Author: Yuda Rustam

The Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023 and the consequent reaction by Israel, which continues to date, have perplexed ASEAN and its members. All ASEAN countries do not have the same approach to Israel and Palestine. There is growing sympathy for the people of Gaza, who are suffering from Israeli action. The Gaza response After the Hamas attacks, the ASEAN Foreign Ministers issued a five-paragraph statement on the crisis seeking an end to hostilities and the safety of ASEAN citizens who were taken hostage. The statement recognised the individual national statements of many of the countries but essentially said two…

BANGKOK, Dec 7 (Reuters) – Thailand’s Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin on Thursday said he showed Tesla executives around industrial estates in the country last week for potential investment. “I went out of my way to entertain them so they would fall in love with Thailand …. they are looking for 2,000 rai (320 hectares) of land,” Srettha said, adding he was confident that the electric vehicle (EV) maker would invest in Thailand. Srettha, a political newcomer, became prime minister in August and held a meeting with Tesla chief Elon Musk a month later. Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy is the largest car producer…

Authorities in Malaysia have opened an investigation into a local man on Wednesday for expressing support for diplomatic relations with Israel during an interview with an Israeli media personality. The Royal Malaysian Police confirmed in a statement that 36-year-old Victor Yong has been taken into custody to aid in their probe under Section 4(1) of the Sedition Act 1948, Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. The Johor Bahru Magistrate Court has granted permission for Victor to be remanded for questioning from December 6, 2023, until December 8, 2023. Victor’s alleged offense stems from statements…

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto said the potential for the digital economy in the Asean region could reach US$ 2 trillion by 2030. According to him, of that amount, Indonesia will get a 40% share or US$ 800 billion. “With the digital economy framework agreement, it will be US$ 2 trillion in ASEAN and 40% of it will be in Indonesia, so US$ 800 billion will be in Indonesia,” said Airlangga at the launch of the White Paper, National Strategy for the Development of Indonesia’s Digital Economy 2030, at the St Regis, Jakarta, Wednesday…

Malaysia has rolled out its first glow-in-the-dark road markings, pleasantly surprising road users, who lauded the initiative. The Hulu Langat district’s Public Works Department (JKR) said the pilot project was implemented on Oct 28 in a two-lane road near the rural Semenyih town in Selangor. The road is along the intersection of Jalan Sungai Lalang and Jalan Sungai Tekali. “This glow-in-the-dark road marking is our attempt to bring innovation into road engineering,” JKR said in a Facebook post. “Please do not be surprised if you happen to drive through the area.” Before the markings were painted on the road, the…

The Palestinians’ longstanding and legitimate grievances have been irrevocably subverted by Hamas’ brazen attack against Israel on Oct 7. Unlike previous rounds of conflicts and clashes between Israel and the Palestinians on the one hand and neighbouring Arab states on the other, Thailand has become a direct casualty like never before, as 30 Thai workers have been killed to date, with at least 16 injured and 17 taken hostage. As a militant political movement motivated by Islamic fundamentalism using methods of terrorism to achieve its objectives, Hamas has made a bad name for the Palestinian cause, eliciting condemnation and opposition…

Rome (16/11 – 57) Sri Lanka is mired in a deep political and economic crisis and the country’s then President Rajapaksa has flown out of the country, days after a huge crowd of protesters stormed his residence in July 2022. Protesters for months have demanded the resignation of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, whose government has been blamed for chronic mismanagement of the country’s finances. The island nation of 22 million people has suffered months of lengthy blackouts, acute food and fuel shortages, and galloping inflation in its most painful downturn on record. Here is how the crisis unfolded: April 1: State of emergency Rajapaksa declares a temporary state of emergency, giving security forces sweeping powers to arrest and…

JAKARTA, Oct 30 (Reuters) – Indonesia’s biggest tech firm PT GoTo Gojek Tokopedia (GOTO.JK) will “prudently” make investment to maintain its market share after it reported a narrowed underlying losses in the third quarter, the company CEO said on Monday. GoTo, which offers ride-hailing, e-commerce, and financial services, reported 942 billion rupiah ($59.30 million) in underlying losses for the July to September period, a significant drop from last year’s 3.7 trillion rupiah, according to a company statement, following cost-cutting measures, including to reduce marketing spend. CEO Patrick Walujo, however, said in an earnings call that the measures have affected their market share,…

The call for collaboration should not be a tactic to weaken the prophetic voice of the church, activist says Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin met with Christian leaders in Papua seeking collaboration for peace and development in the restive Christian-majority easternmost region. Amin held a special meeting with church leaders in the provincial capital Jayapura on Oct. 11 where he called them “game changers towards accelerating economic development and prosperity in Papua.” “I consider religious leaders to have a big influence in guiding and providing understanding to the Papuan people,” he said in a meeting with the leaders of the Papuan Union of Churches,…

Paris (08/11 – 75) Sri Lanka’s economic and political crisis of 2022 left the country bankrupt. Ranil Wickremesinghe took over as President of Sri Lanka in July 2022 when the country was in the middle of its worst economic and political crisis since independence in 1948. His predecessor, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, had been forced out of power after facing mass protests prompted by 12-hour power cuts and persistent fuel and food shortages. The nation was bankrupt.Wickremesinghe brought in the International Monetary Fund and has focused on reaching macroeconomic stability and driving tough but much-needed structural reforms. Today, as Sri Lanka embarks…