Commentaries | FULCRUM

Nahdlatul Ulama Ventures into Mining: Threat to the ‘Green Islam’ in Indonesia?

Nahdlatul Ulama’s venture into the mining business might send the wrong signal for Indonesia’s emerging green Islam movement.

Recasting Malaysia–US Relations in the Shadow of the War in Gaza

Anwar Ibrahim can leverage American reactions to the war in Gaza to develop relations with the United States.

The Malaysian Government’s Silence on Covert Conversion: A Poor Start to Madani Harmony?

A controversial Malaysian preacher promotes the secret conversion of non-Muslim youth to Islam and is unrepentant about going against the law of the land.

Unravelling of the Marcos-Duterte Dynastic Alliance

The resignation of Vice-President Sara Duterte from the Cabinet signals the end of Marcos-Duterte political alliance and portends a likely clash between two of the country’s most powerful political dynasties.

Sarawak Offers Malaysia Lessons in Managing Diversity

Sarawak’s unity and harmony stands in marked contrast to the politicised race and religion on the Peninsula. The nation ought to take lessons from East Malaysia.

Beyond the SQUAD: Ideas for the Philippines to Work with a Northeast Asian Minilateral Arrangement

The Philippines has extensively participated in several minilateral defence arrangements in the Indo-Pacific with like-minded states, driven by its current strategic calculus and threats within its maritime domain. The author proposes one more.

Hun Sen’s Counterproductive Attempt to Tame Vietnamese Online Critics

Cambodia’s relationship with Vietnam will remain stuck in the past if both sides cannot move past entrenched narratives of the other’s faults.

Indonesia’s Islam-based Mass Organisations and the Mining Industry Vortex

The Indonesian government’s decision to grant mining concessions to religious mass organisations has resulted in some creative theological justifications. It begs the question whether the recipients have the requisite skill not to damage the environment or their own autonomy.

Indonesia’s Labour Party After the Elections: Ambiguities Continue

The failure of Indonesia’s working-class representatives to secure a toehold in the national legislature is partly explained by their inability to make up their mind on whether to be a true oppositional force.