The recent heightened tensions between the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and Prime Minister Muhyidddin Yassin’s Cabinet have put the spotlight on whether the Constitution allows the King to exercise discretionary powers, apart from acting on the advice of Cabinet.
Author Archives: Lyd w
Vaccine Diplomacy in Southeast Asia: Russia Squanders its Sputnik Moment
For a country that was first off the blocks, Russia has a long way to go if it wants to catch up with China and the United States in the game of vaccine diplomacy
ASEAN and the Problem of Legitimacy
ASEAN needs to decide whether Myanmar’s State Administration Council has the legal capacity to engage in international relations that has direct impact on ASEAN’s own legal capacity as an inter-governmental organisation.
Unpacking China’s Merchandise Trade with ASEAN during the Global Pandemic
While the global merchandise trade shrank by 5.3% as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, bilateral trade between China and ASEAN increased in the meantime by 6.7%, thanks not only to a steady increase in bilateral trade but also to the relative decline of trade between China with its other major trading partners.
Sandboxes Amidst a Rising Tide
Thailand’s so-called “sandbox” schemes to jumpstart the country’s tourism sector is laudable. But they might be achieved at a cost.
Revisit Two-Coalition System in Malaysia
The recent jolts to Malaysia’s political landscape show that there is a strong basis for a return to a pluralistic and accountable two-coalition system.
Stock Market Fever in Vietnam
Covid-19 pandemic or not, Vietnam is seeing a buoyant stock market, thanks to a retail investor boom and an easy monetary policy.
Are We Witnessing the Bankruptcy Proceedings of the Malay Agenda?
After a series of power grabs, there are few ideological differences among the country’s political parties and groupings in power. If UMNO as a phenomenon has run out of gas, its raison d’etre — Malay supremacy — needs some reconsideration.
ASEAN’s Covid-19 Recovery Measures: Missing Opportunities for a Green Future
As of 28 May 2021, ASEAN countries had authorised a total of US$ 730 billion, equivalent to 7.8% of ASEAN’s total GDP, in stimulus dollars. But few ASEAN countries have prioritised green components to their Covid-19 stimulus packages.
Trade and Environmental Disputes May Persist Despite Promising Leaders’ Summit on Climate
At the recent Leaders’ Summit on Climate Change convened by the Biden Administration, several ASEAN leaders emphasised the principle of differentiating levels of economic development between states in their response to climate change. Finding a balance between this principle and ambitious climate targets remains a challenge.