The spectre of a terror attack in Singapore has loomed large in recent months. Political leaders, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, have warned repeatedly that it is not a question of if, but when, such an attack will strike our shores. At the same time, the...
US president’s decision to pull out of climate accord shouldn’t prevent the region from re-orienting its economic model. It should, however, spur it to consider how to go on without relying too much on America By Simon Tay It should not surprise anyone that US President Donald...
The region must remember that it is a broad community made up of real people, and more attention needs to be paid to them. This article is part of the World Economic Forum on ASEAN 2017. By Nicholas Fang and Simon Tay The Association of Southeast Nations (ASEAN)...
By Chen Chen Lee and Shangari Kiruppalini The Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) held its 30th summit in Manila last week amid growing anti-globalisation sentiments in the West. As Western markets become more inward-looking, intra-Asean links will matter now, more than ever. During the summit, Prime Minister...
by Simon Tay Some had expected a confrontation over trade and other issues when US President Donald Trump hosted President Xi Jinping in Florida late last week. But there were no missed handshakes to upset protocol – as there had been when Trump met German Chancellor...
By Simon Tay and Chen Chen Lee The skies over Singapore in the past 12 months have mostly been free of haze pollution. This is a relief from the prolonged bouts of haze and extensive fires in 2015, and the record-high 400PSI that hit Singapore in...
By Nicholas Fang Today marks the 50th anniversary of the day National Service (NS) was introduced in post-independence Singapore. On March 14, 1967, Parliament passed the National Service (Amendment) Bill after then-Defence Minister Goh Keng Swee moved it for a second reading. It marked the beginning of...
BY LAU XIN YI Singapore’s Budget 2017 will be remembered for its strong emphasis on the environment. The recent announcement of measures such as the proposed carbon tax and the diesel duty has caused concern among businesses and the public about higher costs. Yet, these steps are...
By Nicholas Fang and Aaron Choo At the start of his Budget speech, Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat warned that an “inward- looking mood” had taken root in several countries, echoing what the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) report called a “dark shift” away from...
By Chia Siow Yue In Singapore, the Committee on the Future Economy (CFE) Report has been released. It recommends strategies to respond to external challenges such as subdued global growth, rapid technological change, political uncertainty and rising anti-globalisation. Despite these disruptive developments, the CFE argues Singapore...