These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Trust in Singapore's key institutions rose last year: Survey
Trust in Singapore's key institutions of Government, business, media and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) rose across the board amid a pandemic and economic recession, according to the latest Edelman Trust Barometer report released on Thursday (March 18). The 1,150 Singaporeans surveyed gave the country a trust index score - the average across the four institutions - of 68 per cent, up by six points from the previous year and a decade high. The Singapore report is part of a wide-ranging poll of over 33,000 people aged 18 and above across 28 countries, conducted by the global public relations firm Edelman. Fieldwork for this 21st annual edition was conducted from October to November last year. Singapore's score is fifth behind India (77), China (72), Indonesia (72) and Saudi Arabia (69). Countries like Australia (59) were within Edelman's "neutral" range while the United States (48) and the United Kingdom (45) registered "distrust" among those surveyed. Respondents in 24 countries also rated the four institutions based on how competent or ethical they were seen to be. The Government was the institution most trusted by Singapore respondents, with 76 per cent saying they did so, up from 70 last year. This was followed by NGOs (70, up six points), businesses (65, up seven points) and media (62, up seven points). On media - which covers the global landscape - 59 per cent trusted search engines as a source of news and information, above traditional media (56), brand-owned media (43) and social media (42). This was the first time since 2012 that trust in traditional media has fallen below 60 per cent. This could be due to perceptions of traditional news as less timely and less updated compared with digital sources, Institute of Policy Studies' head of society and culture Carol Soon said in a panel discussion on the report's findings. – The Straits Times
Bursa Malaysia opens higher but retreats thereafter
Bursa Malaysia opened higher in early trade today but retreated thereafter, weighed by weaker overnight Wall Street and oil market performance. At 9.05 am, the benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI (FBM KLCI) slipped 2.71 points to 1,625.28 from yesterday's close of 1,627.99. The index was 3.05 points higher to1,631.04 at 9 am, and started to turn lower one minute after opening. On the broader market, losers outpaced gainers 431 to 132, while 299 counters were unchanged, 1,385 untraded and 55 others suspended. Total volume stood at 553.83 million shares worth RM224.41 million. Malacca Securities said Wall Street retreated from their recent peak levels as the Dow Jones Industrial Average slid 0.5 per cent amid lingering concerns over the inflationary pressure, coupled with tumbling crude oil prices. It said the pullback in Brent oil and crude palm oil prices, after hitting their respective peaks recently, may set a negative tone for the energy sector as well. "The FBM KLCI climbed higher yesterday driven by the index-linked recovery-theme stocks market optimism over economic recovery following Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin's announcement on the 'Pemerkasa' economic stimulus package. "However, we believe the overnight decline on US Nasdaq may spill over to the broader market and tech sector today," it said in a note. The stockbroking house said traders may focus on laggard counters such as property, construction, consumer, and tourism. The news on the collaboration among the three Malaysian telecommunication companies to develop fibre infrastructure may attract buying interest in the sector. Among heavyweights, PChem and TM lost 12 sen each to RM8.08 to RM6.29 respectively. MISC and Press Metal both dropped 10 sen to RM6.87 and RM10.06 respectively. In contrast, Top Glove gained five sen to RM5.31 and Maybank and Digi were three sen higher at RM8.40 and RM3.71 respectively. As for active counters, Macpie added eight sen to 37.5 sen, KNM declined half-a-sen to 19.5 sen and Nexgram was flat at 4.5 sen. On the index board, the FBM Emas Index weakened 41.05 points to 11,910.06, the FBMT 100 eased 35.86 points to 11,589.74, and the FBM Emas Shariah edged down 55.92 points to 13,182.22. The FBM 70 reduced 112.57 points to 15,652.65 and the FBM ACE was 23.38 points lower at 10,613.97. Sector-wise, the Financial Services Index edged down 8.61 points to 15,559.31, the Plantation Index inched down 17.50 points to 7,142.29 and the Industrial Products and Services Index lost 1.34 points to 192.63. – New Straits Times
Songkran screening eyed
Inter-provincial travel is expected to be allowed during next month's Songkran festival as the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) meets today to discuss the easing of Covid-19 curbs. Speaking after a meeting of the CCSA's subcommittee on Thursday, Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said moves to ease various measures would be based on zoning under a colour-coded system used to identify which areas were most vulnerable to Covid-19 outbreaks. Red, orange, yellow and green are used to illustrate the degree of Covid-19 infections in provinces affected by the disease, he said. Currently, there were no longer red zones which required maximum control, and Bangkok and Samut Sakhon have now been declared as orange zones, Mr Anutin said, adding that public health safety would be prioritised in each zone. Asked about the huge amount of inter-provincial travel expected during Songkran, Mr Anutin said provincial communicable disease committees led by provincial governors would lay down health protocols to screen people moving in and out. Asked if water splashing would be allowed in provinces in green zones, Mr Anutin said the CCSA would make a decision at today's meeting chaired by Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. Although there were no red zones and inter-provincial travel was not banned currently, the government still had to take health safety into account, Mr Anutin said. "We are now on the last lap. Covid-19 vaccines have already arrived and everyone will get the vaccine. Next year, we will be able to have fun again. Therefore, we need to cooperate like we did last year," the minister said. "Last year, Thailand went six to seven months without new cases of Covid-19. But when Thailand had performed well in disease control and news of vaccines emerged, a new surge of infections struck. However, the public health system is still efficient enough to bring new transmissions under control," Mr Anutin said. He also said the CCSA's meeting would make a decision on whether to allow foreign travellers back into Thailand. The required 14-day quarantine period has now been reduced to 10 days and if the visitors have received vaccines, they would be quarantined for seven days. If those who received two doses of vaccines and tests showed they developed substantial immunity to Covid-19, the CCSA would consider whether to cut the seven-day quarantine period to five or three days, or they might be even exempted from quarantine, Mr Anutin said. – Bangkok Post
DOH: COVID bed occupancy in Metro now ‘alarming’
The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday said the 64 percent occupancy of intensive-care beds for COVID-19 in Metro Manila hospitals was “alarming” and the government may refer patients to hospitals in Central and Southern Luzon if the hospital space availability in the metropolis worsened. Health Undersecretary Leopoldo Vega said it was a matter of concern that 47 percent of new COVID-19 cases were recorded in Metro Manila, and he recommended that the public take action to help curb the increase in coronavirus infections. According to Vega, some 52 percent of 7,000 COVID-19 isolation and ward beds in Metro Manila were now occupied, along with 64 percent of 679 intensive-care beds. “The numbers show moderate risk. It’s alarming. We can be very comfortable if it’s low risk, below 30 percent. But this is already [more than] 60 percent, so alarming. [W]e need to do something. We have to do the appropriate response [to help] hospitals, both public and private, in Metro Manila,” Vega said at a press briefing in Malacañang. To help hospitals cope with the situation, people should improve their practice of health standards, Vega said. He cited the use of double masks as an example of a measure to boost protection against the coronavirus. Vega said he brought up the use of double masks because the transmission of the coronavirus was getting out of hand. Major public and private hospitals in Manila, Makati and Taguig are already between the moderate and high-risk categories due to an increase in COVID-19 patients, he said. “We are keeping an eye on this because we could help in terms of coordinated care and referrals to hospitals that still have allocation of beds for moderate and severe [cases],” Vega said. Philippine General Hospital in Manila, one of only three COVID-19 referral hospitals in the country, reported earlier that its intensive care unit had reached capacity, and that it needs was referring non-COVID-19 cases to other hospitals to give the space it had to people with coronavirus infection. On Thursday, Dr. Jose N. Rodriguez Memorial Hospital in Caloocan City, also a COVID-19 referral hospital, reported that 249 of its 500 beds dedicated to COVID-19 were in use. The hospital said 34 of its health workers had contracted the coronavirus. – INQUIRER.net
Deputy Minister: UKVFTA to officially enter into force on May 1
The Vietnamese Government has issued a resolution approving the UK-Viet Nam Free Trade Agreement (UKVFTA) and will complete procedures this month to officially bring it into force on May 1, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Đặng Hoàng An has said. During phone talks with Minister of State for Trade Policy Greg Hands earlier this week, An said the UKVFTA temporarily took effect from January 1 to ensure undisrupted trade between Viet Nam and the UK. Hands expressed his thanks to the Vietnamese Government and especially the Ministry of Industry and Trade for their close coordination in signing and handling procedures to put the deal into force at the earliest possible time. An was also delighted at the ratification of the UKVFTA by the two nations. Regarding the UK’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), Hands thanked Viet Nam for its stance and support over recent times and expressed his hope of receiving further assistance to step up the process. On the expansion of the CPTPP to other economies, An said Viet Nam will follow domestic procedures, including reporting to the National Assembly for approval. Both sides agreed to hold the 12th meeting of the Viet Nam-UK Joint Economic and Trade Committee (JETCO) in August if conditions allow, assign technical teams to review the implementation of documents reached at JETCO 11, and offer specific suggestions to JETCO 12 for discussion. According to the General Department of Viet Nam Customs, two-way trade between Viet Nam and the UK reached US$1.024 billion in the first two months of this year, a 20.05 per cent increase year-on-year. The UK’s exports to Viet Nam hit $96.3 million. There is space for Viet Nam’s exports to the UK to grow, especially mobile phones, spare parts, apparel, footwear, aquatic products, wood and wooden furniture, computers and accessories, cashew nuts, coffee, and pepper. Bilateral economic and trade ties are expected to continue being a highlight in the relationship. – Viet Nam News
Immunity confusion: ‘Vaccinations only first step towards protection against COVID-19’
The Health Ministry and World Health Organisation (WHO) are warning people not to be complacent after getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and continue practicing preventive measures such as wearing face masks. This comes amid reports that five people tested positive for the virus despite being vaccinated. Health experts have said that it takes time for a vaccinated person to develop anti-bodies to fight against the coronavirus. On Wednesday, Defence Minister General Tea Banh announced that a military officer tested positive for COVID-19 despite having had his second dose of vaccine. Yesterday, a vaccinated military officer and police officer were reported to have been infected although it was not made clear whether it was after the first or second dose. On Tuesday, a journalist said he had tested positive despite receiving a first dose. Last week, the Defence Ministry reported that a military officer had been infected despite getting his first dose. Addressing this, Health Ministry spokeswoman Or Vandine said yesterday that two points needed to be considered as to why people have been infected with COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. “First, it could be that they already have the coronavirus in their body before they got vaccinated. Second, it could also be they got infected because of not following the health and safety protocols,” she said. Vandine reiterated that having the COVID-19 vaccine does not provide immunity but lessens the effect of the virus in the body so that a person will not become seriously ill. WHO representative to Cambodia Dr Li Ailan on Wednesday advised people that relying solely on vaccines would be a mistake even though it would save lives. “If you are vaccinated, it is possible you can still spread COVID-19 to others, even though the vaccine will prevent you from getting very ill,” she said whilst encouraging people that basic public measures remain the foundation of the response. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Infection, COVID-19 vaccines teach our immune systems how to recognise and fight the virus that causes COVID-19. It typically takes two weeks after vaccination for the body to build protection (immunity) against the virus that causes COVID-19. That means it is possible a person could still get COVID-19 before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine did not have enough time to provide protection. – Khmer Times
KIA attacks police bases in Hpakant
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) launched attacks against police bases in the jade mining region of Hpakant on Thursday morning, a local resident told Myanmar Now. The attacks targeted police battalions where soldiers were stationed near Nam Maw village in the Seik Muu village tract. “There are Myanmar police battalions around Nam Maw,” a resident said. At least three bases were attacked, he added. A 41-year-old civilian in Seik Muu village injured his left hand during the clash, the Kachin-based Myitkyina News Journal reported. The KIA has launched several offensives against the coup regime’s forces recently. Fighting has also been reported in Mogaung and Injangyang this month. Some 200 people fled the Injangyang villages of Gway Htaung and Tan Baung Yan on Monday after the KIA launched an offensive against the military there. The offenses began in the wake of deadly crackdowns against anti-coup protesters in Myitkyina. The KIA has warned the junta not to harm anti-coup protesters. – Myanmar NOW
Indonesia, Cuba agree to strengthen agricultural cooperation
Indonesian Ambassador to Cuba Nana Yuliana met with Cuba's Vice Agriculture Minister Ydael Jesus Perez Brito on Wednesday to discuss ways to step up bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector. Indonesia and Cuba signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in the agricultural sector in 2015. During their meeting, Yuliana and Brito agreed to implement the MoU soon and plan a virtual meeting to share experiences on the use of digital technology, as part of efforts to increase agricultural productivity, the Indonesian Embassy in Havana said in a written statement received in Jakarta on Thursday. The Indonesian ambassador also offered Cuba training programs on capacity building in the agricultural sector, including cow breeding with artificial insemination, rice, corn, soybean, and chili farming, and training courses on agricultural machine assembly and maintenance. She also offered students from Cuba scholarships under the developing country partnership to study at various universities in Indonesia for S1, S2, and S3 degrees. One of the universities is Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), which is well known for its agricultural studies. Yuliana also expressed her wish to visit tobacco and sugarcane plantations in Cuba to observe their management as the plantations have successfully made Cuba one of the world’s major cigar and sugar producers. Brito welcomed the wish and said he will schedule the ambassador's visit. Trade between Indonesia and Cuba reached US$6.9 million in 2020. Indonesia exports paper, soap, ceramics, and household utensils to Cuba, while it imports sugar, tobacco, and rum. – AntaraNews.Com