Abstract
Singapore has come to embrace neoliberal globalization very tightly due to a pervasive and uncompromising ideology of survivalism, which was born in the early years of independence, after Singapore’s expulsion from the Malaysian Federation in 1965. The notion of permanent vulnerability shaped the siege mentality of the newly formed city-state’s ruling elite. This helped to justify its authoritarian politics, viewed as a protective, providential, and benign form of elite paternalism. However, instead of turning inwards, the leadership recognized how important it was for a small state with inadequate natural resources to be as connected to the world as possible. Therein lay its prospects for economic development and growth, which were in turn the bases of social stability, political legitimacy, and ultimately national survival in a dangerous world. In fully embracing a global-city identity and giving national primacy to economic growth and the role of markets for achieving it, Singapore had all the makings of a neoliberal global city from its early years of independence. After the mid-1980s, these neoliberal predilections eventually became imperatives. Neoliberal globalization has become the ultimate compass guiding the government’s political action in virtually every field, from labour market and immigration policies, to public health policies. The partnership between neoliberal globalization and state authoritarianism has delivered impressive economic success, which has in turn inspired leaders of many other nations to emulate it. However, over the last two decades especially, the emergence of several problems, including those relating to income inequality and migrant workers, has revealed cracks in the system. The COVID-19 crisis has shed new light on these problems. The pandemic is a moment of opportunity for Singapore to become a more inclusive society and thereby adapt to a future where neoliberal globalization itself will very likely be transformed, rather than destroyed.
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Dugo, A. (2022). Neoliberal Singapore: Nation-State and Global City. In: Tan, K.P. (eds) Singapore's First Year of COVID-19. Palgrave Macmillan, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0368-7_2
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