Editorial Notes T he past two months were eventful for ASEAN and its member states. The monsoon season has set in, and we are once again reminded of the grim fact that Southeast Asia is among the world’s most disaster-prone regions. Just as northern Philippines was reeling from the havoc wrecked by Super Typhoon Mangkhut, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and a subsequent tsunami struck Central Sulawesi of Indonesia on 28 September, leaving more than 2000 death toll in its trail. These are the test cases for the “One ASEAN, One Response” platform in coordinating disaster relief and humanitarian assistance from fellow ASEAN member states to the affected communities. The internet and social media are transforming the world and Southeast Asia in particular. ASEAN in Figures features statistics about ASEAN digital population, many of whom are active social media users. With their rates of internet and social media penetration among the fastest-growing in the world, ASEAN member states are harnessing the potentials of the digital economy while seeking to enhance resilience at both state and citizen levels to deal with many forms of digital disruptions. The most recent example is the establishment of the ASEAN-Japan Cybersecurity Capacity Building Centre in Bangkok on 14 September 2018. On the economic front, negotiations on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are at a critical stage after the adoption of the Package of YearEnd Deliverables at the 6th RCEP Ministerial Meeting in August 2018. Intensive discussions among the RCEP members are ongoing towards the target of substantial conclusion of the negotiations by end-2018. If this comes to pass, the RCEP breakthrough would offer a rare beam of light for the regional and global trade environment amidst the long shadow cast by the escalating trade war between the US and China. This Issue hence casts Spotlight on the profound and complex impacts of the internet, particularly social media, on the political and security landscapes of the region. Dr. Shobha Avadhani examines how social media has been employed as an instrument of politics in ASEAN member states in three aspects of governance, electoral politics and activism. Dr. Ross Tapsell dwells upon the phenomenon of “echo chambers” in social media with the support of big data analytics, and how it is working to segregate and polarise the region’s public sphere, especially around the ethno-religious matter. Ms. Nur Azlin Mohamed Yasin shares with us her insights from years of tracking online extremism and terrorism in Southeast Asia. For Insider’s Views, Ms. Gullnaz Baig from Facebook Asia-Pacific explains the measures that this social media giant has taken to address online terrorism, radicalisation and fake news. In this time of uncertainty and disruption, history can offer insights into how the people in Southeast Asia have managed the influences and changes wrought to them from external forces, and in the process given shape and soul to the region. In this Issue, Professor Wang Gungwu provides an artistic scholarly sketch of the shaping of Southeast Asia as a region by taking us through its diverse “passages and terrains” since pre-16th century to contemporary times. He highlights the “local genius” of Southeast Asians in being open to foreign influences and harnessing them to suit their local needs and way of life. It was also with this outward-looking mindset that ASEAN took the bold decision to establish the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in 1993 to engage all the major powers in dialogue on regional security issues in the postCold War. As this year marks the ARF’s 25th anniversary, the foremost question is how to redefine the forum’s relevance in today’s regional architecture which has become more cluttered. Dr. Termsak Chalermpalanupap reflected on the achievements and limitations of the ARF while Dr. Alice D. Ba suggests re-conceptualisation of preventive diplomacy in the ARF’s staged approach. Dr. Tang Siew Mun meanwhile juxtapositions the ARF with the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting Plus (ADMMPlus) and ponders the way forward for the former. For Sights and Sounds, Ms. Nur Aziemah Aziz brings you to Sarawak, Malaysia, to immerse in the Rainforest World Music Festival that has put the region’s traditional and folk music on the world map. Ms. Cheryl Teh meanwhile invites you to the magnificent Inle Lake of Myanmar where serene water reflects centuries-old pagodas on its shore and where the indigenous Intha people go about their daily life, fishing and growing vegetables on floating gardens for centuries. On this final note, we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to Ms. Cheryl Teh for all her valuable contributions to ASEANFocus over the past year. We wish her all the best in her future endeavours.