These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Employers reminded to schedule migrant workers for routine testing: MOM
Around 15,000 employers - or 78 per cent - have logged into the swab registration system since it was launched on Aug 1 to schedule their workers for Rostered Routine Testing (RRT). However, there are still 118,000 workers who need to undergo RRT and have not yet been scheduled, said the Ministry of Manpower on Tuesday (Aug 18) in a joint statement with the Building and Construction Authority, Economic Development Board and Health Promotion Board. The authorities said on Tuesday that the RRT - conducted every 14 days - is for migrant workers living in dormitories, those working on construction or production sites, and those in the construction, marine and process sectors. MOM urged employers who have not scheduled their workers, especially those who stay at recently cleared dormitories to do so quickly. It is planning to update an access code system for workers, such that those who are required to undergo RRT but fail to do so will have a Red AccessCode. – The Straits Times
Ringgit extends gains against USD
The ringgit extended its gains for the third consecutive day against the US dollar today on bullish sentiment surrounding the local and regional markets, a dealer said. At 9.15 am, the local currency was traded at 4.1780/1830 from 4.1800/1850 at yesterday's close. AxiCorp chief global market strategist Stephen Innes said the ringgit benefits as global risk sentiment remains intact. Additionally, he said with US yields falling again, Malaysian Government Securities could be in demand as the hunt for real returns continues. "Also supporting that notion is tepid inflation leaving the door wide open for Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) to cut interest rates again sooner rather than later," he told Bernama. Innes also added that although crude oil price is trading off the inter-week high, markets remain very stable which supports the local note. At the opening, the local unit was traded lower against a basket of currencies. It declined against the Singapore dollar to 3.0626/0674 from 3.0625/0666 on Tuesday and depreciated vis-a-vis the yen to 3.9734/9789 from 3.9576/9627. The ringgit fell against the British pound to 5.5404/5487 from 5.5051/5133 and weakened against the euro to 4.9927/5.0004 from 4.9746/9818 previously. – New Straits Times
'Let them have their say'
Schools have been told to allow students to express their political views on campuses in what is seen as an attempt to defuse growing frustration and demands for political change. The decision, announced by Education Minister Nataphol Teepsuwan, follows media reports about students from various schools flashing the three-finger salute during their morning assembly in front of flagpoles and using white ribbons as a symbol against dictatorship. Initial responses from school administrators to their dissent had been mixed, with some teachers reportedly rebuking students and warning them against taking their protests onto school premises. Mr Nataphol said on Tuesday that a child's rights to freedom of speech and expression should not stop at school gates and that the Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) would therefore send a letter to schools under its jurisdiction to ensure they fully understand what these freedoms are. – Bangkok Post
KPK receives more than 800 complaints on social aid in less than 3 months
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has received 894 complaints pertaining to social aid in less than three months through its dedicated digital platform, JAGA Bansos, as the government distributes trillions of rupiah to help citizens during the COVID-19 epidemic. The complaints came from 243 regional administrations, namely 19 provincial administration and 224 cities and regencies administration, between May 29 and August 7. “As many as 369 reports were from those who did not receive social aid even though [they said] they had registered for the program,” said KPK commissioner Lili Pantauli Siregar during a press conference on the KPK’s biennial performance report on Tuesday. The KPK has resolved 357 of the total complaints, while 207 others were being processed. In the meantime, the agency is still verifying the remaining 312 complaints. JAGA Bansos is a feature in KPK’s portal and mobile app, JAGA, which provides the public with information and complaint submission services. The feature, which is accessible at jaga.id, allows the public to make reports over suspected irregularities and misappropriations regarding the distribution of COVID-19 relief. – The Jakarta Post
Thousands of residents need shelter in earthquake-stricken Masbate town
At least 70 percent of the population in Cataingan town in Masbate province is in dire need of tents or temporary shelter after last Tuesday’s magnitude 6.6 earthquake left most houses too dangerous to be occupied. “Most of the houses were damaged by the shake and out of the 50,000 population, 60 to 70 percent are affected.” Mayor Filipe Cabataña told the Inquirer in a phone interview on Wednesday. He said they would need about 200 tents for his constituents as they are too scared to return to their homes. “They are afraid (their houses) may collapse any time as we continue to experience aftershocks,” he said. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology has recorded at least 26 aftershocks within hours after the earthquake struck at 8:05 a.m. on Tuesday. Cabatana said their evacuation centres were also damaged, and school buildings now serve as temporary shelters for displaced families. He said the affected residents should not stay long and crowd in one area as they may contract the coronavirus disease. The municipal government was earlier forced to release over a hundred locally stranded individuals (LSIs), or those returning to the town from other parts of the country, after the town’s quarantine facility for LSIs was also damaged by the quake. – INQUIRER.net
Seafood exports increase after EVFTA comes into effect
The Viet Nam Association of Seafood Exporters and Producers (VASEP) has said that seafood exports to Europe have seen many positive signs since the EU-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) came into effect at the beginning of this month. The number of orders in the European market alone since the beginning of this month has increased by about 10 percent compared to last month, specifically, for shrimp and squid. Online newspaper VietQ reported that Tran Van Linh, chairman of the board of directors of Thuan Phuoc Seafoods and Trading Corporation, said the company had exported 3,000 tonnes of shrimp and products made from shrimp to EU with a value of about US$31 million, a year-on-year increase of 8 percent in volume and 6 percent in value respectively over the same period last year. Nguyen Thi Anh, director of Ngoc Xuan Seafood Corporation, shared EU customers had started negotiating orders with the corporation again recently. Although it had not increased strongly, this was a positive signal for businesses to recover after a long delay and contract cancellation, said Anh. Assessing the initial results since the EVFTA's implementation, Truong Dinh Hoe, secretary-general of VASEP, said the association expected the EVFTA would help seafood exports grow by about 20 percent in the EU, however, in the current pandemic context, an increase of 10 percent was encouraging. – Viet Nam News
Cambodia’s PM Hun Sen Using Vietnam Border to Divert Anger Over EU Trade Sanctions: Opposition
Prime Minister Hun Sen is politicizing a dispute over Cambodia’s shared border with Vietnam to divert public attention from the European Union’s reinstatement of tariffs on key exports that threatens to implode the country’s already weak economy, an opposition official charged Tuesday. The withdrawal of duty-free, quota-free access to the EU’s market under the “Everything But Arms” (EBA) scheme for some 20 percent of Cambodia’s exports – a decision that was announced in February – went into effect on Aug. 12. The EU’s move came in response to the Hun Sen government’s failure to reverse rollbacks on democracy and other freedoms required under the trade arrangement. Affected exports include goods from Cambodia’s vital garment and footwear industries. – The Cambodia Daily