These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Long queues outside Lucky Plaza, Peninsula Plaza amid strict crowd control measures
Crowds continued to flock to Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza on Sunday (April 25), with long queues seen outside both malls. Within the malls, the situation was more manageable with enough space for shoppers to move around. When The Straits Times visited Peninsula Plaza at around 4pm, a huge crowd was seen outside both entrances of the mall, with people standing shoulder to shoulder, jostling to get inside the building. Shortly after, police officers arrived and turned away a large group of people. Security guards cordoned off the entrances and told people to come back an hour later as there were too many people in the building. Braving the hour-long queue was 37-year-old domestic worker Wim May and her group of friends. She said: "It's usually crowded every weekend, but I want to buy my traditional food, so I have no choice. I would like to come every weekend, but I've since cut down because I'm a little worried about the crowds." Queues were also seen outside Lucky Plaza, with safe distancing officers keeping a close eye on the line of people entering the mall. Shouts of "one line, one metre" rang out, with those who crossed the one-metre safe distancing mark being reprimanded and called out. The authorities had, on April 10, lifted weekend entry restrictions on Lucky Plaza and Peninsula Plaza, which are popular with migrant workers here. Under the restrictions, which had been in place since August last year, entry to these malls on odd and even dates were based on the last digit of people's identification numbers. Last Thursday, Lucky Plaza was added to Space Out, a website by the Urban Redevelopment Authority that allows people to check the real-time crowd situation at places they plan to visit before heading down. Peninsula Plaza is currently not listed on the website. Launched in April last year with the aim of reducing overcrowding at public spaces, the website now has crowd level data for 71 malls, up from 50 when it was first launched. Lucky Plaza was listed as "Not crowded" on the website when ST visited around 2.30pm. – The Straits Times
Call for government to report cases of Covid-19 vaccine side effects
The government must be transparent by reporting cases of side effects from Covid-19 vaccines, however miniscule they may seem, to reduce hesitancy in receiving the jabs, say health experts. Former Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) president Datuk Dr N K S Tharmaseelan said this was crucial as Malaysia had decided to proceed with the AstraZeneca vaccine (now known as Vaxzevria), which caused controversy after a study by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) reported several incidents of fatal blood clots after vaccination. "The government must keep reassuring the people that vaccination is safe. All medicines have side effects, the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine too has side effects, but are very, very rare. "The number of vaccinations and incidents of moderate to serious side effects should be the criteria," he said, commenting on the report on the analysis of the vaccine released by the EMA's safety committee. Referring to the report, he said it was important to educate the public about blood clot symptoms, namely shortness of breath, chest pain, leg swelling, persistent abdominal pain, severe and persistent headache and tiny blood spots under the skin beyond the area of the injection, which warranted urgent medical attention. "These symptoms normally occur within two weeks of the first dose. If there is even a single mortality proven to be due to the vaccine, it should be paused until further evidence to the contrary is found," said Dr Tharmaseelan, who is Melaka-Manipal Medical College professor of obstetrics and gynaecology. He said the EMA noted that the blood clots occurred in veins in the brain (cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, or CVST) and the abdomen (splanchnic vein thrombosis) and in arteries, together with low levels of blood platelets and sometimes bleeding. The EMA reported that a combination of blood clots and low blood platelets was very rare and that the overall benefits of the vaccine in preventing Covid-19 outweigh the risks of side effects. "The EMA's scientific assessment underpins the safe and effective use of Covid-19 vaccines. "One plausible explanation for the combination of blood clots and low blood platelets is an immune response, leading to a condition similar to one seen sometimes in patients treated with heparin (heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, or HIT)," he said. Epidemiologist and biostatistician Associate Professor Dr Malina Osman, from Universiti Putra Malaysia, said health education on understanding the principles of risk and its interpretation should be highlighted clearly to the public. "In the current situation, news related to the side effects of the vaccine was accentuated in imprecise manner, which led to fears and concerns. "We have to convey appropriate messages to the public on what it means by benefits outweighing risks." She said the EMA, being a reputable committee consisting of professionals and stakeholders, had provided credible findings and documentation with well-illustrated figures in the report. The study compared the vaccine's effectiveness in preventing Covid-19 hospitalisation, intensive care unit cases and deaths with incidents of blood clots with low platelets. – New Straits Times
Masks made compulsory in Bangkok
Don't leave home without wearing it. Bangkokians are ordered to put on masks from Monday or be subject to a hefty fine. Bangkok Governor Aswin Kwanmuang announced the new measure on Sunday. Violators risk a fine up to 20,000 baht under the Communicable Disease Act. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said in another announcement released on Sunday the penalty would also apply to all establishments that fail to enforce mask-wearing for those on their premises. The move comes as the capital suffers from a higher infection rate in the third wave of the coronavirus. Bangkok has detected 8,175 confirmed cases since the latest outbreak began early this month, more than twice that of second-placed Chiang Mai, which has logged 3,148. The capital has seen the number of new infections jump from fewer than 300 on Monday to more than 1,000 per day over the weekend. It has joined 45 other provinces where mask-wearing outside the home to guard against the spread of Covid-19 is now compulsory. – Bangkok Post
Time to rally Philippine allies against China – Drilon
Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Sunday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to rally the country’s neighbours and allies to form a united front against China and its actions in the South China Sea. Drilon said it was Manila’s “policy of appeasement and accommodation toward China” that had encouraged Beijing to ignore the Philippines’ protests and continue its occupation of waters well within the country’s 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone. “Apart from the protests, which I support, we should, as an objective, get the other nations to confront China, including our allies – United States, Japan and Australia. We must unite against the unlawful Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea,” Drilon said. He added that the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in favour of the Philippines should serve as its legal basis in “rightfully and forcefully asserting the country’s claims on the West Philippine Sea.” The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) have stepped up the conduct of maritime exercises in the West Philippine Sea, according to the PCG spokesperson, Commodore Armando Balilo. In a statement on Sunday, he said at least eight ships have been conducting such exercises since last week at Philippine-occupied Pag-asa (Thitu) Island and even Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. The Philippines occupies Pag-asa Island, while Panatag Shoal, a flash point between Manila and Beijing, has been under Chinese control since 2012 following a standoff in April that year. “We are supporting the whole-of-nation approach in securing our maritime jurisdiction, especially the efforts of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) to undertake maritime security, maritime safety, maritime law enforcement, maritime search and rescue, and marine environmental protection roles in our country’s waters,” Balilo said. He said BRP Gabriela Silang and BRP Sindangan started their maritime training on Saturday near Panatag Shoal, while BRP Cabra, BRP Malapascua and four other PCG-manned BFAR vessels, including BRP Francisco Dagohoy, have been doing interoperability exercises near Pag-asa Island. “Crew members of the participating PCG as well as PCG-manned BFAR vessels have started their intensified training on navigation, small boat operations, maintenance and logistical operations,” Balilo said, adding that the training may last up to two weeks. The Philippines has deployed more patrol vessels to intensify surveillance in the disputed waters after the sighting of almost 200 Chinese ships at Julian Felipe Reef last month. – INQUIRER.net
Vietnamese PM urges coordination to mobilise int'l support for ASEAN's efforts on Myanmar issue
Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh requested ASEAN member states to closely coordinate with Viet Nam at United Nations' forums to together "mobilise international partners' support for ASEAN’s efforts" in approaching and finding "suitable solutions" for Myanmar. He made the statement at the Leaders' Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations held on Saturday afternoon at the headquarters of the ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the invitation of Sultan of Brunei Hassanal Bolkiah, who is the Chair of ASEAN in 2021. This is the first face-to-face meeting ASEAN has held in 18 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting the grouping's deep concerns over the Myanmar situation and determination to be of help. The meeting was also the first coordinated international engagement to address the crisis in Myanmar. Sharing other ASEAN leaders' opinions with regards to Myanmar and the role of ASEAN, PM Chinh affirmed that in the capacity as the non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and currently the President of the council in April this year, Viet Nam has been making efforts to seek "appropriate measures" to help Myanmar. The discussions surrounding Myanmar took up the majority of the session on international and regional issues of concern. Myanmar’s representative to the meeting, Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, has briefed ASEAN leaders on the situation in Myanmar in recent times. ASEAN leaders have all expressed concern over the escalating situation in Myanmar and the worsening impacts on the people in the country, asking that all parties exercise restraint and refrain from violence, to enable solutions to be found for the future of Myanmar. ASEAN leaders agreed that ASEAN should utilise its role and existing mechanisms to support Myanmar, in the spirit of ASEAN solidarity and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, including sending ASEAN's representatives to Myanmar to study the situation, contact all stakeholders, propose approaches and measures to promote dialogue and reconciliation. The Chairman’s Statement on the ASEAN Leaders’ Meeting released later in the day included a "five-point consensus", which are "immediate cessation of violence”; constructive dialogue among all parties to enable a peaceful solution "in the interests of the people”; a special envoy of the ASEAN Chair will facilitate mediation of the dialogue; ASEAN will provide humanitarian assistance efforts through the ASEAN Humanitarian Assistance Coordination Centre (AHA); and that the "special envoy and delegation shall visit Myanmar to meet with all parties concerned." Earlier in the day, on the side lines of the summit, Vietnamese foreign minister Bui Thanh Son said he has had a "productive discussion" with the UN Special Envoy of Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Myanmar Christine Schraner Burgener regarding "the situation in Myanmar and the role ASEAN along with the international community can play to promote dialogue and facilitate a peaceful solution to the issue," he wrote on Twitter. As the only ASEAN member in the UNSC, Viet Nam encourages "balanced and comprehensive discussions" on the Myanmar situation, he added. – Viet Nam News
Citizens in Red Zones seek relief
Living and working inside Phnom Penh’s red zones has become a nightmare for the poor, a source tells Khmer Times. An individual who wished to be identified as “Rothanak”, who lives in the capital’s Preak Toul commune in Steung Mean Chey district, said that families of five are subsisting on a single tin of fish, despite government efforts to distribute essentials using mobile units. “How can people afford to buy food for the same price if we have no income coming in,” the 25-year-old asked. Rothanak said his neighbour is a tuktuk driver who would earn about $10 a day prior to the pandemic while his wife sells mangoes Neither is generating any income right now. Yesterday, his household was approached by a family of four asking for a tin of fish. The single tin was to be shared among each member. “There was a huge fire in my neighbourhood last year. My family runs a small shop in front of my house selling small things such as dry fish or cola but all that was burned down and we had to take out a huge loan so we could rebuild our lives. The bank has not provided us with any relief. They say that we can only pay the interest on the loan right now because we are suffering but, after COVID-19 passes, we will have to pay double our monthly payment.” Rothanak is in his final year of studies majoring in electrical engineering at a premier institute in the capital. He returned from an internship from Japan in February just before the community event. He added he continues working for the Japanese company but has had trouble completing his tasks because he shares his laptop with his younger sister, 20, who is a university freshman. “Her teachers are understanding. They record the lectures for her and let her download them later so she can keep up with her classmates. I called an internet service provider for help but it is unable to set up a connection because we are in a Red Zone. “My situation is not that bad. We do not have meat but at least we have food. The biggest burden on my family right now is the debt that we had to take on after the fire but my neighbourhood is very poor. No one owns a fridge, so people are buying food to live day-to-day. “Banks need to be more understanding of people’s financial condition right now. The loans are a huge burden on my family. I plan to leave Cambodia and go to Japan to work again the first chance I get to help provide for my family because it is my duty. I also hope the government allows some relief and gives us a break on electricity and water bills for the next two or three months because there are people who are drinking less water to avoid paying more and, as you know, it gets really hot during this time of year so they are worried about having money to pay for electricity”. – Khmer Times
Writer and journalist Tu Tu Tha detained with her son in Yangon
Journalist and writer Tu Tu Tha, two of her relatives and a family friend were arrested by the regime’s troops in Yangon’s Thanlyin township on Saturday night, according to a source close to her family. She was detained at her home along with her 18-year-old son, Nyan Lu Thit, her younger brother, Ye Naung, and her son’s friend, Thiha Tun, said the source, who asked not to be named for security reasons. “Ward administrators, police and soldiers came to her house with cars around ten thirty last night, saying they needed to check overnight guest registrations, and then arrested them,” he told Myanmar Now. “We have not had contact with them since then,” he added. Tu Tu Tha, 49, is writer and a former editor at The Irrawaddy’s Burmese edition. She also worked as the editor-in-chief of the Thanlyin Post and as a part-time journalism trainer. The reason behind her arrest is still unclear. The coup regime has been pressuring people to register overnight guests at their ward administration offices. It has also ordered its ward-level staff to open new offices in a bid to enforce its authority at the local level across the country. Many are refusing to comply with the order to register guests, but others have flocked to the ward offices to do so out of fear of repercussions. The reporting system, which is based on a clause in the Ward and Village Tract Administration Law, was abolished by the NLD government in 2016. But it was revived by the coup regime soon after it seized power on February 1. Thirty nine journalists, including Myanmar Now’s multimedia reporter Kay Zon Nway, are now in the regime’s custody, according to the Detained Journalist Information Facebook group. They are among at least 3,389 people being detained for their opposition to military rule, according to the latest tally by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. – Myanmar NOW
Hundreds of people flee their flooded homes in Riau
Hundreds of people fled their homes after flood hit Pekanbaru city, Rokan Hulu and Indragiri Hulu districts in Riau province. Acting Chief of the Riau Provincial Disaster Mitigation Office (BPBD) Edy Afrizal said here on Sunday the agency sent relief aid to flood-affected areas. "The assistance in the form of evacuation equipment including inflatable boats and logistics has been distributed. Yesterday Mr Governor donated rice to the community in Indragiri Hulu," he said. The BPBD has so far distributed 30 packs of side dishes, 18 packs of fast food, 18 packs of nutrition supplement, 10 blankets, five tents, and 500 face masks among flood victims in Pekanbaru, capital of Riau province. "We have distributed logistics to the BPBD in Pekanbaru to support the evacuation of flood victims," he said. The BPBD Riau has also lent inflatable boats to the BPBD Pekanbaru to evacuate flood-affected people, he said. "We also have set up an evacuee tent on Kesadaran Street in Pekanbaru and distributed masks among flood victi
ms," he said. Heavy rains in Pekanbaru have caused Sail River to overflow. – AntaraNews.Com