Malaysia’s PADU Central Data Hub: Reduced Targets, Raised Stakes
Lee Hwok-Aun
Registration for Malaysia’s central data hub PADU started slow and finished strong but crucial questions that must be convincingly answered remain.

Lee Hwok-Aun
Registration for Malaysia’s central data hub PADU started slow and finished strong but crucial questions that must be convincingly answered remain.
Mirza Sadaqat Huda
Southeast Asia has seen a surge in the development of cross-border energy projects. These projects have merit, but there needs to be an emphasis on just transition to address impacts on various socio-economic groups.
The State of Southeast Asia Survey
Joanne Lin
As the Israel-Hamas war passes its six-month mark, regional sentiments can only get more complex and wield more potential to stir up division within and across ASEAN countries.
Wasisto Raharjo Jati|Made Supriatma
The final election results from East Java reveal a silver lining for the second-placed vice-presidential candidate, Muhamin Iskandar. He and his party could still win some in the horse-trading for cabinet positions under the next president.
Paul Chambers
Whatever reforms are underway for Thailand’s law enforcers would be inadequate if the foxes are already in the henhouse.
Aries A. Arugay|Fatima Gaw
Social media influencers are emerging political operators in Philippine elections, but unlike high-level strategists and low-level trolls, they occupy a ‘grey area’ in the political economy of influence operations.
Leo Suryadinata
The quiet support of the current administration for the tiny minority of Confucianists in Indonesia, who are mostly ethnic Chinese Indonesians, could speak volumes about not just religious but more worldly concerns.
The State of Southeast Asia Survey
Sharon Seah
The U.S. was ASEAN’s preferred major power to align with since the 2020 State of Southeast Asia survey. But this year, more respondents are leaning toward China than the U.S. Southeast Asia may remain engaged with the U.S. while harbouring apprehensions towards China, but the tide may be shifting.
Nguyen Thanh Giang
Locals in Ho Chi Minh City worry that a new government initiative for social listening powered by artificial intelligence would jeopardise their privacy rather than improve public services.
Ian Storey
A small number of Southeast Asians are fighting in the war in Ukraine. They appear to be motivated by a mix of factors.