Building the Future, Bridging the Gaps
Issue 12 — Key Developments Across Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia
Editor’s Note
by Haniva Sekar Deanty, Lead Editor - Maritime Crescent Desk
Across Southeast Asia, the pursuit of progress takes many forms: fast trains, fiscal reforms and future-ready youth. However, beneath these headline pursuits, lie deeper questions about who benefits, who decides, and how vision becomes reality.
In this issue, we begin in Kuala Lumpur, where the renewed KL-Singapore High Speed Rail project carries not just passengers, but the hopes of regional connectivity and pragmatic diplomacy. Its promise lies in the movement of people, goods and ideas. Along with it, is the hope of Malaysia’s ability to lead integration efforts during its ASEAN chairmanship.
From there, we shift to Indonesia, where promises of growth have sparked unrest. The government’s ambitious free lunch program, while well-intentioned, has ignited frustration among regional communities burdened by local tax hikes and vanishing budgets. Here, the cost of central policy is measured not in numbers, but in livelihoods.
Finally, in Brunei, we turn to the generation who will inherit legacies. As the nation marks two decades of its National Youth Day, we are reminded that investment in young people remains one of the most enduring strategies for future resilience.
Together, these pieces reveal a region striving to build, not just quickly, but thoughtfully.
Malaysia 🇲🇾
KL-Singapore High Speed Rail Project Signals Stronger Economic Ties
by Edrina Lisa Ozaidi, in WP Kuala Lumpur
The proposed KL-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project has been on the table for quite some time. The project has faced and continues to face quite a few challenges in development; nevertheless, it still serves as a tangible marker for the bilateral diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Singapore. Beyond symbolizing bilateral relations, the HSR is also expected to foster development, carrying wider implications for the region.
The HSR project renewal aligns quite well with ASEAN Economic Community’s strategic goals; to create a singular market and production base that allows free movement of goods, services, and people. The new HSR project will provide an additional transport link between the two major ASEAN hubs, reducing the journey to just 90 minutes. Compared to the other two commonly preferred modes of transport—four to five hours by road and one hour by air—an alternative will definitely spark economic changes, creating more opportunities to mobilize people, capital, and goods at an faster speed.
Additionally, the project is expected to generate benefits such as deeper supply-chain integration, fewer logistics bottlenecks, and broader cross-border business networks. With Malaysia assuming the Chairmanship role of ASEAN in 2025, the HSR project stands as a powerful testament to the nation's leadership in championing a more integrated and inclusive regional community, a key theme of its chairmanship. Beyond connecting regions, the HSR project will create jobs at multiple stages, from construction to lasting opportunities in tourism, real estate, and retail.
Connecting seven major urban cities in Malaysia, from Bandar Malaysia to Iskandar Puteri, the project will open up new avenues for growth in intermediate towns and cities along the corridor. It is likely that these areas will attract greater foreign direct investment, in line with the government’s agenda of securing high-quality investment to elevate national income levels. A successful economic corridor is an open invitation for new developments in both commercial and residential sectors, which in turn strengthens local prosperity.
This initiative also holds significance in politics and diplomatic relations. While the project’s termination in 2021 further highlights political and financial hurdles, the decision to revive HSR on a new, privately-funded model only highlights Malaysia’s pragmatic and forward-looking approach to commercial and infrastructure diplomacy. Currently, the project is inviting private sector proposals while minimizing the governments’ financial exposure, reflecting the two countries’ willingness to pursue collaborative solutions. The HSR, therefore, is not merely a mode of transport but an embodiment of political will and diplomatic maturity, essential for navigating the intricate landscape of regional cooperation.
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.
Indonesia 🇮🇩
Free Lunches, Crippling Taxes: A Social Contract Betrayed
by Hree Putri Samudra, in Jakarta
The tear gas fired in Pati and the outrage boiling over in Bone are not merely reactions to a land tax hike. They are symptoms of a deeper malady: the fracturing of the social contract between state and citizens. Under the grand ambitions of President Prabowo Subianto's administration, people in the regions are forced to pay twice. First through national taxes funding central programs, and again through rising, crippling local levies imposed to cover the crater left by those same policies.
The government is presenting an illusion of a fair trade. The narrative: sacrifice a portion of your regional budget, and in return, we will deliver a free lunch program to nourish children and spur growth to 8%. But this exchange is fundamentally flawed. Regions are told to trade away certainty—essential healthcare, education, and irrigation projects—for a promise already fraught with problems.
Let's scrutinize the "prize". With a budget of 335 trillion rupiah ($20.5 billion), soon to be $40.5 billion, the free lunch program—the government’s justification—is hardly spotless. Reports of food poisoning and unpaid caterers are sounding alarms on execution and accountability. In other words: robbing Peter to pay Paul, stripping tangible local development projects to fund a mammoth program whose governance is questionable at best.
Bursah Zarnubi, chairman of the association of district leaders, bluntly stated that public unrest stems from economic injustice. When Lahat district in South Sumatra risks losing an irrigation project that provides 90% of its budget, it’s not just numbers on a sheet. It is livelihoods, food security, and the paralysis of a real economic engine. The brutal question: how many kilometers of roads, classrooms, or health clinics must be sacrificed for every plate of food that (might) reach a school desk?
But this goes beyond budgets. It is a maneuver of re-centralizing power that endangers regional autonomy, a key pillar of the Reformasi era. By rendering local governments fiscally impotent and dependent on Jakarta’s mercy, the center controls not only money but loyalty. Local leaders, instead of serving constituents, must now become extensions of the central agenda or risk development budgets being cut off. Democracy loses meaning when the fiscal space to innovate and respond to citizens' needs is eliminated.
Armand Suparman of Regional Autonomy Watch was right: democracy is more than just elections. It's public access to budget planning and policy. The proposed 2026 budget, by cutting regional funds to their lowest in a decade, is a direct assault on this principle.
The anger on the streets of Pati and Bone reflects a bitter truth: a nation's prosperity cannot be built on weakened regions. Growth will not be achieved by concentrating power and resources in Jakarta, while demanding the rest of the country tighten its belt.
The government must realize that the promise of full stomachs will ring hollow if it comes at the expense of empty pockets and dying services at the local level. This is no longer fiscal policy. It is a question of fundamental justice and the future of democracy in Indonesia.
Hree serves as Project Associate for Asia and the Pacific at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders (GNWP), where she leads multi-country initiatives integrating Women, Peace and Security (WPS), and Youth, Peace and Security (YPS) frameworks into security policies across ASEAN and South Asia. She is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the University of Glasgow’s Atomic Anxiety in the New Nuclear Age program. Previously, she served as Chair of the Humanitarian Disarmament and Inclusive Governance Working Group at the British American Security Information Council (BASIC), advocating for more accountable and inclusive nuclear policy frameworks.
Brunei Darussalam 🇧🇳
Hari Belia 2025: Reflections on Brunei’s Youth and the Nation’s Future
by Syimah Johari, in Bandar Seri Begawan
Every year on the 1st of August, Brunei celebrates Hari Belia Kebangsaan, or the National Youth Day. The occasion commemorates the youth’s hard work and accomplishments towards shaping the nation’s goals under Wawasan 2035. This year’s celebration marks the 20th year (officially referred to as HBK20), with the theme of Belia Siaga Masa Depan, held at the International Convention Centre. Such celebrations not only acknowledge the contributions of Brunei’s youth, but also empower them further, as they are key to shaping a future Brunei built on a generation that is confident, resilient, and forward-looking.
The event began with a speech given by the Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dato Seri Setia Haji Awang Nazmi bin Haji Awang. He emphasized that youth remains the main driver of the country’s progress and that HBK20 reflects the government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening the younger generation’s potential. His Majesty, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzadin Waddaulah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam, also graced the celebration. In his speech, he acknowledged the youth’s involvement across various sectors and motivated them to move beyond their comfort zone to explore regional and global opportunities.
Hari Belia is not just a celebration, but a reflection of Brunei’s long-standing and evolving commitment to youth empowerment. Over the years, the nation has placed strong emphasis on values-based leadership and structured programmes that create real opportunities for young people. Platforms like Kongres Belia (Youth Congress), introduced in 2019, and Youth Town Hall, established in 2020, provide the youth a voice in national dialogue by engaging directly with policymakers and senior officials. Beyond these platforms, Brunei invests in government-led initiatives like the Youth Development Centre, which is dedicated to enhance young Bruneians’ employability, fostering entrepreneurship and supporting further education through short-term courses that provide them with in-demand skills. Meanwhile, programmes such as i-Usahawan, launched in 2018, aim to develop and sustain youth-driven businesses. These initiatives not only enhance individual skills but also strengthen the nation’s capacity for innovation, leadership, and sustainable growth. Together, these efforts ensure that Brunei’s youth is celebrated and empowered while being equipped to lead the nation, contributing to the Wawasan 2035 goals.
Syimah is a graduate of King’s College London with a BA in International Relations. With a strong focus on diplomacy, regional cooperation, and development policy, she is passionate about contributing to meaningful change through public service. Currently, she is involved in poverty alleviation work through a local NGO.
Editorial Deadline 24/08/2025 11:59 PM (UTC +8)
