Asean Morning News For July 13

Asean Morning News

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

AI adoption: Indonesia leads ASEAN, Singapore lags behind
Adoption of artificial intelligence in the Asia Pacific region is on the rise, according to a recent report released by IDC.
— Networks Asia

TPP fuels Asia’s zest for regional free trade pacts
Trade negotiators from the 11 Trans-Pacific Partnership countries will gather in Japan from July 17 to July 19 to hammer out procedures for accepting new members into the bloc, among them Thailand, Indonesia and possibly the U.K.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Southeast Asia Bankers Want Deeper Capital Markets for Projects
Southeast Asia must further develop its capital markets to help fund infrastructure projects, bankers say, even as billions of dollars pour in from China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
— Bloomberg Quint

Manufacturing is driving the region forward
The manufacturing sector has been one of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) key economic growth drivers. Already, the region is a global manufacturing hub and is estimated to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.6 percent between 2016 to 2020.
— The Asean Post

Vietnam boosts its exports to ASEAN
wo and a half years after the ASEAN Economic Community was established, enterprises in Vietnam have found a way to capitalise on the bloc’s import tariff cuts and expand their exports, helping to narrow the years-long trade deficit between Vietnam and ASEAN.
— Nhan Dan

US is using Rimpac to woo Asean and counter its move towards China, but will it work?
The Rim of the Pacific Exercise (Rimpac) is the world’s largest multilateral military maritime exercise.
— South China Morning Post

Wielding the purse strings of Southeast Asian civil society
As democracy experiences a global decline, and Southeast Asia oscillates between authoritarian endurance and democratic rollback, civil society in the region is facing a bleak future.
— New Mandala

Mahathir’s foreign policy reset
Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad appears to be setting the tone for a revision of Malaysia’s geo-economic policy, if the bilateral meetings with his Indian and Japanese counterparts in the early days of his administration are anything to go by.
— East Asia Forum

Southeast Asia haze tied to hospitalization for breathing problems
People are more likely to be hospitalized for respiratory disorders during the annual haze season in Southeast Asia, when densely polluted air hovers over the region, than at other times of year, a Malaysian study suggests.
— Reuters

GoJek Set to Expand to Four Asian Countries
The ride-hailing service provider (also known locally as online application-based transportation service provider), GoJek, assures that it has expanded or spread its network to four countries in Southeast Asia, namely Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
— Netral News

ASEAN intensifies conservation of protected areas
ON THE second day of the 22nd Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical, and Technological Advice (SBSTTA 22) of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) on July 3, 2018 in Montreal, Canada, the ASEAN Member States (AMS), through Myanmar, joined other Parties in recognising the importance of other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) in sustaining protected areas, particularly in achieving the Aichi Biodiversity Target 11.
— Borneo Bulletin

Automotive Aftermarket Poised to Expand at a 9.6% CAGR Through 2016-2026
In Future Market Insights’ market report titled, “Automotive After market: ASEAN Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 2016-2026”, poor road infrastructure and extended vehicle life have been identified as profitable factors for the growth of the automotive aftermarket in ASEAN.
— Digital Journal

Cambodia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Cambodia’s Security Forces Illegally Campaigning For Ruling Party: HRW
Cambodia’s security forces are illegally campaigning for Prime Minister Hun Sen’s ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP), a rights group said Thursday, ahead of a general election this month that has been widely derided as unfree and unfair amid an ongoing political crackdown in the country.
— Radio Free Asia

Nine NEC Members Temporary Suspends Voting Right
Nine mebers from the National Election Committee (NEC) will be temporarily suspended their voting right for the 6th mandate election until their madate end, according to NEC’s press release dated on 10 July 2018.
— Fresh News

Cambodia: EU mission assesses human rights and labour situation
A delegation of the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) visited Cambodia from 5 to 11 July 2018 to evaluate the situation on the ground following recent worrying human rights and labour rights developments in the country.
— Europrean Commission

See here for more of today’s Cambodia Morning News

Indonesia Morning News

Compiled by Joanne Encantador @encantador_jo

Indonesia to buy majority Grasberg stake for $3.85bln
State-owned PT Indonesia Asahan Aluminium (PT Inalum) will become a 51% shareholder in Grasberg, the world’s second largest copper mine, buying shares from Rio Tinto and Freeport-McMoRan in a deal totaling $3.85 billion, Rio Tinto and Freeport-McMoRan said on Thursday July 12.
— Metal Bulletin

House approves Rp 2.57t budget for Industry 4.0
The Trade Industry is getting an additional Rp 2.57 trillion (US$178 million) after the House Commission VI overseeing industry affairs agreed to financially support the development of Industry 4.0.
— The Jakarta Post

World Bank offers Indonesia Loans for Multiple LRT Projects
The World Bank is reportedly offering the Indonesian government a loan to specifically fund the country’s light rail transit (LRT) developments in four major cities other than Jakarta such as; Medan, Bandung, Surabaya, and Bali.
— Tempo.co

See here for more of today’s Indonesia Morning News

Lao PDR Morning News

Compiled by Joanne Encantador @encantador_jo

Lao PM not sure about meeting 5-mln tourists target
The Lao government is not so confident in achieving its target of attracting five million tourists to Laos in 2018 as a mid-year summary had shown that less than 2 million had visited the country so far this year, Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith said.
— Xinhuanet

Tourism in Laos doesn’t come into gear
The government of Laos is set to revise its expectations for tourism arrivals this year after it has become unlikely that the country will receive the envisaged five million visitor arrivals for 2018, let alone the expected more than $900 million in tourism proceeds.
— Investine

New Japanese Volunteers Pay A Courtesy Call To Japanese Ambassador To Laos
Nine new Japanese Volunteers dispatched to Laos paid on Wednesday a courtesy call to the Ambassador of Japan to Laos Takeshi Hikihara before they begin their volunteerism in the country.
— Lao News Agency

See here for more of today’s Lao Morning News

Malaysia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Malaysia’s new light rail project to proceed at half the cost: Finance minister
Malaysia’s Light Rail Transit 3 (LRT 3) project will proceed at RM16.6 billion (US$4 billion), which is nearly half the earlier projected cost of RM31.6 billion, Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng announced on Thursday (Jul 12).
— Channel NewsAsia

Cyber attacks may cost Malaysia US$12.2 bil in economic losses
Experts say losses could be in the form of direct financial losses while indirect losses may be in the form of reputation loss.
— Free Malaysia Today

Singapore and Malaysia conduct joint chemical spill exercise at sea
What if a collision at sea spills 500 tonnes of benzene into the waters off Singapore?
— Channel NewsAsia

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar Morning News

Compiled by Joanne Encantador @encantador_jo

Myanmar discusses growth with World Bank
At a high-level gathering today (July 12), Myanmar’s government and World Bank representatives discussed Nay Pyi Taw’s commitment to an ambitious reform agenda to advance inclusive and sustained growth.
— The Nation

M-Development Corporation to undertake $150 million bus terminal project
A $150 million project to upgrade the Chan Mya Shwe Pyi (Kywe Se Kan) Bus Terminal has been launched, according to M-Development Corporation (Myanmar) Co, which has entered into a long-term partnership with Mandalay City Development Committee (MCDC) to undertake the work.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar workers beat libel charges
The Criminal Court Thursday acquitted 14 Myanmar workers of a defamation charge filed by their previous employer, which claimed they had made false complaints about poor treatment by the company.
— Bangkok Post

See here for more of today’s Myanmar Morning News

Philippines Morning News

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Duterte pressed to assert 2016 arbitration victory vs China
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has come under renewed pressure to seek Chinese compliance to an arbitration ruling that invalidated China’s claims to much of the South China Sea two years ago but has been ignored by Beijing and remains unenforced.
— Ottawa Citizen

‘Philippines, Province of China’ banners stir anger on anniversary of arbitration win
Banners calling the Philippines a “province of China” mysteriously appeared on bridges in Manila on Thursday (Jul 12), sparking fury on social media on what was the second anniversary of Manila’s victory over Beijing in a landmark arbitration case.
— Channel NewsAsia

Hot money outflows rise in June
The central bank registered a higher net foreign portfolio investment or hot money outflows in June of $516 million compared to the previous month’s $206 million, citing investors’ inflation and exchange rate concerns.
— Manila Bulletin

See here for more of today’s Philippines Morning News

Singapore Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Singapore retail sales up 0.1% in May
Retail sales in Singapore edged up marginally in May, with growth constrained partly by lower motor vehicle sales, according to Thursday’s (July 12) Department of Statistics release.
— The Straits Times

Chart of the Day: Expected turnover rate in Singapore is the highest in Asia
This chart from Workday and IDC shows that 46% of Singapore employees intend to leave their companies in the next 12 months. Singapore currently has the highest turnover rate amongst Asia Pacific countries.
— Singapore Business Review

Singapore and Malaysia’s relationship goes beyond the personalities of the Lees and Mahathir
Relations between Singapore and Malaysia have been tetchy of late. With the drama of the “are we or are we not going ahead with the High Speed Rail (HSR) project” to the “we will not sell you water tit for tat”, there’s been plenty to keep journalists and civil servants busy.
— The Online Citizen

See here for more of today’s Singapore Morning News

Thailand Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Central bank steps in to slow baht slide
The Bank of Thailand has moved to curb the baht’s rapid retreat against the greenback as the local currency hit a nine-month low.
— Bangkok Post

Citizenship of three young cave survivors shines light on plight of stateless persons
THE lack of Thai citizenship of three youth footballers who were saved from the Tham Luang cave has highlighted the hidden problems of stateless people.
— The Nation

Foreign Ministry expresses gratitude to international aid in cave rescue operation
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has expressed heartfelt appreciation for the international humanitarian aid extended during the Chiang Rai cave rescue mission, noting that the event reflects international solidarity.
— News Today (video)

See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News

Vietnam Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Coal, oil and gas mining exceed six-month targets
Crude oil output reached 7.1 million tonnes in the first six months of this year and in doing so hit 54.3 per cent of the annual target.
— Bizhub

State Audit suggests financial prosecutions of nearly VND23 trillion
The State Audit Office of Vietnam (SAV) has detected and proposed VND22,669 billion (US$974.76 million) worth of financial prosecutions in the first six months of 2018.
— Nhan Dan Online

Vietnam to upgrade runways of two int’l airports
Vietnam mulled upgrading runways at Noi Bai international airport in Hanoi and Tan Son Nhat international airport in Ho Chi Minh City, to ensure aviation safety, the Transport Ministry said on Thursday.
— Xinhua

See here for more of today’s Vietnam Morning News

The Asean Morning News Roundup and its individual country morning news round-ups are the most comprehensive hand-curated selection of news reports from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. We scour hundreds of local and international news and websites to find the things that you need to know to start your working week day.

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