‘Singapore’s perpetual karma is to be relevant’: Tommy Koh looks back on 55 years in global diplomacy

“He had the greatest impact on my thinking, practice of diplomacy. But every subsequent minister brought something to the table, and I learnt from every one of them,” said Prof Koh.

Another principle Prof Koh took from his encounters with Mr Lee is that “small countries have no inherent relevance to the world”.

“So it is Singapore’s perpetual karma to be relevant and useful to other countries and to the world,” he said.

This is among the core principles guiding Singapore’s foreign policy: protecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity, expanding its economic and political space, making the maximum number of friends and fewest enemies, and that it is not without agency despite being a small country, said Prof Koh.

“We mustn’t adopt the attitude that we have no choice but to submit to the great powers and to bigger countries,” he said.

These guiding principles have stood the test of time, said Prof Koh.

“Of course, over time, the role we play in the world differs. In the beginning, we were learning, observing, trying to understand how the world worked, how the international system worked,” he said.

“Later on, as we became more mature, we were able to contribute back to the system. And now, I would say Singapore is highly respected at the UN and in the world, and we give a lot back to the world.”

LOOKING BACK ON 55 YEARS

Prof Koh said he feels well and happy, and looks back on his time in the foreign service with great satisfaction.

One key trait foreign service officers must have, he said, is to “believe in Singapore”.

“We believe in defending Singapore’s national interest. But at the same time, we want Singapore to be a good citizen of the world,” said Prof Koh.

This means Singapore steps up whenever called upon to be a neutral chairman, facilitator or special envoy, to the extent it can.

Prof Koh recalled that when the UN asked him to be a special envoy to make peace between Russia and Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania in 1993, the Singapore government was supportive of the decision.

“My government said ‘please do it’, although it took me to a part of the world I was completely not familiar (with),” he said.

He also recalled chairing two World Trade Organization dispute panels, despite not being a trade lawyer. In these ways, Singapore tries to give back to the system, said Prof Koh.

Prof Koh’s greatest challenge in moving from academia to diplomacy was reconciling theory with practice.

“You may believe that international law is the most important thing in the world. But when you’re at the UN and you saw how the Soviet Union completely ignored international law, invaded Czechoslovakia, overthrew the government, then you realise the world is more complicated than we taught our students in law school,” he said.

“So the challenge for me in the last 55 years is: how do I reconcile theory and practice? Not to give up and be cynical, but to be pragmatic and idealistic at the same time.”

Despite a storied career, Prof Koh counts something more personal as a highlight of his life: marrying his wife, Dr Poh Siew Aing.

“I will be eternally grateful to her for being willing to sacrifice a medical career to support me and to support the children,” said Prof Koh. They have two sons.