Now in exile, activist Benny Wenda leads the United Liberation Movement for West Papua, advocating for the independence of a homeland half a world away.
Author Archives: Thum Ping Tjin
Thum Ping Tjin (“PJ”) is Managing Director of New Naratif and a historian at the University of Oxford. A Rhodes Scholar, Commonwealth Scholar, Olympic athlete, and the only Singaporean to swim the English Channel, his work centres on Southeast Asian governance and politics. His most recent work is Living with Myths in Singapore (Ethos: 2017, co-edited with Loh Kah Seng and Jack Chia). Reach him at pingtjin.thum@newnaratif.com.
Posted inPodcast
Singapore: A Model for Post-Brexit Britain?
Dr PJ Thum discusses Singapore’s economic model, in particular the impact of state and foreign capital, and domestic political competition, on economic strategy. Through this, he explains political, social, and economic control in Singapore, unpacks common myths and misunderstandings surrounding the country, and offers lessons for a post-Brexit Britain.
Posted inResearch
The Citizens’ Agenda: The Top 5 Issues by GE 2015 Constituencies
678 members of New Naratif’s community responded to stage 2 of The Citizens’ Agenda, and this is how they responded based on their constituency.
Posted inResearch
The Citizens’ Agenda: The Top 5 Issues and Results Analysis
678 members of New Naratif’s community responded to stage 2 of The Citizens’ Agenda, and they were very clear about the biggest issues facing Singapore and what they want politicians to talk about at the next election.
Posted inResearch
The 28 Most Important Issues Facing Singapore
In Stage 1 of The Citizens’ Agenda, New Naratif asked Singaporeans readers what they think are the most important issues facing Singapore, and what they’d like political candidates to talk about in the next general election. Here’s what our readers said (and didn’t say).
Posted inExplainer, Feature
Singapore’s “Fake News” Bill: The FAQ
The Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Bill—meant to tackle “fake news” in Singapore—has received criticism from local civil society, international rights groups, and tech companies. But what’s in the Bill, and what are the concerns?
Posted inPodcast
The Spectre Haunting Singapore’s People’s Action Party
What is “Operation Coldstore”––the 1963 arrest and detention without trial of over 112 opposition politicians, trade unionists, and political activists on grounds of a communist conspiracy––for its role in Malayan history, how it has shaped Singapore’s governance, and why it matters to the ruling party. The lecture then examines the current political economy of control in Singapore and what these controversies reveal about the nature of People’s Action Party governance today.
Posted inPodcast
Political Agenda — “Fake News”, Foreign Interference, and Freedom of Expression
It’s been about a year since Singapore’s Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods held its open hearings. Although no Bills have yet been tabled, Singapore is expecting legislation to deal with “fake news” and foreign interference. But what would their impact be?
Posted inPodcast
Southeast Asia Dispatches — Episode 14
This week, Adam Bemma takes a look at the political parties running in Thailand’s general election, Laura McDowell profiles Timor-Leste’s first blind radio broadcaster, PJ Thum interviews Andreas Harsono of Human Rights Watch about Indonesia’s internet law, and Michael Tatarski reflects upon covering the Trump-Kim Summit in Hanoi.
Posted inPodcast
In Conversation with James Minchin
Thum Ping Tjin sits down with James Minchin, author of “No Man Is An Island: A Portrait of Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew”, to talk about his life in Singapore, his experience writing the book, his ban from Singapore, and his reflections on Singapore’s politics today.