COMMENTARIES

3 Jun 2025

Plantation Workers Can Barely Live on Malaysia’s Minimum Wage

Alfian Al-Ayubby

Malaysia’s recently raised minimum wage is insufficient for plantation workers, who deserve a living wage to sustain their livelihoods and contributions to this key economic sector.

3 Jun 2025

Vietnam’s Trump Card: Navigating Growth, Politics, and US Relations

Hoang Thi Ha|Dien Nguyen An Luong

Vietnam’s fast-tracking of a Trump-branded project is a high-stake diplomatic gambit to curry favour with the US president to ameliorate the extent of US tariffs. But the Trump project should also be viewed in the context of Hanoi’s relentless drive to do away with red tape and pro-business strategy.

U.S.-Vietnam Relations Vietnam

2 Jun 2025

Two-Tiered DEFA Needs A Coherent Strategy For Implementation

Kristina Fong Siew Leng

Given differing levels of digital capabilities among ASEAN members, a two-tier solution to the Digital Economy Framework Agreement might be most fitting.

ASEAN Digital Economy Framework Agreement

2 Jun 2025

The International Labour Organisation Has New Options to Push Myanmar’s Regime but Old Challenges to Navigate

Jared Bissinger

What might be the right economic tools to wield against Myanmar’s military regime, that minimise harm to the livelihoods of its civilian citizens?

ILO Myanmar

30 May 2025

Malaysia’s Chinese Primary Schools: Saved Yet Threatened by Rising Inflows of Malay Students

James Chai

Non-Chinese pupil enrolment in Malaysia’s vernacular Chinese primary schools (SJKC) has grown significantly over the past decades, from just 3-6 per cent in the 1990s to approximately 20 per cent by 2020, primarily driven by Malay pupils. These demographic shifts in SJKCs present a profound existential challenge to the Chinese community in Malaysia on whether they should preserve the cultural purity of SJKC or adapt to these demographic realities.

Education Malaysia

30 May 2025

When AI Becomes Less Intelligent Beyond the English-speaking World

Surachanee Sriyai

Social media depend largely on English-language models to train their AI content moderation models. This has become a problem.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Culture Large Language Model

30 May 2025

A Crisis of Trust: The SAC’s Failure in Post-Disaster Strategic Communications

Su Mon Thazin Aung

The ruling military regime in Myanmar has only itself to blame for dismal levels of public trust in it two months after the massive earthquake that shook the country.

Civil Society Myanmar Myanmar Politics Natural Disasters

29 May 2025

Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship: Laying the Groundwork for Vision 2045

Joanne Lin|Melinda Martinus|Kristina Fong Siew Leng

Joanne Lin, Melinda Martinus and Kristina Fong analyse how Malaysia’s ASEAN chairmanship and Vision 2045 reflect ASEAN’s strategic recalibration amid rising geopolitical uncertainty.

ASEAN ASEAN Summit ASEANFocus Malaysia

29 May 2025

Thailand Should Not Rush to Be a Service-based Economy

Wannaphong Durongkaveroj

The quest for new growth drivers should focus on upgrading manufacturing which will, in tandem, boost services.

Economic Development Thai Economy Thailand

28 May 2025

Green Hydrogen in Southeast Asia: Connecting National Strategies with Public Support

Christopher Len

ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s 2024 Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey highlights a notable rise in public enthusiasm for green hydrogen year-on-year. However, continued public support towards green hydrogen will depend on the ability of policymakers to deliver on their promises. Public enthusiasm may turn negative if the public is forced to pay a high cost for green hydrogen, or when concerns over its safety arises and remains unaddressed.

ASEAN Climate Change Southeast Asia Climate Outlook Survey