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.
Bursa recoups nearly half of market cap loss
Malaysia’s stock exchange bounced back from the fallout of the political turmoil following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government and resignation of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Monday.
Bursa Malaysia’s benchmark FBM KLCI rose 0.73 per cent or 10.82 points to 1,500.88 yesterday from the 2.7 per cent or 41-point drop on Monday.
In the process, the 970 stocks listed on the bourse recovered some RM20 billion from the RM43.4 billion loss in market capitalisation on Monday. Total market capitalisation stood at RM1.61 trillion compared with RM1.59 trillion the day before. – The New Straits Times
Malaysia political turmoil: Search for new government continues as King meets 132 MPs in second day of interviews
The Yang di-Pertuan Agong continues the search for Malaysia’s new government on Wednesday by interviewing 132 MPs to see whether they back interim premier Mahathir Mohamad to continue leading the country.
This will complete interviews of all 222 parliamentarians after those from the opposition were asked on Tuesday who they wanted as prime minister, or if they preferred a snap election. – The Straits Times
9 defect to Bhumjaithai
The defection of nine MPs from the newly dissolved Future Forward Party (FFP) to the Bhumjaithai Party boosts the latter's bargaining power in the coalition government and also its leader's chances of becoming the next prime minister, an academic said on Tuesday.
A source in parliament said that Bhumjaithai MP and party registrar Supachai Jaisamut has written to inform House Speaker Chuan Leekpai that nine MPs from the disbanded FFP have applied to join Bhumjaithai. – Bangkok Post
Vietnamese carriers suffer from COVID-19 outbreak
Vietnamese carriers saw significant drops in the number of passengers in February due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).
According to statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority of Việt Nam (CAAV), Vietnamese carriers transported a total 3.7 million passengers in February, representing a drop of 13.7 per cent against the same month of 2019. The number of international passengers saw a drop of 39.5 per cent to just 870,000, while domestic passengers slightly decreased by 0.7 per cent to 2.8 million. – Viet Nam News
Puno: ABS-CBN can’t continue operating without new license
ABS-CBN may have breathed a sigh of relief too soon on Monday when Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said at a Senate hearing that the network could continue airing programs after the lapse of its franchise on May 4 while Congress was deliberating on bills that would give it a new broadcast license.
A day after the Senate hearing in which ABS-CBN apologized to President Duterte for not airing his regional campaign ads days before the 2016 presidential election, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno said the TV network could no longer operate once its legislative franchise expired, unless it got a new broadcast license from Congress. – Philippine Daily Inquirer