20 July 2022
Malaysia rejects Jho Low's settlement deal for 1MDB scandal: Regional Roundup
The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez chats with Money FM's Elliott Danker.

They discuss ex-Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa possible next move after being asked to leave Singapore.

They also cover the latest from Malaysia's Lower House meetings and the rejected attempts by financier Jho Low to reach a settlement in the 1MDB scandal.

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13 July 2022
Future of Sri Lanka in question - Regional Roundup
The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez chats with Money FM's Elliott Danker.

They discuss Malaysia and Philippines' respective ongoing struggles with Covid-19, the battle between Malaysia and Indonesia in palm oil exports, and the future of leadership in Sri Lanka following the current president's recent removal from power.

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6 July 2022
No word yet on when Malaysia's chicken export ban will end : Regional Roundup
The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez chats with Money FM's Elliott Danker.

They discuss Malaysian authorities not giving any indication of lifting their chicken export ban. Highlights from Indonesian president Joko Widodo's visit to Ukraine and Russia and Chinese foreign minister’s ‘advice’ to Myanmar.

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29 June 2022
Jokowi to hold peace talks between Russia, Ukraine : Regional Roundup
The Straits Times' regional correspondent Leslie Lopez chats with Money FM's Elliott Danker.

They discuss Malaysia spending 77.3 billion ringgit in subsidies and cash aid this year to help temper the effects of rising prices. Indonesian President Joko Widodo attempting to hold peace talks between Russia and Ukraine and lastly, Bank of Thailand's (BOT) officials coming forward to say that the tightening of the country's monetary policy will not disrupt their recovery.

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22 June 2022
Indonesia hopes to export chickens to Singapore within the month: Regional Roundup
In this week's Regional Roundup, the team discusses the possible effects of Malaysia’s decision to raise the ceiling price of sugar Moreover, was stopping their chicken exports a good move? Indonesian authorities are hoping to reach an agreement with Singapore to start exporting chickens in the next few weeks and Cambodia has ignored an appeal to exclude the Myanmar regime’s defense minister from the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting (ADMM).

We discuss these headlines with Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times.

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15 June 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (15 JUN)
Malaysia is in focus today. They have partially lifted their ban on chicken exports, look to introduce a moving ceiling price for consumer products, and plan to abolish the death penalty. Elsewhere, in Thailand the growing and consumption of marijuana has been legalized while the situation in Myanmar continues to worsen.

Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times helps us dive deeper into these headlines.

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8 June 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (08 JUN)
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is being pressured to call for early elections. This is alongside Malaysia's king calling for all political issues to be resolved immediately. Indonesia has introduced new measures to boost the country's tourism sector. The situation in Myanmar continues to take turns for the worse. Singapore and Brunei have renewed their commitment to further partnerships in the agri-food sector.

To give us insight into these headlines we speak to Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times

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1 June 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (01 JUN)
In this week's Regional Roundup, we talk about issues surrounding the chicken export ban in Malaysia, the prospects for PKR in the next Malaysia election, the discussion between Vietnam and Thailand about raising rice prices together, and a tragic incident where a ferry ran out of fuel and sank off the coast of Indonesia. This is all with Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times.

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25 May 2022
Regional Round-up: What are the long-term economic repercussions of Malaysia’s decision to curb the export of chickens?
In this week's episode, we discuss US President Joe Biden’s new trade initiative in the region, Malaysia’s decision to curb the export of chickens, and the firing of Vietnam’s general director of its main Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange. Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times gives us his analysis on those headlines and more.

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18 May 2022
Asian Insider: Much anticipated debate between Anwar Ibrahim and Najib Razak lacked substance: Regional Round-up
The team discusses the sentiments surrounding the live debate between Malaysia’s opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim and former prime minister Najib Razak are mixed. Dr. Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for Foreign Affairs visited the country as well to strengthen its ties with Singapore. The recently concluded US-ASEAN summit renews their ties as well. Lastly, the election for the Bangkok governor could be an indication of how the next national polls will go.

Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times tells us more.

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11 May 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (11 MAY)
How could the outcome of the Philippine elections affect the country? Will Johor's new policies be effective to curb migration to Singapore? The Thai army has said that it will ban its 245,000 members from using Lazada, claiming a promotional video mocked the royal family. How does this affect the company? Lastly, what is the agenda behind Indonesia's president Joko Widodo's meeting with Elon Musk?

Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times helps us dive deeper as we try to answer these questions.

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4 May 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (04 MAY)
The resumption between Singapore and Malaysia via public buses and cross-border taxis, a record number of 30 candidates in the race to be Bangkok's next governor, and foreign intervention possibly being the only hope to mitigate the fuel crisis in Sri Lanka. Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times gives us insight into these headlines.

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27 April 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup
How will the global economy cope with the downward trend of the Malaysian ringgit and Indonesia’s surprise ban on palm oil exports? Also, could Paetongtarn Shinawatra, the youngest daughter of former Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra be the next PM? To give us an analysis of those headlines and more, we have Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times.

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13 April 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (13 April)
This week on Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times discuss the arrest of one of Malaysia's most wanted men who pleaded not guilty to 26 charges, another delay in the enactment of Malaysia's anti-party hopping law, Philippines government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)'s first step towards normalisation, and more.

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6 April 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (6 April)
This week on Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times gives an analysis of Malaysia's 'strict action’ against the illegal sale of RON95 petrol to foreigners, Indonesia's deployment of a 24-hour police surveillance targeting cooking oil production and distribution, an April Fool's prank by a budget airline gone wrong.

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30 March 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (30 March)
Taking a look at some of the headlines coming out of the region, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times gives an analysis of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines' expansion of their trilateral cooperation in an effort to to bolster national security, Myanmar's top general's plan to ‘annihilate’ opposition forces, the commencement of the Philippines and the United States' largest-ever joint military drills, and more.

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23 March 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (23 March)
In this week's Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times gives an analysis of the protest against a government plan to raise the national minimum wage by Malaysian industries, a formal declaration by the Biden administration that Myanmar's army committed genocide against Rohingya, Marcos Jr.'s boost of support from Rodrigo Duterte’s party ahead of the Philippine's elections, and more.

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16 March 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (16 March)
In this week's Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times breaks down the latest of Barisan Nasional's major electoral win in Saturday’s Johor state polls, why the Philippines waited 6 weeks before confronting the Chinese ambassador over a navy ship’s ‘illegal intrusion’, Vietnam’s unclear quarantine and testing rules which left international tourists confused and more.

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9 March 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (9 Mar)
From a heavy downpour that caused flash floods in several places in Kuala Lumpur earlier this week, to the reopening of Malaysia's international checkpoints without quarantine for vaccinated travelers from 1st April 2022, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, The Straits Times gives us an analysis of all that's happening in the region.

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23 February 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (23 FEB)
In our Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times discuss the expansion of the EU sanctions on Myanmar's military junta to include several key officials and four entities tied to the regime, Former Malaysian prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's scathing attack on Najib Razak in a letter to Johor voters, Indonesia's plan to reduce their reliance on foreign vaccines, and more.

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16 February 2022
Asian Insider, Regional Roundup (16 Feb)
In this week's Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times gives an analysis of the significance behind Malaysia's Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob first official visit to Brunei, Ferdinand Marcos Jr's absence in presidential forums ahead of the Philippines Presidential elections, Vietnam's decision to continue factory production despite record Covid-19 infections, and more.

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9 February 2022
Asian Insider, Regional Roundup (9 Feb)
On this week's Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times gives an analysis of Malaysia's latest measure to 'blunt' the impact of an ongoing Omicron wave, Myanmar military leader's agreement for an ASEAN special envoy from Cambodia to meet members of the ousted ruling party, the kickoff of Philippine’s election campaign season, and more.

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26 January 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (26 Jan)
This week, Singapore and Indonesia ties took a major step after the conclusion of agreements on 3 long standing bilateral issues. Meanwhile, Thailand and Saudi Arabia finally held their first high-level talks yesterday after 3 decades! To give us an analysis of these and more, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times joins us on the show.

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19 January 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (19 Jan)
From Canada's termination of its sourcing contract with Malaysian glove maker Supermax Corporation following allegations about forced labour, to President Joko Widodo choosing a new national capital and Thailand developing the country’s first plant-based Covid vaccine, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times gives an analysis of it all.

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12 January 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (12 Jan)
In this week's Regional Roundup, Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times gives an analysis of Malaysia's newest political party, Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM), the Philippines' increase in national COVID-19 positivity rate, Thailand's reopening of three popular beach destinations amid the emergence of an omicron outbreak, and more.

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5 January 2022
Asian Insider: Regional Roundup (05 Jan)
Leslie Lopez, Regional Correspondent, Straits Times gives an analysis of floods in seven Malaysian states that have forced thousands of people to be evacuated, Philippines' expansion of Covid-19 restrictions outside its capital, Indonesia pause on coal exports, and more.

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