Policy
Exceptionalism won't do
Interesting letter by Cheng Pei Fong to the Business Times (Jan
31, 2001). A good debating point. Apologies to BT.
Apr 22, 2003
I REFER to
your article "S'pore needs to be different: BG Lee"
by Ling Su Ann (BT, Jan 29).
As a Singaporean,
I cannot help but get increasingly concerned over Singapore's
new foreign policy of exceptionalism.
From openly
declaring to the world that we are different from our neighbours
to negotiating free trade agreements (FTAs) with Japan, the US
and New Zealand, the policy, endorsed at the highest level, is
spinning out of control.
The policy
of exceptionalism has been practised from time to time, and has
been one of the basic tenets of the foreign policy of a small
island state.
However, the
policy has been escalated with increasing frequency and magnitude
over the past few years.
The policy
of exceptionalism is a product of survival logic and the result
of Singapore's precarious geographical inadequacy (or rather our
preoccupation with our survival).
While it may
serve certain short-term needs, it is at once myopic as well as
self-destructive. It is short-sighted as it is damaging to the
solidarity among Asean states.
Investors
are smart enough to know Singapore is a safe haven without a need
for the Singapore government to espouse it even more.
We have been
consistently rated by international organisations like Perc or
Beri as one of the safest countries, if not the safest country,
to do business in Asia.
Such objective
opinions by neutral parties are certainly more credible than having
our governmental officials go around flaunting our economic development
and social stability.
The policy
is self-destructive as it leads to long-term instability in bilateral
and multilateral relations with our neighbours.
Such narcissist
acts may not seem much at first glance, but the long-term emotional
unilateral damage to the relationships with our neighbours cannot
be understated.
When will
our leaders realise that we are but an island state in a less-than-friendly
environment. Such a beggar-thy-neighbour policy does not improve
that position.
Finally, do
we, and can we, afford to be isolated? While intra-Asean trade
does not amount to much of our gross domestic product, we cannot
escape from the fact that we are bounded by geographical and cultural
affinity to our regional neighbours than to the US or Japan.
Therefore,
while we look after our own economic development, we can never
and shall never overlook the views of our neighbouring countries.
While we may have achieved a more developed status as compared
to our neighbours, we should not be complacent and appear to be
too arrogant.
The signs of a crack in relations with our neighbours are already
there. The writings on the wall are there.
So instead
of declaring that we are so exceptional, perhaps Singapore should
play a more proactive and engaging role in helping our neighbours,
as our new-found status of being a non-permanent member of the
Security Council in the United Nations ties us to do.
The honour
of "having arrived" does not come easy. With honour
comes responsibilities.
Instead of
stepping on the shoulders of our neighbours, we should take the
opportunity to impart our knowledge and experience to help our
neighbours through this rough patch.
Cheng
Pei Fong
Singapore, via Internet
