Urbanization has already declared itself the mega-trend of the 21st century, with half the world’s population now living in cities for the first time in human history. While the implications for economic growth have been widely discussed, urbanization’s impact on diplomacy and sovereignty will be...
Signs are that questions of culture are returning to Singapore, albeit differently. The Government is continuing and growing programmes for the arts, sports and heritage, and each of their intrinsic worth must be recognised. But these are also important components of a larger picture about what...
Debate has returned, for both the Government and citizens, about what it means to be Singaporean. The issues do not relate only to culture and the arts, but have broader implications for the political and economic paradigms in Singapore as well. What spurs this resurgence of a...
With elections due by June, Malaysia is preparing to go to the polls. Observers are keen to see how the Najib government will fare, with a large slide in support for the ruling coalition expected. At the same time, Malaysia and Singapore are set to...
In the midst of our Singapore Conversation, the debates on the Population White Paper and now the Committee of Supply debates, I would like to raise a few points that I feel have not been sufficiently discussed. This is especially critical at a time when...
The projections in the Government’s White Paper have raised concerns among Singaporeans, in particular the estimates that say the country’s population could hit 6.9 million in 2030, with almost half of these foreigners. There have been calls for more efforts to ensure that Singaporeans are not...
Controversy followed the Government’s White Paper on Population, from its introduction to the last day of Parliamentary debate, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong addressed Parliament. Even after the clear Parliamentary majority in favour, that public debate continues, a fact Mr Lee welcomed. But from...
The 41st ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting (AEM) held in Bangkok in 2009 requested to the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA) to undertake the Comprehensive Mid-Term Review (MTR) of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Blueprint and in providing policy analyses/recommendations to the...
The SIIA held our New Year’s Party at IndoChine Club Street on 24th January 2013. We were honoured to have Ambassador Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Michael Tay, Executive Director, Russia-Singapore Business Forum and Janice Koh, Nominated Member of the Parliament to join us...
The SIIA's Annual Members’ Circle (AMC) is a closed-door event and kept to around 30-40 selected participants to enable free flowing exchange and closer interaction. Held over half a day, discussions revolve around global economics issues and key issues which experts are looking at for...