How Will Anwar Ibrahim’s Unity Government Revise Budget 2023?
Cassey Lee
New Malaysian PM Anwar Ibrahim has to lead his “unity government” in navigating the process of revising the country’s Budget 2023 through some significant headwinds.
Articles
Café Culture and Sustainable Development in Southeast Asia
Prapimphan Chiengkul
Governments and non-government organisations can help newly formed producer groups, such as by subsidising costly organic or Fairtrade certification fees, until these farmer groups are financially self-reliant.
Vietnam Not Veering Closer to United States or China
Lye Liang Fook|Ha Hoang Hop
It is not in Vietnam’s national interest to be overly dependent on China or the United States. Hanoi is expected to continue to press ahead with efforts to build on its ties with the two major powers as part of its multi-directional foreign policy. There are, however, limits to both approaches.
Setbacks for Moscow, Progress for Kyiv: The Russia-Ukraine War and its Impact on the ASEAN, G20 and APEC Summits
Ian Storey
The Russia-Ukraine War complicated but did not derail the ASEAN, G20 and APEC summits in Southeast Asia.
Japan’s Counter-strike Missiles and Southeast Asia’s “Nuclear” Question
Yoichiro Sato
Japan is considering the deployment of non-nuclear counter-strike capabilities in the face of growing threats from North Korea and China. This might have a bearing on Southeast Asia.
More than a Mere Caretaker? Jakarta’s Interim Governor and the 2024 Elections
Ian Wilson
The appointment of a caretaker governor for Jakarta might come across as a routine procedure. In the case of Heru Budi Hartono, however, his employment of a politically partisan approach throws up initial indications of the battle lines going into the 2024 presidential elections.
Malaysia’s New PM: The Need to Get It Right for the Country
Norshahril Saat
Malaysia’s new premier Anwar Ibrahim has made the right moves in his first week in office. Going forward, however, he has a slew of challenges.
COP27 in Sharm el-Sheikh: a Geopolitical Cop-out
Sharon Seah|Mirza Sadaqat Huda|Melinda Martinus
The COP27 meeting in Egypt yielded some significant outcomes, such as a historic loss and damage provision. But geopolitics reared its ugly head and might have an impact on future meetings.
Myanmar Junta Prisoner Release: Let’s Not Get Ahead of Ourselves
Ye Khaung Oo
It is too soon to celebrate the recent prisoner amnesty in Myanmar as a serious indication of the junta’s intention to change its ways for the better.
COP27 and G20: Climate-Food Nexus Takes the Spotlight
Elyssa Kaur Ludher|Paul Teng
Two recent international gatherings — COP27 and G20 — have spotlighted the challenge of climate change and the impact on food security. As a highly vulnerable region, Southeast Asia needs to take urgent steps to adapt its agriculture and food systems, to prepare for a more disruptive future.