These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Singapore's resident unemployment rate falls for 7th straight month
Singapore's labour market continued to recover in May, latest figures from the Ministry of Manpower showed on Thursday (July 1). The resident unemployment rate, which covers Singapore citizens and permanent residents, fell for the seventh consecutive month. It declined to 3.8 per cent, from 3.9 per cent in the preceding month. Meanwhile, unemployment among Singapore citizens also dropped to 4 per cent, from 4.1 per cent previously. The overall unemployment rate fell to 2.8 per cent, from 2.9 per cent in April. About 88,600 residents were unemployed in May, including 79,000 citizens. This is down from 92,100 unemployed residents, including 82,800 citizens, in April. Singapore's unemployment rates peaked in September last year and persisted through October before falling steadily since November. The downward trend of unemployment rates is a good sign that the labour market is steadily improving, said Manpower Minister Tan See Leng. "However, we remain cautiously optimistic about the situation as we continue to see resurgence of the virus globally and have also yet to see the full impact of phase two (heightened alert) restrictions, which began in mid-May," said Dr Tan in a Facebook post on Thursday. He added that the road to recovery may be a long one. "As we restructure and rejuvenate our economy so that we can create good jobs, I urge businesses to tap on available support such as the Jobs Growth Incentive to expand local hiring, as well as existing schemes to innovate and transform their work processes," he said. "At the same time, I want to encourage our jobseekers, who have continuously shown resilience and willingness to try out new roles and sectors during this difficult time." Jobseekers who need help with their job search can approach Workforce Singapore and the National Trades Union Congress' Employment and Employability Institute. The Manpower Ministry and Workforce Singapore will continue to work with the various economic agencies to create new opportunities and match workers to them, said Dr Tan. "Together, we will press on, towards the road to recovery." – The Straits Times
Novelplus Technology aims to expand e-book content to cater SEA market
Online social reading and writing platform developer Novelplus Technology Bhd (NTB) plans to expand the content of its library to include e-books published in both Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia, well as other languages from Southeast Asia. Currently, the company has an e-book library comprising over 37,000 published novels in Bahasa Melayu and Bahasa Indonesia with an ecosystem comprising over 2.1 million users, of which approximately 10,000 are registered as writers, and the rest are readers. According to statistics provided by the company, e-books have seen healthy growth in Southeast Asia from US$308.1 million (RM1.3 billion) in 2016 to US$382.9 million (RM1.6 billion) in 2019, which is a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5 per cent. Moving forward, the e-book market size may register a CAGR of 6.4 per cent between 2020 and 2022, to reach US$461.0 million (RM1.9 billion). NTB today successfully listed on the LEAP Market of Bursa Malaysia at RM0.25 per share, above the offer price of RM0.15 per share. Chief executive officer Crystal Lai said the company is now better positioned to focus on new business expansion and pursue future growth opportunities after the successful listing. "NTB continues to innovate and evolve for the needs of our users. This is the beginning of an evolution for our company, and we will continue to make improvements that mirror our users' needs," she said in a statement today. TA Securities Holdings Bhd is the approved adviser, placement agent and continuing adviser for the listing exercise. The platform operates under the name NovelPlus, with the content being accessed through the company's mobile application and web browser. It operates on a freemium model where readers can access the platform for free or pay a subscription fee to enjoy an advertisement-free reading experience. The NovelPlus platform allows readers to browse and select e-books, personalise their experience and manage their profile, and interact with writers registered on the platform. The NovelPlus platform allows writers to write, edit, and self-publish their serialized novels, build readerships, and receive reviews and tokens of appreciation from readers. Advertisers can also advertise on the mobile application and web browser, with the advertisements targeted towards users who are not subscribed. – New Straits Times
CCSA reaffirms need for dine-in ban, fears 4th wave
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is calling on eateries and restaurants to not defy restrictions on dining-in that were put in place to curb the spread of the virus, as it admitted that a fourth wave of infections will soon sweep through the country. Gen Natthapol Nakpanich, head of CCSA's operations centre, said on Wednesday a fourth wave is imminent because the Delta variant which was first detected in India is rapidly spreading domestically – a fact worrying experts at Siriraj Hospital, the country's main medical facility. Health authorities has found the Delta variant is quickly making inroads against the Alpha strain first detected in the United Kingdom, which was once the most commonly detected Covid-19 variant in Thailand. Experts have recommended a slew of new measures which the government quickly put in place last weekend with little notice to affected businesses – a move which drew heavy criticism from business owners whose operations are affected by the restrictions. Restaurant owners and operators, for example, protested against the abrupt announcement, which left them little time to prepare. Many had stocked up on fresh ingredients the night before the ban, only to wake up and be told that no dine-in would be allowed for a month. The dine-in ban was published in the Royal Gazette around midnight on Saturday and came into effect on Monday. On Wednesday, Gen Natthapol urged restaurant owners and operators not to join a campaign of civil disobedience being drummed up on social media, which calls on restaurants and eateries to defy the dine-in ban. He said the government is aware of the #GooJaperdMuengJaThammai ("We'll Open, What Are You Going Do About It?") campaign. On her Facebook page, Pannika Wanich, spokeswoman for the Progressive Movement, bemoaned the "unfair law" being enforced on restaurants and eateries, against which people must mount stiff resistance. She also asked restaurants and eateries to sign up for the campaign. Organisers said on Facebook the campaign will be launched in three stages. Stage 1 will see the opening of 10-15 participating restaurants and eateries in each Bangkok district where live music will be played, but patrons would be limited to no more than 20. In Stage 2, alcohol will be served with businesses opened to close friends and regular customers only. In Stage 3, restaurants and beer gardens will be set up on roads, where protest speeches will be made. The organisers said they have hired lawyers to help defend participating restaurants and eateries in court for breaking the executive decree on security and public health. Gen Natthapol, however, insisted defying the dine-in ban could worsen the virus transmission and endanger the lives of both the operators and customers. Authorities will seek cooperation in following the measure, he said, adding enforcing the law straight away would lead to tension. He reminded that the restriction was put in place after it was discovered many people caught the virus during group visits to restaurants and eateries. Gen Natthapol said the operators and staff at restaurants and eateries will be compensated for the disruption to their businesses. – Bangkok Post
‘I’m not attacking the President:’ Pacquiao says on fight vs gov’t corruption
Senator Manny Pacquiao has denied “attacking” President Rodrigo Duterte after he criticized government corruption under the current administration, saying he wishes to work with the Chief Executive in cracking down on corrupt officials. “I’m not attacking the President. Baka mali lang yung perception nila…kasi yung advocacy niya is against corruption, katulong ako kasi ang pinaka punot dulo talaga ng problema ng ating bansa is corruption,” Pacquiao said in an interview on Teleradyo on Thursday. “I agree and support the President. Yung advocacy niya na sugpuin yung corruption and ang pangarap ko sa buhay, gusto ko makita ang mga kawatan ng gobyerno na nasa kulungan,” he added. Earlier, Duterte warned that he would campaign against the senator should the latter fail to name corrupt agencies in the current administration. The President claimed the senator had supposedly said the current administration is “three times more corrupt” than the previous one. “I am not questioning your ability, intellectually or what,” Duterte had said. “But if you can’t do that, I will be after you every day. I will expose you as a liar. Pacquiao accepted Duterte’s challenge, telling the President he is not a liar. “Nagpapasalamat ako sa ating Pangulo na binibigyan tayo ng pagkakataon,” the senator said in his Teleradyo interview. He said there have been individuals reaching out to him about alleged corruption in the government. Pacquiao said he did not publicize them because he does not want to insult the President. “Maraming nagbibigay sa akin na mga issue ng corruption na mga papers. Ayoko lang kasi malabas dahil baka insulto sa pangulo na parang nagiimbestiga ako kung ano yung mga corrupt,” he said. “Yung mga tao lang, siguro nagtiwala din sila sakin, binibigay sakin yung mga ebidensya nagsusumbong sa akin,” he added. – INQUIRER.net
HCM City sets up COVID task forces, increases testing capacity to 1 million a day
HCM City authorities have tightened COVID prevention measures by setting up 25 task forces in 21 districts and Thu Duc City, and improving testing capacity to one million samples per day. The task forces led by the Department of Health will focus on high-risk areas such as industrial parks, export processing zones and high-tech zones. Twenty-two of the task forces will work with leaders of People’s Committees in city districts and Thu Duc City to enhance prevention measures in those areas. The other three task forces will support management boards in export processing zones, industrial parks and high-tech parks, including the Quang Trung Software Park. Task force members include representatives of the health department, the HCM City Centre for Disease Control (HCDC), students at medical universities, and members of youth unions. Over the next two weeks, the health department will improve testing capacity to 1 million a day, especially in isolation and locked-down areas, to prevent cross-infection in these areas. The city is piloting a programme to conduct rapid testing in the high-risk areas in order to detect positive cases as early as possible. If there are negative results from the rapid tests, pooled samples of five to 10 will be tested by the more reliable and precise Realtime-PCR tests, with a goal of testing 1 million pooled samples per day, according to the department. The advantage of rapid antigen testing is that it is convenient to use, gives quick results within 30 minutes, and can be used outside the laboratory to help detect suspected cases. The results of rapid antigen testing are, however, not as accurate as the RT-PCR method, which takes four to six hours to get results. The city is speeding up screening tests in high-risk areas, ensuring quick results of less than 12 hours. It has already started taking testing samples from people in residential areas, industrial parks, export processing zones and hi-tech parks. They aim to test 5 million people by July 5. To reduce the risk of cross-infection at concentrated medical isolation facilities, the Ministry of Health has issued specific guidelines for F1 cases (close contacts of COVID-19 patients) to isolate at home instead of in centralised quarantine areas. The city has urged businesses to pay for the costs of COVID rapid tests for employees once a week. It has also ordered the health sector officials to make their decisions on locking down areas within one hour after a COVID positive test is confirmed in an area. Protection measures for health workers involved in examination and treatment of COVID patients must be ensured, and cross-infection at hospitals must be prevented. The city plans to expand concentrated isolation areas to meet demand if the number of F1 cases increases rapidly. Hotels will also be used as isolation areas for F1 cases who will have to pay a fee to stay there. The city has developed a scenario of 10,000 cases, including preparation for oxygen reserves, medical equipment and purchases of additional equipment for treatment. The city’s vaccine-negotiation working group has been working with partners and manufacturers to speed up the progress of vaccine purchases. It has set a goal that by the end of the year about two-thirds of the city’s population will be vaccinated. The city is also enhancing prevention measures at supermarkets, wholesale markets and traditional markets. Any place considered unsafe will be temporarily closed. – Viet Nam News
Secretary of State: Cambodia is at ‘Redline’ for COVID-19 virus transmission and possible lockdown
Dr Or Vandine, Health Ministry spokeswoman and chairwoman of the Covid-19 Vaccination Committee, has emphasised that Cambodia is at a ‘Redline’ status and, if that line is passed, the country may re-enter lockdown status. ‘We are now at the red line for COVID-19 virus transmission in the country. Everyone must act responsibly together in order to suppress virus transmission now please if we do not want to pass the red line which will require lockdown again.’ Her remarks came before yesterday’s announcement of a record 1,130 new cases and 27 deaths – which represents the worst single day for Cambodia, both for deaths and new cases, since the outbreak began. Yesterday’s news brings the total number of COVID cases in Cambodia to above 50,000 and continues the trend in recent days of higher case numbers and, especially, higher deaths. The number of imported cases – which could potentially harbour the ‘Delta’ variant of COVID are another cause for concern, with almost 150 imported cases being recorded just yesterday. Although Phnom Penh has undergone a massive vaccination campaign, there are fears of the spread of COVID-19 in the unvaccinated provinces. Cambodia’s rise in cases comes as the neighbouring countries of Vietnam and Thailand report massive surges in COVID-19 cases. On a separate post on the AKP website, Dr Or Vandine once again called on people to continue to implement the ‘3 measures’ that have been put in place to prevent the transmission of COVID 19. She added that in order for the three measures to be more effective, people should not go to places that are closed or concentrated, because these places are prone to COVID. However, in the case of going to a closed or crowded place, do not stay there for more than 15 minutes, as more than 15 minutes is enough for the COVID virus to invade the body quickly. – Khmer Times
Coup regime orders foreign correspondents to stop calling it a ‘junta’
The coup regime’s information ministry on Wednesday said foreign correspondents in Myanmar would face lawsuits if they continued to refer to the rulers who seized power in February as a junta. In a statement published in the military-run Global New Light of Myanmar, the ministry also objected to the use of the term “military council” in news agencies’ coverage. “It has been clearly announced that the government is not a coup d’état government,” read the statement, which was also published by other military propaganda outlets. It warned foreign outlets against “quoting rootless sources and false news,” adding that “action will be taken against them under the existing laws if they apply wrong usages, quote and exaggerate fake news and disseminate false information.” The regime refers to itself as the State Administration Council. Some foreign news agencies were “undermining the country by disseminating false news to global people,” said the announcement, which came over a week after the junta hit out at CNN and Reuters for their coverage of the torching of Kinma village. The junta has claimed that “armed terrorists” set fire to the Magway Region village, contradicting reports by villagers who said regime forces were responsible. Days after Min Aung Hlaing seized power, the new junta warned local publications that they would lose their publishing licenses if they referred to the takeover as a coup. Both local and international outlets ignored the junta’s warnings. Wednesday’s announcement said the regime controls state duties “in line with the provisions of the state of emergency under the Constitution”. It also falsely claimed that “the United Nations and global countries have recognized the State Administration Council as the legal government of Myanmar.” – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia looks to India for lessons amid second COVID wave
Indonesia has turned to India for lessons in battling COVID-19 in the wake of a second wave of infections triggered by the new Delta variant. The country’s COVID-19 cases have hit a record, with daily cases reaching 21,807 on June 30, 2021, bringing the total tally to 2,178,272. Meanwhile, the death toll has climbed to 58,491. The Indonesian government announced the nation’s first coronavirus cases on March 2, 2020. In comparison, the Indian Health Ministry on May 6, 2021 reported 3,980 daily deaths, which took the national total to 230,168, and 412,262 daily cases, which brought India's caseload since the start of the pandemic to 21.1 million. According to Indonesia, India has been quite successful in curbing the recent spike in cases, with daily infections falling to 50 thousand of late. "There is a lesson that we can learn from there," President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) said on June 30, 2021. Over these past few weeks, Jakarta and many other provinces across Indonesia have witnessed an alarming resurgence of COVID-19 cases amid the government's ongoing vaccination drives. In flattening the COVID-19 curve, Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan, for instance, has urged local residents to abstain from frequent travel. Meanwhile, in response to the alarming resurgence of new COVID-19 cases in the country, President Jokowi himself has earlier highlighted the necessity for state institutions and all levels of government to be on the same wavelength. Such a fast and appropriate response necessitates state institutions, the central government, and regional governments to be on the same frequency, he emphasized. Recently, Indonesian Health Minister Budi Gunadi Sadikin got in touch with his Indian counterpart, while President Jokowi spoke to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone to discuss the reason behind the spike in cases in India and ways to handle the COVID-19 crisis. Then, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi approached her Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, on the side-lines of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Italy on June 28, 2021 to seek a relaxation of permits for the export of therapeutic medicines from India to Indonesia amid a spike in COVID-19 infections. The Indonesian government has intensified the vaccination program and is targeting to administer at least one million doses daily and up to two million doses a day starting August to speed up the realization of herd immunity. Under the first phase of the vaccination program, the government is aiming to inoculate 40,349,049 people against COVID-19 out of the 181.5 million recipients targeted by the national immunization program overall. As many as 13,329,738 Indonesians have received the full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine under the national vaccination program as of June 29, 2021. The government is prioritizing healthcare workers under the program. Data has shown that a total of 405 doctors have succumbed to COVID-19 as of June 27 this year. In the wake of the second wave of infections, the Indonesian government has asked authorities to slam an emergency break and impose much stricter restrictions on people's activities on Java and Bali Islands, covering 129 districts where COVID-19 cases have increased drastically, from July 3-21, 2021. During the "lockdown", malls, shopping centres, places of worship, public facilities, such as parks, will remain temporarily closed; people in non-essential jobs will be required to solely work from home; students will be required to study online from home; sports and other activities, which can cause crowding, will be temporarily banned; while supermarkets and small shops will remain open until 8 p.m. local time. The emergency break is crucial to keep the country's health system from collapsing as the hospital bed occupancy rate on Java Island, including in Jakarta, has crossed 90 percent following the recent surge in coronavirus cases. "We have been overwhelmed. Usually the Bed Occupancy Rate (BOR) reaches 50-60 percent. Now in Java and Jakarta, (it) is already above 90 percent, and the number of on-duty doctors is also down because many have been infected with COVID-19," Dr Isman Firdaus, chairman of the Indonesian Cardiovascular Specialist Doctors Association (PERKI), said. The Ministry of Health is encouraging members of the public who still have to conduct outdoor activities to wear double masks at home in order to avert infections. COVID-19 infections within families can be caused by droplets dispersed by coughing and sneezing, it said. Therefore, family members, with high mobility or who are in the risk group, should wear double masks even at home, especially those living with members belonging to vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, children, and senior citizens, it advised. – AntaraNews.Com