Politics

Indonesia, the largest economy in Southeast Asia, should have assumed a leadership role in the region. However, under President Prabowo Subianto’s leadership, its policies and agreements with the United States and China lack of direction, impacting the ASEAN as a whole. 

Indonesia celebrated its 79th Independence Day with a historic ceremony in Nusantara, the new capital. Outgoing President Jokowi and incoming President Prabowo both took part in the event, symbolizing the shift to a new era. Despite the celebration, the move to Nusantara has sparked mixed reactions and debates.

Indonesia, the third largest democracy in the world, has experienced a vibrant and stable democratic consolidation since the fall of the authoritarian regime in 1998. However, it is now facing an accelerated downfall – its democratic veins have been drained. Ironically, from the hands of its most lauded progeny. 

Malaysia’s highly anticipated 15th General Election (GE15) on 19 November 2022, originally intended as a way to end the prolonged political instability over the last two and a half years, had resulted in everything but that for the initial few days. There was no clear resolution – until the King stepped in issuing a call for a unity government. The PH, BN and GPS coalitions ultimately came together to form a federal government, and on Thursday 24 November, Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister was appointed and sworn in: Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

It is never a dull day in Malaysian politics, but there seems to be a brief pause – for the time being. Malaysia has therefore seen three federal governments over a period of two years, with tremendous upheaval in between. This piece unpacks the political developments over the last two years in its various phases, and ends with examining the country’s future political outlook.

With Indonesia’s President Joko Widodo’s son and son-in-law winning the December 2020 mayoral elections in Solo, Central Java, and Medan, North Sumatra, respectively, observers are wary of yet another challenge to the country’s democratic backsliding: the persistence of dynastic politics.

The 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) had the potential to be the most consequential congress since 1986, when the party adopted the Doi Moi reforms that began Vietnam’s opening to the world.

Over the last three years, Timor’s public discourse in Timor-Leste has been concentrated on the power struggle among the Dili-centered elites on the legitimacy to govern the country. The economic impacts of this political development is the economic stagnation, reflected in the GDP decline. COVID-19 adds another layers to the multitude of challenges that already existed.  

On 24 February, Mahathir Mohamad, the 7th prime minister of Malaysia resigned unexpectedly followed by a week-long political fiasco in the form of ‘betrayal’ with lawmakers jumping ship to one another. On 25 February, the prime minister of Timor-Leste, Taur Matan Ruak sent a letter of resignation dated 24 February to the president, Francisco “Lu-Olo” Guterres