Flak and some praise for Singapore Press Club’s Hall of Fame
By Ivan Lim, Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: An initiative by the Singapore Press Club in setting up a Hall of Fame for media personalities has received some praise, but the flak it drew was unhesitating because of its noticeably exclusive approach in choosing candidates. Fifty people made the inaugural list, drawn from […]
Singapore denies entry to ‘extremist’ Indonesian preacher
By Ivan Lim, Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: On May 16, an Indonesian preacher Abdul Somad Batubara travelled from neighbouring Batam island by boat and arrived at Tanah Merah Ferry Point in Singapore. The cleric, who had been known to the authorities for his extremist religious views, was “interviewed” by immigration officials and then […]
Singapore has a Prime-Minister-in-waiting
By Ivan Lim, Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: He is Finance Minister Lawrence Wong Shyun Tsai. A career civil servant-turned- politician, he has been designated as the new leader of the fourth generation (4G) cohort of the ruling People’s Action Party(PAP). It is a spectacular rise for the unassuming member of a select […]
Upshot of the July 11, 2020 General Election in Singapore
By Ivan Lim, Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: In 2020, politics in Singapore threw up some surprises. Despite misgivings, the government went ahead, in the midst of Covid-19 pandemic, to hold a general election in which conventional door-to-door campaigning and open-air party rallies had to be replaced by TV broadcasts and online debates […]
An existential issue, says Singapore dubbing foul invasion of Ukraine
By Ivan Lim, Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Singapore has stood out among its Asean partners to boldly call out Russia for its invasion of its next-door neighbour Ukraine on Feb 24 that has shaken up the world. The city-state has followed up its condemnation of Moscow with economic sanctions and restrictions that […]
Creator of Squid Game wins Straits Times Asian Award
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: The creator of the Squid Game, a drama series about survival of the fittest in a capitalist eco-system, South Korean Hwang Dong-hyuk beat three other illustrious contenders to win The Straits Times Asian of the Year award. The trio are Ms Maria Ressa,58, Filipino-American co-founder and […]
Tripped in race to lead Singapore, but Heng Swee Keat still in limelight
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: “Good Luck.” That’s what “Heng” means in Singapore’s local dialect. So, once-kampong boy Heng Swee Keat considered it his good fortune that he has had a crack at high office. Not by luck but by the dint of his credentials. Cambridge and Harvard- educated, the […]
Gates upbeat Covid-19 may soon lose its venom
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Some good news out of Singapore: the raging Covid-19 pandemic may devolve next year into something like the flu. This optimistic assessment by Bill Gates, who warned the world of the coming pandemic in 2015, came during a virtual interview at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum […]
Safeguard yourselves against Covid-19, government tells Singaporeans
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: “YOU are on your own, lookout” That’s the new order of the day as Singapore pushes ahead as one of the first Covidean states to pivot towards living with the Coronavirus. Since late September, the city-state of 5.45 million has gone through a baptism of fire […]
Covid deaths spike, but Singapore stick to re-opening plans
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: The figures tell a staggering story that smacks of a runaway pandemic. However, the authorities are looking at the bigger picture and taking the explosion of the Delta mutant cases in stride. Since mid-September, new daily caseloads have hovered between 1,000 and 3,000 cases. On […]
Singapore, Former President of Asia Journalist Association 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
