The United States (US) and 10 Southeast Asian states will hold their first-ever joint maritime exercises in September, aimed at preventing "wrongdoing" as Washington and Beijing jostle for influence in the region.Washington has traditionally been the dominant naval power in Southeast Asia and its re-engagement with the area comes as a deteriorating trade war with China threatens to engulf the global economy.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo attended a regional summit earlier this mo

Yesterday, The ASEAN Post published an article on Zakir Naik and the effect he has had on Malaysian society. That article left us with a glaring question: Why was the government of Malaysia so adamant in keeping Naik in the country before his controversial speech in the northern city of Kota Bharu in the state of Kelantan?

China announced Friday it will hit United States (US) soybeans, lobsters, peanut butter and other imports worth US$75 billion with new tariffs in retaliation for Washington's planned duty hikes, further intensifying the bruising trade war between the world's top two economies.The punitive tariffs of five to 10 percent will apply to 5,078 items from the US, starting 1 September and 15 December, China's state council tariff office said.Beijing also announced it will reimpose a 25

Thai-American United States (US) Senator Tammy Duckworth on Friday urged Thais to be patient with the "messy" nature of democracy, during her first official visit to her birthplace Bangkok since she was elected in 2016.Duckworth's comments come two months after 2014 coup leader Prayut Chan-o-cha was reinstalled as Thailand's civilian premier following a highly disputed poll.The US Senator met Prayut on Friday morning, after a press conference where she congratulated Thaila

Indonesia’s decision to move its capital from Jakarta raises several key questions for Southeast Asia’s largest economy.Faced with notorious traffic jams, rapid sinking and a host of other problems, Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo last week officially announced plans to shift ASEAN’s most populous capital to Kalimantan – an area on Borneo, an island which Indonesia shares with Malaysia and Brunei.With Indonesia located in the Ring of Fire, Kalimantan was identified as a possible lo

Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country where a multitude of ethnicities and people of varying religious beliefs call home. While Malay Muslims make up a large majority of Malaysians, non-Muslims and non-Malays have been able to co-exist with their Malay Muslim counterparts with relative ease. This peace, however, has not come without its own tests and over the years there have been black spots in Malaysia’s history.

Indonesia has cut off internet access in unrest-hit Papua over fears that a stream of offensive and racist online posts would spark more violent protests in the region, but critics slammed the move as a threat to free speech.Riots and demonstrations brought several Papuan cities to a standstill this week, as buildings were torched and street battles broke out between police and protesters in Indonesia's easternmost territory.A rebel insurgency against Jakarta's rule has simmered for

Violent protests erupted anew Wednesday in Indonesia's restive Papua region, with a market torched and street battles breaking out between police and demonstrators as more than 1,000 security personnel were deployed to contain the unrest.Jakarta has called for calm in its easternmost territory - where an insurgency against Indonesian rule has simmered for decades - following riots triggered by the detention of dozens of Papuan students in Java at the weekend.On Wednesday, as man

At least some form of religious intolerance is apparent in several ASEAN countries. Myanmar has its conflict with the Rohingya issue which is propagating religious intolerance among the country’s Buddhists and Muslims. Similarly, Thailand’s deep south insurgency has resulted in some level of intolerance among the Buddhists and Muslims there as well.

The news that Malaysia’s longest running Malay-language newspaper, Utusan Malaysia, might close tomorrow serves as a reminder to media outlets across the region about the importance of ethical journalism and sound financial management.Malaysian media has widely reported that the 80-year-old Utusan Malaysia and its sister publication, Kosmo!