COMMENTARIES

21 Sep 2020

ASEAN and the South China Sea Code of Conduct: Raising the Aegis of International Law

Hoang Thi Ha

With Vietnam at the helm of ASEAN this year, the grouping has wielded the aegis of international law to ensure that international and regional concerns about the South China Sea are respected in Code of Conduct negotiations.

ASEAN South China Sea

18 Sep 2020

To Ban or Wear: The Niqab in Indonesian Public Offices

A'an Suryana|Nur Syafiqah Mohd Taufek

The central government’s proposal to ban the niqab in Indonesian public offices faces pushback from local political leaders and various quarters of the country’s Muslim community.

Indonesia Religion

18 Sep 2020

A Review of the ASEAN Charter: In the Fullness of Time

Sharon Seah

A long-running review of the ASEAN Charter may yet bear fruit – or it may not.

ASEAN

17 Sep 2020

Indonesia and Covid-19: Worst of Both Worlds

Quinton Temby

Jakarta is going into a second lockdown in the wake of the Covid-19. This time, it is hoped that the capital will avoid the nightmare scenario: a lockdown that fails to stop community transmission and a further contraction of the economy.

COVID-19 Indonesia

16 Sep 2020

PAS and the “Younger Brother” Conundrum

Norshahril Saat

Six months after Perikatan Nasional grabbed the reins of power, Parti Islam Se-Malaysia has settled into its position as a party in the ruling coalition. The question is whether the rank and file can stomach the party’s second fiddle status.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

11 Sep 2020

Uncle Sam Will Have to Change His Tune After November for Buy-in From Southeast Asia

Hunter Marston

High stakes in the upcoming US presidential election for Southeast Asia and for American influence and goodwill in the region.

Southeast Asia U.S.

11 Sep 2020

Muhyiddin Yassin: Sitting Pretty (For Now)

Francis E. Hutchinson

Roiled by political instability in the past few months, Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin can afford to take a breather, for now at least. A survey by arguably the country’s foremost pollster shows him in a strong position.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

8 Sep 2020

General Prayut’s Failing Premiership: Self-inflicted Wound

Termsak Chalermpalanupap

The sudden departure of Thailand’s newly-appointed finance minister is a sign that premiership of Prayut Chan-ocha is failing.

Thai Politics Thailand

8 Sep 2020

India’s Obsession With Thailand’s Kra Canal: Much Ado About Nothing

Ian Storey

News that Thailand has “cancelled” its Kra canal project and replaced it with a land bridge has exercised Indian observers. But you cannot scrap a plan that has not been approved and Indian media reports say more about tensions with China along their land border than a centuries’ old Thai canal plan.

India Kra Canal Thailand