Malaysian Prime Minister Najib’s proposal to adopt the Malay language as ASEAN’s “main and official language” is unrealistic and divisive. It could also rollback ASEAN’s gains in positioning the regional organisation as a global entity. Instead, it should focus on more urgent and pressing matters of community-building.
Category Archives: Commentaries
New Tensions in Vietnam – China Relations?
While Vietnam – China relations have improved significantly with top-level visits and strengthened economic ties, it has also intensified relations with the US and Japan. These developments create new tensions for bilateral relations between Vietnam and China and destabilize the region.
Why was Thailand’s Prime Minister Absent in the Belt and Road Initiative Summit?
Thailand’s perceived marginalisation from China’s high-profile Belt and Road Initiative Summit has been attributed to problems in the Sino-Thai high-speed railway project and the Thai Prime Minister’s acceptance of the US President’s invitation to visit the White House. The diplomatic snub suggests that Southeast Asian states need a more careful hedging strategy to deal with China.
Vietnam’s Continued Balancing Act
Vietnam has improved its relationship with the US in a bid to walk the fine balance between the US and China. Despite China’s challenge to Vietnam in the South China Sea, Hanoi has maintained warm ties with China as a strategic hedge against the ambiguous policy of the US towards Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Myanmar’s Elusive Dream of Peace
Myanmar’s second Union Peace Conference has ended with no agreement on the issues of non-secession and the unified federal army. This is not surprising. There is a lack of a proper framework for political dialogue and the civilian government is perceived to be weak.
UMNO’s U-Turn on RUU 355: What Makes Coalitions Stick in Malaysia?
The Barisan Nasional government’s U-turn on changes to RUU 355, which will give the syariah courts more extensive powers, suggests that the coalition dynamics of politics are behind the move. Put simply, the coalition’s survival is equally, if not more important than UMNO’s electoral appeal.
President Duterte: The Centralizer
President Duterte’s war on illegal drugs has claimed mounting death tolls and widespread human rights abuses. The drug war is used as the blanket reason to delay elections and centralize political power in the person of the president and reduces the checks and balances on this power.
Chinese Capital Controls and Forest City
Recent Chinese curbs on financial outflows from China has led to speculation that this will affect the iconic Forest City mixed development in Johor. The southern state says that sales will not be affected. After all, Chinese investors have a habit of circumventing around new laws.
ASEAN Foreign Ministers Set for a Tough Year Ahead
The 50th annual ASEAN Foreign Ministers Retreat in Boracay was held amid uncertainty and anxiety over the US’ commitment to Asia. The grouping has a long list of issues to work on, the more important being negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Checking and Balancing President Duterte
Please note that it is the anti-drug crusade which has been extended to the end of Duterte’s term in June 2022, not Duterte’s term, which will end as scheduled in that month.