Shangri-la Dialogue in Singapore cancelled amid uncertain COVID-19 situation
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Another high-level conference in Singapore has fallen victim to Covid-19 pandemic as the city-state sees little sign of the raging virus outbreaks receding soon. The Shangri-la Dialogue, as the annual summit of defence chiefs is called after the Shangri-la hotel venue, was to start on […]
World Economic Forum calls off meeting in Singapore
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Singapore is facing a fall-out at the international level because of the new near-lockdown measures it imposed to cope with a surge in Covid-19 cases. The World Economic Forum has called off its special annual meeting scheduled in the city-state in August. WEF founder and […]
Tough curbs in Singapore as leap In Covid-19 cases raises concern
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Singapore is scrambling to check the proliferation of a more virulent Coronavirus in the community by a slew of tough restrictions that come close to a previous lockdown Kicking in on May 16, and to last till June 13, social gatherings in public are capped […]
Singapore jolted into action in wake of Covid-19 spurt
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Days after being rated the safest place to be during the COvid-19 pandemic, Singapore has been hit by a sudden jump in new community cases, jolting the authorities to impose new restrictions on citizens’ gatherings and travels of foreigners to the Republic. Only last week […]
Singapore: Defamation award raises fears over Facebook postings
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: A punitive damages award totalling S$133,000 granted to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong against a blogger in a High Court defamation verdict is being seen as holding serious implications for Singaporeans sharing posts on social media platforms, prompting a crowdfunding campaign by some 2,000 members […]
Apology ends row over purloined Singapore’s National Day song
By Ivan Li Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: A 1986 National Day song of Singapore found an echo in India, showing once again that emulation is a form of flattery, but plagiarising the tune had created discord. The catchy “Count on Me, Singapore” was rejigged as “We Can Achieve” in an Indian version with […]
Singapore adds gumption, funds for post-Covid-19 rebound
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Singapore, successful in taming the invidious Coronavirus to single-digit outbreaks, is poised for a confident rebound in the post-Covid-19 era. In a December 31 New Year message, a triumphant Prime Minister, Mr Lee Hsien Loong, declared “seeing light at the end of the tunnel”. On February […]
Singapore shows its mettle by bringing Davos to its shores
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: In 2018, Singapore was picked out of a list that included South Korea’s Jeju Island to host the Kim-Trump summit. The venue where US President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong-un sought to break the ice on their nuclear imbroglio was actually on the […]
Unesco culture heritage honour for Singapore hawkers
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: For India it is yoga, Thailand it is traditional massage, and South Korea it is kimjang, or the art of kimchi making and sharing. In the city-state’s case, the Unesco honour has to do with its hawker culture finding a place on the Intangible Cultural Heritage […]
Covid-19 vaccine programme to start in Singapore before year-end
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President, Contributor to AsiaN SINGAPORE: Even before the year is out, Singaporeans will get free inoculation against the Covid-19 killer-bug under a state-funded $1.33 billion programme that will kick off with the first batch of vaccines from US-Germany venture Pfizer-BioNTech. In addition, vaccines from Moderna of the United States and China’s […]
Singapore, Former President of Asia Journalist Association 
Trump, Kim, and the Three P’s of Summit Diplomacy: 
