Insights and Perspectives: Exploring Stories, Ideas and Knowledge that Shape Our World

Technology

Is Malaysia Building Surveillance Faster Than It Can Govern?

• Adhura Farouk
• 2026

Malaysia's massive AI surveillance expansion and mandatory social media ID checks outpace its data governance laws and security track record.

Prophe-SEA

Sex and Prayer on a Friday

• Muhammad Sinatra
• 2026

A surreal Friday market at Makassar’s largest mosque challenges narratives of conservative Islamic homogeneity.

Prophe-SEA

Seks dan Sembahyang di Hari Jumat

• Muhammad Sinatra
• 2026

Sebuah pasar Jumat yang surealis di masjid terbesar di Makassar menantang narasi kehomogenan Islam konservatif.

Security

Indonesia Must Produce a New Defence White Paper

• Abdullah Akbar Rafsanjani
• 2026

Without an updated Defence White Paper, Indonesia’s recent military modernisation risks alarming its regional neighbours with strategic ambiguity.

Economy

Striking Gold: Singapore’s Bold New Bullion Play

• Arman Sidhu
• 2026

Singapore is aiming to launch an over-the-counter gold clearing system and sovereign vaulting services by late 2026 to capture physical bullion flows fleeing Western asset-freeze risks.

Economy, Politics

Twin Crisis Tests Conservative Rule in Thailand

• Foo Siew Jack
• 2026

A twin crisis of regional border friction and the Iran war tests Prime Minister Anutin’s conservative coalition as record trade deficits and soaring energy costs squeeze traditional patronage networks.

Economy, Foreign Policy, Politics

Bombs Dropped in Iran Affect Anwar’s Political Survival

• Syaza Shukri
• 2026

A global energy crisis forces Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to slash “BUDI95” fuel quotas, risking middle-class backlash ahead of vital state polls.

Economy, Foreign Policy, Politics

Manila’s Energy Emergency and Calls for Regional Response

• Don McLain Gill
• 2026

The energy emergency, political tension and aggressive targeted assistance expose the Philippines’ vulnerability to the Iran war.

Economy, Foreign Policy, Politics

Clear-Cut Sympathy

• Johannes Nugroho
• 2026

A dramatic disconnect lands Prabowo in a political hot seat as his decision to join Trump's Board of Peace and implement a sharp 30% fuel hike collides with overwhelming domestic sympathy for Iran.

Foreign Policy, Politics, Security

Iran War: Political Implications for Indonesia

• Lina A Alexandra
• Pieter Pandie
• 2026

The Iran war sparks public backlash over Prabowo's perceived alignment with Washington and exposes Indonesia’s domestic vulnerabilities.

Security, Technology

Security by Algorithm?

• Samantha Khoo
• Izzah Ibrahim
• 2026

In Malaysia, the governance of defence-related AI remains comparatively underdeveloped.

Environment

Ambition Over Reality

• Muhamad Ferdy Firmansyah
• 2026

Indonesia’s aggressive 8% economic growth strategy traps the state in an extractive cycle, impeding its ambitious 2050 net-zero climate commitments.