Asean Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
The oldest (and youngest) Asian leaders
Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad has become world’s oldest head of state. How does he compare to other Asian leaders?
— The Nation (annoying popups)
Skilled Labour Mobility, Educational Reforms Vital For ASEAN Bloc
ASEAN policymakers have been urged to intensify efforts in encouraging skilled labour mobility and educational reforms to address skills deficit brought by the rapid digital revolution.
— Malaysian Digest
PayPal, Alpha JWC Team Up To Invest In Southeast Asia FinTechs
PayPal is partnering with Alpha JWC, the Indonesian venture capital firm, to invest in FinTech companies operating out of Southeast Asia.
— PYMNTS
China’s South China Sea Grab Now Complete, Report Says
Military analysts now believe that China dominates the South China Sea militarily to the extent that it would prevail in any situation other than an all-out war with the United States, according to a report by the Manila-based country risk firm Pacific Strategies & Assessments.
— Asia Sentinel
Chinese smartphone makers in all-out blitz for Southeast Asia
The combined sales of three Chinese mobile phone brands in Southeast Asia edged past Samsung Electronics’ tally for the first time last year.
— Nikkei Asian Review (metered paywall)
China using ‘debtbook diplomacy’ to spread its strategic aims in Asia Pacific
The Chinese government is leveraging billions of dollars in debts to gain political leverage with developing countries across Asia and the Pacific, a new report presented to the US State Department claims.
— Fox2 now
China’s strategic intentions in Indo-Pacific destabilising: Pentagon
The Trump administration has said that China’s strategic intentions and trajectory in the Indo-Pacific are destabilising and counterproductive, reiterating its pledge to maintain the region free and open.
— The Economic Times
Asean experience for IR 4.0
INDUSTRY Revolution 4.0 represents the movement towards smart industry and manufacturing goals.
— New Straits Times
ASEAN Committee in D.C. holds 1st regular meeting under PH chairmanship
Philippine ambassador to the United States Jose Manuel G. Romualdez presided over the first regular meeting of the ASEAN Committee in Washington (ACW) under the Philippines’ chairmanship at the Philippine Chancery Annex building on May 11, 2018.
— Filipino Reporter
Local metal output hits FTA roadblock
The key objective of the government’s Act East policy is to promote economic cooperation and cultural ties, and develop a strategic relationship with countries in the Asia-Pacific region through bilateral, regional and multilateral treaties.
— Financial Express
ASEAN And Soft Balancing: South China Sea As Zone Of Peace? – Analysis
The soft balancing toward China by regional states, in particular by ASEAN, has produced mixed results.
— Eurasia Review
Blockchain to revolutionise food production
From paleo diets to veganism, the relationship that human beings have with food is multifaceted and cuts across different social underpinnings and economic considerations.
— The Asean Post
Thailand to expand rice markets in Malaysia, Indonesia
Thailand’s Department of Foreign Trade has cooperated with the Thai Rice Exporters Association to expand Thai rice markets in Malaysia and Indonesia.
— Vietnam Plus
Myanmar begins to reach out to ASEAN over Rakhine
Myanmar has asked its ASEAN partners to help prepare adequate infrastructure for the eventual repatriation of Rohingya refugees who have fled from violence, marking what an Indonesian official calls a breakthrough for a country that has strongly refused to involve others in the crisis.
— The Jakarta Post (paywall)
Engaging Regional Institutions
USAID recognizes the importance of a regional approach to effectively solve transnational problems.
— Reliefweb
ASEAN can help India meet its growing energy demand
India’s rapid economic development is fuelling rising energy demand in the country.
— The Asean Post
Cambodia Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
PM Hun Sen’s Hopeful for the Upcoming Election
Prime Minister Hun Sen, on Wednesday, expressed his positive hope for the upcoming election despite ill-intended people’s appeals for people not to vote.
— Fresh News
The collapse of Cambodia’s free press
The Cambodian free press has entered the darkest days in recent memory. The Phnom Penh Post was the last sanctuary of free reporting in Cambodia. A Malaysian PR company with links to Prime Minister Hun Sen bought the newspaper in early May. Its sale signals a death blow to the free press in Cambodia.
— Asean Today
Government issues new bank note to mark King’s birthday
On the occasion of His Majesty King Norodom Sihamoni’s birthday, who turned 66 years old on May 14, the National Bank of Cambodia yesterday issued a new 20,000 riel note.
— Khmer Times
See here for more of today’s Cambodia Morning News
Indonesia Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
Indonesia sees tourist arrivals dropping after terror attacks
ndonesia is facing the prospect of a decline in foreign tourist arrivals, after a spate of terror attacks this week prompted travel advisories from about a dozen countries.
— The Edge Markets
Indonesia to Invest US$360 Bil. in Social Infrastructure
Indonesia is planning to invest US$360 billion (about 387 trillion won) in building SOC infrastructures such as highways and railways for the next five years, opening an opportunity for Korean builders to receive orders.
— Business Korea
Budget for Handling Victims of Surabaya Bombing Amounts to IDR9 Billion
Budget Agency of Surabaya City Parliament suggested that city government to use unexpected budget in Surabaya Regional Budget of about IDR9 billion for the handling of bomb terror victims that happened in recent days.
— Netral News
See here for more of today’s Indonesia Morning News
Lao PDR Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Laos, Cambodia vow to jointly resolve border dispute
Laos and Cambodia have agreed to work together to resolve the issue of their disputed border area as the two countries’ foreign ministers met for talks in Vientiane yesterday.
— Vientiane Times
Korea upgrading IT skills at Lao Youth Union
Young people are receiving training in Apple-based iOS application development as part of IT capacity building at the Lao Youth Union (LYU) supported by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).
— Vientiane Times
Is Laos Really Launching a New Corruption Crackdown?
Since coming to power in April 2016, Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith has made grandiose claims about tackling corruption. He wants to rid it from the country’s most important sectors, he has said, and he aims to restore the image of Communist Party officials in the eyes of the public. For years, apparatchiks have been considered opulent, distant, and, most importantly, perennially on the take.
— The Diplomat (paywall)
See here for more of today’s Lao Morning News
Malaysia Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
Malaysia’s New Government To Scrap GST By June 1
Malaysia’s finance ministry on May 16 announced that the unpopular Goods and Services Tax (GST) of six per cent will be discontinued from June 1.
— Investvine
Police seize handbags, other personal items from ousted Malaysian PM Najib’s home
Malaysian police seized handbags and few other personal items from the home of former prime minister Najib Razak in connection with a money-laundering probe, a lawyer of the ex-leader said on Thursday.
— Channel NewsAsia
An agenda for law reform after GE14
When Malaysia’s unexpected new Pakatan Harapan government seeks advice about law reform, it will surely consult the many capable Malaysians with expertise in this area: current and former judges; members of the Bar; legal academics, and scholars of the Malaysian constitution and its history; the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM); and the many civil society groups and social movements that now share an accumulated wealth of experience and wisdom.
— New Mandala
See here for more of today’s Malaysia Morning News
Myanmar Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Myanmar policeman denies planting documents on Reuters reporters
A Myanmar policeman told a court on Wednesday he met two Reuters reporters on the night of their arrest in December, but denied giving them secret documents to incriminate them.
— Reuters
More than 60 Rohingya babies born in Bangladesh refugee camps every day – UNICEF
More than 16,000 Rohingya babies have been born in refugee camps and informal settlements in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh in the nine months since a spike in violence in Rakhine State, Myanmar forced thousands of families to flee their homes across the border, UNICEF said today.
— Relief Web
India-Myanmar Open Border Policy: A Travesty for Sustainable, Traditional Agriculture
Up in the hills some 1,524 meters above sea level the practice of slash and burn agriculture, popularly known as “jhum cultivation,” has carried on uninterrupted feeding several thousands of people in the Naga hills for generations.
— The Irrawaddy
See here for more of today’s Myanmar Morning News
Philippines Morning News
Compiled by Stella-maris Ewudolu @stmarisewudolu
Opposition senators ask SC to declare PH withdrawal from ICC ‘ineffective’
Opposition senators on Wednesday asked the Supreme Court to declare as ineffective the Philippine government’s withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
— Philippines Magazine
MPIC unit bags P1.62-B Dumaguete water project
Infrastructure holding firm Metro Pacific Investments Corp. has expanded its footprint in the water sector with a new P1.62-billion deal to modernize Dumaguete City’s water distribution and wastewater management system.
— Philippine Daily Inquirer
TRAIN boosts tax collection by P12.5 billion in Q1
The implementation of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion (TRAIN) Law helped the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) boost its collections by P12.5 billion in the first three months, the agency said yesterday.
— Philippine Star
See here for more of today’s Philippines Morning News
Singapore Morning News
Compiled by Leakhena Khat @leakhenakhat
Singapore Government requested data on 310 Facebook accounts in the second half of 2017
The Singapore Government made 244 requests to Facebook for information covering 310 accounts from July to December last year, according to transparency report released by the social media giant on Wednesday (May 16).
— The Straits Times
Enterprise Singapore’s Group-based Upgrading initiative helps SMEs adopt technology
Enterprise Singapore announced that with SME Centres’ efforts to aggregate common capability needs of SMEs and help to facilitate group-based solutions for mass deployment its Group-based Upgrading (GBU) initiative has resulted in a total of 22 projects.
— Open Gov Asia
Fighting food waste in Singapore: ‘No brainer’ tracking tech and first standard unveiled
Singapore has launched its first standard for manufacturers and processors to manage food waste, along with new software to track and trace production inefficiencies, as part of its fight to reduce the 800,000 tonnes of food that is discarded each year.
— FoodNavigator-Asia
See here for more of today’s Singapore Morning News
Thailand Morning News
Compiled by John Le Fevre @photo_journ
Thailand Smashes Ugandan Human Trafficking Operation (HD video)
Thai authorities have broken what they believe to be a major transnational human trafficking operation responsible for the trafficking of hundreds of Ugandan women into Thailand and on to other parts of Asean.
— AEC News Today (video)
Thailand Doesn’t Feel Pressure to Join Global Tightening
Thailand’s central bank left its benchmark interest rate unchanged near a record low, and said it doesn’t feel pressure to join a global wave of tightening that’s swept along some peers in Southeast Asia.
— Bloomberg
Thai court rules AirBnB against the law in Thailand for daily and weekly rentals, Banned!
A court in Thailand has deemed AirBnB to be against Thai law and in effect banned with serious fines and possible jail time for anyone who offers rooms for daily and weekly rental as well as potential tenants. Monthly rentals and long term leases were deemed legal.
— The Pattaya News
See here for more of today’s Thailand Morning News
Vietnam Morning News
Compiled by Sreypov Men @MenSreypov
Vietnam says eyeing formal antitrust probe into Uber-Grab deal
Vietnam’s trade ministry said on Wednesday it is considering launching a formal investigation into the takeover of Uber Technologies’ Southeast Asia business by rival Grab after an initial probe showed the deal would violate antitrust law.
— Yahoo News
Chinese tourists spark ire in Vietnam with controversial shirts
A photo of Chinese tourists wearing T-shirts depicting Beijing’s claims to the disputed South China Sea has sparked online anger in Vietnam, prompting calls for the visitors to be deported.
— Asia One
PV Power’s profit to grow due to power shortages
Power shortages could be more severe than estimation, indicating a promising long-term outlook for PetroVietnam Power (PV Power), said a report by Viet Capital Securities (VCSC).
— The Hanoi Times
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.
Asean Morning News For May 17 added by Digital Editor on
View all posts by Digital Editor →