Indonesia recently witnessed a saga involving a high-profile fugitive who received substantial privileges from the public service while he was on the run. Such instances of state capture remain a chronic problem in Indonesia.
In this seminar, Dr Hendro Sangkoyo talks about the politics behind the passing of Indonesia’s new coal and mineral mining law as well as the long history of natural resource extraction in Indonesia. Mr Made Supriatma discusses the controversies surrounding the new law and relates them to domestic political dynamics.
The incidents of maritime violence in Asia has risen sharply in the first half of 2020. These incidents are likely to rise in the second half of this year. But the high number of attacks of the late 1990s and early 2000s may not be repeated, given greater political stability in Southeast Asia and increased regional cooperation.
This podcast was broadcast by CNA on 6 August 2020.
This article was published by Wall Street Journal on 5 August 2020.
Jayant Menon quoted by ST: “Modest gains expected from upcoming Cambodia-China free trade agreement”
This article was published by The Straits Times on 3 August 2020.
This article was first published as ISEAS Commentary 2020/108 Najib’s Guilty Verdict: A Whole New Political Chessboard and republished by Today on 5 August 2020.
True to form, Sabah’s storied “katak” (frog) politicians have hopped parties again, leading to the dissolution of the state assembly and triggering fresh elections. Voters have much to mull over in coming days.
This article was published by South China Morning Post on 4 August 2020.
Save the Planet? Eat Like an Indonesian
Protein-rich foods such as tofu and tempeh might well save the world. If all other countries adopted Indonesia’s prescribed dietary standards and actually followed them, current greenhouse gas emissions from global food production would plummet.