14 Jul 2025 Myanmar’s Opposition to Timor-Leste’s ASEAN Membership Max Lane ASEAN faces an intriguing test of its own decision-making procedures, as consensus might be elusive given the apparent obstruction of one member to the full accession of its eleventh member. ASEAN Myanmar Timor-Leste
11 Jul 2025 The 2016 South China Sea Ruling at Nine: Where Does ASEAN Stand? Pham Ngoc Minh Trang Nine years after an international arbitral tribunal ruled in the Philippines’ favour against China on the two parties’ disputed claims in the South China Sea, there are some glimmers of a more coherent – but still imperfect and incomplete – ASEAN position on the hotspot issue. ASEAN China China-Philippine Relations Philippine South China Sea
11 Jul 2025 Thailand’s Climate Change Law Should Be Fortified Before It is Enacted Paul Chambers|Watcharapol Supajakwattana Thailand’s Climate Change Act is timely and responsive to public concern, but the current version is a frail gesture addressing a complex problem. Climate Change Law Thailand
10 Jul 2025 Data Centres, Energy Demand and Sustainability: Can Malaysia Strike the Right Balance? Sara Loo Malaysia’s ambitions to be a digital powerhouse demand urgent consideration of rapidly increasing energy demands. Based on current figures, Malaysia appears to have overcommitted to data centre expansion, especially in Johor, without sufficiently robust sustainability guidelines in place. Malaysia Malaysian Economy Sustainable Development
10 Jul 2025 Rethinking Thailand’s State Welfare Card: Addressing Targeting Flaws for Greater Impact Wannaphong Durongkaveroj Thailand’s poverty alleviation programme needs reform as the existing system of self-targeting to access welfare cards excludes many low-income individuals while allowing some better-off ones to receive undeserved benefits. Poverty Thailand Welfare
10 Jul 2025 Mahathir Mohamad at 100: Monumental Achievements, Mixed Legacies Tricia Yeoh|Francis E. Hutchinson To live a long political life in Malaysia is not unusual; to have a century’s longevity and the lengthiest career guarantees its two-time former premier ‘Dr M’ a unique place in the history books. Malaysia Malaysian Politics
9 Jul 2025 Eating Chinese Soft Power Isabelle Chua Isabelle Chua analyses the rapid expansion of Chinese food brands, highlighting how this trend has become an informal yet influential form of Chinese soft power in Southeast Asia. ASEAN ASEAN-China Relations ASEANFocus China F&B
9 Jul 2025 The Divorce Debate in the Philippines: Why Not a People’s Referendum? Dennis Blanco Divorce elicits a multitude of opinions in the devoutly Catholic nation, both supporting and opposing it. Only a definitive public consensus can help resolve the issue. Civil Society Philippines
8 Jul 2025 Beyond FDI: Vietnam’s Moment for Tech Upgrading Xu Jingzhi To move up the technology value chain, Vietnam needs to think beyond foreign direct investment and focus on upgrading domestic capacity. Foreign Direct Investment Manufacturing Technology Vietnam
8 Jul 2025 Indonesia’s Energy Sector Reforms Under Prabowo: Moving Backwards? Anissa R. Suharsono|Yanuar Nugroho The Prabowo government’s ambitious goal for Indonesia of achieving energy self-sufficiency faces significant challenges due to the country’s heavy reliance on fossil fuels and renewed large-scale biofuel ambitions. Energy Indonesia Prabowo Subianto
