Tuesday, October 24, 2017

What President Trump Can Learn From Singapore Next Week


By Walter Lohman, Director, Asian Studies Center
20 Oct 2017
KEY TAKEAWAYS

(1) Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will visit Washington next week. He is the fourth Southeast Asian leader to meet President Donald Trump.

(2) Key topics of discussion are likely to be economics, China, and North Korea.

(3) As President Trump prepares for his trip to Asia next month, he can learn a great deal from Prime Minister Lee.

Next week, when Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong visits Washington, he will become the fourth Southeast Asian leader to meet President Donald Trump. This early engagement, to be followed next month by Presidential attendance at the East Asia Summit in the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference in Vietnam, is a very encouraging indication of continued American commitment to the Western Pacific.

When President Trump came into office, there was quite a bit of anxiety about his commitment to American alliances in Northeast Asia. The 2016 Presidential campaign was an extraordinarily contentious one. As a presidential candidate, Trump made statements about America’s Asia policy that raised concerns in Japan and South Korea, and among American military, and foreign policy experts. Ultimately, however, as time is showing, it is difficult to overlook U.S. allies in Japan and South Korea. They occupy too central a role in America’s foreign policy and force posture in the Pacific. There were more than enough people, including the Japanese Prime Minister himself, to help President Trump understand that, if he truly did not before taking office.

Focusing on Southeast Asia requires more subtle strategic awareness. There are small constituencies that speak for it in the American electorate and a relative handful of Southeast Asian experts in Washington to go to bat for U.S. interests there. Yet, despite this – and very much to its credit—the Trump Administration appears to appreciate its importance. The official statements from Southeast Asian engagements coming out of the White House, including the one announcing Prime Minister Lee’s visit, are replete with references to strategic priorities. That said, the President himself would be well-advised to take on board some of the finer points Prime Minister Lee will make about the strategic picture in the region and the American role in it.

Singapore is a small country with a highly developed economy. Its lack of strategic depth, its economic success, and the fact that it is a multi-ethnic Chinese-majority country, surrounded by countries with Chinese minorities, means it is vulnerable. As a result, leaders of Singapore are very carefully attuned to geopolitical disturbances. They do their best to contribute to stability. Singapore hosts critical U.S. naval logistics capabilities – a role they stepped into in the 1990’s when the U.S. and the Philippines failed to agree on terms that would keep them at Subic Bay. It constructed a naval base, Changi, deliberately designed to berth a U.S. aircraft carrier. And it accommodates the rotation of American littoral combat ships and P-8 patrol aircraft through Singaporean facilities.

On the diplomatic side of things, Singapore offers wise council in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and they maintain a very constructive, determinedly independent relationship with China. Accordingly, although they are quiet about it, American audiences in particular will appreciate that Singapore maintains the most positive—albeit, like the U.S., unofficial—relationship with Taiwan that Southeast Asia has on offer. This is worth mentioning because it points to the value Singapore places on the autonomy of its foreign policy. There would be no easier calculation for it than to jettison Taiwan, downgrade or rescind reciprocal representation, and end military exercises it has conducted there since 1975. It could kill its free trade agreement with Taiwan. Every other country in Southeast Asia—as well as the U.S.—have apparently calculated that an FTA with Taiwan is not worth inconveniencing Beijing.

On the face of it, Singapore’s interests in China dwarf anything it can accomplish with Taiwan. But what Singaporean leaders know is that if Beijing can dictate its policy on Taiwan, it will assume it can dictate other aspects of its policy, on the South China Sea, on its relationship with Japan, on military cooperation with the U.S., and on its positions in ASEAN.

So as high as the stakes are in Singapore’s relationship with China, its long-term investment in strategic priorities that contribute to regional stability and principles essential to its survival—like freedom of the seas—are more important. From a Singaporean perspective, it is the Chinese who will have to make the mental adjustment that allows the relationship to work as it does—and they are perfectly prepared to help them do so.

So, what messages is Prime Minister Lee likely to bring to Washington?

First, economics. Singapore has a free trade agreement with the U.S.; it also runs a trade deficit with it. So while trade balance is an indicator too broad to be of much use in any regard, at least in the case of Singapore, it will not distract from a discussion of the larger strategic imperative of American economic engagement. Prime Minster Lee warned the U.S. that a pullout from the Transpacific Partnership (TPP) would be a setback for its strategic interests in the region. With this decision already made, he is not likely to revisit this criticism. One hopes, however, that the Prime Minister will talk to the President about the options the region has for moving forward without the U.S. There is the real prospect of a TPP-11, an agreement modified to exclude the U.S—temporarily the Singaporeans hope. There is the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP). There is China’s one-belt, one-road infrastructure project. Regarding the latter, there are signs that the Administration is coming to understand the significance of this, but it cannot beat something with nothing. TPP may be dead as far as the U.S. is concerned. These other initiatives are Asia’s plan B. The U.S. desperately needs a plan itself, something more encompassing than renegotiation of trade agreements and imposition of trade remedies.

Second, China. Singapore is very much interested in the trajectory of US-China relations. This is because leaders there understand the challenge that China presents the region. It does not see China’s rise as a “threat” or as a clash between Western and Confucian civilizations. It certainly will not subscribe to the U.S. waging an “economic war” with China—as some of President Trump’s supporters have advocated. Singapore sees the rise of China as a reality that must be managed. Beijing has presented the U.S. with some difficult decisions, on the South China Sea, for instance. And Singapore is both publicly and privately supportive of pushing back in areas like these where it threatens to overturn the regional order. Poor management of the relationship on the part of the United States, however, would also represent a danger to regional stability, and to Singapore. For these reasons, Singapore has an interest in helping American officials understand China in all its complexity. Expect the Prime Minister to appeal to President Trump’s better angels on matters related to China.

Third, North Korea. In one of the Trump Administration’s earliest efforts to reach out to the Southeast, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson met with ASEAN’s foreign ministers in Washington. The very real threat from North Korea’s nuclear weapons program was high on the agenda. Singapore appreciates that and has said so publicly. They can be trusted to comply with UN Security Council (UNSC) Resolutions regarding North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and cooperating with U.S. intelligence agencies and the UNSC’s Panel of Experts to do so.

Singapore is squeezing its limited contact with North Korea, but it does maintain diplomatic relations with it, as do all other members of ASEAN and more than 150 other countries. North Korea is also part of the annual ASEAN Regional Forum. Singapore has no diplomatic mission in North Korea; North Korea has a bare-boned, two person embassy staff in Singapore. Singaporean companies conduct a miniscule amount of trade with North Korea estimated at 0.2% of North Korea’s total—the same share as Luxembourg, Taiwan and Sri Lanka—and declining. During Prime Minister Lee’s visit to Washington, if not in his meeting with Trump, then on Capitol Hill or in other Administration meetings, this contact and ASEAN’s relationship as a whole might be raised. One can expect the Prime Minister to be constructive and open to suggestion.

Singapore is a sovereign country. As such, it is, of course, occupied with protecting its own national interests. The analysis of its leaders and diplomats is honest and insightful. It is not entirely objective. It is colored, at least in part, by Singapore’s geostrategic fate and what Michael Leifer—the most prominent scholar of Southeast Asian international relations of his generation—once called a “foreign policy rooted in a culture of siege and insecurity.” Singapore’s prescriptions cannot be bought wholesale by American political leaders and officials. They come at foreign policy from a much different historical and material perspective. But Singapore does offer extremely valuable advice and an enlightened concept of its national interest that has consistently aligned it with the United States. As a result, for decades, it has long been among the most persistent advocates of for a robust U.S. presence in the Asia-Pacific. As President Trump prepares for his trip to Asia next month, he can learn a great deal from Prime Minister Lee about how best to establish and maintain this.


Notes: 

  • As director of The Heritage Foundation’s Asian Studies Center, Walter Lohman oversees the think tank’s oldest research center.

  • Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is currently in the United States on an official working visit to Washington D.C. and will be meeting President of United States (POTUS) Donald Trump in the White House on 23 Oct.

Article source: The Heritage Foundation




PM Lee Hsien Loong speaking at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C



PM Lee Hsien Loong speaking at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. on 23 October 2017.




PM Lee Hsien Loong held a dialogue at the Economic Club of Washington, D.C. on 23 October 2017




PM Lee was on an Official Working Visit to Washington, D.C. from 21 to 26 October 2017.

Video source: Prime Minister's Office, Singapore YouTube Channel


Tuesday, October 10, 2017

[Defending the Lion City] Why We Serve - Our NS Stories








Episode 1: The early years of National Service 
"At that time, the question was, are you ready to stand up for the challenge or will you give up? And if you give up, where will the next generation be?" 
In Part 1 of the new video series "Why We Serve – Our NS Stories", Robert Yeo and other pioneer National Servicemen from the Singapore Armed Forces share their stories of perseverance, and commitment to the cause. 




Episode 2: Basic Military Training – The experience that binds
Basic Military Training is memorable for every Singaporean son. Through the tough training and strict discipline, thousands of recruits mature as they find out a little bit more about who they are, what they stand for, and why they do what they do. Watch Part 2 of "Why We Serve - Our NS Stories" to find out more about this shared experience from those who have gone through this rite of passage.




Episode 3: Soldier, Sailor, Airman - A Common Purpose
After Basic Military Training, Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) proceed to take on different roles in the Army, Navy and Air Force. Together, they form the backbone of the Singapore Armed Forces, enhancing Singapore’s peace and security. Watch Part 3 of "Why We Serve - Our NS Stories" and see some of the ways in which they contribute to national defence.




Episode 4: Being a Citizen-Soldier
After two years of service, Full-time National Servicemen go on to serve as Operationally Ready National Servicemen (NSmen). They continue to keep themselves combat ready through regular training. Having to balance their families and careers with National Service (NS) responsibilities, strong support from their families, employers/employees and fellow servicemen becomes absolutely critical. Get to know some of our NSmen in Part 4 of "Why We Serve - Our NS Stories" and find out what it means for them to do what they do.




Episode 5: A Shared Commitment
In this final episode of “Why We Serve - Our NS Stories”, we spoke to different members of the community to understand their views on NS, and the reason behind their support for NS. This is their story. 








Thursday, October 5, 2017

A Singaporean mother’s letter to her daughter on her 21st birthday

Saint Andrew's Cathedral, an Anglican cathedral in Singapore: "... Habib Omar’s journey to Singapore was also an act of faith. He was deeply religious and believed that Allah’s Rahmah (love) and compassion was for all humanity. Today, one of his legacies, the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, stands as the oldest and first mosque in Singapore. Soon after Masjid Omar was built in 1824, Habib donated a plot of his land to the Anglican community, so that they too could built their place of worship there. Today, St Andrews Cathedral stands as a beautiful testimony to the fundamental belief that “if God is important to you, God is important to everyone else, too”. Never forget this simple truth. ..."



A Singaporean mother’s letter to her daughter on her 21st birthday
BY MARIAM ALJUNIED
PUBLISHED: 7:50 PM, OCTOBER 2, 2017, TODAY Online


This is a letter from chartered psychologist Mariam Aljunied to her daughter Sara when she turned 21 this year, in which Dr Mariam Aljunied spoke about their family history dating back to the year Singapore was founded in 1819 and what it means to be a Singaporean growing up today.

Dr Mariam Aljunied’s great-great-great-grandfather, Syed Omar Ali Aljunied, built Singapore’s first mosque - Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka - in 1820 and also donated the land on which St Andrew’s Cathedral now stands to Sir Stamford Raffles.

Dear Sara,

You’ve been a blessing and a gift to both me and your dad. Your late Habib (granddad) once reminded me that the two things we must bequeath to our children are “roots to stay anchored, and wings to fly”. I’ve never forgotten this message. So in this significant year, your 21st, I want to share with you some things that I hope you too will never forget. These are messages that I’ve learnt in my lifetime: messages from the past, present and future; and messages that are forever.

MESSAGES FROM THE PAST

Sara, you’re a sixth generation of Aljunied in Singapore. In 1819, the same year that Raffles arrived in Singapore, your ancestor Sheikh Omar Aljunied came to Singapore from Tarim in Yemen, via Palembang.

He was a merchant, a trader and a philanthropist. His contribution as one of the founders of modern Singapore and his legacies to the nation are well documented in the National Archives and Museum. There are two things in particular about Habib Omar’s legacies that we should never forget:

Habib Omar came to Singapore with his wife, Sharifah Alwiyah Alkaff.

They had five sons and two daughters. All of his children were born in Singapore. Clearly, Habib Omar was not looking for ‘hotel Singapore’; he was finding a place to make a home for his children and his children’s children.

He was neither a refugee nor a runaway; he did not come to Singapore because of despair or desperation. He chose to come here to pursue a shared dream: the collective belief that this place was special, and could become even more special in the future.

For the next 200 years, when things were good, this dream was the driving force that spurred Habib Omar and other pioneers like him to reach for new successes. When things were bad, it was this belief that propelled them to persevere and fight-on.

Never forget that you and I are inheritors of this inspiration that they shared.

Habib Omar’s journey to Singapore was also an act of faith. He was deeply religious and believed that Allah’s Rahmah (love) and compassion was for all humanity.

Today, one of his legacies, the Masjid Omar Kampong Melaka, stands as the oldest and first mosque in Singapore.

Soon after Masjid Omar was built in 1824, Habib donated a plot of his land to the Anglican community, so that they too could built their place of worship there.

Today, St Andrews Cathedral stands as a beautiful testimony to the fundamental belief that “if God is important to you, God is important to everyone else, too”. Never forget this simple truth.

MESSAGES FOR THE PRESENT AND FUTURE

While we recognise and acknowledge where we came from, we must never forget where our roots are currently planted.

You and I have a historical link to Tarim and the Middle East, but emotionally, our connections are here. It is the people that we interact with daily - our families, friends, neighbours and community - that become ‘our people’; they are our Tribe.

It is with this Tribe that we share our everyday concerns and hopes for the future. An invisible thread joins our collective consciousness.

Our Tribal Tapestry is special; its colours expand as we embrace anyone and everyone who shares the same collective dream. This is how it has been for the past 200 years.

Never forget that we need to always strengthen this invisible thread. The stronger it is, the thicker and richer the Tapestry we can create for our Tribe.

I remember well the first time I brought you to the National Day Parade. You were 5 years old, and we got tickets for our neighbour Eline and her mum, too. You and Eline had been best friends since you first met each other during the playgroup session at the Sims Drive void-deck centre.

You became inseparable, and we enrolled you in the same preschool. You and Eline thoroughly enjoyed Singapore’s birthday celebration, and were dancing and singing loudly throughout the parade. That day, you asked me a curious question: “Mama, Singapore was born today, right? Who is Singapore’s mum and dad?”

Let me attempt to answer that question again.

Singapore does not have a mum or dad.

Singapore is unique, because we are simply born out of an idea. When we became independent in 1965, there was no invasion, mutiny or civil war. 
Our birth was driven by the ferocity of an idea. The idea that different people can live side-by-side and pursue their dreams together, without any one group being given special privileges over another, and at the same time, with everyone being given equal opportunity. 
52 years ago, enough people believed in this collective dream to make it come alive. 52 years on, we are still pursuing this idea. Never forget that it is our shared responsibility and collective actions that can make this ideal become a reality for all of us. It is always work in progress.

MESSAGE FOR FOREVER

At 21 years old, you are on the cusp of many exciting adventures in your life. Many of the pathways the future holds are ones which you have yet to even dream about. In navigating your future, I want to share one tip that I learned from someone much older than me.

A few months ago, while I was taking a group of students with physical impairment to learn dragon-boat racing at Bedok Reservoir, I met Mrs Lim, an 85 year old lady.

She was one of a group of seniors in wheelchairs at the same session. As we were taught to paddle, Mrs Lim began singing. Her enthusiasm and exuberance were so infectious that soon we all joined her and became a ‘singing dragon-boat’.

Later, I quietly asked Mrs Lim, what was her secret? How did she maintain such vibrant vigour and positive energy?

Mrs Lim smiled and whispered, “The secret is… to always do the things that makes you feel most alive”. Over the years, Mrs Lim had taken on the jobs of a baker, a kitchen hand and a sales assistant. Regardless of the role she held, she took any opportunity to sing, because for her, singing was what made her feel most alive.

Happy 21st birthday Sara. Never forget to do the things that make you feel most alive.



ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Dr Mariam Aljunied is a chartered psychologist with more than 20 years experience working with schools, children with special needs and their families. She has a daughter, Sara, who turned 21 this year, for whom this letter is dedicated to. This piece first appeared in The Birthday Book 2017, a collection of 52 essays that examines challenges and opportunities for Singapore with the theme “What Should We Never Forget?”

Article Source: TODAY Online


[Defending the Lion City] Why Starlight matters



This is a Quora post by Timothy Soh in response to the question "Why can't Singapore suspend/end exercise starlight?" 




Source: Quora post by Timothy Soh