Private firms in Vietnam have played a pivotal role in helping the country recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. There are, however, other reasons to explain their corporate social responsibility.
Author Archives: blackbox
Rift between Two Indonesian Generals Spotlights Civil-Military Relations
A personal spat between two four-star generals spilling into the open has raised questions about military professionalism and elite politics in Indonesia.
Electric Vehicles in Malaysia: Moving Uphill from Niche to Mass Market
Malaysia has a long way to go before demand for electric vehicles will rise high enough to reduce carbon emissions, mainly because there is no concerted effort to build the charging infrastructure to support this switch.
Business Throws its Support Behind Indonesia’s Opposition-Free Liberal Democracy
This Long Read explores the characteristics of Indonesia’s political culture that have resulted in a tendency to form broad coalitions that effectively suppress real political opposition.
Can Mekong Stingrays Tell the Chinese Dam Story Well?
China is crafting “wonderful stories” about its upstream dams in the Mekong. But the overall thrust of the narrative glosses over the more controversial aspects of dam building.
Addressing food security and climate change at the G20 Summit
Worsening climate change adds pressure to food production, and agriculture is a major cause of greenhouse gas emissions. G20 leaders have an opportunity at this November’s Bali summit to address the long-term challenges of revamping the global food system into a more sustainable, resilient and equitable one.
UNCLOS’s Relevance to Taiwan Amid a Raging Storm
After the 2016 South China Sea (SCS) arbitration award and recent developments, Taiwan — though not a formal party to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) — has all the more reason to support the Convention.
Zahid Hamidi’s Acquittal: Darker of Darkest Days?
UMNO president Zahid Hamidi is leveraging his recent acquittal in a corruption case. But the jury is out as to whether the day has dawned for the party going into the next general elections.
The #Bjorka Case and Ratification of Indonesia’s PDP Law: Confronting Digitalisation
Jakarta faces unprecedented pressure to get Indonesia’s new personal data protection (PDP) law right from the get-go, lest a notorious hacker exposes more weaknesses in governance.
Girt by Sea, and by the Law of the Sea: Why UNCLOS Matters to Australia
As a nation which possesses the world’s third largest maritime domain, Australia has benefited tremendously from UNCLOS. Given that multilateralism has come under attack in recent years, the Convention will continue to be significant to middle powers like Australia.