The Front Row Podcast

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Chang Sau Sheong. Sau Sheong Chang is the Chief Technology Officer of GovTech Singapore, the government agency responsible for Singapore's national technology infrastructure and digital public services. In this role, he oversees the development and maintenance of platforms that underpin daily life for millions of Singaporeans — from SingPass, the national digital identity system, to Parents Gateway, CDC vouchers, and the Culture Pass.Sau Sheong brings an unusual combination of deep private-sector experience and long public-service commitment to his work. He began his technology career at the National Computer Board in 1997, left in 1999 to found his first startup, and spent the intervening decades in startups and large technology companies before returning to public service — first as one of the earliest Smart Nation Fellows, and subsequently as a full-time GovTechie.In this conversation, recorded at a community event co-organised by SuperAI, Carta, and Singapore Global Network, Sau Sheong speaks candidly about Singapore's 40-year arc of digital transformation, the buy-versus-build dilemma at the heart of government technology strategy, GovTech's adoption of AI tools including Claude Code for classified systems, and what the AI disruption actually looks like from inside one of the world's most advanced digital governments.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Introduction1:58 Why Singapore's Digital Edge Isn't an Accident5:45 How GovTech Attracts World-Class Engineers6:33 From Startup Founder to CTO: Sau Sheong's Journey9:44 The Projects Behind Singapore's Digital Infrastructure12:32 Buy vs. Build: The Government's Hardest Dilemma18:39 How GovTech Is Adopting AI19:05 Claude Code for Classified Systems24:54 How GovTech Prioritises AI Deployment Across Agencies28:35 AI Anxiety: Advice for Young Professionals34:13 ClosingThis is the XX episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Kishore Mahbubani is one of Asia's most prominent public intellectuals — a former diplomat, academic, and author whose career spans decades at the intersection of geopolitics, philosophy, and statecraft. He served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations on two occasions and as President of the UN Security Council, before becoming the founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at NUS. He is the author of several widely read books on the shifting global order, most recently Has China Won?In this conversation — filmed live in front of an audience of young leaders curated with the National Youth Council — Mahbubani ranges across the Iran-Israel war and the misreading of Persian civilisational logic, the structural weaknesses of multilateral institutions and who is actually responsible for them, the enduring miracle of ASEAN in the world's most diverse region, and the iron law of geopolitics that makes the US-China contest essentially mechanical. He closes with a characteristically optimistic verdict on Singapore's place in history and what the next generation of leaders must understand to navigate the crossfire that is coming.Chapters0:00 Trailer1:08 Introduction1:42 Singapore's Sixty Years of Peace3:05 The MacDonald House Incident5:00 How Singapore Repaired Relations With Indonesia7:46 The Iran-Israel War8:48 How Israel Sold Trump a Quick War11:27 Why Iran Didn't Surrender12:26 The Strait of Hormuz as a Weapon14:38 Gaza and the Two-State Solution16:00 How Gaza Damaged the West's Standing18:26 Israel's Military Dominance Won't Last Forever21:09 How Young Singaporeans Should Read the Crisis21:42 Don't Get Emotional — Get Rational23:24 Who Actually Weakened the UN24:09 The Hypocrisy of Western Complaints About the UN29:30 How Singapore Can Use Multilateral Platforms31:56 The Iron Law of US-China Competition33:57 How China Found Its Weapon36:02 ASEAN's Imperfections — and Why That's Fine39:37 ASEAN Outgrew the EU42:09 Q&A43:17 The Case for the UN Veto45:15 Why the UK Should Give Its Seat to India47:30 Sunrise vs Sunset Organisations — BRICS and the G752:15 ASEAN's Limits — and Its Quiet Power56:02 The Long-Term Fallout From the Iran War58:20 Is International Law a Sunrise or Sunset Trend?1:02:46 Singapore's Founding Realist Principle1:04:32 The Malacca Toll, the UAE, and the GCC1:09:32 One Piece of Advice for Young Leaders1:10:04 The Singapore Miracle in World History1:13:00 Prepare for the Crossfire1:13:51 ClosingThis is Episode 84 of The Front Row Podcast. Full transcripts are at ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Join the conversation in the comments, or find us here:Instagram: instagram.com/frontrow.65LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keith-yapWebsite: ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Dimitra Taslim.Dimitra Taslim is seasoned tech investor and currently, serves as a Venture Partner at Granite Asia. Before Granite Asia’s spinout and rebrand from GGV Capital Asia, Dimitra was part of the investment team at GGV Capital, where he helped source and support investments across emerging Asian markets. His work at Granite Asia reflects the firm’s broader thesis of supporting ambitious Asian founders through long-term capital, operational support, and access to cross-border networks.Dimitra brings a blend of investor and operator experience. Prior to venture capital, he worked in private equity and growth investing in London, and also founded a digital wealth startup. His background gives him a strong focus on execution, operational scale, and founder-market fit — especially in businesses solving infrastructure and productivity challenges in Asia.This is the 83rd episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Dr. Dean Ho is currently Provost’s Chair Professor and Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering in the College of Design and Engineering, Director of The Institute for Digital Medicine (WisDM) at the Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, and Director of The N.1 Institute for Health (N.1) at the National University of Singapore.His central argument is that medicine has always been built on population averages — and that this is no longer sufficient. With AI and digital twins, he believes we now have the tools to treat every patient as a sample size of one.The conversation spans three registers: oncology (a blood cancer patient who entered the trial at eighty and is still thriving four and a half years later); commercialised drug combination design (Kyan's 91% predictivity vs a competitor's 52%); and personal healthspan (Dean ran an IRB-approved trial on himself tracking sleep, gut, metabolism, and supplementation).The through-line is a simple but radical idea: a single annual health snapshot tells you almost nothing. Dynamics — how your body changes hour to hour, day to day — is where the signal lives.TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction1:31 We Are Stories, Not Snapshots4:10 Why Population-Level Medicine Falls Short6:00 The Cancer Patient Who Defied the Odds9:15 Why Lower Doses Can Work Better10:45 Becoming the Test Subject12:00 One Day of Metabolic Data12:40 Sleep, Gut Health & the Delta Trial13:25 Singapore's Edge in Medical Innovation15:23 AI Regulation: The FDA Paradox16:22 What's Broken About the Old System18:12 Scaling N=1: The Real Bottleneck19:48 Why Doctors Resist — and Why They Shouldn't20:40 The Economics of Personalised Treatment21:30 Drug Combinations: 91% Accuracy vs 52%23:20 Advice for Healthy People24:08 Resting Heart Rate as a Sleep Signal27:49 The One Habit Change That Moves the Needle30:00 ClosingFeel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

In this episode, I sit down with Zheng Yu Huang — technology executive, White House Fellow, and author of Rethinking China — to examine what he argues are dangerously flawed assumptions driving US policy towards China, and what a more clear-eyed strategy would look like.Huang's career is unusually well-positioned for this conversation. After Stanford and Harvard Business School, he rose to Managing Director at Intel — one of the youngest to hold that title — where he negotiated directly with the Chinese government on IP frameworks. He then served as a White House Fellow under President Obama, becoming the first person of mainland Chinese origin to hold that distinction, and led an interagency task force to restore Haiti's telecommunications network following the 2010 earthquake. He later founded a financial services data firm that grew to 300 staff and a $100 million valuation, and served four years as President of the Committee of 100, the prominent Chinese American organisation co-founded by IM Pei and Yo-Yo Ma.In this conversation, we cover the $600 billion IP theft figure and where it actually comes from, the human cost of the China Initiative, the real lessons of the China shock, what war-game projections say about a Taiwan contingency, why the US is losing ground in Southeast Asia, and what a results-focused China strategy would look like.This is Episode 81 of The Front Row Podcast.Full transcripts: ykeith.com/tag/podcastInstagram: instagram.com/frontrow.65LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/keith-yapWebsite: ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]: 0:00 Trailer0:55 A Drive-By Shooting on My First Month in America5:29 Why America Is Still the Land of Opportunity9:24 Negotiating IP With Beijing at Intel16:27 What the White House Fellowship Taught Me About Power23:49 When US-China Relations Broke27:49 The Consequences of Getting Your Assumptions Wrong33:14 Why Southeast Asia Is America's Blind Spot34:41 The Real Reason the US Pivoted to Securitisation35:43 The China Shock Was Never Really About China41:15 The $600 Billion Number That Isn't Real46:26 How the China Initiative Destroyed Innocent Lives52:59 Compete or Cooperate? The AI Question58:03 What History Tells Us About US-China-Taiwan1:00:57 What China Gets Wrong About America1:06:10 Focus on Results: A New China Strategy1:08:32 America's Real Domestic Challenges1:11:59 One Final Piece of Advice

Professor Lily Kong — President of Singapore Management University — is one of Singapore’s most distinguished geographers. Trained as an academic, she built her career studying the intersections of culture, religion, and urban space, producing work that bridges rigorous scholarship and real-world policy impact.In recent years, her focus has shifted toward the future of higher education. Through public lectures and her latest book, she argues for a reimagining of the university in an era shaped by rapid technological change and demographic shifts.At SMU, she leads a community of 13,000–14,000 students and has helped shape the university’s identity around entrepreneurship, interdisciplinarity, and applied learning. She is also a leading advocate of the “60-year university” — the idea that universities must evolve beyond four-year degrees into lifelong partners supporting individuals throughout their careers.In this conversation, she brings a geographer’s lens to some of Singapore’s most pressing questions:How geography and constraints have shaped Singapore’s education systemWhat universities must do as AI reshapes the labour marketWhy whole-person development — mind, body, and relationships — must take center stage⏱ TIMESTAMPS00:00 – Introduction00:26 – The Geographer’s Lens03:21 – Prisoners of Geography: Singapore’s Hard Truths07:29 – Smallness as Strength and Constraint08:52 – Eastern vs Western Universities: Singapore’s 50-Year Journey12:49 – Why Research and Innovation Are Under-Valued15:48 – Research That Changes Lives18:15 – Demographics Is Destiny: The Ageing Society19:41 – The 60-Year University23:17 – Rethinking How Universities Deliver28:08 – AI and the Accelerating Half-Life of Knowledge29:21 – What Universities Must Do in the Age of AI35:51 – Integrating Mind, Body, and Soul36:37 – Why Campus Life Matters More Than We Think39:53 – Reimagining the Humanities43:35 – Is the University a Scam?48:31 – SkillsFuture and the Lifelong Learning Challenge51:46 – What Lily Kong Is Telling Policymakers53:46 – Advice for Fresh GraduatesThis is the 80th episode of The Front Row Podcast.📄 Full transcripts:https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/📲 Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]🎧 Subscribe for free:Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Professor Selina Ho is Vice Dean (Research and Development), Dean’s Chair, and Associate Professor in International Affairs at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. Her research focuses on Chinese politics and foreign policy, with a particular interest in how China wields power and influence through infrastructure and water disputes in Southeast Asia and South Asia.Her work sits at the intersection of comparative politics and international relations. Her book, Rivers of Iron: Railroads and Chinese Power in Southeast Asia, is widely regarded as a definitive text on the Belt and Road Initiative in the region.TIMESTAMPS00:00 — Trailer00:52 — Introduction01:21 — Why Southeast Asia Matters to Both Superpowers04:25 — Will Trump Turn His Back on the Region?09:41 — The Fear of US Abandonment14:17 — How Southeast Asia Actually Sees China18:37 — Chinese Influence vs. Chinese Dominance21:37 — Wolf Warrior Diplomacy in China29:11 — The Belt and Road33:47 — When China Owns Your Power Grid: The Laotian Lesson37:44 — China Wants Regional Dominance40:16 — How ASEAN Elites Actually Respond to Chinese Influence43:06 — What Regional Decision-Makers Really Think47:31 — ASEAN Centrality51:52 — Why ASEAN Is Strong on Trade and Weak on Security55:15 — Building an ASEAN Identity01:00:19 — What Singapore Should Do With Its 2027 ASEAN Chairmanship01:01:46 — Advice for a Fresh Graduate Entering the Working WorldThis is the 80th episode of The Front Row Podcast.📄 Research Paper“Elite Perceptions of a China-Led Regional Order in Southeast Asia”https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/18681034241294093#table2-18681034241294093📜 Full Transcriptshttps://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Connect & FollowInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]🎧 Listen & SubscribeSpotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Michael O'Hanlon is one of America's foremost defence policy scholars. He holds the Philip H. Knight Chair in Defence and Strategy and serves as Director of Research in the Foreign Policy programme at the Brookings Institution, where he specialises in US defence strategy, the use of military force, and American national security policy.O'Hanlon completed all his degrees at Princeton University — a bachelor's in physics, a master's, and a PhD in international affairs — and went on to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he taught physics in French. He later served as an analyst at the Congressional Budget Office and was a member of the Pentagon's Defence Policy Board.His newest book, timed to coincide with America's 250th anniversary, is To Dare Mighty Things: US Defence Strategy Since the Revolution, published by Yale Press in 2026. You can buy a copy of his book here - https://amzn.to/4bKPmaqHis previous works include The Art of War in an Age of Peace and Military History for the Modern Strategist, among more than a dozen books spanning NATO, nuclear arms, land warfare, and US-China relations.O'Hanlon has appeared on television or spoken on radio over 4,000 times since 9/11, and his writing has appeared in Foreign Affairs, The Washington Post, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, among many others.This is the 78th episode Of The Front Row PodcastTIMESTAMPS:00:00 — Introduction01:37 — Grand Strategy vs. Defence Strategy: What's the Difference?06:50 — George Washington's Guerrilla Instinct: How the Revolutionary War Shaped America11:45 — The Founding Fathers Were Not Minimalists15:10 — The War of 1812: Punching Up at the World's Number One Power18:50 — Was America Ever Really Isolationist?21:10 — The Uncomfortable Ethics of American Expansion30:15 — How World War II Made America a Superpower32:55 — Three Wars That Built a Nation34:30 — The Cold War Was Scarier Than We Remember37:45 — Vietnam: America's Worst War — and Why Lee Kuan Yew Still Defended It40:20 — The Cold War Was About More Than Containing Communism42:30 — The End of the Cold War: Triumph or Anxiety?46:05 — 9/11, Fear, and the Road Into Iraq49:30 — The Paradox of American Power: Winning the Grand Game While Losing the Wars51:20 — Nixon's Art of Losing Without Admitting It53:35 — Iraq: What Went Wrong and What Didn't55:15 — Trump Through a Historical Lens: A 19th-Century President in the 21st Century56:40 — If You Had 15 Minutes With Trump, What Would You Say?Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

George Yeo is a former Singaporean Cabinet Minister whose distinguished career in public service spanned twenty-three years. Between 1988 and 2011, he held several senior portfolios in the Singapore Government, most notably serving as the Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2004 to 2011, as well as the Minister for Trade and Industry and the Minister for Information and the Arts.After retiring from politics, he transitioned into the global business arena, where he served as the Chairman of Kerry Logistics Network for several years. Today, he continues to contribute his expertise as a Senior Adviser to both the Kuok Group and Kerry Logistics.Beyond his business interests, George Yeo is a prolific intellectual and a bridge-builder between civilizations. He is currently a Visiting Scholar at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and a member of the Board of Trustees of Berggruen Institute. His commitment to interreligious dialogue is reflected in his long-standing service to the Vatican, where he served a member of the Council for the Economy under Pope Francis.A widely respected voice on geopolitics and Asian history, he recently authored the acclaimed three-part series, George Yeo: Musings. He remains one of the most insightful commentators on the evolving relationship between the East and the West and the future of international cooperation in a multipolar world.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro 01:13 Rome to Today: World Orders Explained03:30 Why Global Stability Is Gone05:45 The New Power Poles08:00 AI and the Fragmented World10:51 Making Decisions in Chaos13:00 How to Learn Today16:30 Why the West Sees Thucydides19:00 Understanding Other Civilisations22:00 How Trust Works25:41 How To Understand China 28:00 Trump as an Agent of History31:24 What Drove the MAGA Phenomenon34:00 Can America Heal Itself?39:23 The US Dollar's Uncertain Future43:00 Gold, Bitcoin & Fiat Money46:19 Gaza, Singapore & Staying Neutral49:40 The Diplomat's Deal 51:51 Why Long-Term Thinking Wins53:15 Taiwan: Will There Be War?57:00 Cross-Strait Politics & What's Shifting59:18 What Singapore Must Become01:02:30 Singapore's Lesson 01:04:42 Balancing Global and Local01:06:18 Lessons From Public Service01:08:18 The Taoist View of Existence01:09:02 One Piece of AdviceThis is the 77th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

Wang Gungwu is an internationally renowned historian famed for his scholarship on the history of the Chinese diaspora in Southeast Asia, as well as the history and civilisation of China and Southeast Asia. In his illustrious academic career, Wang has held eminent appointments in various universities and organisations around the world. He was a history professor at the University of Malaya (1963–68) and the Australian National University (1968–86), and the vice-chancellor at the University of Hong Kong (1986–95). He is currently a professor emeritus at the Australian National University and a University Professor at the National University of Singapore (NUS), the highest academic title conferred by NUS.This conversation was recorded at his recent book launch for his book : No Borders : Journeys Across Islands and Continents - at the National Library of Singapore.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 — Introduction0:13 — Prof Wang's Opening Speech 1:45 — "Home Is Where We Are" — Margaret's Wisdom3:15 — What Does "No Borders" Actually Mean?6:38 — How To Find Order in Chaos12:00 — Westphalia, the UN & Why Every World Order Eventually Fails19:30 — Two Ways of Writing History From The Ancients 28:00 — Why China Is Returning to Its Own Past 34:10 — Does Power Always Corrupt? The Chinese Answer35:15 — Confucius vs. the Rule of Law39:59 — Why Southeast Asia Has Stayed Surprisingly Peaceful46:52 — Wang Gungwu on His Own Craft51:09 — The Tang-Song Paradox: How China's Golden Age Planted the Seeds of Its Decline1:01:12 — Geography Shapes History, But Doesn't Determine It

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Ho Kwon Ping.Ho Kwon Ping is one of Singapore's most iconic entrepreneurs. He currently serves as the Executive Chairman of Banyan Tree Holdings, the international spa and resort group he established in 1994. Under his leadership, Banyan Tree grew from a single resort in Phuket into a global luxury brand operating in over 30 countries. He runs the business alongside his wife and co-founder, Claire Chiang. Beyond the boardroom, Ho is known for his candid perspectives on Singaporean society, the changing global order and what he thinks Singapore needs to succeed in the coming years. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 - Introduction01:37 - Singaporeans And Cultural Intelligence 07:07 - Singapore's Strength 14:10 - Maintaining A Cultural Core in a Globalized World18:21 - Cultural Intelligence vs. Cultural Identity19:52 - Redefining Luxury: Aspirational vs. Exclusive26:30 - Status Obsession 30:03 - The Coming Civilizational Reset39:43 - US and China As Civilizations 40:57 - Clashing Reference Points In Political Discourse 50:07 - Implications for Singapore in a Post-Western World57:43 - Diversifying Knowledge: AI and Non-Western Civilizations59:06 - Communitarian Capitalism 1:03:11 - Mindset Shifts for Thriving in a Messy World1:12:36 - The Price of Sovereignty 1:13:27 - Avoiding Mediocrity 1:19:50 - Building World-Class Excellence1:25:05 - Difference Between Leadership vs. Management1:32:53 - Hope for Singapore 2056This is the 75th episode of The Front Row Podcast. Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Mehran Gul. Mehran Gul is an author and researcher exploring the shifting geography of technological innovation and the rise of breakthrough companies beyond traditional Western hubs.He is the author of The New Geography of Innovation, published by Simon & Schuster (U.S.) and William Collins (U.K.), which charts the emergence of dynamic tech ecosystems across Asia, Latin America, Africa, and beyond. The book originated from an essay that won the Financial Times/McKinsey Bracken Bower Prize for the best business book proposal by an author under 35. It has since been translated and published in China, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, and Russia.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro: The New Geography of Innovation00:35 Why The West Used To Dominate01:24 The Global Inflection Point in Tech01:54 3 Lenses to Map Modern Innovation04:46 Govtech Innovation in Singapore 06:05 Researching the Map: Lessons from 200 Interviews07:39 3 Through-Lines of Singapore’s Success09:37 Beyond the US-China Binary12:51 The ResNet Case: Why US-China Synthesis is Ending14:14 Debunking the Silicon Valley "Obituary"16:58 Why Some Hubs Die and Others Survive19:42 Talent Density vs. Relationship Density21:41 The Geopolitics of Capital & Reserve Currencies24:30 Can You Actually Replicate Silicon Valley?27:07 The London Paradox: Why UK Startups Exit Early31:20 Is Europe a Regulator or an Innovator?34:10 The Hidden Strengths of European Universities37:13 The Mittelstand: Germany’s Deep Tech Backbone41:10 China: The "Precocious Student" of Innovation43:47 Invention (USA) vs. Execution (China)49:03 Watching India 51:44 Singapore as an ASEAN Launchpad55:22 Solving the Exit Bottleneck in Singapore57:23 Switzerland vs. Singapore: Two Small State Models01:01:42 Why Innovation is a Biological System01:07:05 Advice for Policymakers: Diversifying the Horizon01:11:44 Advice for Graduates: Learning to Learn AIThis is the 74th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Susan Sim. This is the second of a two-part series covering Singapore's merger and separation from Malaysia. Susan Sim is the editor of The Albatross Files- Inside Separation, a landmark publication that brings to light previously classified documents detailing Singapore's merger with and separation from Malaysia in the 1960s.For the first time, oral histories, cabinet memos that were previously secret are now declassified. This book brings into light the raw emotions and real struggles Singapore's first generation of leaders faced when contemplating seperation. She is also the author of The People's Minister, a biography of E.W. Barker, Singapore's longest-serving Law Minister and a key figure in the separation negotiations. In this conversation, we talk about her editorial approach, the last two months leading up to Separation and why more of us should care about EW Barker. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Trailer00:45 What Are The Albatross Files13:05 Understanding Separation28:15 The Emotional Weight of Separation34:24 Why The Hong Lim Election Mattered36:50 Why The British Was Excluded42:43 The Final Week Before Separation49:08 The Role of E.W. Barker in the Separation Process56:38 E.W. Barker: A Man of the People01:03:07 Lessons for Young Singaporeans from HistoryThis is the 73rd episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out my interview with Janadas Devan, Senior Adviser at the Ministry of Digital Development and Information and Deputy Secretary at the Prime Minister's Office of Singapore.Mr Devan coordinated The Albatross File: Inside Separation, the authoritative 488-page volume documenting Singapore's path to independence, co-published by Straits Times Press and the National Archives of Singapore.The troubled 1963 merger with Malaysia began with fundamental disagreements and was strained by the 1964 race riots. Finance Minister Dr Goh Keng Swee maintained a secret file code-named "Albatross"—referencing Coleridge's poem about burden and consequence—containing Cabinet memos, negotiation records, and his handwritten notes from meetings with Malaysian leaders.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer00:51 Subscribe!01:19 Did We Take Merger For Granted?05:25 The 1945 Split: Singapore's First Separation09:44 Battle for Merger12:48 What Tunku Actually Wanted16:20 Ten Months: From Victory to Riots19:08 September 1963: PAP's Big Malay Win26:30 Misreading Malaysian Politics28:33 The Counter-Offensive Gamble38:29 LKY's Strategy Works Too Well42:35 The Idealists Who Opposed Separation46:30 Ideological Divide in Singapore's Cabinet49:49 How Real Was The Risk to Lee Kuan Yew?52:53 How LKY Rattled UMNO57:16 LKY's International Reputation59:16 Why Secrecy Was Essential01:04:21 Tunku's Decision: "Singapore as Gangrene"01:07:17 Dr Goh's Masterstroke01:11:28 Understanding Separation In Context01:15:30 Three Lessons for SingaporeThis is the 72nd episode of The Front Row Podcast.Full transcripts: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Connect with me:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out my interview with Shaun Rein.Shaun Rein is the Founder and Managing Director of China Market Research Group (CMR), the world’s leading strategic market intelligence firm focused on China. He works closely with boards, billionaires, heads of state, CEOs, and senior executives of Fortune 500 and leading Chinese companies, as well as private equity firms, SMEs, and hedge funds, helping them navigate China growth, political, and investment strategies.This is Episode 71 of the Front Row Podcast.Timestamps00:00 Intro01:24 Did China Game the System?06:16 Governance: Serving the 90% vs. the 1%11:52 Corporate Influence Today16:34 The Age of Tech Oligarchs23:06 American Companies in China28:40 Weaponizing the Dollar & Sanctions33:42 The Resource War: Chips & Rare Earths37:56 China’s Drive for Self-Reliance41:36 Venezuela as a Sign of the Times45:12 What Happens to the BRI?47:22 Trump’s Greenland Ambitions50:50 The Leadership Vacuum in Europe55:22 Biden vs. Trump on China58:26 US and China’s Domestic Challenges01:05:51 What the US and China Can Learn From Each Other01:09:13 Shaun’s Core Insight01:13:04 Advice for Young ProfessionalsFeel free to share your thoughts in the comments or connect with me here:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: https://www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Professor Tommy Koh. Prof Koh is Singapore's Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a position he has held since 1990, and Professor of Law at the National University of Singapore. He is a veteran diplomat and negotiator recognised globally for his contributions to international law and diplomacy.Koh's distinguished career spans international law, diplomacy and education. He served as Singapore's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York (1968–71; 1974–84) and Ambassador to the United States (1984–90).His most notable international contribution was serving as President of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, where he successfully steered 119 countries to sign the convention in 1982—creating what he called "a constitution for the world's oceans." He was also a member and second chairman of the High-Level Task Force that drafted the ASEAN Charter, providing the institutional and legal framework for the organisation.Koh has represented Singapore in major legal disputes, including serving as chief negotiator in the reclamation works dispute with Malaysia over Tuas and Pulau Tekong (resolved in 2005), and as part of Singapore's legal team in the Pedra Branca cases before the International Court of Justice (2003 and 2017).At NUS, Koh was the founding Rector of Tembusu College and currently serves as Chairman of the International Advisory Board of the Asia Research Institute and Special Adviser to the Institute of Policy Studies.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Trailer0:42 Introduction1:18 Living Through Decolonisation6:27 Becoming The Youngest UN Ambassador12:13 Why International Law Cannot Protect Small States17:21 Condemning America in 198319:04 Creating the UN Constitution for the Oceans28:20 ASEAN's Peace Miracle29:51 Why LKY Was America's Friend37:51 What Singapore Should Not Import from America41:35 The Downside of CEO Worship52:08 Understanding China56:17 China's Return To A Tang Dynasty Vision?1:02:42 How to Engage an Assertive China1:07:14 Insights From Five Generations of Singapore's PM1:18:07 Tommy Koh's Hopes for Singapore1:21:48 Tommy Koh's Advice For Young SingaporeansThis is the 70th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Lim Siong Guan is a Professor in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, instructing on leadership and change management. Siong Guan was the Head of the Singapore Civil Service from September 1999 to March 2005. He has been the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence (1981-1994), the Prime Minister’s Office (1994-1998), the Ministry of Education (1997-1999) and the Ministry of Finance (1998-2006).He worked directly with Singapore's founding fathers to help Singapore transform itself into a modern economic hub of Southeast Asia. He was also Lee Kuan Yew's first Principal Private Secretary. He has chaired the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (2004-2006), the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (2004-2006) and, the Central Provident Fund Board (1986-1994), and has been a board member of many companies including Temasek, the other sovereign wealth fund manager of Singapore. He is currently an Advisor to the Group Executive Committee of GIC. GIC is the fund manager for the foreign financial reserves of Singapore. He was the Group President of GIC from 2007 to 2016. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the Singapore University of Technology and Design, and Senior Fellow of the Singapore Civil Service College. Siong Guan was Chairman of the Singapore Economic Development Board from October 2006 to June 2009. The Board is the Singapore government’s lead agency for planning and executing strategies to enhance Singapore’s position as a global business centre. Much of its work is attracting international corporations to set up manufacturing and services activities in Singapore as critical links in the global supply chain. Siong Guan has co-authored with Joanne H. Lim two books. The first was “The Leader, The Teacher & You – Leadership Through the Third Generation,” a book on leadership and governance, which won the Singapore Literature Prize for non-fiction in 2014. The second was "Winning with Honour in Relationships, Family, Organisations, Leadership, and Life, a book on winning in life and work. He is the founder chairman of Honour (Singapore), a charity that seeks to promote the culture of honour and honouring in Singapore. He is a SwissRe Group Advisor and a member of the International Board of the Stars Foundation, a Swiss foundation that promotes leadership development for leaders of the next generation. This is the 69th episode of Front Row Podcast.CHAPTERS:00:00 Trailer00:46 Introduction & Early Public Works Experience04:09 The Road Roller Story: Learning Practical Governance08:41 Dr Goh Keng Swee's Leadership in MINDEF10:29 Building the Junior Flying Club & Early Lessons15:01 The Glider Experiment: Learning to Cut Losses18:50 Becoming Lee Kuan Yew's Principal Private Secretary22:27 Understanding Power: Service Before Self26:16 The Three Pillars of Trust: Care, Competence, Commitment29:39 Building Singapore's Defence Force from Zero35:42 Total Defence & the Philosophy of Deterrence40:29 Talent Management Across the Public Service46:51 Introduction to Scenario Planning49:37 Hotel Singapore & Home Divided: National Scenarios53:54 PS21: Transforming the Public Service57:45 The Innovator's Dilemma: From Copy-and-Improve to Indigenous Innovation01:04:56 The Unknown Unknowns: Planning for Uncertain Futures01:08:38 The Mother's Challenge: Cultural Barriers to Innovation01:12:41 Defining Success 30 Years Out01:14:50 Advice For Fresh Graduates Entering The Working World Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Dr Jostein Hauge is a political economist and an Assistant Professor in Development Studies at the University of Cambridge, based at the Centre of Development Studies and the Department of Politics and International Studies. He is also the Director of the MPhil in Development Studies and a Fellow of Magdalene College. His research lies at the intersection of international political economy and development economics. He is the author of The Future of the Factory: How Megatrends are Changing Industrialization, published by Oxford University Press. The book investigates how industrialization pathways are shaped by recent technological developments, new forces of globalization, and the threat of ecological collapse. It also charts new pathways for industrial policy and global governance.TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Introduction and Trailer01:20 Why Alexander Hamilton Still Matters for Economic Development03:03 The Return of the State: From Free Markets to Industrial Policy07:21 Beyond Tariffs: The Full Toolkit of Modern Industrial Policy10:28 America's Industrial Policy Deficit and the CHIPS Act Gamble14:02 The Rise of Services and the Manufacturing Illusion17:35 How America Lost 25% of Global Manufacturing in Three Decades20:43 The Fatal Mistake: Conflating Low Price with Low Value23:41 Losing the Industrial Commons: Why Offshoring Costs More Than Jobs26:04 The East Asian Tiger Playbook: Investment, Patience, and Reciprocal Control33:32 China's Gladiator Economy: When Copycatting Drives Innovation37:27 The Patent Paradox: Protecting Profits or Enabling Development?40:16 Vietnam's Geopolitical Tightrope: Navigating US-China Competition44:56 Mexico's Cautionary Tale: When Liberalisation Fails50:31 Financial Repression as Development Strategy: Controlling Capital for Growth54:31 Why Industrial Policy Requires Embracing Failure55:35 Who Bears Responsibility for Climate Change?59:00 China's Green Tech Dominance: Opportunity or Threat for the Global South?1:02:01 The Overcapacity Debate1:08:52 AI Anxiety and the Luddite Fallacy: What History Teaches About Automation1:16:20 Ha-Joon Chang's Impact on Jostein 1:20:42 Advice for Fresh Graduates Entering the Working World

Scott D. Anthony serves as Clinical Professor of Strategy at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, where he teaches courses including "Leading Disruptive Change," "Horizon Scanning," and "AI and Consultative Decision-Making." He is also Senior Advisor and Managing Partner Emeritus at Innosight, the growth strategy consultancy co-founded by Harvard Business School Professor Clayton Christensen.Anthony spent more than 20 years at Innosight, serving as elected Managing Partner from 2012 to 2018, during which time the firm tripled its revenues and expanded internationally. He has worked with CEOs and senior leaders at global organisations across six continents, helping them navigate disruptive change, design growth strategies, and build innovation capabilities.00:00 Intro & Trailer01:30 Understanding the Innovator's Dilemma03:30 What Makes Disruptions "Epic"06:15 Lessons from the Printing Press for Today's AI Revolution10:50 Why Great Companies Still Fail Despite Doing Everything Right15:01 The Risk of Not Innovating18:24 Can Leaders Act Without Clear Data?21:03 Singapore's Innovation Paradox24:39 Why Even Governments Face the Innovator's Dilemma26:36 How to Become the Right Kind of Anomaly29:27 Building Teams That Embrace Disruption32:12 Getting People to Actually Embrace Innovation35:09 Redesigning Education for a Disrupted World38:25 Using AI to Make Learning More Human40:59 What Nokia Should Have Done in 200745:20 Microsoft's Remarkable Comeback Story47:06 Final Advice: Have More FunThis is the 67th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Louis Vincent GaveAfter receiving his bachelor's degree from Duke University and studying Mandarin at Nanjing University, Louis joined the French Army where he served as a second lieutenant in a mountain infantry battalion. After a couple of years, Louis left the army and joined Paribas where he worked as a financial analyst—first in Paris, then in Hong Kong.Louis left Paribas in 1998 to launch Gavekal with his father Charles and Anatole Kaletsky. The idea at the time was that Asia was set to become an ever more important factor in global growth, and that consequently Gavekal needed to offer its clients more information, and more ideas, relating to Asia.Louis has written seven books, the latest being Avoiding the Punch: Investing in Uncertain Times which reviews how to build a portfolio at a time of rising geostrategic strife, and when very low interest rates and stretched valuations on most assets announce constrained returns on most assets over the next decade.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:35 The Significance of 2018 in US-China Relations08:36 The Shift in China's Industrial Policy16:37 China's Response to US Technology Embargoes22:17 The Economic Pain of De-Westernization26:40 The Future of US-China Relations and Supply Chains31:02 The Economic Landscape of Europe32:06 The Fallout of the Ukraine War37:03 The Future of NATO and the EU37:28 Europe's Relationship with China39:28 The US-China Dynamic41:18 Investing in China: Opportunities and Challenges48:22 China's Engineering Talent and Innovation52:50 The Future of the US Economy56:47 AI Development: US vs. China01:03:11 Southeast Asia's Tech Landscape01:06:56 Career Advice for New GraduatesFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Dr. Mato Njavro is the Dean of Zagreb School of Economics and Management. Mato is also Professor at the Zagreb School of Economics and Management, the Luxembourg School of Business and a lecturer at the University of St.Gallen and at the Singapore Management University, where he teaches a course on Chinese Economy.From 2016 to 2020, Mato was based in Singapore where he was a Senior Research Fellow at the St.Gallen Institute of Management in Asia (SGI-HSG).CHAPTERS:00:00 Introduction and Overview06:06 Croatia's Path to Europe12:00 Defining European Identity18:04 Migration and Social Cohesion24:05 Ukraine Tests European Unity30:06 Europe's Strategic Autonomy33:39 Transatlantic Financial Integration36:02 Economic Resilience Under Pressure40:55 Confronting China's Rise45:26 Europe-China Cooperation Potential49:42 Competing in the Chinese Century54:49 Broadening Asia-Europe Dialogue57:38 Europe in a Multipolar World01:01:29 Counsel for Future LeadersFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Arthur Kroeber has spent more than three decades trying to make sense of Asia’s most important economies — and helping the rest of the world understand them too. In 2002, he co-founded Dragonomics in Beijing, a research firm born out of his deep intellectual curiosity about China’s economic transformation. He went on to edit its flagship publication, China Economic Quarterly, for 15 years.When Dragonomics merged with Gavekal in 2011, Arthur became head of research, continuing the work he’s best known for: clear, rigorous analysis of China’s economy at a time when the world needed it most.Before moving into research, Arthur spent 15 years as a journalist travelling across Asia — reporting from China, India, Pakistan and beyond. Those years on the ground shaped the way he thinks about policy, people and the forces that drive economic change.Today, he teaches as an Adjunct Professor of Economics at NYU’s Stern School of Business, and contributes to global conversations as a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the National Committee on US-China Relations. He is also a senior non-resident fellow at the Brookings-Tsinghua Center in Beijing.His book, China’s Economy: What Everyone Needs to Know, published by Oxford University Press and now in its second edition, is widely used in classrooms around the world (and is a personal reference book I use to better understand China)TIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Trailer & Intro 01:18 – China’s New Five-Year Plan03:32 – Was "Made in China 2025" Successful?07:04 – Why The US Prioritizes Financial Efficiency 12:47 – Can the US Reshore Manufacturing?16:24 – How China Mastered Technology Transfer23:03 – Why Are Cars The Key Consumer Product26:46 – Behind The Real "Catfish Effect": Tesla in China33:07 – China’s "Hunger Games" Industrial Policy42:11 – China's Chronic Problem with Industrial Overcapacity51:27 – China’s Confidence Paradox55:49 – The Fight For Supply Chains58:48 – What to Expect from The Remainder of Trump 2.001:08:55 – Semiconductor Bans vs. Rare Earth Control01:15:33 – The Future of US-China Relations01:21:00 – Advice for A Fresh GraduateFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Parag Khanna. Parag Khanna is Founder & CEO of AlphaGeo, the leading AI-powered geospatial analytics platform. He is the internationally bestselling author of seven books including MOVE: Where People Are Going for a Better Future (2021), preceded by The Future is Asian: Commerce, Conflict & Culture in the 21st Century (2019)- both of which are books I highly recommend. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Introduction & Trailer01:30 - Why The China-US Frame Of The World Is Wrong 05:37 - Eurocentric Historical Distortion07:48 - Asian History Rewritten09:58 - Our Present Is Already Asian15:27 - Reconstructing Asian Silk Roads18:59 - Why Technocracy Is The Most Important Element of Governance 24:21 - Singapore and Switzerland As Parallels 30:08 - What Makes Technocracy30:53 - Southeast Asia's Developmental Trajectory 34:45 - China's Development Role37:14 - Why The Best Geopolitical Strategy Is Multi-Alignment 39:27 - Why Globalisation and Migration Will Accelerate48:58 - Managing Migration And Its Downsides 55:50 - Demographic Blending As The Future 1:00:38 - Advice For Fresh Graduates Entering The Working World This is the 63rd episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Gita Wirjawan. This podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at SCAPE Singapore. I would like to thank National Youth Council, the Singapore Global Network, *SCAPE and the Endgame team for helping us put this event together. Gita Wirjawan is an Indonesian entrepreneur, investment banker, and philanthropist. He is the Founder and Chairman of Ancora Group, a business group with investments spanning private equity, natural resources, real estate, and sports.Before founding Ancora in 2008, Gita held senior roles in global finance — including Vice President at Citibank Indonesia, Vice President at Goldman Sachs Singapore, and President Director at JP Morgan Indonesia.Mr Wirjawan also served as the Indonesian’s Minister of Trade from October 2011 to January 2014. During this time, he also led the ninth World Trade Organisation Ministerial Conference held in Bali, December 2013. Where he chaired 159 WTO member countries in consenting to a set of policies to ease international trade barriers.Today, he is the host of Endgame with Gita Wirjawan, a podcast by the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia, co-produced with Visinema Pictures. Through Endgame, Gita explores ideas and conversations with visionary leaders, uncovering the stories shaping Indonesia and Southeast Asia's bright future.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:35 Why Indonesia Championed RCEP Over TPP08:18 - RCEP's Progress and Current Assessment10:53 - The Chicken-and-Egg Problem: Education and Development14:35 - Teachers as the Key to Regional Transformation15:25 - Southeast Asia's Value Proposition to American Investors19:09 - Why US Re-industrialisation Won't Work20:36 - China's Role: Technological Capital for Southeast Asia26:06 - The Nuclear Reactor Thought Experiment31:50 - Singapore-Indonesia Complementarity37:43 - ASEAN Research Council Proposal40:39 - Q&A: Translating Education to Impact41:24 - Q&A: De-dollarisation and G-142:07 - Q&A: Danantara Fund and Prabowo Administration42:18- Pak Gita's Answers 55:34 - Q&A: Language as Growth Impediment56:00 - Q&A: Learning from US-China Dynamics58:00 - Q&A: Addressing Corruption Through Education1:03:29 - Brain Drain as Brain Circulation1:06:52 - ASEAN's Historical Multipolarity1:10:56 - Final Advice1:13:15 - Closing RemarksThis is the 62nd episode Of The Front Row Podcast

Today's episode is a short keynote episode brought to you by George Yeo. George Yeo is a Singaporean statesman, former Brigadier-General, and distinguished scholar. He served in Singapore's Cabinet for 23 years (1988–2011), holding key ministerial positions including Foreign Affairs, Trade & Industry, Health, and Information & the Arts. I consider him to be one of Singapore's greatest public intellectual in the 21st century and find it my great privilege to call him a friend and mentor. I hope you will learn from this short address as much as I did. This is the 61st episode Of The Front Row Podcast(Yes, even this mini-episode counts. Thank you Mr Yeo for giving us great access to your insights) This keynote was given at The Danube Institute earlier this year. The Danube Institute was established by the Batthyány Lajos Foundation in 2013 in Budapest, with the aim of encouraging the transmission of ideas and people within the countries of Central Europe and between Central Europe, other parts of Europe, and the English-speaking world.

Hian is a founding partner of Openspace Capital, a leading multi-strategy asset management firm focused on Southeast Asia. Most notably, he was an early investor in some of Southeast Asia's most notable tech startups such as Gojek, Love Bonito and Lucence. Hian himself has extensive entrepreneurial experience. He founded and built Asian Food Channel, a 24-hour pay TV channel that was sold to US media giant Scripps Interactive (now Warner Brothers Discovery Inc.). Prior to this, he was a technology investment banker at SG Warburg (now UBS) and Salomon Smith Barney (now Citi).He holds an MBA from INSEAD and a Law Degree from Trinity College, Oxford.In our conversation today, we cover the following as seen below- TIMESTAMPS: 0:00 Introduction to Hien Goh and OpenSpace Capital1:06 The Early Days of OpenSpace Capital in 20143:02 The Southeast Asian E-Commerce Boom 5:15 Selecting the Right Founders 9:10 The TRUST Framework for Evaluating Founders14:29 What Makes A Great Founder for VCs 16:13 Investing in Gojek: Finding Indonesia's Unicorn20:05 Is AI a Bubble? 25:47 What The Dot-Com Era Can Teach US 27:30 AI Economics and New Business Models33:13 Why Focus on Cost of Distribution 35:04 Who Will Win the AI Race?40:03 The Agentic Revolution and Hian's "Hey Gorgeous" Idea 44:05 Beyond NVIDIA: The Future of AI Chips50:10 Jim Keller, The Famous Chip Ronin 54:18 Singapore's Talent Strategy in the AI Era58:59 Made in Singapore: Changing Mindsets1:03:16 Singapore Inc and Strategic Decision-Making1:05:41 Avoiding Over-Optimisation for Success1:08:21 Advice for Fresh GraduatesThis is the 60th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Professor Jochen Wirtz serves as Vice Dean of MBA Programmes and Professor of Marketing at the National University of Singapore (NUS) Business School. He holds several prestigious international appointments, including as an international fellow of the Service Research Center at Karlstad University in Sweden, an Academic Scholar at the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures at Cornell University, and a Global Faculty member of the Center for Services Leadership at Arizona State University.In our conversation today, we TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Trailer & Intro00:49 What The Re-Industrialization Hype Misses03:01 Growth Sectors in Services03:21 The Importance Of The Service Economy09:06 How Singapore Emerged As A Services Hub14:50 What Makes An Excellent Service Company20:21 How Singapore Airlines Became Best In The World37:35 The Coming Technological Disruptions In Service Industries38:29 Consolidation Of Services47:28 Artificial Intelligence & Robotics53:00 Economic Implications of AI01:00:40 How does Singapore Stay Ahead 01:06:24 Advice for the Next Generation: Embracing Lifelong LearningThis is the 59th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Gita Wirjawan. Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.Gita Wirjawan is an Indonesian entrepreneur, investment banker, and philanthropist. He is the Founder and Chairman of Ancora Group, a business group with investments spanning private equity, natural resources, real estate, and sports.Before founding Ancora in 2008, Gita held senior roles in global finance — including Vice President at Citibank Indonesia, Vice President at Goldman Sachs Singapore, and President Director at JP Morgan Indonesia.He is also the host of Endgame with Gita Wirjawan, a podcast by the School of Government and Public Policy (SGPP) Indonesia, co-produced with Visinema Pictures. Through Endgame, Gita explores ideas and conversations with visionary leaders, uncovering the stories shaping Indonesia’s bright future.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:02 Gita's Entry Into Governance07:16 Revolut Ad08:40 What It Took To 4X Indonesia's FDI18:00 Southeast Asia's Place in Global Consciousness23:45 The Importance of STEM Education for Southeast Asia34:38 The Intellectual Gap Between China And Southeast Asia 36:23 Why China Is More Democratic Than We Think40:13 Is Technology Undermining Democracy?44:00 Shifts in Global World Order49:30 How Polarization Happens in the Digital Age51:30 Southeast Asia's Economic Future56:38 Building ASEAN Consciousness01:01:51 Advice for Future Leaders and Young Southeast AsiansThis is the 58th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Kee Lock. Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.This is the 57th episode Of The Front Row PodcastChua Kee Lock is the Group President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertex Holdings, a Singapore-headquartered global venture capital investment holding company. He also serves as Managing Partner of Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India and as Chairman of the Vertex Growth Fund.Under his leadership, Vertex has grown into a global network of venture capital funds investing in early-stage and growth-stage technology and healthcare companies.As of today - Vertex Holdings has USD 6.8B assets under management and 300+ active portfolio companies. Some of the notable startup successes under their belt include Grab, Patsnap, Nium and Instarem. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Intro & Trailer01:11 Kee Lock's Exposure to US Tech Ecosystem05:55 Importance of Technical Expertise in VC07:56 Revolut Ad09:22 Revitalizing Vertex Ventures13:34 Why Was Kee Lock Chosen To Run Vertex?14:46 Avoiding the Traps of Silicon Valley17:57 The Importance of Discipline in Venture Capital21:10 The Decentralized Model of Vertex Ventures26:40 Advantage of Decentralization28:42 How It Was Like To Invest In Grab31:15 How To Evaluate Founders35:48 Grading Anthony of Grab39:58 How VCs Value-Add42:47 Future of Startups in SEA46:03 Where Can Singapore Innovate And Lead?49:10 Future of Technology52:33 Disruptive Technologies On The Horizon54:34 How Singapore Can Prepare 55:10 Preparing for a Globalized Future56:12 Advice To A Fresh GraduateFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Patrick Mcgee. Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.(This is also the first sponsorship I have taken since the inception of the podcast. Your support will help me grow the podcast) Patrick McGee is a business journalist who has spent over a decade uncovering the stories behind the technology we use every day. Since 2013, he's written for the Financial Times from Hong Kong, Germany, and California, covering everything from Apple's inner workings to the rise of electric vehicles and the Volkswagen diesel scandal.From 2019 to 2023, Patrick led the FT's coverage of Apple, earning a San Francisco Press Club Award in 2023 for his investigation into the company's HR problems. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Times of London, and several other major publications.His first book, Apple in China, draws on more than 200 interviews with former Apple executives and engineers to tell the story of how Apple's decision to build its supply chain in China has increasingly left the company exposed in an age of increased geopolitical tensions between the US and china. Spanning three decades and featuring new details and vivid characters, the book offers a sobering look at Apple's future and the broader state of play in tech and geopolitics. What I like about Apple in China is that it goes beyond the usual executive biographies and fleshes out the increasing convergence between economics, technology and geopolitics. It's both a detailed historical account and an exciting read. TIMESTAMPS:0:00 Intro & Trailer1:42 Why Apple's Manufacturing Legacy Is Misunderstood6:21 A Message From Revolut7:46 How Steve Jobs Lost Manufacturing Control11:35 The Dot-Com Crisis And Its Impact On Apple18:49 America's Post-WWII Economic Transition27:52 Foxconn: The Unsung Partner Behind Apple's Success33:52 Apple Was Ignorant About China38:02 Beijing's Strategy Towards Apple40:48 Apple's Economic Weight In China46:46 Addressing Critiques of Patrick's China Numbers49:42 US-China Interdependence53:37 Why China's Scale Created Unique Challenges57:51 Can Apple Ever Escape China Dependence1:01:40 Advice To A Fresh GraduateThis is the 56th episode Of The Front Row PodcastFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Thank you for checking out The Front Row Podcast and my interview with Kyle Chan.Here's what the podcast sponsor, Revolut is offering: 💰Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.(This is also the first sponsorship I have taken since the inception of the podcast. Your support will help me grow the podcast) Kyle Chan is an American sociologist and postdoctoral researcher at Princeton University, as well as an adjunct researcher at the RAND Corporation. He is also a 2025 fellow with the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.–China Relations. His research centers on industrial policy, clean technology, and infrastructure in China and India, with work published in journals such as Current Sociology, Asian Survey, and the Chinese Journal of Sociology. Kyle has testified before the U.S.–China Economic and Security Review Commission and contributes to public debates through his widely read newsletter High Capacity and a New York Times op-ed on U.S.–China competition and technology.You can find his newsletter here: https://www.high-capacity.com/about This Is Episode 55 of The Front Row PodcastTimestamps:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:00 The Utility Of Sociology05:34 Revolut Ad07:00 Insights From China's HSR Projects11:17 Understanding The China Shock17:16 Made in China 2025: A Shift in Policy22:24 Divergence From The East Asian Model26:08 Compounding Effects of Overlapping Industries29:25 The Rise of Swiss Army Knife Companies33:02 Why Apple Abandoned EVs37:11 The US Service Economy vs. Manufacturing42:57 Goals for US Industrial Policy43:29 How China Resolves Tech Inequality48:13 US Policy Attempts At Reducing Inequality53:34 Lessons from China's Industrial Policy58:17 Is There An AI Race Between US and China?01:03:58 How China and US Diverge In AI?01:10:16 What Should US-China Relations Be Like?01:17:00 Will America Become Irrelevant?01:24:35 What US' China Strategy Should Be01:26:55 Advice For Fresh Graduates📖 Full episode transcripts: ykeith.com/tag/podcast💬 Join the conversation:Instagram: frontrow.65LinkedIn: Keith YapWebsite: ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]🎧 Listen and subscribe for free:Spotify: The Front Row PodcastApple Podcasts: The Front Row Podcast

💰 Get S$50 cashback when you sign up to Revolut Business at https://www.revolut.com/rb/tfr/ before 30 Nov 2025 and top up your account. T&Cs and end date apply.This is a recording of a conversation I had with Prof Kishore Mahbubani at an event I co-organized with Bloomberg Singapore and Thinksuite. I hope you will enjoy the conversation as much as we did. Thank you Bloomberg and Thinksuite for your support of the podcast.Kishore Mahbubani is a Distinguished Fellow at the Asia Research Institute (ARI), National University of Singapore (NUS). Mr Mahbubani has been privileged to enjoy two distinct careers, in diplomacy (1971 to 2004) and in academia (2004 to 2019). He is a prolific writer who has spoken in many corners of the world. In diplomacy, he was with the Singapore Foreign Service for 33 years (1971 to 2004). He had postings in Cambodia, Malaysia, Washington DC and New York, where he twice was Singapore's Ambassador to the UN and served as President of the UN Security Council in January 2001 and May 2002. He was Permanent Secretary at the Foreign Ministry from 1993 to 1998.Mr Mahbubani joined academia in 2004, when he was appointed the Founding Dean of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy (LKY School), NUS. He was Dean from 2004 to 2017, and a Professor in the Practice of Public Policy from 2006 to 2019.This is the 54th episode of The Front Row Podcast.CHAPTERS: 00:00 Trailer & Intro00:50 The Trauma of War in Cambodia05:47 Revolut Business Ad07:12 Learning From S Rajaratnam In Cuba13:52 Experiences at the United Nations21:32 Winners and Losers Of Trump's Trade Wars36:37 Are We In The Asian Century?43:49 Will The US Decline?44:50 Role Of Gulf Countries45:34 Pragmatism vs. Idealism46:06 Kishore's Answers51:09 What Keeps Kishore Up At Night?51:32 Will China Force Everyone To Be Protectionist52:44 Advice For Young Singaporeans53:19 Economic Fallout for US on Tariffs53:42 Kishore's Answers 2Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]: Prof Kishore misspoke early on refering to S Rajaratnam as Prime Minister but in fact, he meant to say Foreign Minister.

Marc Levinson is an American economist, historian, and author celebrated for his accessible writing on economic forces and globalization.He’s authored seven acclaimed books, notably:The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger, a groundbreaking history of containerization that reshaped global trade. It was shortlisted for the Financial Times/Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year and earned top honors in industry publication awardsOutside the Box: How Globalization Changed from Moving Stuff to Spreading Ideas, which argues that globalization is evolving—from physical goods toward the global exchange of ideas and services Other notable works include An Extraordinary Time (on the economic disappointments of the 1970s) and The Great A&P and the Struggle for Small Business in America.He is considered to be a leading expert in the economic history of globalization. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Trailer 00:23 The Early Waves of Globalization07:15 Innovations That Shaped Trade14:16 The Role of Containerization22:21 Malcolm McLean: The Entrepreneur Behind the Box30:07 Impact of Containerization on Port Cities33:07 Lessons from Past Disruptions39:26 The Evolution of Ports and Automation46:05 Globalization and the Rise of Value Chains52:20 Deindustrialization and Its Impacts58:07 The Future of Globalization and Policy Responses01:05:19 Advice for Fresh GraduatesThis is the 53rd episode of The Front Row Podcast.

Professor Tansen Sen is a renowned historian of India–China relations and Asian interconnections. He is Professor of History at NYU Shanghai and Director of the Center for Global Asia. His research spans Sino-Indian interactions, Buddhism across Asia, and maritime networks that shaped the region’s history.He is the author of Buddhism, Diplomacy, and Trade: The Realignment of Sino-Indian Relations, 600–1400 and India, China, and the World: A Connected History, both foundational works in the study of Asia’s past and its global links. He is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading historians in Sino-Indian relations.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Trailer00:53 – The Importance of India-China Relations02:46 – Understanding Pre-Modern Interactions08:26 – How Xuan Zang Brought Buddhism To China12:21 – The Sinicisation of Buddhism19:34 – How Sinicisation Works Today22:49 – How Was Nalanda University Like?26:23 – Why Does It Look Like India Influenced China More?30:07 – Impact of India and China on The World32:22 – Colonial Impact on India-China Relations39:32 – The Birth of Nation States and Historical Narratives41:37 – Border Issues and Trust Deficits45:24 – Flashpoints of Distrust Since Independence52:42 – Pathways to Improved Relations59:19 – Advice For A Fresh GraduateThis is the 52nd episode of The Front Row Podcast.Full transcripts can be found here:https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Connect with us:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] for free:Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Cheong Yip Seng is the former Editor-in-Chief of The Straits Times, Singapore’s flagship English daily, where he led the newsroom for over two decades. Joining the paper as a young journalist, he rose through the ranks to shape its editorial direction during some of Singapore’s most pivotal years. Under his leadership, The Straits Times navigated the complexities of reporting in a young nation, balancing journalistic integrity with national sensitivities.He later chronicled his experiences in his memoir OB Markers: My Straits Times Story, offering a rare insider’s perspective on Singapore’s media–government relationship. Beyond his work in Singapore, he has also been closely involved with media developments across Asia, including advisory roles on the transformation of the South China Morning Post.He recently published his follow-up book, Ink and Influence- arguing that Singapore media can take a more international and geopolitical outlook. 📄 Full Transcript :⁠https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/⁠📲 Let’s Connect:Instagram: ⁠@frontrow.65⁠LinkedIn: ⁠Keith Yap⁠Website: ⁠www.ykeith.com⁠Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠🎧 Subscribe for Free:Spotify: ⁠Front Row⁠Apple Podcasts: ⁠Front Row⁠

Stephen Witt is a Los Angeles–based investigative journalist and author whose work appears regularly in The New Yorker.His latest book, The Thinking Machine (April 2025), chronicles the extraordinary rise of Nvidia and its CEO Jensen Huang—from immigrant dishwasher to leader of the world’s most valuable company. Stanford’s former computer science chair Bill Dally remarked: “Without Jensen we’d be ten years behind.”Witt’s previous book, How Music Got Free, explored the digital revolution that transformed the music industry and was later adapted into a TV documentary.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer 01:00 How Stephen Got To Jensen Huang06:35 Reading In An Age of Social Media08:15 How NVIDIA Became So Valuable12:25 Jensen Huang's Early Career and Its Impact13:48 Jensen Huang's Early Career17:15 The Secret of NVIDIA's Success18:06 Jensen Huang's Unique Management Style20:41 How LSI Made Him21:51 Why NVIDIA Didn't Make Financial Sense24:52 How NVIDIA Made The AI Transition30:58 How Jensen Leads34:35 How Jensen Evolved Into A Business Leader37:38 How Jensen Knew To Double Down on AI43:53 NVIDIA's Competitive Edge47:36 Current AI Bottleneck48:23 AMD vs NVIDIA50:52 NVIDIA in China52:25 Intel's Downfall56:05 Should We Be Worried About AI60:43 Advice for the Next GenerationFull transcripts: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Connect:Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website – www.ykeith.comEmail – [email protected]:Spotify – https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8Apple Podcasts – https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

🎙️ Guest: Ooi Kee Beng | Political Historian & Executive Director, Penang InstituteOoi Kee Beng is a political historian, writer, and the executive director of Penang Institute. He has spent years studying the process of nation-building in Asia and is the author of In Lieu of Ideology: Dr Goh Keng Swee's Intellectual Biography.In this episode, we explore the ideas of Singapore’s founding economic architect—Dr Goh Keng Swee—and how his core beliefs shaped Singapore’s development.⏱ Timestamps01:21 – Why Read History03:52 – Goh Keng Swee vs. Lee Kuan Yew09:10 – The Leaders As Nation Builders11:10 – Avoiding Corruption16:42 – Why Singapore Was A Social Revolution21:45 – Where Goh Keng Swee Diverged In Economics23:38 – Why Western Hippie Culture Didn't Take Root Here26:42 – Geopolitical Dynamics and Historical Awareness29:45 – Export-Oriented Industrialization vs. Import Substitution35:25 – The Role of Institutions in Nation Building36:42 – Could Merger Have Worked38:54 – The Political Economy of Singapore42:28 – The Importance of a Common Market43:54 – Ideology vs. Pragmatism in Leadership46:15 – Defining 'Socialism That Works'50:24 – Singapore's State Building Efforts52:37 – Ensuring A Rule Of Law55:45 – Creating A National Identity59:07 – Building a National Economy01:01:17 – Harsh Reality of Raw Power01:02:09 – Lessons from Dr. Goh's Leadership01:05:06 – Book Recommendations01:07:54 – Advice For A Fresh Graduate Entering The Working World📄 Full Transcript:https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/📲 Let’s Connect:Instagram: @frontrow.65LinkedIn: Keith YapWebsite: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]🎧 Subscribe for Free:Spotify: Front RowApple Podcasts: Front Row

🎙️ Guest: David Fishman | Principal, The Lantau GroupDavid Fishman is a Principal at The Lantau Group, a boutique strategy and economic consultancy focused on the Asia Pacific energy sector.He specializes in regulatory and economic intelligence for the Chinese power sector—including solar, wind, coal, nuclear, hydro, grid transmission, and power markets. His project portfolio spans renewable tariff policy, power market forecasting, green energy procurement for multinationals, and due diligence for clean energy assets.Outside of work, David runs a delightful blog exploring lesser-known corners of China’s economic transformation—covering topics like rural poverty alleviation, small-city trends, countryside solar, rural rejuvenation, and ethnic tourism.⏱️ Timestamps01:13 – China's Energy Landscape06:09 – The Global Implications of China's Energy Transition09:00 – How China Scales Green Tech14:09 – How China Innovates20:40 – Is Overcapacity A Challenge?24:57 – China's Energy Policy28:21 – Chinese Government As VC29:40 – Why Are SOEs Not As Prominent?33:03 – Downstream Impact of Chinese Policies34:15 – What Happens After China Peaks?34:34 – China's Clean Tech Transition: The Road Ahead37:19 – Can China Turn The Corner?38:20 – Understanding the Average Chinese Citizen44:34 – The Median City In China48:11 – The Practical Implementation of Common Prosperity50:39 – How China Does Infrastructure Development57:20 – The Myth of Chinese Ghost Cities01:00:24 – Lessons From China's Development Model01:05:51 – Advice For A Fresh Graduate📄 Full Transcript:https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/📲 Let’s Connect:Instagram: @frontrow.65LinkedIn: Keith YapWebsite: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]🎧 Subscribe for Free:Spotify: Front RowApple Podcasts: Front Row

🎙️ Ambassador Chan Heng Chee is a prominent Singaporean academic, diplomat, and political scientist, known for her distinguished career in both academia and public service.She served as Singapore's Ambassador to the United States (1996–2012) and earlier as Permanent Representative to the United Nations (1989–1991), concurrently holding the roles of High Commissioner to Canada and Ambassador to Mexico.She currently serves as Ambassador-at-Large with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs.🧭 This conversation is brought to you by the National Youth Council of Singapore, a government agency dedicated to partnering with young people — hearing their views, empowering them to act on their passions, and giving them a stake in Singapore’s future.🔗 Learn more: https://www.nyc.gov.sg/about-us🎧 This is Episode 47 of The Front Row Podcast.🕒 Timestamps:00:00 Intro & Trailer01:25 Singapore In 196506:43 Lessons From 1G Leaders09:40 Would The Merger Have Actually Worked13:54 Representing Singapore At The UN21:34 Singapore's National Interests25:54 Securing Singapore's Interests29:25 Singapore As Global City33:13 America's Unipolar Moment35:57 Remaking Singapore's Image in America40:38 Luck & Diplomacy43:10 How America Has Changed44:44 Will America Swing Back?47:20 China's Rise and Its Global Implications50:01 How Does Singapore Play Both Sides52:15 US-China Decoupling?55:03 The Role of the UN in Global Conflicts57:08 Singapore's Relevance to the United States59:05 The Taiwan Question01:04:00 Middle East Dynamics: Change and Continuity01:04:28 What Counts As Political Realism01:05:39 Making Sense Of The Middle East01:09:41 New Forms of Diplomacy01:12:15 Amb Chan's Message To The US01:19:00 Core Values for Singaporeans in a Complex World01:19:35 Multiracialism As A Singaporean Ideal01:20:32 Advice For The Audience01:22:51 Goh Keng Swee's Final Speech📝 Full transcript:https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/💬 Join the conversation:📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/🌐 Website: https://www.ykeith.com📧 Email: [email protected]🔔 Subscribe for free on:Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Jamus Lim is an Associate Professor of Economics at ESSEC Business School and a Member of Parliament in Singapore. With a PhD from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and experience at the World Bank and Abu Dhabi Investment Authority , his work spans international economics, political economy, and development. In this episode, we discuss how Singapore and other NIEs succeeded and what the possible ways forward are. 00:00 Intro & Trailer 01:43 Why NIEs02:22 Understanding Heterogeneity Among Asian Economies06:36 The Contrast Between Singapore and Other NIEs08:16 Hong Kong vs. Singapore: Economic Divergence16:17 Was The Asian Miracle A Myth?20:49 India's Unique Economic Experiment24:41 How Singapore Can Stay Ahead28:04 Balancing Growth and Equality33:23 Are Wealth Taxes (Actually) Viable?47:31 The Tension of Being A Global Hub56:58 Urgent Problems Singapore Needs To Solve01:05:48 Advice For Graduating StudentsThis is Episode 46 of The Front Row Podcast. Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Professor Elizabeth Ingleson is a historian of capitalism, US foreign relations, and US–China relations — a timely and critical intersection she explores in her acclaimed first book, Made in China: When US-China Interests Converged to Transform Global Trade, published by Harvard University Press in 2024.In the book, she unpacks a pivotal shift in the 1970s: when the old dream of American companies selling to China’s vast population gave way to a new vision — one of tapping into China’s massive labour force. Drawing on rare corporate archives and extensive Chinese publications, Made in China reveals how business leaders, diplomats, traders, and policymakers on both sides helped reshape China’s role in global capitalism — and, in the process, redefined the American economy itself through deindustrialization and offshoring.TIMESTAMPS:01:52 - Deng's Legacy 02:29 - Why 1978 Isn't the Real Beginning07:46 - The Two Nixon Shocks of 197114:26 - From 400 Million Customers to 800 Million Workers17:43 - Mao's Three Worlds Theory23:43 - Trade vs Diplomacy in US & China 27:27 - The Marco Polos of America 33:41 - Why MNCs Burned Cash In The Early Days38:10 - The Textile Industry As The Canaries in the Coal Mine47:07 - The 1974 Trade Act That Changed Everything55:39 - Rethinking the Good Life57:13 - Manufacturing Jobs: Political Theatre vs Reality1:00:30 - Decoupling: Rhetoric vs Reality1:03:51 - Advice for Graduating Students Full transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Professor Joseph Chinyong Liow is one of Singapore’s leading scholars on international affairs, known for his incisive analysis of Southeast Asian politics. He is serving as the Dean of the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), where he now holds the prestigious Tan Kah Kee Chair in Comparative and International Politics. He was the former Dean of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) at NTU.Beyond Singapore, Professor Liow has made a significant impact globally. He was the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asia Studies at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C., where he also served as a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Program. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:21 Defining Great Powers05:33 Cold War Dynamics in Southeast Asia08:41 Formation of ASEAN and US Engagement15:05 ASEAN's Response to Changing Landscapes19:44 Vietnam As A Case-Study26:58 American Unipolar Moment31:55 Is The US Values-Driven?38:49 Do Southeast Asian States Even Want America Here?44:56 Singapore's Role in U.S.-China Relations53:12 ASEAN's Future: Collective Action in a Changing Landscape54:49 Advice For Graduating StudentsFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Cedric Chin is the CEO & Founder of Commoncog. Commoncog is a publication dedicated to accelerating business expertise.Commoncog asks two questions: a) what is business expertise? b) what do we know about accelerating it?In this conversation, Cedric and I dive into how Asian tycoons are made and the essential skills business operators must master in Southeast Asia. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:10 Understanding Business Expertise  05:33 The Triad of Business Expertise  10:49 What Business School Misses Out  14:52 Why Are There So Many Conglomerates in SoutheastAsia?  20:11 Not Everything Is About Corruption  23:48 What Makes A Good Tycoon?  29:03 Why Tycoons Are Politically Shrewd  31:37 Unique Features About Southeast Asian Markets  35:22 Kwek Leng Beng's Business Acumen  39:08 The Allure of Startups 41:41 How Robert Kuok Succeeded  46:07 Will There Be More Asian Tycoons?  49:09 What We Can Learn from Constellation Software  54:59 Cultivating Intellectual Dexterity  01:02:14 Advice For Fresh GraduateFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected]

Karthik Nachiappan is a Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS), National University of Singapore. His work focuses on India’s foreign and economic policy, particularly in trade, technology, and global governance. He is the author of Does India Negotiate? (Oxford University Press)In this episode, we talk about the policy interests of India, the role it seeks to play on a global stage and how it manages its own interest as a strategically autonomous power. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Introduction01:03 How To Understand India05:42 India's Core Interests09:16 India's Strengths in a Multipolar World13:02 Is India Obstructionist?20:10 The India-Pakistan Conflict: A Historical Perspective28:12 The Role of China in South Asia33:31 India's Strategic Ambiguity35:22 India's Economic Growth Challenges43:35 India's Future Relationship with Singapore & Southeast Asia49:25 Advice for Young GraduatesFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/

Professor Euston Quah is a prominent Singaporean economist and the Albert Winsemius Chair Professor of Economics at Nanyang Technological University (NTU), where he also serves as Head of the Economics Division. Known for his work in cost-benefit analysis, environmental economics, and policy economics, he has advised various government agencies and chaired national committees in Singapore. His research often bridges economic theory with practical policymaking, particularly in sustainability, public infrastructure, and regulatory impact.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction 01:30 Who Is Albert Winsemius? 05:55 How Albert Winsemius Made Singapore Better 20:35 The Art of Economic Advising 27:56 Market Failures and State Intervention 30:12 Intellectual Tradition of Economics in Singapore 31:06 Singapore's Entrance Into An Uncertain World 34:27 Why Cost-Benefit Analysis 42:22 How To Appraise Costs & Benefits 45:37 Limitations of Cost-Benefit Analysis 51:54 How Valuation Works 54:08 Why Sensitivity Analysis 60:09 Advice for Graduates Entering the Workforce

Grace Shao is a Financial/tech journalist turned analyst based in Hong Kong. On her Substack, she writes about AI and its relationship with energy, big tech, and society. She can be found at: https://substack.com/@gshaoTIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Trailer & Intro01:30 Understanding the Chinese Internet Ecosystem 06:06 The Evolution of Chinese Entrepreneurs 08:21 China's Smartphone Revolution 10:45 The Rise of Super Apps in China 15:32 AI Adoption in China's Industrial Economy 19:16 US and China – Difference in AI 24:07 Comparative Advantages: US vs. China in AI 26:16 Chinese Cultural Attitude Towards AI 28:11 AI in Manufacturing 32:17 America's AI Advantage 36:08 Navigating the Chip Ban and China's Self-Sufficiency 37:43 Funding Challenges for Chinese Tech Companies 43:23 The Evolution of Tech Entrepreneurs in China 49:20 The Role of Education in Shaping Tech Talent 55:21 China's Tech Role in Southeast Asia 58:25 Advice for Fresh GraduatesFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/

Inderjit Singh is a former Member of Parliament in Singapore who served under the People's Action Party (PAP) from 1996 to 2015, representing the Ang Mo Kio GRC. A seasoned entrepreneur and technologist, he is known for his candid views on innovation, entrepreneurship, and policymaking. Inderjit played a key role in shaping Singapore’s start-up ecosystem and has remained an influential voice on economic competitiveness, SME growth, and education reform issues. He is also the founder of multiple tech ventures and continues to mentor aspiring entrepreneurs in Singapore and beyond.TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Introduction & Trailer to Inderjit Singh01:13 Inderjit's Journey As An Entrepreneur07:15 The Difficulty In Gaining Funding in 1990s14:09 Can Singapore Produce Our Own TSMC14:28 Singapore's Semiconductor Landscape17:27 Did Singapore Give Up?19:04 Revitalising Manufacturing in Singapore22:01 Becoming the World's Prototyping Hub25:39 What It Takes To Build A Startup31:09 Addressing the Financing Gap for Entrepreneurs33:43 Identifying Opportunities for Singaporean Entrepreneurs38:44 Fostering Linkages Between Research and Industry40:08 Balancing Foreign and Local Talent41:49 Inderjit Singh's Book42:18 Can Singapore Be More Risk Tolerant?44:45 How Government Can Support Industry47:09 Managing A Tech Company & Politics53:14 How Inderjit Navigated Politics54:36 What Makes A Good Political Leader57:17 Singapore's Future Challenges01:04:06 Advice for Fresh GraduateFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/Feel free to mingle in the comments below or head to...Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/frontrow.65/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-yap/Website: www.ykeith.comEmail: [email protected] access to every episode by subscribing for free on Spotify: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/keith-yap8 or Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/sg/podcast/front-row/id1771599400

Manoj Pradhan founded the independent macroeconomic research firm Talking Heads Macroeconomics, based in London. The firm specialises in analysing global and emerging market macroeconomic trends and their implications for financial markets. He was previously managing director at Morgan Stanley, where he led the global economics team.In this episode, we talk about why ageing societies will create a more inflationary global economic environment. TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 Trailer 00:51 China's Economic Integration: A Historical Perspective 03:49 The Impact of China's Workforce on Global Economy 06:41 Inequality Dynamics: Global and Domestic Perspectives 11:01 The Great Demographic Reversal: Challenges Ahead 12:30 Cost of Aging 18:09 Aging in Advanced Economies 22:57 The Political Challenge Of Raising Taxes 25:30 Can Technology Enhance Growth? 33:14 Global Labor Dynamics: India and Africa's Role 37:40 Impact of Tariffs on Global Economy 44:31 Addressing Demographic Challenges 51:02 Innovative Solutions for Healthier Societies 56:36 Advice For Fresh Graduate Entering The Workforce00:00 Trailer 00:51 China's Economic Integration: A Historical Perspective 03:49 The Impact of China's Workforce on Global Economy 06:41 Inequality Dynamics: Global and Domestic Perspectives 11:01 The Great Demographic Reversal: Challenges Ahead 12:30 Cost of Aging 18:09 Aging in Advanced Economies 22:57 The Political Challenge Of Raising Taxes 25:30 Can Technology Enhance Growth? 33:14 Global Labor Dynamics: India and Africa's Role 37:40 Impact of Tariffs on Global Economy 44:31 Addressing Demographic Challenges 51:02 Innovative Solutions for Healthier Societies 56:36 Advice For Fresh Graduates

Zhou Bo is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Security and Strategy at Tsinghua University.In his prior life, he was a Senior Colonel in the People's Liberation Army of China. In this episode, we discuss the role China seeks to play on the international stage amidst its intensifying rivalry with the USA. 00:00 Intro01:20 - China's Multifaceted Identity04:47 Perceptions of China: Fear and Uncertainty07:41 China's Historical Context and Future Aspirations10:40 China's Core Interests and Global Role12:06 China's Economic Development Initiatives17:12 China's Security Role in the Global Order20:07 China's Position on the Russia-Ukraine Conflict29:06 China's Role as a Broker in Global Conflicts33:07 US-China Relations: A Complex Rivalry38:58 Navigating the South China Sea Disputes41:13 Lessons from Trump's First Term48:28 Building Trust Between China and the US53:10 China's Image in the Global Arena53:58 Advice For The Young

Bilahari Kausikan is a Singaporean academic and retired diplomat.He was the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the former ambassador to the UN and Russia. Before his retirement, Bilahari was the Chairman of the Middle East Institute at the National University of Singapore.In this episode, he unpacks the dilemmas and challenges that Singapore and Southeast Asia face in an age of intensifying US-China competition. TIMESTAMPS:00:00 Trailer & Intro01:33 Bilahari's Take on GE202505:09 Navigating an Ambiguous World08:27 The Evolution of International Order16:35 Why Singapore Is Better Prepared17:33 US-China And The New Cold War?31:16 America's Political Dilemmas36:46 How Southeast Asia Is Adapting To A Rising China42:42 The South China Sea Challenge47:52 Can China Benefit From Trump51:33 The Gaza Dilemma 01:07:19 How Singapore Should Respond01:12:21 Singapore's Unique Identity01:17:56 Advice For The YoungFull transcripts of episodes can be found here: https://www.ykeith.com/tag/podcast/