Walter Chia

In my twenty years in government (including two years as Chief of Staff to a Deputy Minister), I have attended countless meetings between public servants and stakeholders. Too many of those meetings were not successful for one or both parties – resulting in a waste of precious resources. In my role as consultant, I often get asked about the best way to set up meetings with government. I have three basic rules. 1 - Know Who You Want to Meet It is important to choose the appropriate level of official for your meeting. Many people assume that targeting the highest level of authority in a government organization will yield the best results. This is not always the case and can be counterproductive.  Choose your official wisely. 2 - Be Specific About Why You are Requesting a Meeting Are you seeking funding ? Are you looking to introduce your organization or project? When you request a meeting with an official, be explicit about the reason for the request. Make it easy for them to understand why you want to meet and how they should prepare to be useful for you. 3 - Have an Engaging Conversation Let’s be real, you will probably only get a 30–45 minute meeting window. It’s important to make the most of it by driving a conversation to the 2 or 3 main points that will advance your priorities. Be direct, be concise, be honest. An engaging discussion will get their attention and get them talking. I wrote an article describing these rules in more detail, in the hopes to help if you have a government meeting on the horizon.  Read on! https://lnkd.in/dyxwUvf3

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ASEAN Wonk (aseanwonk.com) just made my day with this generous review of our book “Asian military evolutions - Civil-military relations in Asia”. Read the review (and lots of useful insights on ASEAN) here: https://lnkd.in/emaa-VnN AND check out the book! It brings together a great group of scholars with deep insights into Asian militaries 📚 https://lnkd.in/e4V8ZMPt

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Kudos to the team for turning around a quick yet intriguing piece on Malaysia's overtures to Russia at a time when it's chairing the ASEAN grouping. Amir Yusof Amanda Oon How would its invitation to Russian President Vladimir Putin for the ASEAN summits next year be perceived by fellow Southeast Asian nations? If the Russia-Ukraine war is still raging on then and if Mr Putin does turn up, what would other ASEAN members and its dialogue partners do? How would it affect the dynamics between ASEAN states? Interesting times ahead under Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship.

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"Taiwan Political Update - November 14, 2024 Regarding the opposition party's proposal on the Fiscal Distribution Act, President William Lai has issued a response that, while firm in tone, deliberately maintains clear room for negotiation. President Lai outlined several key points: 1. The central government's actual disposable budget amounts to approximately NT$770 billion. A further deduction of NT$660 billion would potentially leave insufficient resources for critical functions such as national defense, diplomatic affairs, major infrastructure projects, and emergency disaster response. 2. He emphasized that historically, the central government has managed expenditures for certain institutions, including senior high schools and regional hospitals. With any fiscal redistribution, local governments must assume the corresponding financial responsibilities for these operations. 3. Lai highlighted that central government subsidies to local governments have shown consistent growth over the past eight years, with allocations reaching an unprecedented NT$1.0151 trillion for the coming year. He noted that local governments have experienced substantial improvements in their financial positions. Analysis suggests that the ruling party appears prepared to accept the bill's passage, while implementing adjustments in the following critical areas: 1. The maintenance of existing central government operations will necessitate a reduction in current subsidy levels. 2. Local governments will be required to assume financial responsibility for specific operations, particularly in the healthcare and education sectors, including hospitals and certain senior high schools. In conclusion, regardless of the bill's final provisions, the fundamental political science principle of unified authority and responsibility remains paramount - the delegation of power must be accompanied by corresponding responsibilities. While the ruling party appears to have made necessary preparations, the opposition party should proceed with careful consideration in negotiating the future fiscal framework."

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Last month, we hosted delegates from Ministry of Trade and Industry (Singapore) and World Trade Organization’s Third Country Training programme on e-commerce. I had a very engaging afternoon sharing and discussing about the opportunities of the digital economy, and how Grab has been able create livelihood opportunities for many in Southeast Asia by leveraging technology. Participants asked thoughtful questions, ranging from how we think about data privacy protection, to whether we’ve thought about impact autonomous vehicles (AVs) and implications on livelihoods on our digital platform. These are important questions to consider even as we tap on the potential of the digital economy. Even though the government attendees came from many different countries, the one commonality I noticed was their interest and optimism for the potential of technology to improve the lives of people back home. Looking forward to more of such dialogues in the future! #digitaleconomy #digitalplatforms #digitaltrade #grabforgood

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Strategies for Entering the International Markets ----- ERIA Digital Innovation and Sustainable Economy Centre (E-DISC) - 23 October 2024. I will be sharing on how to equip women founders with practical strategies to expand their businesses beyond their national borders into international markets, with a specific focus on the ASEAN region. The emphasis will be on how to explore key market entry tactics, understand the regulatory and policy landscapes, and learn how to leverage cross-border e-commerce and digital trade opportunities to grow their business and increase their impact. The discussion will cover concrete issues of relevance to digital businesses looking into expanding abroad, such as market research and segmentation, currency and payment options, shipping & amp; logistics, access to capital, as well as regulatory compliance. eTradeforWomen UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD) @ecdeatunctad ERIA: Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia @saiac #etradeforwomen Viridiana Vargas Prof Pradip Mazumder PhD DRDO TATA U of Utah Kalyani Tantia Univ Open to VC. . 🇮🇳 FIRST #womeninbusiness #womenintech #changemaker

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Policy Shifts on the Horizon in Thai Politics With an upcoming cabinet reshuffle, some impacts on policy continuity are expected. Notably, the much-debated 14B digital handout program (in the form of digital money) is likely to be discarded. As Thai politics navigate through this transitional phase, it's crucial for stakeholders in the private sectors to stay informed. The implications of these changes could ripple across various sectors. #ThaiPolitics #PolicyChange #Government #Economics #SoutheastAsia

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Security analyst Chester Cabalza told This Week in Asia on Friday that China must “walk the talk of [a] China-Asean free trade agreement while pursuing a smooth completion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea”. While economics is the lifeblood of strategic cooperation, completion of the Code of Conduct is also “important to achieve peace and prosperity in the dynamic region”, according to Cabalza, founder-president of the International Development and Security Cooperation (IDSC) think tank in Manila. The Code of Conduct for the South China Sea is a proposed binding agreement between Asean and China to establish rules governing behaviour in the disputed waters, including commitments to avoid militarisation, respect freedom of navigation, and resolve disputes peacefully. Negotiations on the agreement have been ongoing for decades. Cabalza, a professor of International Security at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), described China’s strategy of offering trade and investments to Asean states in return for their silence on the South China Sea conflict as “intensified salami slicing in the tense South China Sea”, but said such a move was “no longer adaptable” given that Western developed economies were also keen on investing in the region. “Many of these Asean countries are seen as engines of growth economically, with or without the China money,” he noted. “Silencing them in their territorial claims in the contested waters does not mean that they will become beggars to Beijing’s slumping economy and ageing human productivity.” What could break the impasse in negotiations was for claimant countries to adopt a “minilateral approach” to pursuing their own code of conduct, and for China to adhere to and respect an Asean-led Code of Conduct, Cabalza said. The Philippines and Vietnam are at the forefront of this minilateral approach, with both having agreed to negotiate differences in their overlapping claims in the Spratlys. https://lnkd.in/gMByWdRy

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More continuity than change? Taiwan’s President-elect Lai Ching-te will reshuffle but retain cabinet heavyweights in key defence, trade, foreign affairs and security positions. Wellington Koo, Joseph Wu, John Deng, Tsai Ming-yen etc will remain in cabinet. Referring to incumbent national security council chief Wellington Koo and foreign minister Joseph Wu, Ivan Kanapathy told Nikkei Asia: “These two top ministers have anchored a strong yet unprovocative defense of Taiwanese sovereignty under President Tsai.” “In terms of foreign affairs, Lai’s top priority will be to prepare for the outcome of the U.S. presidential race and uncertainty arising from a Donald Trump victory, which may also intensify the already-tense U.S.-China relations,” Bo-jiun Jing commented. https://lnkd.in/dEJm-ttb

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Shared comments with media, including The Straits Times, South China Morning Post SCMP, and Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 on the use of Singapore's Foreign Interference (Countermeasures) Act [FICA] against close to 100 social media accounts that are part of the Guo Wengui network. The content of number of these accounts touches on Singapore. 🔵 The network is an extremely large one. There is a Singapore chapter but this is only a small part of the overall ecosystem. 🔵 The slant of some of the Singapore-related content suggests that the government here is weak or fraying, and somehow under the control of the CCP. The content has not got a great deal of traction, although it is possible that at the individual level some have had pre-existing cognitive biases reinforced by this type of content.    🔵 Even though the network isn't overly sophisticated, the use of FICA's account restriction directions should not be considered surprising. Lack of impact now does not mean nil effect later. When FICA was introduced, gvt here made it clear that it needs tools which will enable it to detect, deter and if possible defeat hostile information campaigns. 🔵 The government has elected to act in an anticipatory way, before damage is done. In one scenario,a network such as this could pivot (if there was a need) and ramp up its activities to focus more directly on Singapore. And it could potentially do so with more finesse - this could influence hearts and minds in Singapore, and potentially interfere in the democratic process in a manner I would consider coercive, particularly of any such ramping up were to take place at or near sensitive periods, such as elections.   🔵 Guo’s links to Steve Bannon, former political strategist and confidante of former president Donald Trump, are interesting. But it would be unwise to draw further conclusions or to attempt to conclusively attribute any other hidden hands that might have abetted Guo and his network. Certainly, there is a pronounced anti-CCP slant, and this is reflective of how a certain part of the US political spectrum thinks. It is possible that a future US administration might selectively adopt some of the lines seen in the videos in attempting to pressure other nations, including those friendly to it.     🔵 What other hidden hands are behind the Guo network is a matter of technical analysis and attribution. This will take time. Clearly, the security agencies in Singapore have made the call to protect Singapore’s interests first and act now, with further investigations on the make-up and true intent of the network being kept for later (or the subject of closed door discussions). 🔵 The anticipatory manner in which the government has acted may provide something of a clue as to how FICA (particularly the provisions which require take downs and cooperation from the platforms) may be employed in future, either in or out of an election period.

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If you're in Singapore, here's your chance to get great insights from the wonderful Serene Koh and Sai Ming Liew

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A significant part of the 20 years that the Stratbase Group has been around has been spent campaigning for the observance of rules-based international order and respect for the sovereignty of nations. This is a continuing quest as the Philippines faces sustained challenges from China in the West Philippine Sea. The fight for the rule of law is not a fight of any single country. Shared commitment and values bring countries close together as they address a common threat, and help each other become stronger. The geopolitical landscape today has changed much from the time Stratbase was established 20 years ago. With our will and commitment, and our friends by our side, we are ready to step up to the dynamics of this multipolar world. https://lnkd.in/g4-bNdqv

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While it's important to have comprehensive crisis management and crisis communications plans, it’s critical to test those plans. In this article for the ANZIIF Journal, I spoke with Domini Stuart about the importance of crisis preparedness. I was also asked about the common characteristics of a good crisis response team – in my view the most effective teams are made up of people who trust each other, know the intricacies of their business, stay calm under pressure and are able to lead the strategic response to a crisis. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gfr2Rq6D #crisiscommunications #crisismanagement #issuesmanagement #corporatereputation

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The weaponization of deepfakes is a growing concern, exemplified by a recent incident involving over 100 Singapore public servants, including five ministers, who were targeted with extortion attempts using AI-generated compromising images. Key points to note from this event: - Targeting has evolved to focus on public officials with easily accessible online information and images. - The impact is widespread, affecting multiple government agencies simultaneously. - Similarities to attacks in Hong Kong indicate potential cross-border coordination. - Notably, the democratization of this threat is alarming, as deepfake attacks, once requiring advanced technical skills, are now more prevalent. Globally, there has been a significant 245% year-on-year increase in deepfakes, reflecting the technology's growing accessibility and sophistication, providing malicious actors with a potent tool for exploitation. https://lnkd.in/gRuWQHgU #Singapore #Deepfakes #Government #EthicalAI

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