Innovation – It’s About Creating Opportunities
The 20th century was an era of innovation. But it can be argued that its single greatest innovation, the moving assembly line, appeared...
CPTPP Deal – To Ratify Or Not?
One of the most important decisions the Pakatan Harapan government has to make is whether Malaysia will ratify the trade agreement known as the...
Is ASEAN Ready For A Technological Shift?
The new wave of technological change, from digitisation of the economy to cross-border technology transfers, has swept over the world rapidly. This structural transformation...
Forget ‘Made in China’. Say Hello to ‘Made in Vietnam’
Forget “Made in China”. There’s a new global buzzphrase: “Made in Vietnam”.
Indeed, the once war-torn nation is fast-positioning itself as a key manufacturing hub....
Saving the Planet and Making Profit
ASEAN has put together an ambitious sustainable development agenda with its 2025 community vision. It has also played an important role in shaping the...
Growing Tensions over Trade between the US and China for ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has played an essential role in building prosperity in the region in its 50 years of existence....
Looming Opportunities for ASEAN in Trump’s Foreign Policies
Nearly two years have passed for President Donald Trump’s administration, yet this hawkish but groundbreaking administration has gained global traction by many of its...
MUST READ
ECONOMY
Forget ‘Made in China’. Say Hello to ‘Made in Vietnam’
Forget “Made in China”. There’s a new global buzzphrase: “Made in Vietnam”.
Indeed, the once war-torn nation is fast-positioning itself as a key manufacturing hub....
The Technological Conquest of the ASEAN Taxi Industry
When Uber was first introduced into Southeast Asia, the innovative e-hailing service became embedded into society and served as a perpetual reminder of the...
Are Drivers for Amazon, Lyft or Uber Today’s Version of Factory...
About a year ago, 60-year-old Johnny Pollard found himself in need of a job – fast.
His longtime employer, a Grapevine freight trucking company, had...
Diagnosing the Causes of Inequality
Diagnosing the Causes of Inequality Crucial to Creating Good Policy in ASEAN
One startling figure about recent global growth is that 82% of all wealth...
MRAgration — ASEAN’s step towards labour mobility, explained
If you want to work abroad, you typically need a job offer and a work permit. If you are in a regulated profession—i.e., if...
ASEAN Rides the E-commerce Wave: Infrastructure, Human Capital and Regulatory Frameworks
With the emergence of the digital economy driving economic growth and creating new business opportunities around the world, how can the ASEAN nations catch...
INNOVATION
Innovation – It’s About Creating Opportunities
The 20th century was an era of innovation. But it can be argued that its single greatest innovation, the moving assembly line, appeared...
Is ASEAN Ready For A Technological Shift?
The new wave of technological change, from digitisation of the economy to cross-border technology transfers, has swept over the world rapidly. This structural transformation...
Why Technology Has Yet to Take Off in Indonesia
I notice changes with every visit to Indonesia. The country has experienced strong growth, with an annual GDP growth rate of 4.9-6% in the...
Beyond Bitcoin: The Next Cryptocurrencies To Watch
Last year saw Bitcoin's value balloon rapaciously, but its stunning ascent now seems to have faltered.
Slow transactions, exorbitant energy usage and the looming threat...
Cryptocurrencies: The Economist’s Perspective
On December 19, 2017, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) advised caution over cryptocurrencies. A fewdays later, a similar warning was issued by the...
Transforming the Philippines with Internet of Things applications
At a glance
The Philippines is located in Southeast Asia, on the eastern rim of the Asiatic Mediterranean. It is an archipelago consisting of 7100...
SOCIETY
Combating Religious Extremism: To Interfere, Or Not To Interfere?
Religious extremism has been an issue in Southeast Asia for decades.
Even before the September 11 attacks, when religious extremism started becoming a buzzword in...
What’s Behind Thailand’s Buddhist-Muslim Divide?
A Thai monk reflects on separatist violence in the country’s restive south.
Before he was Phra Visuddho, he was Pisut Aungsupalee. In Thai “Pisut” means...
Why Marcos the Dictator Still Inspires Pride in the Philippines
The legacy of the former strongman Ferdinand Marcos pervades the Ilocos region, helping one woman devote her life to teaching.
“Here in Ilocos, there’s nothing...
What This Malaysian Teacher’s Struggle Says About the Strength of Southeast...
From an Indonesian mayor to a make-up magnate in Myanmar, more and more women are refusing to accept the status quo.
In 2009, Indira Gandhi,...
Why Spielberg’s ‘The Post’ Matters
Press freedom is now more important than ever. Steven Spielberg's 'The Post' provides an important lesson for us to learn about holding power accountable.
I...
The Museums Behind The Murmurs of a Southeast Asian Renaissance
A batch of institutions that opened over the past decade are pushing boundaries in a region known for government censorship of art.
Museums have always...
POLICY
Saving the Planet and Making Profit
ASEAN has put together an ambitious sustainable development agenda with its 2025 community vision. It has also played an important role in shaping the...
Putting In Place A New Malaysian Order
The winds of change have been sweeping through the country in the past fortnight at breathtaking speed.
First, the incredible election results that very few predicted...
GE14: Whose Narrative Is It Anyway?
Malaysia will go to its 14th General Election (GE14) on the 9th May 2018 in what caretaker prime minister Najib Razak has dubbed as “the Mother...
ASEAN May Play Key Role in Korean Peninsula Talks
The group of Southeast Asian nations has managed to stay engaged with the Hermit Kingdom, Richard Javad Heydarian reports from Pyongyang.
Weeks ahead of the...
Is This the Future Face of Indonesian Politics?
Emil, the 33-year-old regent of Trenggalek, is running for a deputy governor post in East Java after making his way up the ranks off...
China, Philippines Seek to Share South China Sea
Proposed joint development agreement for contested area's oil and gas underscores diplomatic warming trend but faces legal hurdles and political risks.
China and the Philippines...
TRADE
CPTPP Deal – To Ratify Or Not?
One of the most important decisions the Pakatan Harapan government has to make is whether Malaysia will ratify the trade agreement known as the...
Growing Tensions over Trade between the US and China for ASEAN
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has played an essential role in building prosperity in the region in its 50 years of existence....
Looming Opportunities for ASEAN in Trump’s Foreign Policies
Nearly two years have passed for President Donald Trump’s administration, yet this hawkish but groundbreaking administration has gained global traction by many of its...
Singapore-led ASEAN Favors China Over US
In a nod towards Beijing, city-state puts free trade rather than South China Sea disputes at center of regional bloc's 2018 agenda.
Singapore’s anticipated chairmanship...
Australia uses ASEAN to poke at US, China
First ever Australia-Asean summit reaffirmed Canberra's role as an independent regional power-broker.
Shared fears over regional geopolitical uncertainties has driven Australia and the Association of...
Did Trump Just Launch A Trade War?
Last Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed a proclamation to raise tariffs for steel by 25% and for aluminium by 10%.
It sent shockwaves across...
