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Straits Times
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Arts Picks: Basoeki Abdullah at National Gallery, Han Mengyun solo, SG60 strings concert
Indonesian painter Basoeki Abdullah Labour (circa 1950s) is a futuristic landscape based on monuments such as Egyptian pyramids and Ottoman mosques. PHOTO: NATIONAL GALLERY SINGAPORE Diplomacy And Desire: Basoeki Abdullah In Singapore One of South-east Asia's most-sought-after portraitists, Indonesian painter Basoeki Abdullah ( 1915 to 1993 ) has painted the likes of Singapore's first elected chief minister David Marshall, Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew , as well as former Philippine president and first lady Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. In this small and historically intriguing exhibition, some of Basoeki's portraits are on show, including one of Dr Tan Tsze Chor, a businessman dubbed the Pepper King who made his fortune through pepper trading, and several portraits of local models. The centrepie ce i s, however, two huge paintings that face each other in the main hall of the Dalam Southeast Asia space. They are two significant artworks gifted to Singapore in 1959, coinciding with the country's transition towards self-governance, and in 1981. The almost 3m-long Labour (circa 1950s), which featured in the gallery's special exhibition Tropical: Stories From Southeast Asia And Latin America in 2024, is a futuristic landscape based on monuments such as Egyptian pyramids and Ottoman mosques. The painting, accepted by then-Minister of Culture S. Rajaratnam, was Basoeki's representation of the future of Singapore. Basoeki had briefly lived here between 1958 and 1960. The second piece is Struggle For The Re-establishment Of The Democracy And The Right For The People (1981). The mythical landscape, washed in garish blues, is of a mermaid along with five pearls, said to represent the five founding nations of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean). The exhibition is a small window into an artist who was adjacent to power and keenly aware of art's political possibilities. Where: National Gallery Singapore, 1 St Andrew's Road MRT: City Hall When: Till Feb 1, 2026, 10am to 7pm daily Admission: Free for Singaporeans and permanent residents, $20 (standard) and $15 (concession) for foreigners Info: Han Mengyun: Jewels Of Impermanence Reunion (2024) by Han Mengyun. PHOTO: SHANGHART GALLERY Wuhan-bo rn a rtist Han Mengyun's upcoming exhibition sets the stage for an encounter between Dutch vanitas paintings and Buddhist depictions of skeletons and skulls. The largely black-and-white paintings of these transient objects draw from the Western memento mori traditions – which lay bare worldly vanity – and Buddhist meditations on repulsiveness, which confront impermanence as a prerequisite of enlightenment. The series sees the London-based artist return to the medium of oil painting, which she had rejected for close to a decade, in search of alternative expressions beyond Western materials. Han says in a statement: 'In the prospect of grim uncertainty, I felt an urgent craving for the corporeal lusciousness of oil, the exhilarating violence of the brush, the humble endurance of canvas – capacities ink and rice paper cannot sustain.' Where: ShanghART Singapore, 02-22 Gillman Barracks, 9 Lock Road MRT: Labrador Park When: May 31 to July 27, noon to 6pm (Wednesdays to Sundays); other hours by appointment only Admission: Free Info: Min Lee & Aleksey Igudesman, SG60 Celebrate! Singaporean violinist Min Lee (pictured) and Russian-German violinist Aleksey Igudesman will join 60 young musicians for a charity concert in celebration of the Republic's 60th birthday. PHOTO: THE ORGANISERS Singaporean violinist Min Lee and Russian-German violinist Aleksey Igudesman will join 60 young musicians for a charity concert in celebration of the Republic's 60th birthday. Expect a multicultural programme with traditional tunes such as the popular Spanish folk song La Cucaracha, as well as Singaporean composer Dick Lee's patriotic anthem Home. The programme is arranged by Igudesman. Young and prodigious violinists from Lee's Wolfgang Violin Studio , such as 12-year-old Mark Lee and 11-year-old Chua Suen Ern, will also take the stage. The concert is organised by The Association of Banks in Singapore and the Credit Bureau Singapore in support of the President's Challenge. President Tharman Shanmugaratnam is the concert's guest of honour. Where: Victoria Concert Hall, 11 Empress Place MRT: City Hall When: June 3, 7.30pm Admission: $50 to $100 Info: Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Business Times
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Times
Malaysia's Anwar writes Trump seeking summit with South-east Asia
[SINGAPORE] Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said he personally wrote to US President Donald Trump seeking to organise a meeting with South-east Asian nations amid concerns over the US president's proposed tariff hikes. 'A transition in the geopolitical order is underway and the global trading system is under further strain, with the recent imposition of US unilateral tariffs,' he said on Monday (May 26) during his opening remarks of a regional summit in Kuala Lumpur. 'Protectionism is resurging as we bear witness to multilateralism breaking apart at the seams.' The 10-nation bloc known as the Association of South-east Asian Nations kicked off the first of two summits members will hold this year with Malaysia serving as this year's rotating chair. Anwar said he wrote the letter as a part of the consensus achieved by foreign ministers earlier this year. BLOOMBERG
Business Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
US tariffs loom over Asean Summit as ties with China strengthen
[KUALA LUMPUR] South-east Asian leaders start two days of talks from Monday (May 26), seeking to deepen ties with China and Gulf nations, and mitigate the fallout from US President Donald Trump's tariff hikes. Trade and economic cooperation will likely dominate the agenda of the 10-nation Association of South-east Asian Nations summit taking place in Kuala Lumpur, along with conflicts in Gaza and Myanmar. While the first of the two Asean summits held annually is usually reserved for South-east Asian leaders, China is sending its No 2 official, Premier Li Qiang. The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will also be in attendance. By contrast, the US and other Western nations will not be represented. For Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the summit he's hosting is a chance to foster trade ties at a time when nations with large surpluses with the US are on the hunt for new investment opportunities abroad. China is warning partners to avoid any deal with the US that comes at Beijing's expense, leaving Asean members to walk a delicate balance between the world's two top economies. 'There is no substitute for the United States,' said Shahriman Lockman, an analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia. 'Yes, we talk about diversification and autonomy. But let's not kid ourselves – there is no real alternative in sight.' Trade between China and Asean nations reached US$982.3 billion last year, according to a report by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. By comparison, US goods trade with the region totalled US$476.8 billion in 2024 – US$352.3 billion of which were American imports from the region, official data shows. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up The summit comes weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, during which he pitched for a unified 'Asian family' – an apparent effort to counter US pressure on nations to limit trade ties with Beijing. The Asean members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. New partners Indonesia became a full member of the Russia and China-led Brics group of developing nations earlier this year, with Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand given partner nation status. Last week, Asean and China concluded talks to upgrade a free trade pact that includes chapters on digital and green economies and small and medium-sized enterprises, according to Chinese state media. 'I see this as a very good opportunity for us to show that Malaysia is a neutral country that wants to trade with any country that would like to trade with us,' Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil told reporters of the summit. Back in Washington, negotiators from several countries in the region are working on deals to avert some of the highest tariff hikes announced last month by Trump. Whether those efforts will pan out are unclear and the US rejected a Malaysia-led attempt to negotiate as a bloc, according to local reports. South-east Asia has also engaged in a spate of intra-regional visits to facilitate business closer to home, although that will not likely come close to filling the gap left by the US if it does not drop levies. 'These are encouraging, but it does not mean that the trouble is over,' Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said this month. He added that Asean is negotiating to upgrade an existing trade agreement that could facilitate lower levies even though more than 90 per cent of goods traded in the region are already tariff-free. Conflicts abroad Beyond trade, regional leaders are expected to have sessions ahead of the summit to discuss the ongoing civil war in military-ruled Myanmar. Anwar has also used recent trips abroad to warn of a widening chasm in the global north-south economic divide and criticise Israel's backers over its war with Hamas in Gaza. He told reporters last week he would 'probably touch on' the subject in a bid to push for a ceasefire. Whether any other substantive outcomes are reached, meanwhile, remains to be seen. 'Despite rhetoric from the Malaysian government as chair, there has been very little evidence of an Asean effort here,' said Gregory Poling, a director and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'The stakes are actually pretty low.' BLOOMBERG
Business Times
26-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
US tariffs loom over Asia Summit as ties with China strengthen
[KUALA LUMPUR] South-east Asian leaders start two days of talks from Monday (May 26), seeking to deepen ties with China and Gulf nations, and mitigate the fallout from US President Donald Trump's tariff hikes. Trade and economic cooperation will likely dominate the agenda of the 10-nation Association of South-east Asian Nations summit taking place in Kuala Lumpur, along with conflicts in Gaza and Myanmar. While the first of the two Asean summits held annually is usually reserved for South-east Asian leaders, China is sending its No 2 official, Premier Li Qiang. The leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council nations, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates will also be in attendance. By contrast, the US and other Western nations will not be represented. For Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the summit he's hosting is a chance to foster trade ties at a time when nations with large surpluses with the US are on the hunt for new investment opportunities abroad. China is warning partners to avoid any deal with the US that comes at Beijing's expense, leaving Asean members to walk a delicate balance between the world's two top economies. 'There is no substitute for the United States,' said Shahriman Lockman, an analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies in Malaysia. 'Yes, we talk about diversification and autonomy. But let's not kid ourselves – there is no real alternative in sight.' Trade between China and Asean nations reached US$982.3 billion last year, according to a report by the state-run Xinhua News Agency. By comparison, US goods trade with the region totalled US$476.8 billion in 2024 – US$352.3 billion of which were American imports from the region, official data shows. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Friday, 8.30 am Asean Business Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies. Sign Up Sign Up The summit comes weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Vietnam, Malaysia and Cambodia, during which he pitched for a unified 'Asian family' – an apparent effort to counter US pressure on nations to limit trade ties with Beijing. The Asean members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. New partners Indonesia became a full member of the Russia and China-led Brics group of developing nations earlier this year, with Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand given partner nation status. Last week, Asean and China concluded talks to upgrade a free trade pact that includes chapters on digital and green economies and small and medium-sized enterprises, according to Chinese state media. 'I see this as a very good opportunity for us to show that Malaysia is a neutral country that wants to trade with any country that would like to trade with us,' Malaysian Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil told reporters of the summit. Back in Washington, negotiators from several countries in the region are working on deals to avert some of the highest tariff hikes announced last month by Trump. Whether those efforts will pan out are unclear and the US rejected a Malaysia-led attempt to negotiate as a bloc, according to local reports. South-east Asia has also engaged in a spate of intra-regional visits to facilitate business closer to home, although that will not likely come close to filling the gap left by the US if it does not drop levies. 'These are encouraging, but it does not mean that the trouble is over,' Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said this month. He added that Asean is negotiating to upgrade an existing trade agreement that could facilitate lower levies even though more than 90 per cent of goods traded in the region are already tariff-free. Conflicts abroad Beyond trade, regional leaders are expected to have sessions ahead of the summit to discuss the ongoing civil war in military-ruled Myanmar. Anwar has also used recent trips abroad to warn of a widening chasm in the global north-south economic divide and criticise Israel's backers over its war with Hamas in Gaza. He told reporters last week he would 'probably touch on' the subject in a bid to push for a ceasefire. Whether any other substantive outcomes are reached, meanwhile, remains to be seen. 'Despite rhetoric from the Malaysian government as chair, there has been very little evidence of an Asean effort here,' said Gregory Poling, a director and senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. 'The stakes are actually pretty low.' BLOOMBERG
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Asean must break away from ‘business as usual' amid Trump tariffs, says economic council
KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — Top trade officials from member states of the Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) today agreed that the bloc must 'break away from business as usual', as growing Western protectionist policies threaten to upend growth in the region. The declaration came after economic leaders from the 10-member bloc met this morning to discuss the Trump administration's so-called reciprocal tariffs on imports, among others, ahead of the main summit tomorrow. Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz told a press conference after concluding the Asean Economic Community Council that the group felt it has to be 'agile' and 'bolder' amid a volatile global climate. 'At the meeting this morning, the AECC deliberated on several pressing issues, including the rising geopolitical tension and the impact of US tariff measures on the Asean trading and investment landscape,' the senator said. 'The AECC council collectively acknowledged that Asean would need to break away from the business-as-usual approach. We need to be bolder and more agile with more forward-looking strategies in order to advance and safeguard Asean's socio-economic interests.' MORE TO COME
