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OPINION: What we can learn from Asia’s elections season

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Updated as of Jun 17 02:12 PM

It would appear—with notable exceptions—that the strongmen have prevailed in Asia.   Read more »

OPINION: What it’s like to celebrate Eid al-Fitr in a Muslim minority country

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Updated as of Jun 10 12:30 PM

Faith should be about bringing harmony and progress to our societies. Religion should be the cause of unity, not division. Read more »

OPINION: The aftermath of Indonesia’s elections

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at May 30 12:51 PM

Night falls quickly in Jakarta. It’s the Muslim Ramadhan fasting month, which breaks at around 5.47PM in Indonesia’s capital.  Read more »

OPINION: Moving forward, Malaysia needs a new narrative

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at May 18 03:34 AM

The euphoria over the surprise victory of the Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad-led Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition last year has been swiftly replaced by a surprisingly bitter disappointment Read more »

OPINION: In Holy Week, a struggle for the soul of the Philippines

Karim Raslan - Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at May 08 03:38 AM

The Good Friday crucifixions and whippings in many ways are emblematic of the contradictory, often dualistic nature of Philippine public life. Read more »

OPINION: Thailand needs to use more than a calculator to fix its democracy

Karim Raslan - Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Apr 09 03:12 AM

Like the sky in Chiang Mai, Thailand’s future, regrettably, remains hazy. Read more »

OPINION: In Bekasi and Indonesia, a house divided?

Karim Raslan - Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Apr 03 04:55 AM

On April 17, 2019, Indonesia will be going to the polls. West Java, the country’s most-populous province with 48.6 million inhabitants, is the preeminent electoral battleground. Read more »

OPINION: When Asian giants vote

Karim Raslan – Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Mar 26 04:15 AM

This weekend will kick off Asia’s 2019 election season.  Read more »

Coco Martin: Hope in the time of need

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Updated as of Mar 21 05:34 PM

As Coco Martin continues with his TV show, crafting storylines that balance truth with hope and reality with the imagination, it’ll be interesting to see where his next career choice will take him.  Read more »

OPINION: Thaksin, Asia’s original populist

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Mar 11 08:02 PM

Loathed by the elite, Thaksin Shinawatra, the brash Chiang Mai-born, telecom billionaire-turned-politician remains a Svengali-like presence despite being ousted and later effectively exiled in 2008. Read more »

The Durian rush: How demand for the king of fruit fits into a land-grab issue

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Feb 26 04:12 PM

Chinese demand has the capacity to distort and upend smaller Southeast Asian communities. We need to be mindful of the negative impact – environmental, social and cultural – before we rush to supply the potential giant to the north.    Read more »

OPINION: The Death of Facebook?

Karim Raslan – Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Jan 16 05:01 PM

Maybe what we’re seeing is not so much the “death” of Facebook as its dethronement. Read more »

OPINION: Thai elections: What will General Prayuth do to keep in grip on power?

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Jan 09 10:01 PM

Thailand's nationwide ban on politics has been lifted. The Kingdom prepares itself for its first election since 2014. Read more »

OPINION: Christmas in Surabaya

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Dec 26 04:57 PM

Six months ago, Surabaya was rocked by a series of suicide bombings. This attack, the first in Indonesia to be carried out by young children, has left the city of Surabaya visibly scarred. Read more »

Living in the past: 64 years later, does the Vietnamese spirit remain unbroken?

Karim Raslan
Posted at Dec 13 12:12 AM

Dien Bien Phu is a powerful testament to the Vietnamese spirit and whilst the next set of challenges – the struggle to bring lasting peace, prosperity and social mobility to people like Nga will be considerable – there’s no doubt in my mind that the Republic will succeed.  Read more »

OPINION: 5 years later, Yolanda survivor continues to wait for resettlement

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Nov 30 05:44 PM

Whilst Tacloban City Mayor (a relative of former First Lady and Tacloban native, Imelda Marcos) Cristina Romualdez recently declared that its people “have moved on and forward”, for people like Richelle, the disaster is ongoing, as neglect and disinterest supplant raging winds and driving rain. Read more »

OPINION: Lessons from Jakarta's Bus Rapid Transit system for PH and rest of Southeast Asia

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Nov 28 11:05 PM

The Bus Rapid Transit now has well over 125 routes, 2,000 buses and over 650,000 passengers every day. So, what makes Jakarta’s public transportation system tick? Read more »

A Malay teacher speaks her mind

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Nov 11 03:03 AM

As Myanmar, the Philippines and other ASEAN nations continue to grapple with minority rights, it’s important to learn from Thailand’s complex and often bitter experience. Read more »

Boracay island reopens: Is sustainable tourism now the benchmark?

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Oct 23 08:43 PM

With the Philippines leading the charge for sustainable tourism in Southeast Asia, it is hoped that the region’s policy-makers will focus more on the yield rather than raw numbers.  Read more »

OPINION: How nature reminds us of our fragility

Karim Raslan -- Ceritalah ASEAN
Posted at Oct 16 11:39 PM

If you live atop the Ring of Fire, you should never falter in your faith because no one can anticipate what will turn up next from Nature's arsenal of tricks. Read more »