These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Genting Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean to offer S'pore residents cruises to nowhere from November under 'safe cruise' pilot
Two cruise lines have been given the green light to offer "cruises to nowhere" from Singapore starting in November, following the development of a set of safety guidelines to prevent the on-board spread of the coronavirus. These will be round trip cruises with no ports of call. Genting Cruise Lines and Royal Caribbean International, which are homeported in Singapore, will be part of a "safe cruise" pilot that will cater only to Singapore residents at a reduced capacity of 50 per cent, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said in a statement on Thursday (Oct 8). Genting Cruise Lines' World Dream will begin sailing on Nov 6, while Royal Caribbean's Quantum of the Seas ship will begin sailing in December. All passengers will have to be tested for Covid-19 prior to boarding as part of the STB's CruiseSafe programme, jointly developed by global classification body DNV GL. They will also have to comply with safe management measures, such as mask-wearing and safe distancing of 1m between groups of passengers. The Straits Times reported last Wednesday (Sept 30) that the STB had appointed DNV GL to create a certification programme for cruise lines that are keen to offer "cruises to nowhere" departing Singapore. Cruise ships have not been allowed to call here since March 13, when the Republic joined a number of countries in closing its ports to these vessels over fears that they may carry infected passengers. The Diamond Princess, which was quarantined off the coast of Japan in February, served as a cautionary tale of the coronavirus' rapid spread, with more than 700 passengers and crew members found ill. But with Thursday's announcement, stringent safety measures will be required of cruise operators here to prevent a repeat of a similar incident. – The Straits Times
Prisons to have new SOP
Segregating new inmates from the rest is crucial to stem Covid-19 transmissions in prisons. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this would be among the concerns raised with the Prisons Department when reviewing the standard operating procedures (SOP) for prisons. "Prisons are very vulnerable to Covid-19 transmissions due to space limitations. "At the moment, we have to ensure the fresh inmates do not mingle with the old ones," he told the New Straits Times yesterday. Dr Noor Hisham said similar measures proved to be successful in curbing Covid-19 transmissions at Immigration depots during the Movement Control Order. "In the past, we curbed Covid-19 transmissions at Immigration depots by working with the Immigration Department to revise the SOP. "We can emulate that success in our prisons." Dr Noor Hisham said trained doctors and medical personnel from prison clinics were attending to inmates who tested positive for Covid-19. "However, suppose health facilities are inadequate in the prison and the patients' conditions are critical, then we have to ferry them to hospitals for treatment." Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob said a special National Security Council (NSC) meeting, which was held virtually, had requested the Prisons Department to present a new SOP for prisons. "Prisons and detention centres have become hotspots for Covid-19 cases lately and this has raised serious concerns. "Therefore, the Special NSC meeting today (yesterday) has decided to ask the Prisons Department to propose a new SOP for prisons. – New Straits Times
Health Ministry wants to cut quarantine period
The Public Health Ministry has proposed that the mandatory quarantine period for tourists be reduced from 14 to 10 days and will soon ask the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) to alter the requirement accordingly. Permanent secretary for Public Health Kiattiphum Wongrajit said on Wednesday he was confident that a second wave of Covid-19 in Thailand would not be as bad as the first, thanks to the country's comprehensive preventative measures, particularly related to the wearing of face masks in public. If Thailand did, however, face a worse second wave of the virus, it would be able to control the spread within one month, he said. The ministry envisages the following three scenarios: 1) The country has one or two local transmissions and the government controls the virus from spreading. 2) The virus spreads to a small group of 10 to 20 people after the first infection. Whatever the number, it would be controlled from spreading further within three to four weeks. 3) The least favourable scenario sees the first case spreading to 100 to 200 people, as did the cluster infection at Bangkok's Lumpinee boxing stadium in March. This worst-case scenario is considered unlikely if people continue to cooperate by wearing masks, practising social distancing and washing their hands frequently, said the ministry. – Bangkok Post
Rallies against job creation law turn violent as police clash with protesters
Protests over the past few days against the recently passed Job Creation Law have turned violent with clashes between protestors and the police in several regions. When police attempted to disperse a demonstration on Monday held by hundreds of university students in an industrial area in Cikarang, West Java, the students, mostly from nearby Pelita Bangsa University purportedly struck back using stones and bamboo sticks, tribunnews.com reported. Cikarang Police chief Adj. Comr. Sukadi said the police had not granted permission for any mass rallies because of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak. “But they opted to carry on with the protest, thus [the clash happened]”. Similar scenes also occurred in Bandung, West Java, on Tuesday where hundreds of people staged a protest in front of the West Java Legislative Council (DPRD) office. Chaos broke out as protesters managed to knock down the office’s front gate and throw stones at the police, who responded with water cannon and tear gas. Thousands of workers and students across the country have decided to carry on with the protests against the contentious law, despite many arrests. Scores of protesters from Samarinda and Kutai Kertanegara in East Kalimantan blocked Samarinda’s main thoroughfare, the Lembuswana intersection, on Wednesday, forcing authorities to divert traffic. Rally participants, comprising workers and students from at least eight universities in the two cities, called on the government to revoke and re-evaluate the law. A similar mass demonstration was held in Pasar Rebo, East Jakarta. Hundreds of students took to the street to burn tires and wave banners expressing opposition to the law. The protests were a part of a three-day national strike against the Job Creation Law, which started on Tuesday. – The Jakarta Post
Grab PH to post bail for detained Grab driver who allegedly attacked cop in Taguig
Grab Philippines on Thursday said they will help post bail for the release of Mary Florence Norial, one of its drivers who is now in jail in Taguig after supposedly assaulting a police officer. “We have received reports regarding one of our driver-partners who was detained after allegedly disrespecting a police officer. The safety and welfare of our driver-partners remain top priority for us at Grab. We are currently coordinating with the family of our driver-partner, and we will provide bail assistance for her immediate release,” read the statement from Grab Philippines Media Team. “We will update everyone as soon as relevant information on this investigation becomes available,” it added. On Oct. 6, Tuesday, Norial was detained in Ususan, Taguig police station after she was accused of assaulting Police Captain Ronald Saquilayan near a coffee shop in Taguig. In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Norial said she had an argument with Saquilayan, who was blocking her way at the driveway. She said the policeman hit her using a car door. According to the police report, however, it was Norial who shouted and continuously knocked on Saquilayan’s car door. Mirza Miguel Shahzad, Norial’s partner, said they are still waiting for the resolution of the Taguig Prosecutor’s Office on the complaints of alarm and scandal, direct assault and disobedience of a person in authority that were filed by the police. – INQUIRER.net
Logistics SMEs urged to speed up digital transformation to remain competitive
Vietnamese logistics firms, especially small and medium-sized ones, need to get up to speed on digital transformation to enhance their competitiveness if they want to penetrate global markets after the pandemic ends, experts have said. Nguyễn Ngọc Dũng, vice chairman of the Việt Nam E-commerce Association, said it is high time that SMEs realised the advantages of and the urgent need for digital transformation, pointing out that most of them have remained slow in embracing it. “Successful digital transformation will bring many benefits to businesses such as reducing costs and enabling them to access all markets.” A shipper in Việt Nam delivers two parcels a day on average since it takes time to locate addresses and wait for recipients to collect the order, whereas a shipper in a developed market could deliver 200 a day with map data to optimise routes, he said. “High logistics costs not only affect the competitiveness of goods, but also pose an obstacle for businesses when entering new markets.” He was speaking at a seminar on “Logistics industry before the turning point of digital transformation” last week. Nguyễn Tương, deputy general secretary of the Việt Nam Logistics Business Association, said the COVID-19 pandemic has affected global investment and trade, and supply chains have been disrupted. Enterprises, especially logistics firms, must apply hi-tech solutions to reduce costs, he added. – Viet Nam News
‘Not beholden to any nation’: PM refutes allegations that Cambodia is China’s satellite
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday reiterated that the Kingdom is not a satellite country to China despite receiving mammoth assistance from it. His statement comes amid US’ dismay over the demolition of a facility it funded at Ream Naval Base last month. Mr Hun Sen said he has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to send a diplomatic note to all foreign embassies to explain the Kingdom’s reasons behind the demolition. Speaking at the inauguration of the Prince Manor Resort in Kandal province’s Kien Svay district, Mr Hun Sen expressed his gratitude to the Chinese government for helping to build “thousands of kilometres” of roads, bridges and other infrastructure. “But some, when they saw China helping to build our roads through non-refundable assistance and loans, they accused Cambodia of being a satellite to China, saying “you choose China and abandon this or that great powers,” Mr Hun Sen said. “I want to ask you back if China did not help to build this road, who else would have come to build it?” he added. Mr Hun Sen did not mention the US by name but referred to the concern from the US Department of Defense which alleged that Cambodia may be hosting China’s military assets at the Ream Naval Base. He said the government has also rebroadcast his previous speech made during his trip in June to Sihanoukville where he said the allegation is ‘baseless’. – Khmer Times