Daily News on Southeast Asia – 2 Apr 2024

Every weekday, ISEAS Library collates articles relevant to Southeast Asia and special topics in line with the research interests of the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. To view articles behind paywalls, please visit the Library during its operating hours.

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Today’s issue includes the following commentaries and citations attributed to ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute and its researchers. You can click on the links to go to the articles directly.


Brunei | Cambodia | Indonesia | Laos | Malaysia | Myanmar | Philippines | Singapore | Thailand | Timor-Leste | Vietnam | ASEAN / Southeast Asia | Asia PacificEast/South China Sea | Climate Change/Environment | Media, Technology & Society | Others


Cambodia

1. End of an Era as the Phnom Penh Post Closes Its Doors
Luke Hunt
Diplomat, 2 April 2024

2. Cambodia getting a China-backed, game-changing canal
Richards S Ehrlich
Asia Times, 1 April 2024

3. Chinese warships spotted again at Cambodia naval base
Yuji Nitta
Nikkei Asia, 1 April 2024

Indonesia

4. Analysis: Losing presidential candidates go for the jugular. But for what?
Tenggara Strategics
Jakarta Post, 2 April 2024

5. Xi calls Indonesia high-speed rail a ‘gold standard’ of ties
Nana Shibata & Ismi Damayanti
Nikkei Asia, 2 April 2024

6. Jokowi may step down as president but don’t expect him to slow down
Wasisto Raharjo Jati
Jakarta Post, 1 April 2024

7. As El Nino bites, Indonesians struggle with record-high rice prices
Malay Mail Online, 1 April 2024

8. Indonesia’s Prabowo meets Xi in rare pre-inauguration China visit
Nana Shibata & CK Tan
Nikkei Asia, 1 April 2024

9. Indonesian President-elect Prabowo meets with Chinese leader Xi, discusses deeper strategic ties
Pizaro Gozali Idrus and Dandy Koswaraputra
Radio Free Asia, 1 April 2024

10. Indonesia’s Prabowo weighs former minister, regulator chief for finance job, sources say
Ananda Teresia and Stefanno Sulaiman
Reuters, 1 April 2024

11. Indonesia’s key to escape middle-income trap lies in quality jobs for its young people
[Article is also republished on the Star]
Linda Yulisman
Straits Times, 1 April 2024

12. Xi holds talks with Indonesia’s president-elect
Alexander Wong
Xinhua News, 1 April 2024

13. 正式当选仅11天就出访 普拉博沃展现外交积极姿态 [A foreign visit just 11 days after officially elected – Prabowo shows zeal for foreign relations]
蓝云舟
联合早报, 1 April 2024

14. Apa risikonya jika TNI dan Polri bisa jadi ASN? [What are the risks if the TNI and Polri become ASN?]
[36-minute podcast in Bahasa Indonesia]

Telah diwawancara: Rahadian Diffaul Barraq Suwartono, Pengajar di Departemen Hukum Tata Negara, Fakultas Hukum, Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII) Yogyakarta
The Conversation, 21 March 2024

Malaysia

15. As controversies put unity govt’s cohesion at risk, observers suggest PM Anwar step in sooner than later
Yiswaree Palansamy
Malay Mail Online, 2 April 2024

16. Focus on the poor before checking welfare of T20 ‘eligible’ for targeted subsidies, govt told
Malaysia Now, 2 April 2024

17. Give local grads same job opportunities as foreign engineers
Mohd Amirul Rafiq Abu Rahim & Laventhen Sivashanmugam
Malaysiakini, 2 April 2024

18. Selangor Umno denies Tengku Zafrul’s claim of rift with central leadership
Nor Ain Mohamed Radhi
New Straits Times, 2 April 2024

19. Umno’s hardline approach backfiring, say veteran politicians
K. Kabilan
The Malaysian Insight, 2 April 2024

20. Investments Worth RM41.4 Bln Realised By ECERDC Up To March 2024 — PM Anwar
Bernama, 1 April 2024

21. DPM appeals for calm after attack on KK Mart in Kuching
Jason Thomas
Free Malaysia Today, 1 April 2024

22. Targeted subsidies will benefit 80-85% of population, says Anwar
Free Malaysia Today, 1 April 2024

23. Malaysia defends subsidy-linked database even as millions shun it over hacking fears
Joseph Sipalan
South China Morning Post, 1 April 2024

24. Felda perlu diurus dengan lebih baik untuk kekal relevan – PM [Felda needs to be managed better to remain relevant – PM]
ASYRAF MUHAMAD
Utusan Malaysia, 1 April 2024

Myanmar

25. Myanmar: The junta’s forced conscription of Rohingyas
Md. Himel Rahman
Interpreter, 2 April 2024

26. As Myanmar’s civil war halts key India-funded transport project, will China take advantage?
Junaid Kathju
South China Morning Post, 2 April 2024

27. Yingluck Shinawatra to Be UN Special Envoy on Myanmar?
Irrawaddy, 1 April 2024

28. Foreign Peacemakers Are Back, But the Last Thing Myanmar Needs is More ‘White Messiahs’
Bertil Lintner
Irrawaddy, 1 April 2024

Philippines

29. NSC: Diplomacy still part of PH strategy in sea row with China
Marlon Ramos
Philippine Daily Inquirer, 2 April 2024

Singapore

30. Is Singapore Unfriending Israel?
Sribala Subramanian
Diplomat, 2 April 2024

Thailand

31. RTP ructions ‘won’t result in reforms’
Mongkol Bangprapa, Wassayos Ngamkham and Aekarach Sattaburuth
Bangkok Post, 2 April 2024

32. What joining OECD means to Thailand
Kavi Chongkittavorn
Bangkok Post, 2 April 2024

33. Vietnamese rice causes backlash in local markets
Bangkok Post, 2 April 2024

34. Govt wants more China, Laos routes
Mongkol Bangprapa
Bangkok Post, 2 April 2024

35. Political Islam: As insurgency drags on in Thailand’s Deep South, a new generation is swept up in the conflict
Aqil Haziq Mahmud
CNA, 2 April 2024

36. June reshuffle could see Democrats invited to join govt coalition
The Nation, 2 April 2024

37. Thaksin’s influence no longer potent
Veera Prateepchaikul
Bangkok Post, 1 April 2024

38. Thailand revives Kra Canal project with a ‘land bridge’ twist. Can Srettha succeed where others failed?
Seri Mazliana
[Link to ISEAS Perspective 2019/76 by Ian Storey]
Mothership, 1 April 2024

39. PM holds meeting of financial discipline panel on how to finance digital wallet scheme
The Nation, 1 April 2024

40. First Thaksin, now Jakrapob, which political exile is next to return?
The Nation, 29 March 2024

Vietnam

41. Will Vietnam’s Political Turmoil Shake Up Foreign Investment?
Dien Luong
Foreign Policy, 1 April 2024

42. Vietnam and the Russia-Ukraine war: Hanoi’s ‘bamboo diplomacy’ pays off but challenges remain
[Originally published here on Fulcrum]
Ian Storey
ThinkChina, 1 April 2024

ASEAN/Southeast Asia

43. Commentary: Chinese EVs are putting a high-tech spin on ‘Made in China’ label in Southeast Asia
Xirui Li
CNA, 2 April 2024

44. Australia’s Southeast Asia trade stumbling block
Maxfield Peterson
Interpreter, 2 April 2024

45. World Bank sees Cambodia and Philippines as fastest growing developing ASEAN economies this year
[Link to the “East Asia and the Pacific Economic Update, April 2024: Firm Foundations of Growth” report]
Khmer Times, 2 April 2024

46. Majority of ASEAN people favor China over U.S., survey finds
[Link to The State of Southeast Asia: 2024 Survey Report]
Nikkei Asia, 2 April 2024

47. Southeast Asians swing towards China alignment as pro-Israel bias hurts US, new survey shows
[Link to The State of Southeast Asia: 2024 Survey Report]
Kimberly Lim
South China Morning Post, 2 April 2024

48. When push comes to shove, China edges out US as S-E Asia’s preferred superpower: ISEAS survey
[Link to The State of Southeast Asia: 2024 Survey Report]
Michelle Ng
Straits Times, 2 April 2024

49. 5 takeaways from survey of Southeast Asians, including Singapore being top choice of regional country for relocation
[Link to The State of Southeast Asia: 2024 Survey Report]
Deborah Lau
Today, 2 April 2024

50. Brunei firm pitches 1,600 km high-speed rail linking Indonesia, Malaysia
Erwida Maulia & Hakimie Amrie
Nikkei Asia, 1 April 2024

Asia Pacific

51. Enze Han on China’s Multifarious Presence in Southeast Asia
Sebastian Strangio
Diplomat, 2 April 2024

East/South China Sea

52. A wave of US trilaterals sends a clear message to China
Richard Javad Heydarian
Interpreter, 2 April 2024

53. China’s SCS ambitions and the 21st century maritime silk road
Marsetio
Jakarta Post, 1 April 2024

54. South China Sea cooperation better for China than conflict
Vandana Hari
Nikkei Asia, 1 April 2024

55. South China Sea: Philippines urged to prioritise diplomacy even as navy prepares for ‘worst-case scenario’
Jeoffrey Maitem
South China Morning Post, 1 April 2024

Climate Change/Environment

56. Commentary: Malaysia must unlock the potential of carbon credits
[This commentary first appeared on ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute’s blog, Fulcrum.]
Renard Siew
CNA, 2 April 2024

57. SDGs in Asia – mind the widening gap
[Link to “Asia and the Pacific SDG progress report 2024 : showcasing transformative actions“]
Eco-Business, 1 April 2024

Media, Technology & Society

58. China’s advancing efforts to influence the US election raise alarms
Bangkok Post, 1 April 2024

59. AI-fueled disinformation in Southeast Asia shows need for fact-checking, literacy
[Link to CSIS report “Regional and Cross-Border Responses Towards Disinformation in Southeast Asia“]
Radhi
Jakarta Post, 1 April 2024

60. Gartner predicts 80% of D&A governance initiatives will fail by 2027
The Nation, 1 April 2024

Others

BRICS

61. Is BRICS offering an alternative model for global governance?
Mihaela Papa & Ravi Chaturvedi
East Asia Forum, 2 April 2024

Global Economy

62. AIIB in talks over second loan guarantee deal for World Bank
Financial Times, 2 April 2024

63. Asian economies face headwinds in 2024
Manila Times, 2 April 2024

64. Avoiding the awful consequences of breakdown in the US-China relationship
East Asia Forum, 1 April 2024


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