Kishore Mahbubani's Asian Century

I picked up 76-year-old Kishore Mahbubani's newly released book titled, 'Living the Asian Century: An Undiplomatic Memoir' (August 2024). I hardly think anyone outside of the academic and policy circles would be keen to read this book. It talks ALOT about Kishore's growing up years, his path to a university scholarship, his first posting in Cambodia which saw the Khmer Rouge come in, his ex-wife Gretchen Gustafson Liu and now-still-married-to wife Anne King Markey, his double heart bypass operation in 2016, and all of his 33 years in Foreign Service. Tbh, I really didn't need to know all that, and neither am I that interested to read memoirs, but anyway.

I was at the launch last month and had the pleasure of hearing the rather fun star-studded panel speak — Prof/Amb Chan Heng Chee, Prof Tommy Koh, Prof Wang Gungwu, and of course the esteemed author himself. Tommy Koh called Kishore a consummate diplomat and a 'national treasure'. Prof Wang called him a 'thought leader and builder' in the academia (for his role as founding Dean of Lee Kwan Yew School of Public Policy for over 13 years since 2004, retiring in 2017), and Amb Chan Heng Chee called him a 'public intellectual'.

I have the autographed hard copy, but I chose to borrow a digital book from the library to read that instead. Heh. I knew that there was a high chance I could get a skip-the-line copy earlier, and I did! I can't finish memoirs of any sort in one sitting. Neither was I going to lug around a hard copy, so this digital copy was really convenient. (Comments here, here and here.)

At the launch, Kishore said he tried to summarized his life story in the book five points — deprivation, dissension, diplomacy, deanship and discovery. He knows adversity and triumphed. He knows poverty and a hard life, and rose above it with dignity and education. He lived through years that I didn't know and find it hard to imagine. 

I stifled giggles when he made concrete in print all the talk surrounding him and the late S.R. Nathan when they in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, specifically about him ratting out S.R. Nathan's habit of throwing files at staff when he got angry.

Nostalgia is all well and good. I'm not entirely sure I agree with his opinions on geopolitics. He has astute insights, and he has rich experiences, but sometimes, being a realist doesn't mean studying peace to avoid war. Imho, he has over-simplified the Ukraine-Russian conflict, as well as the Gaza-Israel conflict. Either he doesn't want to go deep into them or he really thinks it's that simple to resolve. Who knows.

The author has written a few books on his own opinions as a highly respected diplomat with a sharp eye on Asian affairs. Many have commented about his 'pro-China stance'. Many would also remember and disagree with his 2017 opinion of using the Qatar-Gulf Cooperation Council conflict to argue that 'small states should act like small states' to ensure their prosperity and survival.

What you make of this book is what you will. It's your own takeaways from the author's experiences. It's a read of another's life, and perhaps you might want to evaluate how relevant it is to your life, your political beliefs and your social causes.

We have begun a dialogue that does not need to be mediated through the legacy institutions of the Western media. There is a vibrant intellectual conversation going on in Asia and beyond; readers and writers are finding their way. We don't need anyone's permission or to follow a road map that is set in London or New York.

It has been my joy to live the Asian dream and perhaps contribute a little to the realisation of the Asian century. I tis truly heartening to realise the path I have trodden from poverty to plenty, from ignorance to education and intellectual curiosity, will now be replicated by millions, if not billions, of fellow Asians. To have been a pioneer in this great Asian renaissance has been one of the greatest privileges, fulfilment, of my life.