Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region

ISEAS Library Selects

8 April 2021 (pm) - 9 April 2021 (am)

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This alert service contains articles focusing on Southeast Asia and special topics in line with the research interests of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Today’s issue includes the following articles with mentions of ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute:

No. 50: State of Southeast Asia: 2021 Survey Report
No. 57: State of Southeast Asia: 2021 Survey Report

Brunei Darussalam..

Cambodia ...............

Indonesia ................

Laos .........................

Malaysia ..................

Myanmar .................

Philippines ..............

Singapore ................

No. 1

No. 2-12

No. 13-14

No. 15-30

No. 31-42

No. 43-46

No. 47

Thailand .................

Timor-Leste.............

Vietnam ..................

ASEAN/SEA ..........

Asia Pacific ............

South China Sea ....

Special Topics ........

No. 48-49

No. 50-52

No. 53-55

No. 58-59

No. 60

No. 56-57 and 61

Cambodia

1. ‘No light at the end of the Covid-19 tunnel’ – Tourism players fear latest upheaval is the end-all for many

Sangeetha Amarthalingam

Phnom Penh Post, 8 April 2021

Indonesia

2. As Indonesian police foil bomb plots, the country’s Chinese community finds itself targeted again

Amy Chew

South China Morning Post, 9 April 2021

3. Indonesia-US trade: Time to push on an open door?

Andrew Samet is a principal in the trade advisory firm of Sorini Samet & Associates LLC and David Gossack is a senior advisor at Sorini Samet & Associates, and a former vice president for Asia at the US Chamber of Commerce and commercial counselor at the US Embassy in Jakarta.

Jakarta Post, 9 April 2021

4. Chinese Infrastructure Projects in Indonesia Face Fresh Delays

Muhammad Zulfikar Rakhmat is currently a lecturer at the Universitas Islam Indonesia.

M. Habib Pashya is a student majoring in International Relations at Universitas Islam Indonesia.

Diplomat, 8 April 2021

5. Religious moderation must be embedded in education

Alpha Amirrachman is the director of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization’s Regional Open Learning Centre (SEAMOLEC) and an education lecturer at Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa University in Serang, Banten.

Jakarta Post, 9 April 2021

6. Indonesian government promises big, then falters in vaccine procurement

Jakarta Post, 8 April 2021

7. Indonesia’s huge solar power potential still going to waste

Fabby Tumiwa is the executive director of the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), and Marlistya Citraningrum is the managing director of SolarHub by IESR.

Jakarta Post, 8 April 2021

8. In memoriam: Gen. Rais Abin, one of Indonesia’s finest soldiers

Jusuf Wanandi

Jakarta Post, 9 April 2021

9. Stimulus should target ‘new poor’: World Bank

Jakarta Post, 9 April 2021

10. Halal industry performance positive amid pandemic: Indrawati

Antara, 8 April 2021

11. Indonesia’s Omnibus Bill in Geopolitical Perspective

Ronny P. Sasmita

Geopoliticalmonitor, 8 April 2021

12. Indonesia’s Jokowi doubles wealth fund goal to US$200 billion

South China Morning Post, 8 April 2021

Laos

13. Chinese Casino Mogul Zhao Wei Explores Expansion Out of Laos’ Golden Triangle SEZ

Radio Free Asia, 7 April 2021

14. Editorial: Lao government, ethnic communities clash over development projects

ASEAN Today, 9 April 2021

Malaysia

15. Umno doesn’t need Bersatu, says Nur Jazlan

Ravin Palanisamy

Malaysian Insight, 9 April 2021

16. 国大党与伊斯兰党持不同意见 [MIC and Muslim parties hold different opinions]

刘哲伟目前在国际伊斯兰大学政治学系任职助理教授。

Malaysian Insight, 8 April 2021

17. Will Anwar or Annuar be the next PM?

Prof Dr. Mohd Tajuddin Mohd Rasdi

Sinchew 星洲网, 8 April 2021

18. 朝野政党关系充满变数 [The relationship between the ruling and opposition parties is full of variables]

郑名烈.

Sinchew 星洲网, 9 April 2021

19. 马华国大党有条件离开国阵吗 [Do MCA and MIC what it takes to leave BN]?

黄子豪.

Sinchew 星洲网, 8 April 2021

20. Pendapatan petani meningkat [Farmers' income increased]

Raja Nur Faznie Aida

Sinar Harian, 9 April 2021

21. ‘Umno 3.0’ waiting to take over from Zahid and Najib, says insider

Minderjeet Kaur

Free Malaysia Today, 9 April 2021

22. Boost investments to cash in on new gas finds, say experts

Ainaa Aiman

Free Malaysia Today, 9 April 2021

23. Malay unity: Fact or fantasy?

Mariam Mokhtar

Malaysiakini, 9 April 2021

24. Just amending article to include Sabah, Sarawak not enough, says lawyer

Free Malaysia Today, 9 April 2021

25. Sabah, Sarawak to look beyond natural timber

Free Malaysia Today, 8 April 2021

26. Comment | Financing women representation in politics - best way forward

Malaysiakini, 9 April 2021

27. Separating Undi18, automatic voter registration: Bersih demands answers

Malaysiakini, 8 April 2021

28. Report: Teratai rep Bryan Lai quits DAP over personal issue, turns Pakatan-friendly independent

Malay Mail Online, 8 April 2021

29. Mara Strategic Plan outlines strategies for the future

New Straits Times, 9 April 2021

30. Building bridges, dismantling walls

NATIONS grow great through harmony and fall into oblivion through discord. For several decades after independence, Malaya (later, Malaysia) was seen by the world as a nation in which peace and prosperity, democracy and development could go hand in hand in the midst of dazzling diversity. Sadly, we have regressed. Since the 1990s, religious, racial and regional extremism have become mainstream.

Prof Shad Faruqi is holder of the Tunku Abdul Rahman Chair at UM, and the Tun Hussein Onn Chair at ISIS Malaysia.

Star, 8 April 2021

Myanmar

31. Myanmar crisis sounds death knell for garment industry, jobs and hope

Reuters, 8 April 2021

32. Opinion - Myanmar coup: China’s careful response a delicate balancing act

Zha Daojiong is a professor at the School of International Studies, Peking University.

South China Morning Post, 7 April 2021

33. US hits state-owned Myanmar gem firm with coup sanctions

Associated Press, 8 April 2021

34. Myanmar junta limits internet, seizes satellite TV dishes

Associated Press, 8 April 2021

35. Chinese Embassy Makes Contact With Myanmar’s Shadow Government

Irrawaddy, 8 April 2021

36. Editorial: ASEAN’s Future Depends on Its Response to Myanmar Crisis

Irrawaddy, 8 April 2021

37. Interview: This Is Not ‘Just Another Coup’: Ex-US Ambassador to Myanmar

Irrawaddy, 8 April 2021

38. Revolutions Are Built on Hope. That's Why I Believe Myanmar's Protesters Will Succeed

Mimi Aye

Time, 8 April 2021

39. Myanmar Military Versus Ethnic Armies Would be ‘David and Goliath Contest’: IHS-Jane's Expert

Radio Free Asia, 8 April 2021

40. Attorney power yet to be granted for charge against State Counsellor under official secrets act

Eleven Myanmar, 8 April 2021

41. Myanmar Is on the Precipice of Civil War

Lucas Myers is the Program Associate at the Wilson Center’s Asia Program where he administers the Wilson China Fellowship.

Foreign Policy, 8 April 2021

42. Myanmar coup: death toll passes 600 as crackdown continues and security forces detain celebrities

South China Morning Post, 8 April 2021

Philippines

43. Inflation remains fast-paced in March in Philippines

Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), 8 April 2021

44. Duterte’s high approval ratings will make a candidate formidable — Roque

Manila Bulletin, 8 April 2021

45. Back in each other’s arms again: PH praises US stand on WPS, invokes mutual defense anew

Manila Bulletin, 8 April 2021

46. Duterte maintains high approval, trust ratings

Manila Times, 8 April 2021

Singapore

47. DPM Heng Swee Keat steps aside as leader of 4G team, setting back Singapore's succession plan for next PM

Sumiko Tan

Straits Times, 8 April 2021

Thailand

48. Adul unfazed by police charges

Bangkok Post, 9 April 2021

49. Spending to drop by B50bn a month

Bangkok Post, 9 April 2021

Vietnam

50. Obstacles and opportunities in Vietnam-Australia ties

Hanh Nguyen

Interpreter, 9 April 2021

51. New cabinet members unveiled [infographic]

VietNamNet, 8 April 2021

52. Economy growing strongly on back of COVID-19 endgame

VietNamNet, 8 April 2021

ASEAN/Southeast Asia

53. ASEAN group agree to extradition treaty

Phnom Penh Post, 8 April 2021

54. Commentary: A digital vaccine passport could open up Southeast Asia travel bubble but some changes needed first

This article was first published by ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute as a commentary in Fulcrum.

Giselle Lee and Quah Say Jye are student research assistants and graduate students at the S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Channel News Asia, 9 April 2021

55. 33rd ASEAN-Australia Forum – Co-Chairs’ Summary

ASEAN Secretariat News, 6 April 2021

ASEAN-China

56. Opinion - Myanmar coup: Asean leadership offers best chance to avert a refugee crisis

Lucio Blanco Pitlo III is a research fellow at the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress Foundation

South China Morning Post, 7 April 2021

ASEAN-US

57. 美国自始至终都在利用东南亚 [US has always been using Southeast Asia]

李开盛是上海社科院国际问题研究所副所长、研究员

Huanqiu 环球网, 9 April 2021

Asia Pacific

58. What should the EU's Indo-Pacific strategy focus on?

Dr Yeo Lay Hwee is director of the European Union Centre, Nanyang Technological University. Shada Islam is a senior adviser to the European Policy Centre (Brussels) and an independent EU-Asia commentator.

Straits Times, 9 April 2021

59. Sidang Kemuncak D-8 berakhir dengan deklarasi Dhaka [D-8 summit ends with Dhaka declaration]

Berita Harian (Malaysia), 9 April 2021

East/South China Sea

60. Philippines keeps its options open amid bid to defuse Whitsun Reef row with China

Raissa Robles

South China Morning Post, 8 April 2021

Climate change/Environment

61. The Hidden Motive of China’s Zero Emissions Pledge: Energy Security

Founder of Anbound Think Tank in 1993, Chan Kung is one of China’s renowned experts in information analysis. He Jun serves as partner, director of the China Macro-Economic Research Team, and senior researcher at Anbound.

Diplomat, 9 April 2021

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