The background manoeuvring by various parties in Jakarta’s 2024 gubernatorial elections foreshadows similarly complex play with 2029’s presidential race in mind. For some players, today’s loss might be tomorrow’s gain.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Preparing the ASEAN Economic Community for a Securitised World
To prepare for the ratcheting up of geoeconomic tensions, ASEAN members should seek strength in numbers and look to their own community to navigate difficult terrain in the coming years.
Southeast Asia’s Economic Performance in 2024 and Outlook for 2025: Navigating Rising Risks
The region is finally showing clear signs of recovery from the multi-year pandemic but 2025 portends more serious headwinds against which regional governments and businesses will have to steer.
Will the “Chronic Disease” of Vietnam’s Private Banks Ever Be Treated?
Truong My Lan’s death sentence for gross embezzlement sends a chilling warning, but Vietnam needs to address the banking sector’s root problems of cross-ownership and corrupt lending practices.
From ‘Chubby Bear’ to Censored Content: Vietnam’s Double Standard Approach to TikTok
Vietnam is enforcing strict censorship on TikTok to protect leaders’ reputations while exploiting the platform to amplify its narrative. Amplifying pro-leader narratives this way also carries risks.
Synergising Digitaltech and Climatetech to Enhance ASEAN Climate Action
To ensure the food security of our region amidst climate change, there is no time like the present to determine how climate and digital technologies can work together to feed ASEAN.
The South China Sea in 2025: More of the Same, Possibly Worse
The prognosis for tensions in the South China Sea dispute this year is pretty straightforward: what has been and is will continue to be so, and perhaps even worse.
Fanning the Yellow Flames of Thai Politics: Not So Fast
A media mogul is attempting to rally protestors against the Pheu Thai-led government. The call to action, however, might not resonate beyond a small core of anti-Thaksin hardliners.
Chinese in Malaysia: Proud of China’s Rise, Yet Fiercely Malaysian
Chinese Malaysians are proud of China’s rise as a great power. But they have also forged a separate cultural identity quite apart from China’s efforts.
The ‘Second China Shock’ and its Implications for Southeast Asia
China’s progress up the technological ladder will impact Southeast Asian economies.