Asian Model – National Government determines priority
Unit 1: Singapore and Timor Leste
A value of Singapore is learning without satiety, and, a
superior man is a virtuous man who studies to have self-
discipline, humility and slow in his words. Confucianism is
also known as “Asian Values.”
Brief Facts: Singapore
Siege Mentality – a belief or state of mind that one
believes that they’re being constantly oppressed or
attacked.
Geography – Singapore is vevoid of Natural Resources,
under threat of the communist movement and is
surrounded by wary neighbours.
Demography – It is Multi-racial (Chinese, Malay and
Indians)
Multiculturalism – co-existence of varied cultures and
values.
a. Self-help Community
b. English as the common language
c. Social Engineering – Housing (Chinese 62%,
Malay 25% and Indians 13%)
d. Policy of Political Renewal – Recruitment of
Candidates (Group Representation Constituency
vs Single Member Constituency
e. Presidential Council for Minority Rights –
Required by the constitution to remove laws that
might be culturally sensitive to avoid
discrimination
f. National Service Amendment Act – Mandatory
military enlistment
Meritocracy – Political power is vested in the people on
the basis of talent or achievement
a. Advantages
1. Stability/Harmony
2. Minimize Corruption
3. Motivation for hard work, efficiency and self-
reliance
b. Disadvantages
1. Merit, in most cases, is determined by
education and can prove to be unaffordable
2. Lack of opportunity in the lower or middle
class
3. Undermines camaraderie by creating a too
competitive culture
Education – Shared values
a. Nation before the community/self
b. Family as the basic unit of society
c. Give importance to community support
d. Racial and religious harmony
Taught the significance of:
a. Historical events
b. Nations diverse multi-racial society
c. Importance of Unity
d. Singapore’s Vulnerabilities – dependence on
trade
areas for investment. The private sector or Home-grown
Conglomerates in Japan are called “Keiretsu” and in South
Korea “Chaebol”.
Investment – Refers to loans, tax incentives, lower
interests of exports etcetera
Confucianism – Promotes virtuous leadership; this line of
thought is seen to be incorruptible, always thinking about
the people, order and better ways of living. This also
refers to the patriarchal society.
North Polar Star – the known guide for individuals; a
metaphorical meaning for the development of a person.
History
Lee Kuan Yew became the first prime minister of
Singapore on August 9, 1965.
Singapore was once a British colony and had been
a part of a federation with neighbouring
Malaysia. However, their relationship with Kuala
Lumpur had soured over the years that it became
impossible for the union to continue.
Lee Kuan Yew’s first priority was Singapore’s
defence. He gave a letter to the Indian deputy
commissioner asking if New Delhi would send
officers to train a Singaporean army. He was not
only concerned about the island’s hostile
neighbours but also the loyalty of his own people.
Singapore’s economy was Lee Kuan Yew’s biggest
headache. The country had been the centre point
of trade in the region but since Great Britain
separated itself, came the end of Singapore’s
main occupation.
Nationalist Malaysia wanted to develop its own
commerce and due to a political dispute,
Indonesia was cutting off its usual trade with
Singapore.
Former U.S. President George Bush called Lee,
“one of the brightest, ablest men I have ever
met.” While Former U.K. Prime Minister
Margaret Thatcher proclaimed, “he was never
wrong.”
Singapore hooked onto the emerging concept of
offshoring, in which MNC’s transfer operations
from their home countries to foreign countries,
usually in search of lower costs.
Lee creates the most controversy with the tight-
fisted fashion in which he has governed
Singapore, and the complex “Asian Values”
argument he uses to justify it.
Singapore intervenes with the lives of the citizens
to a degree it would be unacceptable in the West.
Lee dismisses such ideas as the West’s cultural
arrogance.
Officially, Singapore is a parliamentary
democracy but in actuality, it’s a one-party state
with the People’s Action Party (PAP) as its major
political party.
Lee contends that democracy, like those
practiced in the United States, is a bad fit with the
culture and history of Asian societies. Kim Dae
 Jung, the South Korean democracy activist
contests that, “Lee’s view of the Asian culture is
not only unsupportable but self-serving.” But
such attacks have little impact in Singapore.
For a man who professes the virtues of
Confucianism, Lee shows no filial piety that stems
from his childhood. Chin Koon, his father,
splurged on Singapore’s ritziest stores, losing
everything during the Great Depression. His
father had limited formal education that he
ended up as a mere shopkeeper for the Shell Oil
company. Lee found his father’s failings
unacceptable.
Note: This is Incomplete
Report 1: The “So” Question
Lee Kwan Yew’s Worldviews
1. Singapore’s place in the World – A small city-state
can best survive in a benign world environment,
where there is a balance of powers.
2. Human Nature, Culture and Society – Some
societies are more successful that others because
of the way they are organized, and the values and
cultures that underpin them.
3. Governance and Leadership – Good governance
needs leaders with right values, a sense of service
and ability.
A Mental Map focused on Singapore
1. Lee has a favourite question: “So?”
2. Lee is intellectually open.
3. Lee’s rich insights on issues come from a
capacious and disciplined mind.
Turning Insights into Results
The Suzhou Industrial Park project was one of the
areas PM Goh Keng Swee asked Lee to stay
actively involved. Two years into the project,
problems arose in the form of the local Chinese
promoting their own rival park. Lee’s proposal to
the Chinese were two radical changes: to swap
the shareholding structure so that the Chinese
majority had control and to appoint the CEO of
the rival park to head the Suzhou Industrial Park.
If things go wrong, do not sweep the problem
aside. Confront the problems, get to the root of
the difficulties and wrestle these resolutely.
The 1997 Asian Financial Crisis was attributed to
cronyism, corruption and nepotism. Lee
concluded that the investor’s euphoria, weak
banking and regulatory systems in the affected
countries had allowed a huge influx of short-term
capital.
In 1999 relations between US and China were
very tense. Lee advised US that it was not in their
interest to consider China as their potential
enemy; and he suggested to China that they
should tap into the market and capital of the US
to develop their economy.
Lee in Person
Many regard Lee as a pragmatist who does
not hesitate to speak hard truths.
He embraces Confucianism because of its
belief in the perfectibility of man.
Report 2: Lee Kwan Yew and the Rule of Law
The 1992 Speech
1. In 1992, when Lee made his first speech on the
rule of law, the Preservation of Public Security
Ordinance 1955 (PPSO) was still in force in
Singapore where it provided for detention
without trial.
2. He made two main points in his speech, first, the
law must serve the needs of the society, second,
the law must reflect reality.
3. The following are his propositions:
a. The state may only exercise power in
accordance to the law
b. Everyone is equal before the law
c. The purpose of the rule of law is to produce
order and justice in relationships between
man and man hence the rule of law requires:
i. That judges be independent
ii. Is necessary to protect the integrity and
sovereignty of the state (i.e. Detention
without trial are justified, penalties and
punishments must be used, the law must
be strictly enforced)
iii. Requires the state to enact laws that inter
alia promote social stability, racial and
religious harmony and deter all acts
harmful to the people or the state.
d. The rule of law is an economic asset.
e. The rule of law is essential to the
international order
Detention Without Trial – The Internal Security Act (ISA)
1. The first criticism is that detention without trial is
contrary to the rule of law.
2. The crux of foreign criticism against the ISA is that
it allows arbitrary arrest and indefinite detention
of the government’s political opponents and
critics without reasonable cause, and that courts
have no legal to intervene. However, this is not
the case. The ISA does not allow or permit
arbitrary arrest and the detainee is entitled to
contest the allegations made against them and
that the international court has a constitutional
duty to determine whether the detainee has
been deprived of his liberty according to the law.
Freedom of Speech – Defamation and Contempt of Court
1. Defamatory speech by definition is a false
statement which injures the reputation of the
victim.
2. This stems from the criticism that political parties
tend to deface other competitors, hence why PAP
is still the leading party.
Report 3: Reasonable Men Adapt, Unreasonable Men
Change the World
Key Ideas:
1. Political Will – “I had first to demonstrate that
Singapore could survive without living off the
economies of Indonesia and Malaysia. We are not
parasites dependent only on our neighbours.”
Lee had described himself as very determined. He
has said, “If I decide that something is worth
doing, then I’ll put my heart and soul to it. I’ll give
everything to make it succeed. So, I would put my
strength, determination and willingness to see
my objective to its conclusion.”
2. Pragmatic Governance, Practical Government - He
argued that “as the world changes, small
countries have to swiftly adjust their policies and
positions in a pragmatic and clinical manner. We
must live with the world as it is, not as we wish it
should be. We must nimble to seize the
opportunities that come with changing
circumstances or to get out of harm’s way.”
3. Experimentation and Innovation - That willingness
to try things out spawned a generation of state
entrepreneurs who created, almost out of
nothing, national icons such as Singapore Airlines,
DBS, ST Engineering, Changi Airport, SingTel and
so on. The national computerization program,
started in the Ministry of Defense, is another
example of a policy that transformed Singapore.
4. But, no Short-cuts – A culture of excellence in the
civil service. Never take short cuts or the
intellectually lazy argument, for Mr. Lee would
sniff out these weaknesses.
5. Thinking Ahead - One of the Hallmarks of
Singapore government is its emphasis on long-
range thinking. He wrote that “our job was to plan
the broad economic objectives and the target
periods within to achieve them. We reviewed
these plans regularly and adjusted them as new
realities changed the outlook. Infrastructure and
the training and education of workers to meet
the needs of employers had to be planned years
in advance.”
6. Learning from Others, learning from the Best - He
explained: "I learnt from negative examples.
There are thousands of other cities and we can
see the mistakes they have made. We can also
see what they have done right." This approach
has been embraced by the government in every
sphere - learn from others, learn from the best.
7. Policy is Implementation, Implementation is Policy
- On making his vision of a garden city, Lee Kuan
Yew transformed the city of concrete and steel to
one with shrubs, flowers and parks. He surveyed
the world for ideas and became knowledgeable
about soil, vegetation, tress, climate and
fertilizers. And surely enough, Lee’s attention to
detail, while keeping the big picture in mind, has
taught in government that when making policies,
the effective implementation of policies is as
important as their making.
8. People and Leadership - Lee Kuan Yew once
wrote: “My experience of developments in Asia
has led me to conclude that we need good men
to have good government. However good the
system of government, bad leaders will bring
harm to their people. On the other hand, I have
seen several societies well-governed despite
poor systems of government, because good,
strong leaders were in charge.”
Report 4: Playing Chess
Key Ideas:
1. An International relations theorist would no
doubt call Lee a realist.
2. The Primacy of National Interest
Lee is an empiricist and a practitioner, not a
theorist.
He understands that international order is
the prerequisite for international law and
organization.
He has never succumbed to the temptation
of capering about on the world stage for its
own sake.
His support for the Vietnam War at the time
was something vital to buy time for non-
communist Southeast Asia to put its house in
order.
In 1981, at the International Conference on
Kampuchea held at the UN, the US was
poised to sell out Singapore’s and ASEAN’s
interest in favour of China’s interest to see a
return of the Khmer Rouge regime.
The next year, Lee travelled to Washington
and in a meeting with the Senate Foreign
Relations Committee, described America’s
China policy as amateurish.
3. Pragmatic Approach
Diplomacy is not about being nice, polite or
agreeable. It is more fundamentally about
protecting and promoting the country’s
interests, preferably by being nice but if
necessary, by other appropriate means.
The Singapore Armed Forces that Singapore
had learnt two things from Israel: How to
Strong and How not to use our Strength.
The basic issue in Singapore’s relations with
its neighbour’s is existential: the implicit
challenge a successful Chinese majority
Singapore organized on the basis of
multiracial meritocracy. This is sometimes
dismissed as “historical baggage.”
4. The Post-Lee Kwan Yew Era – No leader, however
brilliant, can be internationally influential if he
only leads a barren rock. Lee was influential
because Singapore is successful.
Report 5: China – A Strong Centre
Key Ideas:
A strong centre leads to a peaceful and
prosperous China. Every Chinese understands
that. It is their cardinal principle, drawn from
deep-seated historical lessons. It is a mindset that
predates communism. It has existed for
centuries, for millennia.
 In the fall of 2011, unrest erupted in the fishing
village of Wukan, in Guangdong province.
Farmers lost their land to developers who were in
cahoots with the local officials.
There are two lessons to be learnt from this. This
first is that the Communist Party retains it’s hold
by shutting down the revolution. The second
lesson is how the part can use a mix of hard and
soft measures to keep peace.
1. Political Change
China’s emergence as an international
superpower and its economic rise has
been extraordinary. Militarily, it will take
big strides and develop the technology
and capabilities that will enable it to
project it power.
As change sweeps across the country,
China’s politics must evolve too. It is not
possible for any system to remain
unchanged forever.
Outsiders should not underestimate the
will of the central government. The
Chinese administration employs
specialists to monitor and censor what
goes in the cyberspace.
In the next 10 to 20 years, China would
likely move carefully towards a more
participatory government. But their
approach will be tentative and
incremental. They will avoid free-for-all
contests with unpredictable results.
The intra-party democracy is a concept
that the Chinese Communist party has
been keen to explore.
Today nothing moves in China without
Guanxi or ralationships.
Report 6: America
1. Open – Markets
America’s foreign policy theme that
renews the significance of the Asia-
Pacific Region
2. Centers of Excellence
A source of American competitiveness
3. Soft power - Used by America to regain its status
as the world’s fastest growing economy
Quantitative Easing -Aims for the
expansion of the supply of money in
times of financial crisis
Dynamic Economy -Key to America’s
success
Education - One of the biggest challenges
confronting America
Self-reliant Attitude - American positive
attitude amidst crisis
Report 7: Europe
Center of 2 world wars necessitating the
need for economic integration
1. European Union - An organization of 28-
member countries
2. Treaty of Paris (1951) -Established the European
Coal and Steel Community
3. Eurozone - Region that uses the euro dollar as a
common currency
Report 8: Japan
The most serious challenge Japan is facing is
demographic.
Japanese women accepted their culturally
assigned roles in family and in society but having
to as travelled as far to Singapore, they turned
their backs against the family-centered role.
With an extremity of insular attitude, they have
rejected pure-bred Japanese from Latin
American, also known as Nikkeijin.
Japan has experienced two “lost decades” and
is entering a third.
Japan’s solution to the lowering of fertility rates
is, “More childcare allowances and baby
bonuses,” which was an utter disappointment.
Japanese people are impressive individuals.
When the Tohoku earthquake struck, the world
watched at how Japan reacted – no panic, no
looting, only dignity and grace.
Report 9: North Korea
Known for its “Military First Policy”
1. Peaceful Reunification - Long term Goal of South
Korea for the Entire Peninsula
2. Two problems of South Korea
Low fertility rates
Constant infighting
3. Chaebols - Known as South Korea’s conglomerates
Report 10: India
1. Two disadvantages of India
Caste System – Brahminds tend to marry only
Brahminds, Vaishyas only Vaishyas and Dalits only
Dalits. If I high class married someone who
belongs to a lower class than theirs, they have to
go down a rank.
Language Barrier – India has over more than 400
indigenous languages.
2. India was never a single homogenous entity.
3. The fragmentation is reflected in India’s political
system.
4. Infrastructure is another important area where
India’s disadvantage is obvious.
5. Lee realized two things, one is that democracy is no
magic potion, it does not solve all problems of all
people. Two, the history of a country cannot be
changed so easily, as seen by the ever-continuing
caste system.
Report 11: Malaysia
Malaysia and Singapore emerged from
colonialism at comparable levels of development
and with largely similar legacies left behind by the
British. But a major difference arose when
Singapore chose to be a multi-racial country with
 English as their common language while Malaysia Military Coup institutionalized political
as a Malay-speaking country. mechanism of Thai generals to change a regime
The demographic changes in Malaysia will lead to that is not friendly to the crown
a further entrenchment of Malay privileges. Since
Report 15: Vietnam
the enactment of the New Economic Policy, it led
Malaysia’s brain drain. When it opened its economy for foreign
1Malaysia has been Razak’s campaign slogan to investors, its initial act was to squeeze anything
win votes from all races in Malaysia from investors
Reason for Lee Kwan Yew’s Support for the
Report 12: Indonesia
Vietnam War - Delay the Spread of communism in
The French Government (Dual Executive) - Lee Southeast Asia
Kwan Yew’s suggested model for presidential Doi Moi - Vietnam’s policy to revive its economy
government for Indonesia.
Report 16: Myanmar
In 1999, Suharto’s successor as president,
Habibie quietly signed into law the devolution of In terms of natural resources, Myanmar is as rich
powers of Jakarta to the 300 districts that made as Thailand, if not richer. In theory, they should
up the country. be doing well by exporting multiple products
Wayang Kulit - Means political theater in overseas just like the Thais but in practice,
Indonesia nothing was happening.
Ganyang Malaysia (Crush Malaysia/Chew up Cyclone Nargis was another wake-up call for the
Malaysia) - Sukarno’s Slogan that was abolished regime and the people of Myanmar.
by Suharto The country of Indonesia as suggested by Lee
Language (Bahasa Indonesia) - Sukarno’s legacy Kwan Yew, could have used as a model for
for nation building wherein he chose Malay as the Myanmar.
national language, not Javanese. Aung San Suu Kyi is the Icon of democracy of
Riau Islands - Indonesian Island that symbolized Myanmar.
the economic success of regionalization
Regionalization is irreversible. Once you have
given the regions direct ownerships of their
communities, it is not possible to take back
control.
One of the conundrum of Indonesia is
infrastructure, when you have 17,500 islands, the
ability to connect these islands becomes vital to
economic development.
The Sunda Strait Bridge, which would be the
country’s longest bridge that would connect
Sumatra and Java, if built, would create economic
potential. Unfortunately, this has not been taken
into action.

Report 13: Thailand

Thaksin Shinawatra permanently changed the

Thai politics by implementing policies that
favored the rural poor to an unprecedented
extent. He extended loans to farmers, overseas
scholarships to students from rural families and
government-subsidized housing to the urban
poor.
The Bangkok elite overthrew him in a military
coup in 2006.
Thailand’s capital since experience great
upheaval. The yellow shirts, those who oppose
Thaksin and the red shirts, those who support
him were on the streets of Bangkok protesting.
Thaksin was accused of competing with the
Siamese Crown