These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Police investigating 4 people for abusing enforcement officers, flouting safe distancing measures
Four people are being investigated for abusing enforcement officers and safe distancing ambassadors (SDAs), and not complying with safe distancing measures. The three men and a woman, aged between 25 and 54, allegedly committed the offences in three separate incidents, said a police statement on Friday (June 11). One of them, Ng Chwee Hock, was charged on Friday for using insulting words against a public servant at Redhill Food Centre on Thursday (June 10). The 46-year-old's case will be heard again on July 9. "Preliminary investigations revealed that (Ng) allegedly used abusive language towards the SDEO, when he was advised not to sit at the table in the food centre to consume his food and drinks," police said. SDEO refers to a safe distancing enforcement officer. Ng purportedly refused to comply even when police officers advised him to do so, and continued to verbally abuse the SDEO. Police told The Straits Times that he is currently under investigation for other unrelated offences. In another incident on May 26, police received a report from an SDA that a man taunted her while she was on duty in Crawford Lane. He allegedly approached the SDA, pulled down his mask and asked her to catch him. Another woman is said to have then approached the SDA, pushed her on her shoulder and stepped on her foot. Both the man and woman then fled the scene. Police said the identities of the man, who is 54, and the woman, who is 25, were established through investigations. They are assisting with investigations for using criminal force, voluntarily causing hurt and flouting safe distancing measures. The third incident occurred on May 27 when police were alerted to a dispute involving a group of men at a void deck in Yishun Street 11. Officers spotted the men allegedly gathering, with beer cans strewn across a table beside them. A 39-year-old, who wanted to leave as officers were interviewing the group, allegedly became rowdy and hurled vulgarities after he was told to stay put. He purportedly punched another man in the group when the latter tried to calm him down. He was arrested for using abusive language against a public servant and causing annoyance while drunk. The group will also be investigated for breaching safe distancing measures. Individuals found guilty of using abusive words against a public servant can be jailed for up to a year, or fined up to $5,000, or both. For breaching safe distancing measures, a first-time offender may be jailed up to six months, or fined up to $10,000, or both. Those convicted of using criminal force can be jailed up to three months, or fined up to $1,500, or both. For voluntarily causing hurt, an offender may be jailed up to three years, or fined up to $5,000, or both. The offence of causing annoyance while drunk carries a maximum jail term of six months and a fine of $1,000. – The Straits Times
Kesma urges government to vaccinate its members soon
The Malaysia Airports Workers Union (Kesma) has called on the government to prioritise its members in the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (NIP). Its chief Hussin Shahar said there has been a steep rise in the number of Covid-19 positive cases involving Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) employees as they have not been vaccinated against the virus despite being at constant risk. He said in addition to passengers, there has also been an increase in domestic and foreign cargo movements. Therefore, he said to ensure the movement of cargo is not hindered, companies such as Pos Aviation are working 24 hours to ensure there is no disruption to the country's supply chain. "There are almost 15,000 lives working hard to keep the country's main entry points open and safe. "Their family members and parents, who are estimated to be as many as 50,000 lives are constantly exposed to Covid-19. "As there is no vaccination programme for KLIA Sepang employees, there has been a sharp increase in members from Pos Aviation and other companies who have been infected with Covid-19 during the months of April, May and June 2021," he said in a statement today. Hussin added that all cargo workers, ground-handlers, airlines, airports and traders at the terminal have expressed concern over the increase in positive Covid-19 cases among its members. – New Straits Times
Prawit scoffs at 'early election'
Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon on Thursday brushed aside speculation that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha might call an early general election. "Has the government already completed its term? If not, there is nothing,'' said Gen Prawit, who is also the leader of the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP). The deputy PM was responding to reports that the PM might decide to dissolve the House of Representatives early despite the government having more than a year left of its term in office. Gen Prayut told cabinet colleagues on Tuesday that since the government only had one year left in office they should hurry up and implement projects of benefit to the people. His remark was interpreted by some observers as preparing to dissolve the House. The speculation also followed reports of conflicts emerging among parties in the government's coalition. The Bhumjaithai Party, which oversees the Public Health Ministry, has been upset because Gen Prayut is now calling the shots after the cabinet granted him temporary powers to enforce 31 laws relating to the handling of the pandemic, diminishing the role of its leader and Public Health Minister, Anutin Charnvirakul. Gen Prayut also put the brakes on Mr Anutin's plan for walk-in vaccinations out of fear that any confusion caused by the plan could backfire on the government. Key members of the minister's coalition party, including spokesman Paradorn Prisnanantakul, later criticised the government's strategy. Despite playing down talk of an early election, Gen Prawit would not categorically confirm that the government would be able to serve out its four-year term. "Future situations must be decided by several parties, not only one party," he said. "As for the PPRP, everyone can see for themselves whether the party is strong. But I insist the party will not poach members from other parties." A PPRP source has nevertheless told the Bangkok Post that Gen Prawit had instructed party MPs to prepare for an election, possibly early next year, without being specific about the likely date. Gen Prawit told Deputy Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Thamanat Prompow, who is tipped to be named the party's new secretary-general next Friday, and Deputy Labour Minister Narumon Pinyosinwat to prepare for the poll, the source said. Meanwhile, Chaiyan Chaiyaporn, a scholar at Chulalongkorn University's faculty of political science, said that if Gen Prayut wanted to dissolve the House, this would likely take place early next year, when the government has about 14 months of its term in office left. By that time, the government might have growing confidence that the national vaccination programme has succeeded in containing the pandemic and creating herd immunity, leading to the full reopening of the country and economic recovery, said Mr Chaiyan. He also pointed out that ahead of the next general election, parties must hold primary votes, a new element introduced in the organic law on political parties. Parties must organise primaries in which members choose the candidates they want to stand in both constituency and party-list elections. Setting up party branches will also be a prerequisite for holding primaries. However, Mr Chaiyan said the ruling Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) had not yet set up enough branches to meet the legal requirement, so if an early poll was called, it would be in trouble because it could not field candidates not chosen in primaries. The party is touted to be pushing soon for an amendment to the primary voting system in parliament, and if this amendment is passed, a House dissolution was expected to follow, Mr Chaiyan said. – Bangkok Post
DOH eyeing COVID-19 ‘population protection’ in NCR Plus 8 by year-end
The Department of Health (DOH) is hoping that COVID-19 “population protection” will be achieved in the so-called National Capital Region (NCR) Plus 8 by the end of the year. DOH Undersecretary Ma. Rosario Vergeire explained that while the country’s long-term plan is to achieve herd immunity in the country, the current goal is to achieve population protection which refers to focusing vaccination efforts in specific areas. “So, for NCR Plus 8, ito yung ating ine-estima na hopefully by the end of the year, we will achieve this, we will be able to achieve this, depending on the supplies that will come in,” Vergeire said in a press briefing. (For NCR Plus 8, our estimate is hopefully we can achieve population protection by the end of the year, depending on the supplies that will come in.) The NCR Plus 8 covers Metro Manila, Metro Cebu, Metro Davao, Bulacan, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Pampanga, and Rizal. “[P]opulation protection also speaks of us here in the country being able to vaccinate those most vulnerable because once you vaccinate those most vulnerable – the healthcare workers, the senior citizens, and also those with co-morbidities – you get to see the reduction in hospitalization and deaths,” Vergeire said. Data as of June 6, 2021, showed that 5.95 million COVID-19 vaccine doses have been administered in the country, with 4.4 million of them as first doses. Meanwhile, a total of 1.54 million Filipinos are fully vaccinated. According to DOH, over 1.39 million doses were provided as the first dose to medical front-liners, 1.53 million to senior citizens, 1.47 million to persons with comorbidities, and 12,259 to essential workers. A total of 827,089 medical front-liners, 369,387 senior citizens, 343,297 persons with comorbidities, and 4,559 essential workers are fully vaccinated. – INQUIRER.net
Viet Nam wants Cambodia to ensure welfare for people of Vietnamese origin
The Vietnamese foreign ministry has called on Cambodian authorities to ensure the welfare of people of Vietnamese origin, after Phnom Penh last week ordered the eviction of many households in floating villages on the Tonle Sap River. The spokesperson for the ministry Le Thi Thu Hang made the statement on Thursday in Ha Noi in response to questions over the fate of Vietnamese households affected by Phnom Penh’s decision. Cambodia authorities said they would dismantle and relocate the floating houses, fish farms, and other “unregulated and illegal structures” on the river surface due to waterway pollution and disruption and asked everyone living in these structures to move out immediately. The Vietnamese-origin Cambodian community are ethnic Vietnamese people who moved into Cambodia – mainly in the Tonle Sap River area – and have made a living there for generations, with neither Vietnamese nor Cambodian citizenship papers. The Vietnamese Government still provides some support for them and frequently works with Cambodian authorities to grant legal papers to these people. Hang said Viet Nam “pays attention to this information,” and during a June 6 meeting between Vietnamese foreign minister Bui Thanh Son and his Cambodian counterpart Prak Sokhonn, Son again asked Cambodia to address the legal status of the people of Vietnamese origin in Cambodia. “He also asked that the Cambodian authorities have a reasonable roadmap in the implementation of their socio-economic policies to ensure the rights and welfare of the Vietnamese community, and enable the people affected by the policies to soon return to stability, to either keep their current work or switch to another appropriate occupation and to have full access to essential services,” Hang informed the press. On June 4-7, Vu Quang Minh, Ambassador of Viet Nam to Cambodia, paid an in-person visit to the Vietnamese origin people in Cambodia in the eviction-affected area, Hang noted. “The State Commission on Overseas Vietnamese and the Vietnamese embassy in Cambodia have requested Cambodia to provide favourable conditions and practical relocation support for the affected people, ensuring the humanitarian spirit and the legitimate rights of the people here,” she added. The Cambodian side has acknowledged Viet Nam’s requests and said the Cambodian government will continue to enable Vietnamese students and workers to study and work in Cambodia, and to provide favourable conditions for people of Vietnamese origin to enjoy stable livelihoods in this country. “Viet Nam understands Cambodia’s socio-economic policies and the need to protect the environment, but we also hope that the relocation will be conducted based on a reasonable and feasible roadmap, and new settlement areas will be arranged with all essential infrastructure, allowing for the relocated people to soon stabilise their lives and have their social welfare safeguarded,” the spokesperson said. Hang said that in recent times, Vietnamese representatives and diplomatic missions in Cambodia have together with the Khmer-Viet Nam Association in Cambodia provided support for multiple households of people of Vietnamese origin to relocate to new settlements in keeping with the Cambodian government’s guidelines and their lives have started to become more stable. “Following the instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vietnamese diplomatic mission in Cambodia will continue to monitor Cambodia’s relocation plan and the situation of the Vietnamese origin community here and co-operate with the Khmer-Viet Nam Association in Cambodia to render timely and practical assistance to our fellow countrymen,” Hang said. – Viet Nam News
Selfish move: Infected workers use fleeing colleagues as cover to escape too
As scores of their colleagues fled to avoid having to undergo swab tests, 11 garment workers who tested positive for Covid-19 at a factory in the capital took the opportunity to escape along with them, potentially spreading the virus into the community. On Wednesday, about 1,000 workers at Fortress International Co Ltd in Dangkor district’s Pong Toek commune fled while the authorities were conducting swab tests. Pong Toek commune clerk Mam Sarin told Khmer Times yesterday that the incident at Fortress International factory took place because the 1,000 workers wanted to go home and did not want to wait for their turn to be tested. “Fortress International Co Ltd has about 1,800 workers and on Wednesday night, 300 samples were taken and 11 tested positive for Covid-19,” he said. “Immediately after being tested positive for Covid-19, the 11 patients took advantage of the commotion caused by the others fleeing the factory and ran away with them. So far, the authorities have found only seven of the escapees,” he said. Sarin said that the authorities in Dangkor district, in cooperation with the factory administration, have already contacted the other workers who had fled and told them to come back for testing tomorrow. Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng yesterday ordered authorities to strengthen measures to ensure that workers who are scheduled to be tested for Covid-19 do not flee the factories. The measures include beefing up enforcement, including the use of more police officers to tighten security around the factories where testing is taking place. Sreng said local authorities should educate factory workers on the need to cooperate with volunteer doctors who go to collect their samples for testing because failure to do so could result in them or their families becoming infected with Covid-19. “I would like to call on all workers as well as the people throughout the capital to cooperate with the Phnom Penh administration, local authorities, health officials as well as all the volunteer doctors in order to facilitate sample testing,” he said. “Taking a sample is very important. If they test negative, they can continue to work as usual. Only those who test positive must go to hospital immediately so as not to aggravate the situation,” Sreng added. – Khmer Times
Former USDP MP assassinated, as wave of killings continues
A former MP from the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) was shot dead in Yangon’s Botahtaung Township on Thursday evening in the latest killing of a figure connected to Myanmar’s ruling junta. Nay Myo Aung, who was elected to the Yangon Region parliament more than a decade ago, was gunned down by two men who then fled the scene, witnesses told Myanmar Now. “He was shot twice in the head at close range while walking near the sculpture shops in Botahtaung Pagoda Market. There were two gunmen. After the shooting, they ran away,” said a local resident who spoke on condition of anonymity. The former MP from the military proxy party had reportedly been keeping a low profile in recent weeks amid a spate of deadly attacks on local officials and alleged regime informers. Soon after the incident, regime forces arrived at the scene of the crime to collect CCTV footage from security cameras at Botahtaung Pagoda, according to a man living in the area. Another resident said that Nay Myo Aung was about to consult a fortune teller in the market when he was shot dead. Residents said they could not identify the killers. Myanmar Now was unable to reach Botahtaung Township Myoma Police Station for comment. According to USDP spokesperson Nanda Hla Myint, around 70 party members have been killed so far on suspicion of informing on anti-regime protesters. “We, our party members, talk to each other to take care of our own safety and to support each other. We have to worry about others and we have to worry about ourselves,” he told local news outlet The Irrawaddy in an interview. The USDP has not yet commented on the assassination of Nay Myo Aung, who won the 2010 election in Seikkan Township’s constituency 2 but lost his seat five years later when the National League for Democracy (NLD) swept to power. In 2018, he ran again and defeated his NLD rival by around 150 votes. However, the result was later overturned due to alleged electoral fraud, allowing the NLD candidate, who received the second-highest number of votes, to claim the seat. The charges against Nay Myo Aung were based in part on a report by Myanmar Now, which had discovered that more than a hundred residents of his constituency had received low-interest loans from a company linked to the USDP. Myanmar Now later testified before the Union Election Commission in Naypyitaw in connection with the case, which also included charges of using religion for campaign purposes and illegal construction of a party office on state-owned land. Nay Myo Aung admitted that he was behind the loans, but denied that they were related to the election. “Lending money or not lending is not the main issue. I am just thinking of how to help the people in my constituency,” he told Myanmar Now in an interview conducted at the time. – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia receives another 1.5 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine
Indonesia received an additional 1,504,800 doses of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine through the multilateral COVAX Facility on Thursday night, according to Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi. "Alhamdulillah (Thank God), this night, Indonesia received another 1,504,800 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the multilateral COVAX Facility," the minister noted in a press briefing aired on the Presidential Secretariat YouTube Channel on Thursday. Indonesia also received 313,100 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through the COVAX Facility on June 5, 2021. With the addition of 313,100 doses and 1,504,000 doses on June 5 and June 10, 2021, Indonesia has received 8,228,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine free of charge. Overall, Indonesia has obtained 93,720,400 doses of the vaccine comprising 84,500,000 doses of the Sinovac vaccine, 8,228,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, and one million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine. The minister remarked that one million doses of the Sinopharm vaccine will arrive in Indonesia on Friday afternoon. The vaccine will be used for a mutual help vaccination program. Marsudi stressed that the vaccine is an essential and crucial effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. Several countries that rolled out massive vaccination programs have managed to reduce the coronavirus transmission rate significantly. The minister appealed to all elements of the nation to make the vaccination program a success. "This effort will yield good success if it receives full support from the public. Everything from all of us will be part of the solution. Let us make the COVID-19 vaccination a success and consistently follow the health protocols," she remarked. More than 11 million people in Indonesia have received their second dose of the coronavirus vaccine as of Monday afternoon (June 7), according to the Task Force for COVID-19 Handling. As many as 70,312 people received their second jab on Monday, bringing the total number of fully vaccinated Indonesians to 11,197,069. Meanwhile, the number of Indonesians receiving their first dose of the vaccine increased by 132,315 to reach 17,775,918. The government is targeting to vaccinate 40,349,049 people against COVID-19 in the first and second phases of the national vaccination program that is according priority to healthcare workers, public service officers, and senior citizens. The inoculation of public service workers, including teachers and senior citizens, is still underway in several parts of the country. Overall, the government is seeking to vaccinate 181.5 million citizens, or 70 percent of the population, to create herd immunity against the virus. – AntaraNews.Com