Kevin Tan | National University of Singapore (original) (raw)
Books by Kevin Tan
Singapore’s Constitution was hastily cobbled together after her secession from the Federation of ... more Singapore’s Constitution was hastily cobbled together after her secession from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965. In the subsequent 50 years, the Constitution has been amended many times to evolve a Constitution like no other in the world. Outwardly, Singapore has a Westminster-type constitutional democracy, with an elected legislature, fundamental liberties and safeguards to ensure the independence of the judiciary.
On closer inspection, the Constitution displays many innovative and unusual characteristics. Most notable among them are the various types of Members of Parliament that have been introduced since the mid-1980s, the office of the Elected President and the fact that there is no constitutional right to property. This volume seeks to explain the nature and context of these constitutional innovations in the context of a pluralistic, multi-ethnic state obsessed with public order and
security. The volatile racial mix of Singapore, with its majority Chinese population nestled in a largely Malay/Islamic world, compels the state to search for ethnic management solutions through the Constitution to guarantee to the Malays and other ethnic minorities their status in the polity. In addition, it examines how the concept of the rule of law is perceived by the strong centrist state governed by a political party that has been in power since 1959 and continues to hold almost hegemonic power.
Off icially est abl ish ed in 1878, the natural history collection—originally housed at the Raffl... more Off icially est abl ish ed in 1878, the natural history collection—originally housed at the Raffles Museum—now has more than 560,000 specimens in its care, one of the largest collection of Southeast Asian plants and animals. Dedicated to scientific research and education, the museum was reincarnated as the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2015, closing the loop on its remarkable 127-year history. But beneath the sleek exterior of the museum’s new, modern building lies a saga of struggle and change. That the collections survived at all—through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth
century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore’s modernization—is nothing short of miraculous. This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also recounts the frustrations, tenacity, and courage of the numerous individuals
who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly, and overcame the odds to protect Singapore’s natural history heritage
The establishment of the Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2000 represented a major depart... more The establishment of the Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2000 represented a major departure from established systems and models of tertiary institutions in Singapore. The vision for this university – largely the brainchild of former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan – was born out of a frustration with the established state-operated university system and was designed to answer the challenges of modern tertiary education
in Singapore. Privately-run and publicly-funded, the Singapore
Management University provided a new model of tertiary education that pushed its students to speak up, challenge orthodoxy and be active learners. More importantly, it acted
as a major catalyst for the transformation of Singapore’s tertiary education system. This book details the events leading up to the University’s formation and charts the first 15 years of its growth.
(Singapore: LexisNexis, 2010)
(London: Routledge, 2009)
Singapore’s Constitution was hastily cobbled together after her secession from the Federation of ... more Singapore’s Constitution was hastily cobbled together after her secession from the Federation of Malaysia in 1965. In the subsequent 50 years, the Constitution has been amended many times to evolve a Constitution like no other in the world. Outwardly, Singapore has a Westminster-type constitutional democracy, with an elected legislature, fundamental liberties and safeguards to ensure the independence of the judiciary.
On closer inspection, the Constitution displays many innovative and unusual characteristics. Most notable among them are the various types of Members of Parliament that have been introduced since the mid-1980s, the office of the Elected President and the fact that there is no constitutional right to property. This volume seeks to explain the nature and context of these constitutional innovations in the context of a pluralistic, multi-ethnic state obsessed with public order and
security. The volatile racial mix of Singapore, with its majority Chinese population nestled in a largely Malay/Islamic world, compels the state to search for ethnic management solutions through the Constitution to guarantee to the Malays and other ethnic minorities their status in the polity. In addition, it examines how the concept of the rule of law is perceived by the strong centrist state governed by a political party that has been in power since 1959 and continues to hold almost hegemonic power.
Off icially est abl ish ed in 1878, the natural history collection—originally housed at the Raffl... more Off icially est abl ish ed in 1878, the natural history collection—originally housed at the Raffles Museum—now has more than 560,000 specimens in its care, one of the largest collection of Southeast Asian plants and animals. Dedicated to scientific research and education, the museum was reincarnated as the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in 2015, closing the loop on its remarkable 127-year history. But beneath the sleek exterior of the museum’s new, modern building lies a saga of struggle and change. That the collections survived at all—through the multiple challenges of the nineteenth
century, the disruption of World War Two, and its potential disintegration in the face of Singapore’s modernization—is nothing short of miraculous. This book is not only an institutional history of the museum but also recounts the frustrations, tenacity, and courage of the numerous individuals
who battled officialdom, innovated endlessly, and overcame the odds to protect Singapore’s natural history heritage
The establishment of the Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2000 represented a major depart... more The establishment of the Singapore Management University (SMU) in 2000 represented a major departure from established systems and models of tertiary institutions in Singapore. The vision for this university – largely the brainchild of former Deputy Prime Minister Tony Tan – was born out of a frustration with the established state-operated university system and was designed to answer the challenges of modern tertiary education
in Singapore. Privately-run and publicly-funded, the Singapore
Management University provided a new model of tertiary education that pushed its students to speak up, challenge orthodoxy and be active learners. More importantly, it acted
as a major catalyst for the transformation of Singapore’s tertiary education system. This book details the events leading up to the University’s formation and charts the first 15 years of its growth.
(Singapore: LexisNexis, 2010)
(London: Routledge, 2009)
International Journal of Constitutional Law
The interpretation of written constitutions is a legal rather than an historical enterprise, and ... more The interpretation of written constitutions is a legal rather than an historical enterprise, and history is but one of the judge’s many interpretive tools. This article looks at the question of when and how historical facts are used in constitutional interpretation, rather than whether they should be used. I argue that two fundamental canons of interpretation—the need to treat constitutions as sui generis and not as ordinary legislation, and the dictum that rights provisions should be given a generous interpretation in favor of the individual—require judges to use whatever tools they have at their disposal to interpret constitutions accordingly. As a tool, history is neutral and nondialectical. It may thus be used both in favor of and against a given interpretive stance. Sometimes, a recourse to history may also yield contradictory positions. Through five case studies I try to show: (a) that there is no inevitability in outcomes even when history is used in interpretation, and that ...
Judicial Review of Administrative Action Across the Common Law World
For Singaporeans, the year 2015 will be remembered for its grand celebrations of the nation’s 50t... more For Singaporeans, the year 2015 will be remembered for its grand celebrations of the nation’s 50th year of independence (SG50), as well as the demise of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew. It was also the year the PAP government recaptured its electoral hyper dominance at Singapore’s 13th General Election held on 11 September 2015. This volume analyses the unexpected results of yet another historic election and considers why a change in voting ensued after the ‘watershed’ polls in 2011. Sixteen well-regarded scholars and political observers uncover the key issues raised and evaluate the impact of the 2015 general election from the perspectives of law, history, politics, media, culture and sociology.
International Journal of Constitutional Law, 2018
Asian Courts in Context, 2014
A Legacy of Public Service, 2012
Asian Yearbook of International Law, Volume 16 (2010), 2018
Asian Yearbook of International Law, Volume 18 (2012), 2018
The Constitution of Singapore, 2015
Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, 2016
The opening of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in April 2015 marked the culmination of ... more The opening of the Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum in April 2015 marked the culmination of a long and turbulent journey for Singapore’s natural history collection. Once the pride of the Raffles Museum and the core of a regional research hub, the collection was almost dismantled during the early years of Singapore’s independence, remaining intact thanks only to the commitment of a handful of individuals. It is this intriguing tale that Kevin Y.L. Tan sets out to narrate in Of Whales and Dinosaurs, the publication of which coincided with the new museum’s launch. While other scholars — such as Gretchen Liu, in her wellknown One Hundred Years of the National Museum (1987) — have investigated the history of the Raffles Museum and its successor institutions, this book is the most in-depth treatment of the natural history collection to date. Through ten chronological chapters, Tan follows the display and research collections from their beginnings in the mid-nineteenth century to the present, structuring the narrative around individuals who made significant contributions to their development. We therefore learn a great deal about the lives and achievements of the curators, directors and scientists whose careers intersected with the natural history collections — from Thomas Stamford Raffles to current museum head Peter Ng — and their efforts to build or preserve what Tan describes as “the closest thing Singapore has to a national treasure” (p. xix). Tan condenses his account of the vicissitudes of the Raffles Museum’s existence into the first half of the book, and devotes the second to the post-independence years. These latter chapters are particularly illuminating. Tan’s meticulous research, comprising interviews and unprecedented access to archival material, reveals the full extent of the threats to the collection after its expulsion from the National Museum, and the toll taken by repeated moves among
National Taiwan University Law Review, Sep 1, 2012
Professor Kevin Tan is an expert in constitutional law. With a background in legal history he has... more Professor Kevin Tan is an expert in constitutional law. With a background in legal history he has written widely on both legal history and constitutional law. He approaches the study of constitutionalism in Asia by focusing on historical and other different contexts. In this round table he was invited to share his knowledge on constitutionalism and the search for legal and political legitimacy in Asia. He dissects political and legal phenomena that caught many Asian states in frenzy and puts them in their espective context.
Law and Legal Institutions of Asia
Perspectives from Asia, 2010
German Law Journal, 2019
This Article focuses on the extent to which the different legal approaches of Germany and Singapo... more This Article focuses on the extent to which the different legal approaches of Germany and Singapore to religious diversity were shaped by history. It first analyzes the development in Germany and describes four phases of the development of the law on the relationship between church and state. Starting with the consequences of reformation, it shows that—for centuries—the relationship between denominations had been the crucial matter of this body of law. Only later, the law dealt with conflicts between religion and atheism. This Article then presents the fundamental rights approach of the Basic Law and examines it against the backdrop of the historical development and recent challenges. Second, this Article offers a historical account of Singapore’s attempts at regulating and managing religious diversity. It starts with the establishment of a British trading post on the island in 1819 and runs up to the present day. As a result of mass migration in its early years, Singapore was to be...
Sing. J. Int'l & Comp. L., 2001
The Korean Journal of International and Comparative Law, 2020
European Journal of International Law, 2011
