Indonesia Protests Continue as Jokowi Considers His Next Move (26 Sep – Ongoing) Jakarta and other cities across Indonesia continued to experience violent protests as tens of thousands of students and other groups clashed with police. These rallies were the biggest of their kind since the...
China’s economy is continuing to slow, with growth dropping to 6.2 per cent in the second quarter of 2019, the lowest in 27 years. We held a talk on 24 September 2019 with Dr Chen Gang, Assistant Director and Senior Research Fellow of the East Asian...
Indonesia Severe Haze Disrupts Activities Across Sumatra and Kalimantan (12 Sep - Ongoing) The aviation, shipping and education sectors in the islands of Sumatra and Kalimantan have been affected as a severe haze blankets the region. Singapore and Malaysia have also been badly affected by the haze,...
Indonesia Proposed Changes to Criminal Code and KPK Spur Concerns (28 Aug – 11 Sep) National legislators in Indonesia are expected to vote on a new penal code on 24 September, replacing the current code inherited from its Dutch colonial rulers. If the law is approved, it...
Indonesia NasDem Demurs as Jokowi Finalises Selection of His New Cabinet (14-17 Aug) President Joko Widodo “Jokowi” announced on Wednesday, 14 August that he had finalised the selection of his new cabinet. While the full list of ministers would only be announced after the start of his...
In the Chinese portion of his National Day Rally speech, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted that the Singapore economy is slowing due to weaker global demand and the US-China trade war. The SIIA held an evening talk on Monday 19 August, the day after...
Indonesia Blackout Ordeal in Java Leads to Questions, Lawsuits (4-8 Aug) Indonesian citizens across the island of Java were hit by a sustained electricity outage on Sunday, 4 August, following disruptions to several power plants. Tens of millions were affected as traffic lights, cashless payment services and...
Indonesia Tax Cuts and other Measures Mooted to Spur Investment and Unicorns (19, 26 Jun) Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati announced on Wednesday, 19 June that the Indonesian government is aiming to cut the corporate tax rate from 25% to 20% to spur investment. Indonesia, which has...
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...