Singapore Buzz For A Non-Chinese PM Amid Debate Over Malay President
Singapore made history on September 13, 2017 by choosing a woman as the Head of State. Halimah Yacob, 63, an immediate-past Speaker of Parliament, was elevated to be the Elected President (EP) in a walkover. A member of the Malay community, she rose to the highest office of the land in the first reserved […]
US President Trump’s “Fire and Fury” Not Enough for Nemesis Kim Jong-eun
Like a long-simmering earthquake, North Korea’s latest nuclear and missile tests have led to a dangerous confrontation between the untested leaders of two enemy states whose feverish sabre-rattling has conjured up the spectre of a new holocaust in the Korean Peninsula. The fallout has escalated tensions between a Stalinist regime in Pyongyang and a Republican […]
Tea meditation teach-in by Nun Baekgeo
Seated with our legs crossed in lotus posture, we made an effort to relax on cushions placed on the timber floor, warmed by steam pipes underneath. Coming in from the chill outside the large temple hall, the balmy atmosphere was more than welcomed. If anyone of us had expected a chanting of mantra, to induce […]
What! Not going down to ground zero at Panmunjong?
This was the sensitive spot where North and South Korean soldiers can be seen standing eye-ball to eye-ball, separated only by an imaginary line representing the 38th parallel that demarcates the two sides at the end of the Korean War (1950-1953). Instead of a potentially tense tour, we were ushered to the touristic DMZ Observation […]
Singapore icon who wanted to be feared, yet was loved
Within and without the island-state, his name has been synonymous with Singapore. His demise touched hearts and triggered a seldom-witnessed catharsis as Singaporeans felt the profound loss of their national icon. The spontaneous overflow of emotions for the late elder statesman, whose paternalistic dominance spanning over 30 years was beginning to feel condescending to young […]
Buddhism and journalsim for peaceful world
At Tribhuvan airport in Kathmandu, all a first-time tourist needs to do to get a quick grab of interesting facts about Nepal is to look up. “Nepal has the world’s tallest mountain and shortest man,” says a printed overhead sticker. Another reads, “Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha.” This one is repeated down the […]
Father of Singaporean nature conservationists
Profile: “Eco-Warror” Dr. Wee Yeow Chin As a botanist, Professor Wee Yeow Chin was wont to talk to people about plants and animals, if not about birds and bees. His lectures on ferns, mushrooms, lichens and algae, the non-flowering plants that were his specialty, were serious stuff. Yet, the most-frequently-asked question from the lips of […]
Aung San Suu Kyi for President?
Recent signs point to Aung San Suu Kyi being able to vie for president in the 2015 elections. First, the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has formally proposed amending a proviso in the constitution that bars her from being a candidate for the top leadership post. Clause 59(f) disqualifies citizens whose spouse or […]
Lessons from ASEAN engagement with Myanmar
In the mass media, Korea is mentioned more often than not as a wholesome personality. It is when the headlines turn to “Tension in the Korean Peninsula” that its split personality becomes evident. Then we begin to see Korea described in diverse terms such as North and South as well as the Republic of Korea […]
Press freedom struggles symbolise ‘Gwangju Spirit’
In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the wily general Tsao Tsao, noted for his one-upmanship, often claims credit for himself whenever his lieutenant comes up with battle plans by declaring, “What you have just said is already in my mind.” I do not see myself doing a Tsao Tsao by saying that the Asia […]
Singapore, Former President of Asia Journalist Association 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
