Politics
Singapore’s Lawrence Wong eyes stronger China partnership with Beijing trip
Singapore’s incoming PM is set to co-chair meetings concerning areas for cooperation and major bilateral projects, a sign of his ‘increased responsibility in international affairs’.
Censorship rises in Malaysia under Anwar despite his pro-reform pledge: report
The People Power Under Attack 2023 report cited an increase in censorship under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration despite his pro-reform pledge.
Singapore must weigh Asean interests amid US-China rivalry: historian Wang Gungwu
A published lecture by the prominent Sinologist explores how Singapore’s US-China balancing act is critical to regional peace.
‘Have you seen Jurassic Park?’: Indonesia shelves mosquito trial amid backlash
The plan, which involves releasing Aedes aegypti mosquitoes injected with the Wolbachia bacteria in Bali, has now been put on hold indefinitely.
Upgrade of Japan-Asean ties a ‘natural’ move amid growing Chinese influence
Japan’s bid to elevate ties with the Southeast Asian bloc will show what a ‘rules-based order’ can do to bring peace and stability in the region, analysts say.
After 34-year ban, Singapore legalises pet cats for public housing residents
A ‘cat management framework’ comprising a licensing and microchipping scheme for domestic and stray cats could balance needs of HDB residents and animal lovers.
Indian diplomacy is getting a boost – but it’s still ‘no match’ for US, China
India plans to add some 200 employees to its “short-staffed” diplomatic corps over the next five years in a mark of its expanding global ambitions.
Can state wins buoy India’s ruling BJP to victory in national polls next year?
BJP’s win in the north and central states means the party has consolidated its stronghold and has an edge in national polls next year, observers said.
Can Malaysia attract ‘picky’ tourists as TikTok changes Chinese travel habits?
Chinese tourists can enter the country for 30 days visa-free, but Malaysian tour operators remain sceptical of how much this will help local tourism.
A China rivalry twist emerges in Sri Lanka’s new US-funded, Indian-built port
Analysts say the container port terminal being built in Colombo by India’s Adani Group hints at a new type of public-private partnership under the Quad grouping’s infrastructure push.
Will Philippine peace talks end rebel conflict for good or ‘aid the enemy’?
While military officers hope the move will bring ‘lasting peace’, Duterte supporters describe Marcos Jnr’s surprise bid to resume talks as ‘stupid’ and ‘unpatriotic’.
Indonesia’s Anies Baswedan targets Jokowi’s Nusantara plan in election strategy
Analysts say Nusantara is a ‘huge drain on the public purse’ and likely to be an increasingly controversial issue in the run-up to the February polls.
Saudi Arabia’s MBS under pressure to deliver World Expo 2030 success
The event will coincide with the completion of Vision 2030, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s US$1.25 trillion programme to ‘transform’ Saudi Arabia into a modern powerhouse.
Australia-Tuvalu treaty sparks fears of population drain, threat to sovereignty
Australia’s agreement with Tuvalu may provide younger locals with a migration pathway but is seen by older islanders as an encroachment of sovereignty.
Manila risks Beijing’s wrath with ‘non-starter’ South China Sea mini pact plan
A mini code of conduct with Vietnam, Malaysia and other claimant states would accomplish little, analysts say – aside from likely scuppering decades-long talks on a broader agreement if Beijing feels it’s being ‘ganged up’ on.
Malaysia scam victims back from ‘treacherous hell’ after being stuck in Myanmar
The group, most of Chinese descent, arrived in Kuala Lumpur on a special flight from China’s Kunming.
Kissinger’s mixed legacy: from ‘war criminal’ in Vietnam to ‘friend’ of Singapore
Many Vietnamese think Henry Kissinger ‘crippled the country’, while in Singapore he is respected as a pivotal anti-Communist ally who was a confidante of Lee Kuan Yew.
For Kishida, new scandal over Tokyo Olympics comes when ‘he can ill afford it’
The accusations, which centre on unlimited funds to win over members of the IOC who chose the host city for the 2020 Games, will weigh on PM Fumio Kishida ‘politically at a time when he can ill afford it’.
‘Political misogyny’: why is Jokowi’s wife cast as villain over son’s VP run?
Indonesia has a history of first ladies facing ‘political misogyny’ in which they often bore the brunt of their husbands’ missteps, ‘failings’.
Malaysia’s move to stub out smoking ban slammed as win for ‘Big Tobacco’
The Generation Endgame bill initially sought to create a smoke-free Malaysia by banning those born on or after January 1, 2007, from buying tobacco or vapes.