Before British imperialism, Singapore had a fascinating relationship with wildlife. This Rice Media article by Pan Jie, ‘Mad Dogs and Englishmen: How the British Empire Changed Our Natural Landscape’, describes the close relationship between human and animals that existed in imperial Singapore as examined by A/P Timothy P. Barnard’s (NUS Department of History) latest book, […]

Associate Professor Jessica Pan (NUS Department of Economics), in an editorial in The Straits Times, explains some of the reasons behind the gender pay gap in Singapore. This editorial follows a recent study conducted by A/P Pan and the Ministry of Manpower, which found that the median pay of women was 16.3% lower than that […]

In early January 2019, Transport Minister Khaw Boon Wan announced the final alignment of the Phase 1 MRT Cross Island Line (CRL). Consisting of 12 stations and passing through areas such as Changi, Pasir Ris, Hougang, and Ang Mo Kio, Phase 1 CRL comes shortly after the development of the Downtown Line and the Thomson-East […]

A study conducted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Associate Professor Jessica Pan (NUS Department of Economics) found that the adjusted gender gap in median pay has decreased from 8.8% in 2002 to 6% – or $342 a month – in 2018. However, this still means that a woman may be earning less than […]

The Societies Ordinance was enacted on 1 January 1890, with the aim of eliminating Chinese secret societies in the Straits Settlements of Singapore, Penang, and Malacca. Although this was an important milestone in Singapore’s history, there is a shortage of studies on the phenomenon of gangs in Singapore, with the handful that discuss it focusing […]

While Christmas may have become a global event for gatherings and gift-giving, it continues to be an important holy day in Christianity. In Singapore, Christianity is not exempt from having to conform to state control, with policies regulating religious spaces and practices. Professor Robbie Goh (NUS English Language and Literature) outlines in his article, ‘Christian […]

We are pleased to announce that the book Seven Hundred Years: A History of Singapore (Marshall Cavendish, 2019) has won second prize in the English (Adult) category at the Popular Readers’ Choice Awards on 7 December 2019. The award, now in its eighth year, aims to recognise local authors, with winners selected based on a […]

Was Singapore’s 1992 by-election an unexpected landslide? The 1992 Marine Parade by-election on 19 December saw the incumbent People’s Action Party (PAP) contest against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), the National Solidarity Party (NSP), and the Singapore Justice Party (SJP). The results showed that the PAP won a higher-than-expected 72.9% of the votes. Assoc. Prof. […]

The Maria Hertogh riots occurred in Singapore on 11 December 1950 over the custody lawsuit of Maria Hertogh, a girl born into a Dutch-Eurasian Roman Catholic family. Maria was raised by a foster Malay family during the war and moved with them to Kemaman, Malaya after the war ended. She was also legally married to […]

International Volunteer Day is held annually on 5 December as mandated by the United Nations General Assembly. It pays homage to volunteers worldwide and celebrates their efforts in assisting the disadvantaged. In Singapore, where there is an absence of a welfare state, Voluntary Welfare Organizations (VWOs) have helped serve citizens’ welfare needs. Professor Shamsul Haque […]