Asean Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu   @stmarisewudolu
A Fragile New ‘Normal’ Descends on South China Sea Claimants
The United States and China have apparently reached a tacit agreement to disagree and maintain a leaky status quo in the South China Sea.
— AEC News Today
Can RCEP negotiations be concluded by end-2018?
The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) inched closer to completion last March when the ministers of all 16 countries met in Singapore for their fourth intersessional meeting. Next up on the almanac for leaders is a ministerial meeting which will be held in Tokyo on 1 July.
— The Asean PostÂ
Rural poor squeezed by land concessions in Mekong region: report
Companies acquired concessions amounting to the size of a small European country, while rural residents of Southeast Asia’s Mekong region saw their landholdings shrink or disappear over the past two decades, according to researchers.
— ReutersÂ
US Report Highlights Concerns about Religious Freedom in South, Southeast Asia
Buddhist monks in Thailand took to social media to call for violence against Muslims last year, the United States government said Tuesday in its latest annual report on curbs to religious freedom worldwide.
— Benar News
Euro losses build in Asia as Italy plunges into political crisis
The euro extended losses in Asian trade Tuesday as political uncertainty in Italy stoked fresh fears about the eurozone.
— Bangkok Post
ASEAN neighbors feel Malaysia market maelstrom
The shock election victory of Malaysia’s opposition alliance and the anti-corruption and economic-policy cleansing it has promised roller-coasted stocks before a slight MSCI index gain, and cast a shadow on ASEAN peers the Philippines and Thailand with their own political and fiscal battles under overall asset-class retrenchment.
— Asia Times
Indonesians more able to live without cash than Singaporeans: Study
According to the Consumer Payment Attitudes Study by Visa, Indonesians are more confident living without cash for 24 hours than Singaporeans.
— The Jakarta Post
Injecting flavour into Southeast Asia’s tourism sector
From the bizarre looking balut in the Philippines to the hearty bakso in Indonesia, Southeast Asia is a food haven, a gastronomical paradise unlike any other.
— The Asean Post
How disruptive technologies are transforming Southeast Asia
The rapid growth of technology has brought about unprecedented disruption to multiple industries.
— The Asean Post
Southeast Asia’s seafood market being reshaped by Chinese tourists
Chinese travelers looking for an inexpensive, seafood-focused vacation are settling on Thailand in larger and larger numbers.
— SeafoodSource (blog)
India, Indonesia among Asia’s most debt risky nations
It’s no surprise that India and Indonesia are among the worst-hit Asian currencies this year when you look at their foreign debt exposure and the level of reserves they have to cover that.
— The Jakarta Post
ASEAN Journalists Help Promote China’s Anhui-ASEAN Cooperation
The 2018 ASEAN 10 Nations Mainstream Media and China’s Central Leading Overseas-targeted Media: Touring Anhui was launched in Hefei, Anhui province of China on May 27 to promote the manufacturing industry of the province and its communication and cooperation with ASEAN.
— Lao News AgencyÂ
Asean security an issue Indonesia to face in UN Security Council
ASEAN security is a challenge Indonesia will face in the U.N. Security Council if it is elected as non permanent member of the council, a former diplomat has said.
— Antara NewsÂ
South Korean cosmetic firms eye ASEAN markets I Video
Amid a huge slump in demand from China, South Korean companies have their eye on ASEAN, where sales have been rising rapidly due to the popularity of Korean music and drama. Channel NewsAsia’s Lim Yun Suk tells us more.
— Channel NewsAsia (video)
Cambodia Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men   @MenSreypov
Cambodia’s election committee draws ballot numbers for parties in national poll
Cambodia’s National Election Committee (NEC) on Tuesday drew random numbers for political party positions on election ballots, with the ruling party taking the last spot among the 20 parties contesting in the forthcoming national poll.
— Xinhua
Western rail line to be fully restored by July: Minister
With the last section of the railroad expected to enter into service in early July, the restoration of the western rail line will be complete ahead of the general elections in July 29, the Minister of Transport said yesterday.
— Khmer Times
Japanese Investors to Invest More in Industry and Services in Cambodia
Speaking with Cambodian Minister of Labor Ith Sam Heng on Tuesday at the Ministry of Labor, President of Japan-Cambodia Interactive Association (JCIA) Fumio Yamada said that JCIA will bring its members as major investors in Japan to invest more in industry and service sectors in Cambodia in the next three months.
— Fresh News
See here for more of today’s Cambodia Morning News
Indonesia Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu   @stmarisewudolu
TRANSFAST Ties Up with Indonesia Post Office for Remittances
TRANSFAST, a leading money transfer services company with presence in over 125 countries, ties up with POS Indonesia, the State-owned postal service and one of the largest remittance providers in the country, to enable the Indonesian community residing around the world to send money transfers to their Indonesian counterparts.
— Markets Insider
House to keep same-sex article in Criminal Code bill: Lawmaker
Articles that penalize same-sex “indecent conduct” as a criminal act are still included in the recent version of the Criminal Code bill, says a member of the Criminal Code bill working committee.
— The Jakarta Post
PP Properti Set on Issuing Sustainable Bond worth IDR2 Trillion
Property company PP Properti (IDX:PPRO), subsidiary of state-owned construction company Pembangunan Perumahan (IDX:PTPP), is set to conduct sustainable bond offering with maximum issuance target of IDR2 trillion.
— Netral News
See here for more of today’s Indonesia Morning News
Lao PDR Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat   @leakhenakhat
New decree to streamline govt administration
The government has issued a new decree to strengthen collaboration between the Prime Minister’s Office and ministries, provinces, the capital and ministry-equivalent organisations.
— Vientiane TimesÂ
Researcher says Laos planning court case over disputed border
A senior scholar tasked with researching the borders said yesterday that Laos plans to file a lawsuit against Cambodia to the International Court of Justice over a border dispute in Stung Treng province.
— Khmer Times
Lao power operator to issue Thai bonds
LAOS-BASED EDL-Generation Plc (EDL-Gen) aims to issue a baht-denominated bond worth US$550 million (Bt17.5 billion) under plans to tap the Thai securities market in the third quarter of this year, the company’s deputy managing director (CFO), Dr Bounsalong Southidara, said recently.
— The NationÂ
See here for more of today’s Lao Morning News
Malaysia Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men   @MenSreypov
Cancelling HSR will create positive impact in long run: Melaka CM
The central government’s decision to scrap the HSR project will create a positive impact in the long-term, as the country will not be saddled with the problem of settling so much debts, said Melaka Chief Minister Adly Zahari.
— New Straits Times
Malaysia’s GST a victim of populist politics
The new Malaysian government’s decision to bring GST down to zero from Friday is an easy decision to make – but making up for its lost revenue will be tough.
— The Straits Times
Najib gives final salute to security personnel
In what appears to be an emotional goodbye, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has officially bid farewell to his security detail.
— AsiaOne
See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News
Myanmar Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat   @leakhenakhat
Need more proof of genocide in Myanmar? It’s being born right now
Nine months since the violent attacks of Aug. 25, 2017, and thereafter forced 700,000 Rohingya to flee to neighbouring Bangladesh, the first of thousands of pregnancies as a result of rape are coming to term.
— National PostÂ
Govt seeks up to $1.5 billion investment in Yangon ring road
The Ministry of Construction’s proposal for a 47.5-kilometre elevated ring road in Yangon could require as much as US$1.5 billion in private investment, sources have told Frontier.
— Frontier MyanmarÂ
Japanese investment in Myanmar soars to all-time high
Japanese investment in Myanmar reached an all-time high of about $1.48 billion in fiscal 2017 following the nation’s transition from military to civilian rule in 2011, boosted by large-scale commercial complex and steel manufacturing projects.
— The Japan TimesÂ
See here for more of today’s Myanmar Morning News
Philippines Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu   @stmarisewudolu
After certified as urgent, bill on P1.16-B Dengvaxia fund hurdles House
The House of Representatives approved on 3rd and final reading the proposed P1.16-billion medical support fund for students who received the Dengvaxia dengue vaccine.
— Rappler
‘Garin, Abad diverted P10.6-billion fund for senior citizens’
Some P10.6 billion in funds of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for senior citizens was illegally diverted in December 2015 and supposedly used for the campaign of Liberal Party (LP) candidates in the 2016 elections, a joint congressional review of PhilHealth’s finances showed yesterday.
— Philippine Star
Udenna group investing $6B in Clark Global dev’t
A subsidiary of Udenna Corp. will spend $5 billion to develop Clark Global City in Pampanga, on top of the $1 billion it shelled out to acquire the 177-hectare lot, company officials said.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
See here for more of today’s Philippines Morning News
Singapore Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat  @leakhenakhat
Singapore ranks fifth on global cities outlook index
SINGAPORE has risen six spots to rank fifth in the world in an index that tracks the outlook for global cities.
— The Business TimesÂ
Singapore Has Fintech Dreams, But It’s Short on Tech Talent
Singapore’s goal of becoming a high-tech financial hub are running into real-world problems of labor supply and demand.
— BloombergÂ
Top North Korea envoy to hold crucial talks in U.S. about summit
A top North Korean official was headed to New York on Tuesday for talks with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the latest indication that an on-again-off-again summit between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un may go ahead next month.
— ReutersÂ
See here for more of today’s Singapore Morning News
Thailand Morning News
Compiled by John Le Fevre   @photo_journ
Investment rush is harming environment
The recent massive crackdown on recycling factories processing hazardous electronic waste allegedly smuggled from abroad seems to be just the tip of the iceberg.
— Bangkok Post
Boracay. Maya Bay. Phuket?
Today the Thai Government has announced a six month closure of the island of Phuket. The shutdown will commence on May 1, 2019 and reopen on October 31, 2019.
— The Thaiger
Raid on forest encroachers finds land for sale
MANY OF those charged with encroaching on forest near Khao Yai National Park, a world heritage site, are defying the law by refusing to leave their seized plots and even putting the land up for sale.
— The Nation
See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News
Vietnam Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men   @MenSreypov
Thailand’s SCG buys rest of Vietnam’s Long Son Petrochemicals for $90.2m
Thai industrial conglomerate Siam Cement Group (SCG) has signed an agreement to acquire the 29 per cent stake it does not currently own in Vietnam’s Long Son Petrochemicals (LSP) for over VND2.05 trillion ($90.2 million), according to a stock exchange filing by the Thai firm.
— DealStreetAsia
Vietnam should remove all discount limits: industry insiders
Businesses want the government to raise discount limits from the current 50 percent cap to 100 percent.
— VnExpress
Footwear giants eye factories in VN
Global footwear brands like Adidas, Nike and Puma are increasingly turning to Viet Nam for their manufacturing needs due to its affordable labour costs and free trade agreements.
— Bizhub
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.
We clearly identify the source of the story, whether it is behind a paywall, a media release, or whether the site uses annoying pop-up advertising or auto-play video, in case those things annoy you. It’s all then packaged up in an easy to read format enabling you to make an informed choice of whether you want to learn more by clicking directly through to the original source, or keep on reading the headlines. AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.
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