These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
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Uphill battle for Singapore hotels despite boost from staycations in December
Hotels may have experienced a boost during the December break thanks to the tourism vouchers and the school holidays, but they continue to face an uphill struggle this year without international travellers. Yet they remain cautiously hopeful, with some looking to events and new concepts to draw locals in. The Singapore Hotel Association noted that although official figures for December are not out yet, its member hotels have reported an increase in bookings due to the school holidays and redemption of SingapoRediscovers Vouchers. The association has about 160 member hotels. "Given the sustained international border closure, staycations have definitely helped to boost Singapore's hotel occupancy," its executive director Margaret Heng said. Pan Pacific Hotels Group saw an average occupancy rate of 60 to 70 per cent across its properties in Singapore in December. Group chief executive Choe Peng Sum said: "As regulations eased, we have seen strong pent-up demand from our local market, with staycations and workcations. In the first week after staycations were announced, one of our properties saw 800 nights' worth of room bookings made." The Group has over 3,000 rooms across eight properties in Singapore, including Parkroyal Collection Marina Bay which opened in December. Raffles Hotel was also fully booked during the festive season in December, general manager Christian Westbeld said. It is not just the big hotel chains that saw an uptick in business. Boutique hotel chain Heritage Collection saw 75 per cent occupancy across its three properties at Chinatown, Clarke Quay and near City Hall in December. While it used to focus on serviced apartments, it worked on getting the relevant hotel licences to convert some apartments into hotel rooms last year. This meant that the brand could offer hotel rooms but with serviced apartment amenities like fully equipped kitchenettes from $75 a night. Average occupancy rates stood at 55.8 per cent in October and November last year, according to the Singapore Tourism Board. STR area director for the Asia-Pacific Jesper Palmqvist said the vaccine roll-out and global travel solutions might help turn things around in the third quarter. – The Straits Times
PM launches National Unity Policy, Blueprint
Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today launched the National Unity Policy and National Unity Blueprint 2021-2030. He said unity is the pillar of the country's prosperity, and such strength is clearly showcased during challenging times like the Covid-19 pandemic. "With the slogan '#KitaJagaKita', the people have also shown support to the government in the fight against the virus. "The quest for unity is a journey, not a destination. Hence, it is important to continue reflecting on our resolve and enhance efforts so that Malaysia remains a country with a solid unified foundation not only for ourselves, but for future generations," he said in his speech. Muhyiddin said the policy, themed Unity in Diversity, has three main objectives, which are to strengthen unity and national integration; building national identity; and producing Malaysians who appreciate and practise unity. National Unity Minister Datuk Halimah Mohamed Sadique earlier said the documents were prepared based on feedback from the public, the private sector, non-governmental organisations, and government staff nationwide, with its strategic core in line with the principles of the Rukun Negara. It comprises strategies and indicators, among others, aimed at instilling, measuring and maintaining unity among the people. "The National Unity agenda is our joint agenda and it is the responsibility of all Malaysians to make unity a 'kebiasaan' (norm)," she said. The launch was broadcast live on the National Unity Ministry's Facebook page. – New Straits Times
Cops come under fire for 'attack' on volunteer
Police are under fire after being accused of attacking a volunteer medic during a pro-democracy protest on Saturday night that ended with eight demonstrators detained and 20 wounded. Metropolitan Police Bureau (MPB) chief Phukphong Phongpetra, however, said the person was not a professional medical staff member but a volunteer for a group that provided first aid – and was allegedly among the people who instigated the incident. A group representing doctors who work in provincial hospitals on Sunday denounced police for the incident outside the Supreme Court compound near Sanam Luang. The group, the Rural Doctor Society, demanded an explanation and legal action against the officers involved, saying it was a violation of human rights. The group added that it opposed violence by all parties during rallies. A video clip widely circulated online showed officers in full riot gear chasing a man with at least one beating him with a truncheon as he fell to the ground. More clips showed another man wearing what appeared to be a green volunteer medic's vest surrounded by police leading to the hashtag #policebeatingmedic trending on Thai language Twitter. Pol Lt Gen Phukphong defended officers, saying the man had a truncheon in his vest. He was also near the scene of the clash between police and the demonstrators as authorities warned them to end the rally. After the protest, leaders called off the rally, but some protesters still caused chaos for over 30 minutes, he said. Police had to fire gunshots into the sky to keep order as protesters "did not cooperate". However, he insisted there was no order for police to use tear gas or rubber bullets. – Bangkok Post
Metro Manila mayors defer reopening of cinemas
Metro Manila mayors have opted to defer the reopening of cinemas in the region amid continuing concerns over the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), Metro Manila Council (MMC) chairman and Parañaque City mayor Edwin Olivarez said Monday. “Yung cinema po ang main concern namin ng Metro Manila Council. Pumayag naman po ang ating economic team ng IATF [Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases] na i-defer yung implementation ng pagbubukas ng cinema,” Olivarez said in an interview over Teleradyo. (The cinema is the main concern of the Metro Manila Council. The IATF’s economic team allowed us to defer the reopening of cinemas.) Olivarez said Metro Manila mayors are set to meet with the IATF’s economic team this Wednesday to further discuss the matter. “Alam naman natin sa cinema, enclosed yan, tatlong oras sa air conditioned [area]. Questionable po yung ventilation. ‘Yan po yung apprehension ng ating LGUs sa Metro Manila,” he explained. (Cinemas are enclosed and you have to stay for three hours in an air-conditioned area. The ventilation is questionable. That’s the apprehension of LGUs in Metro Manila.) Apart from cinemas, the IATF has also allowed the reopening of the following businesses in areas under general community quarantine: driving schools, video and interactive-game arcades, libraries, archives, museums, and cultural centers, meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions, limited social events at credited establishments of the Department of Tourism, limited tourist attractions, such as parks, theme parks, natural sites and historical landmarks. – INQUIRER.net
Hà Nội stops all festivals until February 26
All traditional festivals in Hà Nội will be temporarily postponed until the first full moon day of the new lunar year (February 26) in an attempt to prevent the spread of COVID-19, authority officials have said. Vice-Chairman of the Hà Nội People's Committee, Chử Xuân Dũng urged all districts and local areas where traditional festivals will take place this month to strictly follow the city's direction to suspend all cultural activities until the full moon of Lunar January to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. He issued the instruction at a meeting of the city's Steering Committee for the Prevention and Control of COVID-19 on Saturday in the capital. "It is better to be a little bit slow but safe rather than having to be isolated for a month... When the whole commune or district is in isolation, it will affect the social life of the community, even the socio-economic development of the whole city," Dũng said when asking Mỹ Đức District to stop cultural activities, including the welcoming visitors to the annual Hương
Pagoda festival in the area. Reporting on the prevention of COVID-19 in the capital city, Deputy Director of the Hà Nội's Department of Health Hoàng Đức Hạnh said that the pandemic situation in the country and in the world was still complicated and from February 10-13, in Hà Nội, two new cases of COVID-19 were reported. "The health sector is continuously conducting strict isolation and testing of all cases entering Hà Nội to proactively monitor and prevent the COVID-19 pandemic," said Hạnh Regarding activities of the Hương Pagoda Festival, the authority in Mỹ Đức said the district would follow the city's instructions. The festival's Steering Committee officially announced to stop all activities at the Hương Pagoda and will not welcome visitors to the festival. – Viet Nam News
About 1,500 given jabs so far
Just under 1,500 people received the Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine in Cambodia between Wednesday and Friday last week, according to a three-day report from the Ministry of Health. Health Ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine said there were 1,947 people eligible for the jab, 1,492 were vaccinated and 455 people were not allowed due to health problems. She said that on Wednesday, 425 people were eligible to be vaccinated, 339 received the jab, and 86 were turned away. On Thursday, she added, of 657 people, 442 were vaccinated while 215 people were not allowed. On Friday, 865 people tried to get the vaccine, of whom 711 received the shot while 153 were not able to. “The four major public hospitals where people can go to get the Sinopharm vaccine are the National Pediatric Hospital, Calmette Hospital, Ang Duong Hospital and the Khmer-Soviet Friendship Hospital,” Vandine said. Meanwhile, the government has approved the use of the Chinese-made Sinovac COVID-19 vaccine and the British AstraZeneca vaccine for “Emergency Use Authorisation”. A press release and permission letter from Minister Mam Bun Heng issued on Friday, said that with the approval of Prime Minister Hun Sen dated on Thursday, the Health Ministry has officially approved the use of the Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines for emergency use. It said that both vaccines have been used safely in China and the United Kingdom, as well as some other countries. – Khmer Times
Pro-military thugs injure two in attack on restaurant in army stronghold of Meiktila
Knife-wielding thugs supporting the military ransacked a restaurant in Meiktila and threw bricks on Friday after accusing the diners of banging pots and pans in defiance of last week’s coup. The attackers were marching through the town in central Myanmar, which is home to several military barracks, at around 4pm before they stormed into the Ywet Nu restaurant, witnesses said. Videos posted on Facebook showed them throwing rocks, using slingshots, and overturning tables and chairs. Witnesses said the windows of nearby houses were also broken. “When they were marching, we were eating,” said Than Tun Lin, the restaurant’s owner, who injured his neck during the attack. “Then they just barged inside the restaurant claiming we were banging our pots and pans and started throwing bricks. Some of them had knives, it was like a hijack.” Another person, Chit San Maung, was injured in the neck, back, stomach and shoulders during the attack. “It’s like there’s no security in the town, we don’t even feel safe. And it’s as if the people in charge knew this was going to happen and deliberately let it happen,” says Chit San Maung, who was attacked. Meiktila township police station chief officer Thein Tun denied the allegation. “When the person concerned reports the case, we’ll take necessary action. We’ve been on patrols around the town for safety, taking precautions to maintain rule of law,” he said. “If you really want to know, come see for yourself instead of just asking from afar with hearsay comments,” he added. – Myanmar NOW
Brunei takes third spot in digital inclusiveness global survey
Brunei Darussalam is the third highest ranked country in Southeast Asia in the digital inclusiveness index, scoring high for affordability, accessibility, ability and attitude, according to global consultancy Roland Berger’s Digital Inclusion Index 2020. Singapore took the top spot, while the second-highest ranked country on the index was Malaysia (21st), followed by Brunei and Thailand (38th). Brunei’s digital inclusiveness strength lies in its affordability. While the country’s overall score is 65, its affordability score is significantly higher at 86. This is due to cheap mobile-broadband prices, which are priced to match benchmarks set by Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore also maintains its top spot for digital inclusiveness among 82 countries in global consultancy Roland Berger’s Digital Inclusion Index 2020, followed by Sweden, Denmark, Netherlands and the United States. Digital inclusion is defined as the empowerment of individuals and societies to effectively use information and communication technologies (ICT), enabling them to contribute to and benefit from today’s digitalised economies and societies. In Southeast Asia (SEA), around 150 million adult – 31 per cent of the population – are digitally excluded. Disabilities, illiteracy, age, wealth, concentration of economic activity in urban areas and enterprise access to capital are common factors that create the divide. SEA ranks fifth out of seven global regions, and below the global average. Singapore finished top of the 10 Southeast Asian countries. Myanmar was the most improved nation in the entire index. This study details the strengths, weaknesses and digital inclusion development results for each SEA country. – Borneo Bulletin