Showing 1 - 10 of 195
Conservatives still wield 'lawfare' axe
Oped, Chairith Yonpiam, Published on 01/06/2024
» Thai politics is facing a dilemma once again as key parties are being slapped with lawsuits.
SEA eyes next 20 years of US-China ties
Oped, Kavi Chongkittavorn, Published on 21/05/2024
» What will Southeast Asia be like over the next two decades? Given the unpredictable geopolitical situation, the region will certainly maintain its strategic autonomy in ways that mitigate the ripple effects of the emerging new international order. The multipolar world will be a new ballgame that Southeast Asia has to grapple with. Interestingly, the region's countries also realise that the competition between the US and China is not likely to subside given the tit-for-tat measures they have been conducting with each other. Under such circumstances, what role or leadership can Southeast Asia provide under the Asean roof to ensure that the region will not be marginalised or weaponised? To be precise, how can Asean avoid becoming a pawn in the US-China whirlpool?
An opaque situation
Postbag, Published on 20/04/2024
» Re: "Property tax rejig to amplify revenue", (BP, April 17).
'Brain drain' follows military coup
News, Published on 08/04/2024
» Three years after the coup on Feb 1, 2021, the Myanmar military government, aka the "Tatmadaw", has suffered significant losses as a result of the 1027 operation by the Three Brotherhood Alliance (3BTA), which started in October.
It'll take more than patriotism to save the ringgit
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 28/03/2024
» Malaysia wants to be great again, at least in foreign exchange. The nation's currency recently approached a level seen as near-catastrophic during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s. Authorities insist the ringgit is way too cheap and blame forces outside the country, chiefly high interest rates in the US. The remedies are modest, compared with the shock therapy meted out a couple of decades ago.
Death sentence for drug convicts is not acceptable
Oped, Published on 20/03/2024
» Nearly half of all state-sanctioned deaths around the world are for drug-related offences. This is not acceptable or justifiable and needs to end. My home country of Malaysia has taken steps to change this. Thailand and other countries should follow suit.
Held Uyghurs need asylum
Oped, Editorial, Published on 13/03/2024
» Today, exactly 10 years ago, Thai police arrested 350 Uyghurs in a forest along the Thai-Malaysian border in Songkhla on suspicion of passing illegally through the country en route to Malaysia to seek asylum. After the arrests, which grabbed global headlines, the Uyghurs were separated to face different destinies. The Prayut government sent 109 back to China, as requested by Beijing.
Making the most of foreign direct investments
News, Published on 26/02/2024
» Few experts doubt that foreign direct investment can bolster economies by bringing in critical know-how, expanding local production, and creating jobs. It is no surprise, therefore, that attracting FDI has long been a top priority for developed and developing economies alike, as reflected in the generous incentives included in the United States' Inflation Reduction Act. But, when it comes to driving economic growth and development, FDI has a mixed record.
The silver lining of Widodo's big economic miss
News, Daniel Moss, Published on 15/02/2024
» By his own standards, Joko Widodo has fallen well short of a major economic goal during his decade leading Indonesia. Growth has been laudable in a neighbourhood where the pace of expansion is undergoing a long-term slowdown, but nowhere close to the outgoing president's lofty ambitions. That's a pity, because part of Mr Widodo's attraction as a candidate in 2014 was his image as a self-made businessman, an outsider who could nudge the country towards achieving its much-promoted potential.
Reform Thai prisons
Oped, Postbag, Published on 13/02/2024
» Re: "Illicit drug limit set for dodging jail", (BP, Feb 11).