These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Chicken-based dishes get pricier as Malaysia's export ban takes a toll
Chicken-based dishes are getting pricier, as some eateries have already hiked prices, while others are taking a wait-and-see approach, following Malaysia's export ban which began on Wednesday (June 1).
Chicken rice chain Boon Tong Kee, which has eight outlets across the island, said it has increased the price of its Signature Boiled (Poached) Chicken dish by 15 per cent to $36 without GST across all its outlets since Wednesday.
As there is limited stock of fresh chicken, there will also be a cap on the number of boiled chickens served at each outlet, which is about 50 to 70. The price hike was to compensate for the 10 per cent to 20 per cent increase in the cost of fresh chicken among various suppliers, said Boon Tong Kee's director Jason Thian.
The eatery's other signature dish, paper-wrapped chicken, will now be made using frozen chicken.
At chicken rice restaurant Sing Swee Kee in Seah Street, operations director Eliss Pang said it may raise prices by 5 per cent to 10 per cent in the future. Ms Pang said it is monitoring the prices of chicken supplies, and hopes they will stabilise so that any drastic price adjustments can be avoided. "It is not only costs of whole chickens that are affected, there are chicken innards, chicken feet, chicken bones that we use for our soup and rice, and those costs have all increased too," she added.
Taiwanese fried chicken chain Monga said it has been "impacted negatively", both by the high price and short supply. – Straits Times
DBKL, Irrigation Dept to build underground water storage tunnel to overcome flash floods
Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will cooperate with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to build a high-capacity groundwater storage tunnel to overcome the issue of flash floods in the nation's capital.
Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Dr Shahidan Kassim said this was one of the long-term solutions that will take about three to five years to be completed.
He said that, as such, DBKL will carry out a feasibility study on the location and specification of the groundwater storage tunnel that will be completed within three months.
"Its function is to hold flood water before releasing it into the river during low tide. Most major cities worldwide, including in Tokyo and Itabashi in Japan, have built it (the tunnel) under their roads. "However, what we have found is that our roads are narrow. So, some have suggested that we build it 120 feet below the river," he said at a media conference on "Towards A Flash Flood-Free Kuala Lumpur" here today.
Shahidan said DBKL would appoint a consultant soon regarding the matter after holding talks with the DID. He also said that DBKL would also build flood walls immediately in all areas where rivers are likely to overflow.
He explained that the main cause of flash floods in the capital was rivers overflowing, resulting in the drainage system being unable to channel the water smoothly into rivers.
"We will also carry out works to desilt the reservoirs and rivers to maximise their usage capacity.
"For now, we have put sandbags in areas affected by river overflows, besides placing mobile water pumps as a temporary measure to overcome this problem," he said.
Meanwhile, Shahidan, who had the opportunity to attend the 27th International Conference on The Future of Asia in Tokyo, Japan from May 23-27 with Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Seri Mahadi Che Ngah, said:
"Our purpose in going there was to see how Japan, especially in Tokyo and Itabashi, overcame floods and flash floods that frequently occurred previously.
"As a result, we found that its plans included upgrading the rivers and building underground tunnels." – New Straits Times
Parliament passes B3tn budget bill at first reading
Parliament on Friday passed the first reading of a 3.185 trillion-baht draft budget bill for the 2023 fiscal year starting Oct 1, aimed at supporting an economic recovery.
The budget is crucial to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha's government as it attempts to boost Southeast Asia's second-largest economy, hit by the coronavirus pandemic. After a three-day debate, the bill passed with 278 votes in favour, 194 against, and two abstentions.
"The budget will support the economic recovery and society after a crisis caused by the outbreaks ... and help restore strong and sustained growth," Gen Prayut said after the vote. The bill has to pass second and third readings in August before being sent for senate and royal approval.
The budget projects spending 2.74% more than the current year and a deficit of 695 billion baht, or about 3.9% of gross domestic product.
The budget planners have assumed that the economy will grow 3.5%-4.5% this year and 3.2%-4.2% next year, helped by domestic demand and tourism.
However, the National Social and Development Council recently predicted lower growth at 2.5%-3.5% this year due to global volatility. – Bangkok Post
US backs Philippines in China fishing ban
The United States on Thursday backed the Philippines in criticizing a unilateral seasonal ban on fishing declared by Beijing in the dispute-rife South China Sea.
The State Department pointed to a 2016 ruling by a court in The Hague that rejected Beijing's claims, as well as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, ratified by China although not by the United States. "The PRC's unilateral fishing moratorium in the South China Sea is inconsistent with the 2016 Arbitral Tribunal ruling and international law," State Department spokesman Ned Price wrote on Twitter, using an acronym for the People's Republic of China. "We call upon the PRC to abide by its obligations under international law."
The Philippines, a treaty-bound ally of the United States, on Tuesday summoned a Chinese diplomat over the announcement of a unilateral fishing ban as well as alleged harassment of a marine research vessel by a Chinese coast guard ship. China has each year declared a fishing ban in the summer, pointing to the need to develop sustainable marine life due to overfishing in the major population hub.
But its actions have been caught up in disputes over sovereignty, with Beijing insisting it has jurisdiction over a vast part of the South China Sea -- a longstanding source of friction with the Philippines, Vietnam and other Southeast Asian nations. – Philippine News Agency
VND22 trillion disbursed for socio-economic recovery, development: Deputy PM Khai
Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai on Thursday morning told National Assembly (NA) deputies about the disbursement of support packages worth a total of VND347 trillion under the socio-economic recovery and development programme.
The programme is part of the key content the Politburo previously approved.
At the first Extraordinary Session of the 15th NA, Resolution 43/2022/QH15 was issued on monetary and fiscal policies to support the implementation of the programme.
Only 19 days after the NA issued the resolution, the Government issued Resolution No 11/NQ-CP on the socio-economic Recovery and Development Programme.
Khai said that the NA, the Government and its agencies worked together, organising seminars to consult experts and researchers on the programme, which then received a high consensus.
Referring to the implementation results, Khai said that in terms of policies and mechanisms, the Government and the Prime Minister, as well as the ministers, have issued 11 out of 14 planning documents.
"Developing programmes and policies are very complicated, requiring coordination between ministries and agencies. During the implementation of previous policies, there are policies that we did not do well. Many obstacles and limitations remained. In the process of policy development, the Government and ministries are also very careful because the programme offers huge financial support," he said.
Khai also said that the socio-economic recovery and development programme was a new task, not included in the long-term plan, which led to a lot of work that ministries and branches have to do.
"Up to now, we have confirmed that all documents on mechanisms and policies have been fully promulgated by the Government by the end of May," said the Deputy Prime Minister.
Regarding the implementation of support packages, Khai clarified that the total support package was VND347 trillion. Of that, VND46 trillion was used as the financial reserve fund to buy vaccines and medical equipment. – Vietnam News
Final day for election campaign, with elections two days away
With the Commune/Sangkat election taking place in two days, the election campaigning period will be drawing to a close.
In accordance with the law of the National Election Committee, all 17 political parties will end their election campaign on the evening of June 3, after the start of the campaign day on May 21.
On the streets of Phnom Penh and in the provinces, there are only two parties that started the campaign today with the largest number of participants, the CPP and the Candlelight Party. Several streets in Phnom Penh have seen a parade of the ruling and the main opposition party supporters.
Any political party found to be campaigning tomorrow will be punished according to the NEC law. Before the election day, the Chairman of the National Election Committee, Prach Chan, reminded the people, the Commune / Sangkat Election Commission, the Commune / Sangkat Chief, the Commune / Sangkat Chief and Village Chiefs of the preparation of the Khmer Nationality Identity Card or Identification Document. – Khmer Times
Resistance coalitions go on the offensive, ambushing Myanmar army columns in Sagaing
Local defence forces launched lethal attacks this week on two junta columns moving through Kani and Myaung townships in Sagaing Region, reportedly causing multiple junta casualties.
On Tuesday, resistance fighters ambushed more than 80 soldiers in Kani as they marched on foot along the western shore of the Chindwin River in order to secure passage for military vessels. Hundreds of homes have been destroyed in junta assaults along the waterway.
A clash broke out at around 8am near the villages of Tazei Chaung and Nyaung Pin Wun, three miles from Kani’s administrative centre. The township is one of many in Sagaing affected by a recent military-imposed blackout on phone and internet services.
“We waited for them in a field and opened fire when they were halfway in, so we managed to kill many of them,” said AT, a member of the Kyauk Lone Gyi Brigade – one of the Kani-based resistance forces involved in the attack.
Defence forces claimed that a military captain and up to 30 troops were killed in the assault. Myanmar Now was unable to independently verify the number of casualties.
By noon, the military had launched an airstrike on the area, which it preceded with an attack using commercially available drones with bombs attached – a weapon which AT said that he had not seen the junta’s forces previously employ in the area.
“They attached 60mm shells to drones and dropped them on the area before the airstrike. Previous junta columns didn’t have drones like this,” he explained.
A member of another local defence force involved in the clash said that up to 11 resistance fighters were injured by the bombs dropped from the drones.
While the guerrilla forces retreated, the military reportedly captured seven locals in hiding and forced them to serve as human shields. The presence of the civilians among the troops forced resistance fighters to abandon a plan to launch a counterassault using explosive devices, AT said. – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia's full vaccination coverage second lowest in SE Asia: govt
Indonesia’s complete COVID-19 vaccination coverage is the second lowest in Southeast Asia after the Philippines although it has exceeded the World Health Organization’s (WHO’s) target of 60 percent.
“Unfortunately, Indonesia’s complete dose vaccination coverage has only reached 62 percent. (The number is) lower than in other countries," government spokesperson for COVID-19 handling, Wiku Adisasmito, said at a virtual press conference on the “Development of COVID-19 Handling” on Thursday.
This means that only 167.5 million people out of a total of 273.5 million have received the second dose of the vaccination.
The figure is lower than for Singapore (91 percent), Malaysia (83 percent), Vietnam (80 percent), and Thailand (75 percent).
Meanwhile, full vaccination coverage in the Philippines is the lowest at 34 percent. According to the spokesperson, there are six provinces whose vaccination coverage is below the national average, namely Central Sulawesi, North Maluku, West Sulawesi, Maluku, West Papua, and Papua.
"Considering that Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populous country, the percentage must continue to be increased. The higher vaccination coverage in neighbouring countries who have a smaller population than Indonesia should motivate us to increase the coverage to protect as many people as possible," he said. – AntaraNews.Com