Is ASEAN Truly for the People?
Joanne Lin
Joanne Lin explores the importance of a people-centred ASEAN and ways that the organisation can enhance engagement with its people, ahead of the 56th ASEAN Day celebrations.
Articles
The Unity Government: Preventing a Partial Victory in the Polls
Francis E. Hutchinson
The Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional tag-team will likely win by a big margin in the Penang state elections. The key question here is whether the Unity Government would represent Malays in the state adequately.
Leveraging Dirt: Soil as Southeast Asia’s Under-explored Solution for Carbon Mitigation and Food Security
Elyssa Kaur Ludher
The world’s soils are under threat due to deforestation, urbanisation, agriculture, and pollution. Southeast Asia should prioritise sustainable soil management to reap the benefits of carbon mitigation and enhance food security.
Wan Nor: Hero from the Deep South but Not the Saviour of Thai Democracy
Daungyewa Utarasint
The twin burdens placed on a veteran Thai politician hailing from the south will test his political skill and stamina. No less than the future of Thai democracy may be at stake.
Sanusi’s Bully Pulpit Populism: Boon or Bane?
James Chai
In the run-up to the state elections in Kedah, Parti Islam SeMalaysia is touting a Trumpist-type politician. The approach is unconventional but explicable if one considers the party’s ambitions.
Will UMNO’s Mutant Electoral Map Bite Pakatan Harapan?
Lee Hwok-Aun
In the run-up to the Selangor state elections, Pakatan Harapan has to rally UMNO votes to its side. It must also overcome vulnerabilities caused by the latter’s 2018 gerrymandering of the state’s electoral map.
Is Indonesia’s Al-Zaytun Islamic Boarding School Facing an Existential Threat?
A'an Suryana
An Islamic boarding school and its principal are embroiled once again in controversy. This time, maybe the public’s complaints will bite – but for how long?
Anwar Ibrahim Welcomes Abdul Somad to Putrajaya: What Gives?
Mohd Faizal Musa|Sharifah Afra Alatas
The Malaysian premier’s warm welcome to a controversial Indonesian preacher should have raised questions about the former’s commitment to moderate Islamic principles. That the visit did not cause more of a stir within Malaysian circles raises even more questions.
The State Administration Council and Aung San Suu Kyi: The Lady is Not for Turning?
Kyi Sin|Moe Thuzar
Two recent developments in Myanmar suggest that the State Administration Council has come round to banking on the iconic status of Aung San Suu Kyi as a political ploy.
Malaysia’s 2023 Elections: A Coming Clash of Coalitions in Selangor
Khairy Jamaluddin
The upcoming state elections in Malaysia represent a referendum on the first eight months of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ‘Unity Government’. This Long Read assesses possible scenarios for the election outcome in Selangor.