Analysis

NEW YORK, U.S.--The leaders of France, Germany and Italy have jointly visited Ukraine in an attempt to present a unified European front regarding the Russia-Ukraine war. The one-day visit was long on rhetoric but short on substance: European unity remains elusive.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--High praises were sung at the University Malaya Law Faculty Jubilee celebration last Friday, June 17th. The list of successful alumni is long, and we cheered with great pride that the half-century-old faculty has successfully produced great legal minds. Minds trained to prevail in the national interest and to uphold Malaysian laws, customs, and traditions.

BANGKOK, Thailand--The Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s declaration during the opening of The Johor State Parliament, declared Johor may choose to secede from Malaysia if the federal government fails to fulfil its rights as written within the Federation of Malaya Agreement.

WASHINGTON, U.S.--Sanctions usually fail to achieve any stated policy goals, and they frequently backfire and encourage more of the behavior that they are meant to stop.

NEW YORK, U.S.--Since 2019, China has been pursuing a new concept of war, known as "intelligentized warfare." The idea is to operationalize artificial intelligence (AI) and the use of unmanned platforms (such as drones) in a way that subdues the enemy, ultimately without having to resort to conventional "hot" warfare. According to the 2019 Annual Report to Congress, "Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China," written by the Office of the Secretary of Defense:

SINGAPORE CITY--China could be entering choppy Middle Eastern waters. Multiple crises and conflicts will likely shape its relations with the region’s major powers, including Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Turkey.

BANGKOK, Thailand--A new study from the US based National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) has corroborated earlier research undertaken by the John Hopkins Institute for Applied Economics that found through a meta-analysis, “lockdowns have little to no public health effects, (and) have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they were adopted.”

NEW YORK, U.S.--Recently the Biden administration issued new answers for Americans invested in Chinese companies with direct ties to Beijing's military. 

BEIJING, China--During his Shangri-La Dialogue meeting with China's Defense Minister Wei Fenghe, US Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) Lloyd Austin characterized China's internal Taiwan policies and activities as provocative and destabilizing.  He did so with full knowledge that a nuclear-armed China is poised to employ any necessary means to prevent the island from seceding from One China.  
 

WASHINGTON, U.S.--The recent headline in the New York Times is enough to give any patriotic American pause: “Why China Is Miles Ahead in a Pacific Race for Influence.” The article that follows is even more disturbing. “To many observers,” it reads, “the South Pacific today reveals what American decline looks like.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--On 9 May, Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow urged the formation of a federal-state relations commission to study the working relationship between Putrajaya and various states, especially on issues under the federal government’s jurisdiction.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--I have nothing against Ismail Sabri Yaakob globetrotting to promote the use of Bahasa Melayu - the Malay language - although I'm fearful that this is another jingoistic, vote-chasing "hangat-hangat tahi ayam" thing. And as if to thumb the nose at the Prime Minister's folly, the Sarawak Government is allowing English to be used in the state's administration.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--Every day there’s more news highlighting our nation’s tragic and shocking moral decline. It’s not just the corruption, horrific as that may be; it’s the appalling lack of integrity behind it all that is cause for concern. 

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--The recent remarks by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Religious Affairs) Datuk Idris Ahmad calling on Muslims in the country not to attend the Bon Odori festival gives us Malaysians an opportunity to reflect on the principle of the separation of religion from the state and politics.

NEW YORK, U.S.--Turkey, reportedly on the verge of yet another military incursion into Syria, appears up to other fun and games as well.

BEIJING, China--Japan reportedly plans to send its recently converted aircraft carrier Izumo to participate in the country's annual Indo-Pacific Deployment (IPD). 

JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia--I am stunned that both current Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and convicted former Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Najib Razak are bringing back the idea of introducing the goods and services tax (GST) for Malaysia.