{"title":"The Grateful migrants: Indians and Bangladeshis in Singapore in times of COVID-19","authors":"D. Chattoraj","doi":"10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1005","url":null,"abstract":"Singapore has had a dramatic spike in coronavirus infections in early 2020, with thousands of new cases linked to clusters in migrant workers (MWs) dormitories. To control the spread, the Government attempted to isolate the dormitories, test workers and move symptomatic patients into quarantine facilities. But those measures have left thousands of them trapped in their dormitories, living in cramped conditions that make social distancing near impossible. This paper investigates how COVID-19 has impacted the lives of these workers in varied ways and highlights the migrant workers' belief if Singapore’s effort has been enough for them during the COVID-19 pandemic? The focus is mainly on the low-skilled workers from India and Bangladesh, who are prone to be affected in various ways by COVID-19. My collected data show that migrant workers are grateful to the Singapore state for the support extended during COVID-19. I used the concept of subcultures to explain the condition of the workers in the state of Singapore. Because they expect so little social protection from the state, they are genuinely grateful for its support during the pandemic.","PeriodicalId":278149,"journal":{"name":"Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"131347772","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A comparative study on motivation in foreign language learning in Brunei and Malaysian Universities","authors":"Farhana Amirah Pg Redzuan","doi":"10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1003","url":null,"abstract":"Universiti Brunei Darussalam has been fostering the study of foreign languages in Brunei to expand their undergraduates’ accessibility in the job market and overall give them equal opportunities to have a quality foreign language learning experience. This paper is a critical analysis of past studies by Ainol and Isarji’s (2009) on foreign language learners at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), and Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), and Farhana’s (2019) study on Universiti Brunei Darussalam’s (UBD) foreign language learners’ motivation. A focused investigation at how different motivation types, namely intrinsic, extrinsic, instrumental, and integrative, affect foreign language learners at the university level in Brunei Darussalam and Malaysia. A pattern observed in Brunei and Malaysian universities is that intrinsic motivation is the foundation of foreign language learning. Bruneian undergraduates are learning out of interest, and their Malaysian counterparts are learning because they enjoy the experience. While the university's language policy determines the number of students learning a foreign language each semester, the outcome is still highly dependent on the student's motivation to learn the foreign language.","PeriodicalId":278149,"journal":{"name":"Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal","volume":"1 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"124386602","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Rohingya Refugee Response Encircling South Asian Geo-politics: Debriefing India’s Stance from Bangladesh Perspective","authors":"Santa Islam","doi":"10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1004","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1004","url":null,"abstract":"This paper aims to present a brief discussion on the geopolitical aspects of diplomatic divergences between India and Bangladesh regarding the Rohingya issue. Presently, more than a million people are living in 30 refugee camps in Bangladesh. In August 2017, the plight of Rohingya refugees broke all the previous record and had largely affected the Cox's Bazar region of Bangladesh when Bangladesh decided to provide shelter to the Rohingyas, identifying them as “Forcibly Displaced Myanmar Nationals (FDMN). Due to geographical closeness and historical linkage with both Myanmar and Bangladesh, India, despite taking strict measures to avoid any cross-border opportunities for Rohingyas, could not escape the consequences. Myanmar, due to its strategic position and natural resources, has always been the epicentre of attention and investment of foreign powers. The crisis has all the elements in it to create political turbulence in South Asia and South East Asia. A peaceful environment based on mutual trust and cooperation is required for the continuing economic growth of the region. Considering the importance of in-depth research in this arena, the study pursued the qualitative method.","PeriodicalId":278149,"journal":{"name":"Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal","volume":"65 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"114534578","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Administrative Reforms in South and Southeast Asia: Enhancing the Capacity for Public Service Delivery","authors":"Muhammad Azizuddin","doi":"10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1108/seamj-01-2020-b1006","url":null,"abstract":"The aim of administrative reform— a special public policy instrument of governments— is to improve the capacity of public service delivery systems. This study examines the reform-led service delivery situation of public institutions at the local level in South Asia. The study offers an in-depth qualitative study with gleaned data, focusing on primary education in the country in relation to MDGs basic education. Local administration in the country has been a ‘low modicum of self-governance to provide public services. Institutional capacity dealing with educational management has called into question. Primary education in the country is quantitatively discussed while qualitatively is in a state of disarray. As a thorough academic qualitative study with a country-specific case has by far not been explored yet, it fills the information gap. Little is known about the public service delivery capacity with primary education at the local level. This study implicates governments and development partners such as the UN SDGs for effective partnership in development in an era of post-CVID-19 crisis.","PeriodicalId":278149,"journal":{"name":"Southeast Asia: A Multidisciplinary Journal","volume":"206 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2020-06-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"123061595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}