Professor Selina Ho is Vice Dean (Research and Development), Dean’s Chair, and Associate Professor in International Affairs at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore.

Her research focuses on Chinese politics and foreign policy, with a particular interest in how China wields power and influence through infrastructure and water disputes in Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Her work sits at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. Her book, Rivers of Iron: Railroads and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia, is widely regarded as a definitive text on the Belt and Road Initiative in the region.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 — Trailer
00:52 — Introduction
01:21 — Why Southeast Asia Matters to Both Superpowers
04:25 — Will Trump Turn His Back on the Region?
09:41 — The Fear of US Abandonment
14:17 — How Southeast Asia Actually Sees China
18:37 — Chinese Influence vs. Chinese Dominance
21:37 — Wolf Warrior Diplomacy in China
29:11 — The Belt and Road
33:47 — When China Owns Your Power Grid: The Laotian Lesson
37:44 — China Wants Regional Dominance
40:16 — How ASEAN Elites Actually Respond to Chinese Influence
43:06 — What Regional Decision-Makers Really Think
47:31 — ASEAN Centrality
51:52 — Why ASEAN Is Strong on Trade and Weak on Security
55:15 — Building an ASEAN Identity
01:00:19 — What Singapore Should Do With Its 2027 ASEAN Chairmanship
01:01:46 — Advice for a Fresh Graduate Entering the Working World

This is the 80th episode of The Front Row Podcast.

📄 Research Paper
“Elite Perceptions of a China-Led Regional Order in Southeast Asia”
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/18681034241294093#table2-18681034241294093

📜 Full Transcripts
https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/

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Michael O'Hanlon is one of America's foremost defence policy scholars. He holds the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defence and Strategy and serves as Director of Research in the Foreign Policy programme at the Brookings Institution, where he specialises in US defence strategy, the use of military force, and American national security policy.

O'Hanlon completed all his degrees at Princeton University — a bachelor's in physics, a master's, and a PhD in international affairs — and went on to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he taught physics in French. He later served as an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office and was a member of the Pentagon's Defence Policy Board.

His newest book, timed to coincide with America's 250th anniversary, is To Dare Mighty Things: US Defence Strategy Since the Revolution, published by Yale Press in 2026.

You can buy a copy of his book here - https://amzn.to/4bKPmaq

His previous works include The Art of War in an Age of Peace and Military History for the Modern Strategist, among more than a dozen books spanning NATO, nuclear arms, land warfare, and US-China relations.

O'Hanlon has appeared on television or spoken on radio over 4,000 times since 9/11, and his writing has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among many others.

This is the 78th episode Of The Front Row Podcast

TIMESTAMPS:

• 00:00 — Introduction
• 01:37 — Grand Strategy vs. Defence Strategy: What's the Difference?
• 06:50 — George Washington's Guerrilla Instinct: How the Revolutionary War Shaped America
• 11:45 — The Founding Fathers Were Not Minimalists
• 15:10 — The War of 1812: Punching Up at the World's Number One Power
• 18:50 — Was America Ever Really Isolationist?
• 21:10 — The Uncomfortable Ethics of American Expansion
• 30:15 — How World War II Made America a Superpower
• 32:55 — Three Wars That Built a Nation
• 34:30 — The Cold War Was Scarier Than We Remember
• 37:45 — Vietnam: America's Worst War — and Why Lee Kuan Yew Still Defended It
• 40:20 — The Cold War Was About More Than Containing Communism
• 42:30 — The End of the Cold War: Triumph or Anxiety?
• 46:05 — 9/11, Fear, and the Road Into Iraq
• 49:30 — The Paradox of American Power: Winning the Grand Game While Losing the Wars
• 51:20 — Nixon's Art of Losing Without Admitting It
• 53:35 — Iraq: What Went Wrong and What Didn't
• 55:15 — Trump Through a Historical Lens: A 19th-Century President in the 21st Century
• 56:40 — If You Had 15 Minutes With Trump, What Would You Say?

Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

George Yeo is a former Singaporean Cabinet Minister whose distinguished career in public service spanned twenty-three years. Between 1988 and 2011, he held several senior portfolios in the Singapore Government, most notably serving as the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2011, as well as the Minister for Trade and Industry and the Minister for Information and the Arts.After retiring from politics, he transitioned into the global business arena, where he served as the Chairman of Kerry Logistics Network for several years. Today, he continues to contribute his expertise as a Senior Adviser to both the Kuok Group and Kerry Logistics.Beyond his business interests, George Yeo is a prolific intellectual and a bridge-builder between civilizations. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and a member of the Board of Trustees of Berggruen Institute. His commitment to interreligious dialogue is reflected in his long-standing service to the Vatican, where he served a member of the Council for the Economy under Pope Francis.A widely respected voice on geopolitics and Asian history, he recently authored the acclaimed three-part series, George Yeo: Musings. He remains one of the most insightful commentators on the evolving relationship between the East and the West and the future of international cooperation in a multipolar world.

TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro 01:13 Rome to Today: World Orders Explained03:30 Why Global Stability Is Gone05:45 The New Power Poles08:00 AI and the Fragmented World10:51 Making Decisions in Chaos13:00 How to Learn Today16:30 Why the West Sees Thucydides19:00 Understanding Other Civilisations22:00 How Trust Works25:41 How To Understand China 28:00 Trump as an Agent of History31:24 What Drove the MAGA Phenomenon34:00 Can America Heal Itself?39:23 The US Dollar's Uncertain Future43:00 Gold, Bitcoin & Fiat Money46:19 Gaza, Singapore & Staying Neutral49:40 The Diplomat's Deal 51:51 Why Long-Term Thinking Wins53:15 Taiwan: Will There Be War?57:00 Cross-Strait Politics & What's Shifting59:18 What Singapore Must Become01:02:30 Singapore's Lesson 01:04:42 Balancing Global and Local01:06:18 Lessons From Public Service01:08:18 The Taoist View of Existence01:09:02 One Piece of AdviceThis is the 77th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

Wang Gungwu is an internationally renowned historian famed for his scholarship on the history of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia, as well as the history and civilisation of China and Southeast Asia. In his illustrious academic career, Wang has held eminent appointments in various universities and organisations around the world. He was a history professor at the University of Malaya (1963–68) and the Australian National University (1968–86), and the vice-chancellor at the University of Hong Kong (1986–95). He is currently a professor emeritus at the Australian National University and a University Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the highest academic title conferred by NUS.This conversation was recorded at his recent book launch for his book : No Borders : Journeys Across Islands and Continents - at the National Library of Singapore.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 — Introduction0:13 — Prof Wang's Opening Speech 1:45 — "Home Is Where We Are" — Margaret's Wisdom3:15 — What Does "No Borders" Actually Mean?6:38 — How To Find Order in Chaos12:00 — Westphalia, the UN & Why Every World Order Eventually Fails19:30 — Two Ways of Writing History From The Ancients 28:00 — Why China Is Returning to Its Own Past 34:10 — Does Power Always Corrupt? The Chinese Answer35:15 — Confucius vs. the Rule of Law39:59 — Why Southeast Asia Has Stayed Surprisingly Peaceful46:52 — Wang Gungwu on His Own Craft51:09 — The Tang-Song Paradox: How China's Golden Age Planted the Seeds of Its Decline1:01:12 — Geography Shapes History, But Doesn't Determine It

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Ho Kwon Ping.Ho Kwon Ping is one of Singapore's most iconic entrepreneurs. He currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, the international spa and resort group he established in 1994. Under his leadership, Banyan Tree grew from a single resort in Phuket into a global luxury brand operating in over 30 countries. He runs the business alongside his wife and co-founder, Claire Chiang. Beyond the boardroom, Ho is known for his candid perspectives on Singaporean society, the changing global order and what he thinks Singapore needs to succeed in the coming years. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction01:37 - Singaporeans And Cultural Intelligence 07:07 - Singapore's Strength 14:10 - Maintaining A Cultural Core in a Globalized World18:21 - Cultural Intelligence vs. Cultural Identity19:52 - Redefining Luxury: Aspirational vs. Exclusive26:30 - Status Obsession 30:03 - The Coming Civilizational Reset39:43 - US and China As Civilizations 40:57 - Clashing Reference Points In Political Discourse 50:07 - Implications for Singapore in a Post-Western World57:43 - Diversifying Knowledge: AI and Non-Western Civilizations59:06 - Communitarian Capitalism 1:03:11 - Mindset Shifts for Thriving in a Messy World1:12:36 - The Price of Sovereignty 1:13:27 - Avoiding Mediocrity 1:19:50 - Building World-Class Excellence1:25:05 - Difference Between Leadership vs. Management1:32:53 - Hope for Singapore 2056This is the 75th episode of The Front Row Podcast. Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Mehran Gul. Mehran Gul is an author and researcher exploring the shifting geography of technological innovation and the rise of breakthrough companies beyond traditional Western hubs.He is the author of The New Geography of Innovation, published by Simon & Schuster (U.S.) and William Collins (U.K.), which charts the emergence of dynamic tech ecosystems across Asia, Latin America, Africa, and beyond. The book originated from an essay that won the Financial Times/McKinsey Bracken Bower Prize for the best business book proposal by an author under 35. It has since been translated and published in China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Russia.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro: The New Geography of Innovation00:35 Why The West Used To Dominate01:24 The Global Inflection Point in Tech01:54 3 Lenses to Map Modern Innovation04:46 Govtech Innovation in Singapore 06:05 Researching the Map: Lessons from 200 Interviews07:39 3 Through-Lines of Singapore’s Success09:37 Beyond the US-China Binary12:51 The ResNet Case: Why US-China Synthesis is Ending14:14 Debunking the Silicon Valley "Obituary"16:58 Why Some Hubs Die and Others Survive19:42 Talent Density vs. Relationship Density21:41 The Geopolitics of Capital & Reserve Currencies24:30 Can You Actually Replicate Silicon Valley?27:07 The London Paradox: Why UK Startups Exit Early31:20 Is Europe a Regulator or an Innovator?34:10 The Hidden Strengths of European Universities37:13 The Mittelstand: Germany’s Deep Tech Backbone41:10 China: The "Precocious Student" of Innovation43:47 Invention (USA) vs. Execution (China)49:03 Watching India 51:44 Singapore as an ASEAN Launchpad55:22 Solving the Exit Bottleneck in Singapore57:23 Switzerland vs. Singapore: Two Small State Models01:01:42 Why Innovation is a Biological System01:07:05 Advice for Policymakers: Diversifying the Horizon01:11:44 Advice for Graduates: Learning to Learn AIThis is the 74th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Susan Sim. This is the second of a two-part series covering Singapore's merger and separation from Malaysia. Susan Sim is the editor of The Albatross Files- Inside Separation, a landmark publication that brings to light previously classified documents detailing Singapore's merger with and separation from Malaysia in the 1960s.For the first time, oral histories, cabinet memos that were previously secret are now declassified. This book brings into light the raw emotions and real struggles Singapore's first generation of leaders faced when contemplating seperation. She is also the author of The People's Minister, a biography of E.W. Barker, Singapore's longest-serving Law Minister and a key figure in the separation negotiations. In this conversation, we talk about her editorial approach, the last two months leading up to Separation and why more of us should care about EW Barker. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Trailer00:45 What Are The Albatross Files13:05 Understanding Separation28:15 The Emotional Weight of Separation34:24 Why The Hong Lim Election Mattered36:50 Why The British Was Excluded42:43 The Final Week Before Separation49:08 The Role of E.W. Barker in the Separation Process56:38 E.W. Barker: A Man of the People01:03:07 Lessons for Young Singaporeans from HistoryThis is the 73rd episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out my interview with Janadas Devan, Senior Adviser at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Deputy Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore.

Mr Devan coordinated The Albatross File: Inside Separation, the authoritative 488-page volume documenting Singapore's path to independence, co-published by Straits Times Press and the National Archives of Singapore.

The troubled 1963 merger with Malaysia began with fundamental disagreements and was strained by the 1964 race riots. Finance Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee maintained a secret file code-named "Albatross"—referencing Coleridge's poem about burden and consequence—containing Cabinet memos, negotiation records, and his handwritten notes from meetings with Malaysian leaders.

TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer00:51 Subscribe!01:19 Did We Take Merger For Granted?05:25 The 1945 Split: Singapore's First Separation09:44 Battle for Merger12:48 What Tunku Actually Wanted16:20 Ten Months: From Victory to Riots19:08 September 1963: PAP's Big Malay Win26:30 Misreading Malaysian Politics28:33 The Counter-Offensive Gamble38:29 LKY's Strategy Works Too Well42:35 The Idealists Who Opposed Separation46:30 Ideological Divide in Singapore's Cabinet49:49 How Real Was The Risk to Lee Kuan Yew?52:53 How LKY Rattled UMNO57:16 LKY's International Reputation59:16 Why Secrecy Was Essential01:04:21 Tunku's Decision: "Singapore as Gangrene"01:07:17 Dr Goh's Masterstroke01:11:28 Understanding Separation In Context01:15:30 Three Lessons for Singapore

This is the 72nd episode of The Front Row Podcast.

Full transcripts: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/

Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out my interview with Shaun Rein.

Shaun Rein is the Founder and Managing Director of China Market Research Group (CMR), the world’s leading strategic market intelligence firm focused on China. He works closely with boards, billionaires, heads of state, CEOs, and senior executives of Fortune 500 and leading Chinese companies, as well as private equity firms, SMEs, and hedge funds, helping them navigate China growth, political, and investment strategies.

This is Episode 71 of the Front Row Podcast.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:24 Did China Game the System?
06:16 Governance: Serving the 90% vs. the 1%
11:52 Corporate Influence Today
16:34 The Age of Tech Oligarchs
23:06 American Companies in China
28:40 Weaponizing the Dollar & Sanctions
33:42 The Resource War: Chips & Rare Earths
37:56 China’s Drive for Self-Reliance
41:36 Venezuela as a Sign of the Times
45:12 What Happens to the BRI?
47:22 Trump’s Greenland Ambitions
50:50 The Leadership Vacuum in Europe
55:22 Biden vs. Trump on China
58:26 US and China’s Domestic Challenges
01:05:51 What the US and China Can Learn From Each Other
01:09:13 Shaun’s Core Insight
01:13:04 Advice for Young Professionals

Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments or connect with me here:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/
Website: https://www.ykeith.com
Email: [email protected]

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Professor Tommy Koh. Prof Koh is Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he has held since 1990, and Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. He is a veteran diplomat and negotiator recognised globally for his contributions to international law and diplomacy.

Koh's distinguished career spans international law, diplomacy and education. He served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (1968–71; 1974–84) and Ambassador to the United States (1984–90).

His most notable international contribution was serving as President of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, where he successfully steered 119 countries to sign the convention in 1982—creating what he called "a constitution for the world's oceans." He was also a member and second chairman of the High-Level Task Force that drafted the ASEAN Charter, providing the institutional and legal framework for the organisation.

Koh has represented Singapore in major legal disputes, including serving as chief negotiator in the reclamation works dispute with Malaysia over Tuas and Pulau Tekong (resolved in 2005), and as part of Singapore's legal team in the Pedra Branca cases before the International Court of Justice (2003 and 2017).

At NUS, Koh was the founding Rector of Tembusu College and currently serves as Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Asia Research Institute and Special Adviser to the Institute of Policy Studies.

TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Trailer0:42 Introduction1:18 Living Through Decolonisation6:27 Becoming The Youngest UN Ambassador12:13 Why International Law Cannot Protect Small States17:21 Condemning America in 198319:04 Creating the UN Constitution for the Oceans28:20 ASEAN's Peace Miracle29:51 Why LKY Was America's Friend37:51 What Singapore Should Not Import from America41:35 The Downside of CEO Worship52:08 Understanding China56:17 China's Return To A Tang Dynasty Vision?1:02:42 How to Engage an Assertive China1:07:14 Insights From Five Generations of Singapore's PM1:18:07 Tommy Koh's Hopes for Singapore1:21:48 Tommy Koh's Advice For Young Singaporeans

This is the 70th episode Of The Front Row Podcast

Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/

Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

Get access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Lim Siong Guan is a Professor in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, instructing on leadership and change management. Siong Guan was the Head of the Singapore Civil Service from September 1999 to March 2005. He has been the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (1981-1994), the Prime Minister’s Office (1994-1998), the Ministry of Education (1997-1999) and the Ministry of Finance (1998-2006).He worked directly with Singapore's founding fathers to help Singapore transform itself into a modern economic hub of Southeast Asia. He was also Lee Kuan Yew's first Principal Private Secretary. He has chaired the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2004-2006), the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (2004-2006) and, the Central Provident Fund Board (1986-1994), and has been a board member of many companies including Temasek, the other sovereign wealth fund manager of Singapore. He is currently an Advisor to the Group Executive Committee of GIC. GIC is the fund manager for the foreign financial reserves of Singapore. He was the Group President of GIC from 2007 to 2016. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Senior Fellow of the Singapore Civil Service College. Siong Guan was Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board from October 2006 to June 2009. The Board is the Singapore government’s lead agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre. Much of its work is attracting international corporations to set up manufacturing and services activities in Singapore as critical links in the global supply chain. Siong Guan has co-authored with Joanne H. Lim two books. The first was “The Leader, The Teacher & You – Leadership Through the Third Generation,” a book on leadership and governance, which won the Singapore Literature Prize for non-fiction in 2014. The second was "Winning with Honour in Relationships, Family, Organisations, Leadership, and Life, a book on winning in life and work. He is the founder chairman of Honour (Singapore), a charity that seeks to promote the culture of honour and honouring in Singapore. He is a SwissRe Group Advisor and a member of the International Board of the Stars Foundation, a Swiss foundation that promotes leadership development for leaders of the next generation.

This is the 69th episode of Front Row Podcast.

CHAPTERS:00:00 Trailer00:46 Introduction & Early Public Works Experience04:09 The Road Roller Story: Learning Practical Governance08:41 Dr Goh Keng Swee's Leadership in MINDEF10:29 Building the Junior Flying Club & Early Lessons15:01 The Glider Experiment: Learning to Cut Losses18:50 Becoming Lee Kuan Yew's Principal Private Secretary22:27 Understanding Power: Service Before Self26:16 The Three Pillars of Trust: Care, Competence, Commitment29:39 Building Singapore's Defence Force from Zero35:42 Total Defence & the Philosophy of Deterrence40:29 Talent Management Across the Public Service46:51 Introduction to Scenario Planning49:37 Hotel Singapore & Home Divided: National Scenarios53:54 PS21: Transforming the Public Service57:45 The Innovator's Dilemma: From Copy-and-Improve to Indigenous Innovation01:04:56 The Unknown Unknowns: Planning for Uncertain Futures01:08:38 The Mother's Challenge: Cultural Barriers to Innovation01:12:41 Defining Success 30 Years Out01:14:50 Advice For Fresh Graduates Entering The Working World Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400