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Elina Noor
Elina Noor is a senior fellow in the Asia Programme at Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where she focuses on developments in Southeast Asia, particularly the impact and implications of technology in reshaping power dynamics, governance and nation-building in the region. She was previously a visiting fellow at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies Malaysia.
As 2025 chair, Malaysia should adopt a cross-disciplinary approach to issues and undertake incremental but bold moves to cement Asean centrality.
The region is already bracing itself for the reinstatement of a more transactional and nationalist policy agenda in the White House.
For the small businesses dominating Southeast Asia’s consumer electronics industry, ensuring against external tampering would be a costly burden.
As UN reform remains elusive and ongoing crises escalate, several trends in Southeast Asia offer a picture of multilateralism done right.
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Southeast Asian states must recognise that it is not only countries but also large companies which shift the power balance on the global stage.
Contrary to the fears of some observers, Malaysia is perfectly capable of securing its interests without choosing one side over another.
The US and Malaysia have long-standing ties which have endured many difficulties, but they cannot ignore the reality of a changing world. The truth is that there are insurmountable positional and expectational gaps between the countries, and a mature relationship must acknowledge this fact.
As distinctions blur between economic and security agendas, and Big Tech gets involved in geopolitics, a strategy of avoidance becomes unsustainable. Asean should realise the long game of international affairs is about setting rules and standards, not just the movement of goods, services and data.
Landmark UN AI resolution linked to sustainable development goals should be a wake-up call for Southeast Asia to consider the true costs of adopting AI at breakneck speed.
The foundational role of data in AI systems not only raises questions about consent, but is reminiscent of the colonial information gathering. Framing AI discussions through a predominantly business-focused lens diminishes the wider context in which AI operates and may not provide meaningful guarantees of social equity.
For years, Southeast Asian governments have been the target of advanced cyberattacks. As Asean and Chinese officials discuss the code of conduct on the South China Sea, they should include the cyber dimension in negotiations on expected standards of behaviour.
Joe Biden’s no-show at next month’s Asean Summit is a calculated decision taken in US interests. Instead of feeling slighted, the bloc should redouble its efforts to strengthen intraregional integration and seize emerging opportunities for strategic cooperation.
