For decades, Indonesia’s standing was a given. A new survey suggests the region’s opinion leaders are no longer so sure
4-MIN READ4-MIN2 ListenMaria SiowPublished: 3:00pm, 21 Apr 2026Updated: 3:38pm, 21 Apr 2026Indonesia appears to have ceded its position as Asean’s natural leader to Singapore in a new survey of regional opinion leaders, with analysts pinning the shift on President Prabowo Subianto’s preference for pursuing Jakarta’s ambitions outside the regional bloc.More than 2,000 policymakers, researchers and business figures from across the Association of Southeast Asian Nations were polled by the ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute for its latest annual State of Southeast Asia survey.
Those who chose Singapore cited the city state’s economic leadership in shaping regional discussions, while those who chose Indonesia pointed to Jakarta’s ability to build consensus within the bloc.
Both countries also topped the rankings in the previous two editions of the survey, though the question then asked which members had contributed most to Asean’s long-term development, rather than this year’s framing around regional leadership.
