blackbox

Enhancing ASEAN–EU Cooperation on Subsea Cable Security

ASEAN and the EU could transform their shared subsea cable vulnerabilities and complementary security approaches into practical resilience through closer interregional cooperation that eases the pressures of great power competition.

Religious Elites and the Management of Islamic Affairs in Sarawak: A Mixed Scorecard

Political rather than religious authority still calls the shots in multi-religious Sarawak.

Local Polls in Putrajaya: The Perfect Pilot Project?

Local elections in Malaysia warrant a second look.

Enlarging the “Gong” for a Bigger Boom: Vietnam and Strategic Autonomy

Vietnam’s foreign policy is evolving from a position based on integration and multilateralism to one based on strategic autonomy.

Women Farmers: First Defenders of a Warming Southeast Asia

Ahead of Women’s Day in the International Year of the Woman Farmer, an envisioning of how Southeast Asia can improve the lot of its women farmers in a warming world.

Death Without Departure: Bung Moktar and the Persistence of His East Coast Political Authority

All politics is local and, in many cases, personal. The passing of Bung Moktar Radin illustrates these truisms in rural Sabah politics, as his influence persists for now.

From Long-term Plans to Flagships: Indonesia’s Reordered Development Agenda

Prabowo’s agenda is being driven by flagship programmes focused on nutrition, state-owned enterprises, and cooperatives. These programmes can complement long-term development, but Indonesia should maintain industrial, technological, and green transition priorities.

Proximity Without Leverage? Indonesia’s Risky Bet on Trump’s Board of Peace

President Prabowo’s involvement in Trump’s Board of Peace may have given Indonesia some proximity to the US, but his aim of gaining leverage in tariff negotiations is elusive.

Islam-State Relations under Prabowo: More Carrots and More Sticks, But Less Progressive and Less Civil?

This Long Read examines President Prabowo Subianto’s relationship with the various Islamic organisations in Indonesia. While mainstream groups like Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah continue to be considered strategic allies, there has also been greater tolerance of hardline Islamist groups.