These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Malaysia pays S'pore $102.8 million for costs incurred in terminated HSR project
Malaysia has paid Singapore about $102.8 million as compensation for the costs it incurred in the failed high-speed rail (HSR) project. In a joint statement on Monday (March 29), Singapore’s Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung and Malaysia’s Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Economy) Mustapa Mohamed said the two countries have finalised the settlement of compensation for the terminated project. Malaysia has made a payment of $102,815,576 (RM320,270,519.24) to reimburse Singapore for costs incurred for the development of the project, and for a further extension of the initial two-year suspension. "The two countries reached an amicable agreement on the amount following a verification process by the Government of Malaysia. This amount represents a full and final settlement in relation to the termination of the Bilateral Agreement," said the joint statement. "Both countries remain committed to maintaining good relations and fostering close cooperation for the mutual benefit of the peoples of the two countries." In a Facebook post, Mr Ong said: "I am glad that we were able to close this chapter amicably, without affecting the good bilateral relations between our two countries. "Looking ahead, there are many areas that we have opportunities to cooperate on. These include the issues Minister Vivian Balakrishnan discussed with leaders in Malaysia last week, such as the restoration of some air travel, which the Ministry of Transport (MOT) will be very involved in, and also commuting via the Causeway." On Jan 1, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his Malaysian counterpart Muhyiddin Yassin issued a joint statement to announce the termination of the HSR project. Malaysia had allowed the bilateral agreement to lapse on the deadline of Dec 31, 2020, after both sides could not agree to changes it had proposed. – The Straits Times
Malls survive on smart decisions
The Covid-19 pandemic has led to many shopping malls and retail companies downsizing operations in accordance with the government's Movement Control Order (MCO) directives. Many popular malls and big retailers have also been tweaking the way they conduct business. Even with strict adherence to standard operating procedures (SOP), a rising number of tenants have been reopening their business. Some malls have focused their activities on delivery and online shopping options with some success. For Sunway Malls, strict adherence to SOPs to safeguard both patrons and the staff has been vital to weather this challenging period. Sunway Malls and Theme Parks chief executive officer H. C. Chan said the first MCO gave them the time to prepare their malls for the new normal. Stringent health, hygiene and safety measures were put in place. "The challenge has been enormous, especially for Sunway Malls as it has seven malls across the country. "Under the promise of 'Your Safe Space, Our Safe Space', we introduced 82 safety measures and worked with our 12,000-strong employees. These practices remain in place until today," said Chan. He lauded the government's move to allow more sectors to operate in the second round of the MCO this year, compared to the stricter one that was imposed last year. He said that on the first day of MCO 2.0, 50 per cent of retailers across all Sunway malls opened, compared with only five per cent of them during last year's MCO. Eventually, as more sectors are allowed to reopen, he said, that figure will increase. The number of shops open has since climbed to over 80 per cent. "Overall, mall traffic for MCO 2.0 was two to three times higher than the first MCO," he added. Meanwhile, IKEA Malaysia also adopted a different business approach since the MCO was reimposed. Its focus is currently more on online sales. IKEA Southeast Asia country retail director (Malaysia) Gerard Jansen said the company accelerated digital development and turned their blue-box stores into large-scale fulfilment operations virtually overnight. He said the company also took note of how customers were more mindful about their spending. Customers also required more food delivery options nowadays, he said. Therefore, the company has identified ways in which it could provide help, comfort, solutions, and value to meet customers' needs. – New Straits Times
PM denies backing junta govt
The government on Monday denied allegations that it was supporting Myanmar and its use of force against its own people, saying it is preparing for a possible surge of refugees as the political conflict across the border escalates. "In what ways do we support Myanmar troops? Nobody supports use of violence against the people," Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said when asked about claims the government was providing aid to Myanmar troops. Gen Prayut made the remark when he spoke to the media at Government House on Monday – two days after at least 90 Myanmar citizens, including several children, were killed after Myanmar's security forces opened fire on anti-coup protesters. As the death toll since the Feb 1 coup soared to over 460 on Monday, the Myanmar junta staged a major show of might for its annual Armed Forces Day. The prime minister also defended the Thai military's decision to send representatives to attend the Armed Forces Day celebrations, saying Thailand needs to engage and maintain a communications channel. "It is a military channel. We need mechanisms which will enable us to follow political developments in Myanmar. The countries share a border and we will be affected," he said. Gen Prayut said authorities were preparing for a possible flood of refugees fleeing the violence in Myanmar. "We don't want an exodus into our territory, but we will observe human rights, too," Gen Prayut said while declining to estimate the number of people who might flee across the border. Gen Prayut said economic activities between Thailand and Myanmar are continuing as usual because they are vital to the livelihoods of people in both countries. However, he said the government will have to carefully weigh this against measures imposed by ASEAN and other international organisations. – Bangkok Post
Gov’t preparing P23 billion in aid for areas on lockdown
The government is preparing a budget of P23 billion as financial assistance to 22.9 million beneficiaries affected by the hard lockdown imposed on Metro Manila and four neighbouring provinces following a surge of coronavirus infections, Budget Secretary Wendel Avisado said on Monday. Speaking at presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s press briefing, Avisado said the number of beneficiaries corresponds to 80 percent of the low-income population of the capital region and the provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal as determined by the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). President Duterte was expected to approve the amount in his meeting with the Cabinet later on Monday. Avisado said the funds would come from the unused balance of the Bayanihan 2 assistance program. Bayanihan 2 (Republic Act No. 11494) and the preceding Bayanihan 1 (RA 11469) are legislated programs aimed at facilitating the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and providing funds and other resources to boost economic recovery. Early this year, Mr. Duterte signed RA 11519, extending to June the appropriations under Bayanihan 2, which lapsed in December last year. The budget chief said beneficiaries were expected to get the financial aid by the middle of April. Roque said assistance per beneficiary might be a “little below P2,000 or a maximum of P2,000.” But Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III declined to confirm Roque’s figures. “Let’s wait for Malacañang’s announcement,” he said. According to Roque, the beneficiaries will most probably be workers who are unable to report on the working days during the weeklong enhanced community quarantine (ECQ), from March 29 to April 4. He also said local officials were considering providing food instead, since there were reports that the previous cash assistance from the government was spent on gambling and other vices. Avisado said the financial package, as approved by Mr. Duterte, would be transferred to the local governments, which would be in charge of distribution. Sen. Risa Hontiveros, in a statement, said cash aid “should not come in tranches, but should be continuing.” “It doesn’t mean that once we’re out of ECQ, people would not be suffering anymore,” she said. In its statement, advocacy group Social Watch Philippines said, “This continuing pandemic is a wake-up call for the government to strengthen its technical capacity and administrative competence in providing social protection schemes.” – INQUIRER.net
Prime Minister suggests Ha Noi develop satellite cities
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc suggested Ha Noi should pay more attention to developing satellite cities and expand the capital to both the north and the west, while continuing to build a green and clean city. The Government leader was speaking during a working session on Sunday with key officials of the capital city. He commended Ha Noi for its socio-economic achievements in 2020, as well as efforts in COVID-19 prevention and control. He noted encouraging signs in the city’s socio-economic situation in the first quarter of this year, including a 5.15 per cent increase in budget collection, despite economic toll caused by COVID-19 disruptions. PM Phuc also raised outstanding problems such as the delay in planning of satellite cities and reconstruction of old apartment buildings, adding that the city has yet to submit to the PM for approval planning tasks for 2021-30 with vision to 2050. Ha Noi must become a cultural city, a place worthy of living for residents and international friends, the PM said, urging the municipal authorities to make plans to preserve and develop the local tangible and intangible cultural heritage while building a dynamic and modern city. PM Phuc stressed that Ha Noi should lead the way in implementing the Government’s Resolution 01 on socio-economic development, and must successfully organise the elections of deputies to the 15th National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels in the 2021-26 tenure. He approved the city’s proposals on key transport projects, the use of public housing and land, and the adjustment of the ratio of urban and rural land to 40-60 per cent, and assigned relevant ministries and agencies to support the city. Chairman of Ha Noi People’s Committee Chu Ngoc Anh reported that production and business activities in the city showed clear improvements in the January-February period, with a 5.17 per cent growth in GRDP. The capital city attracted US$101.5 million in foreign direct investment and more than VNĐ3.2 trillion in domestic investment. – Viet Nam News
Mass vaccination drive: PM sets target to inoculate one million people per month
Prime Minister Hun Sen yesterday unveiled a plan to distribute one million doses of COVID-19 vaccine to 500,000 people next month. His ultimate goal is to inoculate one million people per month and has ordered officials to work hard to achieve this end. In an audio message statement on his Facebook page, Mr Hun Sen said he planned to distribute one million doses of Sinovac vaccine in one month to Cambodians now that more vaccines have arrived. Therefore, the vaccines must be delivered to the people in a timely fashion. He asked provincial authorities to cooperate in setting up vaccination sites accurately and quickly to achieve this goal. Currently, there are 300 vaccination sites nationwide. Mr Hun Sen also said that he had asked Phnom Penh and all provincial governors to prepare the vaccination sites and accommodation for the national medical team ahead of schedule. “Presently, there are a lot of guesthouses and hotels that the authorities can rely on for our doctors to stay at to avoid renting a building which wastes money. When doctors from Phnom Penh go to the provinces, the Health Ministry should be responsible for expenses such as travel and food, while the provincial authorities are responsible for accommodation,” Mr Hun Sen said. He added that the owners of the guesthouses and hotels were not unkind and they will join with this vaccination campaign because it is a humanitarian effort that can help the people avoid being infected with COVID-19. Mr Hun Sen also advised each province to find doctors who are not responsible for general medical treatment, as well as volunteer doctors in private hospitals, to attend training to help with this vaccination campaign. The announcement of the plan to accelerate the vaccinations for COVID-19 was made after Cambodia purchased 1.5 million doses of the Sinovac vaccine, which arrived on March 26. In addition, on March 31, Cambodia is expected to receive an additional 700,000 doses of the Sinopharm vaccine as a grant from the Chinese government (300,000 doses for the Ministry of Defence and 400,000 doses for the Ministry of Health, which fulfils the original promise of one million doses). Currently, Cambodia has already received two types of vaccines: 600,000 doses of Sinopharm as grant aid from China and 320,000 doses of AstraZeneca (India) with the assistance of the World Health Organization through the COVAX Facility. – Khmer Times
A nurse, an architect, and a striking police officer among 169 murdered by junta over the weekend
A total of 169 people in 50 towns and cities across the country were murdered by the junta’s gunmen over the weekend, according to Myanmar Now’s latest tally of the worst bout of violence since the February 1 coup. We have been able to identify all but 15 of the victims. At least 14 of them were children. Also among the victims were a 20-year-old nurse working with a rescue team, a footballer, a doctor, an architect, a women’s rights activist, a bank employee, a vendor of Burmese snacks, a policeman who was on strike, and a tour guide. The nurse, Thinzar Hein, was shot in the head in Monywa while helping other protesters who had been shot by soldiers. Video footage from February 22 showed her giving a speech to a crowd of protesters in Monywa in which she urged government employees to join the Civil Disobedience Movement (CDM). In the video, she said young people did not want to be forced into a repressive education system under the regime of coup leader Min Aung Hlaing. She also spoke about how she voted for the first time in last year’s election, which the military falsely claimed was marred by widespread voter fraud following a massive landslide victory for the National League for Democracy. Chit Lin Thu, a 21-year-old striking police officer, was among 114 people murdered on Saturday while Min Aung Hlaing attended a military parade in Naypyidaw to mark Armed Forces Day. Chit Lin Thu abandoned his police duties on March 4, a day after his superiors issued a shoot-to-kill order in response to anti-coup protests, said his brother, whose name has been withheld for security reasons. “He told me: ‘my brothers could be among the protesters. The people did not do anything wrong and I can’t shoot.’ He left his job and has been protesting,” the brother told Myanmar Now. Khukhu Celina, an activist with the Women for Justice rights group, was also killed by the junta’s armed forces during an attack on an anti-coup protest in Kalay, Sagaing region. She was shot in the chest. Many fellow activists and friends mourned her death and said she was always at the forefront of the fight against injustice and inequality. Aye Myat Thu, 11, from Mawlamyine in Mon state, was the youngest to be murdered on the weekend. Her funeral was held in Mawlamyine on Sunday. She was buried with her favourite toys, colouring books and a drawing of Hello Kitty. – Myanmar NOW
Over 7.39 million Indonesians administered COVID-19 vaccine
Indonesia has administered COVID-19 jabs to 7,394,421 people, including healthcare workers, public service officers, and senior citizens, as of Monday (March 29, 2021), according to the COVID-19 Response Task Force. The number of vaccine recipients who were administered their first dose increased by 151,219 on Monday compared to the day before, according to data from the task force received in Jakarta. Meanwhile, 3,313,494 of the total 7,394,421 vaccine recipients obtained their second vaccine shot as of Monday, up 67,039 compared to the previous day. With the additional people vaccinated against the virus, 18.32 percent of the targeted 40,349,051 people vaccinated in the first and second phases have received their first shots of the vaccine. Only 8.21 percent of them have received their second vaccine shot. The Health Ministry is making an effort to ensure COVID-19 vaccine supplies for the immunization program this year, following AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine producer in India putting an embargo on its vaccines. "Indonesia will only have seven million doses of the Sinovac vaccine in April (2021). I originally supposed that we would receive 7.5 million doses of the vaccine from AstraZeneca," Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin said while addressing the Charta Politika Indonesia forum. He said the delivery of the AstraZeneca vaccine to Indonesia, which was originally scheduled for March and April this year, has been suspended after its producer in India embargoed it. The central government is aiming to inoculate 181,554,465 people, or 70 percent of the total Indonesian population, to build herd immunity against the coronavirus. To achieve the target, the government is making efforts to increase the capacity of vaccination services. – AntaraNews.Com