Malaysia’s recently raised minimum wage is insufficient for plantation workers, who deserve a living wage to sustain their livelihoods and contributions to this key economic sector.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Vietnam’s Trump Card: Navigating Growth, Politics, and US Relations
Vietnam’s fast-tracking of a Trump-branded project is a high-stake diplomatic gambit to curry favour with the US president to ameliorate the extent of US tariffs. But the Trump project should also be viewed in the context of Hanoi’s relentless drive to do away with red tape and pro-business strategy.
Two-Tiered DEFA Needs A Coherent Strategy For Implementation
Given differing levels of digital capabilities among ASEAN members, a two-tier solution to the Digital Economy Framework Agreement might be most fitting.
The International Labour Organisation Has New Options to Push Myanmar’s Regime but Old Challenges to Navigate
What might be the right economic tools to wield against Myanmar’s military regime, that minimise harm to the livelihoods of its civilian citizens?
When AI Becomes Less Intelligent Beyond the English-speaking World
Social media depend largely on English-language models to train their AI content moderation models. This has become a problem.
A Crisis of Trust: The SAC’s Failure in Post-Disaster Strategic Communications
The ruling military regime in Myanmar has only itself to blame for dismal levels of public trust in it two months after the massive earthquake that shook the country.
Thailand Should Not Rush to Be a Service-based Economy
The quest for new growth drivers should focus on upgrading manufacturing which will, in tandem, boost services.
Will Contradictions within the Indonesian Labour Movement Sharpen?
From two different May Day events in Jakarta, divergent approaches in negotiating workers’ aims and rights in Indonesia can be discerned.
The Strategic Calculations Behind To Lam’s Eurasian Tour
Vietnamese leader To Lam’s recent tour of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan was aimed at diversifying Hanoi’s strategic partnerships and securing Moscow’s backing for its military needs and South China Sea claims.
From Cell to Suite: Genuine Illness or Special Favour?
Former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra faces probes to determine whether his six-month stay in hospital in lieu of prison was justified on medical and legal grounds.