These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Singaporeans can overcome challenges of 2020, emerge stronger: President Halimah
At the end of a very unusual and challenging year, with Covid-19 causing serious economic and social disruption, Singapore needs "all hands-on deck" to overcome the crisis and build a better future for generations to come, President Halimah Yacob said in her New Year message on Tuesday (Dec 29). She added she was confident that Singaporeans were up to the task, noting that the people have shown time and again to be made of sterner stuff, with crises strengthening them and making them even more resilient. Speaking in a video released by the Istana, Madam Halimah said: "We now have to reassess the way we organise our lives, work and businesses as there is no going back to the pre-Covid-19 period. But there are also opportunities. "Covid-19 has accelerated the use of technology, and long-term challenges such as climate change have gained a new impetus. Countries are using the opportunity to reshape their recovery towards a more green and sustainable economy." But the President also observed that Singapore was still experiencing economic headwinds induced by the pandemic, particularly in the aerospace and tourism-related sectors. She said that with concerted efforts, a full recovery may take one or two years - and even then, the next decade will see slower growth with higher expenditure. "We must continue to make critical investments in our infrastructure and skills development so that we can continue to attract new investments and create new jobs," Madam Halimah added. She pointed out that Singapore, like other countries struggling with tight fiscal positions, has had to dip into past reserves to support affected businesses and workers. Most recently, in November, the President approved the injection of an extra $8 billion in Covid-19 support. The Government has passed nearly $100 billion of relief measures over an unprecedented four budgets this year - with up to $52 billion drawn from the reserves. – The Straits Times
Armed Forces confirms cyberattack on data network, website
Armed Forces chief General Tan Sri Affendi Buang confirmed that the Armed Forces' data network and website were targeted in a cyberattack recently. In a statement today, he said the attack was detected by the Cyber Defence Operation Centre (CDOC) and the newly-launched Cyber and Electromagnetic Command (BSEP). He assured that the attack failed to affect the actual operations of the portal. According to Affendi, both departments had implemented network segregation to hide the location of classified data. "We confirm that there was a cyberattack on network data belonging to the Armed Forces. "As soon as the attack occurred, both the divisions and CDOC isolated data traffic to mask the location of crucial data and protect the network targeted by the hackers. "The cyberattack failed to affect the actual operations of the portal and only successfully hacked certain segments that have been placed outside of the network from the beginning," he said. Affendi also revealed that there were ongoing attempts of cyberattacks on information networks owned by the Defence Ministry and the Armed Forces, adding that they would stay vigilant in protecting important database from being hacked. "The Armed Forces will continue monitoring and improving our cybersecurity, in which the BSEP and CDOC play a vital role not only in strengthening and protecting the Armed Forces' communications, but also the strategic communications network for national defence." – New Straits Times
Sweeping closures in city
As a new wave of Covid infections bites, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) has ordered the closure of all entertainment venues from Tuesday until Jan 4. The order covers bars with hostesses, horseracing tracks and cockfighting arenas and other entertainment venues including massage parlours. However, pubs and restaurants can stay open as long as they serve only food and drinks, and close by midnight. BMA spokesman Pongsakorn Kwanmuang on Monday advised entertainment venues to switch to serving only food and observe disease control measures. Meanwhile, the governor of Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of Thailand's latest Covid-19 outbreak, has tested positive for the virus, as health authorities in Rayong reported its first coronavirus-related death. Verasak Vichitsangsiri's infection was confirmed on Monday – one day after he met Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and other senior health officials who were visiting Samut Sakhon, which has become a hotspot of coronavirus infections. Mr Anutin and the rest of his entourage tested negative for the virus, but they have been placed under a 14-day quarantine. It was reported that army spokesman Lt Gen Santipong Thammapiya and Maj Gen Thanathip Sawangsaeng, spokesman for the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc), have also been placed under quarantine because they came into contact with the governor. Director-general of the Department of Disease Control (DDC), Opas Karnkawinpong, said the Samut Sakhon governor was admitted to a hospital for further medical observation, as he has underlying medical conditions which may aggravate his condition. Dr Opas urged the public to support the 55-year-old governor, who was infected while working in high-risk areas. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Mr Anutin on Monday extended their moral support to Mr Verasak and praised him for his hard work and efforts to contain the outbreak in Samut Sakhon. Meanwhile, Deputy Public Health Minister Sathit Pitutecha confirmed the country's 61st coronavirus-related death on Monday. He said the 45-year-old patient had underlying health problems and was linked to a cluster of infections in Rayong. The man, who tested positive on Sunday, suffered respiratory difficulties and eventually stopped breathing while on his way to the hospital, according to Mr Sathit. Thailand's 60th Covid-19 death was a returnee from the UK who died on Nov 6, while the 59th returned from Saudi Arabia. The 58th Covid-19 death was a man from Narathiwat who died in June. The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) on Monday warned that local cases could rise by the thousands a day, or even tens of thousands per day by mid-January if provinces with a high number of cases fail to enforce disease control measures. – Bangkok Post
COVID-19, Job Creation Law remain major challenges for workers in 2021: KSPI
The Confederation of Indonesian Trade Unions (KSPI) says 2021 may be a grim year for workers across the archipelago as the multidimensional crisis triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over and the Job Creation Law remains in force. "The COVID-19 pandemic has multiple effects on workers across the nation. It will be hard to improve workers' conditions unless the [transmission] curve is flattened," KSPI president Said Iqbal said in a virtual press conference on Monday. He said KSPI members were among workers infected and killed by COVID-19, although he did not elaborate on the figure. "New confirmed cases, the fatality rate and the transmission rate among workers have been on an increasing trend, in a similar fashion to the national COVID-19 curve," he said, alleging that lax health protocol enforcement at factories was the main reason. Said expressed pessimism over the economic outlook for 2021, arguing that the recession would continue into next year despite claims from Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartanto that the nation’s economy had started to pick up. Airlangga said recently that the arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine would buoy the public’s confidence and sense of security, which should lead them to restarting economic activities. The minister also claimed that the country had managed to control the economic impact of the pandemic better than other G20 countries. "Contrary to the minister's claims, reports from our members suggest that demand continues to plummet in various sectors, causing factories to reduce their production. We are pessimistic that the economy will improve next year," he said. Said expressed concern that the situation could lead to massive layoffs next year, as companies would seek to cut their losses amid the economic slump. Several industries that had not laid off workers at the start of the pandemic had begun to cut their workforces or force employees to take unpaid leave, he said, citing as examples the textile, automotive, pharmaceutical, banking and mining industries. "We predict that around 500,000 workers could be laid off next year," he went on to say. Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati said last week that the government projected a GDP contraction of between 1.7 and 2.2 percent this year, driven by shrinking household spending, which accounts for more than half of Indonesia’s GDP. This figure marks a downward revision from the ministry’s previous forecast of an economic contraction of 0.6 to 1.7 percent. “We expect household spending to contract by around 2.6 to 3.6 percent due to rising COVID-19 cases in December that triggered tighter restrictions,” Sri Mulyani said during a virtual press briefing on Dec. 21. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and World Bank have also lowered their projections for Indonesia’s economy. Both institutions expect Indonesia’s economy to contract by 2.2 percent this year, as opposed to previous forecasts of a GDP contraction of 1 and 1.6 percent, respectively. The controversial Job Creation Law, which was passed by the House of Representatives on Oct.5, was feared to lower workers' welfare and social protection next year, Said further said. "Many workers under the KSPI have reported that companies had fired their permanent employees while offering to rehire them as contract workers, because under the law there is no time limit for employing workers on limited contracts before employing them on a permanent basis," he said. Said claimed there were many more regulations under the law that could harm workers’ rights and welfare, such as the elimination of the sectoral minimum wage (UMSK), relaxed outsourcing rules, lower severance pay and eased recruitment of foreign workers. "The difficult situation could lead to more strikes and protests in 2021," he warned. The KSPI and dozens of other unions and NGOs have filed a legal challenge against the Job Creation Law with the Constitutional Court. – The Jakarta Post
DILG chief confirms local vaccinations
It is not unlawful to be inoculated with an unauthorized COVID-19 vaccine, Malacañang said on Monday after the home affairs secretary and the Army chief confirmed that Cabinet members and security forces have received a jab for the new coronavirus that had yet to be authorized for use in the Philippines. What is illegal is distributing the shot commercially without regulatory approval, the Palace said. Word had been going around for weeks that government officials, lawmakers and soldiers had been vaccinated for COVID-19, but the Department of Health (DOH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had been denying it, insisting that the government had not approved any vaccine for the new coronavirus disease. But President Rodrigo Duterte disclosed during a meeting with health experts on Saturday that many Filipinos, including troops from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, had been given the vaccine developed by the Chinese pharmaceutical company Sinopharm. “Almost all soldiers have been vaccinated. I have to be frank; I have to tell the truth. Many people have been vaccinated, and I have not heard of vaccination for a select few. But not all soldiers. It’s because it’s not yet policy,” Mr. Duterte said. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said he had no information about Duterte’s claim, while Health Secretary Francisco Duque III said it was up to the President to name his sources. The FDA stood firm on its claim that it had not cleared any candidate COVID-19 vaccine. On Monday, however, Interior Secretary Eduardo Año confirmed in a radio interview that some Cabinet officials and troops from the Presidential Security Group (PSG) had been vaccinated against COVID-19. “I know some members of the Cabinet and the PSG had already received the COVID-19 vaccine,” Año said, adding he did not know whether the President had been vaccinated, too. The head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) did not name the vaccine used, but said it was administered under an emergency use authorization (EUA). “Those vaccines have what we call EUA, so even if they are not yet approved, we can use them on our health workers and front-liners during a pandemic,” he said. – INQUIRER.net
Việt Nam's stock exchange officially established
Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc has signed a decision to establish the Việt Nam Stock Exchange (Việt Nam Exchange), headquartered in Hà Nội. Under the decision, the Việt Nam Exchange will operate as a limited liability company with a charter capital of VNĐ3 trillion (US$130 million). The Việt Nam Exchange will be accountable for its own development strategy and plan for each year and the coming five-year period. The exchange will also be in charge of developing and issuing regulations on share trading and listing and information disclosure. Given recent incidents on the stock market that have halted trading on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange, the Việt Nam Exchange is empowered to oversee potential risks that threaten the stability and development of the Vietnamese securities market while making recommendations to resolve the problems. In addition, the Việt Nam Exchange is held responsible for co-operation between Việt Nam and other countries in terms of securities market issues. The Hồ Chí Minh and Hà Nội stock exchanges will be the two subsidiaries and the Việt Nam Exchange will hold 100 per cent of capital in the two bourses. The Hà Nội Stock Exchange will take charge of the derivatives market, the Government and corporate bond markets, and other products. The Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange is authorised to manage the common stock market and other securities products. The two bourses are obliged to supervise trading activities and information disclosure of listed companies and invest in technology and product development to meet the market demand. In addition, the two bourses have to provide warnings and control of the illegal securities and oversee, halt and suspend the trading of some securities in the event of unusual trading activities. Other missions of the two bourses include the acceptance, change and cancellation of securities, provision of auctions and bidding competitions, reporting of illegal actions on the market and giving advice on possible solutions to solve problems. The decision will take effect on February 20 next year. There are a total of nearly 1,660 stocks being listed and traded on the Hồ Chí Minh Stock Exchange, the Hà Nội Stock Exchange and the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM). – Viet Nam News
Cambodia COVID-19 situational update: No ban on any inbound travellers despite new COVID strain
Cambodia does not ban foreigners, including the British who are suffering the “rapid spread of the new variant of the COVID-19 virus” from entering the country, said Prime Minister Hun Sen. “We do not prohibit any foreigners from coming into Cambodia, including British citizens, but we must strengthen the control, especially the quarantine,” he underlined in his special statement broadcast live from his residence in Takhmao town, Kandal province this morning by the National Television of Cambodia (TVK). He said Cambodia has to continue fighting in three battlefields against COVID-19: 1. prevent the import of the disease, 2. control the spread and prevent community transmission, and 3. cure all COVID-19 patients. The Premier also congratulated Cambodian medical practitioners who have been working hard in the battle against the pandemic. As of this morning, Cambodia recorded in total 364 confirmed cases, including 242 Cambodians, 45 French, 18 Chinese, 13 Malaysians, 12 Americans, 10 Indonesians, 6 British, 3 Vietnamese, 3 Canadians, 3 Indians, 2 Hungarians, 2 Pakistanis, 1 Belgian, 1 Kazakhstani, 1 Polish, 1 Jordanian, and 1 Japanese. Of them, 41 are locally transmitted community cases. A total of 360 patients have been so far cured successfully with no fatal case, while the active cases remains at only 4. – Khmer Times