ISEAS Perspective provides analysis of specific current events and their significance for the Southeast Asian region. This will be published occasionally, and is aimed at keeping decision-makers in both the public and private sectors informed; as well as scholars, laymen and the interested public. This series undergoes a peer-review process.
2021/20 “Regulating Digital Credit Scoring in Vietnam” by Nicolas Lainez
2021 No. 20
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY About 70 percent of Vietnamese citizens are un(der)banked and have limited or no access to financial services. Their lack of credit histories severely limits their access to credit markets as lenders cannot assess their creditworthiness. Fintech startups provide digital credit scoring services to lenders in Vietnam to assess credit risk of the un(der)banked. […]
2021/19 “Thailand’s Lèse Majesté Dilemma: Defending the Monarchy versus Silencing Critics and Alienating the Young” by Termsak Chalermpalanupap
2021 No. 19
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY There were no arrests under Thailand’s lèse majesté law for nearly the first four years of the reign of King Maha Vajiralongkorn, who ascended the Chakri Throne on 1 December 2016. However, the escalation of anti-government protests late last year, with their increasing anti-monarchy tone, forced Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha to revive […]
2021/18 “The Solo 2020 Election: Jokowi’s Dynasty Begins?” by A. Harimurti and Made Supriatma
2021 No. 18
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The regional elections in Solo held on 9 December 2020 attracted much attention because President Jokowi’s first son, Gibran Rakabuming, ran for mayor with the support of PDIP, which controls 60% of the seats in the local parliament. In nominating Gibran, PDIP sacrificed its local candidate Achmad Purnomo, the incumbent vice major who […]
ISEAS Perspective 2021/17 “Public Perceptions of Climate Mitigation and Adaptation Measures in Southeast Asian Cities” by Melinda Martinus
2021 No. 17
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Southeast Asia Climate Outlook 2020 Survey, conducted by ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, examines Southeast Asian urban residents’ perceptions of climate mitigation and adaptation measures in their respective cities. It finds that most Southeast Asian urban citizens are aware of climate programmes in their cities, particularly promotion of public transport, recycling measures […]
ISEAS Perspective 2021/16 “Dynastic Politics in Indonesia’s Tangerang Selatan Triumphs” by Syafiq Hasyim
2021 No. 16
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The persistent and dominant presence of dynastic politics remained an interesting phenomenon in the regional elections recently held at provincial and district levels in 270 regions in Indonesia. Tangerang Selatan, in Banten province, is a vibrant administrative city. Dynastic politics remains powerful in this region, and in fact the mayoral position in this […]
ISEAS Perspective 2021/15 “Southeast Asians’ Declining Trust in China” by Hoang Thi Ha
2021 No. 15
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The State of Southeast Asia 2021 survey indicates that Southeast Asians’ trust in China continues to trend downward, in contrast to the US’ improved trust ratings. China’s success in containing the pandemic domestically, its “mask and vaccine diplomacy” in the region and Southeast Asians’ acknowledgement of Chinese support on COVID-19 have had little […]
ISEAS Perspective 2021/14 “The 2020 Makassar Mayoral Election: Replay of an Unresolved Political Feud” by Henky Widjaja
2021 No. 14
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The 2020 Makassar mayoral election was a rematch of a controversial contest between Mohammad Ramdhan Pomanto and Munafri Arifuddin in the 2018 mayoral election, which had been greatly complicated by fierce competition between local political clans and political elites from Jakarta. In that round, Munafri stood as the sole candidate with staunch backing […]
ISEAS 2021/13 “Repositioning the ADMM-Plus in a Contested Region” by Hoang Thi Ha
2021 No. 13
The ADMM-Plus’ confidence-building measures aimed at incident prevention and crisis management tend to focus more on instituting processes than delivering results. Their practical value remains elusive as they have never been tested in a crisis situation.
ISEAS Perspective 2021/12 “Populations, Precarity and Pandemics: The Demographics of Inequality and Covid-19 in Southeast Asia” by Kevin S.Y. Tan and Grace Lim
2021 No. 12
The recent resurgence of Covid-19 infections in Thailand and Malaysia among low-income migrant communities suggests a connection between the spread of the disease and the harsher conditions experienced by those living in relative poverty and who are socially marginal.
ISEAS Perspective 2021/11 “Shaping Tomorrow’s International Order: Germany’s Policy Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific” by Jan Kliem
2021 No. 11
The Indo-Pacific that Germany envisions is neither unipolar nor bipolar. Instead, multilateralism is the key principle in and thread throughout its Indo-Pacific policy guidelines and each policy area, from climate cooperation to security.