April 20, 2023

Two years in the making, Singapore Ageing: Issues and Challenges Ahead (World Scientific, 2023) was launched at the National University of Singapore on 11 April. The book, co-edited by Emeritus Professor S. Vasoo (NUS Social Work), Associate Professor Srinivasan Chokkanathan (NUS Social Work), and Associate Professor Bilveer Singh (NUS Political Science), explores the contemporary issues surrounding Singapore’s ageing population.

In an interview with Channel News Asia, A/P Singh discussed the book’s value amidst a volume of literature regarding the implications of Singapore’s ageing population. He described Singapore as being at a crossroads, making our reaction to the problem of our ageing population more salient than ever. He cited the exponential, rapid growth of Singapore’s senior citizens as the backdrop against which Singapore Ageing is published and stressed the urgency of tackling the problem of our ageing population. Ultimately, A/P Singh reflected on the book’s significance in considering the most pressing issues pertaining to Singapore’s ageing population today.

As Deputy Head of the NUS Political Science Department, A/P Singh also discussed Singapore’s state of being in political transition and its implications on how we are to address our rapidly ageing population.

A/P Singh’s points were supported at the book launch by the Guest of Honour, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. PM Lee presented Singapore Ageing as a contemporary necessity in which the book’s contributors discuss how an ageing population can impact Singapore’s steady growth and long-enjoyed prosperity. He also stated that tackling the negative effects of an ageing population requires a whole-of-society effort and the right mindset.

Read Singapore Ageing: Issues and Challenges Ahead here: https://www.worldscientific.com/worldscibooks/10.1142/13109#t=aboutBook

Watch A/P Singh’s full interview with CNA here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugSFv94OO1