The role of the state-owned enterprises (SOEs) as market players from the perspective of competition law and policy is gaining importance in the times of global economic recession. The countries around the globe re-examine their approaches to competitive neutrality and level playing field when it comes to both domestic and foreign SOEs. The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is comprised of ten countries (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam) in the South-East Asian region that pursue a certain degree of regional economic integration. The ASEAN Economic Community is a regional economic integration project that pursues a level-playing field for all types of companies through the implementation of an effective competition policy. Currently, the ASEAN member states differ substantially in relation to the role of SOEs in their national economies, as well as application of the competition rules to the commercial practices of the SOEs. These economic and regulatory differences, as well as priorities of the economic recovery will have an impact on the process of regional harmonization both in terms of competition legislation and its enforcement.