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This article examines the role of the state in development, and the question of poverty, inequality and regional disparity in selected ASEAN countries Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines in the context of both internal and external pressures faced by the state and how its responds to them. This article examines the historical context of the socioeconomic transformation, the current state of development, the high level of poverty in these countries (except Malaysia), the pervasive inequality and regional disparity, the various internal and external pressures exerted on the state and the latter's response to them. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of appropriate state policies for inclusive development and the role of civil society to exert pressure to ensure states perform such tasks. It argues that these issues are a result of state policies and institutional arrangements, and that to resolve them, appropriate inclusive policies need to be crafted and effectively implemented. The state has the autonomy and space to devise such policies but it is dependent on the political will of state actors and the role of civil society in engaging with the state to effect such reforms to address poverty, inequality and regional disparity effectively.

Democracy, Human Rights, and Civil Society in South East Asia, Amitav
Acharya, B.M. Frolic and Richard Stubbs, eds., Toronto: Joint Centre for
Asia Pacific Studies, 2001, pp. 208This is an important volume on the hotly debated topic of democracy,
human rights and civil society in South East Asia, a region that has
witnessed a confrontation between the old order of authoritarian regimes
and strong states on one hand, and the new democratic forces embedded in
an emerging civil society, on the other. The focus of the book is on the
evolution of debates about democracy and human rights during the decade
following the end of the Cold War in 1989 to the 1997–98 Asian
economic crisis, with the latter being regarded as the watershed that
unleashed the democratic forces. The book consists of nine chapters, plus
an introduction and a conclusion, contributed by nine political
scientists. Except for Johan Saravanamuttu, who is from the region under
study, the other contributors are Southeast Asianists teaching at various
universities in Canada, the United States, and Australia.

This article argues that class analysis in the post-Cold War era is still valid & that transnational class relations is an important topic for investigation when studying globalization. However, such a study is replete with many theoretical & methodological problems that have yet to be resolved. Using the pioneering works of Cox & Sklair as its starting point, this article addresses the problematics of conceptualizing transnational class relations in the context of capturing a globalization process by focusing on three interrelated issues: (1) globalization & the reconfiguration of class relations; (2) emerging global class structure & the dominant class; & (3) subordinate groups vis-a-vis the dominant class. Cautioning that one should not overwork the concept in our theoretical endeavor, & not to assume the formation of transnational classes just because there are domestic classes that serve in global forces of production, this article raises several questions in the conceptualization of transnational class relations & offers some new propositions. Adapted from the source document.

In the wake of Malaysia's 13th General Election some commentators speak of a sharpening of ethnic politics — with Prime Minister Najib blaming a "Chinese tsunami" for his government's polling setbacks; others are optimistic about the arrival of a new "non-racialized form of politics" and the emergence of "transethnic solidarity". This book, which engages with both the race paradigm and its opponents, warns that change is likely to come slowly — but is not impossible. Malaysia's race paradigm is a man-made ideological construct — one that has been contested in the past, and could realistically be contested in the future. In confronting the continuing challenge of globalization, Malaysians should not neglect the history of ideas — and ideology — as they search for new options