Diplomacy: A Singapore Experience by S Jayakumar

(Book Review No. 1 : Finished reading on the 30th of June 2011)

ISBN: 9789814266949

Price: SGD 34.78

I remember I had originally went to Kinokuniya to get a book on Chinese history for my grandfather. I was walking past the history section when I noticed this book by one of Singapore's most prominent politician and experienced diplomat, Prof Jayakumar. I had read some articles on the book in the Straits  Times and had made a mental note to read it so I decided to get the book. (In the end I totally forgot about getting that book for my grandfather. By a stroke of luck though, he had already bought it the day before but forgot to tell me!)

Diplomacy: A Singapore Experience

S Jayakumar taking questions regarding climate change in Cancun, Mexico

A book written by a man who had served as a minister in the various ministries, including that of foreign affairs was a book definitely not to be missed. Perhaps what enticed me most was that he had set out writing this book with the aim of allowing MFA officers to get a better understanding of the key challenges that Singapore faces and how we have sought to address them in the past by highlighting key examples in which Prof Jayakumar played an important role in. From ASEAN to our role in the UN, to our bilateral relations with states like Malaysia, Indonesia and China, he has sought to define our national interest and how we advocated and defended our interests even in the face of great power pressure.

A couple of things strike me most though:

1. Singapore's foreign policy is one of adaptation to changing international circumstances but with this change, we remain resolute in defending our core interests and constantly maintaing a coherent and unwavering stand when it comes to key issues.

2. That our foreign policy is geared very much towards economics and in helping Singapore advance its economic interests.

3. That foreign policy has to coordinated with our various ministries given the inter connectedness of issues and the concept of One Government that the S'pore government practices. 

4. That we constantly seek new opportunities by creating new initiatives that enhance our security and economic cooperation with other states as a means of protecting our sovereignty and creating new economic opportunities. 

5. That as a small state, we must actively seek to expand our diplomatic space through initiatives that connect us with various regions of the world and to use platforms like the UN to enhance our international standing.

MFA Logo

MFA HQ

Singapore's Embassy in Berlin, Germany

Singapore's High Commission in Canberra, Australia

Singapore's Embassy in Washington DC, USA

I personally found Part 1: Proactive and Creative Diplomacy and Part 3: Managing Bilateral Relations with Malaysia, Indonesia and China particularly interested. All in all, I highly recommend this book to all who would like a better understanding of Singapore's foreign policy and to those who would like to look at diplomacy from a diplomat's perspective. I eagerly await the day in which I can work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and continue the legacy of those first officers who put Singapore on the international scene. =D

Rating: 10/10

Flags at the UN, from left to right: Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia and Slovenia