These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Police arrest man accused of using racial slur, kicking 55-year-old woman in Choa Chu Kang
The police on Tuesday (May 11) said they arrested a 30-year-old man alleged to have used a racial slur and kicked a woman on the chest last week. The man was arrested for public nuisance, uttering words with intent to wound the racial feelings of others, and voluntarily causing hurt, following a report lodged about an incident in Choa Chu Kang Drive on Friday (May 7), said the police in a statement, adding that investigations are ongoing. "The police take a serious view of such acts that have the potential to damage racial harmony in Singapore. Any person who makes remarks or takes action that can cause ill-will and hostility between the different races will be dealt with swiftly and in accordance with the law," they said. The woman, private tutor Hindocha Nita Vishnubhai, 55, told The Straits Times on Tuesday that she went to Jurong Police Division Headquarters at noon and narrated the incident to an officer. Madam Nita also accompanied the officer to the scene of the alleged incident. "I feel so much safer now that a suspect has been identified. The police were very efficient and have done a commendable job addressing this incident," she said. Madam Nita, an Indian Singaporean, was brisk walking from Choa Chu Kang MRT station towards Choa Chu Kang stadium at about 8.30am on Friday when the alleged assault took place. – The Straits Times
'Public must brace for longest MCO'
Malaysia should brace itself for the longest Movement Control Order (MCO) yet following the sharp increase in Covid-19 cases in the past few weeks that have yet to plateau. Malaysian Public Health Physicians Association president Datuk Dr Zainal Ariffin Omar said a downward trend in cases might only be seen within the next two or three months of these strict curbs. "The MCO will be just enough to reduce local transmissions and cases. We will need another two to three months for the Covid-19 cases to show a significant decline," he told the New Straits Times, referring to the restrictions that came into effect today. He, however, said this could only be done if the people continued to follow the standard operating procedures (SOP) with the government issuing clear and logical guidelines to address the spike. His comments came amid rising non-compliance with SOP in the third phase of the MCO. Over the past week, bans on interstate travel had been flouted in anticipation of the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays. Experts have attributed this to pandemic fatigue and growing dissatisfaction with double standards in enforcement against the elite versus regular Malaysians. Dr Zainal said the spread of infections would still happen unless everyone complied with the SOP. He added that people would try to meet up whenever there was an opportunity, especially during Hari Raya this week. "This could be avoided if everyone has a high sense of responsibility and is aware of the risks." Epidemiologist Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud concurred that it would take a while before the spike, triggered by sporadic cases, quelled. "It would perhaps take two to three months, but that too depends on whether all mitigation measures run smoothly and contact tracing is reinstated to normal levels," he said, reiterating that the previous trend of declining cases was a false representation due to the dearth of contact tracing. He reminded the government that movement restrictions would work only if they were "strict and long enough". "The MCO buys time for us to recover and take a breather, but it needs to be accompanied by parallel measures. If not, the time bought is squandered and we will repeat this cycle of MCOs, with deleterious effects on the livelihood of people. "This is not a balancing act, and the authorities must not take its eye off the ball. Health leads to wealth. It is not a zero-sum game." He said contact tracing and testing had to be increased to reduce the number of sporadic cases, which are behind the spike in infections. – New Straits Times
5m targeted for jabs in city
Health authorities now aim to get around 70% of the capital's residents, or about 5 million people, vaccinated against Covid-19 in two months, according to a top Public Health Ministry official. The move followed Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Tuesday voicing concern during the cabinet meeting that the number of people who have registered for vaccinations with the government was below target. So far, more than 1.6 million people aged 60 and above and those with seven types of underlying health conditions have signed up for vaccines. Of this number, more than 500,000 were in Bangkok and over 200,000 others were in the northern province of Lampang. Sopon Mekthon, assistant to the public health minister in his capacity as chairman of the government's sub-committee on Covid-19 vaccination management, said the mass vaccination drive aimed to curb the serious outbreak in the capital, after a meeting of the sub-committee at the ministry on Tuesday. Dr Sopon said the ministry will use both Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines during the mass inoculation campaign in Bangkok, adding that an additional 2.5 million doses of the Sinovac jab and 1.7 million doses of the AstraZeneca shot will be delivered to the country this month. The ministry plans to use parts of Bang Sue Railway Central Station as a vaccination hub and to administer 100,000 doses per day in Bangkok. In Bangkok, people aged over 18 years are eligible to receive Covid vaccines. However, they must not have any medical contraindications that might endanger them. Dr Sopon went on to say that he was also confident that from next month, each month there will be 10 million more doses of Covid-19 vaccines available. "So, we want every province to keep accelerating their vaccination programme," he said. Sopon Iamsirithaworn, deputy director-general of the Disease Control Department, said the residents targeted included migrants and residents who aren't registered in the capital. As of now, only 5% of the capital's residents have been vaccinated, he said. Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said the government now aims to get 70% of the entire population, or about 50 million people, vaccinated against Covid-19 by December. – Bangkok Post
Magnitude 5.8 quake jolts Mindoro, parts of Metro Manila
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck off Mindoro island Wednesday morning and was felt in parts of Metro Manila and Southern Luzon. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake which occurred at 9:09 a.m. centred 11 kilometres northeast of the town of Abra de Ilog in Occidental Mindoro. It had a depth of 11o kilometres. There were no immediate reports of damage or injury from the earthquake that lasted for a few seconds in several intervals. Undersecretary Renato Solidum, Phivolcs director, said the earthquake, which was tectonic in origin, was caused by the movement along the Manila trench. “Dahil po malalim, mas malawak po ang makakaramdam, hindi lang po sa Mindoro, CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) area, pati din sa Metro Manila,” Solidum told Teleradyo. (Because of its depth, more areas felt the earthquake, like in Mindoro, Calabarzon area, even Metro Manila.) In a separate report, PHIVOLCS reported that Intensity V was felt in Lubang Occidental Mindoro; Calamba City in Laguna; and Calaca, Batangas. Intensity IV was felt in Malvar and Lemery, Batangas; Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro; Mendez, Cavite; Limay, Bataan; Tagaytay City; and even as far as Manila. Batangas towns Agoncillo, Cuenca, Talisay, and Lipa City; General Trias and Dasmarinas in Cavite; and southern Metro cities Muntinlupa and Makati reported Intensity III. Intensity II was reported in Caloocan City and Marikina City; Olongapo City, Zambales; Cavite City; Sta. Cruz, Laguna; Taysan, Batangas; Batangas City; Lucena City, Dolores and Mulanay towns in Quezon province; and in Binangonan Rizal. San Mateo, Rizal; and San Francisco, Quezon reported Intensity I. Solidum said that the quake is unlikely to cause damage, while he also ruled out the threat of a possible tsunami. “Wala pong pangamba sa tsunami, so far ang mga naka-experience ng lindol ay nagrereport ng intensity four, kung ganun lang po hindi tayo nage-expect ng damage,” Solidum told Teleradyo. (There is no threat of tsunami. So far, the areas affected by the earthquake have only reported intensity four, if that’s the case, then we are not expecting any damage.) Solidum added that aftershocks are possible but they also won’t expect it to be damaging. – INQUIRER.net
Japanese PM Suga reaffirms vaccine support for Viet Nam
Vietnamese State President Nguyen Xuan Phuc had a phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide on Tuesday from the Presidential Palace in Ha Noi. On behalf of the Japanese Government and people, PM Suga congratulated Phuc for having been elected as President of Viet Nam, and expressed gratitude for the cordial welcome that Phuc, while in his position as Vietnamese Prime Minister, had extended to the Japanese leader during the latter’s official visit to Viet Nam in October last year. Suga stressed Japan put relations with Viet Nam in high regard and would continue to promote close and active cooperation to support Viet Nam’s development in the future. In this spirit, the Japanese Government has decided to provide a JPY200 million vaccine cold chain storage, a marine research ship to Viet Nam, and would open the Japanese consulate in Da Nang City in 2022. President Phuc reiterated his appreciation as to the fact that PM Suga has picked Viet Nam as the destination for his first overseas trip after taking office in October 2020, expressing his delight at the strong and comprehensive development of the bilateral relations with high level of political confidence, affirming that in implementing the foreign policy as stated in the documents adopted in the 13th National Party Congress, Viet Nam always considers Japan a priority, long-term strategic partner. On this occasion, President Phuc invited the Emperor and Empress of Japan to visit Viet Nam. President Phuc highly appreciated Japan's effective and practical cooperation in the support of socio-economic development of Viet Nam, including Japanese aid to provide storage equipment for vaccines. He also asked Japan to cooperate further with Viet Nam and provide support with regards to COVID-19 vaccines to serve the vaccination campaign of the Vietnamese people along with support for the Vietnamese community in Japan. The Japanese leader affirmed that Japan will support and collaborate with Viet Nam to ensure the necessary number of vaccines and continue to support Vietnamese trainees in Japan, who serve as ‘the bridge’ of cooperation for the relationship between the two countries. The two sides agreed to continue to strengthen exchanges and contacts at all levels – especially at high levels, improve the efficiency of cooperation mechanisms, and closely coordinate and strengthen cooperation in COVID-19 prevention and control, accelerate cooperation in the implementation of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), bolster the connection between the two economies in terms of investment and trade, and expand cooperation in agriculture and labour, localities-level cooperation. – Viet Nam News
Cambodia orders additional 5 million vaccine doses from China
Cambodia has ordered an additional five million doses of Sinovac vaccine to be given to its people, said Ministry of Health’s Secretary of State, Youk Sambath yesterday. To date, Cambodia has received over 4.5 million doses of vaccines with 1.7 million doses of China-donated Sinopharm, 2.5 million doses of Sinovac, also from China, and 324,000 doses of Oxford/AstraZeneca (Covishield) via the COVAX Facility. Sambath said Prime Minister Hun Sen had ordered five million doses of Sinovac from China which will be given free to Cambodia with the aim of building herd immunity to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Sambath, who was at the Phnom Penh International Airport yesterday morning to receive 500,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine, said Cambodia will get 1.5 million more doses of the same vaccine before the end of this month. She added another 500,000 doses are expected to arrive on May 16, and a million doses on May 23. She said the newly-arrived 500,000 doses of vaccine will be given to people in Red Zones and high-risk areas of Phnom Penh and Kandal province. Cambodia, which started its vaccination drive in February, has so far inoculated more than 1.82 million people. Cambodia is set to vaccinate some 10 million people or 62 percent of the population by mid-2022 and more than 95 percent subsequently. Meanwhile, the Australian government yesterday signed an agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to contribute around an additional $3.1 million to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 on Cambodia’s economy and people, starting immediately. This contribution will top up the Australia-UNDP “Resilience Fund” – a flexible mechanism that has already been providing targeted support to Cambodia’s socio-economic response and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. The Resilience Fund has facilitated the continuation of safe cross-border trade through the provision of critical protective equipment and sanitation materials to Cambodia’s General Department of Customs and Excise. The Fund has also helped small businesses connect with online e-commerce platforms to keep operating during the lockdown and participate in the digital economy long-term. – Khmer Times
Villagers in Myingyan repel junta’s forces for the third time
Residents of a village in Mandalay Region’s Myingyan Township successfully held off an attempted raid by regime forces on Tuesday, killing one soldier and injuring two, according to local sources. The locals, armed only with homemade rifles, successfully repelled around 150 heavily armed troops who tried to enter the village of Myoma on Tuesday afternoon, the sources said. “The villagers kept them at bay by firing warning shots, even though the soldiers were shooting at them non-stop. There was a steady stream of gunfire. We also heard hundreds of individual shots,” said a local who asked to remain anonymous. Two civilians were shot in the arm and are receiving medical treatment in the village, another resident of the area told Myanmar Now. “The people have a stronghold in the middle of a field. There are no trees or bushes to hide behind. They [the soldiers] don't dare go near it, because it’s like entering a killing field,” he said. Myoma is located in the Talokemyo village tract, which consists of four villages with a combined population of around 10,000 people. While all the women, children and elderly people living in Myoma have fled the village, every male inhabitant between the ages of 18 and 50 has stayed behind to defend it from attack, sources said. The assault on Tuesday was the third attempt by the junta’s forces to take control of the village since last month, they added. “They haven’t managed to get into the village. We don’t know what will happen once they do. For now, they are just shooting and waiting. They are threatening it from all sides,” said a villager, describing the situation as of 4pm Tuesday. There are concerns that the regime may deploy more troops to the area to end the standoff, as it has done in parts of Sagaing and Mandalay regions and Chin State where locals have defended their villages with homemade firearms. The military has conducted house raids throughout the area to confiscate hunting rifles, axes, and anything else that can be used as a weapon, residents said. They have also arrested and tortured suspected “rioters” and stolen valuables, including livestock, cash and gold, they added. – Myanmar NOW
PON Papua will be held on schedule, sports minister assures
Youth and Sports Minister Zainudin Amali has assured that the National Sports Week (PON) will be held as scheduled in Papua province from October 2 to October 15, 2021. There is no need for any side to be worried about COVID-19 transmission as the government has committed to vaccinating athletes, officials, and local people against the infection, he said after receiving Papua Vice Governor Klemen Tinal at his office here on Tuesday. “PON has no problem. It will be held on schedule. In fact, the provincial government has made an effort to protect local residents from COVID-19. We have a vaccination policy in place so it (PON) will be secure. Please come. Let us make PON Papua a success,” Amali said in a press statement released the same day. The Youth and Sports Ministry is coordinating with the Health Ministry to ensure the availability of vaccine stocks and the implementation of the vaccination program ahead of the tournament, he informed. Meanwhile, Papua Vice Governor Klemen Tinal assured that Papua is secure and the situation in the province is conducive to hosting the event. The venue for the event is far from areas torn by the conflict between security personnel and armed separatists, he added. He also asked other regions not to be easily influenced by unconfirmed news deeming Papua unsafe. “If there is information that Papua is not secure, I want to clarify it that Papua is safe. Everything related to PON is safe. The venue is safe. We warmly welcome (other regions’ participation),” he remarked. – AntaraNews.Com