Singapore, the other Face of the Nation-State

By: Cher Tan

One People, One Nation, One Singapore: Uniquely Singapore! Beneath the guise of democracy lies a hotbed of political repression in multicultural Singapore. Regarded as a utopia to some and a dystopia to others, the juxtaposition of yin and yang adds an interesting spin on the political system and culture of the nation state.

Often compared to the dystopian world in Orwell's 1984, Singapore thrives. And what does Singapore thrive on, exactly? And how? For all its radiance and beauty, above it all lies a façade to rival the perfection. Singapore is one of those places where one can possibly debate themselves to the ground on whether it is an utopia or a dystopia. And why not both? It takes great pains to make itself beautiful, doesn't it? The subtleties which can only be felt cannot be judged as suffering.

‘The Lady’of Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi

By: Diana van Oort

Aung San Suu Kyi is without a doubt the most iconic Burmese politician. As the Chairperson and General Secretary of the National League for Democracy (NLD), she has been described as charismatic, dedicated, inspirational, courageous and stubborn. She was born on 19 June 1945 in Rangoon and is the third child and only daughter of Aung San (father) and Khin Kyi (mother). Her father founded the modern Burmese army and negotiated Burma’s independence from the British Empire in 1947. He was assassinated by his rivals in the same year. He’s still held in high esteem. Her mother was appointed Burmese ambassador to India and Nepal in 1960.

Aung San Suu Kyi’s Political Life

Aung San Suu Kyi grew up with her mother and two brothers. One, Aung San Lin, drowned when he was eight. The other, Aung San Oo migrated to The United States. After Aung San Lin's death, the family moved to a house by Inya Lake, where she still lives today. Aung San Suu Kyi is a Theravada Buddhist.

Malaysian Activists Walk 300 KM to Demand Environmental Justice

A group of Malaysian activists has embarked on a 300 km walk from Kuantan to Kuala Lumpur to demand for an end to various environment grievances afflicting their communities. The walk, which began on 13th of November, will take them across 14 towns over 14 days and will culminate in a handling over of memorandum at Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square, on the 26th of November.

The starting point of Kuantan is of particular significance because it is where the recent surge in environmental activism began. The community there is fighting the largest rare earth plant in the world owned by Lynas from commencing operation. They are joined by activists opposing the Murum and Baram dams in Sarawak, Raub activists opposing the use of cyanide in gold mining, Pengerang activists opposing the RAPID petrochemical complex as well as Teluk Rubiah activists opposing the Vale iron ore distribution hub.

Lady Gaga, Hard-liners and The Police in Indonesia

By: Jacobus E. Lato

In a corrupted society, such as Indonesia; good and evil are often found on the same surface of the coin, which in turn holds the majority down. The police, in some cases, could exchange their roles with civilians and vice versa; endangering the existing rules and norms and making both vulnerable to manipulation or division.  The latest example was the concert of Lady Gaga, where many people believe the police were under civilian control.

The Politicization of Culture: Billboards & Banners on Bali

By: Sita van Bemmelen

Indonesia entered a new phase in its existence as a nation in 1998, when President Suharto stepped down as the result of massive protests against his thirty-two reign. One of the many grievances was the governments’ centralistic nature. Taking this grievance seriously, in 2002 a law was accepted transferring part of the central government’s power to the level of the district in 2002. This and the concomitant introduction of direct elections for the offices of governors of provinces, heads of districts and members of the legislative councils led to a revival of regional politics. That arena had been dull in the past, because during the Suharto period the bureaucrats were appointed by the central government and the members of the legislative council by the top of three parties in Jakarta.

The political constellation has thus changed significantly and this is occasionally reflected in telling ways. For example, in the billboards appearing alongside the arteries of the city of Denpasar, the capital of the island of Bali, on the eve of the most important Hindu-Balinese religious ceremonies, Galungan and Kuningan. On many of these billboards expressing good wishes to the Hindu population during the celebration of these holy days, the head of a party at the national level on left side and on the right the head of the party on the regional level are depicted.

Iskandar: a bellwether for improving relations between Singapore and Malaysia?

By: John Solomon

A Thorny Past

While never escalating any issue to a bout of saber rattling, Singapore and Malaysia have not always enjoyed what one could describe as a good neighborly relationship. Since Singapore’s unceremonious departure from the Malaysian federation in 1965, the two countries have had numerous disputes over a range of thorny bilateral issues including the sale of water and the demarcation of territorial boundaries. The problematic relationship between two nations who have much in common culturally and historically was probably best symbolized by the much-publicized verbal joustings between then Prime Ministers Lee Kuan Yew and Mahathir Mohammed in the 1990s.

Warming relations

Relations today however have improved significantly since that period and the Malaysian High Commissioner has recently said that they are at the best they have ever been. This has largely been the result of a conciliatory shift in policy that began with Malaysia’s former leader, Abdullah Badawi. The current Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has continued and extended this approach and Singapore’s Lee Hsien Loong has reciprocated in kind.

Signs of Change: Traveling through Burma

Text & Images by: Willem van Gent

Willem van Gent and Willy van Rooijen are a Dutch couple who traveled through Burma. They share their experiences and first signs of change on Latitudes.

In the fall of 2010 we find ourselves in the south of Laos. In the lobby of our hotel at the Mekong we watch the news that the house arrest of Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi (66) has been lifted. We decide there and then that Burma will be our next destination.

December 2011. To our surprise getting a visa for Burma at the Bangkok embassy is going very smoothly. And we are certainly not the only ones who want to go there. It is almost impossible to find a room in the capital Yangon.

Changes are in the air but nobody knows how fast the reformist process the new president Thein Sein has started, will go on. We stay a few days in Yangon and do the things all tourists do. We walk around and enjoy the street life, with the tea houses, the small stalls, the sounds and smells of a city where people spend a big part of their days outside.

Timor Leste: a Country Colonized and Neglected

By: Ed Caffin

This year, South East Asia’s youngest state celebrated its tenth anniversary. The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste was colonized for centuries, gained independence and was occupied again, only to (re)claim its sovereignty at the start of the century. The road to independence was paved by hardship and struggle. And for many years, the West turned a blind eye.

Although East Timor was a Portuguese colony for centuries, only a few ports and cities, like Dili, were effectively controlled by the Portuguese. There was minimal investment in healthcare, infrastructure and education. There were weak ties with the other half of the island, Indonesian West Timor.

When revolution ended fascist rule in Portugal in 1974, all Portuguese colonies immediately gained independence. But, right after independence was declared, East Timor was occupied again. Suharto-ruled Indonesia invaded the eastern half of Timor Island aiming to incorporate it as the 27th province of the republic. Timorese resistance was met with violent force.

Malaysian Artist Shieko Reto: ‘Sembur with Style’

By: Melissa Lin

Shieko Reto’s drawings, paintings and illustrations are whimsical, humorous and bittersweet. They are records of daily life experience, interactions and nuggets of experience to inspire and convey stories and meanings as seen through her eyes. Her stories and cartoons as told through her zines and her art invite us what it means to live a life of courage, and of being a dreamer from the different depths and dimensions. On Latitudes she shares her personal stories and views on art, and being an artist in Malaysia with us.

Sheiko’s art can be viewed on her blog. She is available for commissions, collaborations and correspondence.

Refugee Monologues

By: Diana van Oort

Give them a face, a name and let them tell their story and refugees will be seen as people, not as numbers and be ignored. This is what The Actors Studio in cooperation with the UNHCR did in October. ‘Life Sdn Bhd 7: refugee’, shows you a glimpse into the lives and challenges of some of the refugees living in Malaysia. Honest and compelling stories that often go unheard, told by seven refugees: Khampi, Ngun Siang, Raine, Sharifa and Trasia (Myanmar), Theepika (Sri Lanka) and Ahmed (Somalia). They talked about fear, death, isolation and being homesick, but also about hope and happiness.