Articles

Straits & Sampan is stratsea’s first exclusive column featuring scholars and experts from across Southeast Asia.

In keeping with our publication’s name and philosophy, “Straits” signifies the vital waterways that heralded the rise of the region’s maritime powers, which subsequently developed into political hubs that persist until today. Meanwhile, “Sampan” represents the traditional vessels used by local communities to navigate these waters and sustain their livelihood.

Combined together, we hope this column could give us fresh insight on not only the elite dynamics at the centres of power, but also how their decisions and actions are impacting the lives of people at the grassroots level.

Contributions to Straits & Sampan are by invitation only. We are delighted to welcome Dr Khoo Ying Hooi and Johannes Nugroho as our inaugural columnists. Both have contributed distinguished analyses to our publication before.

Dr Khoo Ying Hooi is an Associate Professor at Universiti Malaya whose research focuses on human rights and democracy in Southeast Asia. Dr Khoo’s topic for Straits & Sampan is Malaysia’s GE16 Stakes, and she will write for the column through January 2027.

Johannes Nugroho is a journalist and political analyst based in Surabaya, Indonesia. For the column, Johannes’ focus is on Grassroots Dynamics in Indonesia, and he will contribute his writing through December 2026.