These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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New, faster breathalyser test for diagnosing Covid-19 in the works in Singapore
Diagnosing a patient with Covid-19 could soon be as easy as getting the person to breathe into a tube - and getting the results in under a minute. The breathalyser-type diagnostic test kit, which is still at a prototype stage, is developed by Breathonix - a spin-off company from the National University of Singapore (NUS). It has so far achieved an accuracy rate of more than 90 per cent during a pilot clinical trial involving 180 patients at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID), and researchers will continue to fine-tune the algorithm using data collected from the next phases of the trial. The researchers are hoping to recruit up to 600 patients over the next few months to validate the technology. But Dr Jia Zhunan, an NUS graduate and chief executive of Breathonix, is confident that the breath test could be a game-changer in Singapore's fight against the coronavirus. For one thing, the breath test is easy to administer, and does not require specially trained staff or laboratory processing usually required for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. "Results are generated in real time, making it an attractive solution for mass screening, especially in areas with high human traffic," Dr Jia added. This could include areas such as airports and dormitories. The Breathonix test is unlike any other kits currently on the market in that it does not detect viral fragments - which is what PCR tests pick up - or viral proteins, detected by rapid antigen tests. Instead, it registers chemical changes in a patient's breath. – The Straits Times
Slow test results upset Sabah folk
Sabahans are becoming frustrated with the long wait to get their Covid-19 swab test results. The anxiety is made more palpable by the fact that the state has been recording the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the country. Sabah registered 643 new cases yesterday. The state has recorded fatalities for 12 consecutive days since Oct 8, with the death toll at 47. The Covid-19 fatalities in Sabah represent 25 per cent of the country's total deaths, which stood at 190 yesterday. A Kota Marudu resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the New Straits Times that his family was living in fear as they wait for his swab test results. "The hospital staff took my samples on Oct 12 and I have not heard from them since. "I have been under self-quarantine at home since the swab test. But as each day passes, I'm worried that I may pass on the virus to my wife and children if I am Covid-19 positive." On Sunday, Sabah logged 702 new cases, its highest daily tally, which accounted for 80.6 per cent of new cases nationwide. The authorities had said the sharp spike in Covid-19 cases in Sabah was due to health officials clearing the backlog of Covid-19 swab samples, so the new cases were a combination of new infections and cleared backlogs. Epidemiologist Professor Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud said the backlog could hinder efforts to track and contain the spread of Covid-19 in the state. – New Straits Times
Media groups warn govt
Media organisations and academics have called on the government not to violate the freedom of the press after reports emerged that five online outlets face legal action for breaching the state of emergency. The government is also said to be planning to block the Telegram messaging app as anti-government protesters switched to it after police moved to shut down their Facebook accounts. Several local media organisations spoke out after the leaking on Monday of an order issued by the government's joint Centre for the Resolution of Emergency Situation (CRES). They included the National Press Council of Thailand, the News Broadcasting Council of Thailand, the Thai Journalists Association, the Thai Broadcast Journalists Association, Online News Providers Association and the National Union of Journalists Thailand. The CRES order had declared: "As it appears there are television broadcasts of contents deemed to threaten national security or good morals by presenting certain contents from Voice TV, Prachatai.com, The Reporters, The Standard and Free Youth movement, the national police chief, who is in charge of resolving the serious emergency situation thus orders the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) and the Digital Economy and Society (DES) Ministry to examine and suspend the broadcast or delete those contents from the computer system in line with their authority and responsibility." In their joint statement, the local media organisations said they were opposed to any forms of media freedom suppression by any side and urged the government not to abuse the law by silencing the media. – Bangkok Post
Experts, activists call for civil disobedience, unity to oppose Job Creation Law
Experts and activists have called for a larger civil movement and collective civil disobedience to convey public distrust in the government following the passage of the controversial omnibus law on job creation at the beginning of this month. They called the public to react to this situation not as a part of a specific group but as individuals as the government had ignored their rights, specifically the right to information by determining what constituted as fake news. Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence (Kontras) coordinator Yati Andriyani said civil movements must be cross-issue and cross-generational, as happened in Hong Kong and Thailand, as well as the #BlackLivesMatter movement. “We need a movement that is cross-issue and organic. It has no shape and is not dependent on certain leaders,” she said in a virtual presser on Monday. Josardi Azhar, a student protester from Gadjah Mada University (UGM), who is part of the People Movement Alliance (ARB) that held massive rallies in Gejayan, Yogyakarta on Oct. 5, said protesters should transcend university loyalties. "At the previous rally, the police arrested those who did not wear alma mater jackets. I realized then that those who wore one had security privilege,” he said. Gadjah Mada University constitutional law lecturer Zainal Arifin Mochtar said there were many problems in the deliberation of the law and suggested the public carry out civil disobedience by ignoring the law in addition to holding street protests and submitting a judicial review at the Constitutional Court. "Those are three things that can be done politically, legally and socially. They must be done together," he said. – The Jakarta Post
House changes to budget not allowed – Lacson
Whether they call them “amendments” or “errata,” any change to the approved version of the 2021 general appropriations bill (GAB) is a violation of the Constitution, Sen. Panfilo Lacson told the House leadership on Monday. The Senate’s pork hunter chided Rep. Eric Yap, House appropriations panel chair, for his remarks on Saturday that all amendments introduced by a small committee to the approved GAB were mere agency-initiated corrections to the original proposal. “No amount of technicalities and sweet-talk manoeuvres can correct a flawed budget that is supposed to address the problems and concerns of more than 100 million Filipinos,” Lacson said in a statement. “[Yap’s claim] that the ‘errata,’ aka amendments, will come from the implementing agencies and not from the individual House members will further muddle an already constitutionally infirm and error-filled budget measure,” he said. “Why? The authorization part of the four-phase budget process is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Congress, and the executive should deal only with budget preparation and execution,” Lacson said. The four phases are budget preparation, legislation, execution, and evaluation. The House passed the P4.5-trillion spending bill on third and final reading on Friday before suspending session. But in line with customary practice in the 301-member chamber, a small committee was formed to make last-minute changes to the bill before transmitting it to the Senate. Yap said the small committee composed of members handpicked by the new House leadership under Speaker Lord Allan Velasco was not permitted to make last-minute pork insertions to the GAB, contrary to insinuations by senators. – INQUIRER.net
Việt Nam and Japan are strategic partners and good friends: General Secretary Trọng
Việt Nam and Japan have demonstrated they are two extensive strategic partners and good friends in these challenging times, Vietnamese Party General Secretary and President Nguyễn Phú Trọng said as he met with the visiting Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Hà Nội on Monday. Party chief Trọng said the fact that the Japanese PM selected Việt Nam as the destination for his first overseas trip after being elected the leader of Japan is testament to how much Japan values Việt Nam and the bilateral ties. General Secretary and President Trọng expressed his delight that the two countries' ties in recent years have made robust, substantial and effective steps forward with high political confidence in all fields in line with the spirit of the joint vision statement on Việt Nam-Japan relations. “The two countries have clearly shown the spirit of an extensive strategic partnership, good friends in difficult times, and actively shared, cooperated and supported each other in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic,” Trọng continued. For his part, Yoshihide Suga expressed his pleasure to return to visit Việt Nam in his new position, and conveyed gratitude towards General Secretary and President Trọng, Government leaders and people of Việt Nam for giving the Japanese high-level delegation a warm and sincere welcome. Japanese Government leader Yoshihide Suga said he was impressed by the achievements Việt Nam has attained in its đổi mới (Reform) efforts along with Việt Nam’s competent handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He reaffirmed that Japan attaches great importance to Việt Nam’s position in the region, always supports the development of Việt Nam, and stressed that the new Japanese government is committed to inherit and comprehensively promote the strategic partnership between Việt Nam and Japan, which has been built and strengthened by generations of leaders and people of the two countries. – Viet Nam News
‘No quarantine bus breach’
Phnom Penh City Hall has denied a bus dropped off passengers while travelling between the Phnom Penh International Airport and designated quarantine hotels. Deputy Governor of Phnom Penh Mean Chanyada told Khmer Times yesterday that claims the bus driver had allowed passengers to leave was a misunderstanding and that the truth was that a passenger aboard the bus was instead dropping off luggage to a friend. “We looked at the passenger list of those who entered and who left the bus and verified no one was dropped off en route to their hotel,” he said. “Now, the Ministry of Health is also preparing an official letter to clarify that no passengers were dropped off,” he said. He added that health officials had tested all arrivals and allocated them hotels, where they confirmed all passengers had arrived. “A total of 157 passengers had travelled from China. We verified the number upon their arrival and 100 percent were tested,” he said. “The results came through yesterday and all passengers tested negative. They have now been instructed to self-quarantine.” Chanyada said the bus driver made a mistake in allowing the passenger to drop off the luggage, but he was not fined. “It’s was a mistake to let him drop off the guitar to his friend. However, the bus driver had been working hard day and night,” he said. “Therefore, we reminded him of his responsibilities and warned him not to repeat his mistake,” he added. On Sunday, Phnom Penh Governor Khuong Sreng told local media that legal action would be taken against all bus drivers caught dropping passengers off before reaching their quarantine centres or hotels. Sreng also called on all passengers to cooperate with government measures to combat COVID-19. – Khmer Times