Opinion
Asian Angle | ‘Plug and play’: how closer Australia-Asean ties can boost regional stability
Australia and Japan can help Asean leverage Australian and the Quad’s resources to manage the more assertive aspects of China’s regional behaviour.
Asian Angle | A kidney for your vote: money politics in Indonesia’s 2024 elections
The practice of money politics in Indonesia is insidious, entrenched and not likely to go away any time soon, because it works, writes Burhanuddin Muhtadi.
My Take | Malaysia’s outrage over cultural sensibilities is the new normal in politics
Calls for several Chinese “new villages” to get Unesco status and a pork rib soup to be a heritage dish have sparked a cultural clash in Malaysia.
Asian Angle | In Thailand, Srettha Thavisin is the prime minister, but is he really in charge?
Thailand’s politicians and foreign leaders have preferred to turn to Thaksin Shinawatra, even though the 75-year-old is serving a jail term for corruption.
Opinion | Can Malaysia’s MH370 aircraft still be found, 10 years after it disappeared?
Previous searches in the Indian Ocean did not locate any wreckage, although several pieces of debris have washed up over the years.
My Take | In China, fake news about Singapore reflects hopes for better civic behaviour
Chinese social media is rife with claims that visitors to Singapore could face penalties for singing in public, not flushing the toilet or feeding pigeons.
Opinion | China spies a dilemma as data leak exposes risks of using hackers for hire
Beijing is discovering the hard way, as the West has, the perils and advantages of outsourcing security to private companies to maintain plausible deniability.
Asian Angle | Indonesia’s divided Muslims unite around a common cause: the Israel-Gaza war
Israel’s months-long assault on the Palestinian enclave has galvanised opinion in Southeast Asia’s most populous Muslim-majority nation. But the politicisation of the issue, and its framing in religious terms, has also spawned unintended consequences
Opinion | Can Australia, China put aside differences to drive green tech mining?
The ship might have sailed on Australia’s nickel industry, but there’s still time for lithium, rare earth and many other green technology minerals.
Opinion | How infrastructure borrowing can benefit Hong Kong for decades to come
Debt financing is more efficient and equitable, with cutting spending and raising taxes unpalatable given the city’s current sluggish growth.
My Take | Be it India or China, Europe would do well to avoid stepping on trade toes
EU’s potential sanctions on individual Chinese and Indian firms’ export of electronics to Russia will only reinforce perceptions of inequality.
Opinion | Why Hong Kong’s economy needs to become more than just China’s superconnector
Hong Kong’s superconnector status has not enabled its economy to outperform other rival Asian hubs such as Singapore.
Asian Angle | Why Manila airport’s US$3 billion revamp should be about more than just money
Privatising Ninoy Aquino International Airport presents Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s government with a historic opportunity to improve the Philippines’ infrastructure – but going with the highest bidder may not be the best idea.
Opinion | Philippines counts the cost of tough South China Sea stance against Beijing
The country is seen as an unreliable destination for Chinese infrastructure investment, while tourist arrivals from the mainland have fallen.
My Take | What Kelantan’s upended sharia push reveals about PAS’ Islamist politicking
PAS had two years to push their sharia agenda while in parliament but remained silent. Now in opposition, they are blaming PM Anwar for the failure of Kelantan’s sharia bid as a ploy to rally their base.
Opinion | Indonesia’s next president will uphold Jokowi’s legacy. But will that be enough?
Whoever wins the election, fresh thinking and brave action will be needed to meet the developmental challenges facing Southeast Asia’s largest economy if it’s to become an advanced and prosperous nation by 2045.
Opinion | UNRWA funding cuts reflect the all-too-familiar politicisation of refugee aid
Refugee and humanitarian aid should be neutral and impartial, but funding is often used as a foreign policy tool to reward allies and punish enemies.
My Take | South China Sea: Vietnam and Philippines aren’t out to ‘sabotage’ China
China recently accused Vietnam and the Philippines of forming a ‘clique’ over their South China Sea cooperation deal. It’s a term used by Beijing to accuse actors of harming its interests whenever it is called out for its behaviour.
Opinion | What’s behind the staunch pro-Israel stance of some Pacific nations?
There is one hugely important characteristic of the region’s culture that has been overlooked: kinship.
Asian Angle | Are the cracks showing in Malaysia’s model of multiculturalism?
Mahathir’s recent questioning of the Indian community’s loyalty was heavily criticised, but the debate reflects problems with Malaysia’s model of multiculturalism.