Commentaries | FULCRUM

Rubio’s Reassurances to ASEAN Ring Hollow

US Secretary of State came to Malaysia with well-crafted words about the importance of ASEAN, but his rhetoric is undermined by Washington’s protectionist trade policies.

A ‘Reverse Nixon’ Attempt by Trump? A Chinese View

In 1972, US President Nixon forged ties with China to counter the Soviet Union; will – or can – President Trump do the reverse today by aligning with Russia against China?

Caught in the Crossfire: Vietnam and the Chinese Transshipment Dilemma

Vietnam is caught in the middle as the US seeks to clamp down on China using it as a backdoor into the American market.

Myanmar’s Opposition to Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Membership

ASEAN faces an intriguing test of its own decision-making procedures, as consensus might be elusive given the apparent obstruction of one member to the full accession of its eleventh member.

The 2016 South China Sea Ruling at Nine: Where Does ASEAN Stand?

Nine years after an international arbitral tribunal ruled in the Philippines’ favour against China on the two parties’ disputed claims in the South China Sea, there are some glimmers of a more coherent – but still imperfect and incomplete – ASEAN position on the hotspot issue.

Thailand’s Climate Change Law Should Be Fortified Before It is Enacted

Thailand’s Climate Change Act is timely and responsive to public concern, but the current version is a frail gesture addressing a complex problem.

Rethinking Thailand’s State Welfare Card: Addressing Targeting Flaws for Greater Impact

Thailand’s poverty alleviation programme needs reform as the existing system of self-targeting to access welfare cards excludes many low-income individuals while allowing some better-off ones to receive undeserved benefits.

Mahathir Mohamad at 100: Monumental Achievements, Mixed Legacies

To live a long political life in Malaysia is not unusual; to have a century’s longevity and the lengthiest career guarantees its two-time former premier ‘Dr M’ a unique place in the history books.

The Divorce Debate in the Philippines: Why Not a People’s Referendum?

Divorce elicits a multitude of opinions in the devoutly Catholic nation, both supporting and opposing it. Only a definitive public consensus can help resolve the issue.