Dear readers,
Thank you for joining this poll.
Our region, better known as Asean or the Association of Southeast Asian nations, is set to reach a historical milestone on Dec. 31, 2015, when the Asean Economic Community (AEC) comes into being.
In the years to come, some experts believe, this will transform this region of 625 million people into the world’s fourth largest economy.
The Straits Times and its media partner the Asia News Network (ANN) would like to take this opportunity to find out your views on the 48-year-old regional grouping.
The ANN is a voluntary grouping of 22 newspapers in Asia seeking to promote coverage of Asian affairs.
Do you think people in Asean share a common identity? Do you see yourself travelling more to another Asean country in the next three years? And would business and economic prospects improve once the region becomes a community?
Your answers to questions such as these, in the poll, will help policymakers, experts and citizens get a sense of sentiments on the ground, as the region gears up for closer integration under AEC. It could also galvanize the integration process, influence policies and perhaps even lead to changes that could benefit many of us.
A panel of editors will review your comments and publish them in articles to be carried by all participating newspapers of this region. The results of this four-week poll – to be conducted from October 20 to November 16 – will be released in early December.
The participating papers are The Star (Malaysia), Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia), The Nation (Thailand), The Jakarta Post (Indonesia), Philippine Daily Inquirer (Philippines), Viet Nam News (Vietnam), Eleven Media Group (Myanmar), The Brunei Times (Brunei), Rasmei Kampuchea (Cambodia), Vientianne Times (Laos) and The Straits Times (Singapore).