ANN Asiapoll: The Unity Within

ANN Asiapoll: The Unity Within

Shefali Rekhi, The Straits Times/Asia News Network, Singapore

A region-wide poll has found that ASEAN's citizens and residents believe they share a common identity and want the pace of integration speeded up.

Six in 10 of those polled said that people in ASEAN identified with one another.

Just over half said they could speak the language of another ASEAN country.

Close to half -- or 44 percent -- said they have been traveling within the region, and about an equal number said they expect to do so within the next six months.

Five in 10 said they would be willing to invest in an another country, while six out of 10 (excluding Singapore) said they would encourage their children to go to school in an ASEAN neighbor.

Asked if ASEAN should have a common currency, nearly half -- 45 percent -- backed the idea, despite the wide economic disparities among ASEAN members. About 38 percent rejected the idea, while the rest were undecided.

One thing on which there was general agreement: integration is moving too slowly. Nearly half of those polled thought so, with a third saying the pace was just right. Just 2.6 per cent felt things were moving too fast.

"The results are an eye-opener," ASEAN's former secretary- general Rodolfo Severino told The Straits Times.

"The people are clearly ahead of the government. While leaders and officials are still debating the ASEAN identity issue, people to people links have grown strong over the years.

"We need to look at the findings closely. There is much you can do when there is this kind of consciousness about the region."

The findings point to a willingness on the part of the people to accept a closer integration of their economies and societies, which some of ASEAN's leaders have been calling for.

The rise of China and India has given greater impetus to do so, as ASEAN will need to "reposition" itself to play a role in a changing world, argued Singapore's Foreign Minister George Yeo in September.

Closer integration would enable the region to face the challenges ahead, he said.

ASEAN co-operation is also a theme that is likely to feature in talks among leaders, officials and commentators meet for the inaugural East Asia Summit in Kuala Lumpur beginning next week.

Ironically, the survey found Singaporeans to be the laggards when it comes to willingness to integrate.

Ever the pragmatists, Singaporeans were generally more skeptical about ASEAN integration than their counterparts in the region.

Six in 10 Singaporeans -- the highest of all members -- felt that ASEAN countries did not identify with each other. Seven in 10 Singaporeans were against the idea of a common currency for ASEAN members.

Only 21 percent were willing to invest in another ASEAN country.

"The difference in results is not very surprising," said Dr Leo Suryadinata, a senior research fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

"The Republic is a very urban city-state, most-developed and ahead of everybody in the region. So you can expect the views of people here to be different."

The Straits Times initiated Asiapoll was conducted together with five members of the Asia News Network (ANN), a grouping of Asia's 14 leading newspapers.

The Straits Times is a founding member of the ANN. Malaysia's leading daily The Star, Thailand's The Nation, The Jakarta Post from Indonesia, Philippine Daily Inquirer and Vietnam News participated.

Newspapers polled over a thousand English speaking, urban respondents in one-to-one interviews, via email and over the phone.

The survey was also posted on ANN member websites and responses from ASEAN citizens and residents was accepted.

The poll was commissioned in October amid debate on regional integration.

Poll results also pointed to areas where there was room for greater co-operation across the region.

While 48 percent said they would be willing to invest in another ASEAN country, just 11 percent said they had actually done so.

Property and shares were the two preferred areas of investments among ASEAN neighbors.

When asked where they would chose to live or work if they could do so abroad, most of those polled cited Europe as their top choice, followed by another ASEAN country, or the U.S.

Among ASEAN countries, Thailand was the top destination for a visit, followed by Singapore.

Summing up the findings, said Dr Leo Suryadinata, senior research fellow at ISEAS said: "It is time people in ASEAN realized that there will be economic benefits as well as political and security ones, if the region is integrated."

"It will be more stable and allow ASEAN to compete with another region. On its own, it will be difficult for the region to face globalization."