Dr Rahman Yaacob

Research Fellow, Southeast Asia Program
Areas of expertise

Southeast Asian defence and security

Dr Rahman Yaacob
Biography
Publications

Dr Abdul Rahman Yaacob is a Research Fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute. His research interests include Southeast Asia’s defence and security issues and the region’s relations with major powers.

Before joining the Lowy Institute, Rahman completed a PhD at the National Security College, Australian National University. His dissertation examined Singapore’s defence policy and analysed the broader strategic and security issues relating to ASEAN during the Cold War. During his PhD program and with two other project members, Rahman was a lead investigator on a project funded by a grant from the Australian Army Research Centre. The project focused on understanding Southeast Asian security concerns and explored the potential areas for closer defence cooperation between Australia and its northern neighbours. He was also an Academic Staff member and lectured in the ASEAN-Australia Defence Postgraduate Scholarship Program at the Strategic & Defence Studies Centre, ANU. From 2020 to 2023, he was a Teaching Fellow at the Australian Command and Staff Course, Australian War College.

Before commencing his PhD program, Rahman served nearly 18 years with the Government of Singapore. He held various command and staff postings in security-related areas and received several awards, including Ministerial Awards for Operational Excellence and a Commendation for the Rejection of Bribe.

Sonar reports much more than a blip in Australia’s relations with China
Sonar reports much more than a blip in Australia’s relations with China
The latest incident, the first to injure Australian military personnel, appears to signal China’s willingness to test the red line.
Managing power conflict spillover in Straits of Malacca and Singapore
Commentary
Managing power conflict spillover in Straits of Malacca and Singapore
Originally published in The Jakarta Post, 6 November 2023.
Not only the dragon: Understanding Southeast Asia’s complex security landscape
Not only the dragon: Understanding Southeast Asia’s complex security landscape
Yes, US-China rivalry creates unease. But so do more pressing threats closer to home.
History and domestic dynamics: How ASEAN members see the Hamas-Israeli conflict
History and domestic dynamics: How ASEAN members see the Hamas-Israeli conflict
No common position unites Southeast Asian nations on the latest fighting.
Southeast Asia’s security landscape: Lessons for the ADF
Reports
Southeast Asia’s security landscape: Lessons for the ADF
Originally published as an Occasional Paper by the Australian Army Research Centre.
Will ASEAN’s first joint military exercise prepare it for future crises?
Commentary
Will ASEAN’s first joint military exercise prepare it for future crises?
Originally published in Channel News Asia, 27 September 2023.
ASEAN’s first joint military exercise
ASEAN’s first joint military exercise
A pyrrhic military cooperation or building capability for future contingency?
AUKUS brings more than nuclear submarines to Southeast Asia
Commentary
AUKUS brings more than nuclear submarines to Southeast Asia
Originally published in East Asia Forum. The AUKUS agreement between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia significantly shifts Australia’s defence strategy and…
ASEAN, China and the trust deficit
ASEAN, China and the trust deficit
The gap between rhetoric and action is Beijing’s biggest problem – and the region showed it isn’t afraid to call this out.
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