COMMENTARIES

5 Aug 2020

India and China: Finding the Balance between Cooperation and Competition

Muhammad Saad Siddiqui

New Delhi wants to be a significant player in Myanmar. To achieve this, it needs to do more on its own and also consider working with others. One application of this would be leveraging on China’s BRI projects.

Belt and Road Initiative India-Myanmar Relations

4 Aug 2020

Indonesia’s State Ideology Bill: A Brewing Controversy

Max Lane

A bill setting out to interpret the Panca Sila, a set of five principles enshrined in the Indonesian Constitution, has come under attack. Conservative elements argue that the bill has framed Panca Sila in an entirely secular manner.

Indonesia Pancasila

4 Aug 2020

Vietnam’s Energy Future: Assessing the Nuclear Option

Le Hong Hiep

Vietnam has recently floated plans to revive the nuclear power option. However, Vietnam does not need to develop nuclear power at all cost. Instead, it should focus efforts on developing renewable energy and gas-fired power plants, which are safer, more affordable and less controversial.

Nuclear Power Vietnam

4 Aug 2020

The Collapse of the State Government in Sabah: Back to the Drawing Board

Kevin Zhang|Lee Poh Onn

The Warisan-led state assembly in Sabah has been dissolved. If the Perikatan Nasional coalition manages to claw its way back to power in Kota Kinabalu, the state storied for being the “land below the wind” might give a second wind to the embattled ruling coalition at the federal level.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

3 Aug 2020

Najib’s Guilty Verdict: A Whole New Political Chessboard

Mohd Faizal Musa|Norshahril Saat

The historic guilty verdict given to former premier Najib Razak has led to much political bargaining among the country’s Malay parties. Such unabashed political gaming may lead to disillusionment with the country’s Machiavellian political culture.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

3 Aug 2020

Hagia Sophia’s Reversion into a Mosque: A Worrying Precedent?

Ahmad Najib Burhani

The reversion of the Hagia Sophia in Turkey back to its status as a mosque is seen to be harming inter-religious harmony and civilisational relationships. In Indonesia, the precedent set by Turkey could throw up some unsettling scenarios.

Indonesia Religious Dialogue

3 Aug 2020

Myanmar’s 2020 Elections: The State of Play

Moe Thuzar

With the 2020 elections looming, the National League for Democracy looks set to bag an electoral majority again. This may not deter other parties from poking holes in the NLD’s performance legitimacy

Myanmar Myanmar Elections Myanmar Politics

30 Jul 2020

Sweet Vindication or Hollow Justice? More Twists in the Tale To Come

Serina Rahman

The recent conviction of former premier Najib Razak in court has been celebrated by many Malaysians. But the course of the ensuing political drama could go along many different tracks.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics

30 Jul 2020

Southeast Asia as a Sino-US Battleground: China’s Measured Response Amid American Attacks

Lye Liang Fook

With the acceleration in tensions between the United States and China globally, Southeast Asia has again been caught up in clash of the two titans. The recent trigger for this was the US Department of State statement in July 2020 on the US Position on Maritime Claims in the South China Sea where it dismissed China’s claims...

China-U.S. Relations South China Sea Southeast Asia

28 Jul 2020

Former Premier Najib Razak Found Guilty: Sailing Into Uncharted Waters

Francis E. Hutchinson

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak made history today when he became the country’s highest-ranking official ever to be convicted in court. The judicial decision will help restore confidence in the country’s institutions, many of which have been eroded over the past four decades. The political ramifications are manifold, and could even involve a re-pairing of current premier Muhyiddin Yassin and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.

Malaysia Malaysian Politics