Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The NSC Working Paper Series is published electronically by the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre of ISEAS- Yusok Ishak Institute © Copyright is held by the author or authors of each Working Paper. NSC Working Papers cannot be republished,... more
The NSC Working Paper Series is published electronically by the Nalanda-Sriwijaya Centre of ISEAS- Yusok Ishak Institute © Copyright is held by the author or authors of each Working Paper. NSC Working Papers cannot be republished, reprinted, or reproduced in any format without the permission of the paper’s author or authors. Citations of this electronic publication should be made in the following manner: Michael Flecker, Early Voyaging in the South China
Research Interests:
Twenty-five years ago, the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia agreed to jointly promote the city-state, the state of Johor in Malaysia and the Riau Islands in Indonesia. Facilitated by common cultural references, a more... more
Twenty-five years ago, the governments of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia agreed to jointly promote the city-state, the state of Johor in Malaysia and the Riau Islands in Indonesia. Facilitated by common cultural references, a more distant shared history, and complementary attributes, interactions between the three territories developed quickly. Logistics networks have proliferated and production chains link firms based in one location with affiliates or transport facilities in the other territories. These cross-border links have enabled all three locations to develop their economies and enjoy rising standards of living. Initially economic in nature, the interactions between Singapore, Johor, and the Riau Islands have multiplied and grown deeper. Today, people cross the borders to work, go to school, or avail of an increasing range of goods and services. New political, social, and cultural phenomena have developed. Policy-makers in the various territories now need to reconcile economic imperatives and issues of identity and sovereignty. Enabled by their proximity and increasing opportunities, families have also begun to straddle borders, with resulting questions about citizenship and belonging. Using the Cross-Border Region framework – which seeks to analyse these three territories as one entity simultaneously divided and bound together by its borders – this book brings together scholars from a range of disciplines. Its 18 chapters and more than 20 maps examine the interaction between Singapore, Johor, and the Riau Islands over the past quarter-century, and seek to shed light on how these territories could develop in the future.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This chapter argues that Asian Pentecostalism is characterized by enigmatic attributes in three dimensions that distinguish it from Western Pentecostalism and Pentecostalism in the Global South. Firstly, Asian Pentecostalism is... more
This chapter argues that Asian Pentecostalism is characterized by enigmatic attributes in three dimensions that distinguish it from Western Pentecostalism and Pentecostalism in the Global South. Firstly, Asian Pentecostalism is indigenizing and transnationalizing by nature, spearheaded by prophetic preachers and contextual theologies that grapple with specific socio-cultural conditions. Secondly, Asian Pentecostalism tends towards the building of mega-churches while promoting close discipling and disciplining in small groups. Thirdly, while socially and oftentimes politically conservative, Asian Pentecostalism invents new modes of social engagements with developmental states and democratizing public spheres that may have surprising progressive outcomes. This chapter is organized into three sections - transnationalizing and indigenizing Asian Pentecostalism; rise of the mega-churches; and Asian Pentecostalism and Christian social engagement – in order to explicate the attributes in a sweeping historical survey of Pentecostal movements in South, Southeast and East Asia.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Over the past two decades, ISEAS has compiled abridged articles that analyse key aspects of Southeast Asia's development and the ASEAN process. The ASEAN Reader was published in 1992 just as the Cold War ended, while The Second ASEAN... more
Over the past two decades, ISEAS has compiled abridged articles that analyse key aspects of Southeast Asia's development and the ASEAN process. The ASEAN Reader was published in 1992 just as the Cold War ended, while The Second ASEAN Reader came in 2003 in the wake of the 1997 Asian crisis and the September 11 attacks in 2001. The past decade has not been spared its share of intense changes, with the rise of China and India bringing new challenges to the region's power equation, and the impact of the 2008 global financial crisis. Despite this, the momentum towards an integrated ASEAN community has been maintained. The articles in The Third ASEAN Reader study the trends and events of recent years, and discuss the immediate future of Southeast Asia.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Abstract:Study of the trajectory of arts education in Singapore through examination of key policies and government reports suggests that, although the arts and arts education have generally taken a back seat to other national priorities,... more
Abstract:Study of the trajectory of arts education in Singapore through examination of key policies and government reports suggests that, although the arts and arts education have generally taken a back seat to other national priorities, the government has consistently utilized them for ideological and political purposes. Arts education is typically subjected to the bureaucratic imagination, which assigns to arts education a particular state-sanctioned role. Whether to ennoble students as citizens of a newly independent nation or to endow them with the innovativeness believed to be necessary to a knowledge-based economy, arts education in Singapore has often shouldered the sociocultural aspirations of the ruling elite. This has been true even if the subject has not always been the recipient of unwavering political support.
Research Interests:
Change is not always about the new. Occasionally, it is about the reappearance of the old. This is easily missed in a country that takes deep pride in perpetual self-transformation, and nowhere was this more evident than in the 7 May 2011... more
Change is not always about the new. Occasionally, it is about the reappearance of the old. This is easily missed in a country that takes deep pride in perpetual self-transformation, and nowhere was this more evident than in the 7 May 2011 Singapore General Election (GE2011). In the wake of the most thoroughly contested general elections in generations, the mainstream media and pundits alike sought to capture this sense of change with a variety of phrases such as the “new normal”2 and “watershed”,3 suggesting that the 61 per cent of the popular vote won by the People’s Action Party (PAP) — its lowest since independence — has resulted in a different Singapore, one that has broken away from the norm. Such hyperbole is understandable and not entirely inaccurate, but greater contextualization will show that sometimes the old reappears as the new. GE2011 was historically important for a couple of reasons. It saw the largest number of voters ever — 2.3 million, increasing from 2.1 million in 2006 and 2 million in 2001. It also gave us a quick glimpse into the future of Singapore politics because it saw the largest ever participation of first-time voters — 200,000 — as well as the largest number of younger voters with an estimated 600,000 out of 2.3 million between the ages of 21 and 35. The candidates from the various political parties reflect this youthful demographic too.4 However, the fact that the ruling PAP was not returned to government on Nomination Day is not new. While 2011 saw 82 out of 87 seats contested, it must be remembered that 2006 saw 56 per cent of the seats contested (47 out of 84). And if we cast our minds back further to 1980, we will remember that 38 out of 68 Parliamentary seats were contested; in 1976 53 out of 69 seats were contested; and in 1972 57 seats
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
1. Imagining the Singapore Theatre Field 2. The Arts in Singapore: Site of Ideologies, Fantasies, and Orthodoxies 3. The Singapore Theatre Field: "A different world...unique" but not completely so 4. Claiming Authenticity:... more
1. Imagining the Singapore Theatre Field 2. The Arts in Singapore: Site of Ideologies, Fantasies, and Orthodoxies 3. The Singapore Theatre Field: "A different world...unique" but not completely so 4. Claiming Authenticity: Theatre-State Tensions 5. Cultural Intermediaries: The Media and The Arts Education Programme 6. "Because it's in my blood": The Politics of Illusio 7. The Invisible State: Disciplining the Theatre Field 8. Resistance and Defiance: The Revenge of the Middle Class Artist
Research Interests:
This chapter examines the development and character of the prosperity gospels in Singapore. It sets out the historical shifts that have made it possible for the prosperity gospels to take root in Singapore and proceeds to point out that... more
This chapter examines the development and character of the prosperity gospels in Singapore. It sets out the historical shifts that have made it possible for the prosperity gospels to take root in Singapore and proceeds to point out that the preaching of prosperity gospels comes with the country’s upward economic trajectory as a backdrop, often resulting in the interpretation of material affluence as a sign of God’s favour and blessing on the only ethnic Chinese dominant country in the region. With examples of two Singaporean megachurches, namely City Harvest Church and New Creation Church, it is observed that the prosperity gospels appeal to middle-class professionals who have transcended their less economically advantageous background through diligence, hence reaffirming their experience of Singapore’s meritocracy at work.
Research Interests: Faith and Prosperity
Research Interests:
The articles and research notes in this Special Focus issue of SOJOURN were part of the proceedings from the international conference, “Religion in Southeast Asian Politics: Resistance, Negotiation and Transcendence”, held at the... more
The articles and research notes in this Special Focus issue of SOJOURN were part of the proceedings from the international conference, “Religion in Southeast Asian Politics: Resistance, Negotiation and Transcendence”, held at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS), 11–12 December 2008. The conference, co-sponsored by Cornell University’s Southeast Asia Programme and generously supported by the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung, saw paper presenters from different parts of the world converge to examine the nexus between national politics and religion in the Southeast Asian landscape. During the conference it was clear that the presentations fell into two broad categories — the politics of Islam and the rest. This should not be surprising given the political and cultural history of the region, as well as the deep scholarship on Islam in the disciplines of contemporary history, anthropology, sociology, and political science. The editorial decision was made to hive off the papers on Islam and politics into an edited volume to be published by ISEAS, with the more interesting and noteworthy “non-Islam” papers to be published in this Special Focus issue. The papers here cover the countries of Vietnam, the Philippines, Thailand, and Singapore and the religions of Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism and ancestor worship. Despite the diverse papers in this Special Focus issue, three general points can be observed from the findings presented. The first is the increasingly public role that religion is assuming, both in politics as well as in civic life. The traditional boundary between private and public spheres is clearly
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
Using original research data, this paper outlines three characteristics that have contributed to the rapid rise of independent Pentecostal megachurches in Singapore. Firstly, megachurches have been very successful in attracting emergent... more
Using original research data, this paper outlines three characteristics that have contributed to the rapid rise of independent Pentecostal megachurches in Singapore. Firstly, megachurches have been very successful in attracting emergent middle-class Singaporeans. Their appeal to upwardly mobile people from working and lower-middle-class backgrounds makes them a converging point for class-transcending individuals who have a strong sense of agency. Second, megachurches are shown to be more likely to combine spirituality with market logic, and their “seeker church” mentality slightly but significantly modifies their attitudes towards homosexuals. These attitudes enable them to better engage with the contemporary marketplace as well as to appeal to young economically mobile Singaporeans generally. Third, it is argued that as part of the broader international evangelical movements, Singapore megachurches have learned to minister to the needy and disadvantaged in ways that avoid conflict with the state. Their integration of trans-nationalizing networks and local indigenizing cells also enables them to combine global connectivity with local relevance amongst distinct groups of Singapore society.
Research Interests:
The Escape Singapore began 2008 in high drama. On the early evening of 27 February, Singaporeans were told of a breakout from the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC). Mas Selamat bin Kastari, an Indonesian-born Singaporean, held under... more
The Escape Singapore began 2008 in high drama. On the early evening of 27 February, Singaporeans were told of a breakout from the Whitley Road Detention Centre (WRDC). Mas Selamat bin Kastari, an Indonesian-born Singaporean, held under the Internal Security Act, sparked the largest manhunt ever launched in Singapore. He was allegedly the head of the Singapore branch of militant group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) and, according to the Singapore government, was suspected of plotting to attack Singapore Changi Airport in 2002 by crashing a plane into it. Arrested in January 2006 by Indonesian anti-terror squads in Java, Mas Selamat was then deported to Singapore. He was never formally charged with any terrorism-related offences but was held by the state under the Internal Security Act. A nation-wide search involving the Singapore Police Force, the Gurkha Contingent, the Police Tactical Unit and the Police National Service Key Installation Protection Unit was conducted. They were later joined by the Singapore Guards and the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command. Response from the public ranged from mild alarm to anger, the latter of which was manifested largely on Internet blogs and forums. Public criticism was directed at several levels. Many were critical of the way a supposedly dangerous terrorist suspect could have so easily slipped out of a high security detention centre and at the misinformation given out to the public by the police. Initial news alerts informed the public that Mas Selamat walked with a limp; later alerts noted that the limp was only visible when he ran. Critics also accused the pro-government
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
The political transition from Lee Kuan Yew to Goh Chok Tong to Lee Hsien Loong has generally been interpreted as a trajectory of gradual liberalisation in Singapore. This discourse of liberalisation is encouraged by a variety of factors... more
The political transition from Lee Kuan Yew to Goh Chok Tong to Lee Hsien Loong has generally been interpreted as a trajectory of gradual liberalisation in Singapore. This discourse of liberalisation is encouraged by a variety of factors such as policy changes ...
Research Interests:
Lee Hsien Loong's succession of Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister (PM) in August 2004 was long anticipated. It was thus unsurprising that political analysts spent 2005 dissecting the new PM's every public utterance for clues as to... more
Lee Hsien Loong's succession of Goh Chok Tong as Prime Minister (PM) in August 2004 was long anticipated. It was thus unsurprising that political analysts spent 2005 dissecting the new PM's every public utterance for clues as to the character of his new administration. These analysts have endeavoured to describe and define the new Lee administration perhaps not just to distinguish it from the long shadow of Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew and the highly popular Senior Minister Goh, but also to decipher the People's Action Party (PAP) government's visions for Singapore at the dawn of the 21st century. In a one-party state with only three prime ministers since independence, it is tempting to see each transition as epochal even if the PAP government takes pains to spread the message of ideological continuity and political stability. It was thus inevitable that Lee's widely publicized inaugural "open and inclusive society" slogan would be contrasted with Goh's own "kinder, gentler society" tagline as though a national paradigm shift had quietly occurred between administrations. Given the growing demands of an increasingly cosmopolitan citizenry, Lee's slogan was interpreted by some to be a hint at further political liberalization, even prompting the Straits Times to herald in a "brave new Singapore"; one that was moving away from a "one-size-fits-all paradigm" in terms of government policies.1 Initial expectations of greater political liberalization have, however, at the close of 2005, been replaced by a more sober appreciation of the fact that the proposed "open and inclusive society" was never intended to signal democratic openness but, rather, societal acceptance of different personal and social achievements. By celebrating individuals who have wandered off the beaten track and achieved success in non-academic fields and non-mainstream careers, the message of the new Lee administration was that society no longer
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... place' even if such differentiations are still maturing (for earlier studies on class in Malaysia seeHusin Ali, 1964 ... According to Dr Abdullah Md Zin, Minister of Religious Affairs, Islam Hadhari is 'wasatiyah or... more
... place' even if such differentiations are still maturing (for earlier studies on class in Malaysia seeHusin Ali, 1964 ... According to Dr Abdullah Md Zin, Minister of Religious Affairs, Islam Hadhari is 'wasatiyah or a balanced approach to ... In the Hanafi school of thought, it is more lenient. ...
Research Interests:
According to Prasenjit Duara, the sacredness of the nation hinges on its ‘regimes of authenticity’ where timelessness and the politics of embodiment are key to an authentic national identity. This paper looks at three different cultural... more
According to Prasenjit Duara, the sacredness of the nation hinges on its ‘regimes of authenticity’ where timelessness and the politics of embodiment are key to an authentic national identity. This paper looks at three different cultural impulses that have attempted to manufacture authenticity in Singapore. They are: the Malay literary movement Angkatan Sasterawan 50 prior to independence; the state-sponsored Confucian ethics discourse during the 1980s; and the romanticization of the working-class ‘heartlander’ through contemporary popular culture in confrontation with the politics of global capitalism and globalization. In doing so, this paper articulates the difference between the regimes of authenticity of state elites and non-state cultural producers, as well as their ‘national imaginaries’. It concludes that the regime of authenticity, that operationalizes the representations of the working class as a diametric opposite to the logic and force of globalization, offers the most po...
Research Interests:
... is quoted in Lai Wai Yin, 'Modernisation of a cultural tradition: A case study of Chinese opera in Singapore' (Honours Thesis, National University of Singapore, 1985), p. 13. See also Joanna Wong, 'Chinese... more
... is quoted in Lai Wai Yin, 'Modernisation of a cultural tradition: A case study of Chinese opera in Singapore' (Honours Thesis, National University of Singapore, 1985), p. 13. See also Joanna Wong, 'Chinese opera in Singapore: An overview', in Traditional theatre in Southeast ...
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
... Suhaimi, N. 1 May 2009. Church Against Homosexuality as 'Normal Alternative Lifestyle'. ... In Confucian Traditions in East Asian Modernity: Moral Education and Economic Culture in Japan and the Four Mini-Dragons ,... more
... Suhaimi, N. 1 May 2009. Church Against Homosexuality as 'Normal Alternative Lifestyle'. ... In Confucian Traditions in East Asian Modernity: Moral Education and Economic Culture in Japan and the Four Mini-Dragons , Edited by: Tu, W. 294309. ...
Research Interests:
... teases out ethno-cultural distinctions that have destabilising effects on the "de-ethnicised" macro-identity. ... ethic discourse is funda-mental to this cultural translation of wealth to Self worth makes it a ... The fact... more
... teases out ethno-cultural distinctions that have destabilising effects on the "de-ethnicised" macro-identity. ... ethic discourse is funda-mental to this cultural translation of wealth to Self worth makes it a ... The fact that nepotism as a value, in the sociological sense, was not identified as ...
Research Interests:
... In other words, in Singapore, it is conventionally thought that ethnic identities are only celebrated ... of the Chinese identity and its interests, protests that are disguised as concerns over the ... of Chinese opera to negotiate... more
... In other words, in Singapore, it is conventionally thought that ethnic identities are only celebrated ... of the Chinese identity and its interests, protests that are disguised as concerns over the ... of Chinese opera to negotiate the state's firm stance against competing ethnic interests. ...
Research Interests:
... What distinguishes this from previous policies is its new economic rai-son d'être as well as its increasing reflection of the government's desire to be seen as abiding by international norms. ... Playwright: Haresh Sharma.... more
... What distinguishes this from previous policies is its new economic rai-son d'être as well as its increasing reflection of the government's desire to be seen as abiding by international norms. ... Playwright: Haresh Sharma. Director: Alvin Tan. ...
Research Interests:
... Some people think of artists as useless people – not so useful to society as carpenters, bricklayers, businessmen and even politicians. S. Rajaratnam Singapore Minister of Culture (Rajaratnam, 1964). Arts and Culture for a New... more
... Some people think of artists as useless people – not so useful to society as carpenters, bricklayers, businessmen and even politicians. S. Rajaratnam Singapore Minister of Culture (Rajaratnam, 1964). Arts and Culture for a New Society. ...
Research Interests:
Short op-ed on Nalanda University and the East Asia Summit countries appeared in TODAY