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Politics
Singapore’s ruling party on attack mode ahead of expected elections early next year
By Ivan Lim Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: Ahead of general elections tipped to be called early next year, Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) is gearing up to win public support, its tactics at the moment being to assiduously censure opposition parties over hot-button issues. In the past week, the…
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Politics
Hong Kong clash with destiny
By Ivan Lim Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: Singapore: A divisive Hong Kong has settled into an uneasy calm following last Sunday’s district-level elections. The momentum from close to six months of street protests marked by clashes with riot-police helped the pro-democracy camp outpolled their pro-establishment rivals in a historic shift…
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Culture
Singapore academic freedom vs political control
By Ivan Lim Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: A liberal arts course on Dissent and Resistance for new undergraduates proved to be more than an academic exercise in Singapore’s jealously contested political space. A Yale-National University of Singapore College (YNC) project was pulled from the Learning Across Boundaries programme because it…
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Politics
Japan, South Korea, Singapore, China make it to Soft Power 30 list
By Ivan Lim Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: Singapore, which stole international limelight in 2018 for its successful hosting of the historic Trump-Kim summit, has been ranked 21st in a 30-nation global survey on soft power for 2019. Topping the list is France (80.28 points) while fellow Asian states Japan came…
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Politics
Taking Singapore-ROK strategic partnership to higher levels
By Ivan Lim AJA Former President Singapore: Singapore is seen as a bridge straddling troubled international waters that will pave the way for South Korea’s New Southern Policy (NSP) of boosting ties with the 10-member- states of Asean (Association of South-east Asian Nations). The NSP is designed to advance President…
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South East Asia
Haze testing Asean solidarity, capabilities in tackling complex transboundary problem
By Ivan Lim Former AJA president Singapore: Microscopic specks of dust from forest fires have blanketed the atmosphere over South-east Asia, blotting out the sun, and painting the blue skies a dirty shade of grey. The worsening acrid haze, emanating from fires in the Indonesian territories of Sumatra and Kalimantan…
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Society
Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan cast as contrasting figures in dramatic events unfolding in Hong Kong
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President Singapore: Two iconic Hongkong martial artistes, the late Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan have been cast as contrasting faces of the civil disobedience movement that is roiling Hong Kong in the past four months. Organisers of the anti-government movement have attributed their flash-mob street…
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East Asia
Singapore responds to Hong Kong
By Ivan Lim Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: In 2016, a Singaporean civic activist Jolovan Wham was found guilty of organising an illegal public assembly without a police permit. The theme of the indoor conference was Civil Disobedience and Social Movements. There was a Hong Kong connection: Joshua Wong was…
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East Asia
Singapore affirms pragmatic stand as it navigates U.S.-China-rivalry
By Ivan Lim Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: As the Sino-American rivalry intensifies, especially over the South China Sea, Singaporeans are increasingly concerned about being drawn unwittingly into the big-power test of strength. First, there is the pull of ethnicity, as the city-state has a predominantly Chinese population whose…
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South East Asia
Singapore election fever
By Ivan Lim Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: Election fever is in the air in Singapore. The worsening economy – GDP growth forecast down to 0.1 to .1 percent from 2 to.2.5 percent arising from global slowdown — has spurred talk of a snap election. Pundits say the government may…
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