
Southeast Asia: The Economic Outlook for 2026
From Beyond the Mekong by The Diplomat
February 3, 2026 · 26 min
About this episode
Marcus Tantau discusses the economic outlook for Southeast Asia in 2026 and the political landscape of the region.
Marcus Tantau is a Senior Associate at Templeton Research, where he leads the firm’s Southeast Asia practice from Singapore. He specializes in corporate investigations and strategic intelligence and advises financial institutions on how to navigate complex risks. He spoke with The Diplomat’s Luke Hunt on a broad range of topics, including the election of To Lam as Vietnam’s president and Communist Party chief, and how regional leaders are faring, among them Malaysia’s Anwar Ibrahim, Indonesia’s Prabowo Subianto. and Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines.
People in this episode
Host: Luke Hunt
Guest: Marcus Tantau
Topics covered
- Southeast Asia
- economic outlook
- political leadership
- elections
- regional analysis
Keywords
- Southeast Asia
- economic outlook
- To Lam
- Anwar Ibrahim
- Prabowo Subianto
- Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
- politics
- elections
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Templeton Research
Places: Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore
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