A recent survey shows that younger Indonesian voters, like their older fellow citizens, still hold traditional media and in-person conversations in high regard when it comes to learning about the elections and deciding whom to vote for.
Category Archives: Commentaries
Cultivating the Future: Empowering Young Farmers in Southeast Asia
Farmers in Southeast Asia are aging. Governments and not-for-profits need to think of ways to attract younger farmers into agriculture.
Malaysia and ASEAN in 2024: Facing Challenges with Focus and Strength
Malaysia and ASEAN face pressing challenges and opportunities in technology adaptation and transition, geopolitical instability and ASEAN competition, and the need to green our economies. With judicious strategies and effective actions, we can head into 2024 with cautious optimism.
Will the “China Factor” Become an Election Issue in Indonesia?
Indonesia’s economic relationship with China is occasionally marred by deadly accidents at Chinese-built and owned industrial sites in the archipelago. Nevertheless, economic cooperation with China is not going to slow down, no matter who wins the election next month.
ASEAN Economies in the Tech Supply Chain Sweet Spot?
Ongoing trade Sino-U.S. tensions and the need to redirect FDI away from China may present a golden opportunity for economies in Southeast Asia.
Malaysia’s “Dubai Move”: Nothing to See Here, For Now
There has been recent speculation about machinations to bring down Malaysia’s Unity Government. This detracts from the need to deliver on governance outcomes.
Seeing the National in Gaming and Esports in Southeast Asia
Electronic sports have gained global attention, including in Southeast Asia. As with traditional sports, national teams can bring glory and boost a country’s soft power. On the flip side, team rivalries can potentially disrupt neighbourly relations.
Zulkifli Hasan as Malaysia’s New Deputy Religious Affairs Minister: An Analysis
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s new appointee in the religious affairs ministry has the requisite credentials to aid in the government’s bid to resist the rise of the conservative opposition.
China’s “Community of Shared Future” with Southeast Asia: Behind the Numbers
Seven ASEAN member states have signed on to China’s “community of shared future” more for mutually beneficial cooperation than because they subscribe fully to the Chinese vision of a new regional order. The remaining three may prefer practical cooperation to enmeshment in China’s grand strategy and discourse.
The Unexpected Twist in Vietnam’s Renewable Energy Saga
Punishment awaits the senior officials who allowed Vietnam’s renewable energy quest to go off the rails, despite its apparent initial success. This policy crisis has the potential to affect other economic sectors if no clear end is in sight.