05/07/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Good evening,
1.Pleasure to join you today for the launch of Professor Joseph Liow's book "Navigating Uncertainty: Our Region in an Age of Flux."
2.Today, our world grapples with a confluence of economic, geopolitical and social forces that drives us to reassess Singapore's strategies and approaches. This is where Joseph's book makes an important contribution.
3.Are we surprised by the current state of affairs? Perhaps not.
4.Beyond all this, we are also having to deal with climate change and many other world issues.
5.Overall, these series of events contribute to a general sense of unease about the future and our place within it. This applies not just to Singapore, but to all parts of the world.
6.The question for us is, how do we navigate this age of uncertainty? Let me share three reflections from Joseph's book- on Leadership, Mindsets, and Agency.
7.Let me start with leadership. In such a world, leadership is paramount. There cannot be international cooperation and coherence of rules without domestic cohesion, consistency, and confidence.
8.We must be honest with our people about our challenges. Externalising our problems is never the solution; instead, we must look them squarely in the eye, and address them with transparency and resolve.
9.These tasks demand leadership with honesty, gumption, and vision.
10.Next, mindsets. There cannot be international cooperation without a clear appreciation of the dynamics within partner countries.
11.We must avoid the laziness of mind that reduces complex global issues to simplistic binaries such as: good versus evil, or democratic versus authoritarian, left versus right and so forth. These labels hinder our ability to find common ground.
12.Historical interpretations can both illuminate yet confine us. We are all familiar with the saying, "Those who do not read history are bound to repeat it". Yet, those who are captured by history are also equally bound to repeat it. If we use old concepts, we become prisoners of those ideas.
13.Choosing sides in a polarised world is unconstructive. It takes a lot more effort to transcend divides, bridge differences, and find new possibilities for cooperation. But that is the only way to move forward, to foster peace and stability.
14.Third, agency. There cannot be international order without dialogue and cooperation.
15.A fragmented world, coupled with fractious domestic politics and fragile social compacts, creates a vicious cycle, often reinforcing one another. We must actively seek to engage with others to break this cycle.
16.To conclude, what can Singapore do to navigate this age of heightened uncertainty?
17.First, we need leaders with integrity, gumption, and foresight. Leaders who are courageous to communicate the truth, make tough decisions, and work towards sustainable solutions.
18.Second, we must deepen our understanding of the global forces at play, look beyond the personalities and ask ourselves how all these impact partner countries' motivations and actions. This will allow us to add value, create relevance for ourselves, and find common ground to cooperate.
19.Lastly, we must work with like-minded countries and corporations to shape the future. All of us have agency.
20.In closing, I would like to thank Joseph for his contribution to our understanding of the global order and Southeast Asia's dynamics.
21.Thank you.