In response to Myanmar’s coup, the Jokowi administration is reverting to Indonesia’s traditional leadership role in ASEAN.
Category Archives: Commentaries
UMNO Unites While Bersatu Prevaricates
UMNO’s bid to rally the party ranks at its recent general assembly belies deeper problems ahead of the next general election.
The Philippines’ Vexed Vaccine Rollout
The Philippines’ battle against the Covid-19 pandemic is plagued by supply and demand-side problems
Vietnam’s Frontrunner for Prime Minister: Bold Leader With Bold Plans
Pham Minh Chinh is the surprise frontrunner to be Vietnam’s next prime minister. He has big shoes to fill.
The Allah Controversy in Malaysia: More Than Semantics
The recent High Court ruling permitting the use of four previously-prohibited words in non-Muslim publications is more than a contention about semantics. It concerns the issue of religious rights versus the preserving the exclusivity of Malay-Muslims.
Amending Thailand’s 2017 Constitution: More Tunnel than Light
The appointed Senate is the biggest but not the only obstacle to amending or replacing Thailand’s 2017 Constitution.
Vietnam’s New Government Election: The Sooner the Better?
There is little reason for the Community Party of Vietnam to repeat its “fast track” procedure to get a new government in place. The Party’s reputation is best served by its playing by the rules.
Thailand’s Human Rights Investigations’ Imbroglio
Thailand’s National Human Rights Commission is weaker and more focused on investigating accusers than those accused of abuses.
Pancasila and the “Missing Word”
Islamic political voices, include Vice-President Ma’ruf, force the word religion into the draft 2035 national education roadmap.
Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat: Losing Its Moral Compass?
There is a logic to Anwar Ibrahim’s Parti Keadilan Rakyat working with its arch-nemesis UMNO. But it could well be that the former has lost its moral compass.