JATI - JOURNAL OF SOUTHEAST ASIAN STUDIES

EXPLORING THE INFLUENCE OF DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION ON FINANCIAL INCLUSION: INSIGHTS FROM SOUTHEAST ASIAN ECONOMIES

Sri Andaiyani, Imam Asngari, Halia Butra Aini — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Financial inclusion has become a critical driver of economic growth in developing nations, particularly during periods of global economic downturn. In line with economic and technological advancements, many countries have recognised the essential role of financial inclusion in their economic and social development strategies. In Southeast Asia, digital transformation and financial inclusion have gained prominence due to a significant proportion of the population lacking access to formal financial services. This study examines the impact of digital transformation on financial inclusion from 2012 to 2021, utilising data from reputable sources such as the World Bank, IMF, and Bank Indonesia. Employing quantitative methods, including panel data least squares, the study finds that digital transformation significantly influences financial inclusion in Southeast Asian economies. The Digital Transformation Index (DTI) shows a positive and statistically significant effect on financial inclusion. Digital transformation enhances access to financial services, particularly for underserved or remote populations, enabling broader participation in formal financial activities such as banking, payments, and investments. These findings highlight that improving digital infrastructure could play a vital role in advancing financial inclusion across Southeast Asian economies.

THE ASEAN PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPACTS OF RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE ON SOUTHEAST ASIA

Rizki Damayanti — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This research aimed to examine ASEAN public perceptions on the impacts of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, focusing on how the conflict influenced views and attitudes across Southeast Asia. It employed qualitative methods with secondary data collected from books, journal articles, government publications, and The State of Southeast Asia 2023 Survey Report by the ASEAN Studies Center at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. Survey reports gathered from respondents' perspectives in various ASEAN countries showed diverse opinions across the region. While most respondents condemned the invasion, majority called for ASEAN to be more active in mediation. The key factors that shaped public perspectives include historical ties with Russia, economic dependencies, media narratives, and regional geopolitical considerations. These factors significantly influenced the diversity of opinions within ASEAN countries. The research also assessed the effectiveness of public perspectives, which is influential and directly limited by consensus-based decision-making. In conclusion, Russia's invasion of Ukraine has significantly affected public perceptions in Southeast Asia, underscoring the need for ASEAN to consider diverse viewpoints. The research recommends that ASEAN enhance its role in regional diplomacy and strengthen multilateral dialogue to address future geopolitical challenges effectively.

UNDERSTANDING THE PHILIPPINE RESPONSE TO COVID-19: PERSPECTIVES AND LESSONS FROM PUBLIC POLICY, INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION, SECURITISATION AND CROSS-COUNTRY COMPARISONS

Ederson Delos Trino Tapia — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This study explores the Philippine government’s response to COVID-19, focusing on public policy initiatives, intergovernmental cooperation, and securitisation. It also examines how the Philippines compares to other countries in the Asia-Pacific region and globally. Using a qualitative, descriptive-analytic approach, the research identifies leadership as the most significant factor in managing pandemics. Despite efforts like the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act and Bayanihan to Recover as One Act and the involvement of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging and Infectious Disease (IATF-EID), the Philippines ranked poorly in pandemic response, suffering from limited resources, weak institutions, and gaps in healthcare infrastructure. The securitisation of COVID-19, marked by security sector involvement and war metaphors, played a prominent role but did not result in better outcomes than other nations. Key findings suggest that public trust, leadership, and timely decision-making are critical for managing health crises, particularly in democracies where consensus-building can delay urgent responses. The study identifies gaps in preparedness, including insufficient research capabilities and poor coordination between government agencies. It concludes that addressing these deficiencies through reform and better leadership will improve the Philippines’ response to future health crises, ensuring faster, more coordinated, and effective public health measures.

MAPPING MIGRANTS’ BUSINESSES IN THE KLANG VALLEY FROM FACEBOOK COMMENTS

Farhana Izzati Yaheya, Thirunaukarasu Subramaniam — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

This paper focuses on public opinion towards migrant businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Opening a business in Malaysia involves fulfilling various requirements, including high capital for foreign-owned companies’ registration. However, it was observed that several migrant workers who transformed into entrepreneurs were operating small to medium-sized businesses openly nationwide despite various restrictions; some are informal businesses, and some are legitimate businesses run under local owner’s registration. Comments posted on the Facebook pages of two (2) enforcement agencies and six (6) city councils related to the governance of migrants or businesses in Malaysia were observed, collected and analysed to create a mapping of migrants’ entrepreneurship through netnography. An observational study was conducted to thematically analyse Facebook comments which mentioned locations of migrants’ businesses in the attempts to answer the research question of `Where are the main locations of migrant businesses in the Klang Valley?’. Business premises in the Klang Valley were mainly observed in the outskirt areas of the city centre, particularly in Klang, Shah Alam, and Sungai Buloh. Other states such as Johor, Penang, and Sabah were observed to have many migrants’ businesses due to the high number of economic activities. Popular ethnic enclaves in the Klang Valley, such as Chow Kit and Petaling Street, were not mentioned as much as Klang District. This pattern showed the emergence of new ethnic enclaves in suburban areas. Active participation between authorities should be prioritised to solve the root cause of the issues, such as the demarcation and governance issues between city councils and other enforcement agencies.

GLEANERS, GLEANING ACTIVITIES, AND LIVELIHOODS IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA

Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

Seagrass-gleaning fisheries are vital small-scale fisheries that significantly contribute to coastal livelihoods. Despite their significance, these fisheries are often overlooked in coastal management planning. This study investigates the seagrass-gleaning fisheries of the Kampung Perigi Acheh community in the Sungai Johor estuary, focusing on the activities, products, and implications of this fishery for local livelihoods. Ethnographic methods, including participatory mapping and Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), were employed to identify six gleaning sites where fish, crabs, sea cucumbers, carpet anemones, seaweed, and shellfish are harvested. Gleaning methods encompass walking, swimming, and tool-based practices like the sagang and kilah techniques. While both men and women engage in gleaning, women play a vital role in sustenance, recreation, and cultural identity, strengthening community bonds and reflecting distinct gender roles. We recommend empowering communities in decision-making processes by enhancing the understanding of seagrass-gleaning fisheries, which is essential for safeguarding the sustainable livelihoods of coastal communities.

REPRESENTATIONS OF THE ELDERLY IN MALAYSIAN PRIMARY SCHOOL NATIONAL LANGUAGE TEXTBOOKS

Pitchayada Mekhirunsiri, Mala Rajo Sathian — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

By 2030, Malaysia will become an 'aging society' according to the World Bank's criteria. The government bears the responsibility of effectively managing the demographic changes. This paper analyses how elderly characters are portrayed in Malaysian primary school national language textbooks (Buku Teks Bahasa Melayu Sekolah Kebangsaan, years 1-6) and compares them to the aims set forth in the 2011 ‘Malaysian Five Dimensions Framework of National Policy for Older Persons’. The findings reveal that elderly individuals are often depicted as non-contributing, weak, ill, or chronically dependent, thus perpetuating stereotypes and biases. This leads to children absorbing and acknowledging these biases without critically examining them. Textbook writers should implant more realistic and helpful representations of the aged among children as they begin their own journeys into adulthood and old age. Elderly misrepresentations limit social awareness of ageing and reduce empathy and interest in finding solutions for their problems.

EFFECTIVENESS OF MULTICULTURAL SEGUYUB LASEM DANCE IN CULTIVATING EDUCATION IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL JAVA INDONESIA

Wahyu Lestari, Agustina Ayu Andira, Hartono — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The researcher developed the Seguyub Lasem Dance (SLD) practice videos to increase students’ interest in dance learning and help teachers inculcate the Profil Pelajar Pancasila (P3) character or moral education in students of junior high schools. Agustina Ayu Andira created simple dance steps to present the multicultural society of Lasem (a sub-district in Rembang Regency) which has non-Muslims (including Buddhists and Hindus) and Muslim communities. The videos were uploaded to the YouTube website using the Agustina Ayu Andira channel. After showing the students, the SLD videos, the researcher tested the effectiveness of the dance videos on students’ moral and ethical understanding through the simple dance steps. In this regard, 162 students from five junior high schools in the Rembang Regency filled out an online questionnaire. The data gathered through the questionnaire was analysed with the help of Dick and Cary’s (1978) ADDIE model comprised of five research stages: analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation. The dance video was tested for validity and reliability on a small scale to 32 SMP Negeri 1 Lasem students and tested on a large scale to 123 students in four schools. Students were asked to take part in learning using the SLD learning media, and scores were taken from the summative test. Student scores were first tested for normality using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov technique. The SLD’s effectiveness was tested using the One Sample T-Test test formula. Based on the study’s results, the researcher provides suggestions to dance educators so that dance learning media can be utilised in dance practice learning to increase students’ interest in dance practice learning, especially for male junior high school students.

PERFORMING LOCALISED HYBRIDITY IN THE 1960s MALAYSIAN POP YEH YEH

Jocelyn M. Ng, Pravina Manoharan, Sooi Beng Tan — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The term ‘Pop Yeh Yeh’ refers to the genre of Malay popular music that emerged in the 1960s in Malaysia and Singapore. Notably influenced by Western pop groups of the era, such as The Beatles, The Shadows and The Rolling Stones from the United Kingdom (UK), the genre is characteristically known for its kugiran (an upbeat guitar band). The kugiran consists of three guitars and a drum set that mirrors the configuration used by Western bands of the time. However, musicians of the Pop Yeh Yeh genre were often criticised by veteran musicians as amateurs who lacked proper musical training, and producing poor-quality songs. This article shows that despite sharing many similarities with the music of popular bands in the 1960s UK, local musicians the likes of M. Osman & The Mods, as well as A. Rahman Hassan & Orkes Nirwana, were inspired to localise and make the Pop Yeh Yeh genre their own. Markedly, in integrating Malay asli (Malay dance music with ornamented melodies) vocal styles, the Malay language and lyrics about the Malaysian way of life with Western surf rock rhythms, vocal harmonies and musical forms. Likewise, the Malaysian fashion sense and images symbolic of Malaysia were also deliberately used on album covers. Therefore, this article demonstrates how these musicians used regional aesthetics of hybridity through which Malay elements are combined with Western and other elements in their attempt to localise the Pop Yeh Yeh genre. The results are collated from three different research methods. These include analysing the music of local musicians recorded on 45 rpm vinyl records, obtaining information from Malay entertainment magazines from the 1960s through the 1980s, and conducting interviews with people in the music industry.

MAXWELL HILL: A EUROPEAN-STYLE HILL STATION TOURISM DESTINATION IN BRITISH MALAYA

Siti Zahrah Mahfood, Sharan Syahmi Sharif, Nazirah Lee , Khairi Ariffin — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 00:00:00 +0800

The narrative regarding Maxwell Hill during the era of colonialism highlights the popular tourist destinations among the European community who lived temporarily in Malaya from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. Advantages in terms of cool climate, scenic beauty, and availability of complete facilities and infrastructure have been the source of attraction in Maxwell Hill and indirectly contributed to the increase in the number of tourists from Europe. This article will explore the history of Maxwell Hill as a tourist destination and focus on the factors that make it so attractive to the European society of that era. This method uses historical qualitative methods to analyse primary sources such as records, government documents, and newspapers. Secondary sources are also used as support sources, namely the use of internet access methods to obtain resources in the form of e-books, and journal articles; quantitative methods are also used to analyse the data. This paper uses a descriptive analysis approach to describe the role of Maxwell Hill as a tourist destination for the European community from the end of the 19th century to the middle of the 20th century. The results of this study found several other features such as natural attractions, European-style accommodation, the aesthetic value of the rose garden and stunning panoramic views, infrastructure facilities, which attracted visitors to Maxwell Hill before the Second World War, as well as the ease of interaction and culture. These were additional factors, apart from the accommodation facilities which were over-highlighted in previous studies. Overall, Maxwell Hill, until the mid-20th century, was indeed one of the hill stations with high popularity due to its unique features. The implications of this study may encourage management to re-evaluate the unique features available at this hill station to ensure sustainable development and preserve the inherited historical value.