Four days after Malaysia said it will reopen a graft probe into state fund 1MDB, Swiss prosecutors said they wanted to start talks with investigators in the Southeast Asian nation as soon as possible to better coordinate various criminal probes into the sprawling case.The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland “is very much interested in renewing dialogue with the competent authorities in Malaysia” and “favours an exchange between partnering authorities at their earliest convenience,”

Over the past week, Indonesia has witnessed two terrorist attacks. On 9 May, a family of six, including a nine-year-old girl, targeted three churches in Surabaya killing at least 13 and injuring over 40 people. Less than a week later, on 14 May, another family of terrorists attacked the police headquarters in the same city, resulting in at least four police officers and six local residents being injured.

At 92, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad is now the world’s oldest elected leader. He’s also the first to return to power after a lapse of 15 years, at the helm of a different political party. His place in Asian history is assured.There’s still room, however, to burnish his legacy. Mahathir doesn’t plan to remain in office long, only until his former deputy Anwar Ibrahim is pardoned of sodomy charges and wins a by-election for parliament.

Located in north-eastern India, Assam is one of the fastest-growing states in the country, lying at the heart of India’s Act East Policy. Spread over 78,000 square kilometres, it is fast becoming India’s expressway to Southeast Asia.Due in part to its strategic location, Assam is now looking to attract investors from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to fuel its development.

On 9 May, Malaysians from all walks of life exercised their right to vote and made history. For the first time in over 60 years, Malaysia will see a new ruling party in power.Barisan Nasional – a coalition made up of various parties such as the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) – and its predecessor the Alliance Party, have ruled Malaya and Malaysia since the nation’s independence in 1957.

Now more than ever, Southeast Asia has to be united on all fronts, with cooperation in defence and security a pivotal cog in the machinery that is ASEAN. Among the many concerns that have to be addressed are China’s persistent encroachment into the South China Sea, the creation of terrorist cells in the region, as well as the rise of cyber-attacks on ASEAN’s digital frontier. Although these apprehensions are not new, the threats to regional order from these worries are growing.

Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad said that Malaysia’s king has indicated he’s willing to immediately pardon jailed politician Anwar Ibrahim, his likely successor.Anwar, 70, is the de facto leader of the Pakatan Harapan alliance that won Malaysia’s election earlier this week, ending the Barisan Nasional’s six-decade rule.

A free press has always been an integral institutional safeguard to any self-professed democracy in the world. In Cambodia, things are slightly different.

On 9 May 2018, Malaysians from all walks of life will go to the polls in what has been dubbed “the mother of all elections.” The elections on Wednesday, the country's 14th since gaining independence in 1957, will decide whether the National Front (Barisan Nasional) will continue ruling Malaysia as it has for the past 61 years. If it wins, Barisan Nasional will continue to be the longest ruling political party in the world.This election is unlike any other in Malaysia’s history.

This weekend saw Singapore host the second ASEAN Media Forum (AMF), where almost 30 media leaders, journalists and social media influencers congregated to have a dialogue with the region’s thought leaders on various important issues affecting the region. The AMF is a new effort by ASEAN to reach out to the media to help them better understand the region and its complexities.