Homes in were destroyed and their properties looted or burned during the siege of Marawi in the Philippines in 2017. The city had been partially taken over by ISIS loyalists, Maute and Abu Sayyaf. Getty Images
Homes in were destroyed and their properties looted or burned during the siege of Marawi in the Philippines in 2017. The city had been partially taken over by ISIS loyalists, Maute and Abu Sayyaf. Getty Images
Homes in were destroyed and their properties looted or burned during the siege of Marawi in the Philippines in 2017. The city had been partially taken over by ISIS loyalists, Maute and Abu Sayyaf. Get
President Emmanuel Macron may have made headlines with his call to battle Islamist extremism after four people were murdered by assailants purportedly driven by that twisted ideology in France during October, but the necessity for such action is universal. It is so even in South-East Asia, which may come as a surprise to some. The region's roughly 250 million Muslims make up significant minorities in several countries – Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, Myanmar and Cambodia – but are chiefly concentrated and are the majority in Indonesia and Malaysia: two countries with a reputation for moderation and pluralism.
True, there have been instances of terrorism for years, from the Bali bombings of 2002 and 2005 that killed over 200 people and were perpetrated by Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, to the 2017 partial takeover of Marawi City in the southern Philippines by two organisations associated with ISIS, Abu Sayyaf and the Maute group.
However, on the whole – apart from in the Philippines, where an insurgency in the mainly Muslim south lasted for decades – these are the exceptions, not the rule. And these are not least due to strong work by the local intelligence services. The overall impression that the region is not stricken by extremist terror is correct. I would feel safer from that threat in South-East Asia’s capitals than in Europe’s at the moment.
French President Emmanuel Macron's desire to fight Islamist extremism is one all countries ought to share. AP Photo
But, as per Mr Macron, the dangers of extremism do not just come from the possibility of physical loss, of life, limb or property. They are also about the spread of an attitude that, while often harder to discern, threatens to undermine the cohesion, harmony and tolerance of peaceful, forward-looking societies.
In Indonesia, the rapturous welcome given to the firebrand cleric Rizieq Shihab on his return from exile – he fled criminal charges at home – is one case in point. Rizieq, the leader of the thuggish and misnamed Islamic Defenders Front, has been imprisoned twice, once for “inciting violent acts and spreading hatred against the lawful government of Indonesia", as the trial judge put it. While living abroad, he was questioned by police for flying a black flag, which resembled those used by extremist groups, at the back of his house. On Sunday night, six of his supporters were killed in a shoot-out with police.
The reappearance of this hardliner, and his evident support with a section of the population, does not bode well. Neither did news that Jemaah Islamiyah had managed to collect funds by putting up charity boxes in several different parts of the country, using the money – according to a police spokesman – to send members for military training and to buy weapons and explosives.
With the charity boxes, the public may well have been deceived. But the Jemaah Islamiyah operatives had clearly been facilitated by sympathisers. And it is these, and those who are insufficiently condemnatory of terrorism, that are encouraged and enabled by not tackling extremism vigorously enough.
Damaged buildings inside war-torn Marawi City in southern Philippines. In 2017, two organisations associated with ISIS partially took over the city. Reuters
To take another, personal example: for several years I worked at Malaysia’s national think tank, the Institute for Strategic and International Studies. During that time, at least two taxi drivers looked at the address – the institute goes by “ISIS Malaysia” – and evidently thought that it was a local affiliate of the terror outfit. One looked very shocked. The other said, as we were driving out the gates: “Are you a Muslim? I assume you have to be to work there.” He wasn’t joking. It was worrying, to say the least, that they both thought it possible that ISIS was able to set up an office in Malaysia.
On another occasion one Malaysian minister recalled a friend’s daughter coming round to his new house to advise on interior decoration. He and his wife were appalled to see that her computer screen saver was the ISIS flag.
The people involved in the cases above are not necessarily supporters of terrorism. But each, in their own way, warn, as Mr Macron has, of the risk of not checking the insidious culture of extremism. Quite apart from the harm it does to inter-communal relations and, indeed, within Muslim communities, radicalisation experts have repeatedly alerted that this ideology can be a slope towards eventually justifying violence and murder.
Malaysian children during an educational simulation of the Hajj pilgrimage outside Kuala Lumpur in 2017. South-East Asia's 250 million Muslims are chiefly concentrated in Indonesia and Malaysia: two countries with a reputation for moderation and pluralism. AFP
Fortunately, in both countries governments have been firm in opposing it. Subsequent Malaysian prime ministers have made the need for moderation their watchword and have supported sterling anti-radicalisation and de-radicalisation programmes. In Indonesia, President Joko Widodo should be congratulated for taking several steps, including setting up a National Agency to Promote Pancasila to sideline radicals ("Pancasila" is the country’s inclusive guiding philosophy, which specifically recognises Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism as well as Islam).
In both countries, religious parties have long sat in their respective parliaments. In Malaysia, one is part of the governing coalition. Mr Joko’s Vice President Maruf Amin is a former head of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organisation, Nahdlatul Ulama, which has over 80 million members. What these groups have in common is their acceptance of working within the system. This is unlike the extremists whose aims are ultimately revolutionary and intolerant: to disrupt and destroy, and to oppress those who disagree with them.
Indonesia's President Joko Widodo should be congratulated for taking several steps to tackle extremism, including setting up an agency to sideline radicals. Reuters
Making this distinction and acting against the extremists is crucial. One of the reasons that prompted Mr Joko is said to have been a survey that showed that 20 per cent of Indonesia’s civil servants were in favour of creating an “Islamic theocratic state”. The President wanted “hardline and radical officials weeded out”, a senior official told Reuters.
He was certainly right in that. Returning to Mr Macron: his words – perhaps awkwardly expressed – may have caused apprehension in some Muslim countries, but his desire to fight Islamist extremism is one they ought to share. It is a scourge that falsely hides behind and traduces a religion of peace, tolerance and love for all humanity. All need to be on their guard against it.
Sholto Byrnes is an East Asian affairs columnist for The National
Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
Option 2: 50% across three years
Option 3: 30% across five years
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
2010: A restaurant attack in Kampala Uganda kills 74 people watching a Fifa World Cup final football match.
2013: The Westgate shopping mall attack, 62 civilians, five Kenyan soldiers and four gunmen are killed.
2014: A series of bombings and shootings across Kenya sees scores of civilians killed.
2015: Four gunmen attack Garissa University College in northeastern Kenya and take over 700 students hostage, killing those who identified as Christian; 148 die and 79 more are injured.
2016: An attack on a Kenyan military base in El Adde Somalia kills 180 soldiers.
2017: A suicide truck bombing outside the Safari Hotel in Mogadishu kills 587 people and destroys several city blocks, making it the deadliest attack by the group and the worst in Somalia’s history.
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
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The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
