Staying neutral amidst geopolitical tensions becomes increasingly hard.
Diplomacy
Despite limited impacts from the war, Malaysia remains a staunch supporter of the Palestinian plight.
We may see a more proactive Indonesia in pushing for peace in the Middle East.
Thailand’s security apparatus is right not to be complacent, even if the Malays’ responses in southern provinces have been rather mild.
Jakarta should carefully manage its economic relationships within BRICS to maintain policy independence and avoid overreliance on a single partner.
The war has revealed the difficulty Malaysia has always faced between support for Palestine and its desire to be close to the West.
ASEAN should seek to deepen its economic engagement with China even as the latter’s economic turmoil subsides.
Only a few pro-Gaza protests were seen around the time of the war’s commemoration in Indonesia.
An unstable Middle East is not good for the Philippines’ economic interests.
It raises question whether ASEAN was genuinely a priority for Jakarta during his tenure.