Asean Morning News For December 11

Asean Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Workplace Automation: Skills Development Key For Developing Countries (HD video)
In 2017 economists Carl Frey and Michael Osborne concluded that 47 per cent of jobs in the United States were at high risk of workplace automation. A range of replications and extensions have made similar claims.
— AEC News Today

ASEAN, UN to promote gender equality through HeForShe campaign
In partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), ASEAN launched the ASEAN HeForShe Campaign on 30 November.
— Asean

Chinese and Thai firms form Asean investment fund
HNA Innovation Fund, the only Hong Kong unit of one of China’s largest conglomerates, has signed a deal with CT Bright, the investment arm of Thai corporate CP Pokphand, to a form the $5 billion Asean infrastructure investment fund
— IJ Global (paywall)

Asean commits to ‘green growth’ in urban areas
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) have committed to adopt “green growth” policies in urban areas, which are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases (GHG).
—The Manila Times

CIMB Foundation partners UKM to shape Asean’s future through youths
CIMB Foundation has teamed up with Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) as an effort to empower youths to start playing a role in shaping Asean’s future by organising its fifth edition of Young Asean Leaders (CIMB YAL) event.
— The Edge Markets

Enhancing the Asean-ness of Asean citizens
The designation of the region of South-east Asia as the “lands below the winds” was first recorded in the book, The Ship Of Sulaiman, by Muhammad ibn Ibrahim in 1668.
— The Straits Times

ASEAN countries cite need for urban resilience plans
Member-countries from the ASEAN have expressed commitment to adopt “green growth” policies in urban areas that are the largest emitters of greenhouse gases causing global warming.
— Manila Bulletin

HNA confirms interest in ASEAN’s infrastructure investment
HNA Group, one of China’s largest conglomerates, has confirmed its interest in investing in Thailand’s grand infrastructure project by setting up a major fund with a local partner, as the group enhances its footprint in ASEAN and along the Belt and Road.
— Ecns.cn

GITAM to host conference on India and ASEAN@25 on Feb 10
GITAM School of International Business will organise international conference on ‘India and the ASEAN @ 25’ on February 10 at GITAM, Visakhapatnam under the aegis of EXIM Bank of India, Mumbai, on the eve of 25 Years of India and the ASEAN relations.
— The Huns India

Indonesia backs ASEAN to continue capacity building for Timor Leste
Indonesia has expressed its support for ASEAN to continue capacity building assistance to Timor Leste to prepare it to become an ASEAN member, the Foreign Ministry said.
— Antara News

Cambodia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

USFDA quarantines 11 items of food products and medicines from Thailand
The US Food and Drugs Administration has decided to quarantine 11 items of food products and medicines from Thailand after finding out that they are of substandard qualities that do not meet the set standards due to the presence of Salmonella bacteria, gastrointestinal infectious bacteria, excessive lead residue and wrong labelling.
— Thai PBS

Strong baht sparks fears
The private sector has voiced concerns about the stronger baht, which recently hit a 31-month high, saying it could hurt exports and tourism as well as the overall Thai economy.
— Bangkok Post

Nakhon Sri Thammarat airport closes
Nakhon Sri Thammarat airport closes on Thursday and Friday as floods hit the province.
— Bangkok Post

See here for more of today’s Cambodia Morning News

Indonesia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

US Tax Reform Approved, Dollar Presses Down Rupiah
The opening of trading on Wednesday (12/6/2017) saw the rupiah weakened against the United States (US) dollar.
— Netral News

PSN to Launch New Satellite for Broadband Service Next Year
Pasifik Satelit Nusantara, or PSN, a private company that provides satellite-based communications and information services in Indonesia, is set to launch a new satellite named PSN VI in 2018 to meet high demand in the country’s broadband data sector.
— JakartaGlobe

Government to allow residents to buy low-cost apartments
The Public Works and Housing Ministry’s apartment affairs director, Kuswardono, has said his office is now preparing a government regulation (PP) to allow residents to buy subsidized low-cost apartments, which are currently only available to rent.
— The Jakarta Post

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Lao PDR Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Chinese company assists development efforts in Laos
A Chinese company which is keen to develop the Khonphapheng Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in southern Laos has granted US$1 million for the development of Champassak province.
— Vientiane Times

New Programme to Strengthen Laos’ Readiness to Cope with Climate Change Impacts
“Rain patterns are not what they were”, says Khoune. “We cannot rely on enough rain during the rice-growing season anymore.”
— Lao News Agency

PM seeks improvements across legal, judicial sectors
Sectors responsible for enforcement, administration, prosecution and adjudication of the law must do all they can to ensure that innocent people are protected and offenders punished, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith told a meeting in the capital on Tuesday.
— Vientiane Times

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Malaysia Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Is Spending Billions To Win Back Voters In 2018 Elections
In 2015, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak found himself in the middle of a controversy. It was alleged that Najib diverted money — close to $700 million — from the state-owned business development firm 1MDB into a personal account. Najib has denied any misconduct in relation to 1MDB, and Malaysia’s Attorney General cleared him of any wrongdoing over the transfers.
— Forbes

Malaysia ranks 9th among Asia Pacific nations with most empowered women
Malaysia is now ranked the 9th country with the most empowered women in Asia Pacific, ahead of Indonesia, China and Brunei based on the latest Malaysia Gender Gap Index (MGGI) released by the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM).
— New Straits Times

Malaysia’s economy to continue performing strongly in 4Q2017, says AmBank Research
AmBank Group Research expects Malaysia’s economy to continue performing strongly in 4Q2017, with preliminary estimates at 6.0%.
— The Edge Markets

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Myanmar Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Myanmar Companies Act approved
President U Htin Kyaw signed the Myanmar Companies Act at the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw Wednesday, approving the most anticipated piece of legislation in the country this year.
— Myanmar Times

Over US$1.7bn worth of fuel imported in eight months
Myanmar imported fuel worth more than US$1.7 billion within the first eight months of this fiscal year (2017-2018), exceeding more than half of the amount in the same period last year, according to the Ministry of Commerce.
— Eleven Myanmar

Myanmar’s largest oil refinery project cancelled
Construction of a multi-billion-dollar oil refinery in the south of Dawei has been cancelled after an investor in the project ran into financial constraints, sources confirmed.
— Myanmar Times

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Philippines Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Duterte to order mass arrest of communists
His officials said the terrorist classification of any group requires court approval, but President Duterte is already preparing for a roundup of communist peace consultants.
— Philstar

No WHO approval issued before Dengvaxia vaccination
THE Department of Health (DOH) in early 2016 went ahead with its mass dengue immunization program without any advisory from the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the effects of the Dengvaxia vaccine, the WHO said Tuesday.
— Malaya

Huge poultry factory opens in the Philippines
The biggest poultry plant in the Philippines, based in Santo Tomas, has just been opened via a joint venture between Cargill and Jollibee Foods.
— Global Meat News

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Singapore Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

First 100G research backbone in Asia deployed
Research and education facilities in Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan will be able to take advantage of a newly-deployed dedicated 100G subsea cable network provisioned by PCCW Global.
— Telecom Asia

Amazon launches Prime membership for S’pore
American e-commerce giant Amazon launched its Prime membership programme for Singapore yesterday, ending a four-year period of blanket free shipping to the Republic.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Big drill in the US to hone Singapore’s military capability
Around 750 soldiers from Singapore’s Armed Forces have been conducting a biannual drill at a firing range in the US state of Arizona that is 20 times the size of the 719-square-kilometer city-state.
—Asia Times

See here for more of today’s Singapore Morning News

Thailand Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Nakhon Sri Thammarat airport closes
Nakhon Sri Thammarat airport closes on Thursday and Friday as floods hit the province.
— Bangkok Post

See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News

Vietnam Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Vietnam struggling to force Internet giants to pay local taxes
Industry insiders and experts are calling on the government to rewrite local tax rules to force major Internet companies to pay tax on profits they make from the Vietnamese market.
— Tuoi Tre

Wind energy could grow 7% a year in Vietnam
Experts at a wind energy workshop on Tuesday recommended sustainable solutions for development of the wind power sector in Việt Nam.
— The Nation

Vietnam tuna exports exceed yearly target
The Vietnam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP)’s target of 524 million USD in tuna exports for the year has been completed early as the figure already hit 541 million USD as of November.
— VietnamPlus

See here for more of today’s Vietnam Morning News

Asean Morning News is the most comprehensive selection of reports on what you need to know from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. All articles are hand curated by the team at AEC News Today. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.