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  • Realism and Interdependence in Singapore's Foreign Policy
  • Jørgen Ørstrøm Møller
Realism and Interdependence in Singapore's Foreign Policy. By N. Ganesan. London and New York: Routledge, 2005. Hardcover: 179 pp.

This book forms part of the "Politics in Asia" series formerly edited by Michael Leifer with an impressive and long list of previous publications. The present volume by N. Ganesan deals with Singapore's foreign policy since the birth of the republic in 1965. It falls naturally into six main parts even if the book itself does not use this procedure in its organization. Part one deals in general terms with international relations theories and small states (Chapter 1), and the organizational set-up of Singapore's foreign policy focusing on Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Chapter 2). Part two describes Singapore's foreign policy in the two decades immediately following independence in 1965 within the context of the Cold War, and how that ideological framework of bipolarity defined and shaped the republic's foreign policy orientation (Chapters 3 and 4). Part three offers an analysis of Singapore's relations with its two neighbours, Malaysia and Indonesia (Chapters 5 and 6), while part five addresses economic and defence policies (Chapter 7). Chapter 8 is the conclusion.

The book is well organized and well researched — and many readers will appreciate the almost meticulous work that went into the preparation of appendices, which are very informative and useful to the general reader, especially if he is interested in understanding Singapore's foreign policy. The author is comfortable in his general analysis and is not given to jumping to conclusions. He knows his subject and writes on a solid foundation of documented facts.

In his short introduction the author categorically states that foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy. He is to be commended for doing so. Many foreign policy analysts forget what the former speaker of the US House of Representatives, Tip O'Neil, once so unequivocally stated: "all politics are local". This dictum applies as much to Singapore as it does to the United States. The author argues:

Singapore's existence and success derive in part from the PAP's success in the domestic political arena and in part from skilful management of a well-defined foreign policy with clearly identifiable goals and issues. A clear core of realist self-reliance is layered with the domestic demands of a competitive trading state that requires a liberal international trading regime. (p. 2)

This is a very succinct observation of Singapore's foreign policy. [End Page 164]

The chapters on Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs are interesting as is the chapter on the early days of the country. Once more it is brought to the attention of the reader how vulnerable Singapore was in its early days and how precarious the situation was or might have turned out to be if circumstances had been a bit different. The sensitive issues of seceding from Malaysia and the uncertainties of whether Malaysia would contemplate untoward measures, as well as the uncertainties arising from Indonesia's Konfrontasi under then President Soekarno are described and analysed with a high degree of objectivity, which does credit to the author.

The same goes for the chapter on Singapore's Cold War and post–Cold War policy output. There is much to learn for people not having lived during these sometimes nerve-racking years characterized by an unpredictable and threatening political climate. It was difficult to know who your enemy could be, how reliable your partners and allies were — and the American withdrawal from Vietnam followed a few years later by the Vietnamese occupation of Cambodia cast a long shadow of non-transparency over foreign policy. Decisions that now look seemingly straightforward were at that time extremely difficult and would have put the nation's survival at stake if policy-makers got them wrong. For a small and newborn nation-state like Singapore these were dangerous waters to navigate in, but as the book shows, the navigators were up to the task and got it right.

The two chapters on Singapore's relations with Malaysia and Indonesia are useful reading as...

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