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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Biden says not true that China’s Xi turned him down for a face-to-face meeting
US President Joe Biden told reporters on Tuesday (Sept 14) it was not true that China’s Xi Jinping turned him down when he proposed a face-to-face summit during a call last week.
Mr Biden proposed a first face-to-face summit with Mr Xi in a call last week, but failed to secure an agreement, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, an account later denied by the White House.
“This is not an accurate portrayal of the call. Period,” Mr Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said in a statement.
The Financial Times cited multiple people briefed on last Thursday’s 90-minute call as saying Mr Xi did not take Mr Biden up on the offer and instead insisted that Washington adopt a less strident tone toward Beijing.
A source who was among those briefed on the call confirmed the report was accurate.
"Xi apparently intimated that the tone and atmosphere of the relationship needed to be improved first," the source told Reuters.
China's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond when asked to comment. - Straits Times
Dewan Rakyat to discuss contract doctors, vaccine certs today
Future plans for contract doctors, information on vaccine recipients who do not have identity cards as well as action against those who falsify vaccine certificates, are among the issues to be discussed in Parliament today.
According to the Order Paper of the Dewan Rakyat, Rusnah Aluai (PH-Tangga Batu) is scheduled to ask Health Minister, during oral question-and-answer session, about plans to guarantee the future of contract doctors.
Also expected to capture the lawmakers' attention is a question from Lukanisman Awang Sauni (GPS-Sibuti) seeking clarification from Home Minister on the government's proactive action on the information of vaccine recipients who do not have identity cards, especially in Sarawak, and action on the issue of individuals without identification documents.
Equally interesting will be a question from Shaharizukirnain Abd Kadir (PAS-Setiu) to Home Minister on action to be taken against those who falsify vaccination certificates. - New Straits Times
Prawit calls on PPRP old guard to support PM
Deputy Prime Minister and Palang Pracharath (PPRP) leader Prawit Wongsuwon is asking party heavyweights to rally behind Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, amid an apparent shift in internal dynamics within the ruling party, a source in the government said.
The source said PPRP secretary-general Thamanat Prompow, and party treasurer Narumon Pinyosinwat, are no longer invited to regular briefings with Gen Prawit at his office at Government House, which are held right before the weekly cabinet meeting. The snub, the source added, indicated a power shift within the party.
Capt Thamanat was recently sacked as deputy agriculture minister, along with Ms Narumon, who was a deputy labour minister. Their firing came after Capt Thamanat was accused of plotting to topple Gen Prayut from power, by persuading some MPs within the PPRP and smaller coalition parties to vote against the PM in the no-confidence debate earlier this month.
However, the plot failed with ministers who were targeted by the motion, including Gen Prayut, surviving the vote.
Despite the loss of their cabinet posts, Capt Thamanat and Ms Narumon, who is also said to be linked to the failed plot, have kept their posts within the party. - Bangkok Post
People in PH protected from terror threats: AFP spox
An Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official on Wednesday assured that Filipinos and non-residents are "protected and kept safe" from terror threats in the country.
In a statement Tuesday, AFP spokesperson Col. Ramon Zagala said the military continues with the fight against all forms of terrorism and violence through intensified internal security operations aimed at preserving peace and order.
"We ensure that all citizens, Filipinos or not, as long as they are within our territory, are protected and kept safe from terrorists' threats. This is also to underscore the importance of the active participation of the populace in defeating terrorism since security is, after all, everyone's concern," he said.
The Philippines has not received any report of a possible terror attack, Zagala said, after the Japanese Embassy in Manila said Tuesday it had received an intelligence report of such threat in six Southeast Asian nations, including the country. - Philippine News Agency
Vietnam’s consumer markets expected to grow by US$130 billion over next 10 years
Consumption in Vietnam could grow by US$130 billion over the next decade as Asia continues to be the world’s consumption growth engine, a new report from McKinsey has revealed.
Scale continues to be a key characteristic of the region’s consumption story, but a new chapter is being written based on the increasing diversity of the region’s consumer markets. Companies need to get to know the distinct segments of consumers who are set to drive growth and redraw their map of consumption for Vietnam and for Asia as a whole.
Jonathan Woetzel, a McKinsey senior partner in Shanghai and a director of the McKinsey Global Institute, said: “Asia’s consumer story over the next ten years and beyond is not only about scale and growth, but also about growing diversity in consumer markets (in a region that is already hugely diverse) and how consumers in the region are trailblazing new paths.”
Oliver Tonby, a McKinsey senior partner in Singapore, said: “Asian consumers continue to face challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, but Asia continues to have solid long-term growth potential. We may see half of all global consumption growth in the next decade coming from Asia.” - Vietnam News
Clinic administers vaccines without MoH approval, including Johnson & Johnson shots amidst dwindling supplies
As the end vaccination target for Cambodia is closer in sight, a private clinic is offering vaccine shots, including Johnson & Johnson, under wraps and without the Ministry of Health’s authorization.
According to a source, a certain private clinic has managed to get a hold of a supply of vaccines. The clinic is operating its services clandestinely due to the lack of authorization from the MoH. When asked about their services an employee of the clinic replied that they are keeping everything under wraps.
The private clinic, located in Kampuchea Krom, was inquired about the kinds of the vaccines that they have in stock. According to an employee, the clinic has a stock that includes AstraZeneca, Sinovac, Sinopharm, and Johnson & Johnson. There is no information of how they managed to acquire the vaccines. Current MoH guidelines require private health institutions to obtain an authorization before they can order vaccines from manufacturers overseas.
The clinic is charging quite high prices for its vaccines. The clinic gave the prices for their vaccines. The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is vastly more expensive than other vaccines. For 2 doses of Sinopharm or Sinovac, customers are expected to pay $120, 2 doses of AstraZeneca would set a person back $200, but those who want to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are expected to cough up $250. - Khmer Times
Junta's election commission claims there is 'no plan' to audit NLD yet
A member of the Union Election Commission (UEC) established by the junta has said that the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) is not among the parties being subjected to a financial audit by the coup regime.
“There is currently no plan to do that,” UEC member Khin Maung Oo told Myanmar Now.
He refused to specify which parties would be audited and when, as well as how they were selected.
A lawyer for detained NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi—who is facing 11 charges—confirmed before a closed court hearing in Napyitaw’s Zabuthiri Township on Tuesday that the UEC had sent two notification letters to the State Counsellor stating that an audit would be carried out on her party.
“They weren’t addressed to her, so she said it had nothing to do with her,” Khin Maung Zaw, the head of Aung San Suu Kyi’s legal team, said. “It’s already included in the party rules and regulations that it’s a decision to be made by a meeting of the CEC [central executive committee]. Therefore, she didn’t accept the letters.” - Myanmar NOW
490,217 schools in Indonesia conduct limited face-to-face learning
As many as 490,217 schools in Indonesia have started conducting limited face-to-face learning, an official from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) has said.
“A total of 490,217 schools in areas with level 1 to 3 PPKM are allowed (to conduct face-to-face learning).
However, the speed of regions in conducting limited classroom learning varies greatly," director general of early childhood education, basic education, and secondary education at Kemendikbudristek, Jumeri, said in a statement released here on Tuesday.
Jumeri said that currently, Aceh province is in the top rank in the implementation of limited face-to-face learning, with 81 percent of schools conducting face-to-face learning. Nationally, Jumeri informed, 50 percent of the schools that have been allowed to do limited face-to-face learning have started conducting it.
“We have one voice to open schools immediately, to relax our children, to help our children. The matter of different opening times is only a matter of regional considerations," he said. - AntaraNews.Com