This historical note seeks to provide some markers for economists and policymakers interested in Myanmar's woeful experience over seven decades when it fell from being one of the most prosperous and promising countries in East Asia at the end of World War II to one of the poorest now. The most encouraging period of economic progress after Burma's ......
Malaysia's ASEAN chairmanship in 2025, under the theme "Inclusivity and Sustainability", draws from the Madani concept and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's long-standing vision of an Asian renaissance. It reflects Malaysia's aspiration to promote a forward-looking, values-based leadership grounded in sustainability, inclusivity and regional ......
Sarawak and Federal-State Dynamics in Today's Malaysia
Malaysia's federal system is asymmetric, as the East Malaysian territories of Sarawak and Sabah have more autonomy and prerogatives than their West Malaysian counterparts. This reflects their incorporation into the Malaysian Federation in 1963 and distinct ethnic and religious composition.
"This is a long-awaited book discussing systematically the political system in Vietnam: Why has the present political regime continued for such a long period, and what are the resources of legitimacy concerning the communist rule. The book also covers the recent development in the political scene, including the anti-corruption campaign and the ......
Youths in Southeast Asia have been active in making their voices heard in politics and in society, both online and offline. However, comparative studies on their civic engagement across the region remain wanting. This pilot study, conducted by the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme (RSCS) at the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, gathers ......
Environmental Narratives, NGOs and the State's Environmental Rule
Sustainable development is present everywhere in Vietnam. This book analyses the Sustainable Development narrative and its use by different actors in Vietnam. It examines how narratives are used to establish environmental rule in the socialist state. By focusing on NGOs and their positions in the Vietnamese context, the book illustrates how ......
Andrew Selth has been watching Myanmar for 50 years. During this time, he has published 10 books and more than 400 other works about the country. In 2020, he released a collection of almost 100 articles that had been posted on the Lowy Institute's Interpreter website. This second anthology brings together another 72 articles, written for a range ......
Indonesia has become a majority urban society. Despite the classic images of rice fields, volcanoes and rural life we often associate with the country, now almost 60 per cent of Indonesia's people live in cities, towns, suburbs, gated communities and other urban areas. Urbanisation has brought with it a familiar range of problems, including some ......
Since the Islamic resurgence hit Southeast Asia in the 1980s, Muslim societies now have greater aspirations for adhering to the Shariah, the body of laws meant to govern Muslims' day-to-day lives. At the institutional level, the desire for this compliance manifested in the establishment of various institutions such as Islamic banking and financial ......
