In similar fashion to western countries, ASEAN countries are also gearing up towards deregulation. Despite potentially different motivating drivers, the ultimate objectives are free market competition leading to efficient pricing signals as well as providing customers with the freedom to choose their electricity provider and benefit from competitive prices. This paper provides an ASEAN electric...

This paper discusses the accession of Myanmar to ASEAN and its effects on the emergence of fundamental political norms in ASEAN. The article first advances the theoretical idea of how accession demands towards Regional Organizations (ROs) open windows of opportunity for norm entrepreneurs to act for norm change in a Regional Organization. Secondly, these ideas are empirically illustrated by a c...

BACKGROUND Existing evidence suggests that the cardiovascular morbidities are increasing among pre-hypertensive individuals compared to normal. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of prehypertension, hypertension and to identify psychosocial risk factors for prehypertension among university students in Association of South East Asian Nation (ASEAN) countries. METHODS Based on...

This study provides an in-depth analysis of shifting export specialisation at the SITC 3digit product category level and links this analysis to Malaysian export potential. The paper uses the revealed comparative advantage framework to analyse the extent of export competition between Malaysia and other ASEAN economies. It argues that the degree of competition among ASEAN countries will intensify...

T he recent havoc caused by typhoon Haiyan in central Philippines provides an example of the grim reality of the impact of disasters in the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) region. This is personal to me as many of my relatives and friends died and many more had their properties all washed away. You see, I was born in Tacloban and grew up in the city. It pained me to see my 87-ye...

the asia-pacific region generates over half of global economic activity (54.2%) and about 43.7% of global trade, and is the most dynamic region in the global economy. at the core of this is an increasingly dynamic, vibrant and entrepreneurial small-medium sized enterprise sector. advances in information and communications technology, market liberalisation and moves towards closer regional econo...

In the past few years, regional institutions in the Asia Pacific region seem to have engaged in an exercise in redefining their missions and adjusting to new circumstances and challenges. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) have adopted the concept of a “security community”. The ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) is shifting its focus from inter-state conflicts to transnational issues. T...

This paper provides concrete understanding of the role of institutions and prospects for institutionalisation in ASEAN. It highlights the significant roles of institutions in the integrating Southeast Asia and demonstrates three main areas of institutional deficiency in the association. However, although ASEAN institutions meet the expectations, by and large, in terms of serving the national go...

BACKGROUND The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has made tobacco use prevention a primary health issue. All ASEAN countries except Indonesia have ratified the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the world's first public health treaty on tobacco control. METHODS Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) data were collected from representative sa...

The Asian financial crisis in 1997 brought to the attention of member countries of the Association of South East Asian Countries (ASEAN-5) (comprising Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand) the need for closer monetary co-operation. Central to the OCA literature is the nature and symmetry of underlying economic disturbances. If the economic disturbances are similar across...