Is civil society the site for democratic contention in Singapore? If you were reading about Singapore during the 1990s, the answer would have probably been 'yes'. These days it does not seem to be the case. There is growing evidence that civil society has been set on the back foot in the city-state.

Democracy in Singapore has often been described as a difficult exercise. In fact, many observers have concluded that the island city-state is an illiberal democracy that exercises stringent control over political expression. A variety of laws and regulations that place restrictions on freedom of expression, assembly and association are often cited as reasons for this.

Yet despite such constrains, a variety of political and social expressions do take place in Singapore. This has led some observers in the 1990s to conclude that contesting the nature of this illiberal democracy in the short- to middle-term is likely to take place at the realm of civil society. In fact, many claim that civil society, rather than electoral politics, will be the site for democratic growth.