Indonesia’s New Workers Party: Ambiguity in Labour Politics
Max Lane
The formation of a new Workers Party backed by the country’s labour unions signifies a new trend in Indonesian politics.
Articles
Has ASEAN Reached the Point of Diminishing Returns with Myanmar?
Sharon Seah|Moe Thuzar
The State Administration Council has cleverly gamed the ASEAN system for its own ends and dragged out the implementation of the Five-Point Consensus. It is time for ASEAN to pack more punch into the office of the Special Envoy to Myanmar.
No News is Good News: Low Trust in Southeast Asia’s Mainstream Media
Dien Nguyen An Luong
Public trust in mainstream news media is at an all-time low in several Southeast Asian countries. The fundamental challenge facing governments, journalists and consumers is how to reshape the media environment so that the trend can be reversed.
Policymakers' View
Taking a New Tack on Ageing: Seniors as Agents of Development
Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana
As populations in Asia and the Pacific age, it is crucial for countries to reimagine senior citizens as agents of development rather than seeing them as a burden on societies.
Restoring Privacy Rights a Must for Ending Myanmar’s Violence
Aung Tun
Myanmar’s military regime has committed gross violations of its citizens’ privacy rights in its attempts to quell resistance. Any return to normalcy has to begin with restoring the people’s privacy protections.
Malaysia’s Skewed Transport System: Rising Costs Demand Bolder Solutions
Liew Chin Tong
Malaysia’s failure to build an efficient and functioning public transport system has a price tag: a huge fuel subsidy bill, sizable accumulated public debts and a high level of household debts partly caused by car loans. Policymakers should think out of the box and consider subsidising commuters to take public transport.
The Shi’as and Freedom of Religion under Joko Widodo’s Presidency
A'an Suryana
This Long Read argues that under the current Joko Widodo presidency, the Shi’as have suffered less harassment and intimidation from the Sunni majority than under previous governments.
ASEAN and ADMM: Climbing Out of a Deep Hole
Joanne Lin
The ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting has bagged modest achievements in past years. But it will take a lot more to assert ASEAN’s central role in a region where external powers have grabbed the initiative in forming minilaterals outside the ASEAN ecosystem.
Thailand’s Digital Divide: Leave No One Behind
Alexandra Dalferro
Thailand has a developed Internet and digital infrastructure which has helped many Thais tide through the privations of Covid-19. But more can be done to extend such services to more Thais, particularly those from lower socio-economic backgrounds.
Bon Odori in Malaysia: Dance-off between Revivalism and Multiculturalism
Faris Ridzuan|Sharifah Afra Alatas
The controversy caused by warnings to Malaysia’s Muslims not to participate in a Japanese-inspired summer festival raises important questions about how Malaysia can sustain its multicultural character against the rising tide of Islamisation.