ISEAS LIBRARY SELECTS: MONTHLY NEWS ON THAILAND
MARCH 2016
1. CDC reduces power of charter court ‘for crises’: THE CONSTITUTION Drafting Commission (CDC) has decided where power will lie in critical legal situations when no clauses in the constitution are applicable. It will no longer reside with the Constitutional Court alone. Instead it will be up to the court, the heads of the three power branches and independent organisations to decide jointly which measures or rules should apply, the CDC has resolved. Also, the drafters have decided to transfer the Constitutional Court’s power over the “ethical standards” of politicians and civil servants to the Supreme Court.
Nation, 9 March 2016
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/CDC-reduces-power-of-charter-court-for-crises-30281113.html
2. Senate ‘should not select PM’: PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday remained firm on his call for selected senators during a five-year transitional period, although he said they should not be authorised to vote for a prime minister. Suggesting that MPs should be exclusively authorised to pick the prime minister, as has been typical in the past, Prayut said the new charter draft should empower senators to “take care of the charter so it won’t be stripped out by politicians”.
A selected Senate should also promote good governance, national strategies and the junta-led reform agenda, he said. Prayut said elected senators had led to problems due to a lack of good governance in the past, adding that the Senate could be elected when voters were ready.
Nation, 9 March 2016
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Senate-should-not-select-PM-30281112.html
3. Thailand should look hard at the changes in Myanmar: THE THAI government needs to pay more attention to political developments in Myanmar and its capital Nay Pyi Taw. It doesn’t matter whether Aung San Suu Kyi is able to assume the presidency
First and foremost: the nature of the new administration in Nay Pyi Taw is totally different from the outgoing one and notably from the current Thai regime. President Thein Sein, who will step down at the end of the month, is a former commander who heads the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP). It would be more precise to say that the USDP is the civilian political wing of the Tatmadaw (Myanmar Armed Forces).
Supalak Ganjanakhundee
Nation, 9 March 2016
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Thailand-should-look-hard-at-the-changes-in-Myanma-30281115.html
4. A new order needs to rise from the ashes: Blame it on Facebook or online communities where millions of people give their opinions and make their emotions known every day, unhindered.
We can also blame it on the ongoing drought, a failure of education or problems of inequality. The result will still be the same: Thai society has arrived at a point when the old order has crumbled while a new one has not been born.
It is a society where there is a cacophony of opinions, but no ability to form an agreement.
One thing that shows Thailand is in an existential crisis is a rapid breakdown of hegemonic powers and moral leadership.
Atiya Achakulwisut
Bangkok Post, 8 March 2016
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/889828/a-new-order-needs-to-rise-from-the-ashes
5. Big Brother’ up against rare political alliance: It’s not often the two arch political rivals, the Democrat and Pheu Thai parties, see eye-to-eye on a controversial political issue.
In recent days, core members of both parties came out spontaneously against the proposal by the National Council for Peace and Order that the entire senate be appointed and serve a five-year transitional period after the next general election.
On top of that, the NCPO appears determined to stay in control for that five years, supposedly to make sure the government formed after the elections will not stray off the reform guidelines set by the national strategic committee, which has Prime Minister Prayut Chan-ocha at its head and several of his brothers-in-arms in the NCPO as members.
Veera Prateepchaikul
Bangkok Post, 8 March 2016
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/890076/big-brother-up-against-rare-political-alliance
6. Authoritarian rule and the dimming of Thailand’s star: Bangkok is no longer the regional nexus. Aspiring and career-building ambassadors now prefer alternative postings because not much can get done at high-level diplomatic engagements, as the military government in Bangkok is shunned by much of the rest of the world. There are bilateral and diplomatic accomplishments to be had with more authoritarian countries, like China and Russia, but envoys from democracies can find only crisis-management work in a holding pattern if posted to Bangkok. Only veteran ambassadors up for a last posting, as opposed to those who are younger and up-and-coming, still consider Bangkok attractive for an enjoyable last hurrah. Moreover, Bangkok is no longer the hub for diplomatic coverage of mainland South-east Asia, as a host of embassies have been set up in Myanmar, Laos and Cambodia.
Thitinan Pongsudhirak teaches international political economy and directs the Institute of Security and International Studies at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Straits Times, 8 March 2016
http://www.straitstimes.com/opinion/authoritarian-rule-and-the-dimming-of-thailands-star
Latest Announcements
1. LATEST ISEAS TRENDS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA ISSUE #13
A new issue of Trends in Southeast Asia has recently been published and is written by Porphant Ouyyanont. The issue is titled “Crown Property Bureau in Thailand and its Role in Political Economy” and is downloadable here.
2. THAILAND PROGRAMME VISITING FELLOW, DR ACHAKORN WONGPREDEE
Dr Achakorn Wongpredee, Associate Professor, Graduate School of Public Administration, National Institute of Development Administration, will be at ISEAS until September 2015.
3. THAILAND PROGRAMME VISITING SENIOR FELLOW, DR THONGCHAI WINICHAKUL
Dr Thongchai Winichakul, Professor, Department of History, University of Wisconsin-Madison, will be at ISEAS until January 2016.
4. THAILAND PROGRAMME VISITING SENIOR FELLOW, DR TANET CHAROENMUANG
Dr Tanet Charoenmuang, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Chiang Mai University, will be at ISEAS until August 2015.
5. THAILAND PROGRAMME VISITING SENIOR FELLOW, DR PORPHANT OUYYANONT
Dr Porphant Ouyyanont, Associate Professor, School of Economics, Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University, will be at ISEAS until January 2015.
Return to Thailand Studies Programme Main Page
The Thailand Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute promotes analysis of and scholarship on contemporary Thailand. Its goal is to develop an understanding of the country among the full range of parties concerned with its mid-term and long-term future: governments, the media, journalists, international organizations, civil society, the private sector and scholars.
The foci of the programme are three-fold — on political dynamics, social change, and cultural trends. In its attention to politics, the concerns of the programme include party and electoral politics, Thailand’s place in regional politics and geopolitics, regionalism and decentralization, the state of Thai institutions, constitutionalism and royalism, and the impact of politics on economic competitiveness and the investment climate. Social issues that fall within the programme’s purview are migration and demographic change, religion, ethnicity, the Thai education system, the relationship between urban and rural Thailand, the middle classes, and sectorial industries like tourism. In the area of cultural trends, the arts and literature, the media and mass consumption patterns number among topics of interest. The programme seeks to build institutional links to scholars, analysts and centres involved in the study of modern Thailand, not least those in Thailand itself.
Programme Coordinator
The Coordinator of the Thailand Studies Programme is Dr Termsak Chalermpalanupap. Please contact the coordinator for further information on the Thailand Studies Programme.
Current Researchers
Past Affiliates
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute has a long history of hosting scholars from Thailand. Among those previously affiliated with the Institute are the following:
| Tanet Charonenmaung | Porphant Ouyyanont | Thongchai Winichakul |
| Achakorn Wongpreedee | Pasuk Phongpaichit | Sukhumbhand Paribatra |
| Anek Laothamatas | Pavin Chachavalpongpun | Sunya Sunyavivat |
| Chaiwat Satha-Anand | Phiphat Tangsubkul | Surichai Wun’Gaeo |
| Charnvit Kasetsiri | Pranee Chitkornkijsil | Surin Maisrikrod |
| Khien Theeravit | Prudhisan Jumbala | Suthiphand Chiravithvat |
| Kusuma Snitwongse | Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn | Thamsook Numnonda |
| Medhi Krongkaew | Puangthong R. Pawakapan | Thitinan Pongsudhirak |
| Narongchai Akrasanee | Suchit Bunbongkarn | Aekapol Chongvilaivan |
| Prajak Kongkirati | Nipit Wongpunya | Micah Francis Morton |
| Pongphisoot Busbarat | Yos Santasombat | Punchada Sirivunnabood |
| Supalak Ganjanakhundee | Nursyazwani bte Jamaludin | Sihasak Phuangketkeow |
| Paul Wesley Chambers | Anusorn Unno | Alexandra Dalferro |
| Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee |
Thailand Forum, 2015
The Thailand Studies Programme hosted a Thailand Forum conference in Singapore from 27–28 July 2015. The conference convened a small number of scholars and other analysts from Thailand and elsewhere to present research on political dynamics, social change and cultural trends in Thailand. It will result in the publication of an edited volume.
Seminars
For upcoming seminars, please see the events page of the main ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute website.
Seminars over the past years:
- “Rising Religious and Ethnic Politics in the Upper Mekong Region”, 7 August 2017
- “The Thai Military’s Civil Affairs Projects: From Counter-Insurgency to Counter-Democracy”, 3 July 2017
- “A 500 Years ‘Cosmic Ritual’: The Cremation of a Royal Corpse in Thailand”, 21 March 2017
- “Is Thailand Ripe for Liberalism?”, 2 March 2017
- “Thailand’s Constitutional Referendum Results: Political Meanings and Implications”, 15 August 2016
- “Bamboo Swirling in the Wind”: Thailand’s Foreign Policy in the Regional Power Competition”, 7 March 2016
- “Royalist Guided Democracy in Thailand: How It Operates”, 8 January 2016
- “The Perils of Power: Thailand’s Anti-Democratic Elites and the Challenge of Replacing Dictatorship with a Constitutional Regime”, 30 October 2015
- “Spirits of Power in 21st Century Thailand: Magic and the Supernatural at the Centre of Political Authority in Thailand”, 10 September 2015
- “Thailand: A Post-May Assessment”, 19 May 2015
- “The Crown Property Bureau in Thailand”, 13 March 2015
- “Is Myanmar a Model for the Thai Political Order?”, 28 October 2014
- “What Went Wrong with the Thai Democracy?”, 11 July 2014
- “Thailand: The Return of Bureaucratic Polity”, 23 September 2014
- “Thai Politics – a State of Suspended Animation”, 30 July 2013
Publications
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute has published research and analysis on Thailand in wide range of formats. Each edition of the bimonthly ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute Monitor and the annual Southeast Asian Affairs covers Thailand. Scholarship and research on Thailand regularly appears in the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute journals Contemporary Southeast Asia, The Journal of Southeast Asian Economies and SOJOURN: Social Issues in Southeast Asia.
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute Perspective Issues
Titles include the following:
Trends in Southeast Asia
The Trends in Southeast Asia series on Thailand includes:
| Tanet Charoenmuang | The Red Shirts and Their Democratic Struggle in Northern Thailand, April 2010 to May 2015 (2016) |
| Porphant Ouyyanont | Rural Thailand: Change and Continuity (2016) |
| Thongchai Winichakul | Thailand’s Hyper-royalism: Its Past Success and Present Predicament (2016) |
| Ian Storey | Thailand’s Post-Coup Relations with China and America: More Beijing, Less Washington (2015) |
| Puangthong R. Pawakapan | The Foreign Press’ Changing Perceptions of Thailand’s Monarchy (2015) |
| Porphant Ouyyanont | Crown Property Bureau in Thailand and its Role in Political Economy (2015) |
| Charles Keyes | Democracy Thwarted: The Crisis of Political Authority in Thailand (2015) |
| Amporn Jirattikorn | Managing Migration in Myanmar and Thailand: Economic Reforms, Policies, Practices and Challenges (2015) |
| John Lee | China’s Engagement with Southeast Asia: Thailand (2013) |
Books
ISEAS Publications has also published a wide range of influential monographs and edited volumes on Thailand. These include the following titles.
- Anusorn Unno, “We Love Mr King”: Malay Muslims of Southern Thailand in the Wake of the Unrest (2018)
- Porphant Ouyyanont, A Regional Economic History of Thailand (2017)
- Juthathip Jongwanich, Capital Mobility in Asia: Causes and Consequences (2017)
- Edward Van Roy, Siamese Melting Pot: Ethnic Minorities in the Making of Bangkok (2017)
- Sascha Helbardt, Deciphering Southern Thailand’s Violence: Organization and Insurgent Practices of BRN-Coordinate (2015)
- Pavin Chachavalpongpun, ed., “Good Coup” Gone Bad: Thailand’s Political Development since Thaksin’s Downfall (2014)
- Puangthong R. Pawakapan, State and Uncivil Society in Thailand at the Temple of Preah Vihear (2013)
- Michael J. Montesano, Pavin Chachavalpongpun, and Aekapol Chongvilaivan, eds., Bangkok, May 2010: Perspectives on a Divided Thailand (2012)
- Aekapol Chongvilaivan, Harnessing Production Networks: Impacts and Policy Implications from Thailand’s Manufacturing Industries (2011)
- Patarapong Intarakumnerd and Yveline Lecler, eds., Sustainability of Thailand’s Competitiveness: The Policy Challenges (2010)
- Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Reinventing Thailand: Thaksin and His Foreign Policy (2010)
- John Funston, ed., Divided Over Thaksin: Thailand’s Coup and Problematic Transition (2009, co-published with Silkworm Books)
- Joseph Chinyong Liow, Islam, Education and Reform in Southern Thailand: Tradition and Transformation (2009)
- Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker, Thai Capital after the 1997 Crisis (2008)
- Sakulrat Montreevat, ed., Corporate Governance in Thailand (2005)
- Duncan McCargo, ed., Reforming Thai Politics (2002, co-published with NIAS Press)
- Ruth McVey, ed., Money and Power in Provincial Thailand (2001, co-published with Silkworm Books and NIAS Press)
- Pasuk Phongpaichit and Chris Baker, Thailand’s Crisis (2000, co-published with Silkworm Books)
- Jonathan Rigg, ed., Counting the Costs: Economic Growth and Environmental Change in Thailand (2000)
- William A. Callahan, Imagining Democracy: Reading “The Events of May” in Thailand (1998)
- Jim Taylor, Forest Monks and the Nation-State: An Anthropological and Historical Study in Northeastern Thailand (1993)
- Scot Barmé, Luang Wichit Wathakan and the Creation of a Thai Identity (1993)
- Peter A. Jackson, Buddhism, Legitimation, and Conflict: The Political Functions of Urban Thai Buddhism in the 19th and 20th Centuries (1989)
- Suchit Bunbongkarn, The Military in Thai Politics 1981-86 (1987)
- Somboon Suksamran, Military Elite in Thai Politics: Brief Biographical Data on the Officers in the Thai Legislature (1984)
- Hong Lysa, Thailand in the Nineteenth Century: Evolution of the Economy and Society (1984)
- Chai-Anan Samudavanija, The Thai Young Turks (1982)
- Somboon Suksamran, Buddhism and Politics in Thailand (1982)
Among the first of its kind to be established in Southeast Asia (and in Singapore), the Myanmar Studies Programme’s ambit is on policy-oriented research pertaining to the reforms taking place in Myanmar, and the emerging issues and trends in the country’s transition to democracy. Through research, seminars, conferences, consultations and publications – undertaken individually or in partnership with other like-minded entities – the Myanmar Studies Programme (MmSP) seeks to give a critical analysis (and policy-relevant recommendations) on issues and events in Myanmar.
In support of ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s mission, the Myanmar Studies Programme studies the socio-political, security and economic trends and developments in Myanmar. The Myanmar Studies Programme seeks to be an intellectual resource for scholars and policy-makers interested in Myanmar. To this end, the MmSP devotes its research primarily to analysing recent developments and events in Myanmar, so that views, perspectives and recommendations generated from this research can be readily used by all those interested in and following #WhatsHappeningInMyanmar. The programme also seeks to build and maintain collaborative links with academics, analysts, researchers and centres studying Myanmar.
The Myanmar Studies Programme team’s current research projects include:
Developments Following the 1 February 2021 Coup
1. The programme has an ongoing webinar series analysing the impact of the coup:
- The February 1 Coup Aftermath in Myanmar: Impact, Issues, Implications
- Myanmar’s Crisis: What Are the Stakes?
- Myanmar After the Coup: Insights from the Inside
- A Near-Term Economic Outlook for Post-Coup Myanmar
- Post-Coup Myanmar’s Economy: Crisis and Challenge
- The Myanmar Economy Six Months after the Coup: What’s Next?
- Myanmar After the Coup, In the World
- Socio-Economic Impacts of the 2021 Coup in Myanmar
- Whither Myanmar’s Rakhine State?
- The Realities of Humanitarian Assistance for Myanmar
- Myanmar Ten Months After The Coup
- One Year After the Coup: Whither Myanmar?
- Legal Implications of the Myanmar Coup One Year On
- The International Community’s Response to the Myanmar Crisis: What Comes Next?
- The United States and the Myanmar Crisis: Perceptions, Expectations, Options
- Myanmar Twenty-Two Months After The Coup
- Two Years and Counting: What’s Next for Myanmar in 2023?
2. Scholars and researchers have contributed their analyses of different aspects of the coup:
- Back to the Future? Possible Scenarios for Myanmar, by Ardeth Thawnghmung
- Ethnic Armed Organisations in Post-Coup Myanmar: New Conversations Needed, by Andrew Ong
- “The Military in Burma/Myanmar: On the Longevity of Tatmadaw Rule and Influence” by David I. Steinberg
- How Generation Z Galvanized a Revolutionary Movement against Myanmar’s 2021 Military Coup” by Ingrid Jordt, Tharaphi Than and Sue Ye Lin
- Centre-Periphery Relations in Myanmar: Leverage and Solidarity after the 1 February Coup” by Shona Loong
3. Commentaries by MmSP researchers on the coup have appeared on the ISEAS Fulcrum blog since 2 February 2021:
- Myanmar’s State of Emergency: Damn the Torpedoes
- Free falling: Myanmar’s Post-Coup Economy
- Singapore Businesses in Myanmar: Navigating the Choppy Waters of Political Turmoil
- Myanmar’s Garment Industry After the Coup: Threadbare and in Tatters
The State Administration Council Regime
A research paper series by Htet Myet Min Tun, Moe Thuzar and Michael Montesano assesses:
- Min Aung Hlaing and His Generals: Data on the Military Members of Myanmar’s State Administration Council Junta
- Buttressing the Anti-NLD Project: Data on the Civilian Members of Myanmar’s State Administration Council Junta
- An Attempt to Lead Myanmar Back to the Future? Data on the State Administration Council Regime’s Union Ministers, by Htet Myet Min Tun
Aid to and Investment in Myanmar after the 1 February Coup
- A research paper series is forthcoming.
Myanmar’s Foreign Relations
- Webinars and research papers will be forthcoming.
Researchers
Ms Moe Thuzar is the Coordinator of the Myanmar Studies Programme.
Current Researchers and Affiliates
- Ms Moe Thuzar
- Dr Tin Maung Maung Than
- Dr Nick Freeman
- Mr Romain Caillaud
- Dr Su Mon Thazin Aung
- Mr Aung Tun
- Prof Robert H Taylor
- Dr Ma Thida
- Mr Kyi Sin
Past Affiliates
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute also hosts researchers and scholars who work on Myanmar. Among those previously affiliated with the Institute are the following:
- Professor Robert H. Taylor
- Associate Professor Sean Turnell
- Associate Professor Fan Hongwei
- Mr Lex Reiffel
- Dr Renaud Egreteau
- Mr Thaung Tun
- Mr Myint Soe
- Mr Stuart Larkin
- Dr Jurgen Haacke
- Dr Maung Aung Myoe
- Dr Amporn Jirattikorn
- Dr Micah Francis Morton
- Dr Lin Htet Aung
- U Ye Htut
- Dr Nyi Nyi Kyaw
- Dr Ong Wai Hoong Andrew
- Dr Michael J. Montesano
- Mr Wai Moe
Webinars and Conferences
For upcoming MmSP events, please check the events section of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute website.
Past conferences and key events organised by the programme include the following:
Myanmar Forum 2016
The highlight of the Forum was a dialogue session with U Ko Ko Gyi, General Secretary of the 88 Generation (Peace and Open Society) which is a highly respected political organization born out of the student-led democracy protests of 1988. U Ko Ko Gyi is a Burmese politician, democracy activist and former prisoner of conscience.
More than 150 participants attended the Myanmar Forum 2016.
For more information, please click here.
International Burma Studies Conference 2014
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, together with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the Centre for Asian Legal Studies of the National University of Singapore organised the International Burma Studies Conference 2014 on “Envisioning Myanmar: Issues, Images, Identities” from the 1st to the 3rd August 2014. This theme has attracted a diverse collection of panels and papers from across the humanities and social sciences, as well as from the fields of law, policy, development, media, civil society and other professional fields.
Our ongoing collaboration with international partners, especially the Center for Burma Studies (based at Northern Illinois University, USA) and the Burma Studies Group of the Association of Asian Studies has enabled us to bring together scholars from Asia, Europe, Australia and North America. Most importantly, we were able to host a number of special guests from Myanmar who spoke at the Plenary and Closing Sessions.
To find out more about IBSC 2014 or access the panel abstracts, click here. To view photos of IBSC 2014, click here.
The Malaysia Studies Programme (MSP) focusses on issues pertaining to the country’s domestic political, economic, and social context, including: major political realignments and intra-coalition and inter-party dynamics; the working of the country’s federal system; structural change in Malaysia’s economy; changing trends in investment into the country, as well as the general business climate; and important developments in key states and regions.
The programme also collaborates and works closely with external researchers, scholars and centres involved in the study of Malaysia.
As part of the above, the Malaysia Studies Programme team has been working on the following projects:
Inter and Intra-Coalition Dynamics
Following the 14th General Elections, MSP has sought to trace and analyse key developments in the country’s ongoing political transition. This has involved producing research products and organizing events on: the COVID-19 situation facing the country; the declaration of Emergency and suspension of parliament; the national budget; the Sabah state elections; and the emergence of new political movements and parties.
MSP regularly organizes events with opinion- and decision-makers to share their perspectives on the evolving political situation in the country. Among those invited during the past fiscal year were: Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir; Muar MP Syed Saddiq; Senator Wan Ahmad Faysal; Bangi MP Ong Kian Ming; Selangau MP Baru Bian; Lembah Panti MP Fahmi Fadzil; Professor Khoo Boo Teik; and Professor Tim Bunnell, Asia Research Institute-NUS.
The Future of Malay Politics in Post GE14 Malaysia
This project looked at evolving dynamics among Malay voters and Malay-majority political parties following the 14th General Election. It sought to identify and explore existing as well as emerging cleavages in Malay society, such as the struggle for votes between Malay nationalist parties like UMNO and Bersatu; the competition between conservative Islam, often exemplified by PAS, and moderate Islam, put forward by Parti Amanah Negara; and the consolidation of different class identities in different parts of the country.
The BRI in the Infrastructure Sector in Malaysia.
The project focussed on Belt and Road-linked infrastructure projects in Malaysia, with the aim of providing a grounded analysis of how and under what circumstances BRI projects materialize and are successfully completed, and how Chinese capital interacts with local state and private sector actors. Infrastructure projects studied include: the Melaka Gateway, Kuantan Port, Malaysia-China Kuantan Industrial Park and East Coast Rail Link.
Federalism in Malaysia
Given its two-levelled structure and elected state leaders, the central and state governments can be ruled by different political parties in Malaysia’s federal system. Focussing on 2018-2020, this project looked at the performance of state administrations of different coalitions under the Pakatan Harapan federal administration, and drew out the potential stresspoints between Pakatan Harapan state governments and the Perikatan Nasional federal administration going forward.
Doing Business in Malaysia under Pakatan Harapan
This project sought to establish how and whether the environment for doing business in the country changed under the Pakatan Harapan government, particularly in areas such as transparency, anti-corruption and business regulations. To this end, this project involved key informant interviews with Chambers of Commerce at the central and state levels in Malaysia, as well as content analysis of periodical articles from 2018-2020.
Youth Unemployment and Wages in Malaysia
This research examined the state of the labour market for young Malaysians, particularly in light of the impact of COVID and the ensuing policy response. This age group constitutes a large and growing share of the population, whose socioeconomic well-being is crucial for the country’s development, and whose political voice will grow stronger.
Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional’s policies towards East Malaysia
Drawing on site visits and interviews with voters and political leaders in Sabah and Sarawak, this research gathered perspectives on the positions of Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional towards East Malaysia on issues such as autonomy and states’ rights.
Structural Transformation of the Malaysian Economy
This project examines medium to long-term structural changes in the Malaysian economy. This includes topics such as de-industrialization; agglomeration, human capital and foreign labour; urbanization in Peninsular Malaysia; manufacturing performance and services inputs; and globalisation and economic development.
Programme Coordinators
Francis E. Hutchinson (coordinator)
Lee Hwok Aun (co-coordinator)
Current Researchers and Affiliates
Visiting Researchers
The MSP usually issues calls in September-October each year for visiting researchers to spend 3-6 months with the Institute to work on specified topics. In FY 2020-2021, the following researchers were based at ISEAS:
Tricia Yeoh
Khoo Boo Teik
Michael Schaper
Anand Govindasamy
Wan Saiful Wan Jan
Clarissa Ai Ling Lee
Publications
The MSP produces a range of publications of varying lengths to share the results of work undertaken by team members as well as visiting researchers. An indicative list of outputs produced over the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year includes the following:
Books
Affirmative Action in Malaysia and South Africa: Preference for Parity (Routledge, Research in Public Policy and Administration Series, 2021), by Hwok-Aun Lee, presents a systematic framework of preferential measures that promote the representation of the disadvantaged majority race in higher education, high-level employment, enterprise and wealth ownership, in the two most extensive policy regimes worldwide. This book empirically evaluates affirmative action contexts, programmes and outcomes of each country individually, distils similarities and differences in cross-country comparison, and discusses policy implications for both countries moving forward.
Johor: Abode of Development? (ISEAS 2020)
Building on earlier work by the ISEAS on the SIJORI Cross-border Region, this manuscript centres on how the state of Johor negotiates its place within Malaysia, whilst also being shaped by its ties to neighbouring territories. Bringing together contributions by seven ISEAS researchers and a number of Malaysia-based collaborators, this multi-disciplinary book includes more than 25 specially-commissioned maps. This tome brings together textual and visual analysis in a new way that will deepen readers’ understanding of the economic, political, and social dynamics underway in Johor and their physical manifestations. Edited by Francis E. Hutchinson and Serina Rahman, the book was published by ISEAS in September 2020.
As Empires Fell: the life and times of Lee Hau-Shik, the first Finance Minister of Malaysia (ISEAS 2020)
Having written potent biographies about Malaysian and Singapore leaders such as Ismail Abdul Rahman, Goh Keng Swee, and Lim Kit Siang, Ooi Kee Beng now tells the story of Lee Hau-Shik, based on the latter’s extensive private papers housed at ISEAS Library, Singapore. Born in Hong Kong to a highly prominent family at a time when the Qing Dynasty was falling, Hau-Shik received degrees in Law and Economics in Cambridge and became a successful tin miner in British Malaya and an influential member of Kuala Lumpur’s colonial society. After the Second World War, his influence in elite circles in China, Britain and Malaya allowed him to play a key role in the gaining of independence for Malaysia. He was one of the founders of the Malayan Chinese Association and served as the country’s first Minister of Finance.
Trends in Southeast Asia
| Tricia Yeoh | Will Pakatan Harapan’s Hold on Selangor Continue? (2020) |
| Khoo Boo Teik | The Making of Anwar Ibrahim’s “Humane Economy” (2020) |
| Khoo Boo Teik | Malay Politics: Parlous Condition, Continuing Problems (2020) |
| Wan Saiful Wan Jan | Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS): Unifier of the Ummah? (2020) |
| Tricia Yeoh | Federal-State Relations under the Pakatan Harapan Government (2020) |
| Serina Rahman | Renewable Energy: Malaysia’s Climate Change Solution or Placebo? (2020) |
| Wan Saiful Wan Jan | Why Did BERSATU Leave Pakatan Harapan? (2020) |
| Michael T. Schaper | Advocacy in a Time of Change: Business Associations and the Pakatan Harapan Government in Malaysia, 2018–20 (2020) |
| Wan Saiful Wan Jan | Malaysia’s Student Loan Company: Tackling the PTPTN Time Bomb (2020) |
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute Perspective
| Francis E. Hutchinson and Pritish Bhattacharya | Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Industry – A Silver Lining Amidst Dark Clouds, 4 December 2020, 2020/138 |
| Mohd Faizal Musa and Siti Syazwani Zainal Abidin | “Longer-term External Conditions Behind Legal Conservatism in Malaysian Islam”, 4 March 2021, 2021/23 |
| Francis E. Hutchinson and Pritish Bhattacharya | Malaysia’s Rubber Glove Industry – The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, 23 March 2021, 2021/35 |
| Kai Ostwald | “Malaysia 2020: The Impasse of Two-Coalition Politics”, 6 April 2020, 2020/25 |
| Norshahril Saat | “Malaysia’s Bersatu Remains Split and Faces Uncertain Future”, 2 June 2020, 2020/57 |
| Arnold Puyok | “The Fall of Warisan in Sabah’s Election: Telltale Signs, Causes and Salient Issues”, 29 January 2021, 2021/8 |
| Lee Hwok-Aun | “Work and Wages of Malaysia’s Youth: Structural Trends and Current Challenge”, 4 September 2020, 2020/98 |
| Tricia Yeoh | “The Rise and Fall of State Governments in Malaysia: Institutions, Constitutions and Political Alignment”, 11 September 2020, 2020/103 |
| Lee Hwok-Aun | Unemployment among Malaysia’s Youth: Structural Trends and Current Challenges, 18 June 2020, 2020/65 |
| Mohd Faizal Musa | “Social Media Preachers: Unlicenced and Unbounded in Spreading Their Ideas”, 22 December 2020, 2020/146 |
Opinion Pieces
In addition to contributions to ISEAS’s Fulcrum, MSP team members contributed opinion pieces to the following outlets among others:
The Straits Times, ChannelNews Asia, Today, Berita Harian, South China Morning Post, NewMandala, the Jakarta Post, and the Edge Malaysia.
Click here for more Op-Ed pieces.
| Lee Hwok-Aun | “After Covid-19, Malaysia must offer migrant workers a fairer deal”, 26 May 2021 |
| Norshahril Saat | “It’s time Malaysia had a law against party-hopping”, 2 March 2021 |
| Francis Hutchinson | “Singapore and Malaysia backtrack on high-speed rail”, 12 February 2021 |
| Francis Hutchinson and Kevin Zhang | “In Malaysia, is Shafie Apdal vs Anwar Ibrahim a contest for opposition leadership?”, 22 December 2020 |
| Lee Hwok-Aun | “Let’s debate better Budget 2021 allocations for Bumis”, 25 November 2020 |
External Publications
Malaysia Studies team members have also published in the following outlets:
Academic Journals:
Journal of Contemporary Asia, Journal of Asian Political Science, Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, Asian Journal of Social Science, Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy, Journal of Asian Economics, the Singapore Economic Review, Malaysian Journal of Economic Studies, Contemporary Islam, Studia Islamika, Review of Indonesian and Malaysian Affairs, The Round Table, Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, Journal of Islamic Studies, Journal of Asian and African Studies
Publishing Houses:
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute, Routledge, World Scientific, United Nations Development Programme
Periodicals:
Straits Times, Today, Berita Harian, Berita Minggu, Berita Mediacorp, and The Edge Malaysia.
Collaboration and Past Visiting Researchers
The programme also collaborates and works closely with external researchers, scholars and centres involved in the study of Malaysia. In addition, ISEAS has a long history of hosting researchers and scholars studying Malaysia. Among those previously affiliated with the Institute are the following:
Ramlah Adam, Geoffrey Benjamin, Cheah Boon Kheng, Hans-Dieter Evers, John Funston, T.N. Harper, James Jesudason, Gordon Means, Ungku Mainmunah Mohd. Tahir, Chandra Muzaffar, Farish Ahmad Noor, Johan Saravanamuttu; A.B. Shamsul, Dan Slater, Wang Gungwu, and Meredith Weiss.
Furthermore, in carrying out research in Malaysia, team-members have collaborated with the following organizations, among others: Institute of Democracy and Economic Affairs; the Penang Institute; Konrad Adenauer Foundation.
Seminars
For upcoming ISEAS seminars/webinars, see the events section of the main ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute website here.
Photos by Budi Irawanto. Used with permission.
The Indonesia Studies Programme at ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute promotes in-depth understanding of Indonesia through conferences, workshops, seminars, print and e-publications, and timely commentary in the international and local media. These serve as channels to inform scholars, policy-makers, journalists, the business community, diplomats and international organizations on pertinent developments in Indonesia today.
The programme is concerned with understanding the effects of political and economic reform in Indonesia following the end of the New Order era, especially with respect to the implementation of decentralization policies throughout the archipelagic nation, and the evolving electoral landscape as well.
The programme seeks to build and maintain institutional ties and scholarly exchange with academics, analysts, and centers involved in the study of contemporary Indonesia.
As part of above, the Indonesia Studies Programme team is currently working on following research topics:
- The 2018 Regional Elections & 2019 Presidential and Legislatives Elections
It is election season in Indonesia. In 2018, 171 districts and provinces around the country held elections for their local leaders, the largest simultaneous regional elections ever held. Indonesia will also hold its first simultaneous legislative and presidential elections in early 2019. Since the 2014 presidential elections, and the victory of President Joko Widodo, Indonesia’s electoral landscape has been marked by an unusual level of ideological division, and an upswing in populist politics and Islamist activism. Why have such divisions emerged, and will they structure upcoming presidential and legislative elections too? And what impact will the simultaneous implementation of these two different elections have upon campaigns and voter preferences? The Indonesia Studies Program has a team of researchers monitoring these developments, and providing timely analysis on campaign dynamics, patterns of coalitions building, and the broader consequences of these elections for the health and stability of Indonesia’s democracy.
- Indonesia’s Politics and Islam
Indonesia Islam is widely known for its plurality. Despite all the talk that Indonesia is experiencing a conservative turn, however for Indonesia, the smiling face of Islam still prevails. Indonesian Islam is complex, and there is a healthy competition in the religious public sphere for competing ideas to clash. The direction to where this will head remains to be seen.
To support this research agenda, ISEAS researchers have been collaborating with a group of leading international scholars and activists to understand various major aspects of contemporary Indonesia’s Islam. This project aims to get a better understanding of the underlying forces that shape and animate the construction, contestation, fragmentation, and pluralization of authority in contemporary Indonesian Muslim society.
- Indonesia Economy
Indonesia is still a country in transition, and one that faces major development challenges. It is still a relatively young democracy, struggling to establish robust institutions that are needed to support an upper-middle income economy. Its ambitious decentralization program is still a work in progress into an effective system of governance. Millions of its citizens still live below a poverty line. Meanwhile, inequality has risen appreciably during the democratic era. There are daunting environmental challenges. Corruption remains an ever-present and serious problem.
Under President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, there is a high expectation that Indonesia could overcome its huge development challenges. ISEAS has been collaborating with a group of leading international scholars to examine current state of economic policies and achievements under the Jokowi administration and to better understand the potential challenges for Indonesia to achieve its development goals and the implication of those challenges for Jokowi’s electability in 2019.
Seminars
For upcoming seminars, please see the events page of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute website.
Seminars over the past years:
- Mr Septian Hario Seto and Mr Richard Borsuk, “COVID-19 and Investment in Indonesia”, 28 August 2020
- Mr Budi S. Wardhana, “Disaster Management in Indonesia: Peatland Forest Fire and Covid-19 Crisis”, 14 August 2020
- Dr Hendro Sangkoyo and Mr Made Supriatma, “Indonesia’s New Coal and Mining Law: Its Consequences for the Environment”, 29 July 2020
- Dr Sulfikar Amir and Dr Irma Hidayana, “People’s Risk Perception on New Normal Policy in Jakarta”, 22 June 2020
- Dr Arief Ramayandi and Dr Siwage Dharma Negara, “Jokowi’s Vision and Policies for Indonesia’s Economic Development: Laying the Foundations for Future Growth Acceleration?”, 30 April 2020
- Dr Ahmad Najib Burhani and Dr Syafiq Hasyim, “COVID-19 and the Islamic Umma in Indonesia”, 21 May 2020
- Dr Pandu Riono, “Indonesia’s Public Health Issues and Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic”, 12 May 2020
- Yatun Sastramidjaja, “Youth Digital Participation in Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Movement,” 28 February 2020
- Ardhitya Eduard Yeremia Lalisang, “Threats or Opportunities: Indonesian Elites’ Perception of a Rising China,” 21 February 2020
- Yanuar Nugroho, “Reforming Bureaucracy, Delivering Quality Public Services: An Experience from Indonesia,” 15 January 2020
- Wahyu Prasetyawan, “Religious Mobilisation in 2017 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election: Empirical Study of Identity Politics,” 3 December 2019
- General (Ret.) Agus Widjojo, “Indonesian Military Reforms: A Reflection 20 Years Later,” 28 November 2019
- Usman Hamid, “Defending Reformasi: Student Movements vs Oligarchy,” 6 November 2019
- Syafiq Hasyim, “The Political Economy of Sharia and the Future Trajectory of Indonesian Democracy,” 9 October 2019
- Hilmar Farid, “Mapping the Cultural Heritage Scene in a Decentralised Indonesia: Between the State and Local Communities,” 21 August 2019
- Alissa Wahid, Sandra Hamid, Max Lane, Firman Noor, Ian Wilson, Amalinda Savirani, Yose Rizal Damuri, Puspa Delima Amri, Quinton Temby, Thomas Power, Ahmad Najib Burhani, Sandiaga Salahuddin, Philips Vermonte, Leo Suryadinata, Noory Okhtariza, Djayadi Hanan, Okamoto Masaaki, Dyah Ayu Kartika, Budi Irawanto, Deasy Simandjuntak and Made Supriatma, “The Future of Indonesian Politics: Analyzing the Outcomes and Implications of the 2019 Elections,” 11-12 July 2019
- Hendrawan Supratikno, Ms Grace Natalie, Sukamta and Abdul Mu’ti, “The Indonesian Elections 2019: The Politicians Speak,” 2 May 2019
- Max Lane, Quinton Temby, and Made Supriatma, “Indonesian 2019 Elections: A Review,” 22 April 2019
- Budi Irawanto, Ahmad Najib Burhani, and Made Supriatma, “The Indonesian Elections 2019: A Preview,” 15 April 2019
- Yose Rizal and Ross Tapsell, “Social Media and Indonesia’s 2019 Elections,” 18 March 2019
- Rian Ernest and Faldo Maldini, “Indonesia’s Economy and Millennials’ Aspiration in 2019 Elections,” 4 March 2019
- Yenny Zannuba Wahid, “The Role of the Nahdlatul Ulama in the 2019 Indonesian Elections,” 25 February 2019
- Sandiaga Salahuddin Uno, “Indonesia’s Future Economy,” 29 October 2018
- Indonesia Forum 2018: Evolving Political, Economic, and Business Environment Going into 2019, co-organised by ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and the University of Michigan, 21 September 2018
- Quinton Temby, “DIY-Islamism: The Hijrah Phenomenon in Indonesia,” 28 August 2018
- Djayadi Hanan, Thomas Power, Eve Warburton, “Indonesia’s 2019 Presidential Elections: The Candidates and Their Coming Campaigns,” 13 August 2018
- Charlotte Setijadi, Deasy Simandjuntak and Eve Warburton, “The 2018 Indonesian Regional Elections: Local Politics with National Implications?” 2 July 2018
- Siwage Dharma Negara, Tham Siew Yean and Le Hong Hiep, “Belt and Road Initiative: Progress and Challenges in Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam,” 22 June 2018
- Max Lane, “Current Wages Policy in Indonesia and its Politics,” 15 December 2017
- Yorrys Raweyai, “The Future of Golkar and Indonesian Politics,” 7 December 2017
- Max Lane, “Pramoedya Ananta Toer’s Novels and Their Political Significance Today,” 13 November 2017
- Djayadi Hanan, “Trends of Political Supports in Indonesia Two Years before 2019 National Elections,” 9 November 2017
- Adrian Vickers, “Indonesian Art in 1976: A Hundred Years of Indonesian Art,” 14 September 2017
- Diego Fossati, Hui Yew-Foong, and Siwage Dharma Negara, “The Indonesia National Survey Project: Economy, Society and Politics,” 7 September 2017
- Dian A. H. Shah, “Blasphemy: The Interplay between Law, Politics, and Religion in Indonesia,” 6 June 2017
- Djayadi Hanan, “Jakarta Gubernatorial Election of 2017: Identity, Personality, and Incumbency Factors,” 22 May 2017
- Max Lane, “The Jakarta Pilkada and the “Class Discontent versus Sectarianism” Controversy,” 15 May 2017.
- Max Lane, “Elektabilitas” Politics and the 2017 Local Elections: quo vadis Indonesia’s Party System?” 24 March 2017
- Hui Yew-Foong, Ulla Fionna, Charlotte Setijadi and Johanes Herlijanto, “The 2017 Indonesian Regional Elections: A Preamble to the 2019 Presidential Election?” 17 February 2017
Researchers
Programme Coordinator
Hui Yew-Foong (Coordinator)
Siwage Dharma Negara (Co-coordinator)
Julia Lau (Co-coordinator)
Current Researchers
Research Officer
Past Affiliates
| Taufik Abdullah | Martin Panggabean | Agung Wicaksono |
| Sulfikar Amir | Anthony Reid | Ian Wilson |
| Raden Alpha Amirrachman | Reza Y Siregar | Nugroho Wisnumurti |
| Adiwan Aritenang | Iman Sugema | Bernhard Platzdasch |
| Chatib Basri | Rizal Sukma | Aris Ananta |
| Soedradjad Djiwandono | Priyambudi Sulistiyanto | Alexander Arifianto |
| Richard Z Leirissa | Eric Tagliacozzo | Evi Nurfidya Arifin |
| Audrey Kahin | Thee Kian Wie | Maxensius Tri Sambodo |
| George McTurnan Kahin | Ekawati S Wahyuni | Bantarto Bandoro |
| Okamoto Masaaki | Donald Weatherbee | Jacqueline Wendy Baker |
| Endah Heliana | Yopie Hambali | Ni Putu Nala Krisdiani |
| Najib Kailani | Gwenael Njoto-Feillard | Johanes Herlijanto |
| Andrew M. Carruthers | Ulla Fiona | Kathleen Azali |
| Pearlyn Pang | Charlotte Setijadi | Eve Warburton |
| Quinton Temby | Ross Tapsell | Benjamin Hu |
| Budi Irawanto | Leo Suryadinata | Tan Juen |
| Daniel Suryadarma | Made Supriatma | Astrid Meilasari-Sugiana |
| Takayuki Higashikata | Lee Sue-Ann | Aninda Dewayanti |
| Maria Monica Wihardja |
Publications
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute has published research and analyses on Indonesia in various formats. Scholarship and research on Indonesia regularly appear in the annual Southeast Asian Affairs, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute Journal of Contemporary Southeast Asia, Journal of Southeast Asian Economies and SOJOURN: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia. Selected recent outputs including the following:
Books
ISEAS Publications has published a wide range of monographs edited volumes on Indonesia, including:
- Max Lane (ed.), Continuity and Change after Indonesia’s Reforms: Contributions to an Ongoing Assessment (2019)
- Hal Hill and Siwage Dharma Negara (eds.), The Indonesian Economy in Transition: Policy Challenges in the Jokowi Era and Beyond (2019)
- Ulla Fiona, Siwage Dharma Negara, Deasy Simandjuntak (eds.), Aspirations with Limitations: Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs under Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (2018)
- Norshahril Saat, The State, Ulama and Islam in Indonesia and Malaysia (2018)
- Norshahril Saat, (ed.) Islam in Southeast Asia: Negotiating Modernity (2018)
- Leo Suryadinata, The Rise of China and the Chinese Overseas: A Study of Beijing’s Changing Policy in Southeast Asia and Beyond (2017)
- Edwin Juries and Ross Tapsell (ed.) Digital Indonesia: Connectivity and Divergence (2017)
- John F McCarthy and Kathryn Robinson (ed.) Land and Development in Indonesia: Searching for the People’s Sovereignty (2016)
- Leo Suryadianata, Prominent Indonesian Chinese: Biographical Sketches (4th edition) (2015)
- Rumadi, Islamic Post-Traditionalism in Indonesia (2015)
- Antje Missbach, Troubled Transit: Asylum Seekers Stuck in Indonesia (2015)
- Aris Ananta, Evi Nurvidya Arifin, M Sairi Hasbullah, Nur Budi Handayani, Agus Pramono, Demography of Indonesia’s Ethnicity (2015)
- Ulla Fionna (ed), ISEAS Perspective: Watching the Indonesian Elections 2015 (2015)
- Maxwell Lane, Decentralization and its Discontents: An Essay on Class, Political Agency and National Perspective in Indonesian Politics (2014)
- Hal Hill (ed.), Regional Dynamics in a Decentralized Indonesia (2014)
- Edward Aspinall, Marcus Mietzner and Dirk Tomsa (ed.) The Yudhoyono Presidency: Indonesia’s Decade of Stability and Stagnation (2014)
- Richard Borsuk and Nancy Chng, Liem Sioe Liong’s Salim Group: The Business Pillar of Suharto’s Indonesia (2014)
- Daniel Suryadarma, Gavin Jones (eds.), Education in Indonesia (2013)
- Donald Weatherbee, Indonesia in ASEAN: Vision and Reality (2013)
- Vedi Hadiz, Localising Power in Post-Authoritarian Indonesia: A Southeast Asia Perspective (2011)
- Chris Manning, Sudarno Sumarto (eds.), Employment, Living Standards and Poverty in Contemporary Indonesia (2011)
- Edward Aspinall, Marcus Mietzner (eds.), Problems of Democratisation in Indonesia: Elections, Institutions and Society (2010)
- Harold Crouch, Political Reform in Indonesia after Soeharto (2010)
Some of these titles are available in PDF and hardcopies. For a more comprehensive list, please check our bookshop.
Trends in Southeast Asia
| 2018 | |
|
Mulya Amri and Faizal Rianto |
State Formation in Riau Islands Province, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 15 (2018) |
| Leo Suryadinata | Pancasila and the Challenge of Political Islam: Past and Present, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 14 (2018) |
| Andrew M. Carruthers | Living on the Edge: Being Malay (And Bugis) in the Riau Islands, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 12 (2018) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara and Leo Suryadinata | Indonesia and China’s Belt and Road Initiatives: Perspectives, Issues and Prospects, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 11 (2018) |
| Max Lane | The Rise and Decline of Labour Militancy in Batam, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 8 (2018) |
| 2017 | |
| Ulla Fiona | Parties in the Periphery: Organizational Dilemmas in Indonesia’s Kepri Province, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 21 (2017) |
| Charlotte Setijadi | Harnessing the Potential of the Indonesian Diaspora, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 18 (2017) |
| Leo Suryadinata | The Growing “Strategic Partnership” Between Indonesia and China Faces Difficult Challenges, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 15 (2017) |
| Diego Fossati, Hui Yew-Foong and Siwage Dharma Negara | The Indonesia National Survey Project: Economy, Society and Politics, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 10 (2017) |
| Francis E. Hutchinson | Rowing Against the Tide? Batam’s Economic Fortunes in Today’s Indonesia, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 8 (2017) |
| Norshahril Saat | The Traditionalist Response to Wahhabi-Salafism in Batam, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 7 (2017) |
| Johanes Herlijanto | Old Stereotypes, New Convictions: Pribumi Perceptions of Ethnic Chinese in Indonesia Today, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 6 (2017) |
|
Leo Suryadinata and Mustafa Izzuddin |
The Natunas: Territorial Integrity in the Forefront of Indonesia – China Relations, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 5 (2017) |
| Ulla Fionna | Investigating the Popularity of Surabaya’s Mayor Tri Rismaharini, ISEAS Trends in Southeast Asia, No. 2 (2017) |
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute Perspective
| 2019 | |
| Quinton Temby, Ahmad Najib Burhani and Budi Irawanto | Indonesia’s 2019 Elections: The Key Issues (15 April 2019) |
| Budi Irawanto | Making It Personal: The Campaign Battle on Social Media in Indonesia’s 2019 Presidential Election (11 April 2019) |
| Quinton Temby and Benjamin Hu | Polarisation on- and off-line in Indonesia’s 2019 Presidential Elections (10 April 2019) |
| Hui Yew-Foong, Made Supriatma, Aninda Dewayanti and Benjamin Hu | Preview of the 2019 Indonesian Elections (9 April 2019) |
| Made Supriatma | Jokowi and His Generals: Appeasement and Personal Relations (8 April 2019) |
| Hui Yew-Foong and Siwage Dharma Negara | The 2019 Presidential Election as a Referendum on the Economy: An Interview with Sandiaga Uno (12 March 2019) |
| Norshahril Saat | The Implications of a Ma’ruf Amin Vice-Presidency in Indonesia (4 March 2019) |
| Burhanuddin Muhtadi, Eve Warburton and Aninda Dewayanti | Perceptions of Inequality in Indonesia: A Matter of Partisan Politics? (28 February 2019) |
| Leo Suryadinata | Which Presidential Candidate will Chinese Indonesians Vote for in 2019? (1 February 2019) |
| Max Lane | Contending Rhetoric in Indonesia’s Presidential Elections: An Analysis |
| Leo Suryadinata | Identity Politics in Indonesia: The Meliana Case (23 January 2019) |
| Budi Irwanto | Young and Faithless: Wooing Millennials in Indonesia’s 2019 Presidential Election (4 January 2019) |
| 2018 | |
| Max Lane | An Empty Start to the 2019 Election Campaign (27 November 2019) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara | Positioning for Elections Amidst Uncertainties: Indonesia’s 2019 Budget (26 October 2018) |
| Budi Irawanto | Political Machinery or Women’s Network?: The Case of East Java’s 2018 Gubernatorial Election (19 October 2018) |
| Deasy Simandjuntak | North Sumatra’s 2018 Election: Identity Politics Ruled the Day (1 October 2018) |
| Charlotte Setijadi | West Kalimantan Gubernatorial Election 2018: Identity Politics Proves Decisive (24 September 2018) |
| Ahmad Najib Burhani & Deasy Simandjuntak | The Ma’ruf Amin Vice-presidential Candidacy: Enticing or Splitting Conservative Votes? (4 September 2018) |
| Max Lane | Trade Unions’ Initiative To Create Alternative Political Force in Indonesia (10 August 2018) |
| Eve Warburton | West Java’s 2018 Regional Elections: Reform, Religion, and the Rise of Ridwan Kamil (3 August 2018) |
| Leo Suryadinata | Islamism and the New Anti-Terrorism Law in Indonesia (25 July 2018) |
| Diego Fossati and Eve Warburton | Indonesia’s Political Parties and Minorities (9 July 2018) |
| Eve Warburton, Deasy Simandjuntak and Charlotte Setijadi | Indonesia’s 2018 Regional Elections: Between Local and National Politics (14 June 2018) |
| Charlotte Setijadi | Chinese Investment and Presence in the Riau Islands (10 May 2018) |
| Deasy Simandjuntak | A Special Law for Archipelagic Provinces: Is it Necessary for Kepri? (23 February 2018) |
| Max Lane | The Further Erosion of an Indonesian Political Taboo (1 February 2018) |
| Leo Suryadinata | Golkar’s Leadership and the Indonesian President (26 January 2018) |
| Max Lane | The Politics of Wages and Indonesia’s Trade Unions (18 January 2018) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara and Leo Suryadinata | Jakarta-Bandung High Speed Rail Project: Little Progress, Many Challenges (4 January 2018) |
| 2017 | |
| Johanes Herlijanto | The 1965 Tragedy, China, and the Ethnic Chinese: Interview with Lieutenant General (Retired) Agus Widjojo (Part II) (22 December 2017) |
| Johanes Herlijanto | The Current State of Military Reform in Indonesia: Interview with Lieutenant General (Retired) Agus Widjojo (Part 1) (15 December 2017) |
| Johanes Herlijanto | Public Perceptions of China in Indonesia: The Indonesia National Survey (4 December 2017) |
| Ulla Fionna | ISEAS Survey: Passive Indonesian Voters Place Candidate before Party (30 October 2017) |
| Max Lane | A New Ideological Contestation Emerging in Indonesia? (19 October 2017) |
| Charlotte Setijadi | Chinese Indonesians in the Eyes of the Pribumi Public (27 September 2017) |
| Ahmad Najib Burhani | The Banning of Hizbut Tahrir and the Consolidation of Democracy in Indonesia (19 September 2017) |
| Kathleen Azali | Indonesia’s Divided Digital Economy (14 September 2017) |
| Diego Fossati | Support for Decentralization and Political Islam Go Together in Indonesia (12 September 2017) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara | Promoting Growth with Equity: Indonesia’s 2018 Budget (8 September 2017) |
| Leo Suryadinata | What Does Indonesia’s Renaming of Part of the South China Sea Signify? (18 August 2017) |
| Kathleen Azali | Fake News and Increased Persecution in Indonesia (7 August 2017) |
| Andrew M. Carruthers | Clandestine Movement in the Indonesia-Malaysia Migration Corridor: Roots, Routes, and Realities (31 July 2017) |
| Johanes Herlijanto | The Role of Moderate Muslims in the 2017 Jakarta Election (13 July 2017) |
| Leo Suryadinata | General Gatot and the Re-emergence of Pribumi-ism in Indonesia (7 July 2017) |
| Hew Wai Weng | Diversity not Uniformity: Chinese Muslim Preachers and Politicians in Indonesia (30 June 2017) |
| Deasy Simandjuntak | Developing Poor Little Rich Natuna’s Economy (27 June 2017) |
| Ulla Fionna | Constructing Images: Campaign Consultancy in the Batu (East Java) Local Election (15 June 2017) |
| Ahmad Najib Burhani | Ethnic Minority Politics in Jakarta’s Gubernatorial Election (9 June 2017) |
| Charlotte Setijadi | Ahok’s Downfall and the Rise of Islamist Populism in Indonesia (8 June 2017) |
| Leo Suryadinata & Siwage Dharma Negara | US Vice-President Mike Pence’s Visit to Indonesia: A US “Return” to Southeast Asia? (19 May 2017) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara, Norshahril Saat and Jason Salim | A Chance for France: President Hollande’s 2017 Visit to Southeast Asia (2 May 2017) |
| Hui Yew-Foong | Decentralization and Chinese Indonesian Politics: The Case of Singkawang, West Kalimantan (27 March 2017) |
| Charlotte Setijadi | The Jakarta Election Continues: What Next for Embattled Governor Ahok? (21 March 2017) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara | The Impact of Saudi King’s Visit to Indonesia (10 March 2017) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara | Can the Decline of Batam’s Shipbuilding Industry be Reversed? (16 February 2017) |
| Johanes Herlijanto | How the Indonesian Elite Regards Relations with China (10 February 2017) |
| Ulla Fionna | Manipulating “Diversity”: Campaign against Ahok Threatens Democracy (2 February 2017) |
| Siwage Dharma Negara and Sanchita Basu Das | Challenges for Indonesia to achieve its Maritime Connectivity Plan and Leverage on Regional Initiatives (10 January 2017) |