A decade after its path-breaking first edition, Michael Barr returns with a significantly expanded and timely exploration of the mechanisms that shaped and sustain Singapore's power structures. This volume moves beyond the founding mythology of Lee Kuan Yew's “blueprint” and documents a “diary of elite decline” within the very system that was designed to perpetually rejuvenate itself. Through a meticulous documentation of the evolution of the “capitalist-technocratic settlement”, Barr argues that the once-innovative model of governance has now ossified into a homogenous and risk-averse “group-think prison”. Methodical and unsparing, Barr provides an indispensable reality check on the institutional legacies of the Lee family and the systemic challenges facing the 4G leadership. An important and compelling read.

Kevin Y. L. Tan, National University of Singapore, Singapore

A deeply researched and compelling account of how power is reproduced and contested in Singapore, The Ruling Elite of Singapore is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the city-state beyond its official narratives of meritocracy and technocratic governance. With impressive historical depth, analytical precision, and striking contemporary relevance, Michael Barr offers one of the most incisive studies of leadership, elite formation, and institutional change in post-Lee Singapore.

Kenneth Paul Tan, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

“A devastatingly clear-eyed anatomy of Singapore's ruling class and how it is carefully built, renewed, and protected. Michael Barr cuts through the sanctimony of Singapore's official story with precision and wit, showing how “meritocracy” so often serves as the ruling elite's favourite myth. Essential reading.“

Dr Thum Ping Tjin