While the Prabowo Subianto government and its coalition partners in parliament have temporarily shelved their plans to abolish direct local elections due to public discontent, this years-long initiative is not dead.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Will Indonesia’s National Mandate Party Move Further Away from Its Religious Roots?
Eyeing the 2029 legislative elections, Indonesia’s National Mandate Party has rebranded itself as the “party of the youth” and looks set to jettison its image as the “Muhammadiyah party”.
Clothed in Uncertainty: Southeast Asia’s Garment Exports and the US–China Trade Tensions
The garment industry might come under US scrutiny for its high use of Chinese inputs. Countries should negotiate with the US administration for a reasonable and tempered approach to the transshipment question.
The Case of Palawan: When Typhoons and Floods Batter Local Memory
The case of Palawan province in the Philippines highlights the importance of local memory of the timelines and contexts through which disasters unfold. Such memory can shape how communities prepare for future events.
From Promise to Peril? The Hidden Risks in Malaysia’s Mine-to-Magnet Rare Earth Push
Malaysia’s push to build a full rare earths value chain faces significant technology, trade, investment, and governance hurdles across the mining, processing, and manufacturing stages.
Momentum, Alliances, Incumbency: The Bhumjaithai Party’s Ingredients for Election Success
The Bhumjaithai Party faces the February 2026 election with significant advantages.
Questioning the Question: Who Is Really Revising the Global Order?
For those who have consistently touted the “China threat”, recent US actions should necessitate some intellectual honesty.
Overseas Filipino Remittances and the Philippine Economy: Time for a Rethink
As remittances from overseas Filipinos slow down amid global uncertainties and a changing global economy, the Philippines needs to develop new growth drivers.
Vietnam’s Post-War Generation Takes the Helm
For the first time, the next echelon of Vietnam’s top leaders have not been marked by the experience of the Vietnam War. They have to prove that they would be able to govern and produce the needed outcomes.
Rabble-rouser UMNO Youth Unlikely to Dent Ahmad Zahid’s Unity Call
UMNO Youth has pulled out all the stops to persuade the party leadership to yank UMNO out of the ruling coalition. But the UMNO president has different ideas.