ARTICLES

6 Sep 2021

Easier Monetary Policies Amid Covid-19: Maintain, Not Roll Back

Sithanonxay Suvannaphakdy|Neo Guo Wei Kevin

Southeast Asia economies have maintained easier monetary policies to cushion the shock of the Covid-19 pandemic. Now that prices are trending upward, they should think twice before tightening the policies.

3 Sep 2021

Politicians’ Billboard War Underscores Absence of Policy Contestation

Max Lane

Early presidential bids by some Indonesian politicians have highlighted the lack of any policy debate in mainstream Indonesian politics.

COVID-19 Indonesia Indonesian Politics

27 Aug 2021

Vietnam: Turning the Tables on Covid-19

To Cong Nguyen Bao

Vietnam, which enjoyed a relatively fuss-free year fighting Covid-19 in 2020, has had to re-assess its strategy and adopt a newer approach to living with the coronavirus.

COVID-19 Vietnam

25 Aug 2021

Malaysia’s New PM: Bi-partisanship is Good, Non-partisanship Even Better

Lee Hwok-Aun

Malaysia’s new prime minister has called for public demonstrations of unity as the country goes through a difficult time of the Covid-19 pandemic and economic hardship. The country needs less a bi-partisan front and more a competent, dedicated and accountable administration.

COVID-19 Malaysia Malaysian Politics

23 Aug 2021

Containing the Covid Scourge in South Vietnam

Ha Hoang Hop|Lye Liang Fook

A number of reasons can account for Vietnam’s latest wave of Covid-19 outbreak. These include the more contagious Delta variant, the initial slow response of the authorities in Ho Chi Minh City, the lack of strict application of Covid-19 safety measures, and the slow pace of vaccination due to a shortage of vaccines.

COVID-19 Health Vietnam

20 Aug 2021

Delta Variant Should Not Derail Southeast Asia’s Economic Recovery

Jayant Menon

While the Delta variant of the coronavirus has had a significant impact on Southeast Asia economies, it is unlikely that economies will return to the troughs that they saw in 2020.

COVID-19 Economic Development Southeast Asia

16 Aug 2021

Vaccine Diplomacy in Southeast Asia: Russia Squanders its Sputnik Moment

Ian Storey

For a country that was first off the blocks, Russia has a long way to go if it wants to catch up with China and the United States in the game of vaccine diplomacy

COVID-19 Health Russia Southeast Asia Vaccine Diplomacy

12 Aug 2021

Covid-19 Outbreaks: The Challenge Facing the Fight Against Poverty

Phi Minh Hong

The Covid-19 pandemic has had manifold impacts on the poor in ASEAN member states. Upping vaccination rates will go a long way.

ASEAN COVID-19 Economic Planning Health

11 Aug 2021

Covid-19 and Vietnam’s Short-lived ‘Breakout Moment’

Tuan Ho

At the beginning of 2021, Vietnam was looking forward to a “breakout moment”, with its hitherto successful containment of the coronavirus expected to facilitate strong economic recovery. However, the country now appears to be missing this opportunity due to the ongoing fourth wave of Covid-19 infections.

COVID-19 Health Vietnam Vietnamese Economy

6 Aug 2021

State Elections in Sarawak: Kingmaker in the Offing?

Lee Poh Onn

The political temperature in Kuala Lumpur has risen recently due to the governing coalition’s increasingly tenuous hold on the reins of power. In the general elections that are to come, any coalition eyeing power will have to look at the eastern state of Sarawak.

COVID-19 Malaysia Malaysian Politics