Dialogues at Fulcrum

Fulcrum editor Julia Lau speaks to Ambassador Alex Tilman about Timor-Leste's imminent accession to ASEAN and its implications. They delve into aspects of Timor-Leste's identity as a Lusophone, small island, and majority Catholic nation-state.1:40 –  Introducing Ambassador Alex Tilman3:17 –  How the global uptick in tensions affects Timor-Leste and ASEAN5:35 –  How Timor-Leste hopes to diversify its economy10:50 –  Timor-Leste’s identity and priorities as a Lusophone and small island nation-state14:27 –  How Timor-Leste’s being majority Catholic affects its identity and foreign policy16:55 –  The NGO, Maluk Timor18:30 –  What can travellers to Timor-Leste expect?21:05 –  Ambassador Tilman’s journey to diplomacyDialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Fulcrum editor Julia Lau discusses the complex issue of Cambodia-Vietnam relations in light of their new leadership. One issue examined is Cambodia's recent withdrawal from the Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area and what it means for the region. 2:07 – Cambodia-Laos-Vietnam Development Triangle Area (CLVDTA) 9:26 – “Losers all around?” Vietnam’s view on Cambodia’s withdrawal from CLVDTA 13:30 – The role of individual leaders in geopolitics: new leaders in Vietnam and Cambodia testing their powers? 25:00 – Short-term prognosis for bilateral relations 37:12 – How to build trust and longer-term bilateral outlook 41:04 – Dealing with US and China: Hedging, Balancing, or …? 44:20 – The South China Sea dispute 45:54 – Cambodia’s reaction to the first Trump win in the US presidential election (PE) 2016 versus PE2024 49:53 – Cambodia’s agency 55:00 – How small nation-states can stabilise ties and enhance multilateral cooperation Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

Fulcrum editor Julia Lau discusses the latest dramatic political events and the new government in Thailand with Acting Coordinator of ISEAS' Thailand Studies Programme, Dr Napon Jatusripitak. 1:11 –  How did the Srettha Thavisin administration come to an end? 4:28 –  Judicial overreach in Srettha's dismissal 9:50 –  The weaknesses of democratic institutions 12:45 –  Dissolution of Move Forward Party and its implications 19:55 –  Paetongtarn Shinawatra's rise to premiership 26:16 –  Prospects for Paetongtarn's administration and Pheu Thai 29:43 –  Putting Thailand back in international politics? 31:30 –  "Digital Wallet" scheme 36:30 –  The new Cabinet 40:52 –  Family ties in the Cabinet 50:45 –  Dr Jatusripitak's research journey Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

William Choong, Fulcrum’s Managing Editor and ISEAS Senior Fellow, discusses the recent leadership changes in Vietnam with Dr Nguyen Khac Giang, a visiting fellow at ISEAS’ Vietnam Studies Programme (VSP), and Dr Le Hong Hiep, the coordinator of the VSP. 1:39 – Drivers of Vietnam’s leadership changes 3:55 – Vietnam’s political future under General Secretary To Lam 10:28 – The durability of Vietnam’s anti-corruption drive 14:42 – Perceptions of To Lam’s public security background 18:50 – Changes in Vietnam’s economic direction 24:50 – The future of Vietnam’s “bamboo diplomacy” 28:20 – Vietnam’s future relations with Russia 30:25 – The future of the Vietnam-US relationship Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

William Choong, Fulcrum's Managing Editor and ISEAS Senior Fellow, discusses the recent Japan-Philippines reciprocal access agreement with Dr Aries Arugay, the coordinator of the institute’s Philippine Studies Programme, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science, at the University of the Philippines-Diliman. 1:30 – An overview of ISEAS’ Philippine Studies Programme⁠ 7:12 – The significance of the Japan-Philippines reciprocal access agreement (RAA) 14:10 – How the RAA will help in Manila’s contest of wills with Beijing 22:51 – Will recent China-Philippines bilateral consultation mechanisms soothe tensions? 31:25 – Will the conclusion of Conduct of Conduct negotiations on the South China Sea resolve the tensions there? 37:53 – How bigger trends such as Sino-US rivalry and a new US administration come 2025 affect Manila’s position Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute.

William Choong, Fulcrum's Managing Editor, and Irene Ng, an author and ISEAS writer-in-residence, dive into the life of S. Rajaratnam through his authorized biography. They explore the inspiring themes that emerged during the writing process, including the challenges of portraying a historical figure's life. The discussion also navigates Singapore's diplomatic journey, highlighting Rajaratnam's strategies in dealing with ASEAN and superpowers like China and the U.S. Ultimately, they emphasize his quest for ideals and the lessons young Singaporeans can learn from his legacy.

Fulcrum editor Lee Hwok Aun and ISEAS Malaysia Studies Programme Coordinator Francis Hutchinson discuss Malaysia's long reform journey and the hits and misses of Anwar Ibrahim's administration, with Meredith Weiss, ISEAS Visiting Senior Fellow and Professor of Political Science at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. For quick reference, the themes below were discussed: 2:14 – About Prof Weiss: beginnings of interest in Malaysia and Southeast Asia 5:12 – Important milestones in Malaysia’s reform journey 10:24 – Role of political leadership 15:10 – Most feasible and high-impact reforms for the Anwar administration 21:54 – Policy messaging and broad-based reforms 28:00 – Reform failures and missed opportunities 30:30 – Is Malaysian democracy maturing? 32:42 – What has civil society contributed and learned? 37:11 – Pakatan’s lack of sustained reforms compared to other countries 42:28 – Grading Malaysia’s reform achievement

Fulcrum editor Julia Lau discusses the recent Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD) and the significance of two decades of the SLD with IISS Executive Director, Veerle Nouwens. Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. For quick reference, the themes below were discussed: 0:55 – More about Veerle Nouwens 3:20 – Are the US and China engaging in "duelling narratives"? 11:11 – SLD's impact on US-China dialogue 16:22 – Has China won over the region? 23:03 – Is dialogue sufficient to resolve tensions over the South China Sea? 28:00 – Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's appearance at SLD and upcoming peace summit in Switzerland 35:02 – Other themes arising from SLD 21 37:27 – Veerle's advice to aspiring thinktankers

Fulcrum editor and Co-Coordinator of Indonesia Studies Programme Julia Lau discusses the United States' role and policies in Southeast Asia with Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Melissa Brown, the day after her public address at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute on 13 March 2024. Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. For quick reference, the themes below were discussed: 1:23 – Sino-U.S. relations 3:20 – U.S.-ASEAN cooperation 4:33 – U.S.-Singapore relations 6:04 – Regional architecture and ‘minilaterals’ 10:15 – U.S. presence in the region amidst a more uncertain world 16:30 – Southeast Asia’s reaction to U.S. policy on Palestine after the 7 October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel 22:37 – The U.S.’ economic engagement in the region  33:12 – DAS Brown reflects on her career and experiences as a diplomat in the U.S. Foreign Service 

Fulcrum editor Julia Lau sits down with Dr Udan Fernando, former Executive Director (2012-2020) of the Centre for Poverty Analysis (CEPA), a Sri Lankan think tank. Based in Singapore and working as a consultant with the Association for Asian Studies (AAS), Dr Fernando is currently working on a project to develop under-represented scholars in the humanities and social sciences in Cambodia, India, Pakistan, Timor-Leste and Thailand. The topic of their discussion is his recent documentary, “Not So Greener Pastures”, on four individuals who migrated to Timor-Leste and related issues, including Timor-Leste’s expected accession to ASEAN.  Dialogues at Fulcrum is a podcast published by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. For quick reference, the themes below were discussed: 2:40 – How Dr Fernando combines academia with his documentary filmmaking 5:20 – How the idea for the documentary came about 9:45 – How the protagonists in Dr Fernando’s documentary migrated to Timor-Leste  21:40 – What the film says to global and regional audiences 27:20 – Recalling Timor’s “transition” from UN control and early development as an independent entity, including the role of Singapore in helping to set up the Timorese police force 33:54 – How Dr Fernando sees the issue of Timor Leste’s accession to ASEAN