These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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About 300 small businesses seek to renegotiate contracts under Covid-19 relief scheme
The Government's Re-Align Framework scheme to help eligible small and micro businesses cope with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic has drawn close to 300 filings in the three weeks since it was launched. The Law Ministry said last Friday (Feb 5) that 292 notices had been filed between Jan 15 and last Thursday, comprising 177 Notices of Negotiation (NoN) and 115 Notices of Revision (NoR). NoN is for renegotiation of certain business-to-business contracts, while NoR applies to eligible renters of commercial equipment or vehicles who may wish to take up the Repayment Scheme - an instalment plan that allows them to pay their accrued arrears within 18 months. Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam said last week that the framework "allows small and micro businesses that have been significantly impacted by Covid-19 to renegotiate selected types of contracts, so as to realign their contracts with the post-Covid-19 business environment". He said then in a written response to a Parliamentary question: "Renegotiation is the primary relief, not termination." The framework kicked in on Jan 15 and affected businesses have until Feb 26 to submit a notice to seek relief under the scheme. Some 78 per cent of the 177 NoNs served through the online electronic system involved leases or licences for non-residential immovable properties, while the rest included contracts for the sale and purchase of goods and services. Under the framework, the service of a NoN by an affected business on the other party triggers a four -week negotiation period, during which parties are urged to understand each other's position, and work towards a mutually acceptable outcome. A business is eligible if its annual revenue does not exceed $30 million at a global group level; and if it experienced at least a 70 per cent fall in monthly average gross income for the period July 1, 2020 to Dec 31, 2020, compared to the period July 1, 2019 to Dec 31, 2019. Alternative periods of assessment are available for businesses which had not commenced business by July 1, 2019. Only businesses that have an annual revenue for the financial year 2019 of up to $30 million on a global group basis are eligible under the framework. In addition, the framework only covers certain business-to-business contracts such as leases and licences for non-residential immovable property not exceeding five years, while other contracts such as consumer contracts and employment contracts are excluded. Industry players have weighed in on the scheme, pointing out that the framework complements a range of government support measures, like the Jobs Support Scheme and Rental Relief Framework, during this exceptional period. – The Straits Times
'We need detailed vaccination plan now'
The Health Ministry has to devise a comprehensive plan on the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme soon to ensure an orderly and chaos-free vaccination process takes place. Epidemiologist Datuk Dr Awang Bulgiba Awang Mahmud said that without planning, the government would not be able to implement the massive inoculation exercise properly, such as in ensuring effective logistics delivery. "There are many things that need to be done and it should have started now, but I do not see much by the way of announcements from the Health Ministry on how this is supposed to be carried out. "There has been some general announcement and bits of information here and there, but none about a comprehensive vaccination plan, which the public can understand and act on," he told the New Straits Times. The Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry's head of the Independent Covid-19 Vaccination Advisory Committee (ICVAC) said there needed to be a detailed vaccination plan and Gantt chart with clear aims and goals. A Gantt chart is a type of bar chart that illustrates a project schedule. "The logistics are the most daunting and have to be sorted out. They need to be planned down to the last detail, including registration, appointments, human resource, administration, transport and cold chain requirements. "Where the vaccination centres should be (located), when they will be opened, their target populations, how to contact potential vaccinees, and follow-up – all these need to be sorted out. "The timelines for all these processes and the process flow all need to be made clear now. There is no time to lose." He said scenario planning needed to be carried out with contingency plans laid out for all eventualities. Dr Awang Bulgiba said ICVAC had made recommendations to the government, which included the need for a risk assessment tool to determine priority needs so that the correct persons were given inoculation earlier. These high-risk potential vaccinees, he said, should have been contacted by now and engaged. Besides that, a dedicated call centre, website and registration database system should also be in place and registering people (via mobile apps, post and phone calls) and scheduling appointments for the next one year, he said. He said special consideration for some groups (incarcerated populations, long-stay hospital patients, care-home populations, schoolteachers, migrants and the homeless) needed to be drawn up and the reasons made clear. "A voluntary vaccine registry of 50,000 vaccinees (for active surveillance) and Phase 4 passive surveillance for all other vaccinees need to be carried out continuously for at least two years to monitor adverse events and check for vaccine effectiveness. "The active surveillance needs to be detailed and university labs need to be roped in for this as it involves monitoring for more than just antibody levels. "The government should also get university experts to model the impact of vaccination on the economy and health indicators, and monitor to see if the intended effects are taking place. "At the same time, non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as physical distancing and mask-wearing, need to remain in place until infections are reduced to very low levels." He stressed the importance of engaging experts from various fields as done by the ministry in establishing ICVAC. – New Straits Times
Army 'sorry' over shooting by private
The 1st Army Region has publicly apologised after a private in Kanchanaburi fired at several people on Friday in a fit of rage. The remarks, conveyed by the 1st Army Region's public relations team, expressed both apologies and regret over the incident, saying the army will fully cooperate with the Royal Thai Police in its investigation. Pvt Amornthep Limcharoen, attached to the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the 9th Infantry Regiment, on Friday opened fire at people in a house in Kanchanaburi, injuring several. Police said the incident followed an argument between the private and his girlfriend. Her family is asking the police to charge Pvt Amornthep with unlawful detention, it said. Pvt Amornthep fled after the incident, and the 1st Army Region is trying to locate him so he can be brought to justice, its PR team said. According to the 1st Army Region, Pvt Amornthep took a leave of absence on Dec 22, but failed to return to the barracks when his leave expired on Jan 2. The 2nd Infantry Battalion, which is overseen by the 1st Army Region, issued a warning to Pvt Amornthep, before it classified him as having deserted the force on Feb 6. In its written remarks, the 1st Army Region said it has warned Pvt Amornthep on several occasions about his temper and notified his family about it. If and when the private is caught, the force said it will proceed with disciplinary action against him, the statement said. Separately, more than 1,400 men have applied for voluntary enlistment in the first six days of online registrations, according to the army. Recruitment is open to men between 18–20 and 22–29, as by law, those who are 21 must take place in the annual draft, unless they are eligible for exemptions or have completed the territorial defence course and training. The online enlistment runs from Feb 1–28. Army spokeswoman Sirichan Ngathong said 1,466 men nationwide applied online between Feb 1–6, with some applicants with no access to the internet using computers at their local military units to apply. Most applicants, or 405 people, applied to enlist with units under the 2nd Army Region, she said. Col Sirichan said successful applicants will be called to attend an onsite screening at their respective army circles on March 5. This week, the army's recruitment officers will be campaigning to promote voluntary enlistment in all districts nationwide. – Bangkok Post
‘Pork holiday’ looms in Metro Manila
An agricultural group has pressed the Department of Agriculture (DA) for support to hog raisers battling steep production and transport costs amid calls by traders and vendors for a “pork holiday” to protest price ceilings on pork and chicken in Metro Manila starting Monday. “Transport costs have ballooned, with the pork coming from Visayas and Mindanao, and traders are now facing tripled or quadrupled costs … With the price cap, how are the vendors going to sell?” said Jayson Cainglet, executive director of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura (Sinag). In an interview on Sunday, Cainglet said the DA should subsidize the P30-per-kilo transport cost to help defray the expenses of raisers who are shipping their pork products to Metro Manila. Pork prices have soared as the local hog industry battles the spread of African swine fever. The disease has disrupted the operations of hog farms in Batangas, Bulacan and nearby provinces, prompting hog raisers in the Visayas and Mindanao to supply Metro Manila. President Duterte issued Executive Order No. 124, which imposes the price ceilings on pork shoulder, or “kasim,” and pork leg or ham, or “pigue,” at P270 per kilo, and on pork belly, or “liempo,” at P300. For dressed chicken, the price ceiling was set at P160 a kilo. The price caps will be enforced in Metro Manila’s public markets and supermarkets selling imported pork for 60 days beginning Monday. Without government support, the acceptable price of pork, given the current situation, would be between P330 and P390 per kilo, Sinag said. Cainglet said his group empathized with vendors and traders who would opt to stop selling pork due to the price ceilings. “There is no shortage, but the DA is not helping the situation,” he said. “If ever there would be a supply disruption starting tomorrow (Monday), we are holding [Agriculture] Secretary [William] Dar responsible.” He said Sinag had been calling for support from Dar since last year. Sinag said the subsidy in transport cost was a better solution compared to the DA’s proposal to cut tariffs imposed on imported pork, which, it said, would ruin the local hog industry. “Reducing tariffs would only be beneficial to importers,” Cainglet said. – INQUIRER.net
Four more Tan Son Nhat airport staff diagnosed with Covid-19
The Health Ministry on Monday confirmed four more Covid-19 cases related to a baggage handler of HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International Airport. The new patients are all men that also work as baggage handlers at the airport and belong to the same team as "patient 1979," a 27-year-old man who lives in Binh Duong Province that borders HCMC and was confirmed positive with coronavirus over the weekend. Aged between 28, 30, 32 and 41, the four new infectees all live in HCMC and they have only contacted each other at work and did not meet any passengers. Until now, it is still not clear the source of infection for "patient 1979" because he lives with his brother in Binh Duong and the brother has also contracted the new coronavirus. With the four new patients, HCMC has now recorded six locally transmitted cases, counting from January 28 when community transmissions returned to Vietnam after 55 clean days with first cases detected in northern Hai Duong and Quang Ninh provinces. In the past 11 days, Vietnam has registered 422 domestic cases in 12 cities and provinces. Hai Duong, Quang Ninh and Hanoi top the list with 309, 47 and 23 cases each. Binh Duong has got six infections while Gia Lai has 19, Dien Bien three, Bac Ninh two, Hoa Binh two, and Hai Phong, Bac Giang, Ha Giang one each. – VNExpress International
Shot in the arm: First vaccine doses arrive to bolster C-19 fight
The first batch of much-awaited COVID-19 vaccines, being donated by China, arrived in the Kingdom yesterday to bolster efforts to tackle the pandemic. Prime Minister Hun Sen and China’s Ambassador to Cambodia Wang Wentian were at hand to witness the arrival of the planeload of 600,000 out of one million promised doses which touched down at the Phnom Penh International airport at about 4pm. In remarks made during the handover ceremony of the Sinopharm vaccine doses, Mr Hun Sen said they were key to a strategic solution to protect people’s life, promote economic recovery and improve people’s living standard. He said yesterday’s donation from China is a testament to the iron-clad friendship and the solid cooperation between the two countries and peoples, under the framework of Cambodia-China comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation and the Community of Shared Future building. Mr Hun Sen said China’s Sinopharm vaccine is one of the most widely-recognised vaccines in the world and is safe and effective for people aged between 18 and 59 to use. In a press conference after the handover ceremony, he said that in order to give Cambodians trust and confidence in China’s Sinopharm vaccination, his three sons and two sons-in-law will receive inoculations along with elite military officers “under the age of 59” at the Calmette Hospital on Wednesday. “I would like to announce to all the people to give confidence in the Sinopharm vaccine, I will give my three sons, Hun Manet, Hun Many and Hun Manit, to get this vaccine because I am over the recommended age group and I cannot get this type of vaccine,” Mr Hun Sen said. The Prime Minister who is 68 announced on Friday that he would not be vaccinated with the Sinopharm doses as planned on Wednesday because it could only be given to those between the ages of 18 and 59. He also said he plans to order additional vaccines from India, possibly direct orders of one million to four million doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine, which is being mass produced in India and will negotiate with the parties today. Mr Hun Sen said he is also considering buying AstraZeneca vaccine doses from Thailand which is also producing it. Ambassador Wang said that Cambodia was one of the first countries to receive the COVID-19 vaccine from China and since the outbreak of COVID-9 virus, the two governments have been helping each other. “Today, 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine, the first aid from China, will be handed over to the Cambodian side, including some vaccines of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces. We hope that these vaccines will play an active role in helping Cambodia prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” he said. Ambassador Wang said China has also decided to provide 10 million doses of vaccines to the COVAX Facility to meet the urgent needs of developing countries. This is an important step for the Chinese side to implement the initiative to build a human health community. – Khmer Times
Third day of mass rallies expected as anti-coup activists call for a general strike
A third consecutive day of nationwide protests is expected on Monday, with marches planned in Yangon, Mandalay and the capital Naypyitaw, where ousted leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint are being detained. Hundreds of thousands attended protests at the weekend, according to an estimate by the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, to call for the end of the military dictatorship that seized power in a coup last week. The protests so far have been peaceful with no major confrontations with the authorities. But police fired shots in the air at a rally in Myawaddy, near the Thai border, to disperse marchers on Sunday. Organizers hope these protests will evolve into a revolution that attracts members of the public from all different ages and backgrounds, with the eventual goal of shutting down the entire government bureaucracy. “We don’t want this to be nipped in the bud. We are trying to build up a general strike so that we can tear down the military dictatorship,” Ei Thinzar Maung, an activist and former parliamentary candidate, told Myanmar Now. Protestors have been careful to avoid confrontations with the police, with many demonstrators offering flowers, snacks and water to riot officers. Min Ko Naing, a veteran of the 1988 uprising who quickly popped up and disappeared amid the crowds in downtown Yangon on Sunday, has appealed to all the civil servants to stop working and join the protests. Demonstrators will once again rally at intersections in Hledan, Yankin and Tamwe before marching to Sule Pagoda in downtown Yangon from 9am. In Naypyidaw, protesters plan to march from starting points in at least eight townships to the Thabyay Kone roundabout, and then to the Presidential Office, where ousted President Win Myint was arrested before being taken and placed under house arrest in government residential quarters. Kyi Toe, an information officer for the National League for Democracy, has said Aung San Suu Kyi is also under house arrest in Naypyitaw, but that he is unclear about the whereabouts of party stalwart Win Htein, who was detained on Thursday night. Other protests are scheduled on Monday in Monywa and Chaung Oo in Sagaing region as well as Pathein and Kangyi Dauk in Ayeyarwady region. Crowds will also rally in front of city hall in Nyaungshwe, Shan state, and in the Kayah state capital of Loikaw. – Myanmar Now
Floods hit several Indonesian cities as rainy season nears peak
With the peak of the rainy season just around the corner, a number of areas in Indonesia have been inundated following heavy downpour over the past few days. The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) issued flood warnings on Saturday for five Java provinces – Banten, Jakarta, West Java, Central Java and East Java – effective until Monday. These five provinces have been put on siaga (watch) status, which is the second-highest level in the country's four-tiered alert system. Yogyakarta is the only province on the island with only the third-highest status, waspada (advisory). “According to the forecast from climatologists, February is the peak of the rainy season for Java Island,” BMKG weather forecaster Nanda Alfuadi said as quoted by kompas.com. Jakartans are advised to brace for floods as the Katulampa Dam in Bogor, West Java, saw its water level rise to 120 centimetres since Sunday morning. Indonesia's capital and its surrounding areas – especially the Puncak area and Bogor – have seen torrential rain since last week. People living near the Ciliwung River are advised to be vigilant in light of potential flooding. Jakarta Water Agency secretary Dudi Gardesi said the city had allocated more funds for flood control this year at about Rp 3 trillion (US$214 million), up from Rp 2.5 trillion last year, when the COVID-19 pandemic forced the city to delay the construction of some projects related to flood mitigation. "We received less funding last year as the economy contracted due to COVID-19 pandemic," Dudi told The Jakarta Post recently. "Most of the budget this year will be used to finish the programs that were delayed last year, such as land procurement for river restoration and projects to build more water pump stations and reservoirs." The Jakarta Water Agency has recently built three pump stations, adding to a total of 487 pumps already installed in 178 locations across the city. It is planning to build five more pumps this year, as well as reservoirs and infiltration wells to mitigate floods, one of the capital’s annual problems. In Central Java, floods hit Semarang city on Saturday after massive downpour battered the city overnight, according to BMKG in a press release. Floodwater inundated two main rail hubs, namely Tawang Station and Poncol Station, on Saturday and Sunday, disrupting train services connecting Semarang with other cities, such as Jakarta, Surabaya and Tegal. “Tawang and Poncol stations, as well as Batang lane up to Semarang are inundated,” Krisbiyantoro, public relations manager of PT Kereta Api Indonesia’s (KAI) Semarang office, said as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday. He said 70-cm-high water flooded Tawang Station up to the street in front of the station. Services of at least five freight trains were also affected by flooding in Semarang. – The Jakarta Post