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Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Ex-Cabinet minister Maliki Osman to take up new roles in NTU, charity groups
Dr Maliki Osman said he looks forward to capitalising on his experience from his years in politics. PHOTO: DR MALIKI OSMAN/FACEBOOK Ex-Cabinet minister Maliki Osman to take up new roles in NTU, charity groups SINGAPORE – Former Cabinet minister Maliki Osman will be joining Nanyang Technological University as senior adviser in the president's office, focusing on Asean and other key programmes. In a Facebook post on July 1, Dr Maliki said he wanted to give an update on the positions he has taken up after getting questions about his plans since retiring from politics. He added that the programmes he will be involved in include the Indonesia-NTU Singapore Institute of Research for Sustainability and Innovation (Inspirasi), and the Indonesia-NTU Singapore Talent Programme (Instep). He said: 'In my previous capacity as second minister for foreign affairs and education, I have spoken about the huge human resource potential in Asean. 'Strong networks between NTU and the top universities in Asean and beyond will create new opportunities for talent development and growth in the higher education sector.' Dr Maliki stepped down from politics in April ahead of the general election in May. He has a PhD in social work from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and was an assistant professor at the National University of Singapore's social work and psychology department before entering politics in 2001 at the age of 36. In his Facebook post, Dr Maliki – who will turn 60 on July 19 – also said he has been appointed adjunct professor at the NTU College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences. He has also taken up an appointment as a distinguished fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), he added. 'I hope to use my years of experience in Mindef and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to engage researchers and international leaders in delving into the complex global geopolitical dynamics,' he said. RSIS, which is housed in NTU, is a research institute a nd graduate school focusing on strategic studies and security affairs. Dr Maliki will also become president of the Antica Foundation, a charity which focuses on under-served communities in Singapore, according to information published on its website. He said: 'At my core, I have always been a community builder. My journey has been guided by a simple yet powerful belief: No one should be left behind. 'At Antica Foundation, I see a bold and urgent mission to uplift our youth, honour our elderly, and restore dignity to those seeking a second chance.' Another role he has taken on, since June 1 , is that of consultant at Octave Institute, a consultancy firm. Octave Institute is a unit of the Tsao Pao Chee Group, a philanthropic organisation with offices in Singapore, Shanghai and Bangkok. Dr Maliki said he will work on projects aimed at helping low-income households. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- Straits Times
No clear link between social cohesion and governance model in S-E Asia, unlike Western research
Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, a senior fellow at RSIS and head of its Social Cohesion Research Programme, presented the findings at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies on June 25. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI No clear link between social cohesion and governance model in S-E Asia, unlike Western research SINGAPORE – While Western research shows that democracies with more civil liberties tend to be more united, South-east Asia goes against the grain. Here, there is no clear link between social cohesion and type of government, a study has found. Instead, the quality of governance – especially traits such as integrity and being free from corruption – appears to play a more decisive role. This was among the findings of researchers from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in their South-east Asian Social Cohesion Radar preliminary report released on June 26. The report, which covered all 10 Asean states, also made recommendations for countries to strengthen social cohesion. The region has a variety of governance structures, such as neo-liberal democracies and top-down paternalistic states, researchers noted. This difference from Western research findings reaffirms the need for research with a more local or regional lens, said Dr Leong Chan-Hoong, who hopes to conduct another iteration of the study in 2028. Dr Leong, a senior fellow at RSIS and head of its Social Cohesion Research Programme, presented the findings at the International Conference on Cohesive Societies on June 25. The conference invited participants from over 50 countries, including those in South-east Asia, to discuss multiculturalism. The study surveyed about 1,000 people each from the 10 Asean states, and compared each country's social cohesion score – calculated from responses to 60 statements – against various socio-economic factors. The score covers three areas – social relations, or the relationships between individuals and groups in society; connectedness, or the relationship between individuals, communities and the state; and focus on the common good, which covers solidarity, respect and civic participation. Researchers found that a higher gross domestic product per capita tends to mean a more cohesive society. But factors other than economic resources contribute to cohesion, Dr Leong told ST. This is why Singapore is an outlier where this trend is concerned – it has the highest GDP per capita but not the highest social cohesion score. It suggests a 'ceiling effect' at some point, where extra social and economic development may not mean more social cohesiveness. Dr Leong added that more detailed findings, expected by the end of 2025 , will focus on understanding these other factors that affect social cohesion. 'There are other cultural, symbolic aspects that we have to consider when we try to unpack an amorphous concept like cohesion,' he said. The report recommended that policymakers should proactively engage various communities. Countries should also harness the ties between ethnic groups, religious leaders and non-government organisations to strengthen links between communities and their leaders. It also suggested that countries develop policies to prioritise the common good, such as those that promote income equality, societal resilience and heritage preservation. This is the second iteration of the study. In 2022, a smaller version of the study surveyed 100 thought leaders – academics, policymakers – from each country. The 2025 sample was more representative. Dr Leong said there was some consistency across the two studies. The quality of social relations stayed generally robust and resilient across all countries, while levels of trust in institutions and perceived fairness continued to be lower. The focus on common good also remained more challenging. In the 2022 study, Singapore was ranked the most cohesive society, followed by Thailand. In the latest study, Singapore was sixth, with Vietnam and Brunei having the highest scores. Dr Leong said the 2022 study participants likely knew more about Singapore's framework in managing diversity and may see Singapore as more resilient and cohesive, as compared to the ordinary Singaporean represented in the 2025 study. He added that comparisons across the region are challenging due to the countries' different stages of economic development. Singapore strongest in social relations, needs work on solidarity The study showed that Singapore was strongest in social relations, with 79 per cent of participants agreeing or strongly agreeing with statements in this domain. This was followed by connectedness (71.7 per cent) and focus on the common good (67.9 per cent). The overall social cohesion score was 73.1 out of a possible 100. It found that those who were younger or from lower-income groups reported lower social cohesion scores. Among the statements that Singaporeans agreed more with: 'People in my country are comfortable interacting with others who have a different religious identity' and 'People from diverse backgrounds in my country live together peacefully most of the time'. Both statements, which fall under the social relations domain, scored above 87 per cent. Among the lowest scoring statements were those about whether participants felt people here find it important to do community or voluntary work (48.9 per cent), or to donate to the poor (52.5 per cent). Both statements are under the common good domain. Dr Leong said that in an ultra-competitive environment, some people may consider contributing, giving back and volunteering as a hindrance to progress. Singapore needs a conversation to explore how to change this mindset because if the community as a whole falters, everyone would be affected regardless of economic success, he added. Under connectedness, which includes trust in institutions, only 51.3 per cent of respondents agreed with the statement that people feel their voices are heard when policies are made by decision makers. Dr Leong said researchers are still scrutinising this finding but noted that in the past year or two, there has been some disquiet in society arising from domestic and global challenges. 'It's normal to disagree, but (people) want to know that you have taken my feedback seriously with due consideration,' he added. More broadly, Dr Leong suggested that Singapore learn from other countries in the region, such as Myanmar or the Philippines, which face challenges such as civil war or natural disasters but have robust ratings on the focus on common good. There are other variables that affect how people feel about cohesion, and Singapore can learn from them on how to bring communities together. He added that Singapore is also a victim of its own success, with a strong and efficient government. People may feel they can leave things to the state, he said. 'We may have lost out on that initiative, as opposed to some other more economically challenged countries,' said Dr Leong. One area Singapore can look at is what are the areas the state can take a step back and allow communities to forge through their own initiatives, he added. Goh Yan Han is political correspondent at The Straits Times. She writes Unpacked, a weekly newsletter on Singapore politics and policy. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
CNA
12-06-2025
- Business
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Open for Business: U.S, China wrap up trade talks in London, keeping tariff truce alive
CNA938 Rewind Play United States and Chinese officials wrap up their talks in London, agreeing on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths while offering little sign of a durable resolution to longstanding trade differences. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman get the latest from Kevin Chen, Associate Research Fellow in the US programme at RSIS.
CNA
05-06-2025
- Politics
- CNA
Russia-linked website evades Singapore government blocking with new branding, study finds
SINGAPORE: A Russia-linked inauthentic news site that was blocked by the Singapore government last year has resurfaced in a new guise, according to a local study. Researchers from the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) found evidence that which is accessible in Singapore as of Thursday (Jun 5), shares the same operator and similar content as blocked website "While content does not appear hostile to Singapore, its creation and activation in the immediate aftermath of deactivation raises many questions," RSIS senior fellow Benjamin Ang and associate research fellow Ms Dymples Leong said. "There was no known response from the publishers of but the MHA's (Ministry of Home Affairs') action seems to have prompted them to respond by rebranding rather than shutting down." was one of 10 inauthentic sites set up by foreign actors that MHA and the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) announced on Oct 22, 2024 that they were blocking. The authorities said at the time that those 10 sites could be used to mount hostile information campaigns in Singapore, although none had done so. The RSIS researchers previously uncovered links between and which is connected to 5+1 Media, a Russian communications agency. They used open-source intelligence tools to establish the link between and and share the same internet protocol (IP) address, which a reverse IP search found is associated with The country-code top-level domain ".ru" is for Russian entities. Both sites also share the same identification number for Yandex Metrika, a web analytics service that tracks and reports online traffic. The service is provided by Yandex, a Russian internet company that runs a widely used search engine. was created on Mar 24, 2023 and masqueraded as a local site by using a colloquial expression in its domain name and carrying Singapore-related news. It carried many articles that appeared to be AI-generated, as well as articles attributed to Russia's ambassador to Singapore. was created a few days after the announcement that was being blocked. "The oldest article on was dated Mar 30, 2023, even though the website was created only on Oct 25, 2024, a dead giveaway of its inauthenticity," said the RSIS duo. On they found articles by Russia's ambassador to Singapore that appear identical to those found on such as a commentary on Russia-ASEAN cooperation. But they observed that while positioned itself as a Singapore-focused news and lifestyle site, appeared to have pivoted to a focus on Southeast Asia. CNA has asked MHA whether any action is being taken against Calling for vigilance, the RSIS researchers said the blocking of the 10 inauthentic sites last year appeared to have "stopped the people behind them from targeting Singapore directly".
Free Malaysia Today
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Address AI threats amid tensions in South China Sea, Asean told
The Asean Defence Ministers meeting, chaired by Malaysia in February this year, highlighted the risks of AI in military applications. (Bernama pic) PETALING JAYA : As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes more integrated into military systems, analysts are urging Asean member states to take AI-related defence threats more seriously, particularly amid escalating regional tensions. Faizal Abdul Rahman, a research fellow at Singapore's S Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS), said tensions in the South China Sea, particularly between China and the Philippines, have already seen the deployment of AI-driven propaganda—a key element of the emerging cognitive warfare landscape. 'Cognitive warfare' refers to strategies aimed at influencing or disrupting human thought processes, decision-making and perceptions to achieve strategic objectives, including the fracturing of society without military intervention. Prompted by its importance as a strategic shipping lane and resource-rich zone, the South China Sea has been the subject of overlapping claims by China on the one part, and the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan on the other. 'AI cognitive warfare would be a tactic that claimant countries need to prepare for,' Faizal told FMT. Meanwhile, several Asean nations are advancing AI-driven defence technologies. Indonesia, for example, is collaborating with Turkiye to develop drones, while Vietnam's military technology arm, Viettel, is integrating AI into radar and electronic warfare systems. 'These AI-enabled drones could complement Indonesia's defence posture near the Natuna islands. 'Such capabilities could be useful when deployed at islets in the South China Sea that Vietnam controls and has reclaimed,' said Faizal. The Asean Defence Ministers meeting, chaired by Malaysia in February this year, highlighted the risks of AI in military applications, including miscalculation, overdependence and the potential for unintended conflict escalation. The long game However, Faizal noted that while Asean nations may incorporate AI-related guidelines into their military modernisation efforts, it remains uncertain whether they would accept restrictions that could limit their strategic options in the South China Sea. He said rules and norms work better when there is a good level of trust between countries that are parties to a dispute. 'But the prolonged negotiations on the Code of Conduct (COC) suggest that there is more pessimism than optimism in resolving the South China Sea dispute,' he said. COC negotiations between Asean and China have dragged on for over two decades, stalled by disagreements over legal obligations, its geographic scope and enforcement. Universiti Malaya's Johan Saravanamuttu believes that Malaysia, as Asean chair, can use its special relationship with China to push the COC talks forward. Malaysia was the first Southeast Asian country to establish diplomatic ties with China in 1974, and currently serves as the Asean-China country coordinator. 'Malaysia has a much better relationship with China than the Philippines, which will take over as the next Asean chair,' Johan added. 'The Philippines has claims to the South China Sea, but it is in alliance with the US. That creates more complications due to US-China tensions.' He also urged Malaysia to revive the dormant Asean High Council for peaceful conflict resolution, and to consider reintroducing ideas from the Zone of Peace, Freedom and Neutrality — a declaration signed by Asean member states in 1971— including making Southeast Asia a nuclear-free region. Managing expectations Still, experts said that tackling issues related to the South China Sea, whether in terms of regulating AI military use or concluding the COC, will take time. Tang Siew Mun of the ISEAS Yusof-Ishak Institute said Asean remains a 'work-in-progress' and it would be 'unreasonable' to place so many expectations on a single chairmanship. This is especially the case given that Malaysia is facing stronger geopolitical and geoeconomic headwinds on top of higher expectations, he said, compared to its previous stint as bloc chair 10 years ago. Tang said despite its rockier relationship with Beijing, the Philippines' chairmanship of Asean next year was unlikely to derail the grouping's efforts in the South China Sea. 'Although much of the spotlight on the South China Sea disputes has been on the Philippines' standoff with China, it bears reminding that peace and stability in the South China Sea is a regional issue,' he told FMT. Faizal said that a one-year chairmanship term was too short for significant progress to be made on the use of AI in defence. 'To maintain the momentum, Malaysia may need to work with next year's chairperson to ensure continuity in the 'AI in defence' agenda,' he said. Malaysia will host the 46th Asean Summit in Kuala Lumpur on May 26, under the theme 'Sustainability and Inclusivity'. The summit will tackle regional flashpoints, including the South China Sea, amid growing geopolitical tensions.
