These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Seven linked to shipbuilding firm Keppel Fels charged with corruption offences including taking $879,900 in bribes
Seven people linked to Singapore shipbuilding firm Keppel Fels were charged with multiple corruption-related offences on Wednesday (Oct 14) morning. Alvin Lim Wee Lun, 40, who was working as a yard manager at Keppel Fels, was charged with 46 counts of conspiring with two other individuals to obtain bribes to advance the business interests of multiple sub-contractors. Lim's co-conspirators allegedly included Rajavikraman Jayapandian, 45, a project director at industrial manufacturing firm Rotary Offshore Solutions, and Goh Ngak Eng, 54, a director at Megamarine Services, which deals in marine engines. The offences, which included taking bribes in exchange for furthering the business interests of three companies, were committed between 2014 and 2017. The trio is alleged to have worked together to obtain approximately $879,900 in bribes from three sub-contractors, which they intended to share. According to court documents, Goh allegedly acted as a middleman, helping to obtain the gratuities from the sub-contractors. The money, which was handled by Goh, was then allegedly split between the trio. Rajavikraman and Goh also face three additional corruption charges each for furthering the business interests of a marine equipment manufacturer with another company in the same line of business. For helping to facilitate these business deals, Rajavikraman had received a monetary reward of around $7,000 from Goh. Lim, Goh and Rajavikraman are set to appear in court again on Nov 11. – The Straits Times
Recovered Covid-19 patients urged to take part in Malaysia's immunity study
The Health Ministry has called on Malaysians who were previously infected with Covid-19 to volunteer for the country's study on immunity in recovered patients. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a group of researchers from the Health Ministry's National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Institute for Medical Research (IMR) invited Malaysians who had been infected with Covid-19 previously to join a medical research entitled "Longitudinal Study of Neutralising Antibody Response among Covid-19 Patients in Malaysia". "This research is important to find out the levels of neutralising antibody (immunity) in the blood that can block the Covid-19 virus from infecting patients that had been infected previously," he said in a Facebook post. He also posted a poster of the study where the IMR, under the ministry, appealed for assistance from those who had tested positive for Covid-19. "Your blood is precious for us to determine the immunity against Covid-19 and improve the understanding of antibody response among Covid-19 patients at different time frame," the poster read. The study has been approved by the Health Ministry's Medical Research and Ethics Committee. For further information, call Dr Rafiza Shaharudin at 03-33627753 (or email [email protected]) or Dr Masita Arip at 03-33627735 (or email [email protected]). – New Straits Times
Arrests heighten rally concerns
Tensions are expected to mount at Wednesday's anti-government protest in Bangkok after police on Tuesday arrested several protest leaders, including Jatupat "Pai Daodin" Boonpatararaksa. In another move likely to frustrate the protesters, police have vowed to stop them from marching to Government House after a group of royalists moved to thwart them by mobilising supporters along the route of a royal motorcade. A group of about 20 protesters, led by Mr Jatupat, set up tents on Tuesday in front of a McDonald's restaurant close to the Democracy Monument in Ratchadamnoen Avenue and Satriwithaya School ahead of Wednesday's mass rally. Mr Jatupat, who was on a makeshift stage on the back of a pickup truck, had been giving a speech through a loudspeaker, next to a banner that said: "Dissolve the House under new rules and revoke Section 112". That is the section in the Criminal Code that is better known as the lese majeste law. This prompted police to ask them to stop their protest because nearby Ratchadamnoen Avenue was due to be used by His Majesty the King's motorcade en route to the Grand Palace, where royal ceremonies were held on Tuesday to mark the fourth anniversary of the passing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great. However, the demonstrators ignored the police request, prompting officers to arrest Mr Jatupat and other protest leaders. Deputy police spokesman Pol Col Kissana Phathanacharoen said about 19 protest co-leaders were arrested for breaking the public assembly law by failing to secure prior permission from the police. They were taken to the Border Patrol Police Region 1's headquarters in Pathum Thani, Pol Col Kissana said. – Bangkok Post
Police arrest eight KAMI activists for alleged hate speech linked to jobs law protests
The National Police have arrested eight people affiliated with Save Indonesia Coalition (KAMI) for allegedly spreading hate speech and violating the Electronic Information and Transactions Law amid protests against the Job Creation Law. They were nabbed in two separate arrests in two cities, Jakarta and Medan, North Sumatra. “The eight people were arrested because they provided information that instigated hatred and hostility based on SARA [tribal affiliations, religion, race and societal groups],” National Police spokesman Brig. Gen. Awi Setiyono said on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com. Awi did not provide further details on the arrests, saying only that they concerned the opposition to the new jobs law. “Their provocation, which was related to the jobs law, resulted in violence,” he said, adding that the questioning process was still underway. He explained that the arrests were made by a cybercrime team under the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Department. In Jakarta, the police arrested KAMI activists and executives Syahganda Nainggolan, Jumhur Hidayat, Anton Permana and Kingkin. In Medan, the group’s Medan chairman, Khairil Amri, was arrested, along with members Juliana, Devi and Wahyu Rasari Putri. – The Jakarta Post
Velasco reopens budget debates on taking over as House speaker
Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco on Tuesday officially took over the reins at the House of Representatives, ending weeks of a leadership crisis that has threatened to delay the passage of the P4.5-trillion proposed national budget for 2021. Velasco took the Speaker’s podium shortly before noon, after the majority of House members ratified his election on Monday by an assembly held in a sports club in Quezon City. His election gave him the right to assume the speakership, as stated in a 2019 term-sharing agreement with his predecessor, Taguig Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano, whose refusal to let go of power caused the crisis. President Duterte, who had brokered the deal, summoned Velasco and Cayetano to Malacañang after noon on Tuesday and told them to work together to pass the budget on time, according to Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go. “All is well,” Go, the President’s former long-time aide, told reporters in a Viber message and shared photos of the meeting at the Palace, which took place before the House opened a special session called by Mr. Duterte for the passage of the spending bill. “[The President] is like a father. He spoke with his children. He advised them to unite [like a majority coalition] and pass the budget on time for the Filipino people,” Go said. – INQUIRER.net
HCM City People’s Council passes resolution on new ‘city within city’
The HCM City People’s Council has passed a resolution to merge HCM City’s eastern districts of 2, 9 and Thủ Đức into one administrative unit to create an innovation hub tentatively called Thủ Đức City. Speaking at a People’s Council meeting on Monday, Lê Thanh Liêm, vice chairman of the city People’s Committee, said his government would complete the proposal for creating the new city within a city for submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs by October 25. If approved, the proposal would then be submitted to the Standing Committee of the National Assembly for approval. Earlier this month more than 80 per cent of more than 411,000 residents of the three districts voted “yes” to the merger plan, according to local authorities. Besides, people in Thủ Đức and District 9 almost unanimously agreed to the name Thủ Đức City, while 76 per cent did so in District 2. Deputy PM Trương Hòa Bình recently told city authorities to seek advice from foreign experts and investors in the technology, finance and property sectors about plans to create the new city. The plan should conform to the overall urban plans for the city and the south-eastern region, he said further. To seek ideas for the new city, city authorities last year launched a planning contest that was won by an entry by US architecture and design firm Sasaki Associates Inc, which proposed different zones, facilities and development plans with all the elements needed for a smart city and innovation and other features to support the growth of technology and other key industries. According to the Ministry of Construction, the plan to build a city within a city is “unprecedented” in the country and would require “extensive study.” The city has established a steering committee headed by People’s Committee chairman Nguyễn Thành Phong to develop a master plan for it. – Viet Nam News
Adapting to disaster, PM calls for more awareness
Prime Minister Hun Sen has appealed to all authorities and residents to strengthen awareness of disaster risk reduction. Mr Hun Sen released a statement in conjunction with National Day of Disaster Management yesterday, with the theme: living safely and adapting to disaster. He said unusual events caused by natural disasters such as floods, droughts, windstorms and epidemics cause financial damage and affect the economy, society and people’s livelihood. The Prime Minister added that thunderstorms and flash floods are occurring in Preah Sihanouk, Kampot, Oddar Meanchey, Kep, Battambang, Pursat and Pailin provinces. At the same time, changes in river levels are affecting rice and other crops and fish. “[Dealing with] the uncertainty and unpredictability of climate change is only a matter of consolidating efforts to manage the disaster, starting with the participation of individuals and families,” he said. He added that local authorities at all levels must continue to work to promote health protection, personal hygiene, clean living and a good environment at the local level with proper storage of waste and reducing the use of plastic bags. Mr Hun Sen said in order to strengthen mechanisms and capacity, especially at the community level, awareness needs to be raised about disaster risk reduction, especially for women, children, the disabled and the elderly. Khun Sokha, spokesman for the National Committee for Disaster Management, said that recent floods have hit 17 provinces which has affected around 100,000 people and seen 10,000 people evacuated. – Khmer Times