Rights group Family Frontiers called on ASEAN to formally recognise marriage migration (when citizens marry non-citizens) as a legitimate form of cross-border movement. We spoke with Bina Ramanand, lead coordinator of Family Frontiers, about how current policies fall short and what it means for families caught in the gaps.

Other stories we covered:

• Cabinet reshuffling around the corner?: With the resignations of Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad following poor showings in PKR’s internal elections, questions are swirling over whether Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will reshuffle his cabinet. Wong Chin Huat, Deputy Head of Strategy at the Asia Headquarters of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network, offered insight into the political stakes and what’s at play for the Madani government.
• Border delineation to complete in 2025: Selangor Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari announced that the delineation of borders between Selangor and the Federal Territories, including around KL and Putrajaya, is expected to be completed by the end of the year. We discussed the complexities behind the move with Dr Shuhana Shamsuddin, President of Pereka Bandar.
• Timor-Leste finally gets a seat at the ASEAN table: At the 46th ASEAN Summit, leaders agreed to grant Timor-Leste full membership in October, provided it fulfils a few final economic requirements. We heard from Michael Leach, Professor of Politics and International Relations at Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, about what Timor-Leste’s inclusion means for ASEAN’s future.
• Struggle season for Man-U: Manchester United’s post-season tour of Asia kicked off with a 1-0 loss to the ASEAN All-Stars; a team that had only met 48 hours earlier. Myanmar’s Maung Maung Lwin scored the winner, while over 70,000 fans in Malaysia watched on, some paying up to RM1500 for tickets. We unpacked what this defeat says about United’s ongoing struggles after a dismal Premier League season.

Image Credit: Shutterstock