Asean Morning News For October 19

Asean Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

ASEAN’s Post-Marawi Islamic State Challenge
On Monday, the Philippine military confirmed that it had killed two top commanders from the Islamic State (IS or ISIS) in the southern city of Marawi, where a siege by IS-linked militants has been ongoing since May.
— The Diplomat

Rohingya crisis: Tillerson says US holds Myanmar military responsible for violent crackdown
US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson says the United States holds Myanmar’s military leadership responsible for its harsh crackdown on the Rohingya Muslim minority.
— ABC/ Reuters

Mitsubishi Motors aims for 50% growth in ASEAN auto sales
Mitsubishi Motors will aim for 50% increase in sales in the ASEAN market over the next three years, as the Japanese automaker seeks to bounce back after a downturn brought on by a fuel economy scandal last year.
— Nikkei Asian Review

PLDT Enterprise, ePLDT encourage free flow of data for ASEAN summit
As the chair nation of this year’s ASEAN summit, the Philippines is tasked with the responsibility of inspiring the digital development of Southeast Asian nations.
— Philstar Global

Dr. Mahathir’s thoughts on competitiveness in the ASEAN region
Dr. Mahathir was the Prime Minister of Malaysia from 1981 to 2003, a period spanning five terms. He has the record of the longest serving Prime Minister of Malaysia. During his term, Malaysia experienced rapid growth and poverty was practically eradicated.
— Manila Bulletin

Cambodia supports Singapore’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2018
Cambodia expressed its support for Singapore’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2018 during the official visit of Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan and both sides also signed an MoU on political consultations on Tuesday, October 17.
— International Business Times

PH to host Asean+6 construction forum
The Philippines will be hosting an international construction forum next week with the aim of advancing Southeast Asian economic integration and making global players out of local and regional companies.
— The Manila Times

DoLE calls for unity in Asean labor standards
THE Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) has pushed for unity in labor standards among the 10-member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) amid employment opportunities in the region’s growing economic integration.
— The Manila Times

Cambodia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Riel loan interest rates on par with dollar counterparts
Interest rates for microfinance loans issued in Cambodian riel have decreased to the same level as those given in US dollar, a change industry insiders claim is an upside for circulation of the local currency that is being driven in part by the 18 percent interest rate cap imposed by the central bank in April.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Rule of law ‘virtually absent’: Court manipulation part of ruling party’s master plan, report argues
Cambodia’s judiciary remains in the iron grip of Prime Minister Hun Sen and his government, according to an extensive new International Commission of Jurists report, which found that “the rule of law is virtually absent from the Cambodian justice system”.
— The Phnom Penh Post

More champagne: Australia upgrades ties with democracy-crushing Cambodian regime
The Turnbull government has upgraded diplomatic ties with Cambodia in a champagne-clinking ceremony at a time Prime Minister Hun Sen is ruthlessly dismantling democracy and the country is sliding into a dictatorship.
— The Sydney Morning Herald

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Indonesia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Indonesia Takes First Steps Towards a Digital Fiat Currency Solution with eCurrency
eCurrency Mint Limited (eCurrency) announced today that it has partnered with PayPro Indonesia to provide eCurrency’s digital fiat currency (DFC) solution in Indonesia.
— Business Wire

Qatar and Indonesia edging towards close economic cooperation
HE the Minister of Economy and Commerce Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim bin Mohamed al-Thani has lauded the “progress” Qatar and Indonesia are making towards “close economic cooperation.”
— Gulf Times

Tokyo Gas invests in Indonesian supplier
Tokyo Gas Co. and the Development Bank of Japan said Tuesday that they have acquired a 33 percent equity stake in an Indonesian gas supplier.
— The Japan News

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Lao PDR Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

CLMV, Japan Discuss Agriculture Export Promotion
Representatives of ASEAN member countries of Cambodia, Lao PDR, Myanmar and Vietnam (CLMV) and Japan met in Vientiane Capital to discuss the promotion of the export of made-in-Laos agricultural products.
— Lao News Agency

Rural development benefits from navigation satellite system
Laos plans to use the Navigation Satellite System (NSS) to gather data on land use and agricultural development to accelerate information analysis and support socio-economic development.
— Vientiane Times

NA debates health, education, welfare for poverty alleviation
Members of the National Assembly (NA) have called on the government to invest additional funds in educational development, health promotion and to intensify efforts to resolve outstanding social and economic issues to achieve widespread poverty alleviation and more sustainable rural development.
— Vientiane Times

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Malaysia Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

Singapore commuters fueling growth in Malaysia’s Johor
During morning rush hour, long lines of cars and motorbikes in this southern state snake toward the Johor Strait, where they can cross into Singapore. In the evening, when workers make their way back to Malaysia, a major bottleneck forms in Singapore.
— Nikkei Asian Review

Axiata and Telekom Malaysia may re-merge
A re-merger between Axiata Group and Telekom Malaysia could reduce the valuation differential between Axiata and its competitors, says Star Online.
— Capacity Media

Malaysia says no decision yet on new offers to search for missing MH370
Malaysia said on Tuesday it has received proposals from three companies offering to continue the search for Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, which has been missing since 2014, but no decision has been made yet.
— Reuters

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Myanmar Morning News

Compiled by Kongleaphy Keam @kongleaphy1

EU to review defence cooperation with Myanmar
The European Union will review all practical defence cooperation with the Myanmar army and suspend invitations to senior Myanmar military officers if the situation in Rakhine state does not improve, The Irrawaddy News Online reported on Tuesday(Oct 18).
— Thai PBS

K2.5 trillion supplementary Budget submitted to Hluttaw
The Union government has submitted a K2.5 trillion Budget proposal to the Pyidaungsu Hluttaw to be expended during the remaining months of the 2017-18 fiscal year.
— Myanmar Times

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Philippines Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Pres. Duterte commits to improve PH for OFWs
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Wednesday, October 18, reiterated his pledge to improve the Philippine economy in a bid to help Filipinos working abroad and their families.
— Philippine News Agency

Government to invest P7.7 billion for free Wi-fi service in next 5 years
IMPROVING the state of the Internet in the Philippines—described as slow, expensive and congested—will require an investment of roughly $150 million, or P7.7 billion, from the government over the course of President Durterte’s term, quite a costly Band-Aid solution, but is seen to also help reduce costs in the long run.
— BusinessMirror

PHL needs above 6% GDP growth up to 2040 to end poverty–expert
If the Philippines wants to eradicate poverty, it must post a GDP growth of at least 6 percent every year until 2040, according to a former dean of the University of the Philippines (UP) School of Economics.
— BusinessMirror

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Singapore Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat

Singapore most robust nation in Asia-Pac for data centre operations: Cushman & Wakefield
SINGAPORE has been rated Asia-Pacific’s top location for data centres in a report by Cushman & Wakefield.
— The Business Times

WorldSkills Singapore 2018 to feature cybersecurity; include university students
WorldSkills Singapore 2018 will be expanded to include university students and introduce competition areas that are relevant to industries in Singapore such as cybersecurity, SkillsFuture chief executive Ng Cher Pong said on Wednesday (Oct 18).
— Channel NewsAsia

Expectations are high for Q3 earnings
AS THE third-quarter earnings season begins in earnest, expectations are running high among some fund managers and analysts.
— The Business Times

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Thailand Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Facebook denies PM-Zuckerberg meeting
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha’s hopes of meeting Facebook chief executive officer Mark Zuckerberg look to have hit the rocks as a Facebook spokesman said no such plans are on the drawing board.
— Bangkok Post

Facebook says Zuckerberg has no plan to visit Thailand
SOCIAL MEDIA giant Facebook has brushed aside any suggestion that its co-founder and major shareholder, Mark Zuckerberg, plans to visit Thailand later this month.
— The Nation

Thai Sept car exports at 2-year high as Mid-East demand recovers
Thailand’s car exports hit their highest in two years in September as demand from the Middle East rebounded, boosting a sector that accounts for about 10 percent of the trade-dependent economy.
— Reuters

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Vietnam Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Vietnamese banking tycoon appeals life sentence following massive graft trial
Ha Van Tham asked the court to reconsider the embezzlement charges he has been convicted of.
— VnExpress

Vietnam scraps planned parenthood in revised population policy
For the first time in 50 years, Vietnam has shifted its population policy from ‘planned parenthood’ to ‘maintaining stable birth rates’.
— Tuoi Tre

Payroll Obligations in Vietnam
After setting up a business in Vietnam, the next big hurdle is hiring the staff that you will need to help grow your operation.
— Vietnam Briefing

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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.