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.
Stay informed with The ASEAN Post.
Growing focus on mental health at workplace as Covid-19 pandemic takes toll
More employers in the public and private sectors are placing greater importance on protecting the mental health of workers under pressure in a pandemic that has lasted for nearly two years.
While Covid-19 has made work more flexible for some, counselling services said the pandemic has taken a mental toll on many employees in Singapore as they grapple with longer working hours, social isolation and job insecurity.
Mr Paul Francis Chong, 37, who is an operations director at global integrated facilities management company Sodexo, is among those in Singapore who are feeling the impact of work-from-home arrangements. - Straits Times
Sexual harassment, spam messages among issues in Parliament today
Sexual harassment as well as spam messages promoting online gambling are among issues to be raised at the Dewan Rakyat sitting, which enters its 12th day today.
According to the Order Paper on the Parliament website, Noorita Sual (PH-Tenom) is scheduled to ask Family and Community Development Minister, during oral question-and-answer session, about the government's commitment in introducing the Sexual Harassment Act and the timeline for the act to be tabled.
Datuk Mohd Nizar Zakaria (BN-Parit) is expected to ask Minister of Communications and Multimedia on efforts taken by the ministry to address the issue of spam messages promoting online gambling. - New Straits Times
PM pleased with rising tourist numbers
A total of 44,774 foreign visitors have visited Thailand since the country reopened to international tourism several weeks ago, according to the government's figures.
According to government spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonkongchana, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was pleased with the increasing number of foreign visitors, which is expected to continue growing as more airlines from the Middle East and Europe are requesting more slots to land in the country.
Since Nov 1, 18 more airlines have resumed flights to and from Suvarnabhumi airport, bringing the total number of flights serving Bangkok's main aviation hub to 2,008, he said. - Bangkok Post
100 PH public schools reopen to limited in-person classes Nov. 15
Some 100 public schools nationwide reopen to learners for limited in-person classes Monday, 20 months since they were shuttered last year due to the prevailing pandemic.
In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) welcomed the learners, teachers and personnel participating in the pilot in-person classes which will run until January next year.
“We are thankful for everyone who supported this key phase in our safe return to school advocacy, from the planning stage since 2020 to this monumental day,” it said. “We are grateful to the assistance of the Department of Health, the IATF, child health experts, local government units, international and local partners, school personnel, parents, and other stakeholders for reinforcing our shared responsibility framework in this critical undertaking." - Philippine News Agency
VN's growth and recovery require strong public investment: economists
Financing public investment to generate future growth and to speed up economic recovery post-COVID-19 remained Vietnam's most important challenge in the near future, said economists and policymakers.
A recent report by the United Nations Development Programme highlighted a number of the Southeast Asian economy's shortcomings and limitations. From 2002 to 2019, public investment (as a share of GDP) was said to fall from 22 per cent to 11 per cent while demand for infrastructure had been increasing.
This is especially true in coping with climate change, a rising threat to Vietnam – a densely populated country with two low-lying deltas and a long coastline. - Vietnam News
‘New normal’ strategy launched to guide recovery from pandemic
Prime Minister Hun Sen has issued his decision to officially launch the strategy “living in a new normal way in the context of Covid-19”.
The decision, issued on Friday, aims to minimise public health risks, especially morbidity and mortality, as well as socio-economic activities. In all parts of the country, all sectors are gradually being fully re-launched.
To achieve this, the strategy has identified three goals: first, to protect the lives of all citizens participating in socio-economic activities, second, to strengthen the core capacity of the health system to prevent and control the spread of Covid-19 and provide essential health services on a regular basis, and third, to maintain safe and sustainable economic activity. - Khmer Times
EDITORIAL: Why was Danny Fenster arrested and jailed?
In June 2020, Danny Fenster, an American from Michigan then working as a copy editor in Myanmar Now’s Yangon newsroom, was concerned about the upcoming expiration of his business visa, which allowed him to live and work legally as a journalist in Myanmar.
The visa process for foreign journalists in Myanmar has never been straightforward. It has always required the utilisation of personal connections and a certain level of intervention to ensure that the application and renewal processes go smoothly.
That was why we sought the guidance of Aung Hla Tun, a former Reuters correspondent and then Deputy Minister of Information under Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy government. (Editor’s Note: Aung Hla Tun too was detained in the aftermath of the coup along with Suu Kyi and other civilian officials)
Aung Hla Tun’s staff asked us to provide them with a list of editors at Myanmar Now. We sent the updated list—which included Danny—with no way of knowing that months later this document would be used by the military as key evidence in accusing him of crimes he never committed. - Myanmar NOW
Over 84 million Indonesians receive full vaccination: Health Ministry
A total of 84,161,759 Indonesians have received a full dose of COVID-19 vaccination as of Sunday, according to data from the Ministry of Health.
This number has increased by 742,673 compared to the previous day. Meanwhile, the number of people who had received the first dose of vaccination rose by 573,155 to reach 130,283,345.
The data also showed 1,189,235 health workers had received third or booster vaccine doses. Overall, the government is seeking to vaccinate 208,265,720 people against COVID-19. - AntaraNews.Com