For a large section of Indonesian society, Singapore is the perennial weekend destination, especially since flights to the city-state from Jakarta is shorter, and significantly cheaper, than flying from the capital to Medan or Banda Aceh on Sumatra.

For a small group of Indonesians, especially those in the moneyed class, Singapore has always been a second home, a place that offers stability, law and order, especially when life at home becomes politically less predictable.

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As for the majority, Singapore has always been a constant presence in the form of laksa, kaya toast and yong tau fu, which have become staples even for less discerning members of the public.

Yet, while Singaporean policymakers, think tanks and ordinary citizens have gone the extra mile to probe, investigate and inquire about Indonesia, such as through the daily briefings from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) and regular commentaries from the Asia Research Institute of the National University of Singapore (NUS), the same cannot be said of their Indonesian counterparts.

Beyond the occasional outburst of anger and instant commentary, mostly directed at what could be perceived as encroachment on Indonesia’s territorial integrity (the Flight Information Region agreement comes to mind), there’s very little in terms of methodical or methodological efforts to make sense of our tiny northern neighbor.

Barry Desker’s Reflections: Singapore’s Place in the World could be the most accessible book for people who want to understand the city-state’s place in the Southeast Asian or global contexts.

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