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."