"This splendid book offers in a short space not only an intelligent critical discussion of issues of policy and institutional design in contemporary Singapore but also a tour of the economic and philosophical literature that guides the analysis. Classical liberals as well as their critics will learn much from this clear, thoughtful, and learned work." -- Prof. Chandran Kukathas, Dean, School of Social Sciences & Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor of Political Science, Singapore Management University Ex-Head of Department of Government at London School of Economics, author of The Liberal Archipelago: A Theory of Diversity and Freedom(OUP)
"The debate on Singapore's political economy has been too narrow, pitting an establishment defence of the status quo against a vaguely European-style social-democratic alternative. This book lays out an alternative: a limited government, free-market worldview of the classical liberal tradition. This view hardly figures in Singapore's debate. It is time it did." -- Prof. Razeen Sally, Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy Director of the European Centre for International Political Economy Member of the Mont Pelerin Society and Ex-Chair of World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Competitiveness
"I highly recommend Bryan Cheang and Donovan Choy's fresh take on Singaporean policy discourse. They put forward a new classical liberal perspective that challenges both the establishment 'Singapore consensus' and its progressive liberal critics. Engaging with themes such as social inequality, environmentalism, and media freedom, this book argues that classical liberalism offers a new 'third way' for the future, one that moves beyond the ideas and tactics of top-down technocracy and that embraces a more diverse economy and society." - Christine Henderson, Associate Professor of Political Science, Singapore Management University
"Cheang and Choy have produced a brilliant and useful book. They describe how Singapore's path forward is contested between 'conservatives', who support continued state power over society, and 'democratic socialists', who seek state control over the economy. Instead, they chart a 'classical liberal' course for Singapore, emphasizing freedom, economic and social. They show how and why this improves the human condition. Importantly, they also show liberalism is not a 'western' concept, but a universal one that recognizes the dignity of all individuals to make their own choices. This book should have a huge impact on the thinking of Singapore's future!" --Fred McMahon, Dr Michael A Walker Chair of Economic Freedom Research, Fraser Institute, Canada
"Singapore is a development success story because it embraced the free market. But there is plenty of scope for reform. Contrary to the arguments of the establishment's defenders and of much of its critics, the authors of this book make the compelling case for a classical liberal program that maintains economic freedom but does away with technocratic paternalism, thus increasing choice and diversity in the lives of Singaporeans. In short, the book explains why a greater appreciation of freedom in all its dimensions holds the most promise among the competing alternatives facing Singapore today. -- Ian Vasquez Director, Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, Cato Institute
"Moving away from polarized positions and emphasizing a perspective that starts from the complexity of the social order, the limits to knowledge and the need to foster institutions to promote competition, this book is a rich vein for an open and fertile discussion for Singaporean society. Cheang and Choy make a strong case for Singapore to evolve to greater stages of prosperity, which only comes through freedom. The proposal: governance rooted in the political philosophy of epistemic liberalism." -- Prof. Sary Levy-Carciente, full professor at Universidad Central de Venezuela, Board Member of the International Institute of Advanced Economic and Social Studies in Italy and lead author of the International Property Rights Index
"Singapore has long shown the rest of the world how a country with few natural resources other than its people can become innovative, prosperous and functional. Singapore stands at a junction, with increasing pressure to head down a 'progressive liberal' path. The authors convincingly demonstrate the dangers of this route and how classical liberalism provides a convincing alternative." -- Philip Stevens, Executive Director, Geneva Network
Bryan Cheang is the Founder of the Adam Smith Center, Singapore's only organisation promoting research & education in the classical liberal tradition. Founded in 2018, it is part of the Atlas Network, and has since collaborated with government institutions, schools, and student societies to communicate its unique message of an open society.
Bryan is also a graduate of the National University of Singapore and King's College London, where he is completing his PhD in Political Economy. He is also a Humane Studies Fellow with the Institute for Humane Studies and an Adam Smith Fellow with the Mercatus Center. His academic research interests revolve around the political economy of development and applied economic policy, and his current focus is on state-market relations in the East Asian developmental state tradition. Bryan combines his academic interests with his previous policymaking experience with the Singapore civil service, where he worked on human capital policies for small-medium enterprises. Bryan is also the author of an upcoming book Optimist's Guide to the Future, published by Beard and Balloon. Donovan Choy is a Visiting Research Fellow at the Adam Smith Center, Singapore. He is a graduate of the CEVRO Institute where he obtained a Masters in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) with a specialisation in Institutional, Behavioural, and Austrian Economics.
He was also previously a Visiting Scholar at the American Institute for Economic Research (AIER). He is also an alumnus of the Institute for Humane Studies and a Young Affiliate at the European-based Network for Constitutional Economics and Social Philosophy (NOUS). His research interests revolve around the political economy of immigration and cultural political economy.
