Photo credit: ST PHOTO: TEO KAI XIANG
SMU Assistant Professor of Sociology (Education) George Wong, who studies municipal issues and grassroots organisations, observed that while there is no standard playbook for consultations like colour choices for housing blocks, coordination and deliberation still occur though resident involvement varies. He attributed this unevenness to the influence of members of parliament or grassroots advisers, neighbourhood legacies, and street-level bureaucrats, noting a government trend towards co-creative processes. Asst Prof Wong stressed that effective consultation aims to give residents a sense of agency, not just participation, but this can be hindered by Singapore's "political culture of performance" where agencies prefer presenting polished outcomes. He highlighted that residents' complaints, often going viral when things go wrong, have become a crucial aspect of urban politics, with outspoken residents frequently transitioning into grassroots leadership roles, feeling empowered when their issues are resolved in real-time.
