Asean morning news for September 13

Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

China, Malaysia to set up S.China Sea dialogue mechanism
China and Malaysia have agreed to set up a joint dialogue mechanism for the disputed South China Sea, the Chinese government’s top diplomat said on Thursday after meeting Malaysia’s foreign minister.
— Thomson Reuters Foundation

Thailand works to speed up RCEP talks
Thailand will hold bilateral negotiations with Japan, New Zealand and India in an attempt to finish talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) by November.
— Vietnamplus

Activists receive threats ahead of ASEAN Peoples’ Forum
Sirisak Chaited, an LGBT rights activist, said she has received a threatening email ahead of the ASEAN Peoples’ Forum (APF) on 10 – 12 September, while Siyeed Alam, chair of the Rohingya Association in Thailand, said he has been contacted by Special Branch officers.
— Prachatai English

ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Flown-in From Malaysia
Following the request by the National Disaster Management Organisation of the Lao PDR for humanitarian assistance, the ASEAN Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) agreed to render humanitarian assistance to the victims of the twi tropical storms Podul and Kajiki.
— KPL

PM: All 10 Asean countries to receive Rainsy arrest warrants
Prime Minister Hun Sen said on Thursday that all 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member states will receive warrants for the arrest of Sam Rainsy.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Yogyakarta meeting endorses Indonesia’s initiative on ASEAN identity
Senior ASEAN officials agreed in a meeting on Wednesday to endorse Indonesia’s initiative concerning a narrative about the identity of the regional grouping to be delivered at a ministerial meeting slated for October.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)

State-owned companies’ debt threatens emerging economies: Moody’s
THE risk of bailing out state-owned enterprises (SOEs) could put pressure on national balance sheets in emerging and “frontier” markets in South-east Asia, Moody’s Investors Service has warned in a report.
— The Business Times

Moon’s ASEAN Trip Reinforces New Southern Policy
South Korean President Moon Jae-in returned last Friday from a weeklong trip to Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos. The timing of the long-planned visit, coinciding with escalating tensions with Japan and growing uncertainty stemming from the U.S.-China trade war, further supports its impetus – Moon’s New Southern Policy.
— The Diplomat

Circular economy for plastics: What is at stake for ASEAN?
The Bangkok Declaration on Combating Marine Debris in ASEAN Region was adopted by leaders of the ASEAN last month, welcoming the ASEAN Framework of Action on Marine Debris.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)

Asean agreement signed
Bahrain and the Asean Council yesterday signed an agreement with Thai Club, on the sidelines of a Thai exhibition, which was opened by His Royal Highness Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa.
— GDN Online

India and ASEAN Ministers welcome suggestions to promote potential of bilateral trade in MSME sector, start-ups among others
India and ASEAN Ministers, who met during the ASEAN Economic Ministers (AEM)-India Consultations held in Singapore this week, welcomes the recommendations of the ASEAN-India Business Council to promote potential of bilateral trade and cooperation in sectors including start-ups and MSME development.
— MENAFN

Southeast Asia fintech community just got a boost with ASEAN Financial Innovation Network, Bridge+, and PwC’s collaboration
The ASEAN Financial Innovation Network (AFIN) announced that it has signed two memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Bridge+ and PwC Singapore today to support the various facets of the needs and development of the fintech community.
— e27

NetApp and Tech Data drive cloud adoption through ASEAN channel
NetApp and Tech Data have partnered to launch a new Cloud Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Singapore, designed to drive cloud adoption through the ASEAN channel.
— Channel Asia

SE Asian consumers prefer factual content over emotion
When it comes to the effective use of content, a new study advises brands to strike a balance between appealing to the emotional needs of consumers while also sharing relevant information to influence their purchasing decisions.
— WARC

VN leads ASEAN in women’s employment
Việt Nam is leading ASEAN in terms of the percentage of working women in total employment, according to a report by the ADB and OECD.
Read more at http://vietnamnews.vn/society/535292/vn-leads-asean-in-womens-employment.html#6ZOp2iGtbKTYq1RP.99
— Viet Nam News

ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations contributed to better connectivity
ASEAN-India Dialogue Relations contributed to better connectivity, stability and prosperity in the region
— NBT World (video)

Taskforce launched to keep ‘well-meaning’ UK tourists away from orphanages
ABTA has teamed up with an international charity to launch a taskforce to encourage well-meaning UK tourists and volunteers to stop visiting overseas orphanages.
— TravelMole

Enjoy art, pop culture, and traditions in these five emerging destinations in Southeast Asia
Most bucket lists tick off the usual Chiang Mai, Da Nang, Yangon, Luang Prabang, and who can blame them.
— Coconuts Yangon

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Raksmey Khoem @raksmey.aecnews

Cambodia, EAEU to negotiate FTA
Cambodian officials will next month embark on a visit to Russia to discuss a free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union, a bloc of countries in central and northern Asia and Eastern Europe with a combined GDP of $5 trillion.
— Khmer Times

Electricity Capacity to Expand With Laos Coal Deal
Cambodia is set to significantly expand its current power capacity in a $5 billion, 30-year deal to tap into coal-fired generators in Laos.
— VOD

Cambodia Commits to End Violence Against Children
The Royal Government of Cambodia commits to ending all forms of violence against children and becoming the 26th pathfinding country in the world, according to United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)’s press release received this morning.
— AKP

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

FAO-USAID, Gov’t Address Emerging Pandemic Threat in Indonesia
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) is celebrating four years of cooperation in fighting global zoonotic diseases (transmitted from animals to humans or vice versa) and Emerging Infectious Diseases (EIDs) together with the Ministry of Agriculture Directorate General of Livestock and Animal Health Services.
— Tempo.co

Lax Rules; Indonesia May See 20% Increase of Foreign Workers
The number of foreign workers in Indonesia is estimated to rise 20 percent from last year’s 95,335 people.
— Tempo.co

Indonesia Mulls Banning Other Ore Exports after Nickel
The Indonesian government is considering banning the export of other ores ahead of schedule to support downstream industries.
— Tempo.co

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Raksmey Khoem @raksmey.aecnews

Hundreds of southern schools closed after widespread flooding
A large number of students are still waiting to take their classes while local officials speed up efforts to repair affected school buildings and provide new educational materials.
— ANN/Vientiane Times

1st int’l aid shipment arrives to assist Lao flood recovery effort
The first international aid from the Asean Coordinating Centre for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management (AHA Centre) arrived at Wattay International Airport in Vientiane yesterday for distribution to six central and southern provinces devastated by floods.
— Vientiane Times (paywall)

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Petronas wants govt to provide incentives for maritime industry to promote cleaner fuel
Petroliam Nasional Bhd (Petronas) hopes to convince the government to provide incentives as a move to support the utilisation of cleaner fuels in the maritime industry, Vice President LNG marketing and trading, Ahmad Adly Alias said.
— The Borneo Post

Retail research firm cuts 2019 retail sales forecast to 4.4%
Independent retail research firm Retail Group Malaysia (RGM) has revised downward its retail sale growth forecast for 2019 to 4.4%, from 4.9% estimated in June 2019, after retail sales for the second quarter came below market expectation.
— The Sun Daily

Malaysians required to pay additional visa charge of RM350 to perform umrah
Malaysians going to perform the umrah will be imposed an additional visa charge of RM350 (300 Riyal) each as announced by the Saudi Arabia government yesterday.
— The Sun Daily

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Myanmar banks look to consolidation through better governance
Consolidation can be expected in Myanmar’s overcrowded banking sector, aided by improved corporate governance and central bank directives as well as a cleaning up of loan books, an investment conference heard this week.
— Myanmar Times

Campaign launched to highlight “data darkness” internet shutdown in Rakhine State
Myanmar Centre for Responsible Business and three partners have launched a campaign to highlight the impact of an internet blackout on residents of four townships in Rakhine State.
— Frontier Myanmar

Journalist’s truth mission gives voice to Myanmar’s voiceless
There are many good stories, ‘but we forget to tell them with compassion, Magsaysay Award winner Ko Swe Win says.
— La Croix

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Duterte’s South China Sea U-turn: illegal climbdown, or clever gambit for oil?
Climbdown or clever gambit? The jury is out on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to ignore a landmark ruling by an international court and plough ahead with joint oil and gas exploration with Beijing in the South China Sea.
— South China Morning Post

Philippine vice president blasts ‘reckless’ Duterte over China deal
The vice president of the Philippines on Thursday rebuked the country’s leader for being “reckless” in suggesting he would consider ignoring an arbitration ruling in its favor over a territorial dispute with China in order to forge a joint energy deal with Beijing.
— Reuters

PH lost P464B in early 2019 because of delayed budget approval, says lawmaker
THE Philippines suffered economic losses worth P464 billion in the past six months because of a delay in the enacted budget for 2019, a lawmaker said on Thursday.
— The Manila Times

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

Unemployment rate for Singaporeans in Q2 inches up to 3.3%: MOM
The citizen unemployment rate in Singapore rose slightly in the second quarter of this year, according to figures released by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on Thursday (Sep 12).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singapore’s air quality may enter ‘unhealthy’ range in the next 24 hours: NEA
The air quality in Singapore could enter the Unhealthy range in the next 24 hours if the winds turn unfavourable and the haze situation in Sumatra persists, said the National Environment Agency (NEA) on Thursday (Sep 12).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Nearly 9 in 10 Singaporeans concerned about cost of dental care, some may seek treatment overseas: Survey
Nearly nine in 10 people in Singapore are concerned about the cost of dental care in Singapore, according to the results of a survey released by the Singapore Dental Association (SDA) on Wednesday (Sep 11).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Thai Belt and Road project bumps into finance and liability issues
Thailand’s government is delaying China’s ambitious high-speed railway project in the country as questions over financing and liabilities of the $9.9 billion infrastructure initiative remain unresolved.
— Nikkei Asian Review (paywall)

Thai immigration Chief says TM30 law is outdated and needs to change
Thai immigration chief Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang has told BBC Thai that the 1979 TM 30 law is outdated and needs to change.
— The Pattaya News

Prayuth’s Royal Oath Debate to Go Ahead Despite Court Dismissal
An opposition leader said Wednesday parliamentary debate on PM Prayuth Chan-ocha’s incomplete oath of office will go ahead, despite a top court’s refusal to hear the case on the grounds that it involves the monarchy.
— Khaosod English

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Ministry asks for gov’t funding for upgrading int’l airport runways
The Ministry of Transport has asked the government to consider allocating capital for the upgrade of runways at Noi Bai and Tan Son Nhat international airports.
— VietnamPlus

Vietnam is 66th out of 89 economies in a global healthcare ranking list
It scored an average of 35.85 out of 100 in the 2019 edition of the Health Care Index released by U.S. magazine CEOWorld.
— Vietnam Insider

Four Seasons Resort in Vietnam Opens On-Site Water Bottling Facility
The Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam has become the latest hotel in the region to open an on-site water bottling facility.
— Asia Travel Tips

See here for more of today’s Vietnam morning news

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