India mulls over Indo-Pacific Security Arrangement
The recent tiff between France and Australia over the latter’s buying of nuclear powered submarines has created diplomatic tension. Australia’s about turn – choosing of the US nuclear powered submarines against the French-made submarines – has soured relations between France, UK and the US with the French accusing its NATO
Continue reading9/11 and the impact lives on…
The bombings of four key US installations on September 11, 2001, by four commercial planes, are still etched in most minds. Twenty years ago, the world watched the event unfold, real time, with awe and shock as the two towers of World Trade Centre collapsed minutes after the second plane
Continue readingThe Myanmar Crisis and ASEAN’s role
This is a recent article I wrote for Critical Asian Studies. In the article I raise the point that any intervention in Myanmar should take careful note of the complexities of Myanmar’s political economy and the country’s institutional quality where democratic institutions are still at a nascent stage. ASEAN, specifically,
Continue readingMalaysia’s dilemma and ongoing battle for political change
This is an article I wrote in 2016, before Malaysia’s eventful May 2018 election that saw the Barisan Nasional (BN) losing control of the government and the first time that Malaysia saw a new coalition government, the Pakatan Harapan (PH) taking control. At the time the PH government included many
Continue readingIs Capitalism and Democracy incompatible?
Unlike common belief, there is always the tug of war between capitalism and democracy. Some are suggesting that rampant capitalism as we see now is putting democracy under threat. The effects iof capitalism is evident from widening rich-poor divide, the rule of markets over state’s policy and the evident rise
Continue readingA Covidian-age budget: Malaysia to announce its budget for 2021
Malaysia is set to announce its budget for 2021 this coming 6 November. How will the Malaysian budget look like? How different will this budget be compared to the pre-covid 19 budget statements. One certainty is that Malaysia’s budget deficit is set to breach its self-imposed limit of 5.5% of
Continue readingChange: Why is it so difficult?
Habit is difficult to break, they say, because if you take the H there is still “a bit”. Even if you take away the “a” there is still the “bit”. And even if you remove the “b” there is still “it.” There is some truth about habit and change. Why
Continue readingSingapore election 2020: Is Singapore politics turning a new page?
Singapore opened its 14th parliamentary session recently. This came on the back of a general election held in early July. By any measure of democratic elections Singapore’s recent election is a thumping victory for the People’s Action Party (PAP) which has ruled the 700 square km island- state since 1959.
Continue readingMalaysia’s fight to contain the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Seven weeks ago, the Malaysian government imposed a lockdown, known locally as the Movement Control Order (MCO). This came after the country experienced a spike in Covid-19 cases in early March. The government was swift in imposing the lockdown and the the public took the MCO very seriously. The result
Continue readingInstitutions and Change and the case of Malaysia
It is almost impossible to discuss present institutions prevalent in Malaysia’s political economy without mentioning the New Economic Policy (NEP). It is an institution that has consumed the mental make up of most Malaysians and created a fair amount of discourses amongst observers. For the critics, especially neo liberals, the
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