These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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No need to check in at different shops in same mall when TraceTogether-only check-ins begin
The inconvenience of checking in and out with SafeEntry at different stores within a shopping centre will be a thing of the past once compulsory TraceTogether-only SafeEntry kicks in. A single check-in with the TraceTogether app or token to public venues such as malls will suffice in the future, according to a written parliamentary reply on Monday evening (Feb 1). Currently, people who visit public places that have many visitors or have a high transmission risk of Covid-19 - malls, dine-in eateries and workplaces, for example - must check-in using SafeEntry or TraceTogether for contact tracing purposes in the event of a detected coronavirus case. After checking in, they have to do so again when entering other places within the venue, such as large shops in a mall. Check-ins using TraceTogether is not mandatory for now. But Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said in a written parliamentary reply to Mr Leon Perera (Aljunied) that with the better TraceTogether coverage after the implementation of TraceTogether-only SafeEntry at public places, "we will also remove some existing SafeEntry check-ins to minimise public inconvenience”. “For example, after checking in to a mall via TraceTogether-only SafeEntry, a customer would no longer need to check in to larger retail stores and supermarkets inside the mall," said Mr Teo, who is also Coordinating Minister for National Security. But there are exceptions. Regardless of prior check-ins, patrons need to still check in with TraceTogether-only SafeEntry at establishments where the transmission risk is higher, as people are likely to be in close proximity for long periods of time or may remove their masks for legitimate reasons, like to exercise in a gym or eat at a food and beverage outlet. The Smart Nation and Digital Government Office said last month that TraceTogether-only SafeEntry will be implemented "only after everyone has had a chance to collect a (TraceTogether) token in their constituencies, and a reasonable period of national distribution is achieved". – The Straits Times
'Private hospitals must step up in Covid fight – before being forced to do so'
Private hospitals should make concessions now to take in Covid-19 patients from government hospitals before they are ordered to do so under the emergency ordinance. Public health specialist Dr Aidalina Mahmud said the government's stance of not forcing private hospitals to take Covid-19 patients could change if cases continue to climb. She said the goodwill shown by the government to private hospitals on this matter could change overnight if public facilities become overwhelmed. "For now, what they are asking is reasonable, considering the current limitations in their workforce and facilities available." "Nonetheless, as time progresses and new issues come up, these requests and actions by the government can change," the Universiti Putra Malaysia medical lecturer told the New Straits Times. She urged public officials to bring these facts up during negotiations with private hospitals. Many private hospitals have shown reluctance in accepting Covid-19 referrals from government healthcare facilities despite the implementation of emergency ordinance laws. Up to Jan 25, only 95 out of 130 private hospitals have agreed to work with the Health Ministry on this effort. This issue grabbed headlines after a meeting between private and public healthcare representatives on Jan 23 that decided that Covid-19 patients referred to private facilities must meet certain requirements for admission. Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, who attended the meeting, had said only Covid-19 patients who were ambassadors, expatriates and others who requested to be admitted to private facilities would be allowed to be referred. On Jan 27, Association of Private Hospitals of Malaysia president Datuk Dr Kuljit Singh said private hospitals could treat Covid-19 patients, especially those under Category 1 to 3, but they could not take in as many patients as government hospitals due to constraints in terms of facilities and human resources. He said Category 4 or 5 patients (serious cases of Covid-19) needed intensive care treatment and private hospitals might not have enough beds if there were problems during treatment. This year, the government allocated RM100 million for the treatment of Covid-19 patients and non-Covid-19 patients at private hospitals. Dr Aidalina said if taxpayers alone were expected to bear the cost of Covid-19 treatment in private hospitals, the amount would be insufficient. "At this point, all parties should focus on lives, not profit. Time is of the essence now in terms of Covid-19 prevention and control. "We need to reboot our public healthcare system to a semblance of normalcy," she said, as she brought up Italy's wildfire-like spread of the virus and staggering death count of over 85,000. – New Straits Times
3rd Army boss plays down influx threat
The Third Army has given assurances that there will be no influx of Myanmar people into Thailand in the wake of the military seizure of power in the bloodless coup on Monday. Third Army commander Lt Gen Apichet Suesat, in charge of the northern region, reassured the public that there were Thai forces stationed along the Thai-Myanmar border to prevent illegal entry during the Covifd-19 pandemic and anyone caught trying to cross illegally would be arrested. Lt Gen Apichet was responding to media questions about a possible exodus after the coup. "We are closely monitoring the situation. Myanmar people themselves may not be affected, but I told soldiers to step up inspections at the border in case [Myanmar] politicians or VIPs [illegally] enter into the country to hide," he said. He went on to say that the coup situation inside Myanmar is not likely to affect ethnic minority groups along the border as it appears that the two sides had already begun work on a fresh peace process, currently delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic. On Monday, Thai-Myanmar checkpoints between Tachileik and Thailand's Mae Sai district in Chiang Rai closed four hours. Tanee Sangrat, director-general of the Department of Information and spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Royal Thai Embassy in Yangon has been in close contact with state officials. For the moment, Thai citizens in Myanmar are advised to remain vigilant and follow the news and official announcements. "Myanmar is a close neighbour of Thailand and an important member of ASEAN. Thailand hopes to see continued peace and stability in Myanmar, and that the current situation is resolved peacefully with a return to normalcy soon for the benefit of the people of Myanmar," Mr Tanee said. Spokesman for the Immigration Bureau Pol Maj Gen Archayon Kraithong confirmed that for the moment numbers attempting illegal crossings had not spiked, One group of 106 illegal Myanmar workers were sent back over the border in Mae Sot, Chiang Rai on Monday, while another, also of around 100, was returned to Kawthaung, he said. Lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science Chulalongkorn University, Naruemon Thabchumpon, said it had not exactly been a coup d'état since the Myanmar constitution allows for a transfer of power to the commander-in-chief.The constitution also allows the commander-in-chief to remain in power for a year after the seizure of power, said the academic. A week earlier, the Myanmar military announced that it was concerned over the latest general election in which the National League for Democracy won a landslide victory, saying the election might not have been free and fair. – Bangkok Post
Galvez urges ‘irreplaceable’ Magalong to ‘stay put’ as tracing czar
National Task Force (NTF) against Covid-19 chief implementer Carlito Galvez Jr. urged Baguio City mayor Benjamin Magalong to “stay put” as the country’s tracing czar, saying his expertise in the matter is unmatched. “Nakita po natin napaka-professional po ng ating mahal na mayor at bihira po sa mga ganyang klaseng tao na very gentleman at nakikita natin na talaga he’s not afraid of accepting his mistake,” Galvez said Tuesday in a televised briefing. (He is really professional and a person like him is rare, someone who is a gentleman and we see that he’s not afraid of accepting his mistake.) “Pero nakikita po natin, sa totoo lang po, wala po siyang katulad. Nakikita po namin mahihirapan po kung sino ang idedesignate namin. Yung kanyang pagka-contact tracing czar, it’s a separate thing from what happened to Manor hotel,” he added. (But we can see honestly that he is unmatched. Whoever will be designated to replace him will have a hard time. His post as a contact tracing czar, it’s a separate thing from what happened at the Manor hotel.) Magalong “irrevocably” resigned after he admitted there were lapses in the health protocols at a party in Baguio City which he attended with his wife. “Nakikita ko po yan, mayor, naranasan ko rin po yung naranasan niyo. Stay put lang po Sir, Mayor, tayo po, sama sama po tayo. Hindi po namin kayo iiwanan, mayor,” Galvez said. (I have experienced what you have experienced, mayor. Just stay put, mayor. We are all in this together. We will not leave you, mayor.) Galvez said he intends to go to Baguio City next week to personally talk to Magalong. “Talagang sa amin, sa National Task Force, irreplaceable po ang kakayahan ni Gen. Magalong. Hindi po namin matanggap na magbitiw sya as contact tracing czar because he has done so much from the start when we were looking for answers,” he said. (For the National Task Force, Gen. Magalong’s skills are irreplaceable. We cannot accept that he is resigning as contact tracing czar because he has done so much from the start when we were looking for answers.) Magalong wished the matter of his resignation would no longer reach President Rodrigo Duterte, but admitted he cannot refuse should the Chief Executive ask him to stay in his post. – INQUIRER.net
The fight against corruption is still long, arduous and fierce, says General Secretary
The fight against corruption will be long, arduous and drastic, Party General Secretary and President Nguyễn Phú Trọng has declared. He was speaking at a press conference held in Hà Nội on Monday to announce the results of the 13th National Congress of the Communist Party of Việt Nam. In response to a question about the continued corruption fight during the new tenure, Trọng said this was a problem that every country has to cope with. It could occur any time but might happen on wide or narrow scope. It is easy for people who have power or high position to corrupt or act on the benefit of a group, he said. Since the anti-corruption campaigned began in 2013, some Party Central Committee members and Politburo members have been jailed and their assets which were up to billions of Vietnamese đồng seized. He emphasised that the fight against corruption would never stop, no matter who the accused person is and there were no exceptions whatsoever. Meanwhile, he hailed the 13th Party Congress a success. “I have attended many congresses. This congress was a really successful one in terms of content, form, organisation, working style and the final result is that the Congress passed the Resolution,” Trọng said, adding that the Congress was very well organised from accommodation and means of transportation for delegates, creating favourable conditions for them to attend the congress. Everything was made to ensure safety, especially during the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Answering a question on reasons for achieving remarkable results of the 12th tenure, Nguyễn Xuân Thắng, Director of the Hồ Chí Minh National Academy of Politics and Chairman of the Central Theoretical Council, said a draft political report submitted to the 13th Congress highlighted important achievements in the fields of socio-economic, culture, environment, Party building work, political system, national defence and security and foreign affairs. He attributed the results to the solidarity, unity in leadership as well as proper direction of the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the Secretariat and the Party Committees at all levels. The drastic management and administration of the Government, the renewal of the National Assembly and the People's Councils at all levels also contributed to the success. “The report emphasises the role of the people, the strength of great national unity, the efforts of cadres, party members and the people who carry out the tasks of the 12th term, thereby demonstrating the spirit of active and creative work, creating a successful term with many success imprints," Thắng said. – Viet Nam News
A four-meter wide and one-metre-deep stream at Chan Kiri Border separates fleeing Cambodian workers from safety
They come in groups of between five and 10 and at teams a family of three or even just one. They walk through the night at times for hours, stumbling and getting bruised in the process, all the time fearful of stepping of landmines, bandits and wild animals to reach a four-metre wide and one-metre-deep stream between the Chan Kiri corridor and Dung Border, Kamrieng district, Battambang province. Their objective – to cross the stream into Cambodian territory and safety from what they feel is a hopeless and dangerous situation in Thailand, caused by unemployment, job losses and a spiralling COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand. Many of them cross the illegal checkpoints without valid documents and prior to the exodus, would have been detained and deported by Thai authorities prior to the spike in the pandemic in mid-December. However, now, they are encouraged by the same Thai security forces when they stumble upon them, who also offer them directions, drinking water and some food. Several migrant workers who arrived at the Kamrieng and the Sompov Loun quarantine centres said that though they face an uncertain future in Cambodia, the risk of crossing back was worth it as the situation in Thailand had become volatile as Thais had blamed other migrant workers, especially from Myanmar for the sudden surge of COVID-19 there. “We didn’t want to be caught in the rising sentiments of hatred and anger which put not only us, but all other migrant workers at risk of violence in Thailand,” a group of migrant workers who crossed the border on Sunday morning said, while awaiting their essentials kit and swab tests for the deadly virus. “If we have a choice and when the employment situation in Thailand becomes better, the COVID-19 situation gets under control, we will return to Thailand. However, this time the risks will be higher as the Thai security forces may not be that welcoming or accommodating,” the workers, two females and three males said, declining to be identified. They added that they were aware of the mandatory 14 days quarantine before they are allowed to return home and face their family members who will not be receiving monthly financial support from them any longer, at least temporarily. Last year, 1.2 million Cambodian workers employed in Thailand, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia sent home some $2.8 billion in remittances, according to figures from the Ministry of Labour and Vocational Training. COVID-19 has now put a damper on these inward remittances, impacting families and the national economy. – Khmer Times
Suu Kyi calls for public resistance against coup
Detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has called on the people of Myanmar to oppose Monday’s military coup, even as the army promised new elections and a return to a civilian government. “The public is urged to fully oppose the military coup and resoundingly resist against it,” she is quoted as saying in a statement released by the National league for Democracy (NLD). “The Tatamdaw’s action showed no consideration whatsoever for the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and will merely bring the country back to military dictatorship,” she added. After coming to power in 2015, the NLD tried to amend the constitution from within its own framework, she said, adding that the party won last year’s general election, and the previous one, by following all existing laws. Win Htein, a former army captain and an influential NLD leader, said the coup was the result of military chief Min Aung Hlaing’s “personal ambitions”, despite the fact that his family have become immensely rich in recent years. “The personal ambitions of Min Aung Hlaing have resulted in this coup,” he told Myanmar Now. “It’s clearly not in the public interest. We have witnessed how our country became impoverished and a pariah state due to the previous coups in 1962 and 1988.” “Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s call for public resistance against the coup means civil disobedience, non-violence and non-cooperation,” he added. He is among the senior NLD leaders who have, so far at least, not been arrested. The military announced in a broadcast on the Myawaddy television station that new general elections will be held and power will be returned to the “winning” party. Broadcast over images of Min Aung Hlaing and other top army officials, the announcement said that “discipline-flourishing democracy” will be upheld. The military has declared a one-year state of emergency after installing Myint Swe, a former general who had been serving as Vice President, as acting President. Myint Swe then transferred power to Min Aung Hlaing. – Myanmar Now
‘Not effective’: Jokowi bemoans poor enforcement of virus restrictions
President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo has expressed dismay over what he considers the lacklustre enforcement of public activity restrictions (PPKM) intended to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Java and Bali over the past month and has urged all stakeholders to redouble their efforts to contain the virus. The President expressed his concerns during a meeting with state officials on Friday, criticizing the authorities’ apparent lack of seriousness and consistency in imposing PPKM. “Regarding PPKM, […] we have to be blunt; it’s not effective,” he said in a video of the meeting uploaded to the Presidential Secretariat’s YouTube channel on Sunday. “Mobility is still high, according to the mobility index. Therefore, several provinces have continued to report rising COVID-19 numbers.” The President’s statement stands in stark contrast to his earlier assertion that the government had the situation under control – made not long after the imposition of the first round of PPKM, which lasted from Jan. 11 to 25. The government has since extended the restrictions in parts of Java and Bali for two weeks, from Jan. 26 to Feb. 8, in response to persistent increases in COVID-19 cases, which recently surpassed 1 million in the country. PPKM will remain in effect in 77 regencies and municipalities across Jakarta, West Java, Central Java, East Java, Banten, Yogyakarta and Bali. Jokowi has urged an increased presence of law enforcement to ensure public compliance with health protocols. He has also called on authorities to give members of the public quality-assured masks if they failed to wear them. “I see that we have failed to get tough and be consistent in regard to the [protocol] implementation. I call on everyone to be present in the field,” Jokowi said. Public health expert Adang Bachtiar of the Indonesian Public Health Experts Association said Jokowi’s statement on Friday was likely a last-ditch attempt to draw support from all stakeholders under the Pentahelix model, as the present centralized mitigation efforts had yet to produce any significant results. The model calls for the involvement of the government, businesspeople, the community, academics and the media in containing the outbreak. “What we’re seeing right now is likely a last-minute effort to enlist the help of other sectors outside of the government,” Adang told The Jakarta Post. “Jokowi was signalling that the current endeavour was proving difficult, so all hands were needed on deck.” He added that the President was simply being pragmatic, as his willingness to admit the government’s shortcomings could garner sympathy from other stakeholders, thus resulting in tighter coordination between all stakeholders. – The Jakarta Post