International and Area Studies Commons^™

Introduction, Piyanart Bunnag

Asian Review

No abstract provided.

The Chinese Community In Bangkok During The Second Half Of The Nineteenth Century, Piyanart Bunnag

Asian Review

When treaties were made with Western nations, starting with the Bowring Treaty in 1855, more Chinese migrated to Siam. They began to play a greater role in the economy, particularly as middlemen between Western traders and local citizens, but also in other roles in the export-oriented economy such as compradors, pawnbrokers, retailers, wholesalers, bankers, and owners of such enterprises as printing houses and factories. Some worked as common laborers at the docks, factories, and rice mills. During the second half of the nineteenth century, business expanded along new roads, causing environmental changes, crowding, congestion, disorder, and pollution. Fires became common, …

The Japanese Army And Thailand's Southern Railways During The Greater East Asia War, 1941-1945, Puengthip Kiattisahakul

Asian Review

As part of their attempt to establish a Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, Japanese military leaders took control of Thailand's southern railways to provided direct links to frontline battlefields in Burma and Malaya. They ran special troops from Bangkok to Malaya, and built two new railway tracks extending into Burma. These tracks were used for transporting rice to its troops in Malaya, and to transport troops and war equipment to Burma. Thailand suffered adverse effects. The Railway Department had to carry an enormous amount of loss as costs incurred by the Japanese army were left unpaid. The life and security …

The Concept Of "Development" And The Thai Government's Policies To Develop The Northeast, 1951-1966, Somsri Chaiwanichaya

Asian Review

After World War II, modernization theory was developed and became a dominant idea, employed by the United States to oppose communism and expand capitalism. The Thai and US governments saw the importance of developing the Northeast region of Thailand, because of both the region's "natural disadvantages" and its strategic location bordering Laos, Kampuchea, and Vietnam. The Phibun government (1951- 1957) launched programs to develop water resources and diversify crops, but initially had no overall plan. During the Sarit regime (1957—1966), a more structured plan emerged under the concept of "development for national security."

The Proactive Cosmopolitan Foreign Policy Of The European Union: The Burmese Issue Reconsidered, Piyapat Bunnag

Asian Review

The European Union has turned away from the traditional notion of power politics and moved to assert instead soft civilian or normative power to influence the world. This paper examines the Union's foreign policy towards Myanmar looking from a constructivist perspective, focusing on the objectives of human rights and democratization. The paper sketches the constructivist approach to foreign policy, and then examines the evolution of the Union's foreign policy about human rights and democratization. Then this norm-based foreign policy and its effect on the Union's relations, and conflicts, with ASEAN over Burmese alleged human rights abuses will then come to …

Contributors

Asian Review

No abstract provided.

The Great Divide: Considering Section 157a Of The Singapore Companies Act, Pearlie Koh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The manner in which the powers of a company are carved out to be exercised by either the general meeting of shareholders or its board of directors is often a matter of interpretation of the constitution of the company. This approach retains a fair amount of flexibility in the differing models of power allocation that may be adopted by incorporators, but once carved out, the power allocation usually remains sacrosanct until such time as the constitution is validly altered. This was the position in Singapore before 2003. In 2003, the Companies Act of Singapore was amended to include s 157A, …

Revisiting The Asian Values Argument Used By Asian Political Leaders And Its Validity, Chang Yau Hoon

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

No abstract provided.

Strikes Through The Prism Of Duties: Is There A Fundamental Duty To Strike Under The Indian Constitution?, Shubhankar Dam

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Much of the debates on the legality of strikes under the Indian Constitution has been on the issue of a right to strike. This paper argues that the constitutionality of strikes may be analysed through the prism of duties, i.e. fundamental duties under Part IVA of the Constitution. Strikes were an integral part of the ideals that inspired India's national struggle against imperialism. And, in this sense, when article 51A exhorts Indians to cherish and follow the noble ideals that inspired our freedom struggle, it includes a fundamental duty to strike. Invoking the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi, the paper argues …

Congestion Control And Vehicle Ownership Restriction: The Choice Of An Optimal Quota Policy, Winston T. H. Koh

Research Collection School Of Economics

Singapore introduced a vehicle quota system (VQS) in 1990 as part of its overall policy to control urban congestion. While the VQS has reduced the annual growth rate of the vehicle population to about 3 per cent, it has created uncertainty in the cost of vehicle ownership due to the fluctuations in licence prices. This paper discusses three issues relating to the optimal design of a VQS: licence transferability, sub-categorisation, and the choice of an auction format. The analysis shows that licence transferability is not unambiguously desirable, sub-categorisation is highly regressive, and an open auction format results in less aggressive …

Embedded Co-Operation In The Context Of Singapore's Regionalization Program: The Batamindo Experiment Revisited, Caroline Yeoh, Adeline Kwan, Siang Yeung Wong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

The development of Singapore-styled industrial parks has resided on the country’s ability to negotiate investment concessions at inter-government level, to provide superior infrastructure, and where existing, through the links to influential business groups in the investment location. Singapore’s first transborder industrialization project in Batam (Indonesia) reflects this stratagem. This paper revisits the debate on the attractiveness of the low-cost investment enclaves for multinational investments, with insights from Batamindo Industrial Park. Through evidence from on-site interviews and case studies, this paper concludes that while the project’s progress to date has been largely overshadowed by socio-political uncertainties in the host environment, its …

Notes From An ‘Intelligent Island’: Towards Strategic Knowledge Management In Singapore’S Small Business Sector, Thomas Menkhoff, Yue Wah Chay, Benjamin Loh

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

This essay outlines some of the benefits and challenges of implementing strategic knowledge management systems in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with reference to respective initiatives in the Republic of Singapore. The article addresses following research questions: What is knowledge management (KM) and why has it become an issue? How can SMEs benefit from strategic KM? What are the potential pitfalls of KM applications in small firms? What are the strategic imperatives of using KM in SMEs? Do small and large firms require different KM systems? What are the critical success factors which have to be considered during implementation? How …

What Are The "Four Roots Of Capacity And Nature"?, Alan Kam Leung Chan

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

During the third century C.E., a debate on the relationship between “capacity” (cai 才) and “nature” (xing 性) captured the imagination of the Chinese elite. Historical sources relate that four views were put forward on the subject, which continued to dominate the intellectual scene during the fourth and fifth centuries. Yin Hao 殷 浩 (306–356), a major statesman and leader of the literati, for example, was known especially for his expertise on the four views of “capacity and nature” (caixing) (Shishuo xinyu 1992, 4.34; cf. Mather 1976, 110).1 Writing in the fifth century, Wang Sengqian 王 僧 虔 (426–485) observed …

Shootings In Iraq: A South Korean Response, Ibpp Editor

International Bulletin of Political Psychology

This author examines statements of South Korean president, Roh Moo Hyun, in the wake of the news of the November 30, 2003 killings of two South Korean civilian electrical workers in Iraq. The nature of terrorism as well as potential interpretations of the president’s statements are stressed.

I Love Smu: Heart, Life, Passion, Soul [Advertisment], Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Celebrating the unconventional, the intriguing, the undaunted. Experience the SMU spirit. Heart: Jenny Foo; Life: Tan Chee Wee; Life: Joven Lai; Soul: Jeremy Nguee; Passion: Richard Ho, Johny Tay.

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Y A-T-Il Une Réception Critique De La Littérature Vietnamienne Francophone?, Ching Selao

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

Three approaches seem to characterize the reception of Vietnamese Literature in French: socio-historical, "essentialist" and feminist discourses. This article proposes to analyse the lack of theoretical thought and pertinence in some of the works published on the subject, which appear to introduce and promote this literature rather than study it. Without denying contributions that are indeed interesting, this paper, however, emphasizes works that raise questions and oblige us to ask: is there a critical reception of Vietnamese Francophone Literature?

Linda Lê : Schizo-Positive?, Isabelle Favre

Présence Francophone: Revue internationale de langue et de littérature

In her novel entitled "Calomnies", Linda Lê depicts a "mad uncle" and a young female writer fascinated with her uncle’s marginality. In this book, Lê presents a complex view of schizophrenia. Sometimes, the actions and thoughts of the uncle are reminiscent of Deleuze and Guattari’s concepts such as le corps sans organe and la machine célibataire. Some other times however, Lê pays attention to the past of the uncle and shows how, in Vietnam, he witnessed the hypocrisy of his family during the war. These passages are then closer to Laing’s theories, since the environment and conditions in which he …

The Law And The Elderly In Singapore: The Law On Income And Maintenance For The Elderly, Locknie Hsu

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

By 2030, Singapore's elderly will make up a staggering 19% of the population. With such a large proportion of people becoming old, it is timely to pay some attention to the broad spectrum of legal issues surrounding elder. Several sociological and statistical studies have been done on the elderly Singapore, yet relatively little has been written on the law relating to them. Much of the present legislation which directly or indirectly addresses problems of the elderly in Singapore relate to their financial arrangements. Examples of these are provisions relating to withdrawal of Central Provident Fund (CPF) monies and the age …

Essays On Monetary Policy In Bangladesh, Sayera Younus

Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Impacts Of Hong Kong's Currency Board Reforms On Its Interbank Market, Yiu Kuen Tse, Paul S. L. Yip

Research Collection School Of Economics

Among the economies with a Currency Board System (CBS), Hong Kong (HK) is probably the one with the largest and most developed financial sector, as well as the highest capital mobility. Hence, studying HK’s CBS is not only crucial to HK, but also important for the understanding of the modern CBS. This paper outlines the major monetary reforms in HK since the late 1980s. The impacts of these reforms and the 1997–1998 Asian Financial Crisis are then examined empirically. We focus on the differentials between the US and HK interbank interest rates. We assume the conditional-mean equation follows an autoregressive …

Larger Issues At Stake In Unnatural Sex Debate, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The recent debate about the criminal prohibition of oral sex provides an occasion for considering larger, related issues. However prevalent the practice of oral sex and however archaic Section 377 of the Penal Code seems to those pushing for its repeal, the arguments offered have tended to take a piecemeal approach and display an ignorance of or disregard for the larger interests at stake.

Larger Issues At Stake In Unnatural Sex Debate, Seow Hon Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

The recent debate about the criminal prohibition of oral sex provides an occasion for considering larger, related issues. However prevalent the practice of oral sex and however archaic Section 377 of the Penal Code seems to those pushing for its repeal, the arguments offered have tended to take a piecemeal approach and display an ignorance of or disregard for the larger interests at stake.

Micro-Level Estimation Of The Prevalence Of Stunting And Underweight Among Children In Cambodia, Tomoki Fujii, Livia Montana

Research Collection School Of Economics

We are pleased to share this copy of the preliminary report on "Micro-Level Estimation of the Prevalence of Stunting and Underweight Among Children in Cambodia." This study is the result of a collaboration between the Ministry of Planning, the United Nations World Food Programme and the MEASURE DHS+ project, with in-kind assistance from The World Bank. We also would like to express our acknowledgement to Italian Cooperation and International Fund for Agricultural Development for supporting in publication and distribution.

Re-Engaging Chineseness: Political, Economic And Cultural Imperatives Of Nation-Building In Singapore, Eugene K. B. Tan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This article examines the management of Chinese identity and culture since Singapore attained independence in 1965. Due to the delicate regional environment, ethnic Chinese identity has been closely managed by the ruling elites, which have been dominated by the English-educated Chinese. There is the evolution from a deliberate policy of maintaining a low-key ethnic Chinese profile to the recent effort to re-sinicize--in form--the majority ethnic group. The article examines the policy impulses and implications for such a landmark change in reconceptualizing the Chinese-Singapore identity, which can be attributed to the needs of regime maintenance buttressed by Confucian ethos as well …

Spousal Abuse: Vietnamese Children's Reports Of Parental Violence, Yoko Baba, Susan B. Murray

The Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare

This exploratory study used mailed questionnaires completed by 131 Vietnamese students to examine domestic violence patterns in parents' marital relationships. Research objectives included: (1) gaining an understanding of spousal abuse among Vietnamese couples; and (2) assessing which variables (demographic characteristics, decision-making power, and cultural adaptation, beliefs in traditional gender roles, and conflicts in the family) are correlated with spousal abuse. Findings suggest that although both parents used reasoning, mental abuse and physical abuse in their marital relationships, Vietnamese fathers were more likely to be physically abusive than mothers. Additional variables associated with family conflicts are also examined. Research implications and …

Acceptance Of Golden Rice In The Philippine Rice Bowl, Mark Chong

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

Few science issues in recent years have elicited such polarized public reactions as modern biotechnology and its agricultural applications. Although a new study conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (Ithaca, NY, USA) indicates that Southeast Asian stakeholders generally hold positive views about agricultural biotechnology.

Singapore's Regionalization Gambit: Insights Form The Suzhou-Wuxi Experiment, Caroline Yeoh, Jerel Chye Hock Lee, Clare Yenping Lee

Research Collection Lee Kong Chian School Of Business

No abstract provided.

An Issue Of Absolution: Section 391 Of The Companies Act, Pearlie Koh

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

There is an obvious tension in the imposition of directors’ duties. Whilst directors being the management, and therefore the eyes, ears and brain of the corporate person, must be given sufficient discretion to take on entrepreneurial (and hence risky) ventures with a view to profit maximisation, there is also the need to curb excesses, as the potential or opportunity for mismanagement, negligence and fraud is omnipresent. [T]his short article considers section 391 of the Companies Act (Cap 50), arguably the statutory nemesis of directors’ duties. Section 391 gives jurisdiction to the court hearing the case to relieve an officer from …

An Empirical Examination Of Ipo Underpricing In The Chinese A-Share Market, Ting Yu, Yiu Kuen Tse

Research Collection School Of Economics

Research in the literature shows that initial public offerings (IPOs) of common stocks are systematically priced at a discount to their subsequent initial trading price. The large underpricing magnitude in the Chinese IPO market has attracted much attention. We consider three hypotheses that may explain the IPO underpricing in China. These are the winner's curse hypothesis, the ex ante uncertainty hypothesis and the signaling hypothesis. Among these hypotheses, the winner's curse hypothesis has not been tested in the Chinese market. Using IPO data for online fixed-price offerings from November 1995 to December 1998, our results show that the winner's curse …

The Role Of United Charities In Fundraising: The Case Of Singapore, Vincent Chua, Chung Ming Wong

Research Collection School Of Economics

Theory suggests that a united charity helps to economize on fundraising costs by reducing competition for donations among member charities. However, donors often cannot control the allocation of their donations, and charities may dislike the monitoring of their activities. This paper examines these and other issues relating to the Community Chest of Singapore. The results, based on analysis of financial positions and fundraising costs of a large number of charities, suggest that the Community Chest does possess important fundraising advantages. Thus charities in financial difficulties or in need of funds for additional programs tend to seek membership. However, organizations that …