Jonathan Chin, SSI Editor-in-Chief, and Daniel Chun, SSI Politics Lead, speaks to Karisma and Zane, analysts at Malaysian think tank Bait Al-Amanah. We explore Malaysia’s foreign policy, ASEAN Malaysia 2025, BRICS, Myanmar, the South China Sea and other topics in geopolitics shaping Southeast Asia, ahead of the 46th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur.

Karisma Putera Abd Rahman is a Senior Analyst under the Foreign Affairs and International Security Division at Bait Al-Amanah, an independent Malaysian think tank that has stakeholders across government, the private sector, the Armed Forces, and the diplomatic community. Karisma’s research interests include geopolitics, U.S. affairs, the South China Sea, and defense technology. His insights have been featured in platforms such as The Diplomat, Nikkei Asia and The Royal Society of Asian Affairs.

Seow E Kin Zane Ryan is an Analyst under the Foreign Affairs and International Security Division at Bait Al Amanah. Zane’s research interests encompasses geopolitics, the South China Sea, and cybersecurity.