焦點出版

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.

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.

“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).

　　《點智慧》是《新明日報》最受歡迎的專欄。《星雲大師點智慧11》精選自專欄文章，分《對事篇》、《激勵篇》、《人我篇》和《自省篇》四個章節共84則文章，讓讀者在應對人生的挫折時能受到啓發，充滿正能量。

　　《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.

這一回，阿倫賣書......

自吹自擂自言自賣推薦《笑吃》

文／阿倫

　　都說了，我沒有出書的心，卻在《優1周》老總劉汶錝及編輯黃成財「糾纏不清婆囉嗦」下，外加「絕無可能說No凌厲眼神」冷盯下，我開始「嗯……」了。

【機不可失 軟硬逼迫】

　　機不可失，他們即刻稀裡嘩啦搬出厚厚一疊疊打印稿四面包抄，說這些是我在早報飲食版的曾經。我說「大多因工作而商業化呀，有什麼好的啊」。一軟一硬，汶錝施施然表明他已經篩選了，還在他喜歡的段落Highlight又打✔，指示我隨心所欲刪除商業性文字；成財斬釘截鐵說每一篇加一則短文，心情回看數十年感慨。於是，這本《笑吃》呢，收集了很多很多篇長和不短文章，外加遵成財指定有短和不長的補記（「2018回頭看」），可笑看的似乎不少喔……

【獨來獨往 我行我素】

　　我在報館37年，獨來獨往，我行我素，拒談家事，夜晚9時後不准電話，外號怪人。連早報前老總林任君都嘖嘖，說我率性，有時簡直「不守秩序」。還有啊，「和這個講求效益和紀律的工作環境格格不入的人，竟然能在這場矛盾里尋求統一，存活下來，而且活得相當瀟灑自在。 」

　　……於是乎，你也會措手不及驚見我的啼笑喜怒，笑看近七十年所作所為，朋友同事不知的唏噓私事……啊，還有第一次示眾我六十多年前的照片！

　　我自己呢，至少買50本啊😇

　　你呢？

　　你……敢不買嗎？