Dr. Abdul Rahman Bin Yaacob
Fellow Researcher and Assistant Professor
Dr. Abdul Rahman Yaacob is a Research Fellow at the Rabdan Security & Defence Institute (RSDI). Concurrently, he serves as a Non-Resident Fellow at the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy (KIMS) and as an Academic Advisor at the ASEAN-Australia Defence Postgraduate Scholarship Program (AADPSP). Before joining RSDI, he was a Research Fellow in the Southeast Asia Program at the Lowy Institute, Sydney, Australia.
His research focuses on small states security, maritime security, defence policy, military modernisation, and Southeast Asia’s engagement with major powers. Dr Rahman earned his PhD from the National Security College at the Australian National University, where he examined Singapore’s defence policy and broader ASEAN strategic dynamics during the Cold War.
In May 2024, he became the first researcher to visit Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base. He was also the lead author of the Lowy Institute’s August 2025 publication, Southeast Asia’s Evolving Defence Partnerships.
Prior to his research career, Dr Rahman spent 18 years in the Government of Singapore. He held various Command and Staff postings in security-related areas, receiving several awards including the Ministerial Award for Operational Excellence and a Commendation for the Rejection of a Bribe.
Qualification
PhD, Australian National University.
Master of Arts (International Relations), Flinders University.
Master of Asia Pacific Studies (MAPs), Australian National University.
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), National University of Singapore.
Research Interests
Small states security, Defence policy and military modernisation, maritime security, Southeast Asia.
Publications
- Author, “Untangling Southeast Asia’s Maritime Security Complexities”, KIMS Periscope No. 406, Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy (KIMS), (2 December 2025).
- Author, “Beyond Hardware: The Message Behind Singapore’s New Defense Acquisitions”, The Diplomat, (31 October 2025).
- Co-Researcher, “Southeast Asia Influence Index”, Lowy Institute, (30 September 2025).
- Author, “Indonesia’s KHAN missiles aren’t targeting China”, The Interpreter, Lowy Institute, (1 September 2025).
- Lead Author & Co-Researcher, “Southeast Asia’s Evolving Defence Partnerships”, Research Analysis, Lowy Institute, (August 2025).
- Author, “The Five Power Defence Arrangements (FPDA) and regional order: The utility of FPDA military exercises for Malaysia and Singapore”, Contemporary Security Policy, 1–25, (2025).
- Author, “Air force modernisation in Southeast Asia: Deterrence or danger?”, The Interpreter, Lowy Institute, (31 July 2025).
- Author, “Malaysia’s Silent Military Buildup on Borneo”, The Diplomat, (10 June 2025).
- Author, “Southeast Asia’s arms suppliers, by the numbers”, The Interpreter, Lowy Institute, (21 January 2025).
- Author, “Australia–Malaysia defence relations go arm in arm”, East Asia Forum, (23 December 2024).
- Author, “Partnership of convenience: Ream Naval Base and the Cambodia–China convergence”, Policy Analyses, Lowy Institute, (4 December 2024).
- Author, Book Chapter, “ASEAN and the South China Sea: All Quiet on the Diplomatic Front”, in Cambodia and ASEAN at 25: Addressing Challenges Together for A Forward-Looking Community, (Phnom Penh: Cambodia Centre for Regional Studies, 2024).
- Author, Book Chapter, “ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP): An Elusive Dream”, in Cambodia and ASEAN at 25: Addressing Challenges Together for A Forward-Looking Community, (Phnom Penh: Cambodia Centre for Regional Studies, 2024).
- Co-Author, “Southeast Asia’s preferred military exercise partner”, The Interpreter, Lowy Institute, (29 February 2024).
- Co-Author, “Southeast Asia’s Security Landscape: Lessons for the ADF”, Australian Army Occasional Paper No. 17, (October 2023).
- Author, “Towards a ‘Forward Defence’ for Singapore: Revisiting the Strategy of the Singapore Armed Forces, 1971-1978”, British Journal for Military History, Volume 8, No 3 (November 2022).
- Author, “Singapore’s Threat Perception: The Barter Trade Crisis and Malaysia’s Decision to Use Military Force against Singapore, October-December 1965”, Australian Journal of Politics and History, Volume 68, Issue 1, (March 2022).