These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Taiwanese woman who sneezed on security guard amid Covid-19 outbreak sentenced to 11 weeks in jail
A Taiwanese woman, who purposely sneezed at a security guard after she was denied entry into Ion Orchard shopping mall amid the Covid-19 outbreak in April, was sentenced on Thursday (Sept 10) to 11 weeks imprisonment. Sun Szu-Yen, 46, had then said: "You get it? You get it already!" After that, she took her passport out of her bag and added: "I am China. I am Taiwan." Sun, who was in Singapore on a long-term pass, pleaded guilty in a district court in June to one count of performing a rash act and an unrelated harassment charge. On April 12, security guard Devika Rani Muthu Krishnan, 56, was deployed to one of the entrances of Ion Orchard at Lift Lobby A on the fifth storey. One of the Singaporean's tasks was to ensure that shoppers' particulars were recorded on a form for contact tracing. She also had to ensure that they wore masks before entering the mall. For performing a rash act, Sun, who represented herself in court, could have been jailed for up to six months and fined up to $2,500. For harassment, an offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $5,000. – The Straits Times
Covid-19: Community transmissions now a real danger
The rise of the Sungai Cluster in Kedah, Penang and Perlis has been described as a "ticking time bomb" in the northern region, with experts calling for prompt action and out-of-the-box solutions by the authorities. Virologist Dr Sazaly Abu Bakar said the scientific community's longstanding fear for Kedah due to its past record with the virus (Sivagangga cluster) was now compounded by the belief that there are a number of asymptomatic people who are responsible for flaring up clusters of infections. "We don't have a handle on Kedah yet, and won't until there is extensive testing. The entire population of the state needs to be tested to put a quick end to these clusters," he said, when contacted by New Straits Times yesterday. He said in the meantime, health authorities had to go to the ground to explain the dangers of breaking standard operating procedures (SOPs). Sazaly said this was crucial for Kedah as the state seemed to be the epicentre of several clusters (other than Penang and Perlis), and several serious incidents of quarantine violation had been detected during the recent Targeted Enhanced Movement Control Order (TEMCO). – New Straits Times
ASEAN must help SMEs, says Don
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai on Wednesday proposed to Thailand's regional partners that they take coordinated action to protect small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the post-Covid-19 era. The deputy prime minister was speaking at the 53rd meeting of Asean foreign ministers, hosted by Vietnam via videoconference, the Foreign Ministry reported. He proposed the setting-up of a fund to assist companies battling to find their feet once the coronavirus has been dealt with. The foreign ministers stressed the urgent need for ASEAN to collectively address economic recovery and the importance of multilateralism in dealing with the rising tensions and uncertainties in the region. Moreover, they agreed the current situation could affect the geopolitical landscape and ASEAN must strengthen its centrality in the evolving regional landscape. This was especially relevant under the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), in the promotion of peace and stability, which are the prerequisites for economic recovery efforts. In addition, the ministers discussed regional situations of common concern, including the South China Sea, irregular migration in the Indian Ocean and the situation on the Korean Peninsula. – Bangkok Post
COVID-19: Merah Putih vaccine development reaches 50 percent, govt claims
The government claims that the development of a local COVID-19 candidate vaccine has reached 50 percent and will be ready for human clinical trials early next year. A national consortium led by the Research and Technology Ministry is currently developing the “Merah Putih” vaccine, named after the nation’s iconic red-and-white flag. “We aim to finish the animal testing process by the end of this year,” Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro said during an online press briefing on Wednesday. He added that the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology, which had been appointed to spearhead the vaccine development, sought to hand over the finished vaccine seed to state pharmaceutical holding company PT Bio Farma for clinical trials starting January next year. “After the clinical trials are finished and the Food and Drug Monitoring Agency [BPOM] declares it safe, PT Bio Farma will start the mass production at the end of 2021,” the minister went on to say. Bambang said the country would need at least 540 million doses of vaccine for 270 million Indonesian citizens. Initial studies showed that each person would need at least two shots of the vaccine to be immune to the coronavirus. The national consortium has opened opportunities for at least three private pharmaceutical companies to manufacture the vaccine in order to secure supply. – The Jakarta Post
Lacson flags P469 billion in repeat funding for DPWH projects
Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Wednesday raised the red flag on P469 billion worth of infrastructure projects that had already been financed by the government for implementation this year but were again funded in the proposed P4.5-trillion national budget for 2021, saying this contravened the 1987 Constitution. Lacson asked Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado to remove the questionable items from the 2021 National Expenditure Program (NEP), which was presented by President Duterte’s economic managers to the Senate finance committee, chaired by Sen. Sonny Angara. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Risa Hontiveros also questioned the government’s priorities, noting that the budget for the anti-insurgency campaign was bigger than the allotment for departments tasked with leading the recovery from the debilitating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic to the economy. – INQUIRER.net
Trade plummets at HCM City’s wholesale markets after second COVID-19 outbreak
Wholesale markets in HCM City are facing a serious crisis due to the second COVID-19 outbreak. District 1’s Bến Thành Market, one of the city’s oldest markets, is seeing only dozens of visitors on weekends while the previous number was several thousands. Most of the 3,000 stalls, offering food, garments, footwear and handcrafts, have closed. Shops selling Vietnamese handicrafts and food like fried seafood, favoured by both foreign and local visitors, have been closed since March. “The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on my business have started since mid-February,” said Nguyễn Ngọc Anh, a handicrafts shopkeeper at Bến Thành Market. “I stopped operations to cut losses.” Anh’s shop offers Vietnamese handicraft products from just VNĐ22,000 (US$1) to over VNĐ1 million ($45) per item. Her customers, particularly Japanese and South Korean, like Vietnamese handicrafts because they are traditional and the price is reasonable. Her shop used to attract 120 customers daily. – Viet Nam News
UN rapporteur told to follow code of conduct
The Cambodian Permanent Mission to the UN Office in Geneva on Wednesday urged UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Cambodia Rhona Smith to strictly observe the code of conduct and her office’s operations manual. The call came after Smith voiced concerns on Tuesday over recent arrests of three environment activists and others on charges of incitement to create social chaos. Smith said she had been closely following reports that seven different CSOs have been searched or informed of pending visits by the authorities since last week. “The rights to freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are protected by international human rights norms and standards as well as by the Cambodian Constitution. “I encourage Cambodian authorities to ensure that these rights are respected and protected and to create an environment in which individuals can exercise these rights. “I urge that those arrested are promptly brought before a court of law and their due process rights are fully respected. I am following these events closely in Cambodia,” she had previously said. In a press release, the Mission said it was disturbed by Smith’s personal view. It said Smith has never stressed that freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly carries with it special duties and responsibilities as stated by laws. – The Phnom Penh Post