Commentary: With Prabowo poised to be next Indonesia president, his challenge is to ensure Cabinet continuity

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PRABOWO’S DIPLOMATIC STYLE

Prabowo shows more ambition in the foreign relations space, but his penchant for conflating foreign policy with defence policy may mean a “less talk, more action” approach.

Prabowo repeatedly put his defence minister hat on when quizzed about foreign policy during the candidates’ debate. While his opponents spoke about cultural diplomacy, leveraging the diplomatic network, or revitalising ASEAN, Prabowo emphasised the need to gain respect by having a powerful military. For him, the South China Sea issue is a matter of improving military capabilities. Prabowo’s style of diplomacy relies on hard, instead of soft power.

While he may have traded his strongman image for an affable grandpa to appeal to domestic voters, his tough rhetoric on foreign influence continues. Being tough on outsiders serves his patriotic image well, so one can expect a power-based approach to international relations.

The new foreign minister may be given the job of projecting an image of a strong Indonesia, one ready to defend its sovereignty rather than a team player who will abide by a set of rules. Any bilateral and multilateral engagements would be evaluated on their domestic benefits rather than their international appeal. Being seen as a responsible global citizen is less important than being seen as a strong country.

Prabowo has proven himself to be a smart political operator by successfully managing to embody both transformation and continuity. Nevertheless, his pursuit of continuity will be contingent on his Cabinet picks. Like his predecessor, he will likely use ministerial posts to entice opposition parties to switch sides.

But the exit of experienced ministers may make realising both his predecessor’s and his own ambitions difficult. Foreign policy will likely be subordinated to defence policy in the absence of a strong diplomat. After winning the hearts of Indonesian voters, it is now time for Prabowo to win the trust of the international community.

Andree Surianta is an Associate Researcher at the Center for Indonesian Policy Studies and an Australia Awards PhD scholar at the Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University. This commentary first appeared on Lowy Institute’s blog The Interpreter.

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Commentary: Is it ‘Thaksin thinks, Pheu Thai acts’ all over again now that the ex-PM is out of prison?

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MANOEUVRING DAUGHTER PAETONGTARN INTO PLACE

Thaksin will also want to make use of his newfound freedom to ensure that Pheu Thai is fully behind his youngest daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra. She was made party chief last year, and thus in a position for the prime ministerial post sometime in the future.

He does not appear to be in a hurry to remove Mr Srettha, though this could quickly change if Mr Srettha fails to get the party’s signature election pledge – the digital wallet handout scheme – pushed through.

Thaksin’s release could revive speculation that the democratic parties could put in a more energetic attempt to sideline conservative parties, principally through a resurrected alliance between Pheu Thai and the MFP.

The pro-military senators, which played a central role in blocking the MFP from forming the government last year, will end their terms in May, and the next Senate will not be able to participate in a vote for a prime minister.

Pheu Thai and the MFP may be on different sides of the parliamentary aisle, but a secret meeting between MFP-aligned figure Thanathorn Juangroongruangkit and Thaksin in Hong Kong last year could yet bear fruit.

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EU summons Russian envoy, demands independent Navalny death probe

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BRUSSELS: The European Union summoned Russia’s representative to the EU and called for an independent international investigation into the death of opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the EU’s diplomatic service said on Tuesday (Feb 20). It said Michael Siebert, a senior official in the European External Action Service, also urged RussiaContinue Reading

Malaysian ringgit falls to lowest level in 26 years

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s ringgit hit its lowest level since the Asian financial crisis on Tuesday (Feb 20), as emerging Asian currencies suffered against the dollar.

In trade on Tuesday, the Malaysian ringgit fell nearly 0.3 per cent to almost 4.8 against the greenback, its worst reading since January 1998 during the Asian financial meltdown.

The currency had suffered a more than 4 per cent drop already this year, thanks in part to poor export performance and rising US interest rates.

The Singdollar was trading at RM3.568 on Feb 20.

Malaysia’s central bank governor Datuk Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour said on Tuesday that the currency’s performance had been affected by “external factors” such as US rate hikes, geopolitical concerns and uncertainty about China’s economic prospects.

“The current level of the ringgit does not reflect the positive prospects of the Malaysian economy going forward,” he said in a statement.

He said expected growth in global trade and Malaysian exports should have a positive impact on the currency this year.

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As ‘energy stick’ inhalers prove popular among children in Malaysia, concerns raised over lung damage and gateway to drug abuse

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“Everything about the product has to be mentioned in the registration process, so we know what are the precise contents and their nature, so that everyone knows – the regulatory agency, the healthcare professional as well as the public,” Professor Amrahi Buang, president of the Malaysian Pharmacists Society, told CNA.

Without being registered, the safety, quality and efficacy of the energy sticks are in question, he said.

Based on research by laboratories in China, these products may contain lead, mercury, menthol and nicotine that could be harmful to the respiratory system and lungs, noted Professor Sharifa Ezat Wan Puteh, a health economist and public health specialist with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.

“These energy sticks are basically inhaled, because you put them inside your nostrils … it goes through your mouth, goes through your throat and it goes into your lungs,” she said. “What happens in the lungs is the thing that … a lot of us are very apprehensive about.”

According to the United States’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, inhaling synthetic camphor – a common fragrance in the inhalers – can cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and irritation to the eyes, skin, or mucous membrane.

Some of the sticks may contain vitamin E acetate, an additive also found in e-cigarettes, said Prof Sharifa Ezat.

GATEWAY TO OTHER VICES?

The concerns around energy sticks echo that for vapes or e-cigarettes, which have become popular among youths despite the harm they can cause.

Like vapes, the inhalers appear targeted at children, given their affordability and trendy packaging, noted Prof Amrahi.

“(Manufacturers) focus on the younger generation, trying to sell inhalers as a cool lifestyle akin to smoking and vaping. To make it even more accessible, they are available online and can be delivered in bulk. It’s challenging to control the sale of it,” he added. 

Vaping has given rise to e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury, or Evali, which has causes thousands of people to be hospitalised in the US, as well as deaths, noted Prof Sharifa Ezat.

According to the US CDC, vitamin E acetate is strongly linked to the Evali outbreak.

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Daiso founder Hirotake Yano dies at age 80 of heart failure

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Hirotake Yano, the founder of popular Japanese retail chain Daiso, died at the age of 80 on Feb 12.

A statement made by Daiso Industries Company Limited on Monday (Feb 19) revealed that the billionaire died due to heart failure in Hiroshima and that a private funeral had “already been held by close family members”.

After unsuccessful stints at his father-in-law’s fish business and peddling encyclopaedias, Yano started selling goods from a street stall in 1972.

In 1977, Yano Shoten became Daiso and Yano introduced the company’s signature single-price model which, at that time, was 100 yen (US$0.67 today).

In an interview with Tokyo Weekender, he revealed that his price model was a result of him realising that tagging “so many different products with different prices was becoming too time-consuming”.

The firm began expanding across Asia and abroad, beginning in Taiwan in 2001, and 990 of its 5,350 stores are outside Japan, according to its website.

“I have failed many times… But I kept going because I thought there was nothing else I could do,” local media quoted Yano as saying in 2001.

“It’s the value and the fun that customers can find in 100 yen. They get mental satisfaction from their shopping experience,” he said.

Daiso expanded into Singapore in 2002 and now boasts over 30 outlets islandwide.

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Malaysia sets end of year deadline and possible precedent for greater federal and Syariah law alignment

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“The Selangor Sultan mandated the committee and (Mr Zaki) to finalise everything within a year but I’ve got a commitment to complete the undertaking in not more than eight months,” Mr Mohd Na’im was quoted by the Malay Mail as telling reporters. 

But as the country marks these milestones for a proactive push towards greater cohesion, some experts cast doubts on the proposed end-2024 deadline.

“I frankly think the deadline is an unrealistic one, because the legal aspects will require very meticulous deliberation and coordination,” Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, told CNA. 

He explained that the process would include possible constitutional amendments and legal revision at both federal and state levels.

“It’s likely just a convenient and distant enough deadline in the mind of the minister, who understandably placed more emphasis on the religious aspects of this highly complicated subject matter,” Dr Oh added.

The deadline’s announcement could also set a precedent for further alignment of Syariah and federal constitutional laws. 

“The crucial question then becomes would it make the Syariah laws more in line with the constitution, or the constitution more in tune with religious precepts?” said Dr Oh.

“The former would be more welcome by a multiracial society, while the latter is craved by the increasingly conservative elements.”

Dr Azmil Mohd Tayeb, a political scientist at Universiti Sains Malaysia, believes that further alignment could see Islamic laws given greater power. 

“(The deadline) will further empower Syariah courts at the expense of civil courts especially when read with Article 121(1A) of the constitution that states Islamic matters must be adjudicated by Syariah courts,” he said. 

A NEW DIRECTION FOR A DUAL-TRACK SYSTEM 

Malaysia has a dual-track legal system with Islamic criminal and family laws applicable to Muslims running alongside secular laws. Islamic laws are enacted by state legislatures while secular laws are passed by the country’s parliament.

On Feb 9, the country’s Federal Court declared 16 laws in Kelantan’s Syariah criminal code “void and invalid”, including provisions criminalising sodomy, incest, gambling, sexual harassment, and desecrating places of worship.

The constitutional challenge was filed by Kelantanese lawyer Nik Elin Zurina Nik Abdul Rashid and her daughter Tengku Yasmin Natasha Abdul Rahman against laws covering Syariah offences that were passed by the state and came into force in 2021.

Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who delivered the majority judgement said the northeastern state had no power to enact the laws, as their subject matter was covered under parliament’s law-making powers.

Islamist party Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan, whose party is part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition coalition, claimed that it was a “Black Friday” for the Syariah Court and that the judgement could affect Syariah laws in other states.

“When one law is nullified in one state, it means that the Syariah laws in other states are also in a dangerous and critical situation,” he said. 

Meanwhile, Malaysian opposition leader and PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said that the decision hurt the feelings of Muslims in the country, especially as Islam was the official religion as stated in the constitution. 

In a statement, he said the development showed a serious weakness in the majority’s right to practice and profess their religion, and claimed that the decision would challenge the Syariah criminal enactment in all states, exposing them to the risk of annulment.

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