DEAR FRIENDS IN THE PRCA APAC COMMUNITY,
On behalf of my colleagues, I am delighted to announce the formation of the PRCA APAC Public Affairs Group (PAG). We aspire to bridge public policy, geoeconomics, and the interests of the enterprises and organisations that you, our fellow community members, represent.
This aspiration stems from PAG’s belief in the growing convergence between industry shifts and macroeconomic forces that define our roles as narrative-builders, reputation stewards, and public policy advisors. And if PAG has, in any way, helped you harness the potential of this convergence, then we’ve made our small but meaningful contribution to PRCA APAC.
Hence, we are here to help:
As Chair of PAG, I’m pleased to share that our inaugural meeting on 24 June, held at Trinasolar’s boardroom, was both productive and energising.
Here’s what’s next:
MONTHLY WEBINAR SERIES
Starting in July, PAG will launch a monthly webinar series – free for members – spotlighting emerging developments in Public Affairs.
Our inaugural session at 11am, 15 July, featured PAG Vice Chairman, Finian Lim, who unpacked the region’s energy transition and policy landscape.
In this context, here are some developments I’ll be watching for –
MONTHLY PUBLIC AFFAIRS BRIEF
We will also do our best to share a regular brief via email on a monthly basis, anchored to each PAG webinar’s theme, to keep members abreast of these evolving developments in the regional public affairs space.
We want this to be your go-to update on what’s shaping public affairs across APAC.
This is our first edition, and I welcome your feedback on topics or areas you’d like us to cover.
Again, our goal is to bring value to the PRCA APAC community and complement your professional disciplines.
CORPORATE AFFAIRS FORUM 2025
PAG is excited to support this year’s Corporate Affairs Forum (CAF) in October, helping set the agenda, shape conversations, and connect with speakers and sponsors, in partnership with CAF25’s team from PublicAffairs Asia.
I am excited at what this year’s forum will cover, especially since it takes place against a backdrop of key trends I’ve been closely tracking:
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The continuing wave of de-globalisation
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The rise of geoeconomics on boardroom agendas
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The second ASEAN Summit under Malaysia’s chairmanship
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Singapore’s upcoming SG60 celebrations
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And the evolving role of the public affairs practitioner in a de-globalised era
PRCA APAC Secretariat invites ideas, sponsorship, and collaboration for CAF 2025 and the Gold Standards Awards 2025.
Want to speak, sponsor, or shape a track?
Reach out to Ed Burleigh ([email protected]).
WORLD ECONOMICS FORUM
Annual Meeting of New Champions, in Tianjin: The Global Economist’s Briefing highlights ‘uncertainty’, the rise of economic statecraft, and shifts from economic efficiency to optionality.
ASIA PACIFIC & UNITED STATES
On July 9, 2025, the United States is poised to reinstate sweeping tariffs – well above the 10% baseline – on dozens of countries, including key allies like Japan. The 90-day reprieve is set to lapse, and President Trump has made clear he has no intention of extending it unless last-minute trade concessions are secured.
ASEAN & CHINA
Southeast Asia is grappling with a surge of Chinese-made exports flooding the market – from electric vehicles to even traditional batik shirts – undercutting local industries.
Dubbed the “Second China Shock,” this wave of overcapacity could have far-reaching consequences for enterprises across the region.
In the months ahead, Public Affairs Pulse will spotlight the work of PRCA APAC’s PAG members that advances both enterprise objectives and public policy.
In our first issue, we turn the spotlight to Singapore’s Smart Nation 2.0 agenda. More than a tech upgrade, this is a public affairs story of ecosystem building, policy design, and strategic partnership.
An example of this is the Enterprise Compute Initiative (ECI), a S$150 million programme introduced in Singapore’s Budget 2025. ECI reflects the government’s recognition that the widespread adoption of generative AI cannot be left to market forces alone. It is a deliberate push to equip local enterprises with financial support, industry expertise, and access to compute infrastructure, curated partnerships, and practical use cases.
At Temus, we are proud to play our part. In collaboration with cloud hyperscalers such as AWS, we are helping businesses surface high-value AI opportunities and scale them responsibly. Last month, we joined AWS and Digital Industry Singapore (DISG) to launch AWS AI Springboard, a national initiative to accelerate AI adoption among Singapore-based enterprises. The event was graced by Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry, Ms. Low Yen Ling, and highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in driving digital competitiveness.
Beyond technology implementation, we’ve also helped champion national programmes like the IMDA and DISG TechSkillsAccelerator (TeSA), which has enabled us to launch Step IT Up Singapore, our very own tech career conversion program for locals. Now in its fourth intake, Step IT Up has hired, trained, and placed more than 60 Singaporeans with no prior IT experience into full-time roles within our technology team. Public affairs-led programs like Step IT Up demonstrate that for Temus, digital transformation must include our workforce, not just our enterprises.
Through these glimpses into our public affairs efforts as a Singapore-born digital services firm, I hope to affirm your view that public affairs today goes far beyond communication or stakeholder engagement. It is about activating ecosystems, aligning business goals with national priorities, and driving win-win change that creates real shared value for society too.
I hope the links below provide more thought starters on digital and AI adoption efforts for your own team / firm:
