Reforming higher education in Malaysia: combating entrenched patronage and racial politics

Part 2 of this 3-part series on the SG Bicentennial explores MY Bridge of Light, a community play sponsored by the official bicentennial fund.

PoP's Cheng Nien Yuan continues her commentary on Singapore's Bicentennial.

Vannessa Hearman on a Dutch exhibition on Bali that "packs a punch".

On the unstable historical foundations of Singapore's (supposed) two-hundredth birthday.

A proposal to build oil drilling rigs 100 metres from an archaeological site near Si Thep Historical Park jeopardises what may be Thailand's oldest and biggest ancient city.

Social media has amplified, rather than created, an existing culture of disinformation.

On the prospects for a durable authoritarian politics after the 'Bhumibol Consensus'.

Dutertismo still hasn’t fundamentally changed how political power is sought and won.

History and electoral reality suggest that the 2019 elections will deliver another “wasted coup”.

The majoritarian first-past-the-post system has had its day. It’s time to think about bold options for reform.

Is Indonesia’s most popular preacher a mentor, or a closet radical?

Clouds are gathering for the hard-line Islamic group.

The results are suggestive of a growth in regional and religious divides since 2014.

Renewed rivalry between pluralists and Islamists coexists with catch-all patronage politics.

Some Indonesian politicians are taking on the industries which dominate politics in their regions. But can working in the system change much?

จงสังเกตความโหยหาอำนาจนิยมในสังคมไทย: มงคลกิตติ์เป็น ส.ส. สะท้อนอะไร

Amid assassinations and forced disappearances of Thai dissidents abroad, a dissident publisher reflects on what it means to “survive” under “Democracy with the King as the Head of State".

The episode Thailand’s 2019 election swept in the pro-democracy Future Forward Party into parliament, whose vocal anti-junta platform won it 80 seats after only a year in existence and a few months of campaigning. Here, party leader Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit offers a glimpse into the future of Future Forward, laying out his intentions to revolutionise local elections...

Scholars and activists discuss the region's persistent struggles with democracy at a recent ANU conference.

After a coup, a new constitution and a controversial election, Thailand’s political future remains as uncertain as ever. Join leading Thai political scientist Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak, The Australian National University (ANU) Thai consitutional law expert Sarah Bishop and Director of Lowy Institute’s Southeast Asia Project Ben Bland for a discussion on what happens next in...

Contemporary Indian fiction shows a different awareness regarding the politics of spirituality.

In our guest series on South Asia, a look at how the BJP tries to detoxify its Hindu nationalist image with calculated appeals to select Muslim groups.

In India's Sundarbans, climate change is fundamentally transforming the everyday lives of women living in remote chars, or river islands.

New Mandala will be home to a South Asia guest section in the lead up to India's general elections.

A lasting, cleaner India depends on undermining the enduring belief that removal of tainted things is the responsibility of people who are born to the task.