Najib on Election Footing

Published on Dec 6, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — There is once again speculation that Malaysia will hold an unprecedented early election. It’s a political soap box upon which Prime Minister Najib Razak has stood to keep his critics and those who covet his job at bay ever since ousting his predecessor in a coup almost four years ago In this election Najib is not expected to lose but his headaches are many. In fact any one of them would be enough to drum a Western politician out of office and ensure he never returned. Malaysian politicians, however, are different and have always behaved like rulers in need of special attention. Read more in The Diplomat. .

Big Summits, Old Problems

Published on Nov 28, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Outgoing Chinese Premier Wei Jiabao returned to Beijing this week office after disappointing ASEAN and East Asia summits that failed to live-up to years of diplomatic posturing and positioning, designed to protect his country’s territorial ambitions in the South China Sea. The pro-Beijing lobby will no doubt praise his efforts in Cambodia where China successfully thwarted attempts by Southeast Asian countries to unite on the South China Sea issue. Read more in The Diplomat. .

A Russian Take on ASEAN

Published on Nov 27, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — Since the historic US defeat in Vietnam in 1973, South East Asia has been a hard nut for Washington to crack. It seems that America may now have a chance to restore its former influence and, at the same time, solve the Chinese problem; currently dominating modern US foreign policy. The question for Russia is how to react? Read more from Alexei PilkoSenio at the Voice of Russia. .

Hun Sen Lavishes China

Published on Nov 26, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — In his first public speech following this week’s ASEAN summit, Prime Minister Hun Sen offered lavish praise for China’s financial largesse and congratulations for its newly appointed Communist Party heads. Read more from Vong Sokheng in The Phnom Penh Post. .

Rosmah Mansor Defends ASEAN Human Rights Clause

Published on Nov 26, 2012 by Luke Hunt

FAR EAST CORRESPONDENT — In the wake of the controversial endorsement this week of the ASEAN Human Rights Declaration, the wife of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak defended her country’s insistence on preserving the document’s “public morality” clause, which rights groups have condemned as subjective and discriminatory against women and sexual minorities. Read more in from Claire Knox The Phnom Penh Post. .