Singapore in 2001 - Political continuity despite deepening recession

The two most important events in Singapore during 2001 were the unexpected and dramatic economic downturn and the unanticipated scale of the victory achieved by the ruling People's Action Party (PAP) in a snap general election in early November. These developments occurred against the backdrop of the Singapore government's concern over continuing political instability in its immediate region and the implications for the city-state of the September 11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. and the subsequent war in Afghanistan.