheme to help pay medical fees incurred by serious or prolonged illnesses such as cancer and kidney failure.

Health education is also necessary to help people make informed choices, educate them on importance of regular physical exercises and a well-balanced diet.  An example is the launch of the National Healthy Lifestyle Campaign in 1992 which includes screening programmes for early detection of diseases like hypertension, diabetes and heart diseases.

Encouraging self-reliance will reduce abuse of the healthcare system and also make more effective use of resources.

Ways in which NHS manage healthcare in Britain

• Providing quality service

Providing quality service is important. Increasing demand for free care led to long waiting queues, making it difficult for the NHS to continue to provide efficient service. The NHS Plan (2000) provided for increase in government spending till 2004. It also made use of private hospitals so that there were enough resources to provide faster and more convenient services for the patients. The NHS Improvement Plan (2004) gave patients more choices of free healthcare providers and access to their own personal HealthSpace on the internet to see their care records. So, patients now could decide on the care they needed and did not need to crowd to limited NHS providers as before. They therefore could get treated faster at their own convenient location. The NHS Direct also provided telephone medical advice so that they can save a visit to the doctor. This would reduce the burden on the NHS to provide more resources such as doctors for many patients.

• Increasing efficiency

There is an increasing demand for healthcare, especially with an increasing ageing population and less taxpayers. Yet, the people expected more and better treatments. Although the NHS had expanded, it did not have enough resources such as doctors, nurses and facilities to meet the demands of the people. To overcome this, privatization within the NHS was introduced to reduce government subsidies, save costs and make the NHS more efficient. To make profits, private companies had to be efficient. Hospitals have to improve their services as people had more choices now and hospitals had to compete to stay viable. So, the system encourages hospitals to increase efficiency to attract business and save cost. The government would thus be able to move away from welfare towards self reliance of the companies. Sub-contracting non-medical services to private contractors to provide services such as laundry, cleaning and catering would allow hospitals to concentrate on providing medical services. In this way, they can look at providing more efficient services. Streamlining free medical services encouraged citizens to take responsibility for their own welfare and health. Certain services such as medicines, dental and optical services were no longer free except for a few groups of people. Now, more people will be motivated to work as they no longer can depend on free benefits. The government thus could use the money saved to improve the NHS and the welfare state.

• Managing government spending

As demand for free healthcare increase, the government has to collect more taxes. This would make the country less attractive to business which would make it more difficult for the government to get more revenue to improve the country. The government therefore wanted to reduce government spending on the NHS but at the same time continue to provide free and quality healthcare. The government therefore increased the citizens’ National Insurance contributions in 2003. In this way, it can ensure that it had the funds to sustain the NHS.

Managing government spending was the most important aspect of managing the NHS as this will ensure that the government has the funds to provide resources so that it can provide quality service and increase efficiency. If not for government spending, then the other two aspects could not be carried out as the government would not have the funds too do so.

http://libguides.nl.sg/SingaporeNation
http://libguides.nl.sg/SingaporeGovernance
http://libguides.nl.sg/conflictandharmony
http://libguides.nl.sg/managingIR
http://libguides.nl.sg/globalization

Terrorism

Terrorism
Terrorism constitutes the illegitimate use of force to achieve a political objective when innocent people are targeted. ~ Walter Laqueur
Extracted from "A growing terror weapon" fromThe Straits Times March 6, 2009

EXTREMIST groups in South-east Asia are increasingly using the internet and social networking to radicalise the youth of the region, said a new security report released on Friday. Internet usage in South-east Asia has exploded since 2000 and extremist groups have developed a sophisticated online presence, including professional media units. The reports also says that 'For extremist groups in our region, the internet is an increasingly important tool for recruitment to violence,' and that 'Importantly, they aren't attacking only the West, but are drawing on their narrative to attack the governance arrangements of regional states.' Between 2006 and July 2007, radical regional websites have disseminated Al-Qaeda and South-east Asian militant group Jemaah Islamiah propaganda videos, pictures and statements.

What is Transnational Terrorism?

Transnational Terrorism refers to acts of violence which are global in terms of their aims, organization and impact. Terrorists are groups that deliberately use violence to create fear among people in order to fulfil their political objectives.Impacts of Transnational Terrorism
Economic impact
The impact of transnational terrorism can be economic in nature. When there is a terrorist attack, lives are lost, buildings destroyed and businesses lost. The government has to spend huge amounts of money to rebuild the country and this means that other areas of development in the country will be affected. Moreover, there is loss of earnings for many people involved in the travel and tourism trade as many tourists avoid travelling to a country that has suffered a terrorist attack. This could lead to loss of employment as well as closure of businesses. Terrorist attacks put additional economic strain on the government, which is expected to help individuals adversely affected by terrorist acts.
Social impact
One of the aims of terrorists is to disrupt the daily lives of the people living in the country as well as cause problems for the government. Terrorist acts can adversely affect peaceful relations among the races in multiracial societies. Some consequences of the 11 September terror attacks in the United States were attacks on members of certain ethnic groups. If unchecked, this could have the potential of developing into riots between different ethnic groups. . Such terrorist acts also have the potential to cause certain ethnic groups to feel targeted as they might be singled out for increased security checks or viewed suspiciously by others in the community. This might cause a feeling of alienation as well as unhappiness among this group of people.

Political impact
Governments have a responsibility to keep their citizens safe from terrorists. As a result, governments have had to tighten various controls such as stepping up border security to ensure that terrorists do not slip into the country. These border security measures involve greater check on travellers’ identities and belongings, slowing down immigration clearance as a result. Intrusive legislations aimed at countering terrorism have also been introduced. Critics argue that these measures and laws infringe on individual freedom and personal privacy. Indeed, the transnational terrorism threat has generated much debate on the trade-off between security and freedom.

What is the most serious impact?
The most detrimental impact to Singapore is the social impact. Although the economic losses caused by terrorist acts can be tremendous, these can be minimised through assistance from the government, international organisations or sympathetic governments. The country will be able to rebuild itself and its economy after some time has passed. The social impact is most detrimental as it results in the loss of human lives, the cost of which is immeasurable to the families involved. No amount of monetary aid will be able to compensate for the loss of lives.

Measures to manage Transnational Terrorism

ASEAN’s effort to manage terrorismTerrorism is seen as a direct challenge to the achievement of peace, progress and security in ASEAN. As such, ASEAN governments have pledged their determination to cooperate against the transnational terrorists through joint police and intelligence measures.

For example, ASEAN has pledged to enhance information and intelligence exchange on terrorists and terrorist activities. This has helped member countries to disrupt terrorist activities on their soil. In January 2002, the Philippine authorities arrested the JI bomber-maker Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi based on information provided to them by Singapore. The members also used the ASEAN Regional Forum to discuss transnational terrorism issues. In January 2007, ASEAN leaders signed, The Convention on Counter-terrorism to legally bind their commitment of their national security and law enforcement agencies to work closely to fight the threat together.

International Efforts to Combat terrorism

The UN passed a series of resolutions in a bid to stop terrorism. The resolutions aimed at getting all member countries to freeze the financial assets of terrorists and their supporters, deny them travel and safe haven, prevent terrorist recruitment and weapons supply, and cooperate with other countries in information sharing and criminal prosecution. The UN also set up a Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor member countries adherence to the resolutions as well as to strengthen the counter-terrorism capacity of UN member states. The committee also provides technical assistance to countries that require help in implementing the resolutions. Member countries have managed to freeze more than US$200 million of terrorist funding. Through the sharing of information among members, more than 4000 terrorist suspects have been arrested.
Nurturing an environment that censures terrorism

All members of society have a role to play in countering the threat of terrorism. Terrorist narratives are typically founded on ideas of hate and enmity. Many of these ideas also glorify the use of violence, and instigate and falsely sanction a person to commit such acts. There must not be any ambiguity in society’s stand against these ideas that fuel terrorism. If a society does not firmly, unequivocally and actively reject these ideas being propagated by terrorists, the ideas may slowly gain legitimacy. Every individual has a role to play to deny the terrorists space in society.


What is the best way to combat terrorism?
Despite regional and international efforts, the international community has not been completely successful in getting rid of the threat of Transnational Terrorism. Today’s terrorism cannot be dealt with just by arresting the terrorist operatives. Terrorists have been able to recruit new operatives to replace those who have been arrested or killed. Terrorist recruitment continues to take place because the terrorists are able to spread extremist and terrorist ideology in a globalizing world where communication technologies like the Internet can be exploited. It is therefore crucial that society play its part to counter such radical and extremist influences by nurturing an environment that censures terrorism. Every individual has a role to play to deny the terrorists space in society.

How important is deterrence and diplomacy in maintaining international relations among nations?
The latest incident in which a terrorist Abdulmutallab attempted to blow up a Northwest Airline flight on Christmas Day is a reminder that terrorism is still very much a real threat to all of us. Luckily his plan was thwarted by fellow passengers who pounced on him.

According to a report from http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_world/view/1032750/1/.html, Osama bin Ladin claimed responsibility for the botched Christmas Day bombing of the US airliner and said strikes on US targets will continue, in an audio statement broadcast Sunday on Al-Jazeera satellite television.

"The message that was conveyed through the (attacked) plane of the hero Umar Farouk (Abdulmutallab) is to stress earlier messages delivered to you by the heroes of the 11" September attack on the United States, he said. "That (message) is, that America should not dream of security until we enjoy it as a reality in Palestine," he added.

Although the authenticity of the audio statement is yet to be verified whether it is Osama's but I think you can infer from the statement above that we should continue to see terrorism as a real threat and that everyone of us play a part in creating an environment that censures it.

IV MANAGING INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Causes of International Conflicts

• Scarce Resources/Economic interest

Economic interests can be an issue between countries and result in conflicts.  This is because it affects the country’s ability to survive or prosper economically.  Tension between countries may exist because they sometimes quarrel over natural resources and economic opportunities.  Since natural resources such as water, oil and fish are scarce and unequally distributed but are essential to the survival and economic growth of a country, some countries with fewer resources may resort to the use of force to gain more or protect what they have.  An example of this would be the case study of Iceland and Britain.  During 1970s, Iceland and Britain was in conflict over fishing grounds.  Iceland has few natural resources and is dependent on the fishing industry for its survival.  So, when overfishing by other countries around Iceland led to the decrease in fish stocks in 1970s, Iceland took measures to stop this after efforts to get UN to help failed.  Iceland extended its zone of control to 200 nautical miles beyond its shore.  This meant that no country would be able to fish within this boundary without Iceland’s permission.  Britain however refused to acknowledge the new boundary and continue to fish there.  This resulted in several collisions between Icelandic coast guard and the British navy frigates and eventually led to a severance of diplomatic ties.  This case study proves countries are often willing to risk war to protect their economic interests.

• Territorial/Border

Besides economic interests, countries also get into conflicts over national interests such as control over certain tracts of land. The land may have strategic or economic value to the country or may be important to its national pride.  As such, some countries         may try to extend their control by taking over territories which do not belong to them. When 2 or more countries lay claim to the same territory, conflict may arise.  This is illustrated by the case study of India and China.  In 1947, India gained its             independence and inherited the frontier drawn by the British.  China, however, protested that it had not agreed to the frontier.  It was difficult to have a clear border between India and China because much of their frontier lies in the inaccessible     Himalayas. Two border regions became areas of conflict, the NEFA region and the  Aksai-Chin plateau. In the late 1950s, China contested India’s presence in several localities along the border and built a road on the Aksai Chin Plateau in 1958. Tension between India and China escalated when fighting broke out in the disputed region. In 1962, war broke out when China occupied even more territories which India regarded as its own. This thus shows control of land can result in conflict as the land can mean a lot to a country and each country is willing to risk a war to protect what they consider as their national interests.

• Differences in Political Ideologies

Another possible reason for conflict would be differences in ideological beliefs such as democratic beliefs and communist beliefs.  These 2 political systems are very different from each other.  In a democratic system, people are allowed to choose their own government through elections and are allowed to own their own properties, have their own private enterprises and profit from them.  However in a communist system, it is a one-party government.  No private properties are allowed and the wealth of the country should be shared by everyone and managed by the government..  Due to the very different beliefs, countries practicing these different beliefs may be suspicious of  one another.  This lack of trust may lead to hostility and the belief that the other wants to destroy their way of life. These countries come into conflict if they see their beliefs  are threatened or when one tries to impose their belief on another.  A good example would be the Korean War. In 1950, North Korea, a communist country, launched its invasion on South Korean in an attempt to bring the democratic country under its control and unite Korean Peninsula under communism.  Fearing the spread of communism, USA, its allies and UN defended South Korea.  UN forces counter-attacked and pushed the North Korean back and proceeded to invade North Korea.  China, fearing that they would be the next target, joined the war and aided in pushing the UN troops back into South Korea.  Finally, in 1953, an agreement to stop fighting was signed. Such conflicts prove that different political beliefs can cause a country to feel threatened and resort to war to protect their beliefs.

Conclusion:

As it can be seen, ideological differences are but one reason for international conflict. Reasons such as scarce resources and land and border issues form the bulk of the causes of the conflicts in the world today.  We also saw that conflicts are not easily resolved. But by coming to terms through a treaty agreement would at least provide some stability and enable prosperity of the parties concerned as in the case of Britain and Iceland.

Other possible types of conclusion on which are the most important factor/prime cause of international conflicts:

Competing claims over territory is the most important reason for international conflicts as this is the basic element underlying all the other reasons. For e.g. conflicts over differences in ideological beliefs would not arise if the parties involved are not worried about each other trying to spread its own ideology to its territory (or areas under its influence). Likewise, resources are found in certain geographical location, inevitably falling within the territory of a certain country which may think that it should exercise its territorial rights when there is competing claim of ownership by another country over such resources

Way of ensuring the national security of Singapore

• Citizen armed force

Singapore’s system of National Service ensures that there is a large number of trained soldiers available for combat during wartime. Even though the regular armed forces number only about 50 000 full-time soldiers, the pool of National Servicemen (NSmen) will allow Singapore to have a force of 350 000 soldiers in wartime. This allows the country to save the high cost of maintaining a large standing army. Also, NSmen are kept in shape and combat-ready through reservist training for 10 years after their full-time National Service stints.  In addition, the SAF today adopts the use of 3G technology which has greatly enhanced our fighting capabilities with the use of intelligence services.  This surveillance and strike systems of the Air Force, Army and Navy operate together to provide early intelligence to destroy the enemy before they can locate us. Technology has also enabled our soldiers to be equipped with modern weapons to respond promptly when necessary. This ensures that we have a well trained army equipped with the latest technology to protect and defend us against enemy attacks. It will also prevent enemies from attacking us (deterrence) as they will think twice before attacking us as they will suffer heavy damages.

• Total Defence

The policy of Total Defence has deterred aggressors from attacking Singapore. Singapore’s idea of Total Defence (TD) represents a multi-faceted approach to our national defence and ensures that we are ready from any sort of attack on our country.  As TD involves all factions of our society, it helps to ensure to strengthen national security as all Singaporeans have a role to play and potential enemies will be mindful that they are not only dealing with a highly trained armed force, but are also up against the entire population who are well prepared.  Total Defence consists many components, of which a good example is Economic Defence. When our economy is strong, it will not break down during war and workers with the relevant skills remain employable in a competitive economy. This will our nation to continue to survive even in the midst of adversity. Total Defence thus ensures that all Singaporeans are prepared to protect and defend Singapore against any form of enemy attacks. It will also prevent enemies from attacking us (deterrence) as they have to take on the entire population and hence will think twice before attacking us for fear of suffering heavy damages.

• Defence Industry

Having a local defence industry allows us to design and build military equipment that suits our unique needs. The Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) was established in 1967 to produce small arms ammunition and in 2000 and the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) was form to provide cost-effective and modern technology to the SAF.  Our defence industry upgrades or designs weapons (from guns to aircraft to tanks) to make them better and more powerful. A range of ammunition is produced for our armed forces to ensure that they will have a supply during wartime. Our defence industry is also involved in R & D (research and development) in many areas of modern warfare. Some examples are electronic warfare and remote sensing using satellites, which are sensitive areas other countries might not want to share with us. This ensures that we have an army equipped with the latest weapons to protect and defend us against enemy attacks. It will also prevent enemies from attacking us (deterrence) as they will think twice before attacking us as they will suffer heavy damages.

·         Multi-agency Coordination on Security

Multi-agency coordination on security is another way to ensure national security. Today, there are non-conventional security threats such as transnational security. For example, the National Security Coordination Secretariat was set up to coordinate the work of various government agencies towards national security strategies and policies. It also works with commercial and private parties to combat terror threats. The integrated security approach is to prevent, protect and respond to security threats by sharing knowledge and resources. This integrated security approach prevents, protects and responds to threats effectively will at least deter people from carrying their threats out and thus ensure national security.

With close networking among different ministries, we can deal with threats effectively, and others will think twice before carrying out their threats. This will further strengthen Singapore’s national security.

• Military co-operation with other countries

Singapore has military agreements with various countries to allow Singapore troops to train in their countries. Some of these countries are France, Australia, New Zealand and India.

Singapore also conducts regular military training with neighbouring countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia. These activities increase cooperation and strengthen ties among the participating countries.

Singapore is also involved in multi-lateral military agreements and exercises with other countries. One example is the Five Power Defence Arrangements which was established in 1971. The five nations conduct exercises each year to enhance their cooperation and coordination. In the event of an external threat against Singapore or Malaysia, members would consult one another on the appropriate measures to be taken to deter the aggressor.

By taking part in military co-operation with other countries, it helps Singapore to hone its military skills and widen its experience. It is therefore effective in deterring its aggressors.

Possible conclusion:

I think that a citizen armed force is far more important than our defence industry. While the defence industry is important as it provides advanced weapons that will increase the firepower of our limited military force, we still require men on the ground to use these weapons. It would be useless to have the world’s most advanced equipment with only a handful of soldiers. The citizen army ensures that there will always be a sufficient number of men willing to fight and defend Singapore. As such, this is the critical factor that will make sure that the defence industry is effective in the first place. Hence, it is the most important method.

Here are three ways Singapore used to manage its diplomatic relations with other countries:

Bilateral relations

              Regional relations

             Membership of the United Nations Organization

Which of these is the best way to manage diplomatic relations? Explain your answer.

Bilateral relations

Bilateral relations involve relations between any two countries. Singapore has been actively involved in expanding its bilateral relationship with many countries since its independence. It has established bilateral ties with Malaysia, China and the USA. Such bilateral relationships have benefited Singapore in many ways – exchange of skills, technology and knowledge and the signing of mutually beneficial economic treaties. For example, in the 1970s, Singapore established bilateral trading relationships with Japan, the USA and Germany. Such partnerships allowed Singapore to acquire advanced technological skills from these developed countries. As a result, Singapore was able to speed up its economic and social development.

Regional relations

e.g. Countries establish regional relations by forming an association of countries in a region. Some examples of regional organizations are the EU and ASEAN. Singapore is one of the founding members of ASEAN. Apart from bilateral relations, regional relations are important because Singapore alone is limited in its ability to influence other countries and has less bargaining power. ASEAN represents a united and collective voice of 10 countries. This strengthens the member countries’ position when dealing with other regional groupings such as EU. Therefore, it is important for Singapore to join a regional association like ASEAN. Moreover, ASEAN has not only helped its members maintain warm and friendly relations with each other but also provided a platform for them to discuss issues pertaining to the region and an avenue for member countries to resolve differences peacefully. Besides Singapore is a small country, being part of a regional organization, she will be able to get the support that she needs from the other bigger countries in the organization.

As a region Southeast Asia has been an attractive destination for foreign investors since the 1980s although it now faces intense competition from new economic powers such as China and India because of their lower cost of productions and larger markets. Hence in 1992, ASEAN launched the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) whose long-term aim to integrate its economies into a single production base, create a regional market and remove all import taxes among member countries by 2015. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) was created in 1994 to maintain peace by promoting political and security dialogue and cooperation among the countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

Membership of the United Nations Organization

e.g. Singapore was admitted as the 117^th UN member on 21 September 1965. The aims of the UN are to preserve world peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, cooperate internationally to solve international economic, social, cultural and humanitarian problems, promote respect for human rights and basic freedom regardless of race, religion and gender and to be a centre for harmonizing the actions of nations in attaining the aims listed. Today UN has a membership of 192 countries, including Singapore.

Membership in the UN provides advantages for Singapore. First, Singapore is given a voice in international issues. Even though Singapore is a small country, being a member of the UN allows Singapore to be recognized by all its member countries as an independent nation. The UN Charter ensures that its views, interests and concerns are taken into account in world affairs. Thus UN provide Singapore with a platform to voice her opinions on world issues and to obtain the help that she needs in times of crisis.

For example, in 1995, Singapore’s former representative to the UN, Professor Tommy Koh chaired the UN Law of the Sea Conference. Singapore has also served as one of the elected members of the security council. Thus UN is provides an important avenue for a small country like Singapore to gain international recognition and respect.

Membership into the UN also meant that Singapore would have international protection against its aggressors. Singapore would also benefit in the transfer of technology, ideas from advanced UN countries.

The most important type of relation is Singapore’s membership in the UN as it provides a platform for Singapore to have interaction and trade links with countries all over the world and enable the transfer of technology and ideas from advanced countries which would mean that Singapore would be a technologically advanced country on par with the other countries of the world. Moreover, as a member of the UN, aggressive countries would think twice about attacking Singapore. Though regional relations is lesser important in that it focuses on Singapore’s ties with countries of a particular region, regional relations is important as it ensures that Singapore is able to clamp down hard on security related issues such as terrorism with the support of its neighbors.

Though bilateral ties seem to be the least important as it focuses only on Singapore’s relations with a particular country, it itself has helped solve many of Singapore’s domestic issues such as the water problem. Hence, it must be said that though Singapore’s membership in the UN seem to be most beneficial, regional and bilateral ties are also important in ensuring the security and economic well being of Singapore and its management of diplomatic relations.

Diplomacy has ensured Singapore’s success in protecting the country against attacks”. How far do you agree with this statement? Explain your answer.

Yes. Singapore practices diplomacy as a means of solving problems amicably as well as building stronger relationships with countries. The practice of diplomacy is especially crucial to small countries like Singapore which has no natural resources. Hence, it is dependent on other countries to get its supplies of raw materials. If it is not careful in its dealings with other countries, they may stop exporting their goods into Singapore. This move in turn will have an adverse effect on the country’s economy. Scarce resources will lead to a price hike and standard of living in Singapore will become too expensive for people living here. Also, with poor relations, Singapore may have difficulty attracting foreign investors into the country as investors will use the country’s political, social and economic stability as benchmarks on the success of the country. Diplomacy is done in three ways here; through bilateral relations, regional relations and international relations. Etc…

No. Deterrence strategy is also important to the country. Diplomacy alone does not guarantee that Singapore will not be attacked or will survive any attack. It still needs to ensure that militarily its country is strong and is able to overcome or deter any potential aggressors. Deterrence strategy also reflects how well-equipped Singapore is in securing its territory and its interests. Through this strategy, any potential aggressor may have to think twice about attacking Singapore, having known how Singapore has militarily prepared itself well.

Deterrence strategy is carried out in many ways. Firstly, Singapore created a citizen armed force which enabled it to be self reliant and always ready to defend itself. Lessons from the Japanese Occupation and the Indonesian Confrontation have taught Singapore the importance of establishing its own defence force. Furthermore, with its population of less than two million then in 1965, Singapore could not afford a professional army. It would also be too costly to have a huge army. Hence, in 1967, national service was introduced to make up for that shortage of manpower in the army. All 18-year-old able bodied male citizens were called up for part-time or full-time NS. Through NS, Singaporeans learn to defend their country.  The training they received not only helped them to develop a sense of loyalty, patriotism and a shared destiny, it also enabled people of the different races and religions to bond together as a nation.

Causes of Conflict between Iraq and Kuwait

• Conflict over territories

One of the causes of the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait was the claim over the Bubiyan and Warbah Islands. These islands belonged to Kuwait, but Iraq wanted these islands as it would help Iraq gain access to the open waters of the Persian Gulf. The Iraqis had even attempted to gain these islands by force in the 1960s and 1970s. Since 1978, Iraq had tried to lease the islands instead. Kuwait’s refusal to grant this request worsened the relationship between both sides as Iraq saw Kuwait’s refusal as an attack on its national interest. This lead to the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait

The borders Iraq & Kuwait inherited from the British after independence were not well-defined. One such contention was over the profitable Rumaila oilfields in 1990. Iraq accused Kuwait of stealing its oil at the Iraq side of the oil filed by using slant-drilling technology & demanded Kuwait stopped drilling and pay Iraq US$2.4 billion in compensation. This led to the Iraq-Kuwait war as Kuwait refused to compensate, standing firm that their drilling activities were legitimate. This led to worsening of tension between both countries that increased the chances of war.

• Historical Enmity

Another factor that caused the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait was the historical enmity that existed between them. Iraq had all along considered Kuwait to be part of Iraq. As such, Iraq expected Kuwait to give in to its demands. Kuwaiti’s refusal to give in to Iraq resulted in shock and anger. As a result, Iraq was even more aggressive in trying to force Kuwait to give in to their demands. The result was a worsening of the relationship between the two as Kuwait might have seen the Iraqi actions as bullying.

• Overproduction of Oil by Kuwait / Economic problems / Oil Production

Overproduction of Oil by Kuwait is another cause of conflict between Iraq and Kuwait. Before the start of the Iran-Iraq war of 1980 to 1988, Iraq was a relatively prosperous country with about US$35 billion in reserves.  Iraq suffered tremendously during the war with Iran.  Besides the heavy loss of lives, Iraq’s economy was in ruins.  Iraq owed about US$80 billion in debts to its neighbours and other countries that had supplied it with food and war equipment.  The reconstruction of the war-torn country also required a massive US$230 billion.  Iraq, thus, had to find ways to pay off this massive debt as well as to rebuild the country.  Iraq had hoped to pay off its debt by earning more revenue from the sale of oil.  However, oil prices were falling due to over-production by some countries.  OPEC had put quotas on the amount of oil that its member countries could produce to prevent a further decline in oil prices.  Kuwait and the UAE, however, ignored the quota set and produced oil well about their assigned limits.  This caused oil prices to fall from US$18 to US$7 per barrel at one point.  Iraq lost a lot of revenue due to the fall in oil prices.  Iraq lost US$1 billion from oil sales each time the price of oil fell by one US dollar.  Iraq felt that the action of Kuwait and the UAE was equivalent to waging an economic war on Iraq as 90% of its income came from the sale of oil. This worsened the relationship as Iraq saw Kuwait’s refusal as an attack on its interest and hence Iraq decided to launch an attack on Kuwait.

Which is most important reason for the conflict between Iraq and Kuwait?

Although there were many reasons for the worsening of relations between Iraq and Kuwait, perhaps the most significant cause of the conflict could be the over-production of oil by Kuwait which resulted in the worsening of Iraq’s economic problems. Iraq was already facing immense debts and problems with rebuilding the country after the long war with Iran. The money to pay off this debt and rebuild the country would come from the sale of oil. The over-production of oil meant that Iraq received less revenue than it needed and this increased pressure on the Iraqi government. Historical enmity is not as important because it was an issue that had existed since the time of Kuwait’s existence and did not threaten Iraq’s survival then. It could have been a contributing factor but the immediate problem facing Iraq then was economic in nature.

Role of United Nations

One of the aims of UN is to maintain world peace and security. Despite UN less successful attempts in bringing peace and security to some troubled areas in the world, the Gulf War serves as a good example of the capabilities of the UN to gather its resources to deter aggression.

The main reason for the success in the Gulf War is the involvement of the five permanent members of the Security Council (China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States).

UN peacekeeping missions could be effective in resisting aggression if the following conditions were met:

1. High threat to all UN members leading to general consensus among permanent members of the Security Council
2. US leadership and support for UN resolutions
3. The legitimacy of working through UN Resolution and the rule of law.

Iraq-Kuwait conflict was a crisis that destablished the Middle East and affected the price of oil. The Oil prices jumped 15% in the first few days of the Iraq Invasion. If the price of the oil continue to rise, all countries in the world would be affected negatively, which led to UN resolution 678 being passed, supporting the US-led liberation of Kuwait.

However, due to the limitations of UN resolutions, US and allied troops could not take direct military action to support the Kurdish and shi’ite rebellions against Iraq.

The UN would later only provide safe and humanitarian aid for fleeing Kurdish refugees through no-fly zones and continued to apply economic sanctions against Iraq.

The Gulf War was resolved in a relatively short period of time due to the fact that the aggressor was known. As such diplomatic attempts could be made to negotiate for a settle, and when that failed, there was a target for coalition force to attack. 

Impacts of Iraq-Kuwait conflict

The Impact on Kuwait was a damaging result of the conflict. Kuwait suffered heavy losses on both its society as well as on its economy. Many Kuwaiti civilians were killed and thousands of others were tortured.  Kuwaitis were also treated harshly to force them to flee their own country. The economy also suffered tremendous losses as the Iraqi army set fire to 600 out of the 950 oil wells in Kuwait. Damages to Kuwait amounted to over US $25 billion.

The Impact on Iraq was a damaging result of the conflict. The Iraqi military capability was badly destroyed as coalition forces had utilised state-of-the art weapons in their campaign against Iraqi troops. The heavy losses suffered by the Iraqis resulted in a loss of morale among the remaining troops.  

Political instability in Iraq arose as Kurds tried to overthrow Saddam as they felt that his power was on the decline. However, Saddam dealt harshly with the uprisings against him. As a result, thousands of Kurds were massacred and almost one million Kurdish refugees fled Iraq. 

Suffering of Iraqis was also apparent. Operation Dessert Storm resulted in the destruction of a large part of Iraqi infrastructure. Also, the Iraqi people suffered as they could not carry out their daily activities due to a disrupted supply of electricity. They also suffered from a spread of diseases as the water supply in the country was contaminated    

The Regional and Environmental Impact was another damaging result of the war. The Gulf War created an environmental catastrophe and also resulted in a severe displacement of foreign workers which created great suffering for their families back home. The Iraqi forces set fire to Kuwaiti oil wells, dumped about 11 million barrels of oil into the Persian Gulf, thus greatly threatening marine life and cost millions of dollars to put out the fires and clear the oil slick. The displacement of foreign workers was so severe that nearly 2 million foreign workers from Bangladesh, India, Egypt, the Philippine and Palestine fled Iraq when war broke out.  Workers supporting large families back home suffered sudden loss of income and created great suffering for their families.  

What is Transnational Terrorism?

Transnational Terrorism refers to acts of violence which are global in terms of their aims, organization and impact. Terrorists are groups that deliberately use violence to create fear among people in order to fulfil their political objectives.

Impacts of Transnational Terrorism

• Economic impact

The impact of transnational terrorism can be economic in nature. When there is a terrorist attack, lives are lost, buildings destroyed and businesses lost. The government has to spend huge amounts of money to rebuild the country and this means that other areas of development in the country will be affected. Moreover, there is loss of earnings for many people involved in the travel and tourism trade as many tourists avoid travelling to a country that has suffered a terrorist attack. This could lead to loss of employment as well as closure of businesses. Terrorist attacks put additional economic strain on the government, which is expected to help individuals adversely affected by terrorist acts.

• Social impact

One of the aims of terrorists is to disrupt the daily lives of the people living in the country as well as cause problems for the government. Terrorist acts can adversely affect peaceful relations among the races in multiracial societies. Some consequences of the 11 September terror attacks in the United States were attacks on members of certain ethnic groups. If unchecked, this could have the potential of developing into riots between different ethnic groups. . Such terrorist acts also have the potential to cause certain ethnic groups to feel targeted as they might be singled out for increased security checks or viewed suspiciously by others in the community. This might cause a feeling of alienation as well as happiness among this group of people.

• Political impact

Governments have a responsibility to keep their citizens safe from terrorists. As a result, governments have had to tighten various controls such as stepping up border security to ensure that terrorists do not slip into the country. These border security measures involve greater check on travellers’ identities and belongings, slowing down immigration clearance as a result. Intrusive legislations aimed at countering terrorism have also been introduced. Critics argue that these measures and laws infringe on individual freedom and personal privacy. Indeed, the transnational terrorism threat has generated much debate on the trade-off between security and freedom.

What is the most serious impact?

The most detrimental impact to Singapore is the social impact. Although the economic losses caused by terrorist acts can be tremendous, these can be minimised through assistance from the government, international organisations or sympathetic governments. The country will be able to rebuild itself and its economy after some time has passed. The social impact is most detrimental as it results in the loss of human lives, the cost of which is immeasurable to the families involved. No amount of monetary aid will be able to compensate for the loss of lives.

Measures to manage Transnational Terrorism

• ASEAN’s effort to manage terrorism

Terrorism is seen as a direct challenge to the achievement of peace, progress and security in ASEAN.  As such, ASEAN governments have pledged their determination to cooperate against the transnational terrorists through joint police and intelligence measures.

For example, ASEAN has pledged to enhance information and intelligence exchange on terrorists and terrorist activities. This has helped member countries to disrupt terrorist activities on their soil. In January 2002, the Philippine authorities arrested the JI bomber-maker Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi based on information provided to them by Singapore. The members also used the ASEAN Regional Forum to discuss transnational terrorism issues.  In January 2007, ASEAN leaders signed, The Convention on Counter-terrorism to legally bind their commitment of their national security and law enforcement agencies to work closely to fight the threat together.

• International Efforts to Combat terrorism

The UN passed a series of resolutions in a bid to stop terrorism.  The resolutions aimed at getting all member countries to freeze the financial assets of terrorists and their supporters, deny them travel and safe haven, prevent terrorist recruitment and weapons supply, and cooperate with other countries in information sharing and criminal prosecution.  The UN also set up a Counter-Terrorism Committee to monitor member countries adherence to the resolutions as well as to strengthen the counter-terrorism capacity of UN member states.  The committee also provides technical assistance to countries that require help in implementing the resolutions.  Member countries have managed to freeze more than US$200 million of terrorist funding.  Through the sharing of information among members, more than 4000 terrorist suspects have been arrested.   

• Nurturing an environment that censures terrorism

All members of society have a role to play in countering the threat of terrorism.  Terrorist narratives are typically founded on ideas of hate and enmity.  Many of these ideas also glorify the use of violence, and instigate and falsely sanction a person to commit such acts.  There must not be any ambiguity in society’s stand against these ideas that fuel terrorism.  If a society does not firmly, unequivocally and actively reject these ideas being propagated by terrorists, the ideas may slowly gain legitimacy.  Every individual has a role to play to deny the terrorists space in society. 

What is the best way to combat terrorism?

Despite regional and international efforts, the international community has not been completely successful in getting rid of the threat of Transnational Terrorism. Today’s terrorism cannot be dealt with just by arresting the terrorist operatives. Terrorists have been able to recruit new operatives to replace those who have been arrested or killed.  Terrorist recruitment continues to take place because the terrorists are able to spread extremist and terrorist ideology in a globalizing world where communication technologies like the Internet can be exploited.  It is therefore crucial that society play its part to counter such radical and extremist influences by nurturing an environment that censures terrorism.  Every individual has a role to play to deny the terrorists space in society.