Despite recent rhetoric from the State Administration Council seeking ‘peace talks’ with ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar, the prospect of true peace will remain elusive for as long as the generals are selling old wine in new bottles.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Malaysia’s Nationwide Minimum Wage Omits Crucial Regional Differences
One of the key goals of a minimum wage is to provide employees with a wage that can sustain their basic livelihood. Therefore, a more appropriate minimum wage scale should create several tiers where wages are calibrated according to state or regional differences.
The ‘People’s Court’ Supports and Celebrates Marriage Equality in Thailand
Amidst greater popular awareness of the struggles faced by LGBTQIA+ individuals in Thailand, activists are challenging Thai laws restricting marriage to heterosexual couples as being unconstitutional. While significant progress on human rights is unlikely to occur under the current government, Thai citizens are using their voices to call for change.
UMNO’s Constitutional Amendment: A Done Deal?
Pending approval from the government, UMNO’s Supreme Council can now delay elections for up to 18 months from a full three-year term or 6 months after a general election — whichever is later. The rationale is that this would allow the party to overcome any internal divisions arising during the polls and focus its energies on the next general election.
To Ban or Not To Ban? How Indonesia Can Overcome the Global Food Crisis
Jakarta’s latest decision to briefly ban the export of crude palm oil has not helped Indonesians reeling from rising food prices. Rather than bending with the political wind, Indonesia’s leaders should steer its course by reconsidering fundamentals to improve its competitiveness in the global food economy.
Malaysia’s GE15: When Race-Based Policies Might Trump Rice-Bowl Promises
Months away from Malaysia’s general election, little separates the ruling coalition and the opposition in terms of ‘rice bowl’ economic policies. The vote winner lies elsewhere: Malays value general pledges on jobs and social services, but they are wary of parties that make no commitment to pro-Malay policies.
Can a Regional Public Health Emergency Centre Work for ASEAN?
ASEAN’s plan to set up a regional public health emergency centre will support its efforts to reopen the region’s economy to tourism and to finally shed the pall that the Covid-19 pandemic has cast. However, the devil is in the details and ASEAN needs to ensure the plan is not dead in the water.
Bangkok Polls: Writing on the Wall for Thai PM
The recent poll in Bangkok underscores the growing precarity of Thailand’s prime minister and his ruling coalition.
Out of the Frying Pan Into the Fire: Cooking Oil Burns Jokowi’s Popularity
Rising inflation in Indonesia, especially for cooking oil prices, has dented President Joko Widodo’s popularity. If left unresolved, his party’s showing in the next elections could well be adversely affected by this issue.
Vietnam and Russia’s Political Alignment: More than Meets the Eye
A lot of ink has been spilled to explain Vietnam’s reticence to take a stronger position against Russia’s war in Ukraine. One facet of the Russo-Vietnam relationship that has not been discussed as much is the two countries’ political alignment on issues such as human rights and democracy in the global arena.