"Minister Shanmugam backs Bilahari's 'brilliant' response to Kishore's article on small states
SINGAPORE: Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam has weighed in on differences about foreign policy ideas between Ambassador-at-Large Bilahari Kausikan and dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, Kishore Mahbubani.
In a Facebook post on Sunday (Jul 2), Mr Shanmugam, who used to be Minister for Foreign Affairs, said he found Professor Mahbubani's piece on foreign policy "questionable, intellectually" and commended Mr Kausikan for a "brilliant response"."
Kishore is not always right. Bilahari is not always right. Minister Shan, as known by Dr Lee Wei Ling is not always right. Even LKY is not always right.
The norm of Sgp open debates when one disagreed with the other is to go out n attack n put down other’s points of view. LKY did it all the time with his forceful perfect English. Kishore was no slouth too.
So Bilahari would hv advanced the quality of this open debate IF he had considered the points made by reader Ting Jie Tan in his reply. Minister Shan's partaking in this discussion is unhelpful too.
Facts r: 1. lhl is NO LKY; 2. lhl has been commenting too much on SCS when the countries with vested interests were dealing with China finding a mutually acceptable way. Sgp as a small nation just hv to state: as a small nation we rely on international laws to keep peace. No need to tell China it has to follow this or that when they had clearly disagreed n did not even bother to turn out at the ICJ?; 3. the facts r we had a hard time getting our Terrex back!! our business interests r at risk.
All these due to lhl acting big n thinking he is LKY!! All these were due to him talking too much when China did not press us!!
Like reader Ting Joe Tan, who posted his understanding of Kishore n Bilahari postings said: when we r threatened, we fight back hard!! There is the offensive n the defensive stance to be take by a small state. We MUST defend vigorously when "bullied" directly by unfriendly countries. At the same time, there is no need to tell superpowers u hv to do this n that.
Can Bilahari acknowledge this? Maybe Shan as well?
As for dealing with USA, lhl bet against Trump n in no men’s land now. At this point, still want to talk too much uninvited?
In addition, with lhl’s current mishandling of the family affairs, his standing in the world has diminished greatly, can he still talk big?
Sgp always maintain we hv the BEST armed forces in this part of the world. ASEAN neighbours will be friendly. We don’t hv to be antagonistic even when so-called “bullied”. No?
Just like Isreal, anyone who crossed them will hv to pay. Isn't this the country modelled ourselves after?
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