Commentaries | FULCRUM

Lagging Wages Hurting Myanmar’s Garment Workers and Undermining the Industry

The low wages in Myanmar’s troubled garment sector are just one indicator of how badly the political upheaval and violence have affected people’s lives. Foreign garment brands and factories still in-country should consider workers’ views that they stay but increase wages.

Cultivated Meat in Southeast Asia: Climate Change Provides Food for Thought

The industry, though, must overcome closed minds, high prices and perishability before its product can become a meaningful option in the region.

La Niña: Boon or Bane for Southeast Asia’s Food Security?

The expected advent of the La Niña might portend a double-edged sword for affected regions.

The SEA-LION Can Roar: Enhancing Large Language Models’ Inclusivity

Large Language Models have taken the world by storm, but they have vulnerabilities when it comes to inherent bias and inability to capture contextual nuances.

Indonesia’s Lame-Duck Parliamentary Session: Productive but Damaging Democracy

The unprecedentedly long interim between Indonesia’s election and the new government’s inauguration has allowed the outgoing president and Parliament unusual leeway to distort democracy in self-serving ways.

Strengthening ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Cooperation

Given the spectre of rising cyber threats in the region, Japan and ASEAN member countries are best-placed to work together to boost cyber resilience.

New Thai PM Will Face the Same Crisis of Confidence

The same legitimacy issues that dogged Srettha Thavisin will dog Paetongtarn Shinawatra.

Will Vietnam Go Down China’s Path?

Vietnam’s new general secretary To Lam is likely to consolidate power, as per Xi Jinping in China. But his economic and foreign policy approach may be different.

PAS’ Contentious Contention: Non-Malay Voters Should Stay Home

PAS has made the contention that it won the recent by-election in Sungai Bakap because non-Malay voters ‘supported’ the party by staying at home and not voting. To some, this beggars belief.