Indonesia Surprise Rate Hike by Bank Indonesia due to Widening Current Account Deficit (15 Nov) Indonesia’s central bank surprised observers with its sixth rate hike in 2018, bringing its benchmark rate to 6%. Bank Indonesia Governor Perry Warjiyo explained that the hike was aimed at reducing the...
November 2018 | As the new Pakatan Harapan (PH) government settles in, many expect a shift from electioneering to setting policies and priorities for the Malaysian economy and political reforms. The Budget 2019, delivered recently, can be seen in this light. Prime Minister Dr Mahathir...
Indonesia GDP Growth – Better than Expected in the Third Quarter, but Dark Clouds Ahead Indonesia’s economy experienced 5.17% year-on-year growth in the third quarter, according to Statistics Indonesia. This is above estimates by agencies such as Reuters. However, economists foresee the growth rate weakening further due...
Indonesia Singapore-Indonesia Bilateral Leaders’ Retreat – Seven Agreements Signed Singaporean and Indonesian leaders signed seven wide ranging agreements during a Bilateral Leaders’ Retreat on 10-11 October. In particular, the bilateral investment treaty aims to protect investors’ interests and reinforce economic ties, while the US$10 billion currency...
September 2018 | As a number of you have asked, I thought to share some observations about the new government in Malaysia, following their initial 100 days in power and the recent by-elections. My points are drawn from recent visits to KL as well as...
The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is about more than physical infrastructure. Beyond the fanfare about ports and railways, the BRI has a technological counterpart with far-reaching consequences for Southeast Asia – the “digital silk road”. While traditional infrastructure has been in the spotlight, the digital...
100 days have elapsed since Pakatan Harapan defeated the ruling Barisan National coalition during Malaysia’s 14th General Election. The SIIA hosted an evening talk on Malaysia’s new government, featuring views from Dr. Oh Ei Sun, Senior Advisor for International Affairs, Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute...
100 days have elapsed since Pakatan Harapan (PH) defeated the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition during Malaysia’s 14th General Election, and set out to fulfil its electoral promises. But what remains to be done, and how have domestic audiences reacted to their policies? We had...
By Nicholas Fang For TODAY When Malaysia's opposition alliance, Pakatan Harapan, won the May 9 general election, many in the country hoped for a government that could stem corruption and move forward with reform. Many Malaysians admired the commitment and extraordinary energy of Dr Mahathir Mohamad and believed...
SIIA Director of Security and Global Affairs Nicholas Fang was quoted by Reuters on the Singapore-Malaysia water issue. Here's an excerpt from the article. Water hazard: Malaysia's belt-tightening resurrects age-old dispute with Singapore by John Geddie and Aradhana Aravindan “It is not just about money. He (Mahathir) is a...