Editor’s Note
by Siu Tzyy Wei, Lead Editor - Maritime Crescent Desk
Some numbers hold together only if no one looks too closely.
This week, Brunei’s PISA scores read as a national success story, until the data beneath them raises a harder question about what is actually being measured, and for whom. Malaysia faces a different pressure: a population ageing faster than the policies meant to support it, where the fixes that would have worked are running out of time to matter. Meanwhile, Indonesia’s long-delayed protections for ride-hailing workers promise greater revenue sharing and social security, but leave deeper questions around algorithmic management, gender inequality, employment status and the government’s commitment to platform workers unresolved.
Three different countries, the same pattern underneath: what looks stable on the surface is rarely the whole picture.
Because the numbers that reassure us are usually the ones no one has stress-tested yet.
Brunei Darussalam 🇧🇳
Behind the Rank
by Maryam Zulaidi
The OECD published its Programme for International Students Assessment (PISA) 2025 results on 8 September 2026, marking Brunei’s participation for the third time since 2018 and its largest sample to date. At 5,740 students, headlines reported that Brunei ranked among the top three in ASEAN for mathematics and science, and second in reading. Regional standing, however, does not reveal the full picture about the distribution of achievement within the country.
Brunei remains below the OECD average across four categories, including reading and computational problem solving. Results for science, mathematics and reading were stronger in 2022 than in 2025. Scores fell by six points in science, seven in mathematics and four in reading relative to 2022. However, this decline warrants attention rather than alarm since the OECD recorded a similar pattern of deterioration across most participating nations.
The sensible question is who is underperforming. Thirty-nine percent of Bruneian 15-year olds sat in the top international quartile of socio-economic status. They are among the most materially advantaged students in the world, yet averaged at 480 points in science, significantly less than students in Singapore, Chinese Taipei and Macau. If advantaged students are underperforming, the limitation cannot be material resources.
The report also highlights that the gap between disadvantaged and advantaged students is consistent with the OECD average and has narrowed since 2018, primarily due to an improvement seen in the former group and stagnancy in the latter. The proficiency distribution makes the consequences visible. Thirty-nine percent of Bruneian students fell below baseline proficiency in science and forty-five percent in mathematics, indicating that a concerning demographic of students cannot reliably apply their knowledge into real life situations. The results allude to a wider constraint than a subject-specific one; improvement at the lower spectrum of the distribution alongside stagnation at the upper end directs attention towards instruction rather than the students themselves.
Another finding that did not make the headlines is that accounts of bullying are higher than the OECD average of twenty in 2025 and higher than Brunei’s own figure in 2022. Thirty-four percent of Bruneian students reported experiencing bullying at least a few times a month. Arguably, the lower figure in 2022 was likely a consequence of the pandemic disruptions rather than a genuine improvement. Unlike the previous scores, this is a finding the ministry can tackle directly.
The significance of the recent cycle is that Brunei now holds three comparable data points. The 2018 report established a baseline, the two cycles cannot determine a genuine shift from one cycle to the next, whereas the third and recent results begin to shape a trajectory. This allows Brunei’s Ministry of Education to determine whether performance is improving, declining or holding steady. The value of this PISA exercise lies in what the data reveals about where the education system is falling behind and not in the regional nor global rankings.
Maryam is a first-year International Relations and Politics student at the University of Sheffield, with an academic focus on Southeast Asia—particularly Maritime Southeast Asia—and the Middle East. She aspires to a career in diplomacy and academia and is committed to fostering international dialogue and advancing scholarly engagement with global issues. Beyond her academic work, she pursues creative interests and voluntary initiatives that broaden her perspectives on public service.
Indonesia 🇮🇩
Promises on Hold
by Amallia Utami
There is a discrepancy between the statements made by President Prabowo Subianto and the Government of the Republic of Indonesia regarding the enactment and finalisation of Presidential Regulation No. 27 of 2026 on the Protection of Online Ride-Hailing Workers. On May 1, 2026, President Prabowo announced that the policy regulating protections for drivers had been established. These protections include social security and a more favourable revenue-sharing arrangement for drivers. However, in mid-August 2026, the State Secretary stated that the regulation was not yet complete and would be issued in late August or early September 2026. Yet there has been no further update, and the status of the finalisation remains unclear.
President Prabowo’s speech highlighted several areas of focus for the regulation. For instance, it addressed the reduction of commission fees, or “deposits”, that have long been considered a burden for drivers. Initially, drivers received only 80% of the fare, while the proposed regulation aimed to increase their share to 92%. Some platforms have already implemented this policy for their driver-partners per July 2026. The regulation also touched upon minimum wages, job security, and health insurance. However, there are several other issues that warrant attention within this regulatory framework.
First, artificial intelligence and algorithms present significant concerns. Algorithms currently influence how rewards are allocated to drivers who work continuously. This may be one reason why some drivers work excessively long hours each day. The situation is further complicated by schemes that require drivers to complete a specific number of trips within a short timeframe, potentially compromising their safety.
The situation of female drivers, who are particularly vulnerable, also requires attention. Platform governance frameworks developed without a gender perspective may place an undue burden on female drivers by creating a “double burden”. Positioned merely as partners (mitra), these drivers lack access to basic needs such as minimum wages, sick leave, or even maternity leave. Their earnings are influenced by how many tasks they have completed and algorithmic rankings, while they may also have to manage household responsibilities.
Secondly, algorithms can serve as a mechanism for managing workers without appearing to be management. The role of the supervisor has not necessarily disappeared. Instead, it has been transformed. What warrants attention is the use of algorithms to automate tasks such as work allocation, reward determination, and performance monitoring, while also influencing workers’ access to future work opportunities.
Higher earnings is an immediate need for drivers and couriers, as changes to revenue sharing can have the direct impact on their livelihoods. However, financial improvements alone cannot address the insecurity created by algorithmic management or the absence of employment protections. The delayed finalisation of the regulation raises questions about the government’s commitment to protecting platform workers, especially when its status remains unclear. While the proposed provisions could improve workers’ financial security, stronger protections should address deeper inequalities created by algorithmic management and gaps in employment protection adequacy.
Amallia is a media and culture graduate from the University of Glasgow with experience in journalism and creative writing. Her interests lie in democracy, media and communication, particularly how contemporary media environments shape self-censorship, misinformation, and disinformation.
Malaysia 🇲🇾
Malaysia’s Incoming Grey Tsunami
by Edrina Lisa Ozaidi, in WP Kuala Lumpur
Declining fertility rate, rising life expectancies and rising living costs, among others, indicates that Malaysia is transitioning into an ageing society at a pace that far outstrips many of its regional neighbours.
Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM) data indicates that citizens aged 65 and above have reached 8.4% of the total population, with 12 states officially classified as “ageing states”. The data is not just a demographic forecast, but a shifting population category that also reshapes households, healthcare networks and the national economy.
The question: Is Malaysia ready to accommodate the already-coming grey tsunami?
Currently, Malaysia’s ageing population is rooted in two intersecting trends. On one end, life expectancy climbed steadily, crossing the 75-year threshold. On the other, total fertility rates have plummeted well below the 2.1 replacement level. This is driven by shifting socioeconomic dynamics, urbanisation and the soaring cost of raising children in urban areas.
An inverting demographic pattern means fewer births are feeding into the workforce. A surge of retirees will also emerge, requiring long-term social, medical and financial support. The Malaysian government recognises the gravity of this demographic shift, and an initial structural counter plan has been laid out.
Initiatives including strategic proposal such as The National Ageing Blueprint (NAB) under 13th Malaysia Plan (MP), the National Plan of Action for Older Persons (2026-2030), and the Malaysia Care Strategic Framework and Action Plan (2026-2030) all aim to gradually enforce eldercare infrastructure and social protection reforms, ranging from geriatric care to preventative community health.
However, the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (ISIS) Malaysia warn that the country’s physical and financial architecture is profoundly unprepared. Urban centers, where a vast majority of the elderly population resides, remain glaringly unfriendly for older citizens. Malaysia’s heavy car-centric transportation model, coupled with deficient first-mile and last-mile pedestrian infrastructure, effectively strand older adults with physical or cognitive impairment. Although sporadic efforts like demand-responsive transit vans offer glimmers of hope, nationwide age-friendly urban needs remain largely absent.
Adding to this is a ticking financial time bomb: the persistent fragility of retirement savings. Successive rounds of permitted Employees Provident Fund (EPF) with withdrawals over recent years have hollowed out the nest eggs of millions of Malaysians. This “grey line” in EPF savings means that instead of enjoying secure golden years, a vast cohort of future seniors will face forced economic precarity, compelled to stay in the workforce long past retirement age simply to survive.
Transforming the country into an age-friendly nation requires a synchronised overhaul - from unifying transport planning to strict protection of retirement funds. If policymakers fail to bridge the gap between macro-growth narratives and the grassroots realities of an ageing population, the country risks running out of time before it runs out of money.
Edrina is a communications professional with a background in international relations. She holds a degree from the University of Nottingham Malaysia and has worked across public relations and social media for organizations in the development, education, and corporate sectors. Her work focuses on crafting narratives around regional affairs and strengthening media engagement across Southeast Asia.
Editorial Deadline 14/09/2026 11:59 PM (UTC +8)
