Social media companies cannot be trusted to police the scams they profit from. Some government intervention is needed.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Walking Malaysia’s Oil Shock Tightrope: Assisting Society While Stewarding Deficits
If the war in Iran does not end soon, the Malaysian government must have more arrows in its energy policy quiver.
Indonesia’s 5.61 Per Cent: Growth for the State, Not for the People
Is Indonesia’s growth rate an accurate reflection of the country’s progress?
Negeri Sembilan’s Tenuous State Assembly: Procedural and Political Tests
The recent withdrawal of support for the chief minister of Negeri Sembilan raises pertinent questions about the precedent and role of institutions determining state leadership.
Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan: Best Frenemies Forever
Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan are eyeing polls in Johor and Melaka. Due to the importance of these states to both coalitions, it remains to be seen if their pact at the federal level will hold.
May Day 2026 in Jakarta: Contradictions Become Clearer
Indonesia’s labour movement is split in different directions.
Between Talks and Tensions: Why the South China Sea Won’t Stabilise in 2026
Progress on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China is in limbo, and likely to stay that way.
Section 301 Investigations on Thailand: Misguided Search for Excess Capacity
Thailand’s excess capacity is not due to policy-induced overproduction as the US claims. Tariffs based on excess capacity would be unfair to Thailand.
The 2016 South China Sea Arbitration Award Did Not Fail
The Philippines’ arbitral victory in 2016, though rejected by China, has helped entrench the law of the sea as the region’s principal framework for understanding and contesting maritime claims.
The Lure and Lore of Southeast Asia: Understanding the Dynamics of Soft Power
The strong but varying attractiveness of Southeast Asian countries for their citizens’ work and play provides food for thought on future regional cohesion, identity and development.