In the midst of trade frictions between major economies,
Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat called on countries to
embrace trade pacts and international mechanisms at
our 11th ASEAN and Asia Forum on 30 August 2018.

It's been 100 days since Pakatan Harapan defeated Barisan Nasional in
Malaysia's GE14. What promises have they kept, and what still needs to
be done? On 16 Aug 2018, we heard from Dr Oh Ei Sun, Senior Advisor
on International Affairs at the Asia Strategy and Leadership Institute of
Malaysia, and Ms Khor Yu Leng, Research Director (Southeast Asia),
Segi-Enam Advisors Pte Ltd and Director, Khor Reports Data and Maps.

In light of ASEAN’s rapid growth, regional action on climate change has never been more
important. In this commentary published in The Myanmar Times, Ms. Lau Xin Yi, Senior
Policy Analyst (Sustainability) and Mr. Chen Qi Hang, Research Assistant (ASEAN) discuss
the recent adoption of a coal tax in the Philippines and a carbon tax in Singapore, and the
implications for other ASEAN countries considering taxation as a green policy tool.

Veteran diplomat Bilahari Kausikan says China wants people to “do what it wants without being told”.
China has denied this. In this commentary for The Straits Times, SIIA Chairman Simon Tay notes it is
difficult to point fingers without straining bilateral ties, as the SingHealth data theft proves. So what
can be done?

More than two years after Indonesia announced a moratorium on expanding oil plantation
concessions, efforts to put the ban into effect are still being held up, says Fawziah Selamat,
Deputy Director (Sustainability) at SIIA, in Eco-Business. This article explores comments on
the issue made at our 5th Singapore Dialogue on Sustainable World Resources (SDSWR).