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ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute

ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute
ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute: A prominent Singapore-based research institute and statutory board, ISEAS is dedicated to the study of Southeast Asia’s socio-political, security, and economic trends. Established in 1968 and renamed in 2015 in honour of Singapore’s first President, Yusof Ishak, it serves as a national and regional resource centre. Its main activities include conducting extensive research programmes, hosting conferences, and publishing academic works. The institute is recognised for stimulating scholarly debate and enhancing public awareness of the region.
Singapore’s Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong (left) and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev reaffirm the long-standing relations between both states last month. Photo: Ministry of Digital Development and Information
Singapore

Can Singapore be the ‘natural choice’ to bridge Asean and Central Asia?

Senior Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore aims to explore ways to boost cooperation between both regions in various sectors.

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Malaysia

As rice output falls, Malaysia looks to China’s ‘2 yields, 1 land’ model

Asean

Asean urged to take on Big Tech after Meta’s record payout

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Singapore

Small state, big agenda: Singapore prepares to steer Asean through crisis

The city state takes the helm on Asean’s 60th anniversary amid civil war, tariff threats and rising global tensions.

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong attends an Asean meeting in 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE
Singapore

Singapore’s island merger plan fuels nuclear power speculation

Analysts say nuclear could be one of Singapore’s options when planning the new island and its supporting infrastructure.

Indonesia

Indonesia takes on Malaysia in battle over palm oil pricing

Palm oil is just the start. Indonesia’s new trade exchange also aims to oversee nickel and coal export volumes, prices and taxes.

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Myanmar

Asian Angle | SpaceX’s Starlink blackout punishes Myanmar civilians, not just cybercriminals

An estimated 13 million people – nearly a quarter of Myanmar’s population – rely on Starlink for internet access.

A man uses his mobile phone while sheltering under an umbrella as rain falls in Yangon, Myanmar, on August 11. Photo: AFP
Indonesia

Can Indonesia build a lasting EV ‘ecosystem’ and not just a market?

Analysts say stricter local-content rules and a stronger production framework will be needed to boost Indonesia up the EV supply chain.

Vietnam

Asian Angle | How Vietnam’s ‘streamlining revolution’ may lead to uneven success

The most sweeping administrative overhaul in decades is expected to encounter hurdles ranging from staff shortages to resource mismatch.

Myanmar

UN atrocity report adds friction to Myanmar junta’s push for legitimacy

The report says abuses escalated around the time Myanmar was conducting junta-led elections that saw Min Aung Hlaing elected as president.

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Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing reviews a Thai guard of honour during a welcome ceremony at Bangkok’s Government House on August 6. Photo: Reuters
Vietnam

Vietnam’s warship project signals modernisation, bamboo diplomacy balance

As Hanoi seeks to build its defence manufacturing capabilities with the frigate, it is likely to remain dependent on foreign know-how.

Vietnamese missile frigate Tran Hung Dao heads to a naval port in the city of Zhanjiang in south China’s Guangdong province in 2024. Photo: Xinhua
China-Japan relations

‘Ghosts of the 20th century’: how China and Japan clash over post-WWII narrative

In quest to win trust of Asian neighbours, Beijing is intensifying its rhetoric against Tokyo’s changing defence posture.

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Indonesia

Are Indonesia’s Prabowo and ultra rich ‘9 Dragons’ on a collision course?

Analysts say the pressure on Indonesia’s older business elite forms part of a broader two-pronged strategy of state capitalism.

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The Philippines

Will Philippines’ push for seabed rights derail South China Sea code talks?

Analysts say Manila’s move could make it harder for Asean to agree on a common position regarding the code of conduct.

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The Philippine delegation on the presentation of its partial submission concerning the country’s entitlement to an extended continental shelf, together with the members of the UN Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf on July 29. Photo: Philippines Department of Foreign Affairs
2025 Cambodia-Thailand conflict

Asian Angle | Cambodia and Thailand must define the border to achieve lasting peace

Without boundary demarcation, all Cambodia-Thailand ceasefires are on borrowed time.

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Thai soldiers stand guard near the Thailand-Cambodia border in Pong Nam Ron district, Chanthaburi province, on July 22. Photo: Reuters
India

Ready player 3: India offers Asean a US-China alternative

India pitches trade, missiles and room to hedge as the US and China vie for regional influence.

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Malaysia

‘Incomprehensible’: Malaysia’s Rohingya return deal sparks refoulement fears

Rights groups warn returnees to Myanmar could face forced conscription, arbitrary detention, torture and forced labour.

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South China Sea

‘Negotiation fatigue’ risks stalling South China Sea code of conduct progress

Efforts to finalise the code between Asean and China this year are hampered to a large extent by differences between Manila and Beijing.

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Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Theresa Lazaro meets China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Pasay last Wednesday. Photo: EPA
Asean

Asian Angle | Decades of talk, zero barrels stored: why can’t Asean stockpile oil?

The Iran war energy crisis revived Asean’s joint reserve plans. To avoid another shelved ambition, the bloc needs swift, binding action.

Indonesia

Indonesia’s plan for a rival to Singapore starts to take shape

A new law lays the legal groundwork, but economists warn governance will decide the financial centre’s fate.

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Cambodia

Asian Angle | Cambodia’s war on scammers needs a blueprint built to last

Rounding up foot soldiers is easy. The hard part is tracing cash, exposing high-level enablers and protecting coerced victims.

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A compound near the Thai-Cambodian border Thailand’s military said was used for scam operations, pictured in March. Photo: Reuters
China trade

China wants unique access to minerals with Indonesia offer, analyst says

Beijing may attempt to trade manufacturing assistance for access to Indonesia’s vast, export-restricted reserves.

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A nickel mining site in Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indonesia. Photo: AFP
Asean

Can Southeast Asia survive more Iran war fuel shocks?

Analysts warn the region cannot fully insulate itself from an extended conflict if the Strait of Hormuz remains disrupted.

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South China Sea

Opinion | Path to South China Sea stability doesn’t run through US, UK or the EU

The statement by 14 countries is a geopolitical exercise, amplifying the flawed 2016 Hague arbitral ruling to try to drive a wedge between China and its neighbours.

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Singapore

Tharman’s state visit signals ‘mature’ era for Singapore-Malaysia ties

Singapore’s president, in Kuala Lumpur at the invitation of Malaysia’s king, says both nations need each other in a troubled world.

Singapore’s President Tharman Shanmugaratnam (right) and Malaysia’s King Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar inspect honour guards during a welcoming ceremony in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. Photo: Facebook/officialsultanibrahim
Myanmar

Myanmar edges out of isolation as Asean steps up engagement

Bangkok talks spark warnings that Southeast Asian diplomats are legitimising a military regime still waging a bloody war on its own people.

Thailand’s Foreign Minister Sihasak Phuangketkeow and his Myanmar counterpart U Tin Maung Swe attend talks on Saturday, a day before an informal meeting with Asean foreign ministers in Bangkok. Photo: Thailand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs/AFP
China-Asean relations

Asian Angle | Why a second ‘China shock’ is good for Southeast Asia

Fear of Chinese imports is misplaced. Roughly 90 per cent of what the region buys is inputs and machinery driving local manufacturing.

Malaysia

In Malaysia’s Johor, Chinese voters prize affordability over politics

Analysts say issues such as the rising cost of living, jobs and business opportunities now matter more than party loyalty or China money.

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