These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Close to 80,000 people receive financial aid through ComCare in the past year
More people received financial assistance from the Government in the past year, with about 78,600 individuals benefiting from the various ComCare schemes, said the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) on Friday (Oct 9). According to the MSF's ComCare Annual Report, there was an about 4 per cent increase in the number of financial aid recipients in its last financial year (FY 2019) - which ended on March 31, 2020 - from the year before. The Government gave out $151 million in cash assistance through the ComCare schemes in FY 2019. This represents a 19 per cent jump from the 2018 financial year and is the largest sum disbursed in the past five years. The Community Care Endowment Fund (ComCare Fund) is a key social safety net for lower-income families and it comprises schemes such as the Short-To-Medium-Term Assistance (SMTA) and Long-Term Assistance (LTA). Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Minister of Social and Family Development, said: "There has been a broad-based increase in the number of people who received ComCare support in the last financial year. We have also seen a significant increase of 20 to 30 per cent in ComCare applications in recent months, compared to the same period last year. – The Straits Times
Semporna community members join front liners in beating back Covid-19
Together with front liners, members of the community here have decided to join the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, which has hit the district badly. Housewives, restaurateurs, tourism players and non-governmental organisations here are working hand-in-hand to extend assistance to affected residents by providing food, accommodation, transportation and disinfection services. The community, working under the name "Semporna Heroes", was formed to coordinate the distribution of goods and services around the district. Volunteer Jamilah Ang said initially, the main objective was to assist hospital workers, especially those coming from outside the district and from other states. "Apart from hosting the medical personnel at our accommodations and renting out cars at a very low rate, my staff are also volunteering to help with transporting stable patients to the hospital as some of the hospital drivers are also infected by the virus. "There are also among us those who provide camping tents to the district hospital to be put up as waiting areas for Covid-19 sampling tests, and those seeking treatment for mild illnesses," said tour operator Ang, who is also Semporna Tourism Association chairperson. She said the charity movement started even before the state election, as the community anticipated that the new wave of Covid-19 infection would hit the district badly. "The situation is not favourable; anyone could be infected. Not only are the tourism players and hoteliers affected, but even restaurants are not open for business. – New Straits Times
Medical chief backs reopening
The director-general of the Department of Medical Services is backing the proposal to reopen the country to revitalise the virus-battered economy. Dr Somsak Akksilp said that not only was Thailand well prepared for a second wave of Covid-19 but that maintaining zero local infections was an unrealistic target since it was still not known when a vaccine would become available. "We cannot afford to maintain zero cases forever," Dr Somsak said. "We need to reopen the country. The country must move forward and people have jobs to do. "This means we may have to see a small number of infections but if we work together to prevent them, the country will be able to achieve a balance between public health and the economy." He said the Public Health Ministry wanted to reassure the public that the medical system was well-equipped to detect and control the disease. Dr Somsak said 2,000 beds were already available across the country for Covid-19 patients. Bangkok could treat up to 400 patients per day and the rest of the country 1,000-1,700 patients per day, he said. "We have upgraded our medical system," Dr Somsak continued. "We won the first round because of the trust between the people and doctors. We believe we will get through this." Sophon Mekthon, chairman of the Government Pharmaceutical Organisation (GPO), said that it had ensured enough supplies of face masks, N95 masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) in the event of a second wave of Covid-19 – and more could now be produced locally. – Bangkok Post
Govt encourages critics of jobs law to apply for judicial review rather than staging protests
As Indonesia contends with large-scale protests against the endorsement of the Job Creation Law, the government has encouraged those who oppose the law to file a judicial review with the Constitutional Court to ensure a more amicable process. Donny Gahral Adrian, a leading expert at the Office of the Presidential Staff, said the government had done its best to ensure fair legislation, but that it could not possibly accommodate every public interest. “If certain parties are not satisfied [with the legislation], there’s a constitutional mechanism called a judicial review that can be applied for at the Constitutional Court,” Donny said by phone on Thursday, adding that the government had prepared the legal route for its critics. He went on to say that opposing opinions are a common feature in democracy, noting that there has to be a side that “loses” for the greater good. Responding to the mass protests against the new law across the country, Donny said large crowds could only increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission and jeopardize public safety. “If some object [to the law], then take the constitutional route. Demonstrations should be a last resort,” Donny said. – The Jakarta Post
Duterte: End House crisis or else
President Duterte on Thursday night threatened to step in to save the P4.5-trillion proposed budget for 2021 from delay if the members of the House of Representatives failed to resolve the crisis caused by Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano’s delaying the turnover of the leadership to Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco under a term-sharing agreement. To prevent a leadership vote, Cayetano terminated plenary debates on the budget on Tuesday and suspended the session well ahead of the Oct. 17 date for the House to leave town. He set the resumption of session for Nov. 16, which the senators said would cause them to lose a month’s time for budget deliberation. The delay, the senators said, would certainly lead to a re-enacted budget for 2021. Malacañang said on Wednesday that President Duterte did not want a re-enacted budget because his proposed budget for 2021 contained new spending for programs that would enable the country to recover from the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. In a 15-minute televised address to the nation on Thursday night, Duterte issued a cryptic warning, but did not say what exactly he would do to end the leadership row in the House. “I want to say it in one straight statement: Either you resolve the [leadership impasse there] and pass the budget, legally and constitutionally, [or], if you don’t do it, I will do it for you,” Duterte said. “I am not threatening you. I have no ambition to stay long in this post, which brings so many problems. I am saying, if you do not solve the problem, then I will solve the problem for you,” he added. Duterte said he would not give a deadline for the House to resolve the leadership squabble between Cayetano and Velasco. – INQUIRER.net
PM asks for non-stop toll collections to go into service immediately
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has issued a directive to accelerate the application of automated non-stop toll collection services nationwide. The directive said the implementation of the electronic service, which replaces the one-stop model, had been determined as a mandatory task by the National Assembly, the Government and the PM. It aims to ensure transparency in toll collection as well as create favourable conditions for drivers. In order to push automated non-stop toll collections nationwide, the PM has asked the Ministry of Transport to direct the implementation of the service to ensure progress, quality, interconnection, synchronisation, safety and security in accordance with the law. The ministry has been instructed to work with people's committees of provinces and cities to prepare separate lanes for non-stop toll collections at tollbooths and guide drivers to use the correct lanes. The ministry will need to address problems facing investors and service providers to ensure the progress of the project, ensuring harmonisation of interests among related parties. At the same time, it must ensure transparency regarding toll collections. The PM has also asked the ministry to suspend toll collections for projects that failed to switch to automated non-stop toll collection in accordance with the law. The ministry will co-ordinate with the Ministry of Public Security and other agencies to ensure traffic order and safety, and strictly deal with drivers who intentionally violate the law and cause traffic congestion at tollbooths, especially toll stations that operate electronic systems. Motor vehicle registration units and relevant agencies will implement electronic tags when inspecting vehicles and share vehicle data with toll service providers to ensure synchronisation. – Viet Nam News
On alert for troublemakers: RCAF and police to counter bids to sow unrest
Royal Cambodian Armed Forces Commander-In-Chief General Vong Pisen yesterday called on all personnel to prevent “power-hungry politicians” from conducting “psychological warfare” and inciting people to destroy peace and political stability in the Kingdom. National Police chief General Neth Savoeun yesterday also instructed the police to track and prevent the actions of “illegal rebel groups” who attempt to overthrow the legitimate government. Their calls were made after former opposition leader Sam Rainsy, who is living in exile in Paris, recently announced again that he would return to the Kingdom “soon” to eliminate what he called a “treasonous regime.” “We need to rescue and liberate our nation from the hands of a treasonous regime, from killing our nation, like they are killing our mother,” Rainsy announced in a video clip posted on Facebook and YouTube last month. “I will come to gather the forces, I believe about 90 percent of the population love the nation, only one percent is loyal to [Prime Minister] Hun Sen.” Gen Pisen’s order was made during the inauguration ceremony of a two-storey army building, funded by Vietnam, and the opening ceremony of the training course for border guards at the Border Protection Centre in Kampong Chhnang province. “When we truly understand the importance of peace and come together to defend it from divisive strategies of power-hungry politicians, the risk of undermining peace would not be inevitable,” Gen Pisen said, according to RCAF’s minutes of his speech. – Khmer Times