ASEAN countries put a relatively high level of trust in Japan to “do the right thing” for peace, security and prosperity (see Table 1). This will help it to remain a consistent and reliable partner ...

UMNO is daring Pakatan Harapan to expel it from the Unity Government and call for an early election. The party’s history suggests it would rather not be the one to quit the coalition.

Middle powers in the Indo-Pacific have gone beyond hedging to build strategic space and strengthen resilience. This holds pertinent lessons from Europe. In recent years, hedging has been a key ...

Genuine Bumiputera empowerment remains a policy priority. Whether and how to use ethnic quotas must be deliberated with clarity and decisiveness. The issue of ethnic quotas recently made two peculiar ...

Damon Chee explores the growing demand for sustainable fashion and the hurdles preventing it from becoming a viable alternative to fast fashion in Southeast Asia. Extraction of indigo dye, commonly ...

A recent ransomware attack on Indonesia’s public services revealed weaknesses that the country can ill afford to ignore if it wishes to fully participate in the digital century. This incident revealed ...

We must get Indonesia’s middle-class narrative right to devise appropriate policy responses. While some argue that the middle class has grown, the evidence tells a more sobering story. The Op-Ed by ...

The State Administration Council is seeking to revive Myanmar’s policy of conscription. Instead of bolstering national solidarity, it will undermine it. Ostensibly, the SAC argues that the revival of ...

The Democrat Party has made a comeback from a near-death experience. But there are still key challenges to overcome. An institutionalised party, the political scientist Angelo Panebianco once wrote, ...

Bangkok’s penchant for political pluralism has persisted. In the 2026 elections, this would see a popular and independent incumbent pitted against an up and rising opposition party. Bangkok has always ...

It is too early to tell if third-time presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto’s seeming moderate shift in campaign strategy and tone will bear fruit in 2024. But no harm in trying. Before this, many ...

In a virtual war alongside its physical one, Myanmar’s junta aims to cut off online access for its people and the resistance. The world can help by supporting Myanmar citizens in their attempts to ...