These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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PM Lee underlines need for unity, political leadership for Singapore to tackle Covid-19 crisis as new Cabinet is sworn in
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said on Monday (July 27) that he has formed the strongest Cabinet he could, and will use the mandate Singaporeans have given him to vigorously deal with the severe economic and public health challenges confronting the nation. Urging everyone to stay united, he said that with the general election over, the work of the new Cabinet and Government has already begun. "Whatever our political persuasions, never forget that we are first and foremost Singaporeans. "Let us all unite and focus our energies on the major challenges ahead." Mr Lee was addressing colleagues and invited guests at the Istana's State Room in a ceremony to swear in the Cabinet that included a video link to Parliament House, where Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat and another group of ministers and guests were assembled in keeping with safe distancing requirements. President Halimah Yacob said that the Covid-19 pandemic has reaffirmed the Singapore spirit and Singaporeans' resilience as one people. – The Straits Times
Dewan Rakyat to discuss Covid-19 spike in Sarawak
The government's plan to address the increase in Covid-19 cases in Kuching, Sarawak, is among the issues to be discussed at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today. According to the Order Paper on the Parliament website, Chong Chieng Jen (PH-Stampin) is scheduled to ask Health Minister about the government's plan following the spike in Covid-19 cases especially from the Sentosa cluster involving government hospital staff. Chong will also ask about the ministry's additional measures to protect and safeguard the welfare of health workers, patients, and the general public at government hospitals. Also expected to capture the lawmakers' attention is a question from Ramli Mohd Nor (BN-Cameron Highlands) who is seeking clarification on the government's action to address issues of syndicates involving foreigners exploring land areas that are yet to be developed by the government or its owners. – New Straits Times
Phuket learns the hard way
Phuket has been forced to take on board a difficult lesson: that it shouldn't have clung to tourism as its single, dominant cash cow. The country may have managed to flatten the Covid-19 curve, but the economic curve risks going into freefall. Tourism has been one of the hardest-hit sectors and Phuket businesses, which rely almost exclusively on foreign arrivals, dread to estimate when the current economic crisis, one of the worst in recent memory, will bottom out. The sheer scale of economic damage to Phuket caused by the pandemic has revealed a systemic void in the province's preparedness to effectively counter or mitigate a sudden nosedive in the industry. The sector employed 323,219 people locally before Covid-19 struck early this year, generating 245 billion baht in annual gross provincial product, according to provincial governor Narong Woonsew. He said a whopping 80% of the province's economy relies on tourism. – Bangkok Post
Jokowi sets salaries for preemployment card’s directors amid criticism of program
President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has issued a presidential regulation (Perpres) on remuneration for the directors of the preemployment card program amid ongoing evaluations of several irregularities surrounding the program's training courses. Presidential Regulation No. 81/2020 sets the salary levels for the program’s management – comprising an executive director and a maximum of five directors – at Rp 47 million (US$3,224) to Rp 77.5 million per month. According to Article 2 of the regulation, a copy of which was obtained by The Jakarta Post, the program’s president director is entitled to a monthly salary of Rp 77.5 million. The operational director is entitled to Rp 62 million per month, the technology director Rp 58 million and the partnership, communication and ecosystem development director Rp 54.2 million, while the monitoring and evaluation director and the legal, general and financial director will receive Rp 47 million each. – The Jakarta Post
DTI won’t recommend returning to stricter quarantine amid increasing COVID-19 cases
The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is not keen on pushing for the return of the country to stricter quarantine measures as protocols are already in place to prevent COVID-19 transmission. Trade and Industry Secretary Ramon Lopez added that the increasing cases of COVID-19 being recorded is due to the ramped-up testing being done by the government. “Hindi po [No],” Lopez said in an interview over Teleradyo when asked if he would recommend returning to stricter quarantine measures. “Our answer to the rising cases is the increasing tests being conducted and our ramped-up testing capacity. Perhaps we can look at the trend of decreasing fatalities being recorded.” he said. Health protocols like frequent handwashing, scanning temperature and wearing of masks are also being followed by businesses, which were allowed to resume partial operations, Lopez noted. The quarantine measures in place are set to lapse on Friday, July 31. – INQUIRER.net
Government plan aims to improve adaptation to climate change
Enhancing State management of climate change is one of the major measures in the national plan on climate change adaptation for 2021-2030, with a vision towards 2050, recently issued by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc. In implementing the Government’s Resolution 93/NQ-CP in 2016 adopting the Paris Agreement under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the plan emphasised the integration of climate change adaptation into strategies and planning schemes, investment in adaptive activities, science and technologies, and improvement of public awareness of this issue. It also defined tasks and solutions to mitigate disaster risks and losses, and enhance preparedness for natural disasters and extreme weather caused by climate change, which the document said to be “one of the most dangerous threats to humanity, with an increasing scope of impact globally,” and required “urgent action". – Viet Nam News
Cambodian satellite city near Phnom Penh destroying wetlands with 1 million at risk of flooding, report finds
A damning new report shows a multi-billion-dollar satellite city near Phnom Penh threatens to pave over vital wetlands and unleash untreated sewerage into the Mekong River, putting more than 1 million people at risk of dangerous floods and water pollution. The project further threatens to upend the livelihoods of hundreds of people and contribute to unsustainable sand dredging, according to the report, Smoke on the Water, released on Monday by human rights and land rights groups Equitable Cambodia, Sahmakum Teang Tnaut, Licadho and the Cambodia Youth Network. The Beoung Tompoun and Cheung Ek wetlands, the report says, “are currently being destroyed by development groups building high-end condominiums, gated communities, and megamalls”. – The Cambodia Daily