Voting in Change

Singapore’s 2011 general election will go down in history as its most significant since independence. This volume offers a snapshot of the heady days leading up to Polling Day on 7 May 2011, and the immediate aftermath that saw seven ministers leave the cabinet. Nine established scholars evaluate the impact of this historic election from the perspectives of law, history, politics, media, and sociology. Contributors: Au Waipang Alex; Terence Chong; Cherian George; Lam Peng Er; Terence Lee; Ooi Can-Seng; Eugene Tan; Kevin YL Tan; Krystal Tan; Bridget Welsh. About the Editors: Terence Lee is an Associate Professor and Chair of Communication and Media Studies at Murdoch University, Perth, Australia. He writes about media, culture and politics in Singapore and Australasia. He is joint editor of Political Regimes and the Media in Asia (Routledge, 2008), and author of The Media, Cultural Control and Government in Singapore (Routledge, 2010). Kevin YL Tan is Adjunct Professor at the Faculty of Law, National University of Singapore, as well as at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University. He has written and edited some 25 books on law, history and politics, including Introduction to Singapore’s Constitution (Talisman, 2010); Constitutional Law in Malaysia & Singapore (with Thio Li-ann) (LexisNexis, 2010); and Marshall of Singapore: A Biography (ISEAS, 2009). Contents: Acknowledgments; Notes on Contributors; Photo Credits; 1. Political Shift: Singapore’s 2011 General Elections — Kevin YL Tan & Terence Lee; 2. Election Issues — Eugene KB Tan; 3. Legal and Constitutional Issues — Kevin YL Tan; 4. Parties and Personalities: Staying Together (or Not) under Fire — Au Waipang Alex; 5. Does Difference Matter? Particular and National Political Identities in Singapore’s 2011 General Election — Bridget Welsh; 6. Election Rallies: Performances in Dissent, Identity, Personalities and Power — Terence Chong; 7. Mainstream Media Reporting in the Lead-up to GE2011 — Terence Lee; 8. Internet Politics: Shouting Down the PAP — Cherian George; 9. The Overseas Constituency — Ooi Can-Seng; 10. The Voters Speak: Voices, Choices and Implications — Lam Peng Er; 11. 2011 General Election Snapshots — Krystal Tan.