Yesterday marked the Republic of Singapore Navy’s 50th anniversary. How far this small navy has come since its humble beginnings. It has transformed into a world-class fighting force that safeguards critical sea lanes and cooperates with the most modern navies from all over the world as an equal. It is a rallying point for Singaporeans who have something to feel proud of.

But does the Republic of Singapore Navy’s success breed jealousy and contempt, or worse make other countries feel insecure?

… Koh Swee Lean Collin is a research fellow with the Maritime Security Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies at Nanyang Technological University.