Despite the Biden government’s efforts to improve relations with Southeast Asia, considerable domestic constraints hinder Washington from joining multilateral economic groups or de-emphasising human rights concerns to compete more effectively with China in Southeast Asia.
Author Archives: Lyd w
Malaysia’s National Trade Blueprint: Mind the Gap
Malaysia’s newly unveiled National Trade Blueprint seeks to arrest the country’s downward slide in global export rankings. But its prescriptions may fall short of what is needed in today’s environment.
Is Cambodia’s Endemic Covid-19 Approach Sensible?
With high vaccination rates, Cambodia has decided to reopen. Learning to live with the virus may be the right decision but ending random testing could pose risks.
ASEAN Summits: Be Like Water
In this episode of Dialogues at Fulcrum, William Choong, Managing Editor of Fulcrum, talks to ISEAS researchers Moe Thuzar and Sharon Seah about the 38th and 39th ASEAN Summits. They discuss the key highlights of the meetings, ASEAN’s continued engagement with external powers such as Australia, China and the United States, and Cambodia’s chairing of ASEAN in 2022.
The Philippines after Duterte: The End of Impunity?
President Rodrigo Duterte’s controversial ‘war on drugs’ looms large in the 2022 election for his successor.
The Twelfth Malaysia Plan: Time for a Reset?
The 12th Malaysia Plan, a key planning document for the country’s development, has been expedited through Parliament with no debate. The process of formulating the plan needs a reset.
Southeast Asian Responses to AUKUS: Arms Racing, Non-Proliferation and Regional Stability
AUKUS is a wake-up call to ASEAN that it needs to be more proactive on security issues and cannot take its centrality for granted.
Automating Dissent with Hashtags: from #Kitajagakita to #Benderahitam
In Malaysia, even an innocuous hashtag can be sidelined and overwhelmed by other octothorps. In the case of #kitajagakita, it played a part in the falling from grace of the country’s eighth premier.
Reform of Parliament: Lessons from 2020-2021
Despite its key role in Malaysia’s governance, Parliament has been in abeyance for much of 2020 and 2021. Reform of the law and practice of Parliament are necessary to give effect to the constitutional provisions on Parliament’s functions and to enhance Parliament’s institutional efficacy.
ASEAN Snubs the State Administration Council (For Now)
ASEAN’s decision to allow only a ‘non-political’ representative from Myanmar is a blow to Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s bid to gain recognition at the grouping’s high table. The question here is how long ASEAN can maintain unity and stay the course.