M Ali has been with RSIS since June 2010 as a Senior Fellow. Besides monitoring security in Southeast Asia, he is Supervisory Editor of RSIS Commentaries and other RSIS publications.

He was with the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies from 2001 to 2004. Before that he served 31 years with the Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs; his foreign posting included being Charge d’Affaires in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and Ambassador to Cambodia from 1995 to 2000. Post-retirement, he also served in MINDEF as Counsellor in Cairo from 2005 to 2010.

Born in Johor, Malaya in 1941 he was educated in Singapore and obtained his Bachelor of Arts (Hons) at University of Singapore in 1968. He worked as a Reporter with the Straits Times and later Radio and Televison Singapore between 1959 and 1966.

M Ali was conferred the Public Administration Medal (Silver) by the President of Singapore and Commander, Royal Order of Sehemetrai by the King of Cambodia.

• Political History and Security of Malaysia, Indonesia
• Communist Insurgencies in Southeast Asia

Books

• The APPSMO Advantage: Strategic Opportunities

  04 August, 2016

• Reflections: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew

  01 February, 2016

Policy Reports

• Strategic Engagement in the Asia Pacific: The Future of the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus)

  21 August, 2013

Commentaries

• CO16245 | China’s Hegemonic Trajectory: Intimidating ASEAN?

  04 October, 2016

• CO15268 | Future of Islamic State: Not Merely Religion

  08 December, 2015

• C015178 | Separation 1965: The Tunku's "agonised decision"

  21 August, 2015

• CO15062 | KONFRONTASI: Why Singapore was in Forefront of Indonesian Attacks

  23 March, 2015

• CO13230 | Aceh’s new Cultural Leader: Former separatist now guardian of state

  18 December, 2013

• CO13034 | Singapore Connectivity: Increased Rail, Road and Sea Links

  21 February, 2013

• CO13032 | Disasters in Southeast Asia's Megacities: Protecting the Informal Sector

  15 February, 2013

• CO13002 | East Asian Regional Cooperation: Japan Falling Behind China?

  03 January, 2013

• CO12136 | The Arab world in turmoil: Nasser's legacy reprise

  26 July, 2012

• CO11184 | The Bali EAS: Can ASEAN form an East Asia Community?

  16 December, 2011

• CO11076 | Towards an ASEAN Vision Beyond 2015: Outcome of Jakarta Summit

  10 May, 2011

• CO11066 | To Admit or to Exclude Timor Leste? Implications for ASEAN integration

  29 April, 2011

• CO11022 | After the Facebook Revolution: Whither Egypt?

  15 February, 2011

• CO10142 | Beyond ASEAN Plus to East Asia Community: The Hanoi ASEAN Summits

  04 November, 2010

• CO10069 | Land Swap Deal: New Era for Singapore-Malaysia Relations

  28 June, 2010

• CO10067 | A New Era for Singapore-Malaysia Relations

  18 June, 2010

• CO04034 | The Fight Against Terror: Psychological Defence, Ideological Response

  27 August, 2004

• CO04023 | Maritime Security Cooperation in the Malacca Straits : Prospects and Limits

  01 July, 2004

• CO04011 | Osama Bin Laden’s Peace Overture: A strategic shift or a new threat ?

  19 April, 2004

• CO04004 | Malaysia: PM Abdullah Badawi’s Performance and Prospects

  25 February, 2004

• CO03040 | Towards an Asian Security Community

  20 November, 2003

• CO03039 | Singapore’s Balancing Diplomacy: Defence Cooperation With USA, India

  12 November, 2003

• CO03037 | ASEAN-India Strategic Engagement: Singapore-India Synergy

  06 October, 2003

• CO03026 | Maritime Security Cooperation The ARF Way

  10 July, 2003

• CO02017 | Impact of 9-11 on Malaysia and Singapore – One year later

  16 September, 2002

• CO02010 | ASEAN-US Cooperation to combat International terrorism: A more nuanced approach needed

  29 August, 2002

Edited Books / Special Issues

• Remembering S R Nathan: A Mentor for All Seasons (with Kumar Ramakrishna), Eds. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2017
• Reflections: The Legacy of Lee Kuan Yew (with Yang Razali Kassim), Eds. Singapore: World Scientific Publishing, 2016