Asean

In Myanmar it’s the coup that brought back military dictatorship; in Malaysia it’s clever power play plus manipulation that unseated Pakatan Harapan; in Cambodia it’s the rule with impunity; in Thailand it’s the never-ending military coups. And in the Philippines it’s the return of the Marcos family to the Malacañang Palace.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--Both upstream oil palm growers and downstream oil producers in Malaysia should join hands to reap the benefit of the void following neighbouring Indonesia’s decision to halt its palm oil exports.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--We lost another courageous activist today (4/5/2022). Comrade Helen was admitted early this morning to the Johor Bahru General Hospital with upper back pain and difficulty breathing.

KUALA LUMUR, Malaysia--The Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (IDEAS) and the Center for Market Education (CME) express concerns over the limited debate surrounding issues of political economy and the long-term consequences of implemented policies.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--I am not surprised that Putrajaya seemed to be confused about which agency decided about MySejahtera app's development and procurement. 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--The Cabinet has recently announced that it will continue the Littoral Combat Ship although a detailed rescue package has not been announced.

BANGKOK, Thailand--When I first met Siti Kasim, online in this Covid age, her bubbling passion for her cause and the future of Malaysia came across very clearly. Siti is inspiring to many of those she reaches. 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--Stradling a wide area of the South China Sea, Malaysia has cautiously staked its claim over disputed waters while carefully managing its relations with major powers such as China.

KUCHING, Sarawak--Manila has suspended oil and gas exploration in the South China Sea, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s spokesman said today, as it tries to strike a deal with Beijing on a joint energy project.

LONDON, UK--PEN International is concerned over the recent arrest of Malaysian writer, Uthaya Sankar SB, who was held overnight and is now being investigated for a remark he posted on social media regarding the Prophet Mohammad. 

BANGKOK, Thailand--Remember when Pakatan Harapan secured their surprise election victory back in 2018? Many expressed their joy as Merdeka Day relived. There was so much hope about a Malaysia baru being born.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--The oppressive and discriminatory polices implemented by Chinese authourities is the leading cause of extremism namong the country’s Uyghur ethnic minority, a Muslim youth leader asserted at a forum on Saturday.

BANGKOK, Thailand--The Tourism Malaysian highlights Malaysia’s ethnic diversity as a unique strength. The website proudly espouses Malaysia as the only “one place where all the colours, flavours and sights of Asia come together.”  

NEW YORK, U.S.--Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping stressed the need to exercise restraint to maintain peace in the South China Sea, Manila's presidential office said on Saturday.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--The Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH) welcomes the decision of the Government and Pakatan Harapan (PH) to refer the vote on a constitutional amendment on Article 10(3)(a) to a Parliamentary Special Select Committee (PSSC) on anti-hopping bills.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--A deputy minister recently took the position that state laws on religious conversions should be respected – apparently regardless of what the Malaysian Federal Constitution states.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--For an outline of the case of Anna Jenkins, whose death the Penang coroner is currently investigating, please refer to my previous post.

BANGKOK, Thailand--Urban farming should be promoted as a means to improve food security, according to a recent forum organised by Chulalongkorn University's Research and Development Centre for Sustainable Development.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--In this post, I answer the question “What if Anna Jenkins had gone missing in Queensland?” by discussing a Queensland coroner’s decision in January 2022. I point out five differences of law and practice in Queensland and Malaysia.