Governing: A Singapore Perspective

Professor S. Jayakumar, a former minister, diplomat and law dean, shares his candid views on many facets of Singapore’s governance, including fascinating first-hand and behind-the-scenes accounts.

• On Lee Kuan Yew: first-hand recollections of events revealing the founding prime minister’s working style as well as his human side.
• On world leaders: his impressions of monarchs, prime ministers and ministers, with many of whom he developed close relations.
• On the relationships between the Government, Ministry of Law, Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Judiciary: how they interact in actual practice.
• On challenging legal issues, including: how Singapore should deal with issues such as the rule of law; lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) issues; and tough penalties such as the death penalty and caning.
• On contemporary issues, including:

• Transition to 4G: should Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong review his handover timeline?
• General Election 2020: what are the scenarios which the election portends for Singapore’s future?
• Fight against COVID-19: was it a failure or a success story?
• Reserved Election of Presidency: was it justifiable or not?