Malaysia’s decision to join BRICS demonstrates its long-standing adherence to strategic equidistance. It also bears Anwar Ibrahim’s personal imprimatur.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Flood Control in the Philippines: When Corruption Bedevils Climate Change Mitigation
The fact that the Philippines requires flood control measures is beyond dispute. But the problem goes far deeper.
Momentum or Mirage? Anutin’s Risky Road to Re-Election
Anutin Charnvirakul’s recent dissolution of the Thai Parliament is a tactical move to preserve incumbency advantages going into elections next year. Still, he might end up with an unwieldy “grand compromise” coalition that will give him little wiggle room.
Rebalancing Indonesia’s Trade Policy: After Prabowo’s First Year
Indonesia has its work cut out for it given tough headwinds in global trade, but the present government’s attempts to tack its sails may give the country a chance to move in the right direction.
Reconstructing Indonesia’s Pesantren: Moving Beyond Concrete Matters
Tragedies like the collapse of an Islamic boarding school in mid-September in West Java require nuanced solutions and hard soul-searching. Hope and inspiration may come from within the country, indeed, within the same province.
Economic Gravity: The Rise of Asian Cities’ Powerhouses
Urbanisation in Southeast Asia is now one of the region’s most powerful yet under-recognised industrial policy tools. Urban planners and economists need to work together to unlock the potential of the region’s cities.
Malaysia’s Social Media Ban for Under-16s: Protection or Overreach?
Like some other countries, Malaysia intends to ban social media for children and youth under sixteen. However, this sledgehammer of a policy will likely fall short; there are other nuanced options to consider first.
Sovereignty and Military’s Image Drive Thailand’s Hardline Response to Cambodia
Territorial sovereignty and the military’s image as guardian of the nation limit the kingdom’s attempts at conciliation in its current dispute with Cambodia.
COP30: Highlighting the Importance of the Agri-food and Forestry Sectors in Southeast Asia
ASEAN member states can work together to strengthen their national agri-food sectors, building on the outcomes of the 30th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.
The Philippines and Germany Enter a New Era of Defence Cooperation
Defence and security ties between Manila and Berlin are strengthening amid rising threats in both Europe and the Indo-Pacific driven partly by the growing alignment between Beijing and Moscow.