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Society
Singapore probes activities of South Korean church chapter
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: An unregistered local chapter of the South Korea church, at the centre of a mass Covid-19 outbreak in Daegu, is being investigated by the Singapore authorities – not just for the virus contamination alone. The Shincheongji Church of Jesus, Temple…
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Politics
Singapore may defer polls to fight wily Wuhan bug’s death dance
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: Nothing does better than a little humour to break the glum atmosphere created by the fearful Coronavirus outbreak. Like this anonymous post on social media: “I have been studying the virus just like every one of you and come…
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Culture
Bong joon-ho wins Oscar
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: Bong Joon-ho’s historic feats in winning Oscars for Best Original Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture for his Korean-language socio-drama Parasite has given surrealistically a feel of paradise.! A tale of two families – the Kims and the Parks. They are…
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Society
Panic amid Wuhan virus crisis
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: Early today I received a call from a former newspaper colleague in his 60s, rattling off on the phone without the usual ‘good morning’. “Ivan, something strange is happening in Singapore, the likes of which I have not seen for…
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Politics
Singapore polls may see a wild card at play
By Ivan Lim Former AJA President Contributor to AsiaN Singapore: The unbroken record of Singapore’s ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) of winning every general election since 1959 gives it a proud bounce ahead of fresh polls. The party could be buoyed once again by this factor as the nation…
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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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