![[Policy Unpacked] Nuclear in Southeast Asia: Power, Politics and Public Trust @LKYSchool](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vo5o6deCngU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What's more controversial than coal, harder to build than a dam, and suddenly, back on Southeast Asia's policy agenda? Nuclear.
For years, it was too politically sensitive. Too scary and too expensive. But now, demand from industry, data centres and urbanisation is making it necessary for governments to look again. Renewables can definitely help, but they have limits. So nuclear, especially Small Modular Reactors, is being reconsidered.
In Singapore, the issue is also moving from hypothetical debate to formal assessment. From 2027, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will assess Singapore's nuclear infrastructure readiness. Though the government has emphasised that this is not a decision to adopt nuclear, but part of a rigorous three-phase assessment. So nuclear isn't just an engineering question. It's about trust, safety, public fear, and what happens when risk crosses borders.
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What's more controversial than coal, harder to build than a dam, and suddenly, back on Southeast Asia's policy agenda? Nuclear.
For years, it was too politically sensitive. Too scary and too expensive. But now, demand from industry, data centres and urbanisation is making it necessary for governments to look again. Renewables can definitely help, but they have limits. So nuclear, especially Small Modular Reactors, is being reconsidered.
In Singapore, the issue is also moving from hypothetical debate to formal assessment. From 2027, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will assess Singapore's nuclear infrastructure readiness. Though the government has emphasised that this is not a decision to adopt nuclear, but part of a rigorous three-phase assessment. So nuclear isn't just an engineering question. It's about trust, safety, public fear, and what happens when risk crosses borders.
#GovernancefortheFuture #publicpolicy #policymatters
================================================
Visit us
Website: http://lkyspp.nus.edu.sg
Follow us on
Facebook: facebook.com/nuslkyspp
Twitter: twitter.com/lkysch
Instagram: instagram.com/lkyspp
LinkedIn University Page: linkedin.com/edu/school?id=42060
Subscribe and click on the bell icon to be the first to watch our videos! đź””
![[Policy Unpacked] Nuclear in Southeast Asia: Power, Politics and Public Trust](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vo5o6deCngU/mqdefault.jpg "[Policy Unpacked] Nuclear in Southeast Asia: Power, Politics and Public Trust
Whats more controversial than coal, harder to build than a dam, and suddenly, back on Southeast Asias policy agenda? Nuclear.
For years, it was too politically sensitive. Too scary and too expensive. But now, demand from industry, data centres and urbanisation is making it necessary for governments to look again. Renewables can definitely help, but they have limits. So nuclear, especially Small Modular Reactors, is being reconsidered.
In Singapore, the issue is also moving from hypothetical debate to formal assessment. From 2027, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) experts will assess Singapores nuclear infrastructure readiness. Though the government has emphasised that this is not a decision to adopt nuclear, but part of a rigorous three-phase assessment. So nuclear isnt just an engineering question. Its about trust, safety, public fear, and what happens when risk crosses borders.
#GovernancefortheFuture #publicpolicy #policymatters
Visit us
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Subscribe and click on the bell icon to be the first to watch our videos! đź””")
![[Foreseeable Podcast] Maritime heritage and the power of narrative](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/x9-e7GOEYnk/mqdefault.jpg "[Foreseeable Podcast] Maritime heritage and the power of narrative
Dr Marina Kaneti is an Assistant Professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy. Her area of research centres on global governance and questions of migration, climate and geopolitical developments.
She has explored the influence of China around the world, including the Belt and Road initiative. Recently, she produced a two-part documentary series titled “The Seas That Bind Us and Define Us”, exploring maritime heritage and its significance in Asia.
She joins us to talk about maritime heritage, exploring the shaping and impact of narratives, and implications for the present and beyond.
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*Grab an exclusive case study here: https://lkyspp.sg/3DWVLid.*
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![[Policy Unpacked] Rethinking the Social Contract](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/xIItBkAqDbs/mqdefault.jpg "[Policy Unpacked] Rethinking the Social Contract
In the first episode of our newly launched podcast series, “Policy Unpacked”, we explore Singapore’s “small nation, big journey,” featuring Terence Ho, Adjunct Associate Professor in Practice at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and author of “How Singapore Beat the Odds.” The conversation explores why Singapore’s survival was uncertain at independence - small population, high unemployment, reliance on British bases - and how it built success through ideas and institutions rather than luck. Ho highlights the pivotal role of first-generation leaders like Lee Kuan Yew and Goh Keng Swee, long-term planning, strong inter-agency coordination, and empowering capable people - principals, commanders, and civil servants - through mechanisms like block budgeting.
A core theme is Singapore’s pragmatic synthesis: drawing from both left and right (compassion and self-reliance), combining market forces with judicious state intervention, and adapting global best practices to local context. Policy evolution, such as shifting from streaming to subject-based banding, illustrates continuous recalibration to reduce stigma while keeping standards. The civil service complements political leadership as “intellectual equals,” increasingly communicating policies publicly, while tripartism builds trust and buy-in, countering the misconception of a purely top-down technocracy.
Associate Prof Ho outlines enduring tensions Singapore must balance: growth and equity, global openness and local identity, development and heritage. Looking ahead, he sees new “odds” in a fractured global trading system and disruptive AI, arguing for an updated success formula that layers resilience (domestic capabilities, local core) atop openness and investment in human capital. He is cautiously optimistic, citing strong institutions, societal trust, adaptability shown in COVID-19, and purposeful youth. His overarching takeaway: values - service, integrity, and evolving meritocracy - anchor Singapore’s policy playbook and continue to guide its inclusive, pragmatic path.
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![[Foreseeable Podcast] A new era: Outcome & significance of Indonesias 2024 presidential elections](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yh9Md94ONOs/mqdefault.jpg "[Foreseeable Podcast] A new era: Outcome & significance of Indonesias 2024 presidential elections
Indonesian voters in Southeast Asia’s largest democracy elected the ticket of former military general Prabowo Subianto and Gibran Rakabuming Raka in February 2024, but not without controversy. Gibran is the son of outgoing President Joko Jokowi Widodo, who is accused of manipulating the courts to allow Gibran to run despite being below the constitutional minimum age. Â
There are even charges of vote rigging that are being handled by Indonesia’s Election Supervisory Agency or Bawaslu and The General Elections Commission known as KPU. Â
Associate Professor Suzaina Kadir is Vice Dean of Academic Affairs at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and an expert on politics in Southeast Asia.  As an avid Indonesia watcher, we wanted to get her take on what the upcoming administration means for Indonesia domestically, regionally and globally. Â
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