The elections in Indonesia could signal a new chapter in the history of the country, claims Derwin Pereira. But whether Joko Widodo or Prabowo Subianto win, the country's history of political and religious pluralism will preclude any sharp turns towards instability.

Derwin Pereira says the US is chaotic, fractious and ultimately self-correcting. That is its great strength and the reason it should not be written off as a fading power, despite Donald Trump’s best efforts to undermine US authority.

Malaysia's 14th General Election next month will attest to the longevity of democracy in the country. However, it will also reveal how identity politics is refashioning the electoral landscape of one of South-east Asia's economically most successful nations.

The results of upcoming elections in Malaysia and Indonesiawill provide a scorecard for the inroads made by political Islam in Southeast Asia’s two key Muslim-majority countries. In Malaysia, which will hold a general election this year, the standard-bearer of political Islam is the Parti Islam SeMalaysia. In Indonesia, which will have its presidential election next year, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) represents Islam in the political mainstream. But also powerful is the Front Pembela Islam, a vigilante group which registers its presence mostly through demonstrations and intimidation.

The best that can be said about 2017 is that it has survived both US President Donald Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un. What happens next year will depend on the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping. The years from then on are China’s to lose.

US President Donald Trump’s visit to South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines marks a special moment in a special relationship. The relationship between America and the Indo-Pacific is special because the region is primed for a choice between war and peace.

Derwin Pereira says the US president should not let the North Korean nuclear stand-off dominate his agenda in Asia, and instead engage leaders on shared strategic concerns, singly and through forums such as Asean and Apec.

The international opprobrium heaped on Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, for her inactivity on the Rohingya crisis front, obscures an uncomfortable truth.

Singapore's founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew was no ordinary Singaporean. His house is no ordinary house. These facts give Singaporeans a stake in its preservation, no matter how the tussle among his children ends.

As a citizen and former journalist who met him several times, the symbolic meaning of the house for me takes precedence over Mr Lee's own will. From a strictly legal perspective, the will says the last word on what should be done to 38, Oxley Road. But from a national perspective, the demolition of the house would represent a blow to a visual artefact that represents the nation's journey from Third World to First.

"What's needed to get out of terror attacks being normal? First, liberal societies may have to permit illiberal laws that hit suspected terrorists before they strike. Second, terror groups will learn to accept the military superiority of Western states, and their capacity for retaliation."