The past few days have seen the Malaysian media frenzied by allegations that tycoon and business magnate, Robert Kuok has been funding various opposition parties in an attempt to overthrow the Malaysian government. These allegations were first published by exiled blogger and fugitive, Raja Petra Kamarudin on his website, Malaysia Today – allegations that Kuok had since refuted via a media statement.

In the not so distant future, cross border transfer of money can be done with a few taps on your smartphone. Cash stored in virtual wallets and accessible via a secure smartphone application would make physical currency obsolete, while paving the way for digital cryptocurrencies. Such advancements fall under the wider web of financial technology or fintech for short.The fintech sector in Southeast Asia is currently facing a boom.

Donald Trump’s inherently protectionist “America First” policy is a far cry from what many have grown to perceive the United States in the international arena – as a bastion of free trade. But with Trump at the helm, the superpower has rescinded its global leadership in trade and has dented its reputation further by way of imposing tariffs. The recent tariffs which affected industries in Asia – specifically Southeast Asia – was the imposition of tariffs on solar panels and modules.

Smart cities, while not dominating discussions at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers' Retreat in Singapore earlier this month, was nevertheless talked about. Singapore, which chairs ASEAN for 2018 under the theme of innovation and resilience has been a strong advocate of a network of ASEAN smart cities to be formed as part of its chairmanship goals.

The spate of cyberattacks in the region last year was definitely more than enough reason for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to level up their game in cybersecurity.

Sabah, located in the northern half of the island of Borneo has been at the centre of a diplomatic row between Malaysia and the Philippines – which claims much of its eastern half – since the early 1960s. Currently, Sabah remains under the sovereignty of Malaysia and the matter has laid dormant for many years.

Health and medical tourism is becoming more prominent and is seen as a growing trend worldwide, according to Global Wellness Institute, a non-profit organisation for the wellness industry.

The unique and diverse range of recreational activities and travel options in this region has made Southeast Asia a top choice for tourists. According to the World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC), the tourism sector directly contributed to a whopping US$119.7 billion in 2016 alone and is projected to reach US$222.8 billion in 2027, which makes up 5.3% of total GDP for the region.

The global economy has continued to strengthen in 2018 and this trend is expected to continue into 2019 as well. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that some 120 economies, which accounts for three quarters of the world’s GDP, “…has seen a pickup in growth in year-on-year terms in 2017”. Countries like Germany, Japan, Korea and the United States also saw higher growth in the third quarter of 2017 as opposed to the projection made in October 2016.

A more resilient cross-border education system with more involvement between institutions in different countries, could be the key to realising the economic and political aspirations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).Regionalisation of higher learning has a pivotal role to play in the community building process according to panellists at a forum organised by SEA Junction and the Heinrich Boell Foundation Southeast Asia in November, last year.