Singapore's interests in international diplomacy do not lend themselves to easy codification, especially in a rapidly changing global environment.
This book assesses the profound influence on Singapore's foreign policy of its government's perception of the island-state's innate vulnerability
Twenty-five years ago, the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia agreed to jointly promote the city-state, the state of Johor in Malaysia, and the Riau Islands in Indonesia. Facilitated by common cultural references, a more distant shared history, and complementary attributes, interactions between the three territories developed quickly. Logistics networks have proliferated and prod…
This book argues that an exclusively realist view of Singapore''s foreign policy is inadequate. Singapore''s foreign policy is also shaped by the positive effects of economic interdependence and regional institution-building instruments that realists tend to dismiss, but which Singapore has self-consciously tried to promote as instruments of regional order. The book first looks at the evolu…
This book is a collection of my past speeches and writings. They are jointly selected by Asad Latif and Lee Huay Leng for the English and Chinese versions of the book in consultation with me. Dr Phua Kok Khoo, Founder and Chairman of World Scientific had repeatedly persuaded me to write a book about my views on politics and culture since my time in the Foreign Ministry
In many ways, the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) is a microcosm of the Singapore brand of government. The DNA of Singapore's policymaking is its forward-looking nature. S. Rajaratnam's trademark is taking the long view while Lee Kuan Yew articulated his wish for leadership foresight and the admiration for 'helicopter quality' candidates in policymaking. This was how RSIS' …
Singapore became a base for Indonesian special operations during the years 1945-1950, both as source of material needed by the newly independent Republic of Indonesia in the face of probable designs on the part of the Netherlands East Indies government to force a military solution to the conflict, and as a transit port in neighboring countries. This book, based on the author's personal involvem…