Reform Party chief questions impartiality of Chandler Good Government Index

Kenneth Jeyaretnam, the leader of the Reform Party, has raised concerns about the impartiality of the Chandler Good Government Index, which recently ranked Singapore as the top government globally for the second consecutive year.

Mr Jeyaretnam highlighted potential conflicts of interest, noting the index’s ties to the Singaporean civil service and suggesting it might be influenced by local government funding.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Mr Jeyaretnam criticized the index, stating, “Hard to think of a more blatant example of ‘ownself congratulate ownself.’ Chandler’s Chair is from the Singapore Civil Service and since it’s based in Singapore, it’s probably funded or heavily subsidized by the PAP Government. No info about funding on its website. But of course, state media just report its findings uncritically.”

The Chandler Good Government Index, overseen by the Chandler Institute of Governance (CIG), a nonprofit organization headquartered in Singapore, evaluates over 100 governments worldwide.

Singapore topped the list in the latest release on 15 May, outpacing nations like Denmark, Finland, Switzerland, and Norway. South Korea was the only other Asian country to make it into the top 20.

The index relied on more than 50 publicly available global data sources, including those from the United Nations, World Trade Organization, World Justice Project, and Yale University, for its rankings.

The index praised Singapore for its leadership and foresight, robust institutions, and thriving marketplace, which fosters job creation, innovation, and opportunities.

Additionally, the index lauded Singapore’s AI strategy for its comprehensive approach, including significant investment in AI grants, specialized training programs like “LearnAI,” and the establishment of a Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Division at the Government Technology Agency (GovTech).

Despite its status as an international nonprofit organization, CIG has not disclosed its funding sources on its website.

The lack of transparency regarding funding has fueled skepticism about the objectivity of the index, reinforcing Mr Jeyaretnam’s concerns about the potential for self-congratulation in the rankings.

In response to queries sent to the institute seeking clarification on its funding, the institute states that it is a privately-funded non-profit organisation.

“CIG has never received any grant funding from any government, nor have we accepted any third-party funding for the design, development, and publication of the Chandler Good Government Index (CGGI).”

It also noted that CIG is not affiliated with any national government or political party, and it does not represent any partisan or commercial interests.

“The annual CGGI scores and rankings are calculated impartially based on over 50 publicly available data sources, and with regular input from an international advisory panel. Further details on the CGGI’s methodology and processes are available on our website chandlergovernmentindex.com.”

Regarding Mr Jeyaretnam’s remarks about CIG’s leadership, Lee Kok Fatt, the chairman, has also held senior positions within the Singapore Civil Service. He served as the Principal Private Secretary to former President Dr Tony Tan and was the Secretary of the Council of Presidential Advisors.

The association with the Singapore civil service is not limited to its chairman; Wu Wei Neng, CIG’s Executive Director, who has been with the institute since January 2019 and became Chief Executive in January 2024, previously worked at the Centre for Public Economics, Civil Service College. His professional history is documented on his LinkedIn profile.

Additionally, several staff members have held past appointments in the Singapore public service, as indicated on the website.

Those in red, have formerly worked in Singapore’s civil service, according to their portfolio listed on the Chandler Institute of Governance’s website.