Aimee Anbiya | International and Strategic Studies
Amidst the Novel Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID19) era, the ambition to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030 had been hampered. There are lots of changes when it comes to financial planning for the global SDGs 2030 agenda. The pandemic brought new uncertainty to the world economy. Even in the first three months, the biggest outflow ever reported, the investors shifted about US$ 90 billion from emerging markets, based on UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) website. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) forecast global inflation to slip to -3 percent this year, the biggest recession since the great depression and even worse than the financial crisis of September 2008.
In the Asia and Pacific region, The COVID-19 crisis affects the fiscal situation of urgent concern and exacerbates the danger of the region’s revived debt crisis. An additional US$ 172 billion in reductions of foreign demand is costing trade itself, which translates to a 0.8 percent fall in the region’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Thus, this article reviews the correlations between ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asia Nations) countries in dealing with the COVID19 pandemic while also trying to implement SDGs agenda 2030.
ASEAN comprises 10 countries located in the Southeast Asia region, which are Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Brunei, Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar. In the SDGs agenda, ASEAN is one of the regional players competing to implement the SDGs agenda of 2030. SDGs have 17 goals divided into 4 pillars which are pillars of social, economic, environmental, law, and governance development. Each of the ASEAN countries had their own priorities in choosing which goals they want to achieve based on their national needs.
Among the ASEAN countries, Thailand became the first rank in development progress, also Thailand ranked 40th globally out of 162 countries, the ranking was based on Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the Bertelsmann Stiftung. This global rank followed by Vietnam in 54th rank, Singapore in 66th rank, Malaysia in 68th rank. Based on World Bank, Thailand has made excellent progress in social- economic development and definitely following the sustainable value and successfully reducing poverty.
Thailand has reduced the poverty rate by 67% from 30 years ago, and during SDGs, they can reduce it to 10% and still going strong. It was the government’s high priority to ensure sustainable growth between human capital and the environment, human capital, and the elimination of inequalities and human and technical resources under the Philosophy of Economic Sufficiency, Prime Minister; Prayut Chan-o-cha said. The need to implement SDGs also backed by the statement of Mr. Nordin Abdullah as the Founding Chairman of Malaysia Global Business Forum that says, through successful implementation of the SDGs will only be able to create resilient societies, resilient organizations including company and resilient individuals.
COVID19 has brought some changes in the era of SDGs, countries have shifted their priorities from SDGs to handling the pandemic. Even though SDGs have goals number 3 that focusing on good health and well-being, but COVID19 coming as a global health emergency and needed rapid attention. The ASEAN Post has reported that high- income countries in ASEAN such as Malaysia and Singapore, spend big numbers of their GDP on fighting the pandemic of COVID19 in a form of an economic stimulus package.
Copyright : The ASEAN Post
Some of the ASEAN countries remark strict and strong effort in reducing the positive infection cases, while some others also having difficulty in handling the virus. For example, the Philippines and Indonesia are the highest number of infections and by August 2020, Indonesia’s total case has reached 133.000 while the Philippines reached 148.000 positive cases. Not limited to that, Singapore also one of the highly infected country in the ASEAN region. Early August, the Anadolu Agency website stated around 50.000 positive cases were detected in Singapore. It is big for them because their total population only 5,7 Million. While Indonesia and the Philippines have more than 100 Million population in total. However, a country like Singapore has a higher percentage of equal concern, especially considering the “developed nation” status that Singapore enjoys.
During April 2020, ASEAN plus three conducted virtual conference covers the issues of COVID19 and discussion regarding the management of the pandemic. Among the ASEAN countries, Malaysia is the first country that conducted direct cooperation with the World Health Organization (WHO) working in the “Solidarity Trial” research project in finding the cure for COVID19. Based on Prime Minister Muhyiddin, this global cooperation of ASEAN plus three allows the region of Asia Pacific to gain solid data and comparing safety measures among the coordinating countries. Not only that, but ASEAN also got the opportunity to learn from the three Asians (e.g. Japan, China, South Korea) for example, Japan provided the data to manage the economic stimulus for ASEAN countries. For Malaysia itself, China has been assisting in COVID19 for the first time.
According to The ASEAN Post, Malaysia is one of the ASEAN countries that has good and strong conduct in handling the COVID19 using the strict Movement Control Order (MCO) that comprises limiting international flights to come into Malaysia and having a curfew with a strict police guard. Malaysia also regarded as the most tested population, meaning the number of people who are tested in Malaysia is high. This remark a good step, according to Dr. Nur Abdul Karim an emergency consultant in KPJ Damansara Hospital Kuala Lumpur, the more people who got tested, it is easier for detecting the positive cases of COVID19. This step is essential for the government and the health workers to determine policy planning in tackling COVID19, in the long run, to monitor and managing the spread of the virus.
Thus, in reviewing the correlations between SDGs and handling the global pandemic of COVID19, ASEAN countries have their specialty like Thailand regarded as the number one rank progressive country in dealing with SDGs goals in 2019. When the pandemic hit the world, SDGs 2030 got distracted. Mr. Nordin also said COVID 19 revealed that modern societies could not deal with the context of the SDGs with such a disease outbreak. He also continues by saying that the pandemic is an environmental factor spilled to the social sector and culminated in economic sectors (i.e. Domino effect). This situation shows that SDGs have never been properly applied. The need to implement the SDGs correctly is further underlined.
In tackling the COVID19 pandemic in the ASEAN region, Malaysia is one of the countries who have the ability to deal with COVID19 well and work side by side with WHO in the Solidarity Trial, also Malaysia became the most resilient and having strict conduct to decreasing the infection case, while there are some of ASEAN countries who are still struggling in this crisis.
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