Going online: Journalism and civil society in Singapore

Shortly after Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Lee Hsien Loong, the son of Singapore's elder statesman Lee Kuan Yew, was officially declared Singapore's next premier in January 2004, he delivered a speech on the future of politics and society in Singapore at the 35th anniversary dinner of the elite Harvard Club of Singapore. Explaining how he planned to run the country as Prime Minister, a position he was sworn into on 12 August 2004, DPM Lee laid down his protocol for government-people interaction and the limits of political discourses by declaring that Singapore 'must open up further' by promoting 'further civic participation' (Lee, H.L. 2004a) In a typically Singaporean fashion, DPM Lee offered five broad 'suggestions' on how to promote civic participation and build a more 'civic society' in Singapore: guidelines for public consultations on new policies or regulations, more space for rigorous and robust debate, an emphasis on action above words, a constructive and 'non-crusading' media and a government that continues to lead the way even as it becomes more open to views (Lee, H.L. 2004a)