The rise of trans-border regions in Southeast Asia: behind the dynamics of informal and formal integration processes in the ‘Indonesia–Malaysia–Singapore’ growth triangle

Abstract

This article aims to generate new thinking through application of the concept of trans-border governance to Southeast-Asia within the framework of new regionalism theory in order to fill some gaps in trans-border governance theory. In doing so, it will first elucidate in more detail what actors are involved in trans-border cooperation activities, how their responsibilities, jurisdictions and relative powers can be or have been altered by the interaction and whether trans-border cooperation can be used as a tool for further ‘integration’ or conversely whether it can enhance, as a counter effect, ‘disintegration’. In examining the (economic and political) power relations developed within and between different levels of governments and relevant economic and political stakeholders in ‘growth triangles’, the author aims to clarify the impact of these elements on trans-border governance.

Keywords::

• Southeast Asia
• growth triangles
• integration
• cooperation

Acknowledgments

This article is based on a comparative research carried out within the Marie Curie and Fonds National de la Recherche Luxembourg Post-doctoral research Fellowship. I would like to thank Dr Stephen Kingah at UNU-CRIS for having read the first draft of this article. I benefited of his expertise on comparative analysis and governance. I would like to thank the RISC's team and my colleagues at Luxembourg for reading this article with the meticulous eye of comparativist researchers. I would particularly like to thank Prof. Harlan Koff who gave me invaluable feedback on my analysis of border's theory. He provided incisive comments on the first and second draft of this article. I am very grateful to the two anonymous referees for their insightful comments and criticisms of the previous draft of this article.

Disclousure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

List of Interviews

A.G. ADB, senior advisory positions with governments, international institutions and corporations, including as long-term resident advisor in Thailand since 1983, October 2012.

C.M.A. SPM, corporate relations Sembcorp Parks Management, senior manager, 2013.

C.A. GVC, gallant venture, corporate secretary, May 2013.

G.K. RDIPS, assistant head, Resource Development International Policy Singapore Economic Development Board, June 2013.

K:C. STB, senior officer, Cultural Precincts and Tourism Concept Development Singapore Tourism Board, June 2013.

K.C. EWECS, president of East West Engineering Consultants, Singapore, 10 January 2014.

G.A. ADB, coordinator of the ‘Regional Cooperation and Operations Coordination Division’, Southeast Asia Department, Asian Development Bank, Manila, 5 February 2013.

R.J. ANU, Australian National University, 2012.

S.S.T. IDSS, deputy director of the Institute of Defense and Strategic Studies at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, September 2012.

S.E. ILAL, International Lawyers Appleton Luff, Singapore, 8 January 2014.

Notes

1. So far MLG approaches focused mainly on the European experience.

2. The Association of Southeast Asia was established on 8 August 1967. The Member States of the Association are Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam. The ASEAN Secretariat is based in Jakarta, Indonesia (The ASEAN Charter 2008).

3. It is worthwhile to note that on the 23 February, Johor has inaugurated the first ever EU-Johor Day that provided an open platform for dialogue and cooperation between the European Union and the state of Johor, with a special focus on the areas of trade and investment, cross border cooperation and mobility, higher education, and research and scientific cooperation. The event started with a ‘Roundtable on Developments in the Iskandar Region’ featuring representatives from EU, Johor state economic and investment agencies as well as businesses operating in Iskandar. Topics discussed included experience-sharing on Europe's success in and trans-border cooperation – which is highly relevant given Johor's close proximity to Singapore (http://eeas.europa.eu/delegations/malaysia/press_corner/all_news/news/2012/eujohorday_en.htm).

4. In 1965 Singapore was expelled by Malaysia.

5. EduCity is an integrated education hub recognized as an Entry Point Project (EPP) under the National Key Economic Area (NKEA) (internet source, http://www.iskandarinvestment.com/master-planned-development-projects/educity/).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Elisabetta Nadalutti

Elisabetta Nadalutti holds a BA degree in history and philosophy from the University of Udine (Summa cum Laude) and an MA degree in contemporary European studies from the University of Bath (Thesis Dissertation: Distinction). She obtained a PhD degree in European integration studies from the University of Bath (UK) with the thesis: ‘The Impact of Europeanization: Citizenship and Governance in the Upper Adriatic Cross Border Region between Slovenia and Italy’. Her PhD thesis focused on issues of governance, citizenship and identity in cross-border areas. She has conducted research on the impact of the European integration process in relation to civil-society mobilization and identity construction. She successfully competed for a placement as an Erasmus Mundus post-doctoral researcher at the Australian National University (Canberra) in 2011. Since then she has started focusing on a comparative analysis between EU micro-regions (cross-border regions) and Southeast Asian growth triangles. She is visiting researcher at the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS) and her present research agenda aims to understand ‘what are the factors behind the “construction” of micro-cross border regions’, ‘to what extent micro and macro-cross border regionalism is influenced by globalization’, ‘to what extent non-state actors influence micro and macro-cross border cooperation in Europe and Southeast Asia’ and finally ‘to what extent micro-cross border cooperation influence transnational regional economy and civil society participation’. She has been awarded a two years post-doctoral grant under the European Marie Curie and Fond National de la Recherche Luxembourg 2013–15.

She has presented at numerous international conferences in Europe and Southeast Asia and has published over five academic articles in a range of social and interdisciplinary journals.