Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s recent visit to the United States highlights a unique dynamic in the bilateral relationship: Singapore’s ability to speak frankly and candidly to its superpower partner.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Bahasa Melayu as ASEAN’s Second Language: Sekali Lagi Tak Boleh
Malaysia has again proposed making Malay a working language of ASEAN, but this proposal is likely to be a non-starter as ASEAN wrestles with more pressing crises.
Will Vietnam Be Able to Wean Itself Off Russian Arms?
Vietnam is finding it increasingly hard to continue its policy of buying military equipment from Russia. Hanoi is aware of the rationale for securing weapons from other countries, but doing so will not be easy.
Supply Chain Resilience and the Trumped-up Case for Reshoring
Regional or country-specific shocks are more likely to cause relocations to third countries than reshoring, driven by changes to competitiveness.
Myanmar’s Post-coup Electricity Woes: Stalled Power Plans, Shattered Public Trust
Two years ago, and even a year ago in the aftermath of the 1 February 2021 coup, Yangon was not suffering severe blackouts. While there were sporadic electricity cuts for a few hours a day in some of its townships, electricity supply was more stable and predictable than ten or fifteen years earlier. This experience has left city dwellers wondering what accounts for the severe power cuts now.
Vietnam’s Mediascape Amid the War in Ukraine: Between Method and Mayhem
The animated and polarised discourse on Vietnam’s social media on the Russia-Ukraine war is in stark contrast to the disciplined and scripted coverage in Vietnam’s mainstream media, reflecting the strong appetite among Vietnamese netizens for alternative sources of information.
No April Fool’s Joke: The Singapore-Malaysia Border Finally Reopens
The reopening of the Singapore-Malaysia land border on 1 April 2022 will bring crucial relief to the Malaysian economy, but potential confusion about travel requirements may mar this widely anticipated event.
Hale and Hearty Plans for Thailand’s Andaman Coast
Thailand’s ambitious plans for a wellness corridor along its Andaman Coast underscores the coming together of different players for the development of the country’s regions.
Indonesia’s Cooking Oil Crisis: Causes and Consequences
World’s largest crude palm oil producer Indonesia faces the challenge of managing the rising cost of cooking oil, as external shocks and supply issues worsen, going into the fasting month of Ramadhan.
Johor’s Menteri Besar Surprise: Poster Boy Makes Way For King’s Man
The appointment of a relatively junior assemblyman to be Johor’s Menteri Besar is curious. But there are deeper undercurrents at work.