These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Man, allegedly involved in China scam, charged over providing payment services without licence
A 66-year-old man who allegedly received $209,370 which he tried to transfer overseas was charged on Thursday (March 11) over providing payment services without a licence. Wang Wai Keong, who is also known as Wong Wai Keong, was arrested on suspicion of being involved in a China officials impersonation scam. Wang was offered bail of $10,000 and his case is expected to be mentioned again on April 1. Police, in a statement on Wednesday (March 10), said they received a report from a woman on April 9 last year in which she alleged that she had handed over $1 million to two women she believed to be Chinese authorities investigating her for transnational crimes. Preliminary investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department found that Wang allegedly received $209,370 in criminal proceeds from one of the scammers between March 31 and April 8 last year. The police believe he acted on the instructions of unidentified foreign clients to receive the cash and make arrangements with business contacts in Hong Kong. The sum has been recovered and seized by the police. Police have advised members of the public to take precautions when receiving unsolicited calls to hand over money. Those who collect money from others on behalf of unsolicited callers claiming to be law enforcement officers will be arrested and investigated. If convicted, Wang could be jailed for up to three years, or fined up to $125,000, or both. – The Straits Times
Umno, Pas call for appeal over court ruling on use of Allah, 3 other Islamic words
The Muafakat Nasional (MN) Consultative Committee meeting held last night has urged that the High Court's ruling on the use of the Islamic words be referred to the Court of Appeal. MN in a statement said the coalition views seriously the High Court's decision in allowing non-Muslims to use the Islamic words in their publications. "Today's meeting also urged the Federal government to take the initiative to expedite the implementation of a more harmonised legal system within the Federal Constitution framework," the statement said. The meeting also agreed to further strengthen MN, it said. The media statement was distributed by Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan who is also MN secretary-general through WhatsApp and Twitter. The High Court here yesterday ruled that Christians nationwide can use the word "Allah" and three other Arabic words in their religious publications for educational purposes. The three other words are Baitullah, Kaabah and solat. This follows Court of Appeal Judge Datuk Nor Bee Ariffin, sitting as High Court judge, allowing a judicial review application by a Sarawak native Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill. Earlier, the MN meeting between Umno and Pas, held for about three hours at Menara Dato 'Onn, Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC), here, among others, discussed on the coalition's empowerment agenda. The meeting, co-chaired by Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan and his Pas counterpart Datuk Seri Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, was attended by 12 top leaders from both parties. – New Straits Times
Restrictions to end 'by October'
Thailand will be fully reopened by October and all Covid-19 restrictions lifted, if all sectors continue to cooperate with the government in its containment efforts, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) hinted on Wednesday. Among the major requirements for reopening the country, after more than a year of costly restrictions, was the public sector's readiness to resume normal life, said CCSA assistant spokeswoman Apisamai Srirangson. Speaking after a meeting of the CCSA's sub-committee on easing business and activity restrictions, Dr Apisamai praised officials in Samut Sakhon, the epicentre of a recent wave of infections. They had been performing well to contain Covid-19 and continued to be highly compliant with the CCSA's control protocols, she said. Active cooperation by the private sector and a similar good response by members of the public to the government's Covid-19 containment efforts were two other major criteria to take into consideration before approving the full reopening of the country, she said. "The proposal will be discussed at a meeting of the CCSA's main committee on March 19," she said. As part of the reopening proposal, the CCSA will consider upgrading Samut Sakhon from a maximum control area to an area on high alert for Covid-19, she said. The province is due to receive 70,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccines in three weeks and no serious side effects of vaccinations administered in the province in the first week had been detected, the doctor said. On Wednesday was the last day of preparing to implement so-called "bubble and seal" Covid-19 containment measures, Dr Apisamai said. Under these measures, factories which provide on-site accommodation for workers will be "sealed", meaning employees cannot leave the grounds. Workers from factories that don't offer on-site dormitories and sleep elsewhere will have to adhere to a "bubble" approach – their movements will be strictly monitored, and officials may be required to deliver their food and other essentials, so they have no reason to leave their dormitories. As of Monday, 112,595 factory workers and fresh market vendors, as well as local of various communities in Samut Sakhon, have been tested for Covid-19, said Dr Apisamai, of whom 975 had tested positive for Covid-19, approximately 0.87%. The CCSA on Wednesday recorded 39 new cases of Covid-19, 34 of which were local transmissions and the rest imported. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, the CCSA's spokesman, told the Bangkok Post that clearer details of the idea of reopening the country should be made available after the March 19 meeting of the CCSA since they concerned several ministries and would take time to finalise. Meanwhile, the Department of Medical Sciences said its inspection of 230 doses of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine would likely be completed today. Jabs from this batch of imported vaccine will be administered to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and other cabinet ministers by the end of this week, said the Department's director-general, Supakit Sirilak. The government on Wednesday also claimed a success in its so-called Villa Quarantine programme, being piloted as a tourism-based Covid-19 quarantine option on the resort island of Phuket. A total of 58 European visitors who arrived there on a chartered flight from Indonesia on Feb 21 had completed their quarantine periods and now were ready to travel more freely in Thailand, said Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. Those tourists planned to stay for a month and were also interested in visiting other key destinations, said Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor Yuthasak Supasorn. However, Ekkasit Ngamphichet, president of Pattaya's Business and Tourism Association, urged the government to speed up its vaccination programme and hasten the adoption of shorter quarantines for foreign tourists as the economy needed a lift. – Bangkok Post
Governors want COVID-19 testing for tourists upon entry to provinces
A group of governors has asked the national government to allow COVID-19 testing for travellers at the point of entry in provinces. Marinduque Governor Presbitero Velasco Jr., president of the League of Provinces of the Philippines, said that governors have asked to impose either reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), saliva or antigen test for travellers. “Ang hinihiling po namin para mayroon naman po kami ng paraan para malaman po kung positive ‘yung papasok, upon arrival dun sa port of entry na i-allow po ang LGU na magprescribe ng PCR test, saliva test or antigen test,” he said in an interview with ABS-CBN’s Teleradyo. (What we are asking is to allow LGUs to prescribe a PCR, saliva or antigen test upon arrival of travellers so that we would have a way to know if they are positive for COVID-19.) “Karamihan po ng aming mga gobernador ay gusto pong magtesting dyan po sa point or port of entry, ganun po ‘yung aming posisyon,” he added. (Most of the governors want to conduct testing on the point of entry and that is our stand.) Velasco, however, said governors would follow the government’s mandate to allow the entry of tourists in provinces and cities as it would help the economy recover. “Sinusunod naman po namin ang kagustuhan ng national government at IATF (Inter-Agency task Force) kasi gusto namin po nating lumakas na po ang ekonomiya.” (We follow the protocols of the national government and the IATF because we want our economy to recover.) Velasco also said that their provinces are “defenseless” and “very vulnerable” after the requirement for travel authority was removed and quarantine for asymptomatic travellers is not required anymore. “Defenseless po at very vulnerable po ‘yung mga probinsya at mga lungsod dahil tinanggal na po yung travel authority, tinanggal po yung medical certificate, wala na pong quarantine kung asymptomatic,” he said. (Provinces and cities are defenseless and vulnerable because of the removal of the travel authority, medical certificate upon entry and quarantine for asymptomatic entrees are no longer required.) Malacañang earlier said that under the Inter-Agency Task Force Resolution No. 101, travellers do not need to undergo COVID-19 testing unless required by the LGU prior to travel. The resolution said only RT-PCR test is allowed. – INQUIRER.net
E-government development among outstanding achievements of Việt Nam: PM
One of the highlights in the e-government building of Việt Nam in the last two years is the inauguration of the National Public Service Portal on December 9, 2019, reported the Government Office at a meeting of the National Committee for E-Government on Wednesday. According to the office, as of March 8, 2021, more than 2,800 out of total nearly 6,800 public services had been provided through the portal at four administrative levels. The portal received over 116 million visits and more than 468,000 registered accounts. More than 940,000 administrative documents were processed online through the portal, while 67,000 e-payment transactions were made with total amount of VNĐ26.7 billion. The portal also received more than 10,000 comments as feedback. The portal has helped save more than VNĐ8.1 trillion (US$351.53 million) each year, along with over VNĐ1.2 trillion each year in paper and delivery costs. So far, the national reporting information system has connected to the systems of 14 ministries and agencies as well as 37 localities, helping save about VNĐ9.9 trillion each year in accordance with calculations by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). According to the Ministry of Information and Communications, as of 2020, the most important platforms for e-government development of Việt Nam had been formed and operated effectively. Meanwhile, a number of databases for e-government have been built, including the insurance database with information of 24 million families joining health insurance and more than 90 million people covered by health insurance, along with those on businesses, finance, education, healthcare, and population. As of December 2020, nearly 40 “Make in Việt Nam” platforms built by domestic businesses had been introduced. Addressing the meeting, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc, who is Chair of the National Committee for E-Government, noted that the UN placed Việt Nam at 86th position among 193 countries in its e-government raking in 2020, up 2 places from 2018, which showed Việt Nam’s progress in the field. However, in Southeast Asia, Việt Nam only ranked sixth, he added. The PM said that regional countries’ rises in the e-government ranking means their business environment and competitiveness are improving, creating fiercer competition with Việt Nam across all fields, posing a great challenge for the nation to tackle. – Viet Nam News
Unrelenting spread: Feb 20 outbreak rears its head in Siem Reap
The now infamous “February 20 Community Incident”, which started with the escape of four quarantined females from Sokha Hotel on February 8, continues to spread unrelentingly across the country, with Siem Reap becoming the latest province to be affected. It joins Prey Veng, Kandal, Sihanoukville, Kampong Thom, Svay Rieng and Kampong Cham provinces, besides Phnom Penh to register COVID-19 positive cases. Health Ministry officials said all cases are linked to the February 20 Community Incident which broke out on the same date in Phnom Penh. The victim in Siem Reap province is a 32-year-old Cambodian woman living in Prey Veng village, Samrong Ya commune, Puok district. She worked at the Jin Yin Thai Hotel in Sihanoukville, linked to the February 20 incident, and left Preah Sihanouk province on March 6, passing through Phnom Penh and arriving in Siem Reap on March 7. Tea Seiha, the governor of Siem Reap province, said yesterday that authorities had now set up a road block and a checkpoint at the province’s border with Kampong Thom to prevent the spread of COVID-19. “Freight and people can pass through normally without any restrictions, but the people need to have a primary health check, without the requirement for quarantine, except in suspicious cases,” he said. The Health Ministry yesterday reported 30 new cases linked to the February 20 Community Incident in Kandal province, bringing the total number to 35. The 30 are among those who were given swab tests amid contact tracing arising from an outbreak linked to the incident. The Kandal Provincial Administration said yesterday that around 7,184 people were involved in the February 20 Community Incident and 6,513 samples were tested. It said that 1,217 people are being quarantined in a centre and 5,822 in their houses. The provincial authority said that in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 into the community, it has decided to temporarily lock down ChinSakongFu Casino and Hotel, Crown Casino, Nobin Casino, Grand Casino and Galaxy Casino in Koh Thom district, in addition to Yong Yuan Casino. In a late development last night, Prime Minister Hun Sen announced that two more hotels in the capital will be used as treatment centres, in addition to the Great Duke Hotel which now has more than 170 patients. “The arrangement may give us over 200 rooms,” he said in a voice message but did not confirm which hotels will be used for the cause. Mr Hun Sen also stated that he has asked Defence Minister General Tea Banh to deploy 300 military doctors to assist the civilian health workers in treating the COVID-19 patients and the task will be performed under the command of Royal Cambodian Army Chief Lieutenant General Hun Manet, who is also the chairman of the Sub-Committee for Security and Order management at Quarantine Centres. Yesterday, the Health Ministry also reported five new cases linked to an outbreak in the Neak Loeung clinic in Prey Veng province’s Peam Ro district, bringing the total number to 17. Meanwhile, Preah Sihanouk Provincial Administration yesterday found two new cases of COVID-19, a 32-year-old woman and a 40-year-old man, both Chinese nationals, increasing the total number to 120 people. They are also linked to the February 20 incident and are being treated at the Preah Sihanouk Provincial Referral Hospital. – Khmer Times
At least 100 protesters detained and one shot in North Okkalapa, one week after a deadly crackdown
Police and soldiers arrested between 100 and 200 people and shot at least one during another vicious attack on peaceful protesters in North Okkalapa on Wednesday morning. The attack came a week after the coup regime’s forces murdered at least 1o in the Yangon township and badly injured dozens of others, according to local aid group estimates. The demonstrators were gathered near the Kantharyar park at around 10am when the security forces attempted to surround them while firing rubber bullets and tear gas. A young female protester suffered severe injuries to the bladder after being shot with live ammunition during the attack; she is receiving treatment and is in a serious but stable condition, according to a fellow protester who witnessed the incident, which was also captured in videos shared on Facebook. The protesters fled into the park and to the nearby Sein Gay Har shopping mall to hide. But they were chased and caught, said a woman who later joined a crowd facing off with security forces to demand the release of the protesters. “They made the kids kneel down and slapped them,” she told Myanmar Now. The detained protesters were lined up in rows inside the park, footage shows. They were later taken away in prison trucks to a barracks in Shwepyitha township, witnesses said. Soldiers and police also raided homes on a street next to the park to arrest protesters who were hiding there, as well as homeowners who sheltered them. They beat the protesters after detaining them, a resident said. In some cases, local informers seeking favour with the authorities betrayed the location of hiding protesters to security forces, according to residents who assisted the protesters. “So many people got arrested, even inside homes, because of the snitches,” said the woman who joined the crowd calling for the release of the protesters. About 150 soldiers and police were involved in the crackdown in the morning, then another 100 showed up as reinforcements later, local residents said. As the protesters were put into trucks, a group of supporters showed up to demand their release, raising their hands and even kneeling to show they were unarmed and peaceful, a video posted to social media showed. – Myanmar NOW
Ramadhan should be a month of self-revolution: MUI chairman
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has urged the people, particularly Muslims, to take Ramadhan this year as a month of self-revolution, including in receiving and responding to any information. "This Ramadhan is a momentum for our spiritual revolution, so that after Ramadhan, we can provide new solutions, including those in responding to news and information that can be harmful to our lives," MUI Chairman Miftachul Akhyar stated during the Ramadhan 1442 Program held virtually by the Indonesian Broadcasting Commission (KPI) and MUI here on Wednesday night. Akhyar emphasized that in order to imbibe the true essence of Ramadhan, Muslims should not only interpret it as an effort to endure hunger and thirst but also to change their lifestyle for the better, which is sometimes not easy. Improving oneself by keeping control of our cravings for a month is also a form of jihad for Muslims or an effort to lead their lives in the best possible way. The MUI chairman believes that the toughest jihad to be fought is that against cravings by fasting during the holy month of Ramadhan. "If we can get accustomed to controlling our cravings, then this is the best jihad," he remarked. Since humans have been created more perfect than any other creatures, Akhyar reminded the public, especially Muslims, to refrain from any harmful actions, including the spread of hoax news that is rampant today. "If we already know who we are as humans and who we serve, while still doing bad things by spreading hoax news, then how low our dignity is," he pointed out. Ahead of this year's Ramadhan, Akhyar advised Muslims to make Ramadhan a momentum to bring about self-improvement and to become better human beings by practicing kindness and staying away from either receiving or spreading harmful news. "After Ramadhan, we would hopefully become better human beings in disseminating information and refraining from spreading bad news," Akhyar stated. – AntaraNews.Com