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Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

Thailand spells out priorities as ASEAN chair in 2019
Closing the gap: ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly secretary-general Isra Sunthornvut (right) speaks to Thai Ambassador to ASEAN Phasporn Sangasubana (center) alongside PT Humpuss Intermoda Transportasi board of commissioners chairman Theo Lekatompessy on the sidelines of a seminar titled ASEAN 2019 Under Thai Chairmanship in Jakarta on Wednesday.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)

Beijing announces deployment of ‘carrier killer’ missile after U.S. warship sails near South China Sea islets
Beijing has announced that its so-called carrier killer anti-ship missile has been deployed to the country’s northwest, just a day after the U.S. Navy sailed a warship past disputed islands in the South China Sea.
— The Japan Times

New international land-sea trade corridor aims to benefit Chinese market
The construction of a trade corridor that links western China to Southeast Asia is expected to speed up as more western Chinese provinces and countries along the route join the project.
— CGTN (media release)

ASEAN Smart Education Learning Market: Malaysia and Thailand to Be Potential Growth Markets
The ASEAN smart education learning market is extremely fragmented on account of a large number of educational institutions offering very similar education. It is therefore not surprising the competition level runs high in the Asians modification and learning market.
— Digital Journal (media release)

Asean, Hong Kong will come under greater scrutiny as US deals with security risks
The tighter scrutiny by the United States on all Chinese technology firms marks the start of a long drawn-out policy – something that Asean and Hong Kong will have to contend with, political watchers say.
— The Straits Times (paywall)

Outbound travelling in Asia forecast to grow in 2019
Tourism consultant IPK International forecast that outbound travelling in Asia will grow by 6 percent in 2019, equivalent to the global average, according to its World Travel Monitor report.
— Vietnam Plus

Emerging Asia is primed for volatility
Emerging Asia is primed for volatility. The new year has brought hints of recovery, thanks to weaker oil prices and hopes of a more dovish U.S. Federal Reserve.
— ZAWYA

Worldwide: ASEAN Insights – Opportunities And Challenges For The Insurance Sector
In the insurance industry, it is common knowledge that The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) region presents enormous growth potential, fuelled by the key characteristics of low existing insurance penetration rates, rapidly growing wealth and an expanding middle class, and the exposure of the region to the threat of natural catastrophe.
— Mondaq

E-commerce set to dominate the region in 2019
2018 was the year e-commerce established itself as one of the region’s fastest growing sectors.
— The Asean Post

APAC creditworthiness stable – Moody’s
Overall creditworthiness in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region, which includes the Philippines, is stable this year but US-China trade tensions could weigh on regional growth, according to Moody’s Investors Service.
— The Manila Times

UK to open mission to Asean in Jakarta
The United Kingdom will open its mission to ASEAN in Jakarta in 2019, according to UK Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Sir Simon McDonald.
— Antara News

Vietnam gets ready to host 2019 ASEAN Tourism Forum
Vietnam is ready to host the 2019 ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF), which will take place in Ha Long city, in the northern province of Quang Ninh, from January 14-18, announced the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) at a press conference held in Hanoi on January 9.
— Nhan Dan Online

AJC to host business presentation event for aspiring women entrepreneurs
THE ASEAN-Japan Centre (AJC) will be hosting the 3rd ASEAN-Japan Women Entrepreneurs’ Linkage Programme (AJWELP) in Kuala Lumpur on January 29, as a business presentation event to link novice women entrepreneurs with supporting companies, mentors and others.
— Borneo Bulletin

Taiwan and Southeast Asia Have a ‘People-Centric’ Exchange Problem
Taiwan’s long, often sordid history of accommodating its roughly 700,000 Southeast Asian foreign workers has taken two unfortunate turns in recent weeks, leading opposition legislators to question aspects of President Tsai Ing-wen’s signature New Southbound Policy.
— The Diplomat

Britain to open ASEAN representative office in Indonesia
Britain will open a representative office in Indonesia to enhance relations with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), a senior British official said on Thursday.
— Xinhua

ASEAN travel website a shell of neglect
As we head off for the annual get together known as the ASEAN Tourism Forum, for a round of reunions with travel trade friends, it’s time to do a little homework on what ASEAN tourism intends to deliver during show week, 14 to 18 January, in the picturesque Halong Bay venue.
— TTR Weekly

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

Mass sackings send chill through Cambodian garment factories
The termination of about 1,200 staff from garment factories in Cambodia supplying brands including H&M and Marks & Spencer after a mass strike has sent a ripple of fear through the industry, experts said, warning of fresh unrest.
— Reuters

Cambodia mobile base grows 4% in year to November to 19.3 mln
The number of registered SIM cards in Cambodia reached 19.3 million in November, an increase of 3.9 percent compared with the same period in 2017, according to data from the Telecommunication Regulator of Cambodia (TRC) reported by the Phnom Penh Post.
— Telecompaper

Cambodia denies having issued passport to ex-PM Yingluck
CAMBODIA DENIES claims that it issued a passport to former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who reportedly used it to register a company in Hong Kong, according to the Phnom Penh Post yesterday.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

Consumer Price Index: Indonesia’s 2018 Inflation Slightly Below Our Forecast
For the 4th year in a row Indonesian inflation was under control.
— Indonesia Investments

Indonesian P2P lending transactions hit $1.4 billion in 2018
2018 saw a peer-to-peer (P2P) lending sector upswing in Indonesia, the most populous country in Southeast Asia.
— KrAsia

Indonesia targets 7.5 percent rise in 2019 non-oil and gas exports: ministry
Indonesia is targeting an increase of 7.5 percent in non-oil and gas exports this year to $175.9 billion, Trade Minister Enggartiasto Lukita said on Thursday.
— Today Online

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men          @MenSreypov

Laos expects more private investment from home, abroad in 2019
The Lao government expects domestic and foreign private investment to climb to 23,086 billion kip (over 2.72 million U.S. dollars) in 2019, accounting for 52.06 percent of total investment or 13.95 percent of GDP, local media reported here on Thursday.
— Xinhua

App-facilitated Land Tax Payment Service Launched
The Department of Tax has launched a system that ensures land tax payment is bank-based, safe, and fast.
— KPL

Laos’ Garment Industry Faces Severe Labor Shortage
Garment factories in Laos are experiencing labor shortages as workers are looking to Thailand for greener pastures, sources say.
— Radio Free Asia

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men          @MenSreypov

Bank employees to enjoy 0% housing loan for first RM100k
Bank employees will soon enjoy 0% interest in their housing loans for the first RM100,000.
— The Star Online

Salaries projected to increase by 5.2% in Malaysia in 2019
Good news for staff in Malaysia! Salaries are projected to increase by 5.2% in 2019, according to the Malaysia 2018 Salary Increase & Total Compensation Measurement™ Survey by Aon. This marks a slight increase from 2018 where salaries were found to increase by 5.0%.
— Human Resource Online

Malaysia economic reform: bold decisions needed if expectations are to be met
The widely unanticipated ousting of Malaysia’s government last May not only left political analysts scrambling for explanations, it also had economists wondering what was in store for the economy.
— AEC News Today

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men          @MenSreypov

Myanmar raises efforts to export fishery products
Two fish processing plants — TT Cold Store Factory and A&N Foods (Myanmar) Co. Ltd — have been granted permits to export fish caught in the wild to the European Union, according to a report by state media.
— Myanmar Times

Myanmar permits 43 foreign investment enterprises in Yangon region in FY 2018-19
Myanmar’s Yangon Region Investment Committee (YRIC) has permitted a total of 43 foreign enterprises with 56.2 million U.S. dollars’ investments as of Jan. 9 in present fiscal year 2018-19 which started in October, the official Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Thursday.
— Xinhua

Kyat strengthens against US dollar
The US dollar has been sliding against the Kyat in the local currency market, with the exchange rate touching a low of K1,533 per dollar yesterday, a decline of K9 from 2 January, said money exchangers.
— Global Newlight of Myanmar

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu          @stmarisewudolu

Philippines’ October net FDI lowest in 15 months
Foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Philippines dipped to its lowest in 15 months in October, but inflows in the first 10 months of 2018 were 1.8 percent higher compared to the year-earlier period, the central bank said on Thursday.
— Today Online

Trade deficit widened 61% to $37.7 billion in 11 months
The trade deficit widened 19 percent in November to $3.9 billion from a $3.3-billion shortfall a year ago, as imports continued to grow while exports declined, the Philippine Statistics Authority said Thursday.
— Manilastandard.net

11-month infrastructure spending up almost 50% to P722 billion
Infrastructure spending for January to November recorded an almost 50-percent increase to P721.8 billion compared to the same period last year.
— Business Mirror

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre          @photo_journ

Property cooling measures had more bite than expected: DBS chief
DBS bank’s property loans segment shrunk by 40 to 50 per cent after last July’s cooling measures, with the lender’s chief executive officer Piyush Gupta saying that the government intervention had “more bite” than anticipated.
— Today Singapore

Patients not covered under MediShield has doubled since 2015 – GPC for Health wants to know why
Questions are being raised by the Government Parliamentary Committee (GPC) for Health over the fact that 20% of subsidised patients aren’t getting full coverage from MediShield Life. The compulsory national health insurance was launched in 2015 to help fully cover big medical bills of at least 90% of subsidised patients, or 1 in 10.
— The Online Citizen

Singapore cyber breach shows signs of state-sponsored hacking
An inquiry has found that hackers resembling state-sponsored actors were responsible for the biggest cyber attack in Singapore’s history, which targeted the healthcare details of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and accessed the data of a quarter of the population.
— Financial Times

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre          @photo_journ

Security detail slain inside Pattani school during classes
Four defence volunteers were shot dead inside a school in Yarang district shortly before noon on Thursday, as the violence shows no sign of easing in the far South.
— Bangkok Post

Election no later than March, Wissanu assures
DEPUTY Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam yesterday said the election will take place no later than March and the Royal Decree will be issued within this month.
— The Nation (very annoying popups)

Baht appreciation tipped as capital flows return
The baht’s value is projected to appreciate in the medium to long term because of slower interest-rate normalisation in the US and adverse effects from the US-China trade dispute, says the Federation of Thai Capital Market Organisations (Fetco).
— Bangkok Post

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men          @MenSreypov

Vietnam’s economy forecast to grow by 6.9% in 2019: VEPR
Vietnam’s economic growth rate is expected to grow by 6.9% in 2019, up 0.1% compared to the target set by the 14th National Assembly, said Director of the Vietnam Institute for Economic and Policy Research (VEPR) Nguyen Duc Thanh.
— Nhan Dan

Trading accounts in Vietnam reach 2.2 million in 2018
The number of trading accounts rose by 260,000 to reach nearly 2.2 million as of the end of 2018, according to the Vietnam Securities Depository (VSD).
— VNA NET

Tax collection up 12.3 percent in 2018
The taxation sector collected more than 1.14 quadrillion VND (49.46 billion USD) in tax for the State budget in 2018, equal to 107.2 percent of estimates and up 12.3 percent from 2017.
— VNA NET

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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