These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Weighing 345g at birth, tiny premature baby in Singapore on the road to recovery seven months later
A baby weighing just 345g, which is about the weight of a can of soft drink, who was born seven months ago and is possibly the lightest infant to have survived premature birth in Singapore, is now a "hefty" 4.27kg. A typical pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks, with a full-term pregnancy considered to be at least 37 weeks. Born after just 23 weeks and six days, Nur Zaiya Naziha Muhammad Saufi could fit in the palm of a hand and her limbs were the size of an adult finger. The smallest baby to be discharged from the National University Hospital (NUH), she was born on March 27 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic as Singapore was about to go into a two-month circuit-breaker. Her parents, Madam Rohani Mustani, 37, a logistics officer, and Mr Muhammad Saufi Yusoff, 36, a system technician, took about two to three hours to decide on whether the baby should be delivered by emergency C-section. Madam Rohani had initially gone to hospital to seek help for abdominal pain, and expected to go home to rest. "I thought it was just normal gastric pain... But A&E told me I had symptoms of pre-eclampsia, which was quite shocking and I had to deliver the baby the next day," she said. Madam Rohani was informed that her baby had a 20 per cent chance of survival, but the parents decided to take a leap of faith. The infant was wheeled to the intensive care unit right after delivery. – The Straits Times
Covid-19: More than 10,000 police personnel undergoing quarantine
More than 10,000 policemen, including officers, have been placed under quarantine, with at least 200 of them undergoing treatment after testing positive for Covid-19, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin. He said the high rate of infection among police personnel, being front-liners and closest to the public, is hampering their ability to perform duties. "The spread of Covid-19 epidemic is becoming more worrying and many front-liners have been exposed to the risk of infecting the disease. "Although they (police) wear face masks, the job requires policemen to communicate with the people at close range. Social distancing cannot be applied in ensuring peace and order in the country," he said in a statement. Hamzah said there are also policemen assigned to assist the immigration authorities to prevent illegal immigrants from entering the country. "Through Ops Benteng conducted between May 1 and Oct 18, the security forces have detained 497 illegal immigrants and 28 tekong (agents) who attempted to enter and leave the country through Sarawak," he said. As such, he called on Malaysians to appreciate the sacrifices of the front-liners and together heed the call by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to fight against Covid-19. He said the highest appreciation should be accorded to the front-liners who had been working tirelessly since the outbreak of the pandemic. "Many of them have not taken a break from work or spent time with their families. We are running out of time, and now is not the time to play politics or lobby for support for certain individuals to become the Prime Minister," he added. – New Straits Times
Cops miss out on Covid payments
Police around the country claim they have been cheated of extra payments due to them for special work carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic. Initial inquiries have found these officers have not been fully paid the extra money they were promised, says Pol Gen Wissanu Prasarttong-Osoth, Inspector General of the Royal Thai Police. "There have been irregularities in the disbursement of extra Covid-19 prevention payments to police," said Pol Gen Wissanu, head of a committee looking into the matter. "Some police did not receive any extra at all and others have been asked to return part of their payments." Pol Gen Wissanu was referring to the special overtime rates offered to policemen who were sent to staff Covid-19 checkpoints or work extra hours during the prevention of the coronavirus. Each officer was entitled to overtime at the rate of 60 baht per hour, up to a maximum of seven hours/420 baht per day. However, some police have complained they either received less than what they were they due or less than what they were entitled to. Pol Gen Wissanu said the RTP found there was some truth in the allegations and the blame lay with administration officials in its Bursar Office, who make the extra payments. "We need to find out whether the problem was due to cheating or just a mistake," he said, pointing out the irregularities appeared to have only been for some individuals, not on a systemic basis. – Bangkok Post
17-year-old marries 15-year-old in NTB, adding to long list of child marriages
The recent marriage of a 17-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) has put a spotlight on the high prevalence of child marriages in the province. Fifteen-year-old EB, a junior high school girl in Kumbak Dalem hamlet, Setiling village, Batukliang district accepted the proposal of 17-year-old UD, a boy she had known for only a year. “I was willing to get married when UD and his family came to ask my grandmother. I know I am still in school, but this is what I want,” EB said on Sunday, as quoted by kompas.com. EB said a friend had introduced UD to her a year ago. From the meeting, EB learned that UD worked as a labourer in Bali. Nevertheless, she believed that UD could become the backbone of the family. EB is listed as a ninth-grade student. Since the pandemic, she admitted that the situation had become difficult for her because she did not have a cellphone to follow online studies. “I don’t know what else to do. I haven’t been to school for four months,” she said. However, she said she still wanted to go back to school eventually. “I am a lazy person and often skip class. It is difficult to study because I only live with my grandmother, but I want to go back to school,” she said. Kumbak Dalem hamlet head Abdul Hanan said that EB’s marriage had not been reported to the village administration and the Religious Affairs Office, but said he was concerned that separating the couple would create other issues. “They married based on family agreement. The important thing is that it is legal according to religion,” Abdul said. The recently revised Marriage Law stipulates a minimum marriage age requirement of 19 for both, women and men. But even children below the minimum age can marry if their parents obtain a dispensation from a religious court, which have granted dispensations for minors as young as 15 years old. – The Jakarta Post
DOJ sees no legal problem with Red Cross test deal with PhilHealth
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sees no legal problem with Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) entering into a COVID-19 testing deal with the Philippine Red Cross (PRC), but whether the state-run health insurer should immediately pay its P900-million debt to the private nonprofit remains to be seen. The DOJ did not render a legal opinion on whether PhilHealth was legally obligated to immediately pay its PRC billings because it was not given facts on which to base its opinion, “particularly on the completeness of the requirements and compliance with accounting and auditing rules and procedures,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Monday, reading from the DOJ issuance. He said the requirements must be complied with before the question of immediate payment could be resolved. “There’s no other way out, you really have to comply with accounting rules and auditing rules and procedures,” Roque told a press briefing. He also said PhilHealth was actually willing to pay half of the debt to the PRC now, but the nonprofit would not accept anything but the full amount owed to it. “If they accept 50 percent right now, we will pay the 50 percent, but they have to resume testing,” he said. The PRC earlier stopped its COVID-19 testing for returning overseas Filipino workers and other returning Filipinos because of the ballooning PhilHealth debt. The DOJ opinion supporting PhilHealth and PRC’s agreement to conduct COVID-19 testing was in contrast to the report of the health insurer’s lawyers, who described the deal as “highly irregular.” PhilHealth legal counsel Alfredo Pineda II had said the insurer should consider rescinding the memorandum of agreement given its “apparent flaws and even irregularity or potential illegality.” Roque, reading from the DOJ opinion, said the department saw no impediment to the PhilHealth-PRC deal to provide COVID-9 testing. Under the universal health-care law, the DOJ said, PhilHealth has the power to contract with health-care institutions, professionals and other people for the delivery of health services. – INQUIRER.net
Việt Nam braces for Storm Molave, prepares to evacuate 1.3 million people
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc on Monday has requested ministries, agencies and localities to prepare for tropical Storm Molave, the ninth storm of this year and the fourth within a month, given the likelihood of it hitting central Việt Nam. Experts have warned that Storm Molave carries a significant threat, and is expected to enter the East Sea on Tuesday (October 27). To prepare for the storm, PM Phúc asked localities to implement official emergency response measures. "We cannot let our guard down," the PM stated during an online meeting held yesterday with agencies and provinces to discuss ways to prevent damage caused by the storm and floods. Rescue workers in flood-hit areas in the central region would remain on alert and continue searching for missing people. “Saving people is the most important thing," the PM said. Local authorities should instruct fishing vessels to dock in safe locations, while fishermen should head inland to avoid the storm, he added. Localities also needed to evacuate lowland and coastal areas due to the risk of strong waves, and ensure the safety of dykes, dams and other irrigation systems. To prepare for the storm, PM Phúc asked the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting to provide prompt updates to relevant agencies and media sources. The Ministry of Information and Communications, Việt Nam Television, the Voice of Việt Nam, and all media agencies were asked to regularly update forecasts, warnings and instructions. The PM requested the National Committee for Search and Rescue and the Ministry of Defence and other forces to be ready to help localities with search and rescue missions if needed. Helicopters, tanks and other vehicles would be deployed if people were trapped or threatened by the storm, he said. The electricity industry was asked to ensure power after the storm, while the transport sector was instructed to keep traffic running smoothly. – Viet Nam News
Base-less without proof: PM demands evidence on unsubstantiated claims
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday lashed out at an unnamed Western country, challenging it to produce concrete evidence that the Kingdom may be hosting Chinese military assets and personnel at Ream Naval Base. Speaking during a ground-breaking ceremony to build concrete bridges from National Road 1 to Koh Norea in Phnom Penh yesterday, Mr Hun Sen did not mention the country by name but seemed to refer to the US. The US early this month again expressed its concern about reports that the US-funded Tactical Headquarters of the National Committee for Maritime Security had been demolished, saying that razing the facility may be tied to government plans for hosting Chinese military assets and personnel at Ream Naval Base. “Does China have military personnel in Cambodia? When did Cambodia give China the right to have troops there?” I reiterate that I’m fed up with some foreigners and Cambodians who are stirring up the issue,” he said. “If you do not believe the Prime Minister, do you have any evidence that Cambodia has a secret deal with China to exclusive use of the port of Ream Naval Base for 30 years?” he added. “If you do not give evidence, you are lying.” Mr Hun Sen also compared the tactic of the alleged presence of Chinese military base in Cambodia to the 1970 coup, led by Marshal Lon Nol, resulting in the removal of Prince Norodom Sihanouk as head of state. “During the Council of Ministers meeting [on Friday], I said that the overthrow of late King Father King Norodom Sihanouk in the 1970s by a coup was carried out under the pretext that the Viet Cong were on Cambodian territory,” he said. “What are you trying to do to me now? Alleging the presence of Chinese troops in Cambodia has been made again and again. Then the traitors [former opposition leaders] incited people to act against the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh.” Mr Hun Sen yesterday also alleged that former CNRP lawmaker Ho Vann, who is living in exile, was behind the organising of the demonstration against the Chinese embassy in Phnom Penh on Friday. He also played a recording of Vann, in which is heard talking about the gathering in front of the Chinese and US embassies. – Khmer Times