Malaysia’s States: Open for Business, Yet Not Always Transparent
Tricia Yeoh
Malaysia is enjoying strong inflows of foreign direct investment. To up its game, it needs to channel such flows to less-developed states.

Tricia Yeoh
Malaysia is enjoying strong inflows of foreign direct investment. To up its game, it needs to channel such flows to less-developed states.
William Choong|Joanne Lin
Among ASEAN dialogue partners, Japan has been recognised as a “courteous power” that aligns well with Southeast Asian cultural norms and values. Beyond that, Japan has emerged as the most trusted and strategically relevant middle power to ASEAN. This positions it to play a greater security role in the region.
Termsak Chalermpalanupap
The Thai Prime Minister’s unexpected back-pedalling has ignited rumours that influential former PM Thaksin Shinawatra will back Deputy PM Anutin Charnveerakul as the future leader.
Yanuar Nugroho
A recent ransomware attack on Indonesia’s public services revealed weaknesses that the country can ill afford to ignore if it wishes to fully participate in the digital century.
Lye Liang Fook
China has filed reports on environmental protection in the South China Sea to counter the Philippines’ claim of severe damage to the marine ecosystem at Scarborough Shoal and thwart Manila’s effort to file a legal case against China. But Beijing’s efforts provoke some serious questions about its motivations.
Helena Varkkey|Michelle Miller|Matthew Ashfold
Carbon-rich peat ecosystems hold great potential to mitigate climate change, and help meet Southeast Asian national climate targets. The increased priority and action on peatlands must be continued from COP28 into this November’s COP29.
Mahfud MD
This article is from a speech delivered by former Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law and Security and recent vice-presidential candidate Professor Mahfud MD at ISEAS on 4 July 2024
Eugene R.L. Tan|William Choong
The UK might be scaling down its footprint into the Indo-Pacific. This is a bad idea.
Norshahril Saat
Sarawak and Brunei, as neighbouring entities, offer interesting insights through the divergence in their pluralist and conservative trajectories. This Long Read considers the significance of political culture, demography, and religious elites’ training as factors contributing to contemporary trends.
Surachanee Sriyai
The Myanmar junta’s ban on Facebook and curbs on internet access have compelled citizens to use virtual private networks (VPNs), including free but potentially malicious VPNs. Banning VPNs has made things even worse for Myanmar’s citizens.