RSIS Commentary: The Series - Jokowi's Second Term: Emerging Issues is an edited book which focuses on the 2019 presidential election in Indonesia, the latest phase of political change in the post-Reformasi era in Southeast Asia's largest country, and one of Asia's most strategic players in international diplomacy. The 2019 Pilpres, as it is known for short, saw the re-election of Joko Widodo, a much unexpected and under-rated furniture businessman from the small town of Solo in Central Java who proved himself to be a shrewd politician and survivor, despite not coming from the traditional sources of leadership - the military and the political elite. As he began his second term, the emerging issues that he had to deal with ranged from the traditional, such as the role of religion, to the strategic, such as the debate over the vision of the new cabinet. There are indications that the closing chapter of his presidency in the next few years could be more challenging. Better known as Jokowi, his re-election in 2019 therefore deserved a closer look for a better understanding of its significance and its key dimensions. His re-election will act as a backdrop of what may come in the remaining years of his presidency. To this end, this book is divided into two parts: before and after the presidential election.

The South China Sea Disputes: Flashpoints, Turning Points and Trajectories focuses on the currently much-debated theme of the South China Sea disputes - one of the hottest international disputes of the 21st century which can easily turn from a brewing flashpoint into a regional conflict with global repercussions. Through a compilation of commentaries published by the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies from 2012 to much of 2016, the book attempts to reflect the evolution of the disputes in recent years through what can be seen as turning points and trajectories in the diplomatic tensions. The book is divided into four sections, taking off from a key diplomatic or related incident/development which can be seen as a turning point for each, with the concluding section looking at what lies ahead for Southeast Asia and the larger Asia-Pacific region, amidst the uncertainties triggered by the South China Sea imbroglio.Among the contributors: Arif Havas Oegroseno, BA Hamzah, Barry Desker, Bill Hayton, David Rosenberg, Donald K. Emmerson, Ellen Frost, Hasjim Djalal, Ian Townsend-Gault, Joseph CY Liow, Kwa Chong Guan, Li Mingjiang, Li Jian Wei, Li Dexia, Marvin Ott, Mushahid Ali, Muthiah Alagappa, Nguyen Hung Son, Nguyen Thi Lan Anh, Phoak Kung, Ralf Emmers, Rene L. Pattiradjawane, Raul (Pete) Pedrozo, Richard Javad Heydarian, Robert C. Beckman, Shashi Jayakumar, Victor Savage, Yang Razali Kassim, Zha Daojiong.

Reflections: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew is a collection of essays reflecting on Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew's immense contribution to nation-building and the idea of development. This includes its various models - from government and statecraft as well as leadership and governance, to economic development and the management of plural societies. The papers are written by a range of authors who had worked closely with, or for, or grew up, under Lee Kuan Yew.

Reflections: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew is a collection of essays reflecting on Singapore's first Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew's immense contribution to nation-building and the idea of development. This includes its various models - from government and statecraft as well as leadership and governance, to economic development and the management of plural societies. The papers are written by a range of authors who had worked closely with, or for, or grew up, under Lee Kuan Yew.

This book reviews the global dilemma and tensions over whether to intervene or not to intervene in severe civil conflicts which test the validity of the new doctrine of Responsibility to Protect or R2P. It particularly assesses R2P's relevance for Asia, which is defined broadly in this book to include West Asia or the Middle East and the region's emergence as the most severe threat to international order in the form of the Arab Uprisings. While East Asia and South Asia have their share of situations that warrant R2P-justified interventions, it is the conflicts in West Asia that have severely tested the viability of R2P. Has this new norm been effective as a tool for international law and diplomacy? Are there prospects for a tweaking or repositioning of R2P as advocated by some scholars and governments to make the concept more acceptable to the global community, including Southeast Asia? Has the Westphalian doctrine of state sovereignty and non-intervention become superfluous as a result of the rise of R2P? Will a new doctrine of "Eastphalia" or "non-intervention with East Asian characteristics" emerge in its place, led by China as well as like-minded Asian and other states?