Veteran diplomat Kishore Mahbubani stops by the YLB studio to talk about his recently-launched memoir, Living in the Asian Century, which covers his storied career spanning diplomacy, academia, and even a stint as Singapore’s Ambassador to the United Nations. In spite of everything he’s seen and accomplished in the past 75 years, why does Kishore think the next 10 years are going to be even more exciting? We dig into his criticisms of the Western powers, why China’s growth is crucial for stability, and why he still hopes that the West can turn things around. He also speaks about the exceptional generation of leaders that Singapore had, and why Singaporeans can and should be optimistic about the future.

Nominate a Senior over 60 for Folklory!

• We’ll be recording 60 Folklories with 60 Singaporeans above 60 yrs
• So if you know someone with stories & lessons to share, send us their details!
• This will be part of our “Words of Wisdom” Project as part of SG60
• Nominate someone by clicking here, and we’ll be in touch!

(00:00) Words of Wisdom
(01:02) Intro
(07:22) S'poreans Need to Know They Are In A Very Special Country
(10:31) Lack of Hunger to Keep SG Exceptional
(14:16) Why You Should Travel Around SEA
(17:04) ASEAN's Strength Is In It's Diversity
(24:03) Why The UK Should Give Up It's Permanent Seat In The UNSC
(30:07) Why The UN Is Weak
(45:47) Dealing With Detractors In Life
(51:38) India Is One Of The Most Successful Countries In The World 
(01:02:46) Compassionate Meritocracy
(01:12:18) One Shiok Thing

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Find Kishore Mahbubani

• Living the Asian Century - An Undiplomatic Memoir
• Website
• Facebook
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One Shiok Thing

• Danelle Tan Highlights: Welcome to Brisbane 🇸🇬
• We’re Done
• Sinica podcast

Mics and Headphones from @shure

Chairs from @ergotunechair

Edited and mixed by Tristen Yeak