Asean Morning News For February 19

Asean Morning News For February 19
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Asean morning newsAsean Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men    @MenSreypov

 

ASEAN labor flows hit a wall with growing migrant crackdown
Tighter restrictions on foreign labor in Malaysia and Thailand have pushed out millions of Southeast Asian migrant workers, driving up wages and potentially threatening a growth model reliant on freedom of movement and cheap labor.
Nikkei Asian Review (metered paywall)

Regional cybersecurity workshop focused on prevention
Thailand recently co-hosted with Australia a regional cybersecurity workshop intended to strengthen cooperation in monitoring and tackling cyberthreats.
The Nation (annoying popups)

India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway by 2019, says Union minister Nitin Gadkari
ndia-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway (TH) is likely to be operational by December 2019, Union minister Nitin Gadkari said today.
Financial Express

Building a network of smart cities in ASEAN
Smart cities, while not dominating discussions at the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Foreign Ministers’ Retreat in Singapore earlier this month, was nevertheless talked about.
The Asean Post 

Japanese card issuers ready e-payment services for ASEAN
Japanese credit card companies are gearing up to cultivate demand for smartphone-based funds settlement services in Southeast Asia, where many people still lack such basic financial services as banking and credit cards.
Nikkei Asian Review (metered paywall)

Building maritime capacity in South-East Asia
Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) has been on a roll since January. In the span of slightly over a month, the 10-member regional bloc participated in four major events: the commemorative summit with India, Asean Defence Ministers’ Meeting Retreat, Asean Foreign Ministers’ Retreat, and an informal defence ministers’ meeting with China.
LiveMint

Uber plans to sell Southeast Asia business to Grab
Uber Technologies is preparing to sell its Southeast Asia ride-hailing business to Singapore-based Grab in return for a substantial stake in the company, CNBC reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
The Daily Star

Thailand is South-East Asia’s leader in renewable energy
Thailand has emerged as South-East Asia’s leading developer of renewable electricity, with providers obliged to guarantee minimum levels of supply. The country’s biggest wind power generator, Wind Energy Holdings (WEH), plans to invest into other sources of electricity including solar, hydro and biomass to back up its capacity, its chief executive told Reuters.
Star2 

E-commerce in PHL third largest in Southeast Asia
Internet commerce across Southeast Asia, also known as e-commerce, was worth $50 billion in 2017, according to a Google Temasek report.
BusinessMirror

US warship’s Asian tour sends China a warning
The arrival of an American aircraft carrier in the Philippines symbolizes heightened U.S. involvement in Asia as President Donald Trump steps up efforts to push back against China’s rise.
Nikkei Asian Review (metered paywall)

Cambodia morning newsCambodia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men    @MenSreypov

 

Is Cambodia a ‘Japanese beef-laundering’ hub?
Cambodia’s imports of beef from Japan, widely known as “wagyu,” have shot up, yet you will struggle to find it on a menu in even the most exclusive restaurants in Phnom Penh.
— Nikkei Asian Review

Germany puts pressure on Cambodia, ending preferential visa treatment for Hun family and high-ranking officials
In a response to a parliamentary inquiry, the German government on Wednesday laid out a number of measures it has quietly taken over recent months to pressure the Cambodian government following its crackdown on media outlets, NGOs and the political opposition.
— The Phnom Penh Post

Though long considered to have been Cambodia’s capital during a ‘dark age’, new research is unearthing Longvek’s place as a centre of global trade
The town of Longvek, in Kampong Tralach district, is picturesque but unremarkable. Cows graze between rice paddies and stilted wooden homes dot the landscape.
— The Phnom Penh Post

See here for more of today’s Cambodia Morning News

 

Indonesia morning newsIndonesia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men    @MenSreypov

 

Indonesia`s cellphone imports drop
Indonesia`s cellphone imports have dropped drastically to 11.4 million with total domestic production reaching 60.5 million units for 34 brands in 2017 from 18.5 million units with domestic production at 68 million units.
— Antara

Agriculture Minister Claims Corn Export Reaches Four Million Tons
Suppressing imports and strengthening exports in the domestic agricultural sector seems like a pipe dream, in fact rice is still imported amounting to 500,000 tons. However, regarding the data on rice imports, Minister of Agriculture Amran Sulaiman dismissed it.
— Netral News

Trade Deficit Reflects Production Needs: Sri Mulyani
Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indarwati commented on the data released by Central Statistic Agency (BPS) saying Indonesia’s trade deficit reached US$676.9 million in January 2018.
— Tempo

See here for more of today’s Indonesia Morning News

 

Lao PDR morning newsLao PDR Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat    @leakhenakhat

 

Police detain alleged pyramid scam architect
Economic police in Vientiane have detained the instigator of an alleged “Ponzi”-style investment scheme and seized the company’s assets as they investigate illegal capital raising activities.
Vientiane Times

Laos sees marked shift in tourist appeal
It is Saturday afternoon in tourist high season, and Vientiane is very quiet. Most shops are closed for the weekend. A couple of Asian tour groups ascend the Patuxai, the Laotian capital’s answer to the Arc de Triomphe.
Nikkei Asian Review 

Productivity, employment vital as Laos confirmed Asia’s youngest nation
Laos will remain the youngest country in Asia until 2030, yet the landlocked nation continues to struggle to develop a skilled labour force to benefit fully from this demographic dividend as well as regional economic integration.
The Phnom Penh Post 

See here for more of today’s Lao Morning News

 

Malaysia morning newsMalaysia Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men    @MenSreypov

 

Minister says enhancing digital infrastructure important for growth of digital economy
The government’s recent push to have more private sector investments in fiber deployment is meant to achieve the national objective of increasing broadband speeds and lowering prices, said Communications and Multimedia Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak.
— Malay Mail Online

Malaysia wants to attract automotive investors from India
Malaysia is looking forward to lure automotive investors from India to the newly-launched National Automotive Cluster @ Proton City (NAC) in Tanjung Malim, says Second International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan.
— New Straits Times

Moves to boost trade with Ukraine: Matrade
Malaysia and Ukraine plan to ramp up trade promotional activities in an effort to boost trade between both nations, said Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (Matrade) deputy CEO Datuk Wan Latiff Wan Musa.
— The Sun Daily

See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News

 

Myanmar morning newsMyanmar Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat    @leakhenakhat

 

UN rights envoy believes Suu Kyi was complicit in persecuting Rohingyas
UN Special Envoy on Human Rights in Myanmar believes that State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was guilty of “complicity or neglecting to do anything to halt the systematic persecution of Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state, The Irrawaddy News Online reported on Friday (Feb 16).
Thai PBS 

Myanmar farmers going against the grain with apps
A free app on farmer San San Hla’s smartphone is her new weapon in the war against the dreaded stem borer moth that blighted her rice paddy in southern Myanmar for the last two years.
The Nation 

Myanmar’s wars are more than resource grabs
Natural resource exploitation has always played an important role in Myanmar’s many ethnic conflicts, where timber, minerals and ores have helped to finance long-running anti-government insurgencies.
Asia Times 

See here for more of today’s Myanmar Morning News

 

Philippines morning newsPhilippines Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat    @leakhenakhat

 

Philippines government exploring Alibaba’s technology solutions
A Worskhop attended by senior officials in the Philippines Government presented a series of lectures on how digital technology applications can be used to, among others, empower small businesses and expand their access to online credit, improve logistics networks, and even improve traffic enforcement.
Open Gov Asia 

‘I fear for my life’: Philippine lawyer behind Duterte probe
Philippine lawyer Jude Sabio felt it was his duty to bring President Rodrigo Duterte’s deadly war on drugs to the attention of international war crimes prosecutors, but now that a probe into the killings is under way, he fears he too has become a target.
Channel NewsAsia 

Labor, transport groups holding protests this week
Transport and workers groups have lined up several protests this week.
Here are some rallies taking place within the next few days:
CNN Philippines 

See here for more of today’s Philippines Morning News

 

Singapore morning newsSingapore Morning News

Compiled by Leakhena Khat   @leakhenakhat

 

Budget 2018: Economists expect bumper surplus for 2017
With Singapore’s strengthening economy having boosted government coffers, economists predict a larger than expected Budget surplus for the financial year ending March 31.
The Straits Times (paywall)

PSA ‘to launch tender for driverless vehicles this year’
PORT operator PSA Singapore is expected to launch a tender this year for the supply of the first fleet of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) or driverless vehicles to operate at Singapore’s next generation Tuas mega port.
The Business Times

Consortium on membrane science and technology set up in Singapore
SG-MEM brings together Singapore’s public-sector universities and innovation centres, key government agencies, startups, SMEs, LLEs and MNCs on to one platform and aims to promote and access membrane technology for focus areas beyond water, such as energy, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, and biomedical applications.
Open Gov Asia 

See here for more of today’s Singapore Morning News

 

Thailand morning newsThailand Morning News

Compiled by John Le Fevre    @photo_journ

 

Prayut govt gets low score in performance rating: Suan Dusit Poll
The government under Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has received a score of only 5.35 points out of 10 for its overall performance, an opinion poll conducted by Suan Dusit Rajabhat University, or Suan Dusit Poll, revealed on Sunday.
— Bangkok Post

EEC investment to boost Thailand’s GDP growth by 5%: official
The projected substantial investment in eastern provinces under the government’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC) project would help boost the country’s economy by 5 percent in 2018, according to EEC.
— NNT

Optimism for Q4 growth results
Economic growth in the final quarter last year likely fared better than the previous quarter’s 4.3%, with full-year growth expected to at least meet the central bank’s forecast of 3.9%, say economists.
— Bangkok Post

See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News

 

Vietnam morning newsVietnam Morning News

Compiled by Sreypov Men    @MenSreypov

 

VN aims to expand meat exports
Viet Nam is trying to tackle the weakness of the pig industry, including the processing and distribution of pork, to promote the export of high-quality meat products to the world market.
— Bizhub

Vietnam gov’t to sell near-30% stake at local plastic giant
The government of Vietnam will offer a stake of 29.51 percent in Binh Minh Plastics (BMP) – one of the country’s biggest plastic companies – in a sale due to open on March 8 at the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange (HoSE).
— Tuoi Tre

Over 1,500 tonnes of dragon fruits shipped to China via Lao Cai border gate
Up to 1,560 tonnes of dragon fruits underwent customs clearance for export to China via the Lao Cai international border gate on February 17-18 (the second and third day of the Lunar New Year).
— Nhan Dan Online

See here for more of today’s Vietnam Morning News

 

Asean Morning News is the most comprehensive selection of reports on what you need to know from around the Asean Economic Community (AEC) published. All articles are hand curated by the team at AEC News Today. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

 

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