Singapore Research Nexus, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, NUS

Singapore Research Nexus, Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, NUS Welcome to the official page of the Singapore Research Nexus, a vital resource for scholars interested in work on Singapore.

The Singapore Research Nexus (SRN), launched in 2011, is a research initiative from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at the National University of Singapore. It has been many years in the making, with our Faculty’s history dating back to 1929. Much of our arts, humanities and social science work covers the Southeast Asian region and beyond, and yet still a significant portion focuses

on Singapore itself. We have thus created the SRN to serve as a showcase for past research, a resource for current research and a platform for future research on Singapore. It will provide a useful tool for academics, policy makers and those with a general interest in how research has helped shape the story of Singapore. Thousands of academic publications have been collated, and many already have full text versions for browsing via Scholarbank. What has emerged in the process of putting together the SRN is that we have realized the vast wealth and potential of the project. In 2012 we added Singapore-related creative works, which encompass novels, poems, plays and short films - all written by FASS Faculty and students, past and present. This year we have also added in a database of Singapore-focused researchers’ consultancy projects. The goal is for the SRN to remain a vital resource for scholars interested in work on Singapore. We hope you can share our enthusiasm for this exciting and worthwhile project which offers users a studied view of Singapore in all its diversity and complexity.

Before visiting a new restaurant, booking a hotel, or trying a service, many of us now do the same thing almost instinct...
08/06/2026

Before visiting a new restaurant, booking a hotel, or trying a service, many of us now do the same thing almost instinctively: we check the reviews. A few stars, a handful of comments, and a quick scroll through photos can shape our expectations before we even step through the door.

In an April episode of Channel NewsAsia’s Deep Dive podcast, Associate Professor Elmie Nekmat (NUS Communications and New Media) joined hosts Steven Chia and Tiffany Ang, alongside food reviewer Leong Yong Xin (.sg), to discuss the impact and reliability of online reviews in Singapore’s food and consumer culture.

Assoc Prof Nekmat explains that reviews have become an unavoidable part of decision-making because people naturally seek information to reduce uncertainty. Whether choosing a restaurant, accommodation, or travel experience, consumers often turn to online reviews as a form of crowdsourced guidance. He cautions, however, that these reviews should not be treated as absolute truths. Instead, they are better understood as signals – useful data points that help people make more informed decisions, but which still need to be read carefully and critically.

Assoc Prof Nekmat further highlights how online review culture often amplifies extremes. Negative reviews can gain more traction because of how digital platforms and algorithms reward engagement, while very positive reviews may be shaped by incentives, collaborations, or paid partnerships. What often gets lost is the balanced middle ground – the ordinary, mixed, or moderate experiences that may offer a fuller picture.

Last but not least, Assoc Prof Nekmat also points to the importance of media literacy in navigating this landscape. Consumers need to ask where reviews come from, whether there may have been sponsorship or barter arrangements, and how different reviewers’ tastes or expectations compare with their own. This is especially important when reviews influence higher-stakes decisions, such as travel bookings or expensive dining experiences.

The conversation calls for a more thoughtful and responsible approach to both reading and writing reviews. Reviews remain valuable, but they work best when consumers treat them with care, context, and compassion.

Listen to the podcast episode here: https://www.channelnewsasia.com/listen/deep-dive/good-and-bad-online-reviews-and-how-read-them-6074961

Photo: ‘Food Photographers’ by Filbert Kuong, from SRN’s SG Photobank

The shifting demographics of advanced economies bring pressing challenges, with low fertility rates and aging population...
04/06/2026

The shifting demographics of advanced economies bring pressing challenges, with low fertility rates and aging populations at the forefront. These phenomena are shaped by trends such as dual-income-no-kids (D**K) families, evolving societal norms about marriage and childbearing, and increasing career prioritisation among young adults. As societies grapple with the socio-economic consequences of these shifts, including strained social welfare systems and slower economic growth, it becomes increasingly crucial to explore underexamined factors, such as political environments, that might influence fertility decisions.

In 'Political Efficacy and Fertility Intentions: A Survey Experiment Study in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore' (Social Science Research, 2024), Adam Ka-Lok Cheung (Hong Kong Baptist University), Lake Lui (National Taiwan University), and Associate Professor Zheng Mu (NUS Sociology and Anthropology) investigate how perceptions of political efficacy, people's belief in their ability to influence political outcomes, shape fertility intentions in three contrasting political contexts. The researchers presented over 5000 respondents across the three regions with hypothetical scenarios that had varying political conditions, such as government responsiveness, childcare policies, and economic stability.

The researchers find that political efficacy significantly impacted fertility intentions in Hong Kong and Taiwan but had minimal effect in Singapore. In Hong Kong, where political movements and polarisation are more pronounced, respondents showed higher fertility intentions when they believed their opinions could influence policymaking. A similar effect was seen in Taiwan, to a smaller extent. However, in Singapore’s politically stable and controlled environment, political efficacy was not a significant determinant of fertility intentions, reflecting its residents’ relative detachment from political engagement in personal decisions. Furthermore, the political attitudes held by individuals significantly affected their fertility intentions. Individuals with strong democratic values were more sensitive to perceived political efficacy, particularly in contexts like Hong Kong, where democratic aspirations often clash with authoritarian governance.

By comparing these three societies, the researchers shed light on how political systems and societal attitudes shape the relationship between political efficacy and fertility decisions. Hong Kong’s transitioning regime, marked by a decline in political freedoms, reflects how perceived disenfranchisement can discourage childbearing among those prioritising democratic values. On the other hand, Taiwan demonstrates how stable democratic institutions can moderate these effects. Meanwhile, Singapore’s low political polarisation and strong governance reflect a context where political efficacy plays a latent role in fertility choices. While fostering inclusive and participatory political environments might bolster fertility rates in politically engaged societies, broader structural interventions such as affordable childcare, workplace flexibility, and gender equality, are crucial for addressing the low fertility rates in East Asia.

Read the article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103014

Photo: iStock/maroke

In 2023, the National Environment Agency (NEA) reported that Singapore generated a staggering 211,000 tonnes of textile ...
03/06/2026

In 2023, the National Environment Agency (NEA) reported that Singapore generated a staggering 211,000 tonnes of textile waste, with a mere 2% being recycled. Blended textiles that combine natural and synthetic fibres are notoriously difficult to process and recycle (Damayanti et al., 2021). Additionally, the viability of textile recycling is mostly limited to 100% natural fibres and requires large volumes, making it an impractical solution for the vast amounts of waste produced in an affluent city-state like Singapore.

In ‘The temporal dimensions of textile circularity loops: A community initiative at shortening loops and prolonging textile lives in Singapore’ (Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 2024), Dr Qian Hui Tan (NUS Asia Research Institute) and Professor Brenda S.A. Yeoh (NUS Geography & NUS Asia Research Institute) argue for the importance of prioritising textile reuse, as large-scale textile recycling is still unfeasible. Textile recycling represents a long circularity loop, which involves complex and resource-intensive methods to reclaim materials, while textile reuse represents a shorter circularity loop that affords the immediate potential for extending the life of textiles through practices such as repair, upcycling, and repurposing.

The researchers show that various R-behaviours like refuse, reduce, and reuse, manifested through practices such as fashion rescue, garment repairs, and textile repurposing, play a crucial role in enabling the cyclical nature of textile reuse. These practices are necessarily time-consuming as they require the intensive development of skills and a commitment to sustainable practices. In this regard, sustainability cannot be achieved through quick fixes. Instead, it requires cultivating patience and craftsmanship, which not only extend the lifespan of textiles but also foster innovation.

As Dr Tan and Prof Yeoh state, Singapore’s ambition of becoming a circular city relies on recognising the time and effort involved in transforming textile waste into usable items. Acknowledging that practices like sewing, repairing, and upcycling are vital contributions to sustainability can help bridge the gap between the overconsumption of fast fashion and thoughtful reuse. By supporting grassroots initiatives and valuing the craftsmanship involved in textile practices, communities can foster a culture of care and responsibility, ultimately reducing textile waste and promoting environmental stewardship.

Read the article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107601

Photo: iStock/Red Stock Studio

From chatbots in classrooms to AI assistants in workplaces, even religion is beginning to enter the digital age. The rec...
02/06/2026

From chatbots in classrooms to AI assistants in workplaces, even religion is beginning to enter the digital age. The recent rise of robot monks in East Asia has sparked global fascination and debates over whether technology could one day replace spiritual leaders.
In ‘Why Robot Monks Cannot Replace Human Faith’ (Eurasia Review, May 2026), Associate Professor Jack Meng-Tat Chia (NUS History) explores these concerns, discussing the growing phenomenon of AI-powered Buddhist monks.

Assoc Prof Chia notes that Buddhist communities have quietly experimented with AI technologies over time. AI is increasingly used to translate scriptures, digitise fragile manuscripts, analyse Buddhist texts, and create searchable online archives. Buddhist organisations are also using chatbots and online Dharma platforms to engage younger, digital-native audiences. Most recently, examples such as Kyoto University’s ‘Buddharoid’, designed to deliver Buddhist teachings, and South Korea’s ‘Gabi’, reportedly the country’s first robot formally ordained as a monk, have shown how public fascination with robot monks has increased.

On one hand, such innovations can be beneficial, especially since Buddhism has historically adapted well to technological changes from woodblock printing to livestreamed sermons. Assoc Prof Chia argues, however, that AI ultimately cannot replace religion for three main reasons. First, robots are not sentient beings. While they can process information and simulate conversations, they lack consciousness, moral awareness, and genuine spiritual experience. Buddhism is not merely about transmitting knowledge but about ethical cultivation, compassion, mindfulness, and self-transformation.

Second, religion is fundamentally experiential. Practices such as meditation, chanting, pilgrimage, and repentance involve lived emotional and spiritual experiences that machines cannot truly replicate. A robot may imitate prayer or meditation, but it cannot genuinely experience suffering, hope, grief, or inner peace.

Finally, religion depends on authentic human connection. Religious leaders provide empathy, trust, comfort, and companionship during moments of uncertainty and suffering. While AI can generate comforting responses, it cannot genuinely care or emotionally connect with others.

Even though AI may become an increasingly useful tool in technologically advanced societies like Singapore, it cannot replace the human dimensions of faith. The growing fascination with robot monks therefore reveals less about machines replacing religion and more about humanity’s continuing search for meaning in an increasingly digital world. In Singapore, where AI adoption is rapidly accelerating alongside an increasingly tech-savvy society, these global developments raise deeper questions about whether machines can truly replicate the moral and spiritual roles traditionally fulfilled by religion and adjacent beliefs.

Read the Eurasia Review article here: https://www.eurasiareview.com/18052026-why-robot-monks-cannot-replace-human-faith-oped/

Photo: iStock/sarah5

How much trust should we place in opinion polls, especially when election outcomes or public sentiment contradict them a...
01/06/2026

How much trust should we place in opinion polls, especially when election outcomes or public sentiment contradict them at times? While polls are often criticised as biased and politically motivated, in ‘Polls are a “public good”, they deserve to be better understood’ (LSE Impact, May 2026), Assistant Professor Ozan Kuru (NUS Communications and New Media) argues that even in an age of misinformation, polls remain a crucial democratic mechanism linking public opinion with researchers and the wider public.

Drawing on his article, ‘Conditioning Public Opinion Perceptions by “Survey Methods 101”: Informing, Engaging, and Motivating Individuals for Critical Processing of Public Opinion Polls’ (Public Opinion Quarterly, 2026), Asst Prof Kuru highlights how surveys function not merely as statistical exercises, but as symbolic manifestations of representative democracy. From election polling and policy sentiment to public health surveys, they provide structured ways of understanding collective preferences and social realities.

However, polls today face three major credibility challenges. The first is methodological concerns; while some surveys employ rigorous probability-based sampling, others rely on weaker methods such as misleading online polls, clickbait surveys, or poorly designed questionnaires. Emerging technologies such as artificially generated datasets created by algorithms further raise questions of reliability. Secondly, declining public trust, particularly after unexpected election outcomes, causes many to perceive polls as inaccurate or manipulative. Finally, partisan bias shapes how people interpret poll results, with individuals more likely to trust polls that support their preferred political positions while dismissing unfavourable findings as untrue.

Asst Prof Kuru argues that improving polling literacy is therefore essential. In his longitudinal experiment, participants underwent varying forms of survey methods training, ranging from informational modules to interactive quizzes and motivational messaging warning against low-quality polls. Those exposed to these interventions became significantly better at distinguishing between robust and misleading polls, unlike control participants who received no training. His findings suggest that relatively simple educational interventions can go a long way in strengthening critical engagement with public opinion data. Since existing educational resources on survey methods tend to be inaccessible or overly technical, Asst Prof Kuru also advocates for more public-facing approaches, such as gamified learning tools and stronger collaboration between university researchers and media organisations to strengthen public comprehension of polls.

In Singapore where surveys increasingly shape debates on household topics such as cost-of-living concerns, the real challenge may not be whether polls are accurate, but whether the public knows how to read them critically. As misinformation and online echo chambers grow, stronger polling literacy can help Singaporeans better distinguish credible findings from misleading claims, thus maintaining public trust and informed democratic discourse.

Read the ‘Polls are a “public good”, they deserve to be better understood’ here: https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/impactofsocialsciences/2026/05/11/polls-are-a-public-good-they-deserve-to-be-better-understood/
Read ‘Conditioning Public Opinion Perceptions by “Survey Methods 101”: Informing, Engaging, and Motivating Individuals for Critical Processing of Public Opinion Polls’ here: https://doi.org/10.1093/poq/nfag006

Photo: iStock/AndreyPopov

At a time when public life around the world is increasingly shaped by division, speed, and polarisation, a quiet act of ...
31/05/2026

At a time when public life around the world is increasingly shaped by division, speed, and polarisation, a quiet act of walking across the United States has prompted wider reflection on peace, community, and social cohesion. In “Peace in Motion: A Buddhist Journey for Social Cohesion in a Divided World” (RSIS Commentary, 20 April 2026), Foo Hai Associate Professor of Buddhist Studies Jack Meng-Tat Chia (NUS History) examines the significance of the “Walk for Peace” and its broader implications for contemporary society.

The commentary reflects on a 3,700 km Buddhist peace pilgrimage undertaken by monastics in the United States between October 2025 and February 2026. Organised by monks from the Hương Đạo Vipassana Bhavana Center in Texas and joined by monastics from other temples, the 108-day journey brought Buddhist practices of walking, discipline, and contemplation into public civic space.

Rather than framing the pilgrimage simply as an endurance feat or religious spectacle, Chia situates it within a longer Buddhist tradition of walking as spiritual cultivation and moral practice. Drawing connections to historical pilgrimages such as Xuanzang’s journey from China to India and the “Three Steps, One Bow” pilgrimage in the United States during the 1970s, he argues that the Walk for Peace transformed roads and public landscapes into spaces of encounter and reflection.

The commentary also considers why the pilgrimage resonated so strongly in the contemporary American context. Chia highlights how the walk made Asian American Buddhist life publicly visible, offered a slower and more contemplative presence amid heightened political tension, and fostered direct human connection through everyday acts of generosity and care. In a social environment often shaped by digital fragmentation and adversarial discourse, the monks’ steady pace and embodied practice introduced what Chia describes as a different moral rhythm into civic life.

Importantly, the essay turns to Singapore, asking what lessons such initiatives might hold for a multi-religious society committed to maintaining harmony and social trust. While recognising the importance of institutional frameworks for interreligious dialogue, Chia suggests that shared practices, such as community walks, service projects, and grassroots collaboration, can cultivate mutual recognition in ways that formal structures alone may not. The commentary speaks closely to ongoing conversations about Buddhism, peacebuilding, and the role of lived community engagement in sustaining social cohesion.

Appearing during the Vesak season, the commentary is also a timely reminder of how Buddhist ideas of compassion, restraint, and shared humanity continue to offer meaningful resources for thinking about public life in an increasingly fractured world.

Read the commentary here: https://tinyurl.com/m39yhshx

Photo: ‘Buddha Relic temple’ by Rui Kang, from SRN’s SG Photobank

Southeast Asia, a major global agricultural hub, stands at a critical crossroads as it confronts food insecurity, enviro...
30/05/2026

Southeast Asia, a major global agricultural hub, stands at a critical crossroads as it confronts food insecurity, environmental degradation, climate change, and growing socio-economic inequalities. ‘Southeast Asia Innovation Alliance for a Global Model of Future Agri-food Systems (SIGMA)’, an NUS Sustainable Futures Seed grant funded from 2025 to 2028, and led by Assistant Professor Xiangzhong (Remi) Luo (NUS Geography) in collaboration with Professor Kaiyu Guan, Assistant Professor Shenlong Wang, and Professor Lisa Ainsworth (all from the University of Illinois), responds to these challenges. SIGMA aims to establish a new US–Singapore academic alliance that brings together world-class expertise to co-develop sustainable agri-food solutions for Southeast Asia and beyond.

At its core, SIGMA will advance three interconnected thematic objectives. Under the first objective, SIGMA will focus on decarbonising agriculture by developing digital monitoring, reporting, and verification solutions tailored to smallholder farmers. These tools will be adaptable to local conditions and transferable across diverse crops in the region. The program will also explore nature-based climate solutions and alternative land management practices such as precision fertilisation and soil amendments, helping inform pathways toward long-term sustainability. The second objective emphasises food security and system resilience. SIGMA will investigate adaptation strategies and resource-efficient practices to stabilise food production and strengthen supply chains amid climate variability, through innovations in plant breeding and the use of green finance and crop insurance schemes. The final objective aims to build resilient communities by empowering smallholder farmers with access to digital tools, financial wellness programs, and climate-smart technologies. SIGMA shall also support gender and indigenous equity in agricultural development while designing behavioural strategies to promote widespread adoption of sustainable practices.

The study will progress in three stages. Stage 1 will establish a shared research roadmap through a workshop at NUS, stakeholder engagement, and site visits across Southeast Asia to produce an internal report. Stage 2 will initiate pilot studies to assess agricultural sustainability trends and produce a review paper, early findings, and practical insights. Stage 3 will focus on securing long-term funding, leveraging results and partnerships to develop proposals that ensure SIGMA’s scalability and lasting impact across the region.

Overall, SIGMA seeks to enhance academic excellence at both universities through innovation transfers, publications, and sustained funding. It strives to deliver real-world benefits by reducing greenhouse gas emissions, improving smallholder livelihoods, and strengthening food system resilience. The project will also foster knowledge exchange across Southeast Asia and build future leadership through training and capacity-building programs.

Photo: iStock/SAKDAWUT14

Few genres in Singapore’s cultural history are remembered as warmly as xinyao, a uniquely Singaporean genre of Mandarin ...
29/05/2026

Few genres in Singapore’s cultural history are remembered as warmly as xinyao, a uniquely Singaporean genre of Mandarin songs that emerged among students in the late 1970s and 1980s. Often associated with campus life, youth, friendship, and simple guitar melodies, xinyao is frequently treated as a musical expression of ’small sentiments‘. Yet behind these intimate songs lies a much larger story about language, identity, and social change in Singapore. In ‘新谣的小情怀和大时代’ [‘Xinyao’s Small Sentiments and Big Times’] (Lianhe Zaobao, 14 May 2026), Raffles Professor of Humanities Ong Chang Woei (NUS Chinese Studies) revisits the beginnings of xinyao and asks how we might understand it not only as a student music movement, but also as a response to the historical conditions of its time.

Ong notes that xinyao is commonly remembered through songs of youth and everyday emotion. In this popular framing, xinyao appears gentle, personal, and modest. Its lyrics often seem to focus on friendship, longing, dreams, and the emotional life of young people. Ong argues that this is only one side of the story, however. To see xinyao merely as ‘small sentiment’ risks missing the larger pressures and possibilities that shaped its emergence.

The article places xinyao against the backdrop of Singapore’s rapid economic development, education reform, and shifting language environment. In the early 1980s, students were creating songs in a society where English was becoming increasingly dominant, while Chinese-language education and culture were undergoing major change. Rather than simply imitating foreign pop music, xinyao gave young Singaporeans a way to write and sing from their own social position, using local experiences, local anxieties, and local forms of expression. Ong pays particular attention to how xinyao developed within what he calls the discourse of national and familial development. The movement did not exist apart from Singapore’s state-building project. Instead, it unfolded during a period when official narratives emphasised progress, discipline, economic survival, and social cohesion.

By reading xinyao through both sentiment and history, Ong invites us to move beyond nostalgia. Xinyao was not just a collection of campus songs, nor simply a pleasant memory of youth. It was also a cultural response to an era of transition. Its quietness was part of its power: through simple tunes and personal lyrics, it registered the hopes, unease, and imagination of a generation coming of age in a rapidly changing Singapore.

This post discusses Part I of Ong’s article. Read Part I of the article here (https://www.zaobao.com.sg/forum/views/story20260513-9043109) and Part II here (https://www.zaobao.com.sg/forum/views/story20260514-9049076).

Photo: “One of the Xinyao groups singing at the Xinyao Festival in 1985.” ST File from “Beyond nostalgia: Can xinyao still strike a chord?” (The Straits Times, 3 April 2026).

What does a city sound like, and what does it smell like when no one is paying attention? Beyond skylines and infrastruc...
26/05/2026

What does a city sound like, and what does it smell like when no one is paying attention? Beyond skylines and infrastructure, urban life is saturated with sensory encounters that quietly shape how we live together. In Sensory Contact Zones in the City (Cambridge University Press, 2026), Professor Kelvin E. Y. Low (NUS Sociology and Anthropology) turns our attention to these often-overlooked dimensions of urban experience. The book explores how everyday encounters with sound and smell, fleeting and yet powerful, structure relationships between people, animals, and the spaces they share.

At the heart of Sensory Contact Zones in the City are two key ideas: “sensory contact zones” and “sensory citizenship.” Low uses these concepts to examine how urban residents negotiate sensory boundaries: what counts as noise, what counts as stench, and who gets to decide. In dense cities where proximity is unavoidable, these judgments often reflect deeper questions about power, tolerance, and belonging.

Drawing on a wide range of sources, from colonial-era newspapers and legal ordinances to contemporary debates, the book traces how smells and sounds have long been sites of tension. Complaints about noisy neighbours, street vendors, animals, or industrial activity are not just minor irritations, but moments where social norms are contested and enforced. Low shows how such sensory conflicts often lead to legal intervention, revealing an emerging form of “sensory jurisprudence” that governs what is acceptable in shared urban life.

Across both historical and contemporary contexts, Low demonstrates that sensory experiences are not merely background noise. They actively shape how urban space is organised, how communities interact, and how rights are asserted. In doing so, he invites readers to reconsider the city not just as a visual or economic space, but as a lived, multisensory environment where everyday encounters carry social and political weight.

Read Sensory Contact Zones in the City here: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009632751

When oil prices rise, the first signs may not always appear at the petrol station. They may show up in a school bus fee,...
25/05/2026

When oil prices rise, the first signs may not always appear at the petrol station. They may show up in a school bus fee, a ferry surcharge, a grocery bill, a courier charge, or the cost of a home renovation. For Singapore, where much of daily life depends on imported energy, distant geopolitical conflict can quickly become a household concern. In “Singapore’s hidden bill: From the Middle East oil shock to your wallet” (The Straits Times, May 2026), Associate Professor Alberto Salvo (NUS Economics) examines how the Iran conflict’s oil shock reveals Singapore’s deep dependence on fossil fuels.

Salvo argues that oil disruptions are often discussed in broad economic terms, such as inflation, prices, and GDP. However, their effects are felt much more directly by households and businesses. As fuel costs rise, supermarkets adjust deliveries, service providers introduce or increase transport surcharges, school bus operators renegotiate routes and fees, and short-haul travel becomes more expensive or less available. Lower-income and shift-worker households are especially vulnerable, as they tend to spend a larger share of their income on energy-intensive essentials, including food.

Salvo traces how oil and gas shocks ripple through Singapore’s fossil fuel-wired economy. Higher fuel prices affect farming, shipping, warehousing, food manufacturing, packaging, online shopping, construction, utilities, and hawker operations. In other words, fossil fuels shape not only how people move, but also how they eat, shop, cool their homes, and access everyday services. While targeted government relief can help cushion lower-income households and small businesses, Salvo cautions against broad fuel subsidies, which may weaken incentives to use energy more efficiently. Instead, he points to the need for a longer-term shift away from centralised fossil fuel dependence towards cleaner, more decentralised, and regionally integrated energy systems.

A major part of this transition, Salvo suggests, lies in regional cooperation. The ASEAN Power Grid, which aims to connect electricity networks across Southeast Asia, could help Singapore and its neighbours build greater resilience against global energy shocks. Renewable power generation, solar-plus-storage systems, hydrogen produced through clean energy, and cross-border electricity trade all offer ways to reduce exposure to distant geopolitical disruptions.

Salvo also highlights the importance of staying the course on Singapore’s carbon tax trajectory, green investment, clean transport, and sustainability-focused workforce development. Electric vehicles and electrified ferry services, for instance, may not solve the problem overnight, but they become cleaner over time as the power grid itself shifts towards renewable energy.

Overall, the opinion piece frames the move away from fossil fuels not simply as an environmental ambition, but as a practical strategy for national resilience. For Singapore, clean energy is about cost-of-living protection, economic competitiveness, and reducing vulnerability to recurring global fuel shocks.

Read the article here: https://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/singapores-hidden-bill-from-the-middle-east-oil-shock-to-your-wallet

Photo: ‘Container ship at the container port’ by Rui Kang, from SRN’s SG Photobank

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