焦點出版

He was a well-known doctor and professor, and was one of the leading names in obstetrics and gynaecology in Singapore for decades.

And when he was 63 years old, he was asked to be the second President of Singapore, after the first President Yusof Ishak died in 1970.

What was Benjamin Sheares like as a President? Did he continue practising as a doctor after he became President? And who described him as “a perfect gentleman?”

The answers to these questions and more can be found in this easy-to-read book, which is targeted at upper primary and lower secondary pupils.

It has many photographs of Benjamin Sheares and readers will enjoy seeing him in his early years, when he was a professor, and also in more relaxed, unguarded moments.

In this updated book, viewed by many as a definitive guide to Singapore-style diplomacy, former minister, diplomat and law dean S Jayakumar outlines the principles and norms that form the bedrock of Singapore’s foreign policy, shaped by more than five decades of hard-earned experience of ministers and officials. Professor Jayakumar, who retired from politics as Senior Minister in 2011, illustrates these with his accounts of and reflections on milestones where he had been involved as either Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs or, much earlier, as Singapore’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations (UN).

This second edition includes an overview and chapter updates of the tumultuous trends and developments in the 2010s that have made a significant impact on geopolitics and diplomacy, especially for small states such as Singapore.

The book documents how Singapore has been able to create diplomatic and economic space for itself through proactive and creative diplomacy, for instance, by initiating key international forums, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum and Asia-Europe Meeting, and by pursuing free trade agreements, such as the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership and the European Union-Singapore Free Trade Agreement, both inked in 2018. Singapore has remained relevant to the international community by hosting international summits, such as the Trump-Kim Summit in 2018 and the Xi-Ma Summit in 2015, and by leading UN efforts such as the Singapore Convention on Mediation, opened for signature in Singapore in 2019.

Professor Jayakumar recounts how Singapore has responded to moves by other countries that are inimical to its national interests and put it under intense pressure, without losing its credibility. These include three difficult cases between 1994 and 1995 — the hanging of Dutch national Johannes Van Damme, that of Filipino maid Flor Contemplacion, and the caning of American Michael Fay — and the impounding of Singapore’s Terrex infantry carrier vehicles in transit in Hong Kong in 2016.

Professor Jayakumar also discusses how Singapore has resolved disputes with other countries in an amicable manner through third-party settlement, in compliance with international law and international agreements, which has become an important feature of Singapore’s foreign policy. These include the land reclamation case with Malaysia and the case where the International Court of Justice awarded sovereignty over Pedra Branca to Singapore.

COMMENDATIONS

“The honest , meaty narratives offer insights into strategic goals and diplomatic means of one of the world’s most skillful foreign ministries.”
Review from Foreign Affairs

“S Jayakumar’s reflections explain how Singapore manages to “punch above its weight” on the international stage. In doing so, it offers valuable insights for historians, political scientists and leaders from around the world.
Kofi A Annan, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General, 1997–2006

Singapore has evolved from a developing country to a developed one, in only a few short decades. Its gross domestic product per capita has soared from just US$517 (S$697) in 1965, to US$64,582 (S$87,128) in 2018.

Impressed, visiting university students from Mexico and the United States, in early 2019, asked the city state’s Ambassador-at-Large Tommy Koh for its secret of success.

His reply: there was not a single secret but many, which he would consider curating a new book on.

The result: Fifty Secrets of Singapore’s Success.

The collection of 50 essays, written by leaders and experts in their fields, sheds light on how the small state has scored significant success in not only economics but also eight other areas.

Among other things, Singapore is one of the world’s least corrupt countries, has one of the highest home ownership rates worldwide — of more than 90 per cent — and has world-class schools, healthcare and environments.

Singapore has also been a good global citizen. It has played a significant role in the development of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). At the United Nations (UN), Singapore has played a leadership role in the negotiations of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the UN Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (also known as the Singapore Convention on Mediation) and the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

Many of the contributors are well-known names. They include Economic Development Board’s former executive chairman, Philip Yeo; Changi Airport Group’s and Surbana Jurong’s chairman, Liew Mun Leong; Singapore Airlines’ chief executive officer, Goh Choon Phong; National Wages Council’s founding chairman, Lim Chong Yah; National Trades Union Congress president and former Nominated Member of Parliament (NMP) Mary Liew; Housing & Development Board’s chief executive officer, Cheong Koon Hean; Singapore Management University’s president, Lily Kong; the National Institute of Education’s former director, Leo Tan; Public Service Commission’s and The Esplanade Co’s chairman, Lee Tzu Yang; Singapore’s first and longest-serving Chief of Defence Force, Winston Choo; former Singapore Police Commissioner and INTERPOL president Khoo Boon Hui; National Parks Board’s and Gardens by the Bay’s founding chief executive officer, Kiat W Tan; former ASEAN Secretary-General Ong Keng Yong; veteran diplomat Chan Heng Chee; former NMP and the Association of Women for Action and Research’s former president, Kanwaljit Soin; and World Toilet Organization’s founder, Jack Sim.

Veteran journalists of The Straits Times — Vikram Khanna, Christopher Tan and Sandra Davie — have also contributed essays to the book.

The hawker centre is an integral part of Singapore's urban landscape. As they are now easily found all around the island, many may not be aware that the concept of housing hawkers within designated space was not common before Singapore's independence in 1965. Instead, hawkers plied the streets on foot, toting their wares in portable makeshift stalls.

Illustrator Chang Yang captured the street hawkers from the 20s and 30s in a series titled "Our Vanishing Street Hawkers" (消失了的过街小贩), which ran in of the Singapore's Chinese evening dailies, the Lianhe Wanbao, from 1987 - 1988. Accompanying the illustrations were informative passages, describing in details how the hawkers conducted business, where they could be found, the types of customers they attracted and even the hawker's outfits.

This book published by Focus Publishing and the National Heritage Board features the full series of 128 illustrations, with their accompanying text translated into English by Dr. Lai Chee Kien. Dr. Lai also writes in detail on the history of hawker centres in Singapore, and presents a visual and analysis of Chan Yang's illustrations.

“Word of Wisdom” is an inspiring collection of Venerable Master Hsing Yun, which have been reprinted from his daily column in the Shin Min Daily. Penned by Shin Min Editor Bernard Choo, the column offers a wide array of topics concerning our daily life, ranging from good health and longevity, marriage and wealth.　

Dr Tham Wai Mun has taught courses on translation in various institutions, such as Confucius Institute of NTU, Singapore Institute of Management University (UniSIM), and National University of Singapore (NUS).

　　《優1周》是新加坡唯一匯集娛樂、生活、保健及親子的綜合雜誌。疫情期間，《優1周》推出的國內游系列深受讀者歡迎，作者羅倫斯策劃撰寫的《趴趴走慢跑游獅城》、《趴趴漫遊森呼吸》、《 穿街走巷趴趴樂》，帶讀者走進樹林、海邊、蓄水池，甚至組屋區等地，發掘在地旅遊的樂趣。全書圖文並茂，提供各種有用的資訊和建議路線，說是與大自然互動的「寶典」。

　　找美食，是許多人的愛好，但要怎麼吃出菜的優劣，怎麼從吃當中認識飲食文化，遙想當年？本書作者黃長彥，筆名江夏二郎，行醫多年，現任康盛醫療集團執行董事兼總裁。他是一名英校生，卻應邀以中文在《聯合早報·副刊》撰寫美食專欄〈泛泛之輩〉，一寫就是三年半。如今他把專欄文章連同兩篇新作收錄在這本中英雙語的書中，把他對於美食的心得，以及飲食行家言傳的行內知識，與大家分享。

　　This bilingual book is compiled from a gastronomy column in Lianhe Zaobao, written and translated into English by Dr Wong Chiang Yin (alias Jiang Xia Er Lang 江夏二郎), the Executive Director and Group CEO of Thomson Medical Group. He is a medical professional with an eye for finer details about eating well. He shares with us many interesting observations and insight about everyday dishes and the culture of eating.