Bilateral Relations Between Indonesia and China in The Era of President SBY's Administration

This study discusses the effect of China's economic revival on Indonesia's foreign policy orientation. Historically, the relationship between China and Indonesia, which had been severed in 1965 due to ideological conflicts and Indonesia's suspicion of China's support for the Indonesian communist party (PKI), has now been re-establish since the 1990s, which began with China's economic growth. Foreign policy is often caused by a combination of unexpected external forces with unfavorable structural factors. The continued stalemate in China-Indonesia bilateral relations has equally serious consequences for China. China's diplomatic failure against Indonesia has cost China, and that loss cannot be offset by the diplomatic gains generated by the opening of new relations with other ASEAN countries. This study tries to discuss this situation in depth using several approaches to find two variables that become the topic of this thesis: the rise of the Chinese economy and its influence on Indonesia's foreign policy. This research found that Indonesia's bilateral relations with China under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ran normatively and without significant fluctuations.

Gender Diversity Effect on Tax Avoidance and Firm Risk

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of gender diversity on firm risk with tax avoidance as a mediating variable in manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX). This study used SPSS version 20.0 to process the data. The sample of this research is 51 manufacturing companies listed on the IDX using multiple regression panel data. This study uses financial statement data for the 2015 – 2019 period. The findings of this study are (1) there is a negative effect of gender diversity on tax avoidance; (2) there is a negative effect of gender diversity on firm risk; (3) there is a positive effect of tax avoidance on firm risk; (4) Gender diversity has an influence on firm risk through tax avoidance. The limitations of this study are as follows: the research sample is only in manufacturing companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange with a limited number of samples because during the observation period there are companies that are losing, suspending, and delisting. Therefore, this research suggests that (1) Further research can expand the scope of the research sample or compare it with companies in other industrial sectors. (2) Further research can increase the number of other variables, such as Corporate Social Responsibility by using the Blau-Index measurement (1975) so that the measurement can be more detail and constructive. (3) Further research can use other samples in Asean countries by comparing the success rate of anti-corruption disclosure in ASEAN countries. The practical implications include the following: (1) the role of gender diversity in the company is very necessary for implementing Good Corporate Governance (GCG) thus a healthy company will be created so that the company's risk does not occur in the future. (2) the role of the government is needed in making policies so that companies do not do tax evasion. The originality of the research includes this study, which is the first to analyze gender diversity on firm risk through tax avoidance.

Looking Into Recent Suicide Rates and Trends in Malaysia: A Comparative Analysis

Background: Suicide is a preventable cause of death. Examining suicide rates and trends are important in shaping national suicide prevention strategies. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to analyze age-standardized suicide trends of Malaysia between 2000 and 2019 using the WHO Global Health Estimates data, and to compare the 2019 rate with countries from the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Muslim majority countries, and the Group of Seven (G7).Methods: The age-standardized suicide rates data were extracted from the WHO Global Health Estimates. We calculated the average age-standardized suicide rates of the last 3 years from 2017 to 2019. Joinpoint regression analysis was conducted to calculate the average annual percentage change (APC) of the age-standardized suicide rates in Malaysia from 2000 to 2019.Results: Between 2000 and 2019, the minimum and maximum suicide rates for both sexes in Malaysia were 4.9 and 6.1 per 100,000 population respectively, whilst the past 3-year (2017–2019) average rates were 5.6, 8.8, and 2.4 for both sexes, males, and females, respectively. The suicide rates decreased significantly for both sexes between 2000 and 2013. Between 2014 and 2019, the suicide rates increased significantly for males. In 2019, Malaysia recorded the rate of 5.8 per 100,000 population, with an estimated 1,841 suicide deaths, i.e., ~5 deaths per day. The Malaysian suicide rate was the second highest amongst selected Muslim majority countries, in the middle range amongst ASEAN countries, and lower than all G7 countries except Italy.Conclusions: There is a need to further explore factors contributing to the higher suicide rates among Malaysian males. In light of the rising suicide rates in Malaysia, national mental health and suicide prevention initiatives are discussed and the importance of high-quality suicide surveillance data is emphasized.

Social Security On Labor Markets to Address the Aging Population in Selected ASEAN Countries

The world is becoming older, and aging in the developing countries of the ASEAN region is unfolding faster than most developed countries in the United States and Europe. This paper examined the effectiveness of old age income security programs mandated in selected ASEAN countries. These programs sought to address the aging problem to encourage the government to promote the aging labor force's efficiency and increase labor force productivity. Furthermore, the study examined the effect of old-age dependency, increase in the life expectancy, and GDP per capita on labor force productivity using a panel data set from selected ASEAN countries from various income brackets, specifically Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, which are also classified as yellow group nations that are in the process of the demographic dividend implementation. Using the Multiple Regression Model, the researchers found out that the Old-Age Dependency Ratio positively impacts Labor Force Participation Rate. However, GDP per Capita, Life Expectancy, and the Non-contributory fund decrease the Labor Force Participation Rate.