Asean morning news for July 4

Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Thailand encourages South Korean investment in Mekong subregion development projects
THAILAND has reassured South Korea there will be plenty of opportunities for the country’s participation in development projects in the Mekong subregion, the Foreign Ministry said.
— The Nation

SE Asia solar energy space seen up for faster growth
Vietnam is now the fastest-growing solar photovoltaic (PV) market in Southeast Asia, overtaking the Philippines but thanks partly to investments made by the Ayala group’s AC Energy and its local partners, according to SolarPlaza.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Asean to jointly tackle fake medicines
Asean health officials have agreed to jointly work together to combat the distribution of fake medicines, including those being sold online.
— Khmer Times

ASEAN Economic Outlook 2019: Changing Skies? – Analysis
Despite the turbulence rocking the global economy, ASEAN has fared relatively well so far. In the first quarter of 2019, Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam recorded 5.1%, 4.5% and 6.8% growth respectively.
— Eurasia Review

ASEAN SLOM readies labour sector for Industry 4 0
Labor officials from the ASEAN bloc are attending the 15th ASEAN Senior Labour Officials Meeting (SLOM) from today to tomorrow in Bangkok.
— NBT World (video)

e27 partners Blackstorm Consulting to help tech startups go-to-market in Southeast Asia
As Southeast Asia’s tech ecosystem continues to grow, there has never been a better time for local entrepreneurs to thrive.
— e27

‘Ya ice’ emerges as regional drug menace
Methamphetamine remains a pressing problem for Thailand while in other Asean countries crystal meth, or ya ice, has become a major scourge, according to the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB).
— Bangkok Post

Southeast Asia’s Nuclear Energy Future in the Spotlight With Philippines Debate Revival
Over the past few months, Philippine officials have been more publicly mentioning the idea of reviving nuclear power in the Southeast Asian state.
— The Diplomat

New casinos in ASEAN a risk to Singapore: JP Morgan
New, high-quality casino resorts in the Philippines and Cambodia are more likely to be a commercial threat to Singapore’s casino duopoly than to Macau’s six-operator oligopoly.
— GGRAsia

Indonesia Plays Host to Asean Barista Championship
Indonesia will host the inaugural 2019 Asean Barista Team Championship on July 25-27 at JIExpo in Jakarta. The competition will be open to all baristas from across Southeast Asia.
— Jakarta Globe

Celebrating Asean cinema: Thirty films vie for top prize
Thirty films from Southeast Asia as well as China, South Korea and Japan are all set to celebrate Asean Cultural Year at the 5th Bangkok Asean Film Festival, which kicks off on Wednesday at Paragon Cineplex and SF World Cinema.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Decarbonising South East Asia
Renewable energy is now cheaper than fossil-fuelled generation in most of the world and renewables offer a faster and cheaper way to increase access to affordable clean energy for millions of people.
— Thailand Business News

Online travel agents facing disruption
Southeast Asia’s rapid growth has led to a rise in income which enables its citizens to enjoy leisure travel in the form of long-haul destinations and micro-trips.
— The Asean Post

The Southeast Asia International 2019 qualifiers are really anyone’s to win
Southeast Asia has always been one of the middling regions for competitive Dota 2, and this year it appears that literally any team can rise up out of the qualifiers and make it into The International 2019.
— Dot Esports

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

Defence Ministry rejects US concerns regarding Ream Naval Base
Defence Ministry officials yesterday rejected speculation made by United States officials regarding a Chinese military presence at the Ream Naval Base in Preah Sihanouk province.
— Khmer Times

Chinese own more than 90% of S’ville businesses, says report
Chinese nationals own more than 90 per cent of the businesses in Preah Sihanouk province leaving many citizens grasping with the challenge of adjusting to the influx of Mainlanders and changes to a once sleepy coastal province.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Japan Helps Train Cambodians on Elderly Caring
Japan-Cambodia Interactive Association (JCIA) has sent more Japanese trainers specialised in elderly caring to capacitate members of Pursenchey Social Development Centre in Cambodia.
— AKP

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

Indonesia chases a game-changer: moving the capital
Jakarta, Indonesia’s sprawling capital city, is shorthand in Southeast Asia for the endemic challenges of emerging-market megacities — gridlock, pollution and a chaotic approach to planning, where iron-roofed informal communities are sited next to gleaming luxury malls.
— Nikkei Asian Review

Indonesia’s parliament delays approval for levy on plastic bags
Indonesian members of parliament have decided to delay confirmation of a government plan for a levy on plastic bags, but the finance minister said she was optimistic the legislation was on track to be adopted this year.
— Reuters

Clean air experienced only 34 days a year in Jakarta
Greenpeace Indonesia stated that Jakarta capital city had “good” air quality for only 34 days in a year, while unhealthy air condition was recorded on 196 days, and moderate air quality on the remaining days.
— Antara News

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

Dengue fever outbreak reaches alarming level
Major hospitals in Vientiane are grappling with an overwhelming number of patients suffering from dengue fever, raising concerns about the capacity to cope with the current outbreak.
— ANN/ Vientiane Times

First Steps Toward Food Fortification In Lao PDR
The National Nutrition Committee Secretariat organised a technical workshop on reviewing the current status of food fortification and focusing on the initial steps of setting standards for food fortification in Laos, with technical assistance from the World Food Programme (WFP) and input of experts from the German chemical company BASF.
— KPL

Lao students urged to apply for US scholarships
The US government is offering more than 100 scholarships and exchange opportunities to Lao people each year as part of efforts to promote education and people-to-people contacts, according to the American envoy to Laos.
— Vientiane Times (paywall)

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Malaysia supports deal to reduce oil production until March 31, 2020 – Azmin
Malaysia supports the proposal for the Declaration of Cooperation (DoC) to be extended by nine months to March 31, 2020, at the current agreed production levels to ensure the smooth continuation of the current cooperation.
— The Borneo Post

Malaysia says Australia’s immigration system encourages visa rorting
Australia’s immigration policies, including free flights home for people who overstay their visa, have contributed to a rise of Malaysians rorting the local visa system, according to the Malaysian Government.
— ABC

In blow to Singapore’s expansion, Malaysia bans sea sand exports
Malaysia, Singapore’s biggest source for sea sand, has banned the export of the commodity, according to officials in Kuala Lumpur, a move that traders said could complicate the island-state’s ambitious expansion plans on reclaimed land.
— The Star Online

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

UN investigator reports possible new war crimes in Myanmar
Yanghee Lee tells Human Rights Council, violations taking place in Rakhine and Chin states amid communications blackout.
— Aljazeera

Myanmar’s strategic coastline lures big Asian economies
Asia’s biggest economies of China, Japan and India are aggressively backing new port projects in Myanmar, seeking to gain a foothold on the coastline of the geographically prized nation.
— Nikkei Asian Review

Power purchase tenders called for summer 2020
The Electric Power Generation Enterprise (EPGE) under the Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE) has called for purchase tenders at five power projects with the aim of producing over 1000MW of energy in time for summer next year.
— Myanmar Times

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Government debt swells to P7.9 T in May, a new record high
The national government’s debt pile rose to another record high of P7.916 trillion in May following the country’s return to the European and Chinese debt markets, the Bureau of the Treasury (BTr) reported yesterday.
— The Philippine Star

Duterte reminds AFP: Just ask if you want me to step down
While promising to provide all the needs of soldiers before the end of his term, President Rodrigo Duterte reminded the military that it did not need to resort to force to oust him.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer

Government starts taxing, sets database of alien labor
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) are working on developing an interagency database of foreign nationals working in the country, to ensure they pay the correct amount of taxes to the Philippine government.
— Business Mirror

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

5G will bring challenges to Singapore’s law enforcement efforts: Crime school director
The next-generation mobile network offers unprecedented volume and speed, which also means cybercriminals will find it easier to steal away with large amounts of data or conduct online attacks, says Senior Assistant Commissioner of Police Soh Kee Hean.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

MTI accepts proposals to build a design-minded workforce
TO develop a workforce that is well-versed in design – even if they work in non-design sectors – the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) has accepted five recommendations from a tripartite committee, ranging from strengthening ties between the industry and institutes of higher learning (IHLs), to supporting continuing …
— The Business Times

Validus to apply for Singapore digital-banking licence
SINGAPORE’S largest peer-to-peer lending platform Validus Capital will apply for a digital banking licence here, joining a growing chorus of non-bank challengers looking to edge into this new space.
— The Business Times

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

TNSC predicts income loss of B500bn
Exporters are estimated to lose as much as 500 billion baht worth of income from the strong baht this year, with small-scale entrepreneurs hit the hardest.
— Bangkok Post

Ten sea turtles washed ashore on Thai beaches in the past 3 months
Ten rare sea turtles have been washed ashore on Thailand’s beaches in the past three months, some of them already dead. The survivors are being treated by veterinarians. The turtles’…
— Thai PBS News

Vendors Balk at Khaosan Road’s Call to Ban Plastic, Styrofoam
Can Khaosan Road kick its single-use plastic habit? In an effort to reduce waste, vendors along Khaosan Road are being encouraged to phase out plastic and foam packaging.
— Khaosod English

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

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.