Explaining Singapore's relations with Indonesia 1965-1990.

Abstract

This dissertation seeks to characterise and explain the nature of Singapore's relations with Indonesia from 1965 to 1990. Two central questions guide the discussion in this dissertation: What led to the turnaround in Singapore-Indonesia relations towards the 1980's and into the 1990's? What accounted for the change in Singapore's policies towards a seemingly belligerent Indonesia? The paper suggests that the development of Singapore's relations with Indonesia can be understood from two contending perspectives - neo-realism and the existence of trust between Singapore and Indonesia. However, as the analysis in this dissertation shows, neo-realism is the better explanation of the two in accounting for how and why Singapore-Indonesia relations evolved as it did. More specifically, the turnaround in Singapore's relations with Indonesia is best explained in terms of a bandwagoning strategy Singapore used with Indonesia to counter the perception of a Malaysian threat.