Nicholas Chapman
Vietnam aims to create private economic groups that hold regional and global significance. It must also combat corruption, support the growth of SMEs and startups, and promote foreign investment spillovers.
Le Hong Hiep
Vietnam has an ambitious plan for the building of infrastructure. But it needs to be mindful of significant risks such as corruption and subpar construction quality.
Hoang Thi Ha|William Choong
At his maiden Shangri-La Dialogue outing, the US Secretary of Defense laid out a stark and demanding vision for the region’s security. ASEAN and much of Southeast Asia did not feature in it.
Paul Chambers
The recent municipal elections in Thailand underscore the staying power of baan yai or “big houses” at the local level.
Alfian Al-Ayubby
Malaysia’s recently raised minimum wage is insufficient for plantation workers, who deserve a living wage to sustain their livelihoods and contributions to this key economic sector.
Hoang Thi Ha|Dien Nguyen An Luong
Vietnam’s fast-tracking of a Trump-branded project is a high-stake diplomatic gambit to curry favour with the US president to ameliorate the extent of US tariffs. But the Trump project should also be viewed in the context of Hanoi’s relentless drive to do away with red tape and pro-business strategy.
Kristina Fong Siew Leng
Given differing levels of digital capabilities among ASEAN members, a two-tier solution to the Digital Economy Framework Agreement might be most fitting.
Jared Bissinger
What might be the right economic tools to wield against Myanmar’s military regime, that minimise harm to the livelihoods of its civilian citizens?
James Chai
Non-Chinese pupil enrolment in Malaysia’s vernacular Chinese primary schools (SJKC) has grown significantly over the past decades, from just 3-6 per cent in the 1990s to approximately 20 per cent by 2020, primarily driven by Malay pupils. These demographic shifts in SJKCs present a profound existential challenge to the Chinese community in Malaysia on whether they should preserve the cultural purity of SJKC or adapt to these demographic realities.
Surachanee Sriyai
Social media depend largely on English-language models to train their AI content moderation models. This has become a problem.