Wong Sook Wei
There has been an ongoing dispute between the Pahang state government and farmers cultivating durians on encroached state land. With a new player in the fray, however, the dispute looks closer to a settlement.
Nuurrianti Jalli
The Malaysian government's directive to collect mobile phone metadata from telecom providers has sparked much unease. It should implement stronger safeguards to demonstrate accountability.
Jayant Menon|Priyanka Kishore|Alex Capri|Julia Tijaja|Runchana Pongsaparn|Nick Marro
On 2 April 2025, the Trump 2.0 administration announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs aimed at eliminating the US trade deficit with individual countries – in a move hailed by US President Donald Trump as “Liberation Day”. Southeast Asian countries have not been spared, with Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, and Myanmar among the hardest hit. Some countries, including China, have responded with retaliatory measures, raising the risk of further escalation from the US. While a temporary 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs offers a brief respite, this period is set to expire in early July.
Made Supriatma
Eight months into the job, President Prabowo Subianto appears to have started trimming the sails of his powerful predecessor.
Max Lane
After months of speculation about what a Prabowo government would be like, the picture has become clearer. A large parliamentary coalition, also described as a ‘political cartel’, has coalesced to support Prabowo and his government. The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) stands as the only party that is neither a part nor a supporter of this coalition.
Tita Sanglee
In seeking to defuse tensions with Cambodia over a border dispute, Thai premier Paetongtarn Shinawatra has scored an own goal. Thailand now faces an uphill climb in resolving the dispute.
Lee Hwok-Aun
ASEAN has focused on facilitating high-skilled labour mobility, although the vast majority of migrant workers occupy medium- and low-skilled jobs. Disparities in labour standards and uncoordinated migrant labour systems continue to impede the realisation of an integrated regional labour market.
Cha Hae Won
The Trump administration’s curbs on foreign student admissions not only risk undermining US soft power but could also pave the way for more educational exchanges between China and Southeast Asia.
Erika Chandra
Thailand has begun to market its LGBTQ+ friendliness to woo LGBTQ+ tourists and boost the economy. While the country has made progressive strides by legalising same-sex marriage, transgender individuals still face systemic hurdles.
Brandon Tan Jun Wen
Bobby’s satirical skewering of nepotism and corruption strongly appeals to Southeast Asians, who share disillusionment and a desire to laugh at a system seen as unfair and ineffective.