New Delhi wants to be a significant player in Myanmar. To achieve this, it needs to do more on its own and also consider working with others. One application of this would be leveraging on China’s BRI projects.
A bill setting out to interpret the Panca Sila, a set of five principles enshrined in the Indonesian Constitution, has come under attack. Conservative elements argue that the bill has framed Panca Sila in an entirely secular manner.
Vietnam has recently floated plans to revive the nuclear power option. However, Vietnam does not need to develop nuclear power at all cost. Instead, it should focus efforts on developing renewable energy and gas-fired power plants, which are safer, more affordable and less controversial.
The Warisan-led state assembly in Sabah has been dissolved. If the Perikatan Nasional coalition manages to claw its way back to power in Kota Kinabalu, the state storied for being the “land below the wind” might give a second wind to the embattled ruling coalition at the federal level.
The historic guilty verdict given to former premier Najib Razak has led to much political bargaining among the country’s Malay parties. Such unabashed political gaming may lead to disillusionment with the country’s Machiavellian political culture.
The reversion of the Hagia Sophia in Turkey back to its status as a mosque is seen to be harming inter-religious harmony and civilisational relationships. In Indonesia, the precedent set by Turkey could throw up some unsettling scenarios.
With the 2020 elections looming, the National League for Democracy looks set to bag an electoral majority again. This may not deter other parties from poking holes in the NLD’s performance legitimacy
The recent conviction of former premier Najib Razak in court has been celebrated by many Malaysians. But the course of the ensuing political drama could go along many different tracks.
China appears to have made a momentary adjustment in its response to American criticisms of its actions in the South China Sea. It has adopted a calibrated and reciprocal response, but it has not over-reacted. Beijing could be wary of overplaying its hand and hence strengthening the positions of China hawks in the United States.
Former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak made history today when he became the country’s highest-ranking official ever to be convicted in court. The judicial decision will help restore confidence in the country’s institutions, many of which have been eroded over the past four decades. The political ramifications are manifold, and could even involve a re-pairing of current premier Muhyiddin Yassin and opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
India and China: Finding the Balance between Cooperation and Competition
New Delhi wants to be a significant player in Myanmar. To achieve this, it needs to do more on its own and also consider working with others. One application of this would be leveraging on China’s BRI projects.