These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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MAS rolls out measures to boost job prospects of Singaporeans in the financial sector
The Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) announced more measures on Thursday (Nov 26) to help develop and retain a core Singaporean workforce for the financial services sector. The measures were announced at a webinar organised jointly by MAS and the Institute of Banking and Finance (IBF), dubbed "Growing Timber". Mr Ravi Menon, MAS managing director of MAS and IBF chairman, said the financial sector is planning to offer 1,800 newly created jobs and 2,000 traineeships in the 12 months to June 2021, according to the central bank’s pilot employment outlook survey. While the jobs are spread over different functions, the largest hiring demand is in technology, with 880 jobs, said Mr Menon, speaking at the event. MAS will roll out a new Work-Study Support Programme (WSSP) that will fund 80 per cent of the internship stipend, capped at $1,000 per month, for Singaporean undergraduates who serve their internships at financial institutions. This is to develop job-ready graduates and build a Singaporean talent pipeline for the sector. The new scheme is part of the SkillsFuture Work-Study Degree Programme (WSDeg), which enables students to gain meaningful work experience and acquire work-relevant skills. The financial services sector has been a major participant of the WSDeg programme since its introduction in 2017, and the WSSP will help scale the programme in strategic growth areas, said MAS. MAS will also extend the Training Allowance Grant for company-sponsored trainees by six months from Dec 31 to June 30 next year. IBF will also extend its 5 per cent additional course fee credit to cover the period. The scheme aims at boosting job retention through upskilling workers amid changing tasks and roles. The Training Allowance Grant will keep up the training momentum of in-demand skills, such as technology, and in new growth areas, such as green finance, said MAS. – The Straits Times
Revenge possible motive behind second attack on GOF personnel
Authorities believe revenge is the motive behind the second attack on General Operations Force (GOF) personnel near the border in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah recently. A source said the culprit could be from the same smuggling syndicate involved in the recent shootout with GOF personnel in Perlis. "The smugglers are unhappy after some of their friends were arrested by both Thai and Malaysian authorities in connection with the incident. "They are probably frustrated when their ketum leaves and cough mixture smuggling activities were uncovered by the police. "Therefore, they take revenge and want to warn the authorities as well as trying to show that they are still in power," said the source. The source said it was normal for smugglers, especially those involved in drug trafficking, to take revenge against the authorities. "It happens almost in all the state borders including in Kelantan. The smugglers are very hardcore and some of them are even willing to get killed or kill others just to protect their goods. "If someone or even their own members try to stop or betray them, they will either be killed or harassed," said the source. The source said there were cases where border enforcement agencies in Kelantan were shot at using catapults by Thai smugglers. "This occurred a few years ago in Rantau Panjang and the smugglers shot the enforcement officers to warn them for taking their goods. "Apart from that, a senior police officer at the Kelantan border also received a package containing live bullets. This was years ago," said the source. Commenting on the matter, Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order Department director Datuk Seri Abd Rahim Jaafar said there was a possibility that revenge could be the reason behind the two attacks. "I am aware of this based on my previous service in Kelantan. Police personnel receiving live bullets and another was shot at by a catapult. "However, we will never compromise and all border agencies have been told to take extra precaution while on duty," he said when contacted. Asked whether more manpower will be deployed to Kelantan, Abd Rahim said more than 300 GOF personnel stationed at the Kelantan border were sufficient at the moment. "We feel there is no need to do so (add more personnel to Kelantan) at the moment but to be more secure, we will change the patrol strategy and system involving all GOF personnel nationwide soon to curb any smuggling," he added. It is learnt that all enforcement agencies in Kelantan such as the marine police have stepped up their surveillance along the border area especially along the Golok river since Tuesday. Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Abdul Hamid Bador was reported to have said that additional armoured vehicles and personnel from the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department (NCID) would be deployed to the Malaysia-Thailand border to strengthen the country's border control. – New Straits Times
Prawit sets out river stance
Thailand says it supports sustainable development along the Mekong River with fewer boundary impacts to make sure that no one is left behind and all should gain equal benefits from the international river's natural resources, says Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwon who delivered the statement during a meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) Council. Thailand on Thursday joined the 27th Meeting of the MRC Council and the 25th Meeting of the Development Partner Consultative Group, which brought together ministers from Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the lower Mekong Region's partners from the EU, Australia, New Zealand and the US. The video-conference meeting was hosted by the Laos government with the main focus on drafting a 10-year development plan along the Mekong River. Gen Prawit said the MRC has followed the strategy of sustainable development for water resource and other natural resources use along the river, together with environmental preservation and conservation. However, fast progress on water development projects along the river's main stream has already had impacts on people's livelihoods along the river. The country had brought about good cooperation from neighbours, dialogue partners, international agencies, and other development partners to build up a partnership for enhancing the regional river basin's prosperity and sustainable development. "Thailand has supported benefit-sharing of water use, clean water resources access with equality and fairness. Importantly, it should mitigate boundary impacts by exercising good governance principles for water management through dialogue channels. Any discussion must be done based on 'One Mekong One Spirit' to make balance of people, economic growth and environment. And we won't leave anyone behind," he said. The MRC meeting was set up amid Thailand's concerns about the Sanakham hydropower project in which the construction site is only two kilometres from Loei's Chiang Khan district, saying the project is harmful to people living along the river and border between Thailand and Laos that uses the river's ridge as the border line. Thailand has threatened not to buy power from the controversial project due to concerns about its impact on the river. – Bangkok Post
Govt, UGM to distribute 11,000 free local test kits to clamp down on COVID-19
Gadjah Mada University (UGM), in cooperation with the Research and Technology Ministry, is to distribute 11,000 locally developed rapid test kits for free to hospitals and health agencies across the country. Called RI-GHA, short for Republik Indonesia-Gadjah Mada Hepatika Airlangga, UGM and Airlangga University researchers developed the antibody test kits that are currently being mass produced at the UGM Science and Techno Park in Minomartani village of Sleman regency, Yogyakarta. “This kit has undergone a long process and [many] improvements to reach the right formula,” the test kit’s principal researcher, Sofia Mubarika, said on Wednesday in a statement. Sofia was speaking at the ceremonial handover of 1,500 test kits to the Sleman Health Agency at the Puskesmas (community health centre) Mlati II in Mlati district, Sleman. She said the test kit was developed to meet the overwhelming demand for COVID-19 tests that were easy to use, accurate and could be produced domestically for the independence and resilience of Indonesia’s health system in managing the emergency. Sofia said that the production and distribution of the RI-GHA were the researchers’ contributions in supporting the government’s COVID-19 mitigation efforts. “I thank the Research and Technology Ministry for supporting this innovative product of the nation’s children, so it can be down-streamed to the people,” she said. Among the health facilities to receive the test kits are: General Soedirman University in Purwokerto, Central Java (2,000 kits), Yogyakarta City Health Agency (1,500), Gunungkidul Health Agency, Yogyakarta (1,500), Kulon Progo Health Agency, Yogyakarta (1,500), Makassar City Health Agency, South Sulawesi (1,000), Muhammadiyah University of Malang, East Java (1,000), and the Malang Regency Health Agency (1,000). Read also: UGM expert shares tips on conserving internet data during pandemic Sleman Health Agency head Joko Hastaryo welcomed the distribution of the RI-GHA test kit and expressed his hope that more would be produced to make it more affordable. He said that other test kits cost Rp 85,000 (US$6) per test, while the RI-GHA cost Rp 75,000 per test. “Hopefully it will become cheaper and cheaper later,” said Joko. The research ministry’s subdirector of drug, health and food industries, Novi Mukti Rahayu, also expressed her hope that the RI-GHA test kits could help mitigate the health crisis, along with other locally developed medical innovations, including ventilators and herbal medicines. “Hopefully, this will benefit the greater public and we can get through this pandemic well,” she said. At a recent UGM virtual graduation ceremony, rector Panut Mulyono said that the pandemic had also prompted the rise of creativity to deal with the disease as well as the ensuing hardships. – The Jakarta Post
Quimbo: 2021 COVID fight funding ‘way too small’
The country’s economic losses from the coronavirus pandemic and a string of devastating typhoons this year are likely to reach P3.4 trillion, thus requiring a much more aggressive fiscal response from the government in 2021, an economist and lawmaker said on Thursday. Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, who is pushing for a third package of COVID-19 intervention measures or Bayanihan 3, told an economic briefing organized by Security Bank that the government’s pandemic-related spending for the coming year was estimated to total only P413 billion. This is “way too small” compared to the economic damage suffered by the country this year, she said. Quimbo said the P3.4-trillion economic loss factored in a 10 percent gross domestic product (GDP) contraction this year, the forgone 6 percent GDP economic growth that the country would have achieved if the pandemic did not happen, and close to P100 billion in damage from recent storms. Based on a Department of Budget and Management (DBM) breakdown of expenditures for 2021, the COVID-19 stimulus measures were estimated to get P838.4 billion, Quimbo said. She pointed out, however, that this DBM estimate already included P589.8 billion for various projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which should not be considered part of COVID-19 response because these had long been planned under the “Build, Build, Build” program. About P31.4 billion was earmarked for the health sector, but Quimbo noted that this was still too small compared to the combined P80-billion health response under the Bayanihan 1 and 2, and especially considering that the government must spend for COVID-19 vaccines in 2021. The proposed amount of P2.5 billion for vaccines, she noted, would cover only 3.9 million Filipinos. Excluding the DPWH budget, Quimbo said this would leave the country with P248 billion for pandemic response in 2021. Including the P165 billion authorized spending under Bayanihan 2, she said the sum of P413 billion would still be way too small relative to the P3.4 trillion in economic damage. – INQUIRER.net
Former Hà Nội leader Chung admits appropriating State secrets
Hà Nội's former top politician has confessed to stealing State secrets, according to the Supreme People’s Procuracy. Former Chairman of the Hà Nội People’s Committee Nguyễn Đức Chung and three others have been indicted on charges of "appropriating State secrets" by the procuracy in a statement released on Thursday. The three other accomplices are Nguyễn Anh Ngọc, 46, a staff at the secretariat working for Hà Nội People’s Committee, Nguyễn Hoàng Trung, 37, Chung’s personal chauffeur and also working at the same secretariat; and Phạm Quang Dũng, 37, a police officer working in the investigative unit on smuggling, corruption and economic crimes under the Ministry of Public Security, the procuracy said on Thursday. According to the indictment, on May 4, police started legal proceedings into transnational smuggling and accounting violations taking place at Nhật Cường Mobile Company and other related units. As Chung and his wife Nguyễn Thị Trúc Chi were reportedly persons of interests in the case, Chung allegedly asked Dũng, who was involved with the investigation of the Nhật Cường case, to supply information and documents to him. According to the indictment, on five occasions from July 2019 to June 2020, Dũng stole nine documents related to Nhật Cường, all under the State secret category, and gave six of them to Chung. Trung and Ngọc printed and modified three State secret documents for Chung, the indictment reads. The procuracy noted the defendants have admitted to the act and expressed remorse. It also said that there are mitigating sentences for Chung as during his working tenure, he has received many accolades for excellent achievements – especially the title of Hero of People’s Armed Forces, he needs to undergo cancer treatment, and this was his first crime. The procuracy said it found no solid evidence there were other police officers directly implicated in the illegal act but there were shortcomings which the Ministry of Public Security will deal with. Earlier, police said Chung made acquaintance with police officer Dũng via Phan Huy Lệ, Chairman and Director-General of Hà Thành Co Ltd. Chung allegedly asked Dũng to collect and supply information and documents on the Nhật Cường case to him on June 16, 2019. Dũng is alleged to have made a copy of a key to his superior’s office and entered into the office five times between August 2019 and March 2020, and used his phone to take photos of the case’s documents – which include data and transactions on smuggled goods on 16 suppliers to Nhật Cường, reports on the progress of the investigation into the company and the verification reports on Nhật Cường’s supply of digital administrative services for Hà Nội’s administration in 2017-19. Dũng transferred these documents via the mobile app Viber, police said. – Viet Nam News
Coronaviruses closely related to pandemic virus found in lab freezers in Cambodia and Japan
Researchers have found coronaviruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic, in bats stored in laboratory freezers in Cambodia and Japan, according to a study published in the journal Nature. The virus in Cambodia was discovered in two Shamel’s horseshoe bats stored in a freezer, which were captured in the north of the country in 2010. Meanwhile, a team in Japan found another closely related coronavirus in frozen bat droppings, the study showed. “The viruses are the first known relatives of SARS-CoV-2 to be found outside China,” said the study, noting that the new findings support the World Health Organization’s search across Asia to investigate the animal origin of the COVID-19 pandemic. But whether the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 passed directly from bats to people or through an intermediate host still remains unknown, according to the study. “Both discoveries are exciting because they confirm that viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2 are relatively common in Rhinolophus bats, and even in bats found outside China,” Alice Latinne, an evolutionary biologist at the Wildlife Conservation Society Vietnam in Hanoi, who has seen some of the Cambodian team’s analysis, was quoted as saying. Aaron Irving, an infectious-diseases researcher at Zhejiang University in China’s Hangzhou, who also plans to test stored samples of bats and other mammals, said the findings suggest that other “as-yet undiscovered SARS-CoV-2 relatives” could be stored in lab freezers, it added. – Khmer Times