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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High Court rejects bid to challenge vaccination-differentiated measures
The High Court has dismissed a bid by six unvaccinated people, including activist and blogger Han Hui Hui, to challenge Singapore's vaccination-differentiated measures.
On Thursday (June 16), Justice Dedar Singh Gill said in his judgment that statistics cited in the group's application were incorrect and based on wrong assumptions.
Contrary to what they claimed, the rules imposed on unvaccinated people were neither unlawful nor irrational, he added. On Dec 27 last year, the group had applied for a judicial order to quash the Government's advisory that employers could, as a last resort, terminate staff who remained unvaccinated by choice.
The advisory, issued on Oct 23 and slated to take effect Jan 1 this year, stated that this was only to be done if alternative work arrangements could not be made.
The group had also applied to quash the Government's decision to make people who are unvaccinated by choice bear the full cost of their medical treatment if they contract Covid-19. In addition, they sought a declaration that these directives were "unlawful and/or irrational".
Lastly, the group also sought to show they had legitimate expectations of keeping their jobs and having their coronavirus-related hospital bills covered regardless of vaccination status, since the Government had said vaccination is not mandatory. – Straits Times
'Chicken prices may soar if floated'
Chicken prices are expected to rise next month when the floating price system begins following the end of the maximum retail price scheme on June 30.
Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Alexander Nanta Linggi said due to the possibility of chicken price hikes, the Finance Ministry planned to provide aid to the needy, with the plan set to be finalised by the end of the month.
"The Finance Ministry will do something to help those in need," he told a press conference after the Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry's monthly assembly here today.
The government has set the maximum retail price of standard chicken at RM8.90 per kg and super chicken (slaughtered and cleaned without legs, head, liver and gizzard) at RM9.90 per kg. Previously, chicken breeders had expressed their hope that the government would allow the floating of chicken prices after it decided to end subsidies for breeders from July 1.
Nanta reminded industry players not to take advantage of the floating price by raising the price of chicken arbitrarily.
He said the ministry would monitor prices and errant traders would face action under the Price Control and Anti-Profiteering Act 2011.
"I hope industry players will not take advantage and raise prices too much. We will accept it if it is reasonable as we know that operation costs have increased." – New Straits Times
Govt restricts cannabis use to adults after complaints
The government has issued new rules to limit access to marijuana and hemp to people at least 20 years of age, after the decriminalisation of cannabis since June 9 sparked many complaints.
Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul signed the regulations on Thursday to designate marijuana and hemp as controlled plants. Those under the age of 20 won’t be allowed to own and use the plants, both of which are in the cannabis family, unless they have permission from doctors, he said.
The moves followed local reports that four males, including students aged 16 and 17 years, were admitted to hospitals in Bangkok this week for treatment of what was defined as a cannabis overdose. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has said it also plans to ban cannabis in schools.
The government will also issue rules to limit or prohibit cannabis consumption in public and control cannabis in food. These rules will be tools for officials to control and prevent any misuse, Mr Anutin said. Under the regulations proposed by the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, cannabis use is banned in public places, such as educational institutions, department stores and state agencies, and use of marijuana during pregnancy and after birth is also prohibited.
“We have not mentioned the use of its bud, particularly its use in food," the public health minister said. "So far, we have the law on the THC content."
The law considers low THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) to be 0.2% by weight or lower. A higher percentage for cannabis and hemp extracts - although not the plant itself - is still illegal. THC is the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, which is what makes people feel high. – Bangkok Post
DFA on SCS protests: Filing automatic once illegal act verified
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) chided a columnist on Thursday following his "malicious and groundless comments" over the country's diplomatic protests against Beijing's illegal activities in the South China Sea.
The concerned column, titled "DFA protests controlled by the US State Department", was penned by Phil-BRICS Strategic Studies Director Mario Ferdinand Pasion in his New World column in the Manila Times on June 12.
In a statement, the DFA said diplomatic protests are lodged automatically once a "transgression" by a foreign country has been verified.
"Most of the Department’s protests have been undertaken against China, simply because it is the country that has been conducting the most illegal and provocative actions in the WPS (West Philippine Sea)," it said.
"These activities range from the harassment of Filipino fishermen, shadowing and harassment of PH maritime assets, unauthorized marine scientific research, and non-innocent passage in the Philippines' archipelagic waters, even during military exercises," it added.
The agency denied insinuations that the Philippines filed the protests on behalf of any entity.
"The DFA, as the chief implementer of an independent foreign policy, as mandated by the Philippine Constitution, is not beholden to any foreign entity and serves only the interests of the Philippines and the Filipino people," the DFA said.
"The Department protests any act by foreign entities that threaten and undermine the country’s territorial integrity, sovereignty and legitimate maritime entitlements," it added.
It explained that a note verbale is lodged based on recommendations and reports from the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).
Under the Duterte administration, the DFA has filed over 300 protests against "unprovoked Chinese illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea."
In the same vein, it fired six protests against illegal activities by Vietnam in the Philippines’ legitimate maritime zones. – Philippine News Agency
$1.9 billion allocated to build Mekong Delta expressway
The National Assembly on Thursday agreed to spend nearly VND45 trillion (US$1.9 billion) building more than 188 kilometres of highway in the Mekong Delta.
On the last day of their third sitting in Ha Noi, legislators passed a resolution to carry out Phase I of the Chau Doc-Can Tho-Soc Trang Expressway construction, with 478 over 479 deputies (95.98 per cent) voting in favour.
The expressway will connect the Mekong Delta cities and provinces of Can Tho, An Giang, Hau Giang, Soc Trang, and improve trade and transportation between the north-western and south-eastern regions.
The 188.2km construction will be built in four stages as public investments.
It will occupy 1,205ha of land, including 860ha of paddy fields, 24ha of residential areas, 127ha for perennial crops, 64.93ha for annual crops, 10ha of aquaculture land, and 119ha of public land.
The whole project will cost VND44.691 trillion (US$1.911 billion), with VND30.758 trillion taken from the State’s budget for the 2021-25 period, and VND13.933 trillion from the central budget for the 2025-30 period.
Preparations for the construction will start this year. Major sections are expected to be built by 2025, the whole expressway by 2026, and it will be open for public use in 2027.
The ministries of transport, finance, and related central and local agencies were assigned to carry out the project in accordance with special mechanisms and policies.
They were assigned to develop plans to gain back investment capital and return it to the central and local budgets, in proportion with what they contribute. This is in line with Article 5 of Resolution 43, issued by the National Assembly on January 11, 2022, on fiscal and monetary policies to support the program of socio-economic recovery and development. – Vietnam News
Private hospitals urged to refer monkeypox cases to authorities
There are no positive monkeypox cases in the country but we are not keeping our guard down, as there is a rise in the number of suspected cases, said a top health official said yesterday. He also urged the private clinics and hospitals to refer suspected positive cases to state-run hospitals or health authorities.
Ly Sovann, director of Communicable Disease Control Department (CDC) at the Ministry of Health, said, “We have received several suspected cases of monkeypox, however, none of them were positive. However, it is not the time to let our guard down, as we are not ruling out the possibility of detecting positive cases,” he said.
“Therefore, the health system must be strengthened to respond to the possible outbreak of the monkeypox virus. In particular, we are working to enhance the facilities in both private clinics and state-run hospitals to accommodate patients,” he added. He urged all private hospitals and clinics to report to the ministry or health officials about their patients who seek treatment for the symptoms of monkeypox.
“It is an important matter that we require as a precautionary measure to confirm whether they are positive or not after laboratory tests,” he said.
“I urge both private and public to keep tracking for the virus, and if you suspect a positive case, we will collect samples and do the test. However, they are not allowed to go outside and should isolate themselves until the result is out,” he said.
He added that the health officials assess whether the patients are able to isolate themselves at home or in the hospital. Those who isolate themselves will receive daily follow-up phone calls to check their symptoms before the result comes. – Khmer Times
Ten more civilians killed in Myanmar army push to seize control of Sagaing
Junta forces reportedly killed 10 villagers, including two children, in recent days in Sagaing Region, where the military continues to carry out fierce assaults on the civilian population in an attempt to overpower the resistance stronghold.
Eight of the victims were from Ta Ohn, a village five miles east of Shwebo Township’s administrative centre, which was attacked and looted by a 100-soldier column on June 9. Embedded in the unit were members of the Pyu Saw Htee militia, armed and trained by the Myanmar army, locals said.
The bodies of seven villagers were not found until Monday, in a stream more than one mile away from the community where they lived.
“The bodies were badly decomposed. I think they shot them on the hill and dragged them into the swamp,” a villager told Myanmar Now, adding that locals were unable to retrieve and bury the corpses due to the continued junta occupation of the area.
The victims, who are believed to have been forced to act as human shields and porters for the military column, were identified as Thein Tan, 50; Kyaw Lin, 45; Sein Mahn, Maung Htoo and Win Shwe, all aged 40; Pho Htoo, who was in his 30s; and 20-year-old Ye Wai Lin.
Another local man, 50-year-old Hnin Maung, was shot dead and his body burned inside Ta Ohn, the villager said, citing eyewitnesses.
Locals explained that the troops detained multiple residents at the village’s monastery, including women and children. Myanmar Now was unable to confirm the total number of civilians who were abducted.
“The villagers had nowhere to run when the military entered, firing their guns. They captured everyone that fled and made them stay inside the village. That’s how they detained so many people,” another villager said. – Myanmar NOW
Jokowi invites Germany to invest in electric vehicle industry
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) invited German business players to increase investment in high-tech industries in Indonesia, including in the upstream and downstream sectors of the electric vehicle industry.
"I invite the German industry (actors) to develop a semiconductor (chip) factory in Indonesia," Jokowi remarked at a joint press conference with President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier at the Bogor Presidential Palace, Bogor City, West Java Province, on Thursday.
The Indonesian president expected that semiconductor chip factories in Indonesia can be part of the global supply chain.
In addition, he invited German business players to invest in the green industry sector in Indonesia.
"I invite them to establish a German Industrial Quarter in one of the industrial areas in Indonesia," he stated.
In addition to discussing investment in the high-tech industry, the two heads of state conversed about collaboration in developing skilled human resources for industry 4.0.
Furthermore, Jokowi highlighted that Indonesia will become the official partner country of the Hannover Messe in 2023, which is the largest trade industry exhibition in the world, with the main theme of industrial development.
The two leaders also discussed cooperation in tackling climate change.
In addition, the Indonesian president lauded Germany's support in constructing the Green Infrastructure Initiative worth €2.5 billion (Rp38.87 trillion) as well as the global mangrove center that was inaugurated a few days back.
Jokowi and Steinmeier also spoke about cooperation to overcome the economic impact of the Russia-Ukraine war, especially in the food and energy sectors, as well as to maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
"Once again, I emphasize the importance of inclusive regional architecture that prioritizes collaboration with a spirit of multilateralism and peace," the Indonesian president reiterated.
Indonesia was earlier also appointed as a partner country in holding the Hannover Messe in 1995 and 2021. – AntaraNews.Com