The idea for writing this book arose from my theoretical concerns about the ways modernizing illiberally democratic states manage state-society relations and how such relations in turn affect public policy decisions. I am intrigued by the interplay of government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) relations within the Singapore environmental sector over Goh Chok Tong's fourteen years in power (1990–2004) during which claims have been made of greater inclusion of civil society actors in policy decisions. I suggest that these relations are crucial for understanding Singapore's ongoing process of state formation and reconstitution occurring outside the formal structures of power. While I observe a strong paternalistic Singaporean state and its sustained capacity for governability, I also observe the equally strong emerging demands from below on policy decisions. Sweeping regional changes to the sustainability of the ‘one party’ system model, most recently in Malaysia, certainly reinforce the commitment to this academic venture.

These two observations got me thinking. First, that research on environmental issues and policies in East and Southeast Asia in the past two decades had focused mainly on existing institutional mechanisms of environmental management, the establishment of new environmental management structures, the introduction of incentives to improve natural capital and foster environmental protection, and the culture of environmental or ‘green’ groups. Virtually no rigorous research had been directed towards the nature and significance of the existing relationship between government and environmental civil society in individual countries and how this relationship may evolved. Second, that the studies about Singapore state-society relations had dealt mainly with discussions on these relations with regards to political oppositions or with general state-society conceptualisations. Subsequent studies on the activities and public participation of Southeast Asia NGOs in various areas of policy with reference to Singapore had only been a new version of earlier works on conceptualisations, and more recently, with the actions, motives and impact that the internal dynamics the Green Voluntary Movement, a ‘green’ coalition, may have had on Singapore's political landscape.

This book has been a long time in the writing. The past few years have been challenging and rewarding. I want to take this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to all those who have walked with me along this important period of my life.