Asean – the jostling goes on

MM Lee, Anwar Ibrahim among key speakers at Iseas forum

Clement Mesenas
Editor-At-Large
clement@mediacorp.com.sg

A wealth of topics, from the apparent increasing Islamisation of Malaysia to the tumultuous post-Thaksin transformation of politics in Thailand and the rise of China and India, will put the gleam on a regional outlook forum to be staged by the Iseas think-tank tomorrow.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Lew will provide the keynote address at a gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel tonight. Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will speak on how Islamisation can be reconciled with a democratic society in Malaysia at a luncheon tomorrow.
.
Leaders in their fields, analysts who will speak at the forum — the flagship event of the Institute of South-east Asian Studies — will give statesmen, academics and business leaders vital clues to their appraisal of the critical questions facing the region.
.
The analysts describe the present era as uncertain with new powers — India and China — jostling for their place at the top, Japan's decline to being an ordinary global power and political trends in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam having an impact on the region.
.
Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Thailand's Institute of Security and International Studies will examine the situation in his country with his paper Post-coup, post-election Thailand — What next?
.
The clash between the old Thailand and the emerging new Thailand is a process that will play itself out during the twilight of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's reign, he told Today.
.
Equally compelling will be the assessment of his country by University of Malaya's Prof Rajah Rasiah, with his talk Where is Malaysia's economic development headed?
.
Prof Lim Teck Gee will add another intriguing dimension to the focus on Malaysia with Prospects for Malaysia — Rising to or in denial of challenges?
.
For the scholars and diplomats, in particular, outgoing Asean secretary-general Ong Keng Yong will look at whether an Asean economic community can be realised by 2015.
.
Incoming secretary-general Dr Surin Pitsuwan is confident that Asean's vision can be achieved, but to bring this about calls for closer networking of all societies and a clear map to tackle the rough seas ahead.
.
Singapore's Prof Tommy Koh will explore how Asean will be transformed with the introduction of the Asean Charter – which includes a human rights agenda and a dispute settlement mechanism – at the last summit in Singapore last November.
.
Political instability in Thailand and Indonesia as a result of the ongoing conflict fomented by the jihadist movement in Indonesia and the violence in southern Thailand will be addressed by two experts.
.
Ms Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group will speak on Indonesian jihadism: Regrouping and Realigning, while Prof Duncan McCargo of the University of Leeds will address the question What's really happening in southern Thailand? MM Lee, Anwar Ibrahim among key speakers at Iseas forum

Clement Mesenas
Editor-At-Large
clement@mediacorp.com.sg

A wealth of topics, from the apparent increasing Islamisation of Malaysia to the tumultuous post-Thaksin transformation of politics in Thailand and the rise of China and India, will put the gleam on a regional outlook forum to be staged by the Iseas think-tank tomorrow.
.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Lew will provide the keynote address at a gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel tonight. Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will speak on how Islamisation can be reconciled with a democratic society in Malaysia at a luncheon tomorrow.
.
Leaders in their fields, analysts who will speak at the forum — the flagship event of the Institute of South-east Asian Studies — will give statesmen, academics and business leaders vital clues to their appraisal of the critical questions facing the region.
.
The analysts describe the present era as uncertain with new powers — India and China — jostling for their place at the top, Japan's decline to being an ordinary global power and political trends in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam having an impact on the region.
.
Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Thailand's Institute of Security and International Studies will examine the situation in his country with his paper Post-coup, post-election Thailand — What next?
.
The clash between the old Thailand and the emerging new Thailand is a process that will play itself out during the twilight of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's reign, he told Today.
.
Equally compelling will be the assessment of his country by University of Malaya's Prof Rajah Rasiah, with his talk Where is Malaysia's economic development headed?
.
Prof Lim Teck Gee will add another intriguing dimension to the focus on Malaysia with Prospects for Malaysia — Rising to or in denial of challenges?
.
For the scholars and diplomats, in particular, outgoing Asean secretary-general Ong Keng Yong will look at whether an Asean economic community can be realised by 2015.
.
Incoming secretary-general Dr Surin Pitsuwan is confident that Asean's vision can be achieved, but to bring this about calls for closer networking of all societies and a clear map to tackle the rough seas ahead.
.
Singapore's Prof Tommy Koh will explore how Asean will be transformed with the introduction of the Asean Charter – which includes a human rights agenda and a dispute settlement mechanism – at the last summit in Singapore last November.
.
Political instability in Thailand and Indonesia as a result of the ongoing conflict fomented by the jihadist movement in Indonesia and the violence in southern Thailand will be addressed by two experts.
.
Ms Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group will speak on Indonesian jihadism: Regrouping and Realigning, while Prof Duncan McCargo of the University of Leeds will address the question What's really happening in southern Thailand? MM Lee, Anwar Ibrahim among key speakers at Iseas forum

Clement Mesenas
Editor-At-Large
clement@mediacorp.com.sg

A wealth of topics, from the apparent increasing Islamisation of Malaysia to the tumultuous post-Thaksin transformation of politics in Thailand and the rise of China and India, will put the gleam on a regional outlook forum to be staged by the Iseas think-tank tomorrow.
.
Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Lew will provide the keynote address at a gala dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel tonight. Former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will speak on how Islamisation can be reconciled with a democratic society in Malaysia at a luncheon tomorrow.
.
Leaders in their fields, analysts who will speak at the forum — the flagship event of the Institute of South-east Asian Studies — will give statesmen, academics and business leaders vital clues to their appraisal of the critical questions facing the region.
.
The analysts describe the present era as uncertain with new powers — India and China — jostling for their place at the top, Japan's decline to being an ordinary global power and political trends in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam having an impact on the region.
.
Professor Thitinan Pongsudhirak of Thailand's Institute of Security and International Studies will examine the situation in his country with his paper Post-coup, post-election Thailand — What next?
.
The clash between the old Thailand and the emerging new Thailand is a process that will play itself out during the twilight of King Bhumibol Adulyadej's reign, he told Today.
.
Equally compelling will be the assessment of his country by University of Malaya's Prof Rajah Rasiah, with his talk Where is Malaysia's economic development headed?
.
Prof Lim Teck Gee will add another intriguing dimension to the focus on Malaysia with Prospects for Malaysia — Rising to or in denial of challenges?
.
For the scholars and diplomats, in particular, outgoing Asean secretary-