WPS 79 The Road to Naypyitaw: Making Sense of the Myanmar Government’s Decision to Move its Capital

In November 2005, the Myanmar government announced its decision to relocate the national capital from Yangon to a place near Pyinmana; the place was later named Naypyitaw. This decision reveals several aspects of the Myanmar government’s security thinking. Concern for information security, defence-in-depth against possible foreign invasion, desire to get rid of the colonial past, […]

WPS 79 The Road to Naypyitaw: Making Sense of the Myanmar Government’s Decision to Move its Capital Read More »

In November 2005, the Myanmar government announced its decision to relocate the national capital from Yangon to a place near Pyinmana; the place was later named Naypyitaw. This decision reveals several aspects of the Myanmar government’s security thinking. Concern for information security, defence-in-depth against possible foreign invasion, desire to get rid of the colonial past,

WPS 78 Is there a Batak History?

The 8-10 million Bataks of northern Sumatra are one of Indonesia’s most important and intriguing groups. They have been in Sumatra for thousands of years, and in recent centuries have attracted anthropologists and students of religion and missiology. Yet in common with most of Southeast Asia’s highland groups, they remain a people without history. The

WPS 78 Is there a Batak History? Read More »

The 8-10 million Bataks of northern Sumatra are one of Indonesia’s most important and intriguing groups. They have been in Sumatra for thousands of years, and in recent centuries have attracted anthropologists and students of religion and missiology. Yet in common with most of Southeast Asia’s highland groups, they remain a people without history. The

Feminism and the Women’s Movement in Malaysia: An unsung (R)evolution

Combining both personal and academic insights into the Malaysian women’s movement, this study provides an in-depth account of the multiple struggles of the Malaysian women’s movement, from securing gender equality in a patriarchal society to achieving unity among members of a multi-ethnic society that are further divided along class and religious lines. Most historical versions

Feminism and the Women’s Movement in Malaysia: An unsung (R)evolution Read More »

Combining both personal and academic insights into the Malaysian women’s movement, this study provides an in-depth account of the multiple struggles of the Malaysian women’s movement, from securing gender equality in a patriarchal society to achieving unity among members of a multi-ethnic society that are further divided along class and religious lines. Most historical versions

Globalization Under Hegemony: The Changing World Economy

One of two companion volumes, the collection offers rich historical insights into different dimensions of economic developments as they affect globalization. The essays trace factors that have been responsible for the growing inequalities between the North and the South – exploitative colonialism as well as trade, capital, and labour flows – during the ‘long twentieth

Globalization Under Hegemony: The Changing World Economy Read More »

One of two companion volumes, the collection offers rich historical insights into different dimensions of economic developments as they affect globalization. The essays trace factors that have been responsible for the growing inequalities between the North and the South – exploitative colonialism as well as trade, capital, and labour flows – during the ‘long twentieth

Orang Asli Women of Malaysia: Perceptions, Situations & Aspirations

Orang Asli women once had important responsibilities and functions that are now labeled “male-only”. This discrimination spread throughout Orang Asli society during the last few centuries as Orang Asli came into contact with male-dominated cultures and internalized these alien norms for gender roles. It is the stealthy, relentless erosion of Orang Asli life in general,

Orang Asli Women of Malaysia: Perceptions, Situations & Aspirations Read More »

Orang Asli women once had important responsibilities and functions that are now labeled “male-only”. This discrimination spread throughout Orang Asli society during the last few centuries as Orang Asli came into contact with male-dominated cultures and internalized these alien norms for gender roles. It is the stealthy, relentless erosion of Orang Asli life in general,

Population Dynamics and Infectious Disease in Asia

Initially stimulated by a scholarly workshop convened in Singapore in late 2004, and written over the subsequent 18 months, this volume considers the potentially lethal pattern of infectious disease emergence in Asia. It studies linkages to changes in patterns of human activity, including but not limited to shifts in the distribution and concentration of human

Population Dynamics and Infectious Disease in Asia Read More »

Initially stimulated by a scholarly workshop convened in Singapore in late 2004, and written over the subsequent 18 months, this volume considers the potentially lethal pattern of infectious disease emergence in Asia. It studies linkages to changes in patterns of human activity, including but not limited to shifts in the distribution and concentration of human

WPS 77 Producing Singaporeans: Family Policies and their “Latent” Effects

Like many other “late industrializing” countries, Singapore faces a downward trend in marriage and fertility rates that have come to be seen as urgent national problems. The Singapore state has made numerous attempts to shape Singaporeans’ behaviour—using housing policies, tax incentives, and various campaigns to entice them to marry and have children. Combining data on

WPS 77 Producing Singaporeans: Family Policies and their “Latent” Effects Read More »

Like many other “late industrializing” countries, Singapore faces a downward trend in marriage and fertility rates that have come to be seen as urgent national problems. The Singapore state has made numerous attempts to shape Singaporeans’ behaviour—using housing policies, tax incentives, and various campaigns to entice them to marry and have children. Combining data on

WPS 76 The Emergence of a Transnational Healthcare Service Industry in Malaysia

The recent history of healthcare privatisation and corporatisation in Malaysia, an upper middle-income developing country, highlights the complicit role of the state in the rise of corporate healthcare. Following upon the country’s privatisation policy in the 1980s, private capital made significant inroads into the healthcare provider sector. This paper explores the various ownership interests in

WPS 76 The Emergence of a Transnational Healthcare Service Industry in Malaysia Read More »

The recent history of healthcare privatisation and corporatisation in Malaysia, an upper middle-income developing country, highlights the complicit role of the state in the rise of corporate healthcare. Following upon the country’s privatisation policy in the 1980s, private capital made significant inroads into the healthcare provider sector. This paper explores the various ownership interests in

Other Malays: Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism in the Modern Malay World

This simulating new reading of constructions of ethnicity in Malaysia and Singapore is an important contribution to understanding the powerful linkages between ethnicity, religious reform, identity and nationalism in multi-ethnic Southeast Asia. The narrative of Malay identify devised by malay nationals, writers and filmmakers in the late colonial period associated malayness with the village or

Other Malays: Nationalism and Cosmopolitanism in the Modern Malay World Read More »

This simulating new reading of constructions of ethnicity in Malaysia and Singapore is an important contribution to understanding the powerful linkages between ethnicity, religious reform, identity and nationalism in multi-ethnic Southeast Asia. The narrative of Malay identify devised by malay nationals, writers and filmmakers in the late colonial period associated malayness with the village or