Asian Studies Commons^™

A Vanishing Silhouette: Acts Of State Doctrine(S) And Interim Relief In Singapore, Mahdev Mohan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

This digest examines the intersection between the act of State doctrine, and the power of Singapore courts under Singapore's International Arbitration Act ("IAA") to grant interim relief. It is well settled that this private international law doctrine can be applied by courts at common law when they examine purported sovereign acts of a foreign government to decide on whether they ought to assume or decline jurisdiction.

Caring For Thai Older Persons With Long-Term Care Needs, John Knodel, Bussarawan Teerawichitchainan, Wiraporn Pothisiri

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Thailand is experiencing more acute population aging than most developing Asian countries. Its population aged 60 and older is anticipated to grow from 10% in 2000 to 38% by 2050. Meanwhile, the oldest-old population that is most likely to require long-term care (LTC) is estimated to increase tenfold during the first half of the 21st century. Family has remained a linchpin of support for Thai elders with LTC needs. Given population aging and other demographic trends such as smaller family size, migration of adult children, and lengthening survival at older ages, policy makers are concerned how such socio-demographic changes may …

Long-Term Care Needs In The Context Of Poverty And Population Aging: The Case Of Older Persons In Myanmar, Bussarawan Puk Teerawichitchainan, John Knodel

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Myanmar is one of the poorest and least healthy countries in Southeast Asia. Nevertheless, population aging is taking place. Myanmar's policy makers have only begun to pay attention to the implications of population aging for its economy and society, including the health system. There is virtually no official policy or program in place to provide long-term care (LTC) for older persons. Family has thus been the mainstay of financial and instrumental support for elderly with LTC needs. Myanmar's demographic transitions likely challenge the current form of family caregiving for frail older persons, especially in the coming decades. This study aims …

Full Report On Roundtable On Place Management And Placemaking In Singapore, Su Fern Hoe, Jacqueline Liu

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

In Singapore, the government has adopted a strategy it calls “place management” to inject“heart and soul” into the city. These efforts include the greening of streets, providing benches,closing roads for pedestrian access, and public activities and arts-centred events such as thei Light Marina Bay festival and the Singapore Night Festival. Cities like New York and Parishave also attempted a similar strategy known as “placemaking” to develop human-centredplaces and improve the quality of life for their residents. “Creative placemaking”, a relatedconcept, has also emerged to refer to the use of arts and culture to animate public spacesand neighbourhoods. However, despite their …

Mr Lee’S Lasting Legacy: A S’Pore That Continues To Thrive, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Life goes on, a year since Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s passing. This is a reflection of the evolution and adaptability of the Lee Kuan Yew governance model since he stood down as Prime Minister in 1990.

How Should We Honour Our Pioneers Properly?, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Last Wednesday’s commemoration of the passing of Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew revealed a nation-state coming to terms with the fact that the first among equals in the founding generation of leaders is no longer with us.

U.S. Congressional Committee Hearings On Korea During The 113th Congress 2013-2014: Overseeing Multifaceted Aspects Of Washington's Peninsular Interests, Bert Chapman

Libraries Faculty and Staff Scholarship and Research

Numerous U.S. government agencies are involved in developing and implementing U.S. policy toward Korean Peninsula events, trends, and developments. Those studying U.S. government policies toward this region need to pay particular attention to the role played by U.S. Congressional committees in this policymaking. Congressional committees are responsible for approving new legislation, revising existing legislation, funding U.S. government programs and conducting oversight of these programs. This work examines Congressional committee hearings and debate during the 113th Congress (2013–2014) and reveals that multiple Congressional committees with varying jurisdictions seek to shape U.S. government Korean Peninsula policy and that this policymaking covers more …

Kwa Chong Guan [Singapore, Chairman Of National Archives Board, Historian], Kwa Chong Guan

Digital Narratives of Asia

Kwa Chong Guan is a Senior Fellow of S Rajaratnam School of International Studies and was the man who recognised the importance of Oral History Centre and the National Museum. In 1980s, he led the expansion of the old National Museum to its current three museums and their consolidation under the National Heritage Board. He shares with DNA, ISL the importance and functions of archives and offers a glimpse into his career in the public service and Singapore’s history before the era of Sir Stamford Raffles.

Saravanan Gopinathan [Singapore, Dean Of National Institute Of Education], Saravanan Gopinathan

Digital Narratives of Asia

Former Dean of National Institute of Education, Saravanan Gopinathan, sees his decades of contribution to education as a unique journey closely linked with the development of the Singapore state. He discusses the need to re-mould the current schooling for the new economic environment, and presents his critiques on some aspects of the system.

Marina Mahathir [Malaysia, Activist], Marina Mahathir

Digital Narratives of Asia

Daughter of Malaysian Prime Minister and socio-political activist Marina Mahathir, shares with DNA on her schooling days, her views on censorship, education system, leadership crisis, and religious movements. Her work in helping HIV-infected women has led her to seek larger democratic space for everyone.

Engineering Entrepreneurship In Singapore, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Inderjit Singh became a millionaire entrepreneur in risk-averse Singapore. All it takes to follow in his footsteps, he says, is a mindset change

Shinta Kamdani: Opportunity And Empowering Women, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

A third-generation entrepreneur, Shinta Kamdani is CEO of her family's Sintesa Group, an Indonesian conglomerate with 6000 employees across 17 companies. Sintesa is a national leader in consumer goods distribution, with other interests in prefab concrete, energy production, steel manufacturing and real estate. Kamdani spoke to Julian Lorkin in Jakarta for BusinessThink.

Re-Inventing Singapore's Medical Tourism Industry, Jonathan Tan, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

The island states needs to focus on improving medical outcomes for international patients while keeping its public hospitals affordable for locals

Thailand’S Political Impasse, Singapore Management University

Perspectives@SMU

Thai farmers’ productivity – or the lack thereof – has left the country and its political future in limbo

Maureen Donovan And The Manga Collection At The Ohio State University Library: An Interview With Maureen Donovan, Caitlin Mcgurk

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Raymond David Lum 林希文 1944-2015

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

From The President, Ellen Hammond

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

In Memoriam: Ramon Hawley Myers 1929-2015

Journal of East Asian Libraries

No abstract provided.

Is Urban Food Demand In The Philippines Different From China?, Tomoki Fujii

Research Collection School Of Economics

Food is an essential good, and thus understanding its demand is important for the formulation of sound agricultural policies and developing sustainable agricultural business. A timely analysis of food demand is important because it can change over time not only because prices and incomes change but also because people’s taste itself also change. However, even in countries where food accounts for a sizable share of expenditure or where the agricultural sector accounts for a large share of output, careful analysis of food demand is often not readily available. In this study, we analyze the food demand in urban Philippines and …

Six Tax Reforms For 2016, Yee Loong Sum

Research Collection School Of Accountancy

Offers some fresh ideas on how to make Singapore more business-friendly and socially aware.

The Hermeneutics Of International Trade Conflicts: U.S. Punitive Trade Policy Towards China And Japan, Barry F. Murdaco

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

This dissertation analyzes punitive trade conflicts between the U.S. and two trading partners: China and Japan. Punitive trade conflicts can be defined as trade wars between two states, retaliatory tariffs, or other forms of conflict, e.g. preventing the acquisition of foreign assets or sanctions for an undervalued exchange rate. I will examine several trade conflicts between the U.S. and Japan in the 1980s and several trade conflicts between the U.S. and China from 2001 to the present. This study is situated within a larger debate concerning the resolution of four theoretical "puzzles" in political science. The first concerns the dispute …

Professor Robert Deng Is First Smu Faculty To Be Conferred Ieee Fellowship, Singapore Management University

SMU Press Releases and News

Professor Robert Deng from the School of Information Systems (SIS) at Singapore Management University (SMU) has been elevated to IEEE Fellow with effect from 1 January 2016. He is being recognised for his long history of professional contributions to the field of cybersecurity, and in particular for work on cybersecurity algorithms, protocols and systems.

Are House Prices Driven By Capital Flows? Evidence From Singapore, Hwee Kwan Chow, Taojun Xie

Research Collection School Of Economics

This paper investigates whether real house price appreciations can be attributed to the surge in real capital inflows into Singapore. We proxy capital flows by using the amount of foreign direct investments (FDI) to real estate capturing the foreign purchases of property in Singapore which we deflate by the private residential property price index. Notwithstanding the absence of a cointegrating relationship, our results support the hypothesis that lagged short term fluctuations in capital inflows are positively associated with the growth rates of house prices over the last decade. We also provide evidence that macroprudential measures implemented by Singapore reduced the …

Comparative Resources: Continental Philosophy And Daoism, Steven Burik

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

I argue that continental philosophical resources are more appropriate for comparative philosophy regarding classical Daoism since they in various ways challenge the dominant metaphysical orientation of Western thought and give us a better and more appropriate vocabulary to make sense of important Daoist ideas within the confines of Western languages. Since classical Daoism is largely non-metaphysical or at least not metaphysical in the same way as the Western history of philosophy is, it makes sense that those within the Western tradition who have sought to displace the dominant metaphysical tradition would be more in tune with such non-metaphysical considerations. I …

Myanmar- A New Law For A New Era, Mahdev Mohan

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

On 5 January, Myanmar’s parliament enacted the Arbitration Law 2016 – Union Parliament Act No. 5 of 2016 – which repeals and replaces the Myanmar Arbitration Act 1944 and represents an important step forward in creating a legal environment that is attractive for investment and commerce.

The Thai Military, Coups, And The False Hope Of Professionalism, Jacob Ricks

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Thailand is one of the most coup-prone countries in the world, having experienced no less than 19 coup attempts since 1932. The prevalence of military interventions casts doubt on whether Thai politicians will ever be able to reign in their armed counterparts. One prominent response to this concern claims that through increasing the level of military professionalism, or expertise, social responsibility, and organizational unity, Thai troops could be tamed and the Army’s propensity to intervene in politics curbed. This, though, is a false hope.

Upholding The Integrity Of The Ncmp Scheme, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Last Friday’s combative parliamentary debate on filling Ms Lee Li Lian’s vacated Non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) seat offered a foretaste of the dynamics between the ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) and the Workers’ Party’s (WP) in the 13th Parliament.

Use Our Diversity To Strengthen Social Cohesion, Tan K. B. Eugene

Research Collection Yong Pung How School Of Law

Two Cabinet Ministers recently offered a sobering view of the state of ethnic relations in Singapore, against the backdrop of rising religiosity and global terrorism. Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam spoke of four threats to social cohesion, including Muslims growing more distant from the rest of society and feelings of Islamophobia among non-Muslims. Environment and Water Resources Minister Masagos Zulkifli reiterated the importance of practising religion suited to the local context and for Muslims not to be influenced by radical foreign ideologies — often easily spread through social media.

Interpreting China’S New Urban Spaces: State, Market, And Society In Action, Shenjing He, Lily Kong, George C. S. Lin

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Chinese urbanism has long historical roots and has profoundly influenced world civilizations. Yet, the Chinese city has not, until very recently, attracted sustained or intense global attention. In the post-reform era, especially after 1992, the scale and speed of China’s urbanization, and the intricacy of its dynamics and socio-spatial consequences have dwarfed those of other countries in the world. The latest reform era of urban China is characterized by a renewed and thriving urbanism, which manifests itself in the sheer scale of new urban space (re)production and the intricate interrelationships among the state, market, and society. The proliferation of new …

Millets From The Margins: Value, Knowledge And The Subaltern Practice Of Biodiversity In Uttarakhand, India, Priya R. Chandrasekaran

Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Millets from the Margins: Value, Knowledge and the Subaltern Practice of Biodiversity in Uttarakhand, India analyzes what is at stake for small-scale, predominantly women, farmers as local varieties of rainfed food grains such as finger millet are being newly commodified and valued as a biodiversity resource. With support from a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant from the National Science Foundation, I conducted seventeen months of ethnographic research with farmers, activists, scientists, NGO leaders, government officials, transnational functionaries and agribusiness representatives in segregated yet interconnected realms ranging from a village in the Himalayan foothills to transnational institutions in Rome.

This work demonstrates …