Singapore’s future looked bleak when independence was foisted on it 50 years ago, but it overcame the odds and today is seen as a “safe haven”, said veteran diplomat Barry Desker in a book that was launched yesterday.

Despite the sea change, however, one thing will remain constant as the country heads into the next half-century, he added.

It is that the nation’s security challenges will be shaped by its location and the changing environment around it.

Some of these challenges include managing ties with Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as major power conflicts in the region, said Mr Desker, a distinguished fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS).