Asean morning news for February 28, 2020

Asean morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

ASEAN defense minister meeting stresses unity, cooperation against COVID-19 outbreak
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defense Ministers’ Meeting Retreat was held here on Wednesday, with a joint statement on defense cooperation against the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak released, stressing the ASEAN unity and solidarity and pledging further cooperation against the epidemic.
— Xinhuanet

China’s top diplomat assures Southeast Asia on epidemic
China’s top diplomat assured his Southeast Asian counterparts on Wednesday that the situation in a central Chinese province where the outbreak of a new virus began has “been brought under effective control.”
— ABC News

Southeast Asia’s holiday hotspots woo domestic travellers
Southeast Asia’s holiday hotspots, hit by billions in lost business from Chinese tourists, are turning to markets closer to home to soften the blow from travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus epidemic.
— Bangkok Post

COVID-19: More than $6 bln in potential losses for Southeast Asia tourism, direct impact on UAE ‘high’ – analyst
Apart from the human toll, the December 2019 COVID-19 outbreak in China has led to a significant decline in the travel and tourism sector, with the first impact felt as a result of the plunge in outbound Chinese travelers.
— Salaam Gateway

Natural disasters affect Asean security
Defence Minister General Tea Banh yesterday said that natural disasters are potential threats to regional security, noting that Asean should join hands to deal with them.
— Khmer Times

Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam – which defence model will Philippines follow as US ties wither?
Over the past 70 years, the Philippines’ alliance with the United States has involved many twists and turns.
— South China Morning Post

PHL children’s status in health, environment trails Asean neighbors
NOT all children in the Philippines are flourishing in terms of health, their environment and futures, according to a landmark report released by the World Health Organization (WHO), Unicef and The Lancet.
— Business Mirror

Southeast Asia’s Wildlife Trafficking Problem Needs New Game Plan
A newly-released report evaluating current patterns in the trade of illegal wildlife in Southeast Asia has called for a new game plan to combat the problem.
— The Maritime Executive

Multi-country cooperation advances migratory species’ conservation— ACB
The ASEAN Centre for Biodiversity (ACB) underscored the importance of regional and multi-country cooperation in optimising resources for biodiversity conservation, particularly in protecting migratory species and their habitats.
— Philippine Information Agency

Cabinet endorses draft statement to be issued at ASEAN China meeting on COVID 19
The Cabinet has approved a draft statement to be issued at the Special ASEAN-China Foreign Ministers’ Meeting this week on the prevention of COVID-19.
— Newsline (video)

Asean connectivity ‘pivotal for growth’
There is an urgent need to ease border congestion in Asean countries if trade, investments and tourism are to thrive.
— New Straits Times

New US anti-counterfeit legislation to kill fake trade across the ASEAN region
Counterfeit product sales are at an epidemic level and it seems unstoppable. The international trade in non-domestic counterfeit and pirated products equates to $509 billion annually and growing.
— IndianRetailer

Swedish authorities to assist ASEAN within auditing
The audit authority of the Kingdom of Sweden has agreed to collaborate with several corresponding authorities from ten Southeast Asian countries through the organization ASEANSAI, reports the Swedish audit authority in a press release.
— ScandAsia.com (media release)

ASEAN-Korea Centre to hold council meeting
The ASEAN-Korea Centre, established in 2009 to deepen economic and sociocultural cooperation between Korea and ASEAN, will hold a two-day council meeting from Thursday at Lotte Hotel in Seoul.
— The Korea Herald

Agriculture ministry proposes initiatives for ASEAN Chairmanship Year
The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed two initiatives for Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020.
— Vietnamplus

‘Southeast Asia has the talents to make it a global AI hub’: Skymind Founder Shawn Tan
Skymind Global Ventures (SGV), an Artificial Intelligence-focused startup fund-cum-accelerator based in London, recently announced that it plans to expand into Malaysia and Indonesia.
— e27

Confidence in SE Asian startups remains strong as funding tumbles, says VC
With the prevalence of mobile users and a relatively young population, Southeast Asia has established itself as a digital hotspot.
— Tech in Asia

Australia and ASEAN – Setting stronger foundations for Defence partnership
ASEAN sits at the heart of the Indo-Pacific region and plays a central role in regional security.
— Mirage News

Is Southeast Asia getting enough sleep?
We spend up to one-third of our lives sleeping; a basic human need which is crucial to our overall health and well-being.
— The Asean Post

Cambodia morning news

Compiled by Mark Henry Uy

Coronavirus: How did Cambodia’s cruise ship welcome go wrong?
A former passenger on the cruise ship MS Westerdam who tested positive for the Covid-19 coronavirus in Malaysia having left the vessel has led to fears that other passengers who have also moved on might have been exposed to the virus.
— BBC News

Ministry says no entry for banned cruise ship passengers, even by air
The Thai Public Health Ministry announced yesterday that no flights carrying passengers from the barred cruise ship MS Westerdam, whether chartered flights or otherwise, will be allowed to land in Thailand before the end of February.
— The Thaiger

Crimes up with 211 deaths, influx of foreigners to blame
Minister of Interior Sar Kheng on Wednesday said crimes increased by eight per cent last year, resulting in 211 deaths.
— The Phnom Penh Post

See here for more of today’s Cambodia morning news

Indonesia morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

Four Indonesians On Diamond Princess Ship Confirmed With Coronavirus
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Wednesday that another Indonesian crew member of the Diamond Princess cruise ship has tested positive for coronavirus.
— Jakarta Globe

Indonesia revives excise plan on plastics, dirty vehicles and sweet drinks
Indonesia is planning to impose an excise on plastics, fossil-fuel vehicles and sweet drinks in a move aimed at reducing their adverse environmental and health effects, Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati has said.
— The Jakarta Post

Indonesia Bill on Family Targets Surrogacy,’ Sexual Deviations’
Politicians from four Indonesian parties are backing a so-called “Family Resilience” bill that would outlaw surrogacy and require LGBT people to seek treatment at rehabilitation centers, prompting outrage on social media and criticism from activists.
— The New York Times

See here for more of today’s Indonesia morning news

Lao PDR morning news

Compiled by Mark Henry Uy

PM calls on Party and state inspection bodies to better suppress, prevent corruption
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has called on the Party Central Committee’s Inspection Committee and the State Inspection Authority to better fulfill their responsibility in monitoring, suppressing and preventing corruption.
— KPL

PM instructs inspectors to redouble anticorruption measures
Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has advised inspectors to crack down on corrupt activities in their early stages and to publicly disseminate inspection results and the conclusions drawn.
— Vientiane Times

Lao Official Urges Clarity in Hiring of Lao Workers for China Railway Project
A senior Lao government official has urged better management of the recruitment process of Lao workers and information about the jobs available for the construction of the Laos-China railway to ensure workers’ rights.
— The Laotian Times

See here for more of today’s Lao morning news

Malaysia morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Malaysian workers ‘most dissatisfied’ with pay in Asia, new survey finds
Malaysian employees are the least satisfied with their wages among those polled in Asia, new findings have revealed. The survey by international recruiting agency Hays also found that one of the precipitating factors might.
— Malay Mail

Report: AirAsia board greenlit Fernandes’ multi-million sponsorship deal to boost brand’s image in 2010
A plan by AirAsia Group chief executive Tan Sri Tony Fernandes for the airline to sponsor a Formula 1 racing team to boost its brand globally was approved by the company’s directors back in 2010, reported The Star.
— Malay Mail

Plastic waste shame
Malaysia is among six countries that contribute 60% of an estimated eight million tonnes of plastic waste that enter the world’s oceans each year.
— The Sun Daily

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

Myanmar morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

World Bank: Myanmar Must Push Deeper Reform for Inclusive Economic Growth
A new World Bank report says Myanmar’s current reforms fall short and urges steps to address economic mismanagement, resource exploitation, conflict and social exclusion.
— Irrawaddy

Myanmar set to be placed on global money laundering watchlist
Myanmar is set to be placed on a watchlist by a global finance watchdog this week, amid concerns of money-laundering by transnational drug traffickers and weak regulation of its financial system, two sources familiar with deliberations said.
— Business Recorder

The cost of the coronavirus to Myanmar’s economy
Farm labourers and crab catchers are among the thousands of Myanmar facing hard times because of the economic impact of the coronavirus outbreak.
— Frontier Myanmar

See here for more of today’s Myanmar morning news

Philippines morning news

Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu

Filipinos from virus-hit cruise ship to come home
THE country’s top diplomat has ordered the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo to facilitate the immediate return of about 500 Filipinos aboard a novel coronavirus-stricken cruise ship docked in Yokohama.
— BusinessWorld

Filipina domestic helper in HK positive for COVID-19
THE Philippine Consulate General (PCG) in Hong Kong on Wednesday confirmed that a Filipina household worker has been tested positive for the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19).
— Manila Times

NUJP submits 200,000 signatures to push House to take up ABS-CBN franchise bills
The National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) on Wednesday submitted a list of 200,000 signatures to the House of Representatives in a bid to push the chamber to start deliberating on the bills seeking the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN Corporation.
— GMA Network

See here for more of today’s Philippines morning news

Singapore morning news

Compiled by Justhine De Guzman Uy @justhine.aecnews

WHO ‘very impressed’ with Singapore’s COVID-19 response
Singapore is leaving no stone unturned as it faces the coronavirus outbreak, said World Health Organization (WHO) director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Tuesday (Feb 18).
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

3 new COVID-19 cases in Singapore; 5 more discharged, including Chinese national who was first confirmed patient
Singapore reported three more confirmed cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday (Feb 19), said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in a daily update, including two patients who are linked to existing church clusters.
— Channel NewsAsia (very annoying popups)

Singdollar may fall to lowest level since 2017: UBS
Singapore’s currency may tumble to the lowest level since 2017 if the central bank responds as strongly to the spread of the coronavirus as it did to the severe acute respiratory syndrome (Sars) epidemic two decades ago.
— Straits Times (annoying popups)

See here for more of today’s Singapore morning news

Thailand morning news

Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ

Tourist sector in Phuket reeling from lack of Chinese tourists
Tourism-related businesses in Phuket have been hard hit by the sharp drop in the number of tourist arrivals, especially Chinese, as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak in China and its spread to several other countries.
— Thai PBS News

137 Thai citizens back from Wuhan released from COVID19 quarantine and allowed to go home
137 Thai Nationals back from Wuhan have been released to their homes after a 14 day quarantine for the COVID19 Coronavirus at a special Naval hospital in Sattahip.
— The Pattaya News

Digital Economy Minister wants to control flow of news and information during a crisis, appoint a crisis commander
The Digital Economy and Society Minister has put a spotlight on the need to appoint commanders to navigate the situation at a time of crisis, especially in terms of controlling the flow of information, in order to provide accurate news to members of the public without jeopardizing the police effort to resolve the conflict.
— The Pattaya News

See here for more of today’s Thailand morning news

Vietnam morning news

Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov

Vietnam looks to more than double power generation capacity by 2030
Vietnam will more than double its power generation capacity over the next decade to support a fast-growing economy, new guidelines for a national energy development strategy show.
— Yahoo News

In Vietnamese Company, 5,000 Strike as Chinese Coworkers Return from Holiday
As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) epidemic continues in China and its immediate neighbors, an estimated 5,000 workers at a stuffed-animal manufacturer in Vietnam over the weekend staged a rare strike for three days on concerns that several of their Chinese coworkers were not being properly quarantined.
— Radio Free Asia

Made in Vietnam Energy Plan 2.0 to debut next week
The Vietnam Business Forum will roll out next week the second edition of the Made in Vietnam Energy Plan (MVEP 2.0), a business case for the primary use of Vietnam’s domestic resources to stimulate investment in clean, secure and affordable energy generation.
— VietnamPlus

See here for more of today’s Vietnam morning news

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