The 10 ASEAN members and their leaders

The just concluded 43rd ASEAN Summit in Jakarta has shown that the most respected leaders in the regional alliance are Indonesia's president Joko Widodo, Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong , and Malaysia's Prime Minister  Datuk Shri Anwar Ibrahim.B runei's Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah may be the wealthiest and the longest reigning monarch but he represents a tiny nation of less than half a million people.

The true force to reckon with is Indonesia with a population of about 256 million people (the largest Muslim country in the whole world), a GDP of more than 3,507 trillion US dollars, a booming oil industry and a robust economic development. Its leader who is soon facing a national presidential election, Widodo ascended as the seventh president of Indonesia on October 20m 2014, from being vice president, governor of Jakarta and mayor of Surakarta. Singapore is tiny with a population of only 5.5 million and a GDP of 600 billion US dollars. Its leader is the son of the great Lee Kuan Yew, and was elected prime minister on August 12, 2004. These two, followed by Datuk Shri Anwar Ibrahim, are the most influential in ASEAN. Our president is the second youngest in terms of tenure in office but he may be one of the richest in personal assets.

Malaysia has a population of 31.437 million and a GDP of 978.781 billion US dollars. Its leader is Datuk Shri Anwar Ibrahim, a long-time activist and perennial oppositionist who was elected only on November 24, 2022. Malaysia is becoming more prosperous than the Philippines because its politics and governance are better led than ours, except, of course, its latest imbroglio involving former prime minister Najib Razak. Brunei is a tiny country with a population of only 411,900 people and a GDP of 29.731 billion US dollars but its Sultan Bolkiah is one of the wealthiest monarchs in the whole world, who built the biggest palace and leads a lavish and ostentatious lifestyle.

Thailand is booming with a GDP of 1.329 trillion and a population of only 65.339 million. But its politics has been quite turbulent this year with the election of a pro-military and pro-monarch, Stretha Travesin as a compromise prime minister just last month. Vietnam is also making better strides than the Philippines. Its GDP is 1.138 trillion US dollars and a population of 99 million. Its leader is Nguyen Pho Trong. Despite its socialist ideology, the Vietnamese government has embarked on a massive opening of its economy to western investors and the people have jobs thereby making the quality of life better than the Philippines. Cambodia is struggling with its GDP of 78 billion and a population of 15.626 million. Its leader is Han Manet.

Laos has a better chance of an economic leap with the help of Singapore. Its GDP is 62.797 billion US dollars and its population is only 6.492 million. It is being led by Thuongloun Sisolith. It is Myanmar which is currently in hot water with a political and military crisis. It has a struggling economy 258.677 billion US dollars and a population of 51.415 million and its leader is a military junta led by Min Aung Hilaing, a military general. The junta succeeded in ousting a democratically elected government and the military took control imposing an autocratic rule. Political enemies had been persecuted and jailed and some were allegedly eliminated.

Our country has a current GDP of one trillion US dollars and a population of 110 million and growing very fast. Our leader has travelled more than 12 times in less than 12 months and has assured the nation that direct foreign investments in billions are forthcoming. The facts on the ground however show the sad fact that investments have not arrived as promised. Foreign investors are wary about an inept and corrupt bureaucracy, uncertain weather conditions, breakdown of peace and order, threats to national security and bad governance exacerbated by unpredictable policies and rules.