The pursuit of high-value manufacturing and knowledge-based services has compelled ASEAN countries to develop systems to support the movement of skilled labour. There are challenges in implementing a uniform system.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Southeast Asia Holds the Key to Nature-Positive Palm Oil
A nature-positive approach to agriculture, and specifically palm oil plantations, can marry mandates with production.
Vietnam’s Hidden Development Lesson: Markets Came Before Reform
Vietnam’s current success has a deeper explanation most might miss.
Pakatan Harapan Under Water: Can Reforms Bring It Afloat?
The ruling Pakatan Harapan has been pummelled by the ethnocentric policies of its rivals. It should live up to its reformist credo.
The 45-Minute Standard: Making Southeast Asia’s Industrial Parks Efficient and Liveable
Industrial parks remain the workhorse of manufacturing-led development, but they are sometimes built as enclaves separated from surrounding communities. Southeast Asian governments should adopt a simple test: can workers, services and suppliers all be reached within 45 minutes?
Rethinking Flood Protection Through a ‘No-Regret’ Lens
Governments in our region and beyond must plan today for tomorrow’s floods, in a warming world. Regret can be minimised, if not eliminated.
Malaysia’s Chinese Investment Boom Has a Hiring Problem
Chinese firms are investing in Malaysia at record levels, but many recent entrants tend to fill key technical and managerial positions with costly expatriates rather than develop Malaysian successors.
Indonesia’s Green Industrialisation Plans Have a Brown Problem
Indonesia has managed to surpass targets for renewable energy. The problem, however, is that green sources of energy continue to exist with their brown counterparts.
The Humanitarian Costs of Starlink’s Policy
Starlink is seeking to curtail access to one of its Internet services. This would affect many conflict-afflicted regions in Myanmar
China’s Drive for Food Self-Sufficiency: What It Means for ASEAN Countries
China is determined to become more self-sufficient in its food supply. This will have implications for ASEAN economies.