Author: Asyrafi Mutiara

The ASEAN–Japan relationship today is almost unrecognisable from that of 50 years ago when riots against the visits of former Japanese prime minister Kakuei Tanaka to Southeast Asian capitals were emblematic of its troubled state. Japan’s current benign role in ASEAN belies what has been a powerful alignment of interests and influence assiduously developed over the ensuing decades important to the relationship’s success. The question is how these foundations fit the present relationship. The 50th anniversary of the ASEAN–Japan dialogue underscores the strong ties that have been built in the intervening decades. But a fast-evolving, multiplex world order, with new…

KLANG: Malaysia must avoid being potentially destroyed by extreme mindsets, said DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke. He said it was one of the many challenges faced by the country, which included ensuring good racial ties and societal developments for the nation’s survival. “Everyone must recognise there is a need for compromise, tolerance and moderation in multi-racial Malaysia. This is the basis to ensure our country becomes examplary to the world. “The time has come for us to ensure that there is a middle ground or moderation which is the spirit we should uphold. “We should not be carried away by extreme…

Jakarta. A recent report shows that the combined economic growth of the ASEAN+3 — which puts together the 10 Southeast Asian bloc’s member states, Japan, Korea, and China — is projected to exceed 4 percent in 2023. According to the July edition of the ASEAN+3 Macroeconomic Research Office or AMRO’s quarterly report, the region will grow by 4.6 percent this year, up from 3.2 percent in 2022. ASEAN+3’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth is expected to slightly drop to 4.5 percent in 2024. Shimizu Toshio, the director-general for international affairs at the Japan Housing Finance Agency, brought attention to the AMRO report…

Jakarta (ANTARA) – Indonesia’s digital economic system is recognized by ASEAN member countries, the Indonesian Joint Funding Fintech Association (AFPI) has said. Secretary General of AFPI Sunu Widyatmoko said at the Meeting of ASEAN Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (AFMGM) in Jakarta on Tuesday that Indonesia’s digital economy will be an example for ASEAN countries in the future. “We are participating in the ASEAN chairmanship 2023 roadshow, the country counterparts recognize that Indonesia’s digital economy, especially peer-to-peer (P2P) lending business, will be an example for countries in ASEAN,” he said. According to him, the advantages of Indonesia’s digital economic ecosystem mainly lie in infrastructure…

LAHORE: The historic “ASEAN-Pakistan Business Opportunities Conference 2023” came to a successful close in Lahore, marking a significant step towards strengthening economic ties between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Pakistan. The event, which took place on Monday, saw the commencement of the visit by a 50-member delegation from various ASEAN countries. The conference, hosted in Lahore, was the starting point for a series of impactful engagements aimed at enhancing trade collaboration and fostering mutual growth between the participating nations. With a record-breaking turnout, this event witnessed the largest-ever delegation from ASEAN nations to grace Pakistan’s business landscape.…

The former Malaysia prime minister urged Malays in the six states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan to “come out in numbers”. KOTA BAHRU: Former Malaysian prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged the Malays to come out and vote in the upcoming state elections, saying that it was the only way they could ensure the country belonged to them. “We see sometimes that the Malays don’t go out and vote. In Kelantan, they go out and vote but in the other states, there are Malays who don’t go out and vote because they are supposedly fed up with politics. “But…

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN (Borneo Bulletin/Asia News Network): Thousands of uniformed personnel gathered under one roof at Istana Nurul Iman on Thursday (July 20) for a banquet hosted by Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah for the monarch’s 77th birthday celebration. Members of the royal family were in attendance togetther with other guests who included state dignitaries, Cabinet ministers, government officials and members of the Diplomatic Corps. The banquet was hosted for over 2,000 uniformed personnel from the Royal Brunei Armed Forces (RBAF), Royal Brunei Police Force (RBPF), Gurkha Reserve Unit, Immigration and National Registration Department (INRD), Royal Customs and Excise Department (RCED), National…

THAILAND’S economy is projected to grow 3.9 per cent this year, up from a previous forecast of 3.6 per cent, helped by private consumption growth and a recovery in tourism, the World Bank said on Wednesday (Jun 28). South-east Asia’s second-largest economy expanded 2.6 per cent in 2022, when its tourism sector began to rebound after broad pandemic-related travel curbs were eased. Growth is expected at 3.6 per cent in 2024 and 3.4 per cent in 2025, with tourism and private consumption remaining the primary drivers of growth as external demand weakens, the bank said in a statement. The return of…

Peace development worker from Mindanao, the Philippines, Mark Sultan Gersava, decided to tackle the critical challenge of greening his ordinary products to mitigate climate change impacts while empowering his local community with sustainable, long-term livelihoods. His enterprise, Bambuhay, produces bamboo straws and toothbrushes to replace plastic-based products. To date, his ambition has brought real positive impact for 13,910 farmers, providing them with an increased sustainable source of income and brought 68 families out of poverty. Their work has helped remove around 1,100 tons of plastics from the environment and planted nearly 40 thousand trees and bamboo. His products are wholeheartedly…

President Joe Biden called the Chinese spy balloon that traversed across the United States and over sensitive military bases “silly” and vowed that we’d soon be witnessing a US-China “thaw.” He said that two weeks ago, and since then China has turned up the heat, most notably via aggressive interference with a US jet and a Navy destroyer. This is surely not what Biden meant by a “thaw.” At the Shangri-La Dialogue, a June 4 security summit in Singapore, China’s defense minister, Li Shangfu, delivered his first speech in the top military role. “As the lyrics of a well-known Chinese song goes, when friends…