Latest

2023/02/17 | Deutsche Welle

Can ASEAN Benefit From the EU’s Green Agriculture Push?

The EU wants to champion “green agriculture” in Southeast Asia. But limited trade relations, regulatory nightmares, and distrust could stymie it.

2023/02/02 | The Interpreter

Indonesia Gets the Ball Rolling On Domestic Worker Rights

Indonesian President Joko Widodo has endorsed the Domestic Worker Protection Bill, showing moral support for Indonesians who were employed overseas as domestic workers and sending a strong message to migrant-receiving countries like Malaysia and Taiwan to protect the rights of these workers.

2022/12/01 | The Interpreter

Anwar’s Victory Not the Only Malaysian Shockwave

A dramatic rise in the Islamist vote in the Muslim-majority country is the biggest outcome of the election.

2022/10/21 | Tessa Charupatanapongse

The Problem With Digital Nomad Visas

As the digital nomad wave crests, governments in Southeast Asia should consider the implications that their schemes bring beyond economic growth.

2022/09/08 | East Asia Forum

Malaysia’s Institutional Uncertainty

Despite graft conviction, Najib Razak’s return to power could be imaginable given the power dynamics in UMNO. As a first step, he is now seeking a pardon from the king.

2022/06/29 | Sam Robbins

The Many Faces of the Hokkien-language Internet

Online content distinctly aimed at promoting Taiwanese Hokkien within Taiwan abounds, but there is also a wide range of content created by communities interested in Hokkien, spoken in different varieties from East Asia, Southeast Asia, to North America.

2022/04/01 | Voice of America

Malaysian Proposal to Phase Out Smoking Sparks Controversy, Concerns Over Corruption

This proposal comes after New Zealand announced plans to raise the legal smoking age by one year each year to permanently ban the sale of tobacco to anyone born after 2008.

2022/02/16 | Voice of America

Myanmar Issue Hardens Divisions in ASEAN

Analysts said a troika had emerged made up of Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei, which share religious sympathies with the Muslim Rohingya and have opposed bringing the Myanmar junta into ASEAN after it was banned from attending its summits in response to the coup.

2022/01/24 | Voice of America

Malaysia’s Top Anti-corruption Cop Sues Whistleblower for Defamation

Hundreds of people rallied in downtown Kuala Lumpur on Saturday calling on Azam Baki, chief commissioner of Malaysia’s Anti-Corruption Commission, to step down over corruption allegations.

2021/06/10 | Voice of America

Why Malaysia, Normally Calm, Is Upset With China Over a Maritime Dispute

Malaysian officials protested formally over 16 Chinese aircraft flown near the Southeast Asian country and, days later, sighted a Chinese coast guard vessel.

2021/05/31 | Voice of America

Malaysia Ramps Up Harassment of Government Critics, Rights Groups Say

Rights groups say police investigations into journalists, protesters, and opposition lawmakers have picked up since the country entered a state of emergency in January.

2021/01/21 | Voice of America

How Covid-19 Is Straining Human Rights in Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines

Covid-19 outbreaks have worsened human rights issues in much of Southeast Asia, as countries scramble to revive economies.

2020/12/18 | East Asia Forum

ASEAN in the Driver’s Seat in the South China Sea

After decade-long disputes, what can we expect to see in South China Sea in the upcoming year?

2020/11/26 | Luke Hein

Melbourne Meets Taipei in a New Music Collaboration

Yeo, a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and producer whose heritage winds back from Australia to Malaysia to Southern China, makes a foray into Mandopop with Taiwanese-Australian artist Chendy.

2020/11/16 | Voice of America

Amid China Tensions, Malaysia, Philippines, and Vietnam Pin Hopes on Biden

Based on his record as vice president, scholars say Biden can be expected to put more emphasis on diplomacy, rather than the sort of military moves favored by President Donald Trump.