英文

In This Together: Singapore’s Covid-19 Story is a dramatic insider account of the first two years of the pandemic.

It is a story of suffering and resilience, of miscalculation and foresight, and of grumbling yet cooperation.

The book is written by journalists of The Straits Times who have been in the thick of covering the ongoing crisis.

More than 300 people were interviewed, including the President of Singapore, the Prime Minister, business owners and survivors of the disease.

Through their recollections, the book chronicles how the country came together to fight the virus, even as everyone has had to stay resolutely apart while doing so.

Filled with evocative archival photographs and vivid snapshots of the modern city, Singapore Trails: Singapore River Walk & Jubilee Walk uncovers the island’s rich past and vibrant present via two specially curated walking trails.

This handy guidebook brings together two trails in the heart of the city: the Singapore River Walk, which traces Singapore’s path from a bustling 19th-century port to a modern city, and the Jubilee Walk, created to mark key milestones in Singapore’s nation-building as it celebrated its 50th anniversary of independence in 2015.

These storied paths take readers on a journey not simply through Singapore’s civic district, but through her rich and multifaceted past.

With this guide in hand, tourists, foreign residents, and locals alike will enjoy finding out more about Singapore on foot.

　　Modern Singapore was forged in the flames of a volatile past. Different groups fought to tear Singapore apart during our early years of nation building.

　　This five-book series traces those turbulent years and tell the stories of the people who witnessed history up close. Written in a clear and down-to-earth way, packed with photographs and with pages of graphic novel storytelling, these booklets will appeal to students, young people and anyone looking for a vivid and concise overview of Singapore’s turbulent years.

The five titles in the series are:

• Battle for Hearts and Minds: Fighting the Communist Threat, 1948-1963 The fight against the communist threat in Singapore and Malaya in the years immediately after World War II. (76 pages)
  
  
• The Undeclared War: Konfrontasi Indonesia’s Konfrontasi (Confrontation) campaign against Malaysia and Singapore in the 1960s, including the 1965 bombing of MacDonald House in Orchard Road that killed three innocent people. (64 pages)
  
  
• Into The Fire: 1964 Racial Riots The deadly racial riots of July and September 1964 that took place against a backdrop of growing political tension in Singapore and Malaysia. (52 pages)
  
  
• Singapore Is Out: Separation and Independence The fight for merger and the issues that led to political tension between Singapore and Malaysia and, eventually, to independence for Singapore. (48 pages)
  
  
• War Is Far From Over: Fighting the Communist Threat, 1968-1989 The havoc wreaked when the communists resumed their attacks in Malaysia and Singapore in the 1960s and 1970s. (60 pages)

　　After Japan was hit by a triple disaster — an earthquake, a tsunami, and a nuclear meltdown — in 2011, Singapore raised about S$35.7 million, one of its largest contributions for disaster relief in another country.

　　In 2023, the year after Japan had relaxed border measures implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic that erupted in 2020, 591,267 travellers from Singapore visited Japan. This was equivalent to almost 15 per cent of Singapore’s resident population. In 2024, this number grew further by 16.9 per cent to 691,100.

　　The people of Singapore have shown strong support for Japan, even though Japan had occupied their home from 1942 to 1945, during the Second World War.

　　Things improved later. After Singapore became independent in 1965, Japan established diplomatic relations with it in 1966 and contributed significantly to its development. Both countries have also since cooperated in various areas, including the economic, defence, and security spheres.

　　The Land of the Rising Sun and the Lion City: The Story of Japan and Singapore illustrates the growing ties between both countries through their people’s experiences. The collection of 68 essays is contributed by more than 80 writers from various walks of life, including government officials, entrepreneurs, artists, academics, and journalists.

　　They include Singapore’s Permanent Secretary for Home Affairs Pang Kin Keong and Japan’s former Special Advisor on National Security Miyagawa Makio, who led the negotiations for the 2002 Japan–Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement; former Permanent Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tan Chin Tiong and Bilahari Kausikan; Nippon Paint Chairman Goh Hup Jin; Albirex Niigata President Korenaga Daisuke; TungLok Group President Andrew Tjioe; chef Willin Low; Enshu Sado School’s Grand Master Kobori Sojitsu; World Toilet Organization founder Jack Sim; Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO) Singapore Office’s Executive Director Shiraishi Takuya; Gardens by the Bay Chief Executive Felix Loh; Japan Creative Centre Director Kawabe Akiko; Singapore Film Society Chairman Kenneth Tan; Artistic Director of the Singapore Biennale 2006 and 2008, Nanjo Fumio; National Gallery Singapore’s Assistant Chief Executive Aun Koh; Cultural Medallion winners Iskandar Jalil, Dick Lee, and Eric Khoo; YouTuber Ghib Ojisan; and journalists Walter Sim and Michiyo Ishida. Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and Japan’s former Minister for Digital Transformation Kono Taro penned the forewords.

Men In White is the inside story of one of the world’s most successful political parties. Narrated in three parts, it is oral history spun in a journalistic mode and spiced unapologetically with anecdotes, quotes and human interest to breathe life into past events.

Three writers from The Straits Times backed by four researchers conducted some 300 interviews in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong and China. The result is a dramatic account of the PAP – warts, blemishes and all – and of the pivotal moments in its history which changed the course of Singapore forever.

PART ONE tells how a Cambridge-educated lawyer and his anglicised associates collaborated with radical Chinese-speaking trade unionists to drive out the British colonialists and how they fought each other to the bitter end.

PART TWO captures the agonies of leadership renewal and charts the ascent of Goh Chok Tong who succeeded Lee as the second prime minister. It ends with Lee Hsien Loong taking over from Goh in 2004 and leading the party to victory in the 2006 polls.

PART THREE wraps up the PAP story by delving into the key principles that characterise Singapore governance and concludes with the intriguing poser: Will PAP outlive LKY?

This book tells the story of the man who transformed an improbable country into the thriving metropolis it is now. Selected from over 35,000 photographs from a wide range of sources, including Lee’s personal albums, it also captures private and loving moments between Lee and his wife and life-long partner Kwa Geok Choo, and the family they raised together. This pictorial is both a visual record and a celebration of his remarkable story.

Proudly Singaporean is Alain Vandenborre's powerful and thought-provoking review of the many challenges facing Singapore today, and a moving account of why he chose to become a Singapore citizen. An entrepreneur and the Executive Director and Vice-Chairman of the Singapore Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, Vandenborre has over 20 years of business and senior management experience, and he brings insight, hope and warmth to his stirring vision for the country.

Every time we use a Singapore bank note, we see his face – the face of Yusof Ishak, the first President of Singapore.

But did you know that he had to overcome challenges in his life and was also a champion in sports such as weightlifting and boxing?

And not many people know that when he got married, in 1949, he and his wife lived in a kampung house with no electricity – the couple used kerosene lamps for light.

This book, which is targeted at upper primary and lower secondary pupils, will make this icon of Singapore come alive. It is suitable for anyone who wants an overview of the life and background of the first President of Singapore.

Readers will also enjoy the many photographs of Yusof Ishak, at formal occasions and in less formal moments.

C.V. Devan Nair, the son of a rubber plantation clerk, rose from humble beginnings to become an outstanding union leader, a Member of Parliament, and eventually President of Singapore.

This book, which is targeted at upper primary and lower secondary pupils, describes Nair’s childhood and his years growing up in an anti-colonial household.

It also describes in detail how, during the tumultuous post-war years, Nair came to the attention of the British authorities, who were cracking down on anti-colonial activities, and ended up spending a total of about five years in detention.

It gives an excellent overview of the exciting early years of Nair’s life in the 1950s and 60s as a teacher, a unionist and an MP, and highlights his dedication and contributions to the NTUC.

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.