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The Good of
Society
Role of Government

Role of Citizens

Safeguardin
Maintaining
Ensuring
Influencin
Strengtheni
g interests
Security
Justice
g Govt
ng sense of
of citizens
decisions
belonging
Providing
Intern
Goods &
External
Organised
al
Services
Individuals
groups
MHA

MFA

Social
Media

MINDEF
Formal
Public
Transportati
on
NEWater

CPF

NGO

Informal

VWO
SG
Haze
Rescue

Role of the Government

For this weeks lesson, we will be exploring the
four roles of government in society:
Maintaining internal order and external security
Ensuring justice
Providing goods and services for the public
Safeguarding the interests of citizens

Maintaining internal
order
To facilitate maintaning internal order, the
Ministry of Home Affairs was set up. It
comprises of 7 departments.
Each e.g. police, civil defence etc. has a
specific role and responsibility but allshare a
common mission and vision to protect citizens,
property and maintain peace within the
country.

Maintaining internal
order
The MHA has 7
departments.
Can you recognize
the following
symbols? What
organizations do
they represent?
(See pg. 70 & 71)

Case Study: Little India

Riot
See pg. 74
What are the efforts to maintain internal security?
Why are they important?
How successful have these efforts been?
Are there any suggestions to improve the existing
efforts?

Maintaing external
security
To maintain external security, Singapore adopts a 2pronged policy of deterrence and diplomacy.
Deterrence

Diplomacy

Example of deterrence:
Military defence
Singapores defence industry
Chartered Industries of Singapore (CIS) in 1967. It is now a
successful defence company.
The Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) was formed in
2000 to provide cost-effective and modern technology to the SAFs
use.
Focuses on buying and upgrading weapons and also conducts defence-related
research.

Defence industry improves the capability and effectiveness of the

SAF. This helps Singapore to overcome its constraints by selfsufficiency and its own innovations.

Example of deterrence:
Military defence
Singapores defence industry
This enables SAF to be self-reliant in important
defence weapons and equipment.
Singapore can overcome its constraints through its
own innovations.
SAF can become an effective fighting force with the
latest technology and equipment.

Reasons for diplomacy in Singapore

Methods of diplomacy in Singapore
Bilateral
Regional
International

Countries are interconnected through trade, political,

historical and cultural relations.

Diplomacy provides an opportunity for countries to

pursue mutual interests, cooperate to solve common
problems and resolve conflicts, differences and
disagreements peacefully.

1. Bilateral relations
-

Bilateral relations: when a country forms

diplomatic relations with another country

Bilateral relations has allowed Singapore to

acquire advanced technological skills from
developed countries such as USA and Japan;
promote political, economic and cultural ties
with neighbouring countries.

2. Regional relations
-

ASEAN
-

Provided Singapore with opportunities to strengthen

relations with her neighbours. Hence, lower chances of
getting into a conflict with other countries = peace in SG

Provided Singapore a role to play in maintaining regional

peace and promoting economic development.

3. International relations
-

International relations: involves ties among many

countries and grouping throughout the world.

United Nations is an international organisation that

represents all countries in the world.

Activity: Lets discuss!

In your groups, discuss the following questions (See pg 72-73):
What are the efforts to maintain external security?
Why are they important?
How successful have these efforts been?
Are there any suggestions to improve the existing efforts?

Case Study: SG
Transportation
From LTAs website: Singapores rail system moves more than one million
commuters every day, but thats only part of the story. Our public transport
buses also serve a total ridership of 3.4 million daily.
Our flexible public transport system makes it convenient to get to any point in
the city. The integration of bus and rail services in our hub-and-spoke model
means commuters can reach transport hubs quickly and seamlessly make
transfers to reach their destination.
With over 4,600 bus stops and 142 train stations across the island and more
to come when theDowntown Line is completed in 2017, it means a bus stop
or train station is never far away. By 2020, there will be an MRT station every
400m in the city centre.
And thats what it really comes down to here; our commitment to providing a
seamless, efficient and people-centred public transport system.

Case Study: SG
Transportation

Case Study Activity: Lets

Discuss!
Discuss activity on an area in which government
actions have benefitted society (page 81).
How has the policy contributed to outcomes in society?
In what ways have these outcomes benefitted society?
How can these policies be improved?
How can these improvements help society further?

Role of Govt in Society

In conclusion,
there are strengths and areas of improvement for
policies introduced by the government
as individuals, we can contribute towards the
improvement of policies, for example through
providing suggestions to the relevant authorities,
in order to ensure that they are beneficial for all

Role of Citizens in
Society
Citizens can contribute individually or in
organised groups
Citizens contribute to society by:
-

Influencing government decisions

- Strengthening citizens sense of belonging

The Good of
Society
Role of Government

Role of Citizens

Safeguardin
Maintaining
Ensuring
Influencin
Strengtheni
g interests
Security
Justice
g Govt
ng sense of
of citizens
decisions
belonging
Providing
Intern
Goods &
External
Organised
al
Services
Individuals
groups
MHA

MFA

Social
Media

MINDEF
Formal
Public
Transportati
on
NEWater

CPF

NGO

Informal

VWO
SG
Haze
Rescue

Role of Citizens:
Individuals
Individuals volunteer may volunteer their
time, effort or money. Their actions can
directly benefit others.
E.g.: Elisha Ng who started the A litter at a
time programme (see pg 84)

Role of Citizens: Formal

groups
Have clear objectives
Formally registered with the government
Address a wide range of interests
E.g. NGOs (Aware) and VWOs (SPCA)

Role of Citizen: Informal

groups
Organisations with a specific, short term
objective related to issues that arise suddenly.
E.g. SG Haze Rescue (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhEQNU1
XU2g
)

Activity time!
Refer to Part 1 of WS on Role of Citizen.
Research on your assigned category. Discuss
how these contributions would benefit the
individuals/groups as well as society.
HW: Part 2 of WS on Role of Citizen

In conclusion,
Different groups play different roles in working for
the good of society.
Each contributes towards different aspects of
society and complements the role of the
government in working for the good of society..
Generally, the outcomes of citizen contribution
could be categorised into the following:
contributing to the needs of society, influencing
government decisions, strengthening citizens
sense of belonging.

In conclusion,
The opinions of citizens provides the
government with an alternative perspective.
This helps improve decision and policy making
by the government.
If citizens feedback is considered, they would
feel that Singapore has improved. Their sense
of belonging to the country could increase.