Review of POSC213 Politics of South East Asia Review

POSC213 POLITICS OF SOUTH EAST ASIA REVIEW
Andrew Koay Shen Wei (BSocSc Class of 2018)

With a variety of cultures, religions, and historical trajectories, Southeast Asia remains one of the most interesting regions to study in the world. Outside the bubble of Singapore, where political stability and prosperity has created a sanitized society, the rest of the region walks the line between fragile agreement and perpetual turmoil. Why is this the case? And how has Singapore managed to maintain itself? This was examined as Professor Jacob Ricks took us through the Politics of Southeast Asia.

The course moves through some of the countries in the region, examining how the course of history has played its part in shaping the events of today. We discussed and thought through some of the diverse issues facing countries such as Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Singapore. For example, how does Thailand, a country ruled by a monarchy, adjust to the introduction of democracy? The transition, or lack thereof, to democracy in the nations around the region provides fascinating thought fodder for any student with an interest in politics or Southeast Asia in general.

I especially enjoyed deliberating the issue of state legitimacy, and how the diversity in circumstances and culture has meant that each country in Southeast Asia has had to attain it in a different way. Whilst this meant having to read a few articles in order to reach a foundational understanding of the political institutions of each nation, it gave me a wider understanding of how and why states function the way that they do. There are pressures shaping the way that each state approaches governance that I would have never known if not for the readings, lectures, and class discussions.

Prof Ricks puts a lot of effort into facilitating engaging class discussions. For students adverse to the anxiety that class participation can induce, Prof Ricks makes it easy to join the conversation by asking broad and probing questions. The course is filled with lots of multimedia material. The videos shown never failed to break up spells of routine where attention can wane. They also show how the topics we discuss in class are very relevant to the issues of today. A documentary on the plight of Ahmadi Muslims in Indonesia helped bring to life our discussion on the interaction between religion and the state. There was also a visit to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s City Gallery that proved particularly informative, exhibiting the government directed development of Singapore and providing the perfect context for our class discussions on the developmental state.

Politics of Southeast Asia is a must-have for any political science student at SMU. Whilst serving as an introduction to politics of various nations in the region, the course also enhanced my critical thinking skills and provided me with the framework to interpret and make sense of politics in general. Southeast Asia is genuinely a fascinating region of the world, and the topics studied throughout this course are very relevant to our lives here in Singapore. Without a doubt, Politics of Southeast Asia is one of my favorite classes that I have taken throughout my time at SMU.