Malaysia’s ASEAN success raised the bar
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim thanked civil servants, volunteers, private sector players, and GLCs for ensuring the smooth organisation of last year’s meetings and summits.
National affairs
Scrapping direct regional elections in Indonesia shifts power to elites, analysts warn
President Prabowo argues direct elections are costly and prone to vote buying, but surveys indicate 77.3% of Indonesians prefer direct elections.
Karachi’s Gul Plaza, SBCA, and the human cost of bad governance
Buildings become death traps not because the rules are unclear, but because enforcement has been deliberately neutralised.
Vote ‘Yes’ to build a new Bangladesh: Chief Adviser Yunus urges nation
In a televised address, CA Yunus says the referendum will determine democratic reforms.
Cambodian displacement crisis enters prolonged phase; tens of thousands unable to return home
Data released by the National Committee for Disaster Management show that as of Jan 15, about 141,850 people remain displaced, and are living at 102 displacement sites and host…
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to dissolve Lower House for Feb. 8 snap election
The period between the dissolution and election day will be just 16 days, the shortest for a lower house election since the end of World War II.
Vietnam leader To Lam seeks China-style powers at party conclave
The Southeast Asian nation of 100 million people is both a repressive one-party state and a regional economic bright spot, where the Communist Party has sought to deliver rapid…
Indonesian government’s planned bill on anti-disinformation, foreign propaganda draws criticism
The draft bill, which the government asserts is still in the planning stage, focuses on governing platforms and mitigating organised actors such as ‘influencers’, rather than…
Thai democrat deputy leader warns of more accidents at mega transport projects
Democrat Party deputy leader Dr Samart Ratchapolsitte said he reviewed near-term construction projects involving “elevated structures spanning existing roads or railways” and…
Former Yoon staffers linked to alleged North Korean drone intrusion
According to local reports, a suspect believed to have made the drone, whom the police identified only as being in his 30s, previously served as a news monitoring staffer at the…