Indonesia’s transactional approach in its relations with China has its merits. But there are limits, given the need for Jakarta to maintain relationships with other regional powers.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Malaysia Needs More Than a “Hammer” to Successfully Combat the Covid-19 Pandemic
Achieving herd immunity from Covid-19 is likely to remain a distant goal for Malaysia. Other measures beyond strict lockdowns are needed to deal with the pandemic.
The United States and the Myanmar Crisis: Broad Interests, Constricted Responses
The United States has leaned heavily on traditional policy instruments, primarily sanctions, to manage the political crisis in Myanmar. Currently, it remains unclear if Washington will go beyond the limited scope of past practice.
The Myanmar Challenge to ASEAN
Recent developments have shown how fragile and tricky ASEAN’s quest to help Myanmar will be.
A New Height of ASEAN-China Relations? Not Quite, Not Yet
China and ASEAN had a fairly successful meeting in Chongqing recently. But the conclusion that Beijing has orchestrated a win over Washington in Southeast Asia is premature.
The Other Face of PAS: Eschewing Narrow Sectarianism for Global Revivalism
PAS, under the leadership of Hadi Awang, has championed Sunni-Shi’a conciliation. But it is highly uncertain whether this will remain true under the younger generation of PAS leaders.
Thailand’s Third Pandemic Wave: Felled by Infighting
As the kingdom grapples with a third wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, the political parties in the ruling coalition appear to be focused more on gaining political mileage than fighting the virus.
Malaysia’s Long Overdue Defence Reforms: Jettisoning the Age of Innocence
The age of innocence that has dominated Malaysia’s attitude towards defence matters in the past three decades needs to be jettisoned. Given mounting threats in its external environment, Malaysia needs to accelerate defence reforms centred on the concept of jointness across multiple domains.
Challenges Facing Vietnam’s Covid-19 Vaccination Drive
Vietnam is accelerating efforts to secure adequate vaccine supplies amidst a resurgence of Covid-19 infections in the country.
Scholarly or Trendy? The Declining Influence of Malaysian Muftis and the Emergence of Popular Preachers
The growing popularity of media savvy celebrity preachers – not all of whom are theologically well-trained – could erode the quality of Islamic discourse in the longer term.