Malaysia’s Greatest Strategic Asset Is What It Has Built – Not What It Costs

Surrey Business School’s Prof Tazeeb Rajwani on institutional depth, Hormuz risks, and why neutrality must be earned Professor Tazeeb Rajwani, Chair in International Business and Strategy at Surrey Business School, University of Surrey, argues that Malaysia’s record investment figures mask a deeper story — one of ecosystem maturity, pragmatic diplomacy, and strategic indispensability that may…

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THE REGIONAL LENS

BY TENGKU NOOR SHAMSIAH TENGKU ABDULLAH On Saturday, 23 May, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that a deal to end the Iran war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz had been “largely negotiated” and would be announced shortly. It was the most optimistic signal from Washington in nearly three months of war. Yet…

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THE FABULOUS FIVE — ASEAN’S STRATEGIC ECONOMIC NUCLEUS

By Shan Saeed, Global Chief Economist, Juwai IQI KUALA LUMPUR, May 21 — This year, I coined the term “Fabulous Five” (MITPV) to describe the five economies poised to shape ASEAN’s macroeconomic and investment trajectory over the next 10 to 20 years — Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam. Collectively, these five economies represent the undisputed…

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THE REGIONAL LENS War at the Gates: How Operation Epic Fury Is Hitting Southeast Asia Now

MARCH 18, 2026 A war in the Middle East is rapidly becoming Southeast Asia’s economic crisis, as oil shocks, trade disruptions and policy pressure test ASEAN’s resilience like never before. When the United States and Israel launched Operation Epic Fury on 28 February 2026, few in Southeast Asia expected the shockwaves to arrive so swiftly….

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