A week of MOUs; Sino-Asean trade flows getting a boost

This week in Asean:

• Malaysia: Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim sworn in as the 17th king  
• Indonesia: Funding for tech startups to stay sluggish in H1
• Vietnam-Philippines: Pledged cooperation on South China Sea security and rice trade

Dear BT reader,

We are now less than two weeks away from Indonesia’s presidential election. This Sunday night (Feb 4), the three candidates will face off in the fifth and final election debate. As the Feb 14 voting day draws close and competition intensifies, our Indonesia correspondent, Elisa Valenta, puts the candidates’ proposals and policies under the microscope.