Southeast Asia is crucial to the United Kingdom’s (UK) ‘tilt’ to the Indo-Pacific. It has achieved notable progress in strengthening its diplomatic, economic and security engagement with the region.
Author Archives: blackbox
FPI Reborn: Old Wine In A New Bottle?
The Islamic Defenders Front, a hardline group which was banned by the Indonesian government last year, has relaunched itself under a new guise. Not many are convinced that the proverbial apple has fallen far from the tree.
Jokowi’s Shrinking Opposition: Smoothening the Path to Constitutional Amendments
PAN’s entry into Jokowi’s ruling coalition has cemented the President’s strong grip over Indonesia’s legislative assemblies and could make passing constitutional amendments even easier.
Twenty Years On: Reflections on The Aftermath of 9/11 and The New Era of Geo-Politics
Twenty years after the historic 9/11 attacks on the United States, the threat of terrorism has largely been contained and a new era of great power competition has returned. States in Southeast Asia need to have a deep appreciation of what drives China and the US in order to maintain agency amid geopolitical flux.
Idris Ahmad: Not Your Ordinary Religious Affairs Minister
The appointment of PAS ideologue Idris Ahmad as Malaysia’s new religious affairs minister provides the Islamist party significant latitude to advance its ideological agenda.
The Delta Variant and Border Closures: A Rethink is Overdue
The highly transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus should lead to a rethink about border closures in Southeast Asia.
Malaysia Goes Carbon Neutral, But With a Catch
Malaysia’s new target is more ambitious than any other target set by a Southeast Asian country so far. But the qualifier is achievement by 2050 ‘at the earliest’.
Vietnam and Japan Partners Amid Superpower Rivalry
If two recent high-level visits by China and Japan to Vietnam are of any indication, Tokyo appears to have gained the upper hand over Beijing when it comes to courting one of Southeast Asia’s most important players.
Attack on Ahmadiyya Mosque in Sintang: An Agony for Humanity
The minority Ahmadiyya sect has been much aligned for its purportedly ‘deviant’ beliefs. More should be done to address such unfounded conceptions, and provide a safer environment for the sect’s followers in the public sphere.
Wang Yi’s Visit to Vietnam: Reasserting Influence, Regaining Balance
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Vietnam on 10-12 September was part of Beijing’s efforts to pull Hanoi back from its perceived ‘tilt’ towards Washington. More than ever, Vietnam’s foreign policy mantra, “firm in objectives, flexible in strategies and tactics”, is being put to test.