Malaysia to shelve projects worth US$22 billion
22 August 2018
Suu Kyi: Rohingya return up to Bangladesh
22 August 2018
Will Indonesia’s new anti-terrorism law be effective?
21 August 2018
Singapore bids for UNESCO culture listing
21 August 2018
Combating fake news: A balancing act
21 August 2018
Malaysia PM calls for China's help
21 August 2018Geopolitics
Geopolitics
Malaysia to shelve projects worth US$22 billion
Malaysia will shelve three China-backed projects worth a total of US$22 billion until the debt-laden Southeast Asian nation can afford to pay for them, Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said Tuesday during a visit to Beijing.The projects include a railway connecting Malaysia's east coast to southern…
Will Indonesia’s new anti-terrorism law be effective?
Indonesia was swept by a wave of terror attacks in May. Within one week, the country witnessed three attacks – most of which occurred in Indonesia’s second largest city, Surabaya. On 13 May, a family of suicide bombers attacked three churches in Central Surabaya. The incident was followed by…
US denies role in Equanimity transfer to Malaysia
The United States (US) Justice Department reiterated it wasn’t involved in turning over Low Taek Jho’s US$250 million super yacht to Malaysia from Indonesia as the fugitive financier vowed not to submit to any jurisdiction where his guilt had been predetermined.Federal prosecutors said their only…
Former UN chief Kofi Annan dies
Former United Nations (UN) chief and Nobel peace laureate Kofi Annan died Saturday at the age of 80, triggering a flood of tributes from around the world for the "diplomatic rock star".The Ghanaian national was a career diplomat who projected quiet charisma and was widely credited for raising the…
Energy
Energy
Cambodia’s hydropower dilemma
Along with most Southeast Asian countries, Cambodia’s electricity consumption over the past decade has skyrocketed. In a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), electricity…
China’s energy ambitions in Southeast Asia
A Pan-Asian super grid connecting electrical transmission networks across the continent providing clean and renewable power to more than half the world’s population may be a…
Lao dam failure creates hydroelectric woes
Hundreds still remain unaccounted for in the thick mud and flood waters of Attapeu and Champasak, two provinces in southern Lao PDR where the failure of an auxiliary dam sent a…
Markets
Market
Myanmar’s SEZs: Liabilities or assets?
Ever since the National League for Democracy (NLD) was elected to government at the end of 2015, Myanmar’s economy has been opening up and quietly growing steadily. In an effort to open up its…
Cambodian cassava catches mosaic virus
Cambodia’s plans to boost its cassava industry has hit a snag with an outbreak of the mosaic virus. Thailand, a main importer of Cambodia’s cassava issued a warning in June that it may ban the…
Enhancing the tourism industry in ASEAN
The unique and diverse range of recreational activities and travel options in this region has made Southeast Asia a top destination for tourists. According to the World Tourism and Travel Council (…
Indonesia bets big on the 2018 Asian Games
For the next month, Indonesia will be hosting Asia’s biggest sporting event, the 2018 Asian Games. The multi-sport event is scheduled to be held from 18 August to 2 September. This is the first time…
Age is an asset in Brunei
While in most countries, an ageing population is a sign of potential dwindling economic productivity, Brunei paints a different picture to this conundrum.Speaking at a forum titled ‘New Frontiers in…
Technology
Technology
Smart City Spotlight: Hanoi
Hanoi is a city rich in history and culture that has been occupied by foreign forces in the past. From being ruled by ancient Chinese dynasties and the French in the…
Tech disrupts Cambodia’s tour guides
A van arrives at Angkor Wat Temple and deposits its load of foreigners who make their way to the World Heritage Site. Noticeably absent among them is a local guide. The…
Digital villages in rural ASEAN
India would love to play “Big Brother” in a digital sense to ASEAN. The subcontinent wants to create digital villages in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam. The…
Environment
Environment
Singapore bids for UNESCO culture listing
Not content with listing its Botanic Gardens as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site in 2015, the Singapore government is pushing for its ubiquitous hawker centres to be listed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) of Humanity.Its Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong announced at the National Day Rally that a committee will be formed in September to prepare and submit the hawker culture nomination to…
Jakarta has that sinking feeling
Jakarta is one of the most populous urban agglomerations on earth. Its population has grown immensely in the last century. The megacity was once home to just 115,000 people in the 1900s when it was a Dutch colony, which then grew to 1.43 million in the 1950s at the time of Indonesia’s independence. In the 2000s, its population was 8.39 million after the collapse of the New Order and in 2017 this figure has grown to almost 13.5 million. For those living and working in North, West and East…
Tackling the stray dog problem
A pack of dogs look nervously as strangers walk toward and past them, their eyes watchful for signs of danger, yet hopeful for a morsel of food. These are the stray dogs that litter the streets of Thailand. “The authorities used to shoot and poison these dogs but it did not solve the problem. This practice was stopped when the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej intervened,” John Dalley, co-founder of Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) told The ASEAN Post.The King was well known for his concern and care for the…
Indigenous people: The struggle for home
When the then Indonesian President, Susilo Bambang Yudhyono, was presented with two maps of the country’s primary forests by different government agencies at a cabinet meeting in December 2010 on ongoing REDD+ work, it became clear that the spatial data presented was conflicting. REDD+ refers to efforts aimed at ‘reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in developing countries, and the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon…
Real Estate
Real Estate
Singapore sticks a pin before property bubble forms
The Monetary Authority of Singapore has introduced strong measures to dampen “euphoria” in the property market.
Singapore tightens property curbs
The property stocks index dropped 1.4 percent and is set for the lowest close in 15 months.
Ho Chi Minh City: Property paradise for ASEAN
Ho Chi Minh City’s real estate landscape showcases a real estate market in near-perfect balance.
Singapore sustains comeback in home sales with gains in December
Singapore sustained a comeback in home sales in December.
Property tax reforms in Myanmar could kickstart infrastructure development
Myanmar has a notoriously low residential property taxes rate, accounting for just 7.5% of GDP, compared to the 13-14% its neighbours, Laos and…
Events
Home Event
32nd ASEAN Summit
Event Location
Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore
369 views
4th International Sustainable Energy Summit (ISES) 2018
Event Location
Pullman Hotels and Resorts, Kuching, Sarawak
203 views
ASEAN-EU Business Summit 2018
Event Date
03/02/2018
Event Location
The Grand Hyatt Singapore
379 views