These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Some nightlife businesses in Singapore struggle, with no end in sight amid Covid-19
Kloud Karaoke Lounge has not been able to reopen for about half a year since the two-month circuit breaker that started in April due to government concerns that nightlife settings such as clubs and karaoke joints are high-risk areas for Covid-19 to spread. And it might just remain that way permanently next month if things do not improve as the pandemic drags on and rental costs for the four-year-old karaoke lounge in Tanjong Katong snowball. "Every day there is a delay, we have to bear with the rental," said Mr Ronald Ng, Kloud Karaoke Lounge's director. "Our landlords chase us for rental... and it's not a small sum... I don't know whether we can hold on until next month." Things are getting dire for some nightlife operators, with no certainty on when they can reopen since government updates on Tuesday (Oct 20) suggest their businesses cannot resume even at the start of phase three of Singapore's reopening, which could happen by the end of the year. And pivoting to other lines of business to remain afloat has been very challenging for many for various reasons. In an August report, a poll by the Singapore Nightlife Business Association and the Singapore Entertainment Affiliation, which represents karaoke operators, showed that less than 10 per cent of respondents said they would survive to the end of October. – The Straits Times
Sarawak records 4th rabies death this year
The Health Ministry today confirmed another death due to rabies in Sarawak, making this the fourth reported case in the state this year. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said this brings the cumulative number of rabies cases in Sarawak to 26, since the rabies epidemic was declared on July 31, 2017. "The latest victim is a 34-year-old woman, who was admitted to the Sibu Hospital on Oct 12 after she was experiencing weakness in her legs for five days. "The patient died at 11.30am on Oct 18, and a laboratory test conducted by Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS) on Oct 19 confirmed that she was infected with the rabies virus," he said in a statement today. Dr Noor Hisham said, the victim had been bitten by her pet dog at the end of 2018 but she did not seek treatment from any healthcare facility. "Investigations found that her residence is located near a waste disposal site where many stray dogs roam. "Her pet dog was free to mix with other animals and was not given the anti-rabies injection. This animal was killed by the public after it bit another individual. "However, no samples were sent to the Sarawak Veterinary Services Department for tests to confirm whether the dog was infected by rabies," he said. Dr Noor Hisham said, the Sibu Divisional Health Office has informed the relevant authorities to catch the dogs in the victim's neighbourhood. He also advised the public to take preventive measures to avoid being infected by rabies, including cleaning body parts bitten by a dog or other animals with running water and soap for 15 minutes to remove the effects of saliva. "Get immediate treatment from a nearby clinic or hospital if you have been bitten by aggressive pets or wild dogs. – New Straits Times
PM offers end to 'emergency'
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Wednesday night suggested everyone take a step back in the conflict between the government and anti-government movement. The premier offered to lift the state of emergency but asked his opponents to reciprocate by toning down their hateful and divisive speeches. "I will make the first move to de-escalate this situation. I am currently preparing to lift the state of severe emergency in Bangkok and will do so promptly if there are no violent incidents," he said in a TV broadcast Wednesday night. "I ask the protesters to reciprocate with sincerity, to turn down the volume on hateful and divisive talk," he said. "Let us respect the law and parliamentary democracy, and let our views be presented through our representatives in parliament," said Gen Prayut, referring to the cabinet's decision to support a proposal to convene a special parliamentary session to discuss ways to defuse the ongoing political conflict. The PM said that as leader of the government he was responsible for reconciling opposing views, especially extremist ones, so that people could live peacefully together in a country that belonged to everyone. An ideal solution to the current conflict would be one that was fair for not only those taking to the streets but also those many million others who chose not to join the protests, he said. "Now that the protesters have made their voices and views heard, it is time for them to let their views be reconciled with the views of other segments of Thai society through their representatives in parliament," he said. The PM urged all sides to not repeat past mistakes that might see political conflicts end in violence. – Bangkok Post
Indonesian government aims to produce 2 million PCR test kits a month
Research and Technology Minister Bambang Brodjonegoro, who also heads the National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN), has stated a target for a state-owned company to produce 2 million polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits for COVID-19 per month. "Production is now estimated at 1.5 million units per month and will increase to 2 million per month," Bambang said in a virtual press conference on Tuesday as quoted by tribunnews.com. The government is working with state-owned pharmaceutical company PT Biofarma to produce the PCR test kit. Apart from the PCR test kits, BRIN’s COVID-19 research consortium is also making antibody-based rapid test kits, currently some 350,000 per month. "Hopefully the production of [the antibody-based rapid test kits] can reach 1 million units per month by the end of the year," said Bambang. The government has partnered with two private companies to produce the antibody-based rapid test kits and hopes two other domestic private companies will join the effort. The PCR test kit production is part of nine innovative steps taken by the consortium to support Indonesia’s advanced pandemic countermeasures. The consortium involves state institutions as well as the private sector and universities adept at health-related studies. Aside from the test kits, the research consortium has developed ventilators to be used for patient treatment. One domestically produced ventilator is the Vent-I, developed by West Java-based Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Padjajaran University (Unpad) and the Salman Mosque Foundation. The research consortium will also produce a medical assistance robot named RAISA to help provide medicine to hospitalized patients. It will also develop several medicines to treat COVID-19 patients, including convalescent plasma taken from recovered patients as well as herbal immunomodulator and antiviral medicines, respectively, to improve the body’s immune system and relieve symptoms in patients. – The Jakarta Post
After ‘pastillas,’ Senate panel probes human trafficking
After exposing a multibillion-peso scam involving immigration officers taking bribes from Chinese nationals arriving at the airport, the Senate panel headed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros will investigate reports of human trafficking as a third “revenue stream” of corruption in the Bureau of Immigration (BI). “If they have a ‘pyramiding scheme’ for those entering the country, it is not far-fetched that their illegal commerce extends to those who are exiting the country,” Hontiveros said on Wednesday. The chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations and Gender Equality will look into reports that paid immigration officers were also helping outbound women and children being trafficked by syndicates abroad. “It appears that the BI has become a one-stop shop for corruption. They have entered into all sorts of activities just to earn a profit,” Hontiveros said in a statement to the Inquirer. On Tuesday, Hontiveros said corrupt immigration officials had pocketed some P40 billion in bribe money since 2017 by facilitating the entry of Chinese nationals or assisting the departure of trafficked people at the airport. The Department of Justice (DOJ) would pursue the investigation of the “pastillas scheme” and prosecute erring immigration personnel, Secretary Menardo Guevarra said on Wednesday. “Those who smear the dignity of their public office will continue to be vigorously investigated and prosecuted,” Guevarra told the Inquirer in a Viber message. But he said the staggering amount of payola to the BI officials was just “in the realm of mere possibilities” since such illegal acts were usually done without documentary evidence. “However, a fair indicator of such magnitude, though not necessarily conclusive, is the lifestyle being led by people suspected of wrongdoing in relation to their regular compensation as government employees,” he said. Guevarra surmised that the low salaries of immigration personnel might have forced some of them to engage in graft and corruption activities. “But low pay is not a valid reason to break the law,” he said. The National Bureau of Investigation has already filed cases in the Office of the Ombudsman against 19 immigration officers allegedly involved in the pastillas scheme. – INQUIRER.net
Deputy PM directs emergency efforts for deluge-hit central region ahead of new typhoon
Rescue forces have been instructed to focus on providing emergency aid to people in the flood-hit central region, especially in the provinces of Quảng Bình and Hà Tĩnh. Other localities have been ordered to prepare for Typhoon Saudel, which is forecast to make landfall in central provinces on Sunday. Deputy Prime Minister Trịnh Đình Dũng, head of the Central Steering Committee for Natural Disaster Prevention and Control, outlined the plans at a meeting held yesterday in Hà Nội. Dũng said local administrations in flood-hit provinces should determine the specific needs for emergency aid in each commune. Aid must be distributed by local administrations to ensure they reached the right people on time, he said. In another move, the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting warned yesterday that Typhoon Saudel had entered the East Sea on Wednesday morning. It is the eighth typhoon to hit the East Sea this year. The centre said that at 1pm, the typhoon was about 560km east of the Hoàng Sa (Paracel) Archipelago with wind speeds of up to 75-90km per hour. The typhoon was moving west-northwest at 10km per hour and was forecast to gain in strength. Mai Văn Khiêm, director of the centre, said the typhoon was becoming stronger as it neared Hoàng Sa. Dũng instructed the Border Guard Command to work with the Directorate of Fisheries and relevant localities to monitor the typhoon and inform offshore vessels of any updates so they could find safe anchorage. Emergency rescue forces were on standby, he added. Additionally, relevant agencies needed to plan to evacuate areas at high risk of flash floods and landslides, he said. – Viet Nam News
C-19 vaccine promised: Doses to be provided for three percent of population first
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that Cambodia will receive COVID-19 vaccines for three percent of the population when they are officially released. Ministry of Health spokeswoman Or Vandine told Khmer Times via Telegram yesterday, that when a vaccine is officially released, the WHO-led Covax initiative will be able to supply Cambodia with vaccines for three percent of the population, or just over 500,000 people. “We would not be able to obtain all of the vaccines at once,” she said from Oddar Meanchey province. “They will be distributed in stages because the potential for vaccine production is limited. They will not only be distributed to Cambodia, but to the whole world. They must be divided equally as everyone has an equal right to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.” Vandine said the WHO, the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation and the National Immunisation Programme of the Ministry of Health have agreed to create a development plan to review how the vaccine will be distributed, and who should be vaccinated first. “According to WHO technicians, some of the eight vaccines it is reviewing may be available by mid-2021,” she claimed. “However, this is just an unpredictable estimate.” Vandine said that Cambodia had not yet decided whether to administer vaccines, when and if they are officially available, to protect senior government officials or frontline medical staff first. She said even when a vaccine is made available, there will not be enough to administer to everyone in the world. She added that the Ministry of Health and the WHO will still require people to take precautionary measures against the virus even after a vaccine is found. – Khmer Times