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8022.9789814335065-tp.indd 1
ASEAN Matte rs!
Reflecting on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

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tte rs!
ASEAN Ma
Reflecting on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations

Editor
Lee Yoong Yoong
Institute of Policy Studies, Singapore

World Scientific

8022.9789814335065-tp.indd 2 4/5/11 2:12 PM

 Published by
World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.
5 Toh Tuck Link, Singapore 596224
USA office: 27 Warren Street, Suite 401-402, Hackensack, NJ 07601
UK office: 57 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London WC2H 9HE
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

ASEAN matters! Reflecting on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations / edited by Yoong
Yoong Lee.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN-13: 978-981-4335-06-5
ISBN-10: 981-4335-06-1
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1. ASEAN. 2. Southeast Asia--Politics and government--1945– 3. Regionalism--Southeast

Asia. 4. Security, International--Southeast Asia. 5. Southeast Asia--Economic policy. 6. Southeast
Asia--Economic integration. 7. Economic development--Southeast Asia. 8. Southeast Asia--
Foreign economic relations. 9. Southeast Asia--Foreign relations. I. Lee, Yoong Yoong.
JZ5333.5.A84A74 2011
337.1'59--dc22
2011008247

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

Copyright © 2011 by World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd.

All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form or by any means,
electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or any information storage and retrieval
system now known or to be invented, without written permission from the Publisher.

For photocopying of material in this volume, please pay a copying fee through the Copyright
Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. In this case permission to
photocopy is not required from the publisher.

In-house Editor: Juliet Lee Ley Chin

Typeset by Stallion Press

Email: [email protected]

Printed in Singapore.

National University of Singapore

Registration Number: 200604346E

Juliet - Asean Matters.pmd 1 5/9/2011, 3:13 PM

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CONTENTS
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Foreword ix
Tommy Koh
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Introduction xv
Lee Yoong Yoong

Acknowledgements xxvii

The Contributors xxix

THEME ONE ASEAN’S HISTORY, IMAGE AND CHALLENGES 1

Chapter 1. ASEAN: What It Cannot Do, What It Can 3

and Should Do
by Rodolfo C. Severino

Chapter 2. ASEAN’s Potential and Role: A Review 9

by Tran Duc Minh

Chapter 3. The Promises and Contradictions of ASEAN 19

by Liu Yanling

Chapter 4. Can We Do Anything about the Unimplemented 23

ASEAN Agreements?
by Bernard K.M. Tai

Chapter 5. ASEAN’s Perception Problem 29

by S. Tiwari

Chapter 6. ASEAN: The Challenge Is Upon Us 33

by Bandol Lim

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vi Contents

Chapter 7. Covering ASEAN for Three Decades 39

by Kavi Chongkittavorn
Chapter 8. Three Decades of ASEAN Linkage: Brunei 43
Darussalam, from 1984 Towards 2015
by Pushpa Thambipillai
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Chapter 9. ASEAN and East Timor: Family Someday? 53

by Noordin Azhari

THEME TWO POLITICS AND SECURITY 59

Chapter 10. ASEAN: A Pillar of Regional Stability 61

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by Johari Achee
Chapter 11. Relevance of ASEAN in Forging Regional Peace, 65
Security and Prosperity
by Nicholas T. Dammen
Chapter 12. The Nargis Experience: Pragmatic Solutions 71
Towards Change
by Moe Thuzar
Chapter 13. ASEAN Efforts in Dealing with Transnational Crime 77
by Un Sovannasam

THEME THREE ECONOMICS 85

Chapter 14. ASEAN Economic Integration: The Strategic 87

Imperative
by Ong Keng Yong
Chapter 15. Overcoming the Obstacles: Increasing ASEAN 97
Relevance in the Promotion of Regional Trade
by David Martin
Chapter 16. Trade Dispute Settlement within ASEAN 105
by David Chin Soon Siong
Chapter 17. From AFTA to Free Movement within ASEAN: 117
A Bridge Too Far?
by Lok Hwee Chong
Chapter 18. ASEAN Integration Enters the Critical Stage: 125
A Private Sector’s Narrative
by Tai Hui
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Contents vii

Chapter 19. The Germination of Asian Financial Security 129

by Suthad Setboonsarng

Chapter 20. Does ASEAN Benefit Business? 139

by Raul L. Cordenillo

Chapter 21. ASEAN and Australia Partnership: Time for Business 145
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and People to Lead

by Christopher Findlay and David Parsons

Chapter 22. Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline: More than Just 151

a Pipe Dream
by Zainal Abidin Matassan and Lee Yoong Yoong
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Chapter 23. Encompassing the AEC Blueprint into ASEAN’s 159

Subregional Frameworks: A Commentary
by Gary P. Krishnan

THEME FOUR SOCIO-CULTURAL 169

Chapter 24. Population Ageing in ASEAN: Prospects 171

and Implications
by Kang Soon Hock and Yap Mui Teng

Chapter 25. Making ASEAN Relevant to the Young 185

by Diana Lee

Chapter 26. ASEAN and Human Capital 191

by Faizal Bin Yahya

Chapter 27. The ASEAN Quest for Greater Engagement 201

and Commitment
by Braema Mathiaparanam

THEME FIVE EXTERNAL RELATIONS 213

Chapter 28. Lao PDR’s Role in ASEAN-China Trade Ties 215

by H.E. Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh

Chapter 29. ASEAN’s Diplomatic Importance to China 217

by Sheng Lijun

Chapter 30. ASEAN as a Mover of Asian Regionalism 221

by Akiko Fukushima
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viii Contents

Chapter 31. What I have Always Wondered about ASEAN: 229

A Perspective from ROK
by Lee Sun-Jin

Chapter 32. India’s Place and ASEAN’s Primacy in the New 237
East Asia
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by P.S. Suryanarayana

Chapter 33. Reflections on Regionalism: The ASEAN Journey 253

by Simon Murdoch

Chapter 34. ASEAN and Latin America: Time for a Vibrant 267
Connectivity
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by Paulo Alberto da Silveira Soares

Chapter 35. Building a Strategic Partnership: A Review 273

of Relations between ASEAN and the ILO
by Ng Gek-Boo

THEME SIX THE FUTURE 281

Chapter 36. The Future of ASEAN: Obsolescent or Resilient? 283

by Amitav Acharya

Chapter 37. How Can ASEAN Stay Relevant? 289

by Joergen Oerstroem Moeller

Chapter 38. ASEAN into the Future: Towards a Better Monitoring 295
and Evaluation of Regional Co-operation Programmes
by Azmi Mat Akhir

Chapter 39. Strengthening the Foundation for an ASEAN 303

Community
by Wilfrido V. Villacorta

Glossary 315

Annex I: Press Statement 319

Index 323
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FOREWORD

Tommy Koh
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I commend my colleagues, Ong Keng Yong and Lee Yoong Yoong, for tak-
ing the initiative to edit this volume of essays on ASEAN (Association of
Southeast Asian Nations). I understand that the intention is not to produce
a book just for scholars and specialists, but also for a wider audience.
These 39 essays are written by well-known individuals who have rich
personal experiences of working either with ASEAN or between ASEAN
and its dialogue partners. The scope of the book is very comprehensive.
Anyone interested in ASEAN will find this a useful reader.
I thank the editor for inviting me to contribute the foreword to the
book. I shall use the foreword as an opportunity to contribute an essay of
my own, as I have been following the evolution of ASEAN since its birth in
1967, and have played a small role in several of its key events.

Born in Challenging Times

ASEAN was born on the 8th of August 1967, in Bangkok, Thailand. Pundits
at that time thought that the new regional organisation would probably not
survive its infancy. Their scepticism was understandable. Singapore had
separated from Malaysia only two years earlier. The reconciliation between
Indonesia and Malaysia, after the end of Konfrontasi, had just begun.
There was a territorial dispute between Malaysia and the Philippines. The
Vietnam War was intensifying. The five founding members of ASEAN did
not share a common language, religion or culture. Given all these prob-
lems in Southeast Asia, it was not surprising that some scholars in the West
described the region as the Balkans of Asia.
ASEAN has a track record of proving its sceptics wrong. It survived the
difficult circumstances surrounding its birth and, with pragmatism and

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x Foreword

goodwill, gradually increased mutual confidence, and developed a habit of

consultations and a culture of forging consensus. In the beginning, the five
founding members of ASEAN wisely focussed on what united them and on
creating a peaceful and stable environment in the region, which would
enable them to concentrate their energies on their internal development.
This process continued from 1967 until 1975 when ASEAN faced its
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first test.

The First Test

In 1975, Saigon fell and the Americans withdrew from South Vietnam.
North and South Vietnam were united to form the Socialist Republic of
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Vietnam. The red tide toppled the non-communist governments in Laos

and Cambodia. There was fear in America that Thailand, Malaysia and
Singapore would fall like dominoes. They under-estimated the resolve of
the five ASEAN countries to close ranks, to be non-confrontational, but, at
the same time, not to be intimidated by an arrogant and triumphalist
Vietnam. Things came to a head in December 1978, when Vietnam
responded to the provocations of the Khmer Rouge regime by invading
and occupying Cambodia.
ASEAN faced its first test: whether to acquiesce in Vietnam’s invasion
and occupation of Cambodia or to oppose it, at the UN and on the ground.
Although the Khmer Rouge regime was universally hated, ASEAN decided
that Vietnam’s invasion and occupation of its weaker neighbour would set
an unacceptable precedent. From December 1978 until the Paris Peace
Conference (1989 and 1991), ASEAN led a successful diplomatic campaign
against Vietnam at the UN and other international fora. ASEAN’s success-
ful diplomacy brought it credit and credibility.

The Second Test

ASEAN faced its second test when the Cold War ended. Some Western
scholars had mistakenly thought that ASEAN was an American-inspired
creature of the Cold War. With the end of that era, they predicted that
ASEAN would lose its raison d’être and would face the threat of being irrel-
evant. ASEAN again confounded its critics. ASEAN welcomed Vietnam into
the family. It decided to support APEC. Sensing that the Asia-Pacific region
was in need of an inclusive forum, consisting of all the stakeholders, to dis-
cuss issues of peace and security, ASEAN took the initiative to establish the
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Foreword xi

ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF). Therefore, instead of fading away with the
end of the Cold War, ASEAN succeeded in re-inventing itself and gaining a
new salience.

The Third Test

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With the exception of Thailand, all the members of ASEAN had been
colonised, by the British, Dutch, French, Spanish and the Americans. It is
natural for a newly independent country to be sensitive about its sover-
eignty and wary of the former colonial powers. This was also true of
ASEAN. Their initial instinct was to protect their newly won sovereignty
and independence and to keep the two superpowers and other major pow-
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ers at arm’s length. Fortunately, the leaders of ASEAN decided that, since
their prospects for peace and prosperity were partly dependent upon the
external powers, it was better to give them a stake in the region rather than
to keep them out. In this respect, ASEAN is unique. There is no other
regional organisation in the world which is so proactive in engaging and so
welcoming of its external partners.
Beginning in 1973, ASEAN established dialogue partnerships with
external powers having a keen interest in Southeast Asia. By the mid-1990s,
ASEAN had ten dialogue partners, namely Australia, Canada, China, the
EU, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, the USA and the Soviet
Union (now Russia). ASEAN would invite the foreign ministers of its dia-
logue partners to meet with the ASEAN foreign ministers, following their
annual meeting, both individually and collectively. This has become an
annual fixture in the international diplomatic calendar.

The Fourth Test

In order to attract the interest of its external partners, ASEAN has to have
substance and credibility. If the ASEAN countries were economically unsuc-
cessful, politically unstable, and incoherent and disunited, the world would
have no interest in engaging ASEAN. Fortunately, except during the Asian
Financial Crisis in 1997–1998, ASEAN has been one of the fastest growing
regions of the world. In addition, unlike other regions of the developing
world, ASEAN Member States welcome free trade and investment and have
pro-business environments. In order to compete with China and India,
ASEAN has implemented a free trade agreement and will, by 2015, have a
single market and production base. Even now, ASEAN is an economy of
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xii Foreword

significant reckoning. It has a combined population of 600 million.

ASEAN’s GDP is equal to that of India. The US, for example, has more
investment (FDI) in ASEAN than in China and India combined. The US
exports more to ASEAN than it does to India or the whole of Latin
America.
Apart from its economic significance, ASEAN is also of interest to its
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external partners because it has kept the peace in Southeast Asia. It is richly
endowed with natural and human resources. It sits astride some of the most
important sealanes of the world. It is a constructive player in global affairs,
often acting as a bridge between North and South and between East and
West. Southeast Asia is also the place where the great civilisations and reli-
gions of the world meet, co-mingle and interact. ASEAN is an exemplar of
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multi-culturalism.

The Fifth Test

The fifth test is the centrality of ASEAN in regional institutions. In 1997,
Asia was hit by a financial tsunami. One of the insights gained from the cri-
sis was that Northeast Asia and Southeast Asia were linked to each other
and shared a common destiny. This was the key reason for the decision of
ASEAN to convene the inaugural ASEAN+3 (China, Japan and the
Republic of Korea) in Kuala Lumpur that year. ASEAN+3 has taken off and
has spawned such offsprings as the Chiang Mai Initiative. In the meantime,
India was rising and looking East. ASEAN realised that it was mutually ben-
eficial for India and ASEAN to intensify their engagement. ASEAN also
wisely decided to include Australia and New Zealand in the East Asian fam-
ily. For these reasons, ASEAN took the initiative, in 2005, to convene the
inaugural East Asia Summit (EAS), consisting of ASEAN+3+India, Australia
and New Zealand. At the October 2010 ASEAN Summit in Hanoi, ASEAN
decided to invite the US and Russia to join the EAS, in 2011, when
Indonesia will assume the chairmanship of ASEAN.
ASEAN+3, EAS and ARF are ASEAN-centred institutions and
processes. ASEAN’s role has often been described as that of the driver of a
bus. Many have questioned ASEAN’s right and qualifications to drive the
bus. My answer to the critics is twofold. First, many of the passengers, such
as China, Japan and India, would not trust each other to drive the bus. All
of them can accept ASEAN as the driver. Second, ASEAN’s weakness, as
Singapore’s Foreign Minister George Yeo has said, is also its strength. It is
neutral and non-threatening. It has a track record of pragmatism and
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Foreword xiii

prudence and can be trusted to drive the bus cautiously and to take into
due account the interests and preferences of all the passengers on board.
ASEAN’s centrality is, however, constantly under challenge. I can
understand why. ASEAN’s centrality of the region’s institutions is abnor-
mal. For example, the UN Security Council is led by five permanent
members, with veto powers. It is normal for the strong to lead the weak and
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not for the weak to lead the strong. This is why we have, in the past, and
will continue to, face proposals that the bus should be driven either by a
committee of the major and medium powers of the region or by the +3
countries, namely, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea. However, a bus
driven by a committee or by three co-drivers who do not trust each other is
very likely to meet with disaster. Thoughtful individuals would realise that,
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given our history and the special circumstances prevailing in our region,
the only solution is for ASEAN to be the bus driver.

Conclusion
I am very optimistic about ASEAN’s future. It has embarked upon an ambi-
tious journey of self-renewal. The changes are nothing short of a paradigm
shift. ASEAN will transform itself from an association to a community by
2015. ASEAN has adopted a Charter which has rationalised its structure
and decision-making processes. The Charter will strengthen ASEAN’s insti-
tutions and ASEAN’s adherence to the rule of law. ASEAN has established
a human rights commission, and a commission on the rights of women and
children. The Charter has also empowered ASEAN’s civil society and con-
solidated the linkages between the political leaders, the officials, the
business community, civil society organisations, academia, youth, students
and the ordinary citizens of ASEAN. Let us join hands to build a bright
future for ASEAN and its 600 million stakeholders.

Tommy Koh
Special Adviser
Institute of Policy Studies
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INTRODUCTION

Lee Yoong Yoong

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Background
On 8 August 1967, the Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia and the Foreign
Ministers of Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand gathered
in Bangkok to sign a declaration establishing an “Association for Regional
Cooperation among the countries of Southeast Asia to be known as the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)”. This document, now
known as the Bangkok Declaration, led to the birth of ASEAN. Since then,
ASEAN has grown to become a ten-Member grouping, with Brunei
Darussalam joining in 1984, Vietnam in 1995, the Lao People’s Democratic
Republic and Myanmar in 1997, and finally, Cambodia in 1999.
ASEAN has been considered one of the world’s more successful
regional organisations. Today, however, as it moves past its fourth decade,
there is concern on the part of government officials, academics, and busi-
ness leaders — both in and out of ASEAN — that the organisation needs
some rejuvenation or else it could become irrelevant. In fact, as far back as
the year 2000, Singapore’s then Foreign Minister, Professor S Jayakumar,
had cautioned that if ASEAN continued to be ineffective, ASEAN’s
Dialogue Partners would relegate it to the sidelines. Jusuf Wanandi, Chair
of the Indonesian National Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation
Council, said in 2006 that ASEAN had a challenge to maintain its relevance
and that it must respond effectively to globalisation.
Against this backdrop, where there have been questions on ASEAN’s
relevance, this collection of 39 essays is meant to help bring about a gen-
eral appreciation of ASEAN’s value and achievements, and indeed its
limitations as well. It also comes at a critical time when the grouping is
embarking on realising an ASEAN Community by 2015. The authors of
these essays include current and former office holders at the ASEAN

xv
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xvi Introduction

Secretariat, as well as specialists and diplomats who have either had exten-
sive knowledge or have been involved in ASEAN’s external and economic
relations with its Dialogue Partners. Their cumulative experience on
ASEAN issues is deep and wide, lending this volume a certain degree of
authenticity and authority.
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Organisation of this Collection

The 39 essays in this collection are organised around six themes.

Theme 1: ASEAN’s History, Image and Challenges

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There are nine chapters which explore both the macro, as well as specific
issues confronting ASEAN.
In Chapter 1, Rodolfo Severino looks at the nature of ASEAN — “what
it is and what it is not, what it can do and what it cannot do and what can
be expected of it and what should not” — and assesses the opportunities
and challenges this presents. For instance, ASEAN’s nature as an inter-
governmental — not supranational — organisation has dictated its
approach to decision-making, which has been a source of frustration to
some. Severino also examines two distinct characteristics of ASEAN that
have been regarded as its strengths: political and economic openness to
the rest of the world, and inclusiveness in its approach to regional endeav-
ours. He concludes that while ASEAN has some limitations due to its
inherent nature, this does not mean ASEAN cannot achieve what is good
for its people, particularly in economic integration.
Tran Duc Minh, in Chapter 2, assesses ASEAN’s role and its potential
by looking at ASEAN’s achievements, especially in the economic and
financial fronts. Intra-ASEAN cooperation as well as bilateral partnerships
with non-ASEAN countries resulted in increased trade and investment in
the region but many investors still view ASEAN as ten separate economies,
rather than a single market envisioned for the ASEAN Economic
Community (AEC). For the AEC to succeed, he advocates official adoption
of the “Two Plus X” and/or “ASEAN Minus X” principles, and supports the
creation of an “AEC supranational institution” that would be able to make
tough decisions and provide policy directions.
In Chapter 3, Liu Yanling takes a different view and argues for the
removal of the “ASEAN Minus X” principle as it has been conveniently
used as a fall-back and excuse for some ASEAN Member States to avoid
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Introduction xvii

implementing ASEAN policies and agreements. She argues that without

the opt-out clause, Member States would need to be more forthcoming in
providing the political support necessary for ASEAN to move ahead.
Bernard Tai in Chapter 4 focusses on the non-implementation of ASEAN
agreements. ASEAN has signed more than 270 operations and integration
agreements but only 30% of these have been implemented. Ratification
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of agreements has also been a challenge given the different domestic and legal
constraints in each Member State. He proposes that unimplemented ASEAN
agreements could be repackaged to be operational in smaller sub-regional
groupings, such as the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN
Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) as the likelihood of cultural and economic simi-
larities within small groups would make implementation less complex.
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Chapter 5 sees S Tiwari pointing out that despite ASEAN’s accom-

plishments in keeping regional peace and stability, providing assistance for
natural disasters, and establishing trade linkages and dialogue partnerships
with countries beyond Southeast Asia, there appears to be insufficient
recognition given to ASEAN. He puts this down to an information gap and
the ingrained perception among businesses in ASEAN that the Member
States are not committed to implementing agreements and initiatives.
ASEAN needs to make a concerted effort to show that implementation
schedules in ASEAN agreements would be strictly adhered to, so that busi-
nesses and policy makers would treat these seriously.
In Chapter 6, Bandol Lim talks about the need to improve media cov-
erage and the dissemination of information on ASEAN’s achievements, for
instance, ASEAN’s role in mediating tensions within the region as many
ASEAN citizens would not know the impact of ASEAN’s work. He opines
that one of ASEAN’s foreseeable challenges is to convince people in the
region to identify themselves as “ASEAN citizens”. At the same time, he
hopes to see ASEAN work more cohesively to “put its house in order”, as
the region plays a more vital role in global affairs.
Kavi Chongkittavorn recounts, in Chapter 7, how his affection for
ASEAN began as a reporter covering the Cambodian conflict in 1980, fol-
lowing ASEAN’s moves and countermoves against its adversaries
throughout the war and seeing how ASEAN consolidated itself quickly in
the face of common crisis. Chongkittavorn advocates the importance of
young journalists writing regularly about ASEAN to provide progress
reports to the public, as the creation of a people-oriented ASEAN commu-
nity would remain unattainable if ASEAN citizens are left ignorant of what
happens in ASEAN.
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xviii Introduction

The notion of enlargement of ASEAN features in the next two articles.

Pushpa Thambipillai, in Chapter 8, looks back to when Brunei Darussalam
joined ASEAN in 1984 as the first new Member admitted since its founding
in 1967. She elaborates on how ASEAN has since become the cornerstone
of Brunei Darussalam’s domestic, foreign and economic policies.
In Chapter 9, Noordin Azhari takes a candid look at the possibility of
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Timor-Leste joining ASEAN. He states that as early as the year 2000, Timor-
Leste had made known its desire to be part of ASEAN and its current
President, Jose Ramos-Horta, expressed hope to join ASEAN by 2012. The
country has since acceded to the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in
Southeast Asia in 2007. While ASEAN is not perfect and has been criticised
by many, including President Ramos-Horta himself in the past, Timor-
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Leste’s desire to be in ASEAN suggests that the organisation has something

valuable to offer its Members and is “certainly worth more than what it
appears to be”.

Theme 2: Politics and Security

There are four chapters which explore political and security issues in
ASEAN.
In Chapter 10, Johari Achee examines the possibility of forming an
ASEAN Peace Corps, modelled along the lines of the American Peace
Corps, to help enhance regional stability for the present and future gener-
ations of ASEAN citizens. He asserts that one of the benefits of establishing
such a Peace Corps would be to inspire a greater sense of ASEAN identity
among the people and nurture a sense of togetherness, especially at the
grassroots level and among the young generation.
The role of ASEAN in fostering regional peace, security and prosperity
is the focus of Nicholas Dammen in Chapter 11. A stable and peaceful
ASEAN creates an environment conducive to economic and social devel-
opment in the region, but preserving regional stability is not without its
challenges. Apart from the traditional security issues (e.g., border disputes,
nuclear armament) that have required the attention of the ASEAN
Member States, Dammen also identifies the challenge posed by “regional
and global borderless threats” such as terrorism, human and drug traffick-
ing, natural disasters and communicable disease.
In Chapter 12, Moe Thuzar looks at ASEAN’s role in facilitating the
humanitarian and rehabilitation works of various multilateral and regional
agencies that were in Myanmar in the aftermath of Cyclone Nargis, and
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Introduction xix

how it provided a window of opportunity to alter the attitude of the

Myanmar government towards change. The humanitarian relief effort
earned ASEAN the recognition it deserved and paved the way for prag-
matic solutions through ASEAN coordination. She suggests that ASEAN
could consider developing a policy on engaging Myanmar in the spirit of
the Tripartite Core Group (ASEAN, United Nations and the Myanmar
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Government) which was set up to resolve problems and remove obstacles

to delivering aid to the cyclone survivors.
Un Sovannasam, in Chapter 13, provides a factual account of ASEAN’s
efforts in dealing with transnational crimes such as drugs, arms smuggling,
money laundering, illegal migration and sea piracy. To remain effective in
dealing with such issues, he points out that ASEAN’s structure needs to be
ASEAN Matters! Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com

strengthened. The setting up of legal and institutional mechanisms, under

the ASEAN Charter, as well as the adoption of the ASEAN Political-Security
Community Blueprint, appear to be steps in the right direction.

Theme 3: Economics
There are ten chapters which examine economic integration issues that
range from trade and connectivity to energy and financial cooperation in
the region.
Chapter 14 by Ong Keng Yong reviews the strategic imperative for
ASEAN’s economic integration, namely, a response to the rise of China and
India. He describes the AEC as the most ambitious programme of economic
cooperation in the developing world, and recognises that implementing this
agenda would be technically and politically difficult. While the AEC has
brought some benefits, for instance, the growth of ASEAN’s trade in goods,
and a more competitive regional consumer market, there is still insufficient
institutional support to help galvanise the AEC.
In Chapter 15, David Martin compares regional integration in Europe
and ASEAN, and observes that unlike Europe, ASEAN has “yet to enter the
hearts and minds of its people”. For the AEC to succeed, more needs to be
done, for instance, improving institutional capacity to implement and
enforce ASEAN commitments and actions; enhancing the coordination
between the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASEAN Member States on the
regional integration agenda; and embracing the dispute settlement mech-
anism which would serve to augment the Association’s legitimacy as “a
vehicle for bringing predictable, pro-trade regulation and prosperity to the
people of the region”.
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xx Introduction

Chapter 16 by David Chin provides a first-hand account of ASEAN’s jour-

ney towards establishing free trade and highlights the region’s approach to
the settlement of trade disputes which had been based on an “ASEAN way of
working” — one which is informal and based on personal cultivation of rela-
tionships. This method of settling disputes quietly and out of the limelight
has worked as most of the ASEAN trade officials have negotiated these trade
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concessions and trade preferences with one another over the last 18 years.
However, future officials may not have the same relationships or historical
bonding to continue such an informal approach. He sees the likelihood of a
more formal and legalistic approach to resolve future trade disputes.
In Chapter 17, Lok Hwee Chong recalls that following the initial
euphoria over the establishment of the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA),
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the private sector felt that in reality, goods still did not seem to be traded
freely within ASEAN. Even with the AEC, the concept of the free circula-
tion of goods is still elusive. He stresses that if ASEAN’s aim is to increase
intra-regional trade and build a sustainable and scalable trade infrastruc-
ture to cope with an intra-region trade volume of 30–40% of its external
trade by 2015, there must be stronger political will and more resources
dedicated to this goal.
In Chapter 18, Tai Hui offers a private sector perspective on why ASEAN
integration is now entering a critical stage and needs to be taken seriously
by both policy makers and the business community to succeed. He assesses
that slow progress on this will defer growth in the region. However, there is
scepticism among the business community over ASEAN’s “plan to create an
economic, social-cultural and security bloc with ten Members”. For multi-
national corporations, the hoped-for benefits of ASEAN integration are also
“rarely relevant to the business realities they face”.
Suthad Setboonsarng, in Chapter 19, ranks regional financial cooper-
ation as the most critical area of ASEAN economic cooperation but he
candidly admits that ASEAN would need bigger countries to join in the
effort to provide financial stability and influence change in global financial
rules and regulations in order to accommodate the needs of small devel-
oping countries. However, ASEAN, given its neutrality, can be the
“backbone” for other Asian countries to build their financial and economic
stability, and he suggests that it is time for ASEAN to take the lead in push-
ing for the establishment of an Asian Monetary Fund, a counterpart of the
International Monetary Fund.
In Chapter 20, Raul Cordenillo looks at the relationship between
ASEAN and the business community and stresses the need for both sides to
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Introduction xxi

work together to ensure ASEAN economic agreements are both useful to

the business community and helpful in meeting the national development
objectives of Member States. He highlights the importance for businesses
to keep themselves informed of policy developments in ASEAN and also
encourages the business community to keep governments informed of
their needs.
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In Chapter 21, Christopher Findlay and David Parsons point to scepti-

cism among potential foreign investors, including those from Australia,
about the ASEAN governments’ stated determination to deliver on the
AEC. The authors also note that it has been the governments that have
largely led and driven the integration processes and cooperation between
ASEAN and Australia. However, as cooperation moves to the next stage, it
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will be difficult and perilous to hold back the interests of the business com-
munity and the people. Within the bounds of good governance and
sustainability, these two groups can now take over the lead in the partner-
ship between ASEAN and Australia.
Chapter 22 by Zainal Abidin Matassan and Lee Yoong Yoong assesses
the relevance of the Trans-ASEAN Gas Pipeline (TAGP) as a project to
establish regional interconnecting infrastructures for electricity and
natural gas. While implementation has been slow, the authors argue that
the TAGP is a useful mechanism for ASEAN to enhance regional energy
security. An efficient, secure and integrated gas pipeline network is crucial
for ASEAN to improve its economic competitiveness and facilitate further
integration with the global economy.
Gary Krishnan, in Chapter 23, recognises the importance of subre-
gional development roadmaps which are distinct from the broader ASEAN
regional framework. He contends that in recent times, the subregions have
been able to outperform ASEAN in implementing projects as they are not
bound by ASEAN requirements. However, he believes that it is necessary
for the subregions to incorporate ideas from the AEC Blueprint to ensure
that projects are in sync with the ASEAN vision. By leveraging on the
ASEAN framework, the subregions can overcome longstanding weak-
nesses, evaluate their own plans and institutionalise successes, leading
ultimately to sustainable development in the rural communities.

Theme 4: Socio-Cultural
There are four chapters dealing with social and cultural progress across
ASEAN.
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xxii Introduction

Kang Soon Hock and Yap Mui Teng consider the prospects and impli-
cations of population ageing across ASEAN in Chapter 24. A shrinking
working age population results in a smaller tax base, leading to difficulties
for the government to support public programmes, such as health and
social care services for the elderly. The authors note that governments in
the ASEAN region have different views towards this issue, largely reflecting
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the stages of ageing in their respective populations. ASEAN, as a regional

organisation, can play a critical role to assist the Member States to prepare
for this “demographic certainty”.
Diana Lee, in Chapter 25, explores how ASEAN can be made more rel-
evant to its young citizens. A real ASEAN community can only come into
existence when the people feel a connection with ASEAN. While there is
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much that the regional countries have in common, young people are more
likely to know about countries outside ASEAN than their own regional
neighbours. She points out that youths have to be engaged at a level
beyond providing them with facts about ASEAN in textbooks. The out-
reach should be wide and the activities to engage them must be enjoyable.
In Chapter 26, Faizal bin Yahya examines how human capital mobility
in ASEAN can play a key role in regional integration. With ASEAN’s labour
force expected to grow 19.8% from 276 million in 2005 to 330 million by
2015, human capital will be extremely important as the region moves up
the economic value chain. For ASEAN to remain relevant to multinational
corporations, it needs to enhance human capital mobility, although the
diverse economic development and varied labour policies among ASEAN
Member States make this a challenging task. He suggests the establishment
of a uniform regulatory framework to address temporary and skilled migra-
tion in the region.
Braema Mathiaparanam, in Chapter 27, looks at how ASEAN began as
an “operation very much within the circles of political leaders, quite removed
from the people” in 1967 to become one which is now demonstrating an
effort to engage in discussion with ASEAN civil society leaders. She argues
that entities such as the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human
Rights (AICHR) and the ASEAN Commission on Women and Children,
which were set up following the establishment of the ASEAN Charter, will
help ASEAN strike a balance between economic well-being and social justice.

Theme 5: External Relations

There are eight chapters covering ASEAN’s relations with other countries
and ASEAN’s institutional partnerships.
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Introduction xxiii

Chapter 28 consists of a speech delivered in 2009 by then Prime

Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Bouasone Bouphavanh,
in China. In the context of ASEAN-China relations, he highlights the active
part played by his country in the construction and implementation of vari-
ous regional plans and projects, including the linking of the Mekong area
and the ASEAN region with China.
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Sheng Lijun, in Chapter 29, recognises that ASEAN’s diplomatic

importance to China has been increasing due to the niche ASEAN crafted
for itself in the East Asian regional strategic structure. As ASEAN works to
maintain centrality in East Asian regionalism, it also “accidentally” serves
China’s interests as other foreign powers are prevented from setting the
rules in the region. Any proposed regional architecture without the pres-
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ence and participation of ASEAN is likely to fail. ASEAN should fully utilise
its position to establish a better role for itself and reinforce regional peace,
security and prosperity.
In Chapter 30, Akiko Fukushima provides a perspective from Japan, one
of ASEAN’s earliest Dialogue Partners. She recognises the catalyst role under-
taken by ASEAN in driving regionalism in Asia — many existing regional
groupings were initiated and coordinated by ASEAN. ASEAN had “ploughed
what was once considered infertile ground in the interests of regionalism in
Asia”, and ASEAN has the potential to “remain a mover and a shaker”.
Lee Sun-Jin, in Chapter 31, explores the idea of the “ASEAN Way”
through the lens of a Korean. He notes that despite the many differences
among the ten Member States (ethnicity, religion, ideology, language, and
their political, economic and social systems), the “ASEAN Way” has so far
been successful in pulling the region together and ASEAN has managed to
maintain its integrity over the years. In the context of Northeast Asia, Lee
sees that ASEAN can play a useful role connecting Northeast Asia
with India, and also play a bridging role within the expanded East Asia
Summit (EAS).
P S Suryanarayana, in Chapter 32, provides an analysis on the close
links between India and East Asia, including ASEAN. He believes that if the
EAS expansion goes well, East Asia may become the next big theatre in
global affairs. The futurist agenda of an expanded EAS must be in tune
with the restrictive compulsions of any multilateral process. With the newly
expanded EAS forum having four key nuclear powers (the United States of
America, Russia, China and India) and “nuclear suppliers” like Japan,
South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, he foresees global issues such as
energy security, non-proliferation and nuclear disarmament finding their
way into the EAS agenda.
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xxiv Introduction

In Chapter 33, Simon Murdoch traces the development of ASEAN

from the height of the Cold War until the inaugural EAS in 2005. While
noting that “Comprehensive Economic Partnership in East Asia” has been
declared as an EAS goal, and that the regional integration pathway “runs
upwards through economic towards politico-security affairs”, as it has in
Europe, he warns that this “pathway will get steeper as it goes and has many
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potholes when national autonomy is felt to be threatened or domestic

political initiative is seen to be suppressed”. He affirms New Zealand’s com-
mitment to be a “constructive plurilateralist” through its contribution via
ASEAN/EAS for stability and prosperity.
In Chapter 34, Paulo Alberto da Silveira Soares focusses on the poten-
tial of cooperation between ASEAN and Latin America and notes a mutual
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lack of awareness on what each region is doing. He opines that little has
been done since the ASEAN Foreign Ministers and representatives of MER-
COSUR (Southern Common Market — Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and
Uruguay) had their inaugural round of preliminary talks in 2008 to create
a dialogue partnership. He notes that several countries from Southeast Asia
and Latin America are in the Group of 20 (G-20). Hence, there is a poten-
tial for expanding the connectivity between ASEAN and Latin American
economies.
Ng Gek-Boo provides a review of relations between ASEAN and the
International Labour Organization (ILO) in Chapter 35. Cooperation
between the two organisations has been improving steadily since the sign-
ing of a cooperation agreement in 2007. With ASEAN’s sizeable export of
migrant workers, ILO would need to play an advocacy role in promoting
ASEAN cooperation on migrant workers. He states that ILO and ASEAN
also need to work together to reduce poverty through projects targeted at
child labour, workers affected by HIV/AIDS, informal sector workers and
unemployed youths.

Theme 6: The Future

There are four chapters in which four writers give their impressions on how
ASEAN can continue to stay relevant and how the vision of the ASEAN
Community will develop.
In Chapter 36, Amitav Acharya notes that many regional and global
developments such as the rise of China and India, ASEAN’s own enlarge-
ment since 1967, and the increase in transnational issues have raised
questions about ASEAN’s relevance. He proposes that ASEAN charts some
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Introduction xxv

new directions to show that “it means business”, for instance, setting up a
regional peace operations mechanism, granting more authority to the
AICHR, and demonstrating the effectiveness of its dispute resolution
mechanisms. Above all, to stay relevant, ASEAN needs to maintain its unity
and engage all outside powers on an equal and transparent basis.
Drawing on his experience from working on EU integration, Joergen
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Oerstroem Moeller, in Chapter 37, recommends a number of key princi-

ples for successful ASEAN integration: regional integration must improve
the welfare of ordinary citizens who in turn must be able to see the con-
nection between their improved living conditions and ASEAN integration;
integration must be structured in a ‘win-win’ manner so that Member
States feel better off in ASEAN than out of the grouping; and ASEAN must
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be able to adapt and adjust to change.

In Chapter 38, Azmi Mat Akhir explores two approaches that can help
in the planning, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation of
regional policies, programmes and projects in ASEAN. The first is the use
of the existing ASEAN sectoral mechanisms. The second is the establish-
ment of special independent ad-hoc task forces comprising of academics or
research experts. He observes that tackling complex issues such as climate
change and food security would require ASEAN to adopt a more multi-
sectoral approach.
In the final chapter, Wilfrido Villacorta looks at ways to reinforce the
foundations for an ASEAN Community and emphasises the need to
strengthen ASEAN’s rules-based institutions. The character of the emerging
ASEAN Community will also be determined by the people of the region —
the extent of their commitment, their openness and their support. In view
of the diversity in political systems among the Member States, he notes that
ASEAN will always face challenges in building the envisioned community
but ASEAN’s success so far has given it the influence in driving regional
architecture, and countries from as far as Africa and Latin America have
expressed interest to be development partners with ASEAN.

Reflections
Even as this book is being prepared, new chapters in ASEAN’s community-
building story are unfolding, whether they relate to a political issue or an
economic matter or a social concern.
More than 40 years after its formation, ASEAN is still a work-in-
progress and there will always be debates regarding its usefulness and
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xxvi Introduction

effectiveness. The future of ASEAN is not a given as many in ASEAN

remain doubtful about its long-term viability. Some have argued that in
large parts of the ASEAN territory, people hardly know of ASEAN’s exis-
tence while in a number of the region’s parliaments, ASEAN is seen as too
intrusive. Apart from the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta, there are few region-wide institutions and mecha-
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nisms to stand up for ASEAN. The question people often ask is whether
ASEAN matters to their lives.
I was born a few years after the establishment of ASEAN. The organisa-
tion was not something which I needed to know or worry about for the first
half of my life. The relative peace and prosperity in the region was a great
blessing. ASEAN facilitated a positive development despite the ups and
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downs of the global economy. Singapore’s relations with its neighbours were
generally progressive and ASEAN was regarded as important even though it
was a slow-moving machine for regional cooperation and consultation.
However, in 2002, many things changed as a result of the intensification of
globalisation and advancements in technology. The Chinese and Indian
economies were also growing rapidly. ASEAN responded quickly with a plan
to integrate economically to obtain the benefits from economies of scale.
ASEAN also gambled on a free trade strategy. It decided to champion trade
liberalization and market access. To demonstrate commitment and serious-
ness, comprehensive blueprints including the ASEAN Charter were drawn
up. It was a question of survival. For me, the plans and actions for the
ASEAN Community by 2015 opened up more opportunities in Southeast
Asia and it was necessary to get to know the region better for my own future.
There is a sense of excitement as ASEAN engages countries like China,
India, Japan, Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Russia and the USA.
There is also a feeling that more and more Southeast Asians have become
educated and locked into the global grid. They wish to connect and be
involved with the rest of the world in moving forward and transforming their
respective nations. ASEAN is seen by those in and out of the region as the
vehicle to realise their respective aspirations. At the minimum, ASEAN can
help to improve their basic livelihood. If well-managed by the political lead-
ership, ASEAN can secure the future of the Southeast Asian people. The
many essays in this book convey some of the intensive activities and pulsa-
tions I feel as I witness the evolution of this unique inter-governmental
organisation. More and more, I hold the view that ASEAN does matter to
Southeast Asia, including citizens like myself and my children.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
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This book is the outcome of an informal brainstorming session between

Ambassador Ong Keng Yong, Director of the Institute of Policy Studies
(IPS) and me in an afternoon in February 2010. Having both served at the
ASEAN Secretariat between 2003 and 2008, we saw the merit of undertak-
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ing the publication of a reader-friendly book to allow ASEAN citizens to

better understand ASEAN and its role. We hope this book would not only
increase people’s appreciation of the value of ASEAN. We want this book
to find a wider readership within and outside of ASEAN.
As the editor of this book, I am grateful to the contributors for sharing
their stories, reflections and the lessons learnt. They have been very accom-
modating to my endless requests to revise their original drafts to meet the
guidelines of this book project.
I would like to thank Professor Tommy Koh, Ambassador-at-Large,
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Singapore, for taking the time and trouble to
write the Foreword, which is a succinct synopsis of ASEAN’s trials and tribu-
lations. I am also deeply indebted to Ambassador Ong Keng Yong for his
relentless support of this project.
My gratitude goes to Ms Cheong Yun Wan for her extremely profes-
sional copyediting assistance, without which this book would not be
complete. She was very patient in sharing her experience and knowledge
with me, and I deeply appreciated her cooperation.
I also owe special gratitude to the many people who gave so much of
their time and insights, including the essay reviewers, in particular, Professor
Ang Cheng Guan, Ms Sanchita Basu Das, Mr Daljit Singh, Dr Denis Hew,
and Dr Ramonette Serafica. I thank them for their friendship and frank-
ness in suggesting changes to improve the contents of the book.
I wish to thank Ms Juliet Lee, Consulting Editor of the World Scientific/
Imperial College Press for doing an excellent job in spite of the time pressure.
Finally, I also like to thank my colleagues at the IPS, including Mr Arun
Mahizhnan, Ms Chang Li Lin, and Ms Rachel Hui, for their continuous
support in the preparation of this publication.

xxvii
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THE CONTRIBUTORS
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AMITAV ACHARYA is currently Professor of International Relations at the

School of International Service, American University, Washington, DC. He
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is also Chair of the University’s ASEAN Studies Center. His previous

appointments include Professor of Global Governance and Director of the
Centre for Governance and International Affairs at the University of
Bristol; Professor, Deputy Director and Head of Research of the Institute
of Defence and Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University,
Singapore; Professor of Political Science at York University, Toronto; Fellow
of the Harvard University Asia Center, and Fellow of Harvard’s John F.
Kennedy School of Government. His publications number over 20 books
and 200 journal and magazine articles. His most recent books are Whose
Ideas Matter: Agency and Power in Asian Regionalism (Cornell, 2009) and Non-
Western International Relations Theory: Perspectives on and Beyond Asia
(co-editor, Routledge 2010).

AZMI MAT AKHIR started his career with the Department of Agriculture
for Peninsular Malaysia from 1976 to 1992. He joined the ASEAN
Secretariat in January 1993 as the Senior Officer of Trade and
Commodities, and rose to Assistant Director/Head of Food, Agriculture
and Forestry Unit in the Bureau for Economic Cooperation, before being
promoted to be the Director of the then Bureau for Functional
Cooperation. Before retiring in 2007, he was the Special Assistant to the
Secretary-General of ASEAN for Institutional Affairs and Special Duties. He
joined the Asia-Europe Institute of the University of Malaya in Kuala
Lumpur as a Senior Research Fellow (ASEAN Network) thereafter and
remains in the service until today. Since April 2010, he is also the Deputy
Executive Director of the Institute in-charge of Academic, Research &
Development. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Agriculture
from the Bogor Agriculture University, Indonesia, and Doctor of Science
from the Geological Institute, State University of Ghent, Belgium.

xxix
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xxx The Contributors

BOUASONE BOUPHAVANH is the Prime Minister of the Lao People’s

Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). He was born on 3 June 1954 in Salavan
Province, Southern Laos. He was officially appointed to the office by the
National Assembly of Laos on 8 June 2006, at the age of 52. PM Bouasone
received his tertiary education at the Communist Party Institute in Moscow,
former Soviet Union, from 1986–1990. He is part of a new generation of
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leaders in the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party. As part of the overhaul

of Lao PDR’s economy, PM Bouphavanh announced concrete measures
and action plans to increase foreign direct investments (FDI) into Lao PDR
and to open a Laotian stock exchange.

DAVID CHIN started his career in the shipyards of Singapore. He

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entered government service in 1985 to establish an Export of Services

Division in the Singapore Trade Development Board (TDB). He
attended the Trade in Services negotiations periodically in Geneva
before moving into other aspects of Trade Negotiations. He was
appointed Director of Multilateral and Plurilateral Trade Policies in
1987 and directed TDB’s role in the Uruguay Round and on ASEAN’s
Trade Development. In 2000 he was assigned to be Director-General
(DG) of the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI), and led Singapore’s
participation in ASEAN’s Senior Economic Officials Meetings (SEOM).
He represented ASEAN as the Co-Chairman and ASEAN’s Chief
Negotiator in the ASEAN-Korea FTA negotiation. He retired in 2006
and returned to the Maritime Sector as Executive Director of the
Singapore Maritime Foundation, whilst concurrently being a Consultant
(Trade) with the MTI. He was awarded the Public Administration Medal
on National Day respectively in 1993 (Silver) and 2000 (Gold) by the
President of Singapore.

KAVI CHONGKITTAVORN is an editor-at-large of The Nation, the

Bangkok-based English daily, where he has been a journalist for nearly
three decades, covering domestic and international affairs as well as
commentaries and editorials. He was a bureau chief in Phnom Penh
(1987–1988) and Ha Noi (1988–90). From 1994–1995, he served as Special
Assistant to the Secretary-General of ASEAN before returning to The
Nation as executive editor. He was a Reuter fellow at Oxford University in
1993–1994 and a Nieman fellow at Harvard University in 2000–2001. He
was also a jury member (2000–2004) and its president (2005–2007) of the
Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize, UNESCO. Currently, he is
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The Contributors xxxi

the chair of Southeast Asian Press Alliance, a regional free press advocacy
civil society group.

RAUL CORDENILLO is currently Project Manager of the Inter-Regional

Dialogue on Democracy Project of International IDEA (Institute for
Democracy and Electoral Assistance). Prior to this, he was Deputy to
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the Director of the International IDEA European Union (EU)

Presidency/Global Consultations Project, Democracy in Development.
Before joining the International IDEA, he was Assistant Director at the
Bureau for External Relations and Coordination of the ASEAN Secretariat.
He also functioned as the liaison to the ASEAN Business Advisory Council
and the ASEAN Chambers of Commerce and Industry, during his appoint-
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ment as Head of the Investment and Enterprise Unit. He had career stints
in the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats; the Philippine Chamber
of Commerce and Industry; and the Department of Trade and Industry of
the Philippines. He obtained his MA in Economics and BA in Political
Science (Cum Laude) from the University of the Philippines.

NICHOLAS T. DAMMEN is the Ambassador of Extraordinary and

Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia accredited to the Republic of
Korea since February 2009. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
(MFA) of Indonesia in 1975, after graduating from the Hassanuddin
University in Makassar, majoring in Political Science, and Linchonshire
University in Humberside, UK. He has been posted to the Papua New
Guinea in 1980–1982, Finland in 1982–1985, UK in 1987–1991 and
2001–2004, Singapore in 1994–1996, and the Indonesian Permanent
Mission to the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland in 1996–1998. Prior
to his appointment to South Korea, he held several key posts including
Director General for Policy Planning and Development Agency in MFA
Indonesia, as well as the Deputy Secretary General for Economic coopera-
tion in the ASEAN Secretariat. He was decorated twice with the Order of
Service by President Abdurrahman Wahid in 2001 and President Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono in 2007 respectively.

FAIZAL BIN YAHYA is a Research Fellow in the Multicultural and Society

cluster at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Lee Kuan Yew School of
Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS). His current
research interests include trans-nationals, human and social capital and
state-led development. He was conferred his PhD from the University of
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xxxii The Contributors

Sydney, Australia in 2000. His latest co-authored book is The Migration of

Indian Human Capital (with Ms Arunajeet Kaur) by Routledge, launched in
November 2010. He has written more than twenty journal articles and book
chapters. Prior his current IPS appointment, he was an Assistant Professor
in the South Asian Studies Programme, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences
at NUS. He was also a Visiting Research Fellow, Institute of Southeast Asian
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Studies (ISEAS) from January 2008 to June 2009. He has also worked for
the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Environment and Water
Resources in Singapore.

CHRISTOPHER FINDLAY is Professor and Head of the School of

Economics at the University of Adelaide in Australia. Prior to that, he was
ASEAN Matters! Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com

Professor of Economics in the Asia Pacific School of Economics and

Government at the Australian National University (ANU). While his
research focusses on Australia’s economic relations with Asia, he is a fore-
most examiner on policy reform in the services sectors, including studying
the impediments to services trade and investment. He holds a PhD and
M.Ec. from the ANU and an Honours degree in Economics from the
University of Adelaide. He became a Member of the General Division of
the Order of Australia (AM) in January 2007. He is also the Vice-Chair of
the Australian Committee for Pacific Economic Cooperation.

AKIKO FUKUSHIMA is a Senior Fellow at the Japan Foundation and

Research Fellow of the Joint Research Institute for International Peace and
Culture at Aoyama Gakuin University, where she also teaches. She holds a PhD
from Osaka University and an M.A. from the Paul H. Nitze School of
Advanced International Studies (SAIS), Johns Hopkins University. Her carrier
includes being Director of Policy Studies at the National Institute for Research
Advancement (NIRA) (1994–2006). Her publications include Japanese Foreign
Policy: The Emerging Logic of Multilateralism (1999) by MacMillan; A Lexicon of
Asia Pacific Security Dialogue (2003) by Keizai Hyoronsha; and Human Seucirty
(2010) by Chikura Shobo. She has contributed chapters to Asia’s New
Multilateralism (2009) and Security Politics in the Asia-Pacific (2009).

JOHARI ACHEE, a national of Brunei Darussalam, graduated from

University of Wales, Cardiff, UK with an MA (Journalism Studies). He was
the Assistant Director of the ASEAN Secretariat from 1989 to 1992, before
returning to Bandar Seri Begawan to head the News, Current Affairs and
Sports Radio Television Brunei (RTB) in 1993. In March 2006, he was pro-
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The Contributors xxxiii

moted to Deputy Director in RTB. He was also the first General Manager
cum Group Editor-in-Chief of the newly established The Brunei Times from
2006 to 2007, and Chair of News Group (Asiavision), Asia Pacific
Broadcasting Union from 2003 to 2006. In Asiavision, he managed the
growth from 7 to 18 members by paving for admission of new broadcasters
affiliates like Afghanistan and Mongolia. As Chair of ASEAN TV News
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Exchange from 2003 to 2006, he introduced annual news exchange award

funded by Asiavision, and pioneered the use of satellite in the exchange. He
is author of “Television News and Nation Building — A Case Study of RTB”.

KANG SOON HOCK is a Research Fellow in the Family and Demographic

cluster at the Institute of Policy Studies (IPS), Lee Kuan Yew School of
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Public Policy, National University of Singapore (NUS). He received his

PhD in Sociology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. His primary
research focusses on issues relating to ageing and family in Singapore. In
particular, he is interested in the inter-generational relationship between
the elderly and their adult children. His other research interests include
health and ageing as well as population ageing and policy.

GARY KRISHNAN is presently the Institutional Development Expert

(IDE) under the Asian Development Bank (ADB), and is tasked with assist-
ing and providing a consultancy role to the Centre for the IMT-GT
(Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle) Sub-regional Cooperation
in materialising the visions espoused by the Roadmap for Development
2007–2011: Building a Dynamic Future. Gary has over 20 years of corporate
and public sector management experience accumulated across the Asia-
Pacific region. His career stints include the Prime Minister’s Office of
Malaysia and the ASEAN Secretariat, where in his last appointment as
Head to the Initiative of ASEAN Integration (IAI), he was responsible for
driving developmental aid to the newer member states of Cambodia, Laos
PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam.

DIANA LEE was a Senior Officer at the Public Affairs Office of the ASEAN
Secretariat in 2004. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in
Southeast Asian Studies from the National University of Singapore and her
Master of Arts in Mass Communications from Oklahoma City University.
Prior to her employment at the ASEAN Secretariat, she was an Assistant
Director with the People’s Association, Singapore. She is now a happy
house-maker with two young daughters.
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xxxiv The Contributors

LEE SUN-JIN is currently the Visiting Professor at Hallym University. He

graduated from the Department of International Relations of Seoul
National University in February 1975, and thereafter joined the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea. In his 23 years of diplomat serv-
ices, he served in the Korean embassies and consulate general offices in the
USA, Lebanon, Hong Kong, China, Japan and Indonesia. He also took on
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critical assignments and roles, such as Director-General for Policy

Planning, and as Deputy Minister for Policy Planning and International
Organizations in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) after
it was established in 2000. He officially retired from the MOFAT in
September 2008. He was a Visiting Fellow to the East Asian Institute in
Singapore in 2009.
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LEE YOONG YOONG

Please refer to Editor’s Biography.

BANDOL LIM was born in Cambodia and was raised and educated in the
US. He received his Bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Denison
University in 1999. Thereafter, he served with the US Peace Corps and
AmeriCorps to help improve the global economic and social conditions.
He completed a Master’s degree in International Development and Social
Change from Clark University in 2007. With a commitment to equitable
economic and social development, he returned to Cambodia to bring
about positive social change, and held various positions with the University
of Cambodia, including a Research Fellow and Deputy Director of the
Institute of Research and Advance Studies. Still with the university, he now
occupies several key positions, including Director of the Asia Leadership
Center; Deputy Director of the Office of the President in Charge of
International Coordination; and Coordinator for the Asia Economic
Forum and the Asia Faiths Development Dialogue.

LIU YANLING is currently Manager with the Air Transport Division of the
Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). She has been handling bilat-
eral and multilateral air services negotiations with the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Member States since joining CAAS in
2007. She was involved in the negotiations and conclusion of the ASEAN
Multilateral Agreement on Air Services, as well as Multilateral Agreements
on the Full Liberalisation of Air Freight Services and Passenger Air
Services, all of which are expected to pave the way for an ASEAN Single
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The Contributors xxxv

Aviation Market. She was also involved in the bilateral negotiations leading
up to the landmark agreement between Singapore and Malaysia, which saw
full liberalisation of air services between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and
liberalisation of air services to secondary Malaysian points. Previously a
country officer at the MFA of Singapore, she has a First Class Honours in
Political Science from the National University of Singapore.
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LOK HWEE CHONG was Assistant Director/Head of the Finance &

Macroeconomic Surveillance Unit, and concurrently Head of the
Investments and Industrial Cooperation Unit at the ASEAN Secretariat
(ASEC) in 2007–2008. Prior ASEC, he served for 10 years with the
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Singapore Government, holding various posts, namely First Secretary

(Commercial) to the European Communities in Brussels; Head of
International Operations (ASEAN), Trade Development Board; and Senior
Assistant Director, Trade Division, Ministry of Trade & Industry. Presently
the Regional Customs and Regulatory Affairs Director for TNT Express, he
has in-depth understanding of trade regulatory issues, having worked as a
senior consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Worldtrade Management
Services. He was a holder of the Shaw Foundation Scholarship and gradu-
ated from the National University of Singapore with a Bachelor of Science
(Chemistry) with Merit and a 2nd Upper Honours Bachelor of Social
Sciences (Economics).

DAVID MARTIN is a regional integration specialist focussing on econom-

ics and international trade. Since 2003, he has been based at the ASEAN
Secretariat in Jakarta to direct the ASEAN-EU Programme for Regional
Integration Support (APRIS), which aimed to enhance regional economic
integration, with specific emphasis on customs, standards and goods
trade. He also helped to further the EU-ASEAN relations through Trans-
Regional EU-ASEAN Trade Initiative (TREATI) and Regional EU-ASEAN
Dialogue Instrument (READI). He is the co-author of a thematic evalua-
tion of EU trade related technical assistance worldwide, and had recently
contributed to the UN University’s Comparative Regional Integration
Studies’ book project, The EU and World Regionalism: the Makability of
Regions in the 21st Century.

BRAEMA MATHIAPARANAM was a former Nominated Member of

Parliament (NMP) in Singapore. Her early career stints include teaching
under the orbit of the Ministry of Education (MOE) and doing journalism
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xxxvi The Contributors

for The Straits Times. She was also a Visiting Research Fellow at
the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) where she spearheaded its
Gender Studies Programme. She served as a former president of AWARE,
a women’s NGO in Singapore, as well as the founder of a migrant worker
advocacy group, the “Transient Workers Count Too”. Her other civil soci-
ety appointments include Regional President of the International Council
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of Social Welfare and the executive committee member of a global net-

work, Institute of Women’s Empowerment. Braema is now a consultant
researcher and trainer. She currently leads a human rights group called
MARUAH and is the Singapore’s Focal Point for The Working Group on
ASEAN Human Rights Mechanism.
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MOE THUZAR is the Lead Researcher, Socio-Cultural Affairs of the

ASEAN Studies Centre at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. Before
joining the Centre, she headed the ASEAN Secretariat’s Human
Development Unit. She has contributed to various ASEAN compendia and
publications on social and human development. She also co-authored
Myanmar: Life After Nargis (ISEAS, 2009), and is also co-editing a book on
the impact of Cyclone Nargis and lessons for disaster management in
Southeast Asia. She is interested in urbanisation and urban policies in
Southeast Asia, and is coordinating a project on trends, prospects and
challenges of urbanisation in Southeast Asia. Having served in Myanmar’s
Foreign Service, she is also working on a review of Myanmar’s foreign
policy. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Lee Kuan Yew
School of Public Policy where she was a Temasek scholar.

JOERGEN OERSTROEM MOELLER joined the Danish diplomatic serv-

ice in February 1968 and worked on the European integration from 1971
to 1997. He served as the Danish Ambassador to Singapore and Brunei
Darussalam from 1997 to 2005. In 2002, he was also made the Ambassador
to Australia and New Zealand while based in Singapore. Since retiring from
the Danish Diplomatic Service in 2005, he joined the Institute of Southeast
Asian Studies (ISEAS) as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow, and continues
to hold concurrent appointments, such as Adjunct Professor, Copenhagen
Business School and Singapore Management University; Chair of Advisory
Board, Asia Research Center, Copenhagen Business School (CBS); and
member of INSEAD, Forum International Competitiveness, among others.
His major publications include Political Economy in a Globalized World, World
Scientific (2009) and European Integration — Sharing of Experiences, ISEAS
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The Contributors xxxvii

(2008). He has a Master of Science (Economics) from the Copenhagen

University.

SIMON MURDOCH graduated from the Canterbury University with a BA

in English and American Studies and an MA with First Class Honours in
American Studies. He joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of New Zealand
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in 1972 and was posted to Canberra, Australia from 1974 to 1977. From 1979
to 1981, he worked on secondment in the Prime Minister’s Advisory Group
(PAG) as foreign policy adviser, and later returned as its director. He subse-
quently served in Washington from 1983 to 1987 and returned to Canberra
as High Commissioner from 1999 to 2002. He was appointed as Secretary of
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Foreign Affairs and Trade in September 2002, prior to his retirement in June
2009. In November 1998, he was Visiting Professor (Public Policy and
Management) at the Victoria University of Wellington. He was awarded the
“Companions of the New Zealand Order of Merit” (CNZM).

NG GEK-BOO is no stranger to the labour movement. He has proven his

mettle time and again in this field by way of his various appointments in a
career at the International Labour Organization (ILO) that spanned over
three decades. At the pinnacle of his career, he was appointed the Regional
Director for Asia and the Pacific, bearing the rank of an Assistant Director-
General in the organisation in 2006. With a regional agenda, he worked
with the ASEAN Member States in the promotion of progressive labour
practices. He received his Bachelor in Commerce degree from the then
Nanyang University in 1969, before pursuing his honours degree in the
same university the following year. He did his post-graduate education in
the UK, i.e. a Master’s degree at the University of Manchester in 1971 and
the PhD qualification at the University of Sheffield in 1976.

NOORDIN AZHARI is presently the Deputy Chief of Party for the ASEAN-
U.S. Technical Assistance and Training Facility at the ASEAN Secretariat.
He was previously Chief of the Trade Efficiency and Facilitation Section
at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and
the Pacific (UNESCAP) in Bangkok. Before UNESCAP, he held assistant
director and director positions at the ASEAN Secretariat for more than
16 years. Such a long affiliation with the ASEAN Secretariat helped him to
develop in-depth knowledge and understanding of regional economic
integration and intergovernmental issues. Prior to the ASEAN Secretariat,
he was a member of the Malaysian Administrative and Diplomatic Service
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xxxviii The Contributors

and held various positions in the Ministry of Trade and Industry. He

graduated from the University of Malaya in 1975 and received his
Master’s degree in International Studies from the University of
Birmingham, UK in 1991.

ONG KENG YONG is Director of the Institute of Policy Studies in the Lee
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Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore.

He is concurrently Ambassador-At-Large in the Singapore Ministry of
Foreign Affairs (MFA) and Singapore’s Non-Resident Ambassador to Iran.
He was Secretary-General of ASEAN from 2003 to 2008. He started his MFA
diplomatic career from June 1979 and was posted to the Singapore
Embassies in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and the USA. He was Singapore’s
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Ambassador to India and Nepal from 1996 to 1998. From September 1998
to end 2002, he was Press Secretary to the then Prime Minister, Mr Goh
Chok Tong. At the same time, he held senior appointments in the Ministry
of Information, Communications and the Arts, and the People’s
Association. He graduated from the then University of Singapore with a
LLB (Hons) and the Georgetown University (Washington DC) with an MA
in Arab Studies. In 2008, he was Visiting Research Fellow at the Centre on
Contemporary Central Asia and the Caucasus in the School of Oriental
and African Studies in London. He was awarded the Public Administration
Medal (Silver) in 1997, the Long Service Medal in 2002 and the
Meritorious Service Medal in 2008 by the Singapore Government. In 2007,
he also received the Medal of Friendship of the Lao PDR, and the Medal
of Sahametrei of the Kingdom of Cambodia.

DAVID PARSONS is an Australian who has lived and worked in Southeast

Asia since 1993. He served as the Director-General of Pacific Economic
Cooperation Council (PECC) in 1993–95 following five years managing
PECC’s minerals and energy activities out of the Australian National
University (ANU). From 1996 to early 1999, he was based at the Centre for
Strategic and International Studies in Jakarta working principally in
PECC’s Trade Policy Forum. In 2000 and 2001, he was engaged as a full-
time consultant to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brunei Darussalam to
work on the APEC 2000 Leaders and Ministerial meetings and the APEC
High Level Meeting on Human Capacity Building in Beijing. He then
returned to become Director-General of PECC again at the start of 2002 for
a two-year term. Presently, he is advisor on trade and investment with the
Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN).
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SUTHAD SETBOONSARNG is a Thailand Trade Representative, a posi-

tion equivalent to that of a minister, since May 2009. He is the special
representative of the Thai Prime Minister in carrying out international
trade, investment and related issues in accordance with the government’s
external economic policy. He has years of experience in assisting the
royal Thai government, individual ASEAN Member State, and the
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United Nations in their trade and investment policy. Prior to his current
position, he was a Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he supported
leading global companies, in particular, the consumer goods and automo-
tive sectors, on international trade and customs issues. As Deputy
Secretary-General of ASEAN, he pioneered the work on the ASEAN
Harmonised Tariff Nomenclature (AHTN) which is now the common
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regional tariff nomenclature system. He was also instrumental in establish-

ing the ASEAN Finance Ministers Meeting in 1996 and the subsequent
creation of the Chiang Mai Initiative (CMI). He holds a PhD (Economics)
from the University of Hawaii in 1983 under the East-West Centre
Scholarship.

RODOLFO C. SEVERINO, JR. is a Filipino diplomat and was the Secretary

General of ASEAN from 1998 to 2002. He is currently the Head of the
ASEAN Studies Centre at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in
Singapore. He studied at Ateneo de Manila University and has held a post-
graduate degree in International Studies from the Johns Hopkins School
of Advanced International Studies. As a diplomat, he had been posted to
the Filipino embassies or consulate-general office in Washington DC,
Beijing, Houston, and Kuala Lumpur, among others. He also served as the
Undersecretary of Foreign Affairs of the Philippines from 1992 to 1997. He
is the author of Southeast Asia in Search of an ASEAN Community.

SHENG LIJUN is currently Visiting Associate Professor at the School of

Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
He received his MA degree from the Australian National University (ANU)
in 1988 and a PhD degree from University of Queensland, Australia in 1994.
Prior to joining NTU, he was Senior Research Fellow at the Lee Kuan Yew
School of Public Policy from 2008 to 2010. His earlier appointments include
Senior Fellow at Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) from 1995 to
2008, and Visiting Fellow at Strategic & Defence Studies Centre of the ANU
(1993–1994). His research focus is on international relations in Southeast
Asia and East Asia. He has written extensively in nearly 200 publications and
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xl The Contributors

papers. He is author of several books, like China and Taiwan: Cross-Strait

Relations under Chen Shui-bian (2002); Chinese Foreign Policy 1978–84: From
Anti-Hegemonic United Front to the Independent Foreign Policy (1994); and
ASEAN-China Relations: Realities and Prospects (co-editor, 2005). His forth-
coming book, China and International Relations in Southeast Asia (sole author)
is in progress.
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PAULO ALBERTO DA SILVEIRA SOARES is a career diplomat and has

assumed different positions in the Brazilian diplomatic service since 1968.
He was Minister Counsellor at the Embassy of Brazil in Buenos Aires, cov-
ering mostly Mercosur. His previous assignments include the UK, India,
Spain and Sweden, as well as participation in presidential delegations and
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trade missions to China, Australia, South Africa, Italy, the USA and the
South American countries. He also has extensive experience in bilateral
and multilateral foreign trade policies, as well as in international economic
and financial matters. He has attended specialised courses at the
International Trade Centre in Geneva, besides writing and lecturing on
specific topics.

UN SOVANNASAM is currently Senior Officer of the Legal Services and

Agreements Division, the ASEAN Secretariat. Before the Legal Services
and Agreements Division, he had served as the Senior External Relations
Officer at the secretariat, with the responsibility of coordinating and pro-
moting ASEAN cooperation and partnership with countries, international
and regional oganisations, and external parties. As a Senior External
Relations Officer, he was also assigned to oversee the work on immigration,
transnational crimes and law and legal matters at the ASEAN Secretariat.
Prior to the ASEAN Secretariat, he served in different departments at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Cambodia.
His last assignment was at the General Department of ASEAN.

P. S. SURYANARAYANA has been working in Singapore since 2002 as Asia

Pacific Correspondent of THE HINDU (India’s National Newspaper since
1878). He has also served previously as Deputy Editor, Southeast Asia
Correspondent (also in Singapore from 1998 to 2000) and Special
Correspondent in both Sri Lanka and Pakistan, all for THE HINDU.
Author of a book on India-Sri Lanka relations, The Peace Trap, he has inter-
viewed political leaders in East Asia over the years and also several political
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The Contributors xli

and non-conventional leaders in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. He

covered the Gulf War in 1991, the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan in the
1990s, the East Timor crisis in 1999, and the Fiji ethnic crisis in 2000.

BERNARD TAI is currently a senior policy advisor for the German

Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Project on Promoting Economic
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Cooperation in BIMP-EAGA. The project focusses on facilitating investment

and trade flows and tourism movement within this relatively less developed
part of ASEAN with the end goal of narrowing the development gap across
BIMP-EAGA and across ASEAN. Bernard is based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah,
Malaysia. From 2002 to 2005, Bernard was Senior Infrastructure Officer at
the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta. He had also worked as an economic ana-
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lyst for over eight years, including career stints as Head of the Centre for
Economic Studies at the Maritime Institute of Malaysia; Economist at the
BBMB Securities; and Senior Research Officer at the Malaysian Institute of
Economic Research. Bernard holds a Master’s degree in Economics.

TAI HUI is the Regional Head of Research, Southeast Asia, of Standard

Chartered’s Global Research team. Based in Singapore, he monitors the
financial and economic development of the Southeast Asian economies.
Besides publishing research articles regularly in international and local
journals and newspapers, Tai also provides sound technical advice to clients
on the latest regional economic and financial development. He is also a reg-
ular guest with both local and international financial media. Prior to his
current role, Tai spent six years as an economist with Standard Chartered
Bank (Hong Kong) researching the Greater China economies. Tai gradu-
ated from Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, with a Master of Arts
degree in Economics. In November 2007, he was conferred a Master in
International and Public Affairs from the University of Hong Kong.

PUSHPA THAMBIPILLAI is a Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Business,

Economics and Policy Studies, Universiti Brunei Darussalam. She teaches
International Relations, International Organisations and Regional
Cooperation. Her research interests include Brunei foreign policy, ASEAN
cooperation, and international relations in the Asia Pacific region. She is a
regular participant in academic conferences both within and outside the
region and has contributed to publications dealing, among others, on
Brunei and regionalism in Southeast Asia. She received her Bachelor’s and
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xlii The Contributors

Master’s degrees in Social Sciences from the Universiti Sains Malaysia

(USM), and her PhD in Political Science from the University of Hawaii.

SIVAKANT TIWARI was a senior legal officer of the Singapore Legal Service.
Educated at the University of Singapore, he graduated in Law in 1971, and
made the Legal Service his career, serving as head of the Ministry of Defence’s
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legal department (1974), and head of the Attorney-General’s (AG)

Chambers’ Civil Division (1987) and International Affairs Division (1995).
A skilled negotiator, he was a member of the Singapore delegation that dealt
with the US-Singapore FTA signed in 2003, and served as legal adviser to the
delegation that established diplomatic relations between Singapore and
China. He was also on Singapore’s legal team in a case concluded in 2003 that
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had been brought on by Malaysia to the International Tribunal for the Law of
the Sea for provisional measures against alleged damage to its territorial
waters due to land reclamation by Singapore, and in the territorial dispute
with Malaysia over Pedra Branca before the International Court of Justice in
2007. He retired from the Legal Service in 2007 but was re-employed by the
Attorney General’s Chambers as a special consultant. He was a recipient of the
Public Administration Medal (Gold) in 1984, the Long Service Award in 1996,
the Public Administration Medal (Gold) (Bar) in 2000, and the Meritorious
Service Medal in 2008. He later joined the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies
as a Senior Visiting Fellow. He passed away on 26 July 2010, suffering from a
fatal aneurysm and cerebral haemorrhage.

TRAN DUC MINH is currently the Director (Non-Executive) of the

Standard Chartered Bank in Vietnam, and the Vice-Deputy Secretary-
General of the Vietnam’s Economic Association. In addition, he is also a
lecturer at the Hanoi University of Business and Technology, and is Dean
of The Faculty of International Trade. Prior to his retirement from the pub-
lic service, he was Deputy Minister for Trade (1998–2007); Secretary
General of the Vietnam’s National Committee for International Economic
Cooperation (1995–1998); Chief Negotiator for the WTO accession of
Vietnam (1991–2000) and the Vietnam-US Bilateral Trade Agreement
(1995–1999); and Director-General for Multilateral Trade Policy
Department in the Ministry of Trade (1995–1998). In between, he was
appointed Deputy Secretary-General of ASEAN from 2000 to 2003. He
graduated from the Australian National University with a Bachelor of Arts
in Economics in 1979. He has published extensively in English and in
Vietnamese between 1980 till 2009.
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The Contributors xliii

WILFRIDO VILLACORTA is presently Professor Emeritus of De La Salle

University in Manila, the Philippines. He received his PhD from the
Catholic University of America, Washington DC, and has been an educa-
tor for most of his career: Professor of International Relations
(1975–2005); Senior Specialist, SEAMEO Regional Center for Educational
Innovation and Technology (INNOTECH) (1976–1978); and Adviser to
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the President, Asian Institute of Management (2007–2008), among others.

In between, he served as the Deputy Secretary-General ASEAN from 2003
to 2006. He is currently Honorary Professor and Academic Advisor at the
Ritsumeikan Asia-Pacific University in Japan. He is also a consultant to
the ASEAN Affairs Division of the Department of Foreign Affairs of the
Philippines, and the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral
ASEAN Matters! Downloaded from www.worldscientific.com

Assistance (IDEA) in Sweden. He has published scholarly works on inter-

national relations.

YAP MUI TENG is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of Policy

Studies. She leads research in the area of Demography and Family at the
Institute. Her current research interests include policy responses to low
fertility in Singapore and elsewhere, policies on the aged, migration
policies, and poverty alleviation policies. She has written and published on
fertility and family planning, migration and ageing in Singapore. Prior to
joining IPS in 1989, she was working as a statistician at the Population
Planning Unit, Ministry of Health. She has also worked as a Research
Fellow at the Population Institute, East-West Center, Honolulu, Hawaii, and
a statistician at the Research and Evaluation Unit, Singapore Family
Planning and Population Board. She has a Bachelor of Social Sciences
(Honours) degree from the University of Singapore, and a Master’s and
PhD degrees from the University of Hawaii.

ZAINAL ABIDIN MATASSAN is the Managing Director of MATASSAN (M)

Sendirian Berhad, Executive Director of AGROMATE Holdings Sdn Bhd
and AGROMATE (M) Sdn Bhd, Director of BAJA Niaga Sdn Bhd and
Chairman of PETROMINSAR Sdn Bhd. He was the former Secretary-In-
Charge of the ASEAN Council on Petroleum (ASCOPE), a regional entity
comprising all the ten ASEAN National Oil and Gas Companies and
Authorities responsible for oil and gas of the Member States. He served
in PETRONAS, the National Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Company of
Malaysia, for over 30 years, which included a term of four years in Vietnam,
as Country General Manager. In 1988, he was awarded the Pegawai Bintang
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b1087 ASEAN Matters

xliv The Contributors

Kenyalang (PBK) by the state of Sarawak. For enhancing cooperation and

relationship between Vietnam and Malaysia in the oil, gas, petrochemical
and energy sectors, he was awarded the “BANG KHEN” in 2001 by the
Government of Vietnam. He is currently a Member of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers (SPE), Malaysian Institute of Management (MMIM),
and Malaysian Society of Soil Sciences (MSSS).
by 203.144.88.6 on 03/11/24. Re-use and distribution is strictly not permitted, except for Open Access articles.
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