COMMENTARIES

19 Oct 2022

Malaysia’s Anti-hopping Law: Some Loopholes to Mull Over

Sze Fung Ng

Malaysia’s new anti-hopping law took effect on 5 October, five days before it was announced that the country’s Parliament would be dissolved. The law seeks to respect the mandate of voters, but it is not without faults.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

19 Oct 2022

Vietnam Wants to Impose News Uniformity Even in Cyberspace – at What Cost?

Dien Nguyen An Luong

Hanoi’s move to impose uniformity for print and online news media compels big technological companies to participate in taking down content that is objectionable to the authorities, but this is likely to backfire since the Vietnamese public's appetite for alternative news remains strong.

Media Vietnam

18 Oct 2022

Religious Dress in Schools Polemic and Indonesia’s Philosophical Vacuum

Max Lane

The popularity of a recent image lamenting the wearing of conservative dress, particularly headscarves, by girls in Indonesia’s state schools have highlighted philosophical tensions in society and politics, with no easy answers.

Education Indonesia Islam

A captain of a dive boat secures the anchor

18 Oct 2022

UNCLOS and Thailand: Security, Prosperity and Sustainability

Somjade Kongrawd

Despite being a party to UNCLOS only in 2011, the Convention has served Thailand well. But UNCLOS should be updated in light of emerging maritime issues such as climate change.

Maritime Security Thailand UNCLOS Why UNCLOS Matters

17 Oct 2022

What We Measure Shapes What We Become: Moving Beyond GDP towards Comprehensive Well-Being

Putu Geniki L. Natih|Maria Monica Wihardja

Measurement of development goals should clearly encapsulate societal values and goals. Advancements should be measured in terms of human well-being, which intrinsically also includes environmental sustainability, not just production and consumption.

G20 GDP Southeast Asia

17 Oct 2022

Merge or Die: How Chart Pattana Kla Reflects a Sea Change in Party Dynamics

Napon Jatusripitak

The merger between the Kla and Chart Pattana parties is a logical outcome of Thailand’s new electoral rules, which will benefit bigger entities at the expense of smaller, party-list driven ones. The new rules mean that more of these mergers should be expected.

Thai Elections Thai Politics Thailand

14 Oct 2022

Malaysia’s Electoral Cycle – Now Two-Level Chess?

Francis E. Hutchinson

Only a small number of Malaysian states are likely to hold their state elections in tandem with the national election. This might not be a bad thing, since more attention might be put on local issues and the quality of state governments.

Malaysia Malaysian Elections Malaysian Politics

14 Oct 2022

When Abstention Speaks Volumes: Thailand’s Turnaround in the UNGA

Ian Storey

Thailand’s decision to abstain from the latest United Nations General Assembly resolution on rejecting Russia’s annexation of Ukrainian territories raises doubts about Bangkok’s commitment to international laws and norms.

ASEAN Thailand-Russia relations United Nations

14 Oct 2022

When Tourism and Sustainable Agriculture Make Good Bedfellows

Prapimphan Chiengkul

Climate change poses serious challenges to the world’s food system. Implementing sustainable practices can help bolster climate resilience in agricultural production.

Agriculture Climate Change Tourism

12 Oct 2022

What the New U.S. Ambassador to ASEAN Can Do

Joanne Lin

Ambassador Abraham’s new mandate in ASEAN, at these most challenging of times, will be extremely vital. He must cultivate strategic trust, and balance the interests of ten diverse countries against the U.S.’ vested interests in the Indo-Pacific.

ASEAN ASEAN-U.S. Relations Indo-Pacific U.S. Foreign Policy