These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
Li Shengwu hires top UK lawyer to fight contempt of court case
The nephew of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Li Shengwu, has hired a top British lawyer to advise him in his contempt of court case.
Queen's Counsel David Pannick is one of the lawyers who won a landmark case this week against British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament before the deadline to exit the European Union.
Li, an assistant professor of economics at Harvard University, said on Facebook on Wednesday (Sept 25): "I'm grateful for Lord Pannick's guidance and help, even as he has been in the midst of winning a landmark constitutional case in the UK."
The contempt of court case is over a Facebook post Mr Li put up on 15 July 2017 in which he said "the Singapore Government is very litigious and has a pliant court system". - Straits Times
Govt mulls listing Petronas subsidiary on Bursa Malaysia
Malaysia may list a Petronas subsidiary on Bursa Malaysia to attract more investors to the local stock market, Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said.
Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd, the upstream unit of the Fortune 500 national oil company, is one possibility but there are also other candidates, he added.
At a dialogue with fund managers at JP Morgan’s headquarters here yesterday, the prime minister was told that many investors believe listing Petronas or Carigali would give a boost to the local bourse. - New Straits Times
Police, military deny rift as personnel clash
The leaders of the National Police and the Indonesian Military (TNI) have dismissed speculation about divisions between the two security forces amid reports of clashes between police and military personnel during the ongoing protests that have gripped the country.
“There has been a lot of talk that the TNI and the police don’t get along,” Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Wiranto said at a press conference on Thursday.
“That is not true, the TNI and police have the same spirit, the spirit of defending the country.”
National Police chief General Tito Karnavian and TNI commander Air Chief Marshal Hadi Tjahjanto, who were also present at the press conference, echoed Wiranto’s comments.
“The TNI supports and helps the National Police in their security and public order duties,” Hadi said. - The Jakarta Post
Govt mulls end of fast train plan
The Thai government may scrap three high-speed rail projects after being spurned by private investors, a source at the Transport Ministry said.
The source said a high-speed train project linking Bangkok with the northern province of Chiang Mai, and a project connecting Bangkok with the southern province of Surat Thani were not included in the Transport Ministry's mega-investment scheme worth a total of 1.94 trillion baht (US$63.39 billion).
Private investors may not be interested in the projects as the routes span more than 600 kilometres and involve massive costs.
Another source at the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) said the planned Shinkansen-like high-speed railway from Bangkok to Chiang Mai has undergone a feasibility study, but the project will not get off the ground unless Japan agrees to jointly invest. However, Japan says it is not interested in taking part, they said. - Bangkok Post
Myanmar and Singapore sign treaty on promoting investments
Myanmar and Singapore signed a bilateral agreement on the promotion and protection of investments on Tuesday in Yangon.
Myanmar representatives led by Union Minister for Investment and Foreign Economic Relation U Thaung Tun and Singapore representatives by Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing signed the agreement on behalf of their countries.
The bilateral agreement is expected to set the foundation for more regular and stable investments by Singapore. - Myanmar Times
Cambodia’s tourism competitiveness improves
Cambodia went up three places in the latest edition of the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TCCI) released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) this month
The Kingdom is now ranked 98 in the world. The WEF releases the report every two years.
The report includes 140 countries ranked according to their business environment, safety and security, air transportation infrastructure, natural resources, tourism policies, and price competitiveness, among other factors.
In Southeast Asia, Singapore is considered to have the most competitive tourism industry, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam. Cambodia occupied the last spot in the region, one place behind neighbouring Lao which ranked 97 globally. - Khmer Times
Tropical depression may enter the Philippines by Saturday
A new weather disturbance may enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) Saturday morning, the state weather bureau said Friday.
In its 4am live weather update, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said that the low-pressure area 1,685 kilometers east of the Visayas has intensified into a tropical depression.
Pagasa weather specialist Ana Clauren said that the tropical depression is less likely to make landfall but is expected to affect Northern Luzon and warned of possible flash floods and landslides in rain-hit areas. - Philippine Daily Inquirer