Rohingya Refugee Crisis: Testing Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship
Synopsis
The Rohingya refugee crisis is a test of Malaysia’s chairmanship of ASEAN. Kuala Lumpur’s response is an attempt to balance its foreign policy commitment to ASEAN and allay domestic concerns over the Rohingya humanitarian problem.
Smart Nation & Its Implications: The State in a Hyper-connected Singapore
Synopsis
As Singapore transforms itself into a Smart Nation, challenges will emerge. Instead of being decentred, the State will in fact become more important in terms of strengthening the nation against the challenges that follow.
Middle East and North Africa: Forcing China to Revisit Long-standing Policies
Synopsis
The fractious Middle East and North Africa is compelling China to rethink its long-standing principle of non-interventionism to protect its economic interests. It is also prompting it to articulate a Middle East policy that serves China’s interests without putting it at loggerheads with the United States.
Checking Human Smuggling: The Bangladesh-Myanmar Borderland
Synopsis
Human smuggling from the Bangladesh-Myanmar borderland cannot be effectively tackled by short-term quick-fixes. For a sustainable solution, both Bangladesh and Myanmar have to take effective action against human trafficking through building their institutional capacity and addressing the socio-economic causes behind human smuggling.
Rohingya Refugees: Turks to the Rescue
Synopsis
Turkey’s decision to send a ship to rescue Rohingya at sea is another instance of Turkish soft power at work. Turkey has been playing an increasingly visible role in relief operations in other parts of the world, projecting itself as a benevolent Muslim power and earning the trust of non-Turkish Muslim communities.
IMDEX ASIA: Southeast Asian Naval Expansion and Defence Spending
Synopsis
Rising defence budgets have fuelled a sizable naval buildup in Southeast Asia. As a result, countries surrounding the South China Sea have acquired new military capabilities that could make conflict in the region, should it occur, potentially more lethal.
Religious Rehabilitation Group: Female Volunteers Ten Years On
Synopsis
This year marks a decade of the Religious Rehabilitation Group’s work in religious counselling for women. Over the years, the number of female Muslim religious counsellors volunteering with the RRG has grown, and so have their challenges.
Papua Region under Jokowi: New President, New Strategies
Synopsis
President Joko Widodo has proclaimed his commitment to bolster Indonesia’s regional policy in Papua (formerly known as Irian Jaya). The policy will combine the welfare approach with an intensified security apparatus in the ‘black pearl’.
Lee Kuan Yew: The Sage and Giant from Southeast Asia
Synopsis
The late former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew may not have started warmly with Indonesia and ASEAN, but he eventually became a staunch supporter of Singapore’s large neighbour based on the trust developed with Suharto, which anchored the growth of ASEAN. How will the successor generation pursue his legacy?
South China Sea: Turning Reefs into Artificial Islands?
Synopsis
Large-scale reclamation work in the South China Sea using living coral reefs as building material is causing severe environmental damage. It is also against international law.