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.
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Legal cut-off age for kids in Singapore to wear masks to be raised to 6 and above
The legal cut-off age for children in Singapore to wear masks will be raised to six years and above, up from two years old currently. The revised guidelines were announced by the multi-ministry task force handling the Covid-19 pandemic on Wednesday (Sept 23). This comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) and United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) recently indicated that young children below the age of six years may not have the coordination necessary for the proper use of masks. Singapore is bringing its guidelines in alignment with those of the WHO and UNICEF, the Ministry of Health's director of medical services Kenneth Mak said during a press conference on Wednesday. He noted that existing guidelines already allow for some flexibility on mask use for younger children, as children 12 years old and below are permitted to use a face shield in place of a mask. "To protect young children from Covid-19, we continue to encourage young children to wear a mask or face shield especially if they're in a group setting such as in playschool," said Professor Mak. "Children and other persons who may not have the coordination necessary for the proper use (of masks) should continue to be supervised." The raising of the legal cut-off age for children to wear masks was among a range of measures due to be relaxed that were announced on Wednesday, including the easing of some restrictions on gatherings for weddings and in religious places. – The Straits Times
Anwar did not breach any protocol, say experts
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim did not breach any protocol or ethical guideline in announcing his plan to take over the government, following his claim of possessing a "strong, formidable and convincing" majority to do so. Experts believe the PKR president had abided by the processes related to making such an announcement by reserving details for the eyes of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah, who is being treated at the National Heart Institute. Universiti Utara Malaysia political analyst Professor Dr Mohd Azizuddin Mohd Sani said just like February's Sheraton Move, Anwar's announcement yesterday had ticked all the legal boxes. "The Constitution says we have to (either) follow the majority of members of parliament or dissolve the house. In this case, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has the option to do the latter. "What Anwar did (yesterday) was following the protocol. He cannot reveal the details before meeting the king. This meant Anwar had abided by the due process," he said. Constitutional law expert Lim Wei Jiet said there was no law prohibiting a politician from announcing that he had the majority support in the Dewan Rakyat. "There is no need to obtain the agreement from the king first before making such an announcement because Anwar did not reveal any detail to the public." – New Straits Times
DDC keeping a close eye on Myanmar
The Department of Disease Control (DDC) is keeping a close watch on Myanmar cities that border Thailand after learning the country on Wednesday reported 592 new cases of Covid-19. The coronavirus disease situation in Myanmar is a great concern, so business operators should stop hiring foreign workers, especially Myanmar people, to help prevent a second wave of Covid-19 infections in Thailand, said DDC director-general Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai on Wednesday. Dr Suwannachai was speaking at a press conference after learning the number of new Covid-19 infections in Myanmar surged on Wednesday, taking the total number of Covid-19 infections to 6,743. He said the increasing number of patients infected with Covid-19 in Myanmar are in line with a similar trend in India which has reached nearly 100,000 new cases each day. The countries share a border, which has prompted public health and security officers to monitor the situation closely. Dr Suwannachai said Covid-19 infections in Thailand's neighbouring countries are of concern because they are increasing, especially in Malaysia where the number of patients climbed to 10,358 on Wednesday. He said the worrying situation had prompted the Myanmar government to lock down Yangon, the former capital. It also shut down schools and garment plants in the city. – Bangkok Post
NU, Muhammadiyah join coalition opposing educational provisions in omnibus bill
A coalition of educational institutions that includes the academic branches of Indonesia's two largest Muslim groups, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, has voiced its opposition to the educational provisions in the omnibus bill on job creation. In a statement dated Sept. 15 and signed by 12 representatives of the groups, the coalition said that including educational issues in the omnibus bill – which generally aims to ease business licensing and attract investment – would risk attaching irrelevant baggage to education and could force it to disproportionately serve the demands of the market. Such a change would likely lead to a loss of academic freedom, the coalition maintained, as curricula would be modified to suit economic preferences. “In accordance with the national vision and the constitution, the task of enlightening the lives of the nation should not be hindered by other determining factors,” the statement read. The omnibus bill on job creation would cause “the economy to become a new factor determining education by inserting educational and cultural materials into the economic [system].” The coalition argued that placing education in service of the economy would risk robbing the former of moral principles and cultural values. “The omnibus bill on job creation implies the forgoing of the values and characteristics that define culture-based education,” the coalition said, adding that the bill would result in the rampant commercialization of education. – The Jakarta Post
AFP chief asks Facebook to bring back pages of ‘advocacy groups’
Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff Gen. Gilbert Gapay on Wednesday asked Facebook to bring back the pages of “advocacy groups” taken down for supposed “coordinated inauthentic behaviour.” Facebook head of public policy in the Philippines Clare Amador paid a courtesy call on Gapay, a meeting that had been previously set even before the social media giant took down accounts linked to the military and police for supposedly violating its policies. “Part of the discussion was FB’s taking down of ‘Hands Off Our Children, which is an advocacy group of parents whose children were missing or had been recruited by the CTG, an advocacy that the AFP shares and advances,” said AFP spokesperson Maj. Gen. Edgard Arevalo. He said Gapay asked if Facebook can restore the page and other groups with similar advocacies like preventing child exploitation and trafficking of minors and combating terrorism pages or accounts that may have been taken down. Gapay, in a separate statement, said the grievances of these parents from Hands off Our Children are legitimate and their Facebook page was instrumental to their campaign to raise awareness. ‘We hope that, as we look on to a new partnership with Facebook Philippines, that similar legitimate advocacies will be respected, if not uplifted, to prevent the spread of violent extremism and protect every Filipino child from the communist terror group,” he said. – INQUIRER.net
Controversial draft decree may make banks lose potential foreign investors
A draft decree being developed by the State Securities Commission to implement the amended Law on Securities may cause local banks to lose out on potential foreign investment. Recently, some commercial banks have curbed foreign ownership limits in their capital to below the bar of 30 per cent set by the State Bank of Việt Nam (SBV). HCM City Development Joint Stock Commercial Bank (HDBank) on September 7 locked the limit of foreign capital at 21.5 per cent. The Việt Nam Prosperity Joint Stock Commercial Bank (VPBank) locked the rate at 15 per cent, while the Việt Nam Technological and Commercial Joint Stock Bank (Techcombank) limited the rate at 22.5 per cent. Under existing regulations, foreign ownership in the banking sector is limited at 30 per cent because the industry is highly sensitive and has great influence on Việt Nam’s economy. HDBank said in a statement the foreign ownership cap would allow the bank to have more space in its capital to sell to strategic foreign investors. Economist Nguyễn Trí Hiếu told local media that such moves by banks may be temporary because they have not found any foreign investors suitable to becoming strategic investors. “Banks should be careful with selecting foreign strategic investors. Temporary foreign ownership cap may be a good move for them,” he said. – Viet Nam News
Much-needed help: Devastating flooding continues in Pursat province
Torrential rain has caused flooding in Pursat province affecting at least 1,635 families along with properties and crops in Pursat city, Veal Veng, Phnom Kravanh and Kandieng districts. According to a report from the Pursat provincial administration yesterday at least 22 communes were affected by the flooding, and nearly 180 families in Phnom Kravanh district have been evacuated as water levels continue to rise. The statement added that flash floods have destroyed at least four bridges and 20 roads in the provinces. Local authorities have reported no deaths so far. Despite the water level in Phnom Kravanh district decreasing by one metre, Pursat city’s river water level is still increasing and is at 5.5 metres, according to the report. The Disaster Management Committee of the Pursat province expressed commitment to increasing cooperation with relevant institutions to inspect and station officials in the affected areas around the clock to provide assistant to citizens. Pailin provincial governor Phan Chanthul appealed to citizens to manage their waste properly, especially on the National Road 57, to prevent drainage system blockages during the rainy season. The appeal was made on Wednesday when Chanthul and local authorities inspected drainage along National Road 57 in Pailin province, Sala Krao district. – Khmer Times