These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
Get up to speed with what’s happening in the fastest growing region in the world.
Stay informed with The ASEAN Post.
ICA foils bid to smuggle 110kg of goods including sex enhancement products and condoms
About 110kg of sex enhancement products and condoms were among various items that were attempted to be smuggled into Singapore. But the bid was foiled by Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers at Pasir Panjang Scanning Station on May 15, said the agency in a Facebook post entitled "Better soft than sorry" on Tuesday (May 25). The items, which comprise sex enhancement products, condoms, 17 bottles of Chinese wine and counterfeit apparel, were declared as "Home Decoration", "Stationary Set" and "Plastic Bags". They were uncovered after ICA officers noticed anomalies in the scanned images of the container they were in. Officers then conducted unstuffing operations at the importer's premises. In its post, ICA said: "Those with ill intent could use similar methods of concealment to smuggle security items into Singapore." The case has been referred to the Health Sciences Authority and Singapore Customs for further investigation. – The Straits Times
Kelana Jaya line collision: Prasarana promises full cooperation
Prasarana Malaysia Berhad (Prasarana) will give its full cooperation to the authorities tasked to probe the LRT collision involving two trains on the Kelana Jaya Light Rail Transit (LRT) line last night. Prasarana gave its commitment to work closely with the Investigating Committee headed by the Transport Ministry secretary-general Datuk Isham Ishak as well as agencies under its purview. "We will also cooperate with the police investigating the incident under Section 201 of the Land Transport Act 2010," it said in a statement today. Separately, Prasarana chairman Datuk Seri Tajuddin Abdul Rahman expressed regret and sadness over the 8.33pm incident which saw 64 people still being treated at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital. He announced three forms of financial assistance that would be extended to the passengers affected. "A special monetary assistance of RM1,000 will be given to all passengers. There will also be financial assistance to bear their medical costs, follow up treatment and others deemed appropriate with the injuries sustained. "Those who lost their income due to this incident will also be aided with a cost-of-living assistance," he said. On behalf of the Board of Directors and Prasarana workforce, Tajuddin apologised to all Malaysians and passengers for the incident. "We are very sad as this has marred LRT Kelana Jaya's clean record of operating for 23 years without any incidents. "Apart from giving our full cooperation and being transparent to the committee and the police, our main focus is to conduct assessments and to recommend quick proactive steps to give support and assistance to the passengers involved," he said. Transport Minister Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong had yesterday said a thorough probe would be conducted by a task force to find the cause of the incident, which he described as the first in the 23 years of LRT's operations. He said they are expected to receive a preliminary report on it today from the Land Public Transport Agency. The task force will submit another report in two weeks to ident
ify the cause of the incident which saw the trains, one travelling at 20 kph and another at 40kph, when they crashed. Wee said the report will tell whether it was due to miscommunication, signal or human error. – New Straits Times
Group reiterates call for Prayut to resign
The anti-government Samakkhi Prachachon group on Tuesday submitted a letter to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, calling for him to resign over his poor governance for the past seven years. Sompas Nilphan, the Prime Minister's Office deputy permanent secretary, accepted the letter on behalf of the prime minister from Adul Khiewboriboon, the group leader, and Jatuporn Prompan, a group member and chairman of the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship. In the letter, Gen Prayut was accused of failing to fulfil his promises. The group said he failed to achieve reforms and reconciliation while political conflicts had worsened and corruption problems increased. In the economic field, the group said the governments under Gen Prayut had spent altogether 20.8 trillion baht in national budgets, but the number of poverty-stricken people had increased by 100%. The infringements of the royal institution had continued to exist and divide the people while power holders in the government had exploited the issue for their own political gain, said the group. Mr Jatuporn said Gen Prayut had claimed he remained in power to protect the royal institution. But in practice, he had not only ignored the problem but also used Section 112, the lese majeste law, to destroy his political opponents, he added. Concerning Gen Prayut's handling of the Covid-19 situation, he said although having seized power to deal with the pandemic under a single command Gen Prayut had failed to solve the problem, said Mr Jatuporn. The UDD chairman said he believed the draft executive decree authorising the government to borrow an additional 700 billion baht to revitalise the economy battered by Covid-19 would leave loopholes for corruption. Mr Jatuporn called for Gen Prayut to follow the footsteps of the late Gen Prem Tinsulanonda who turned down a request for him to remain as prime minister after eight years in the position. Sources said the Samakkhi Prachachon group would submit a letter to the Bhumjaithai Party on Wednesday. It would also visit the army headquarters and the Royal Thai Police Office on May 27 and 28 and submit a letter to call for the army commander and the police chief to resign as members of the Senate. – Bangkok Post
DOT wants 7-day quarantine for fully vaccinated returning Filipinos
The Department of Tourism (DOT) wants to reduce the quarantine period of returning Filipinos who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 from the previous 10 days to seven days. Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat said Tuesday that this was to encourage returning Filipinos to travel to the Philippines, noting that the long 10-day quarantine at hotels discourages them to come home. “Of course, the goal is as more and more Filipinos are vaccinated, then maybe we can take a look at lessening the quarantine days but as of now we just want from 10 to seven days at least,” she told ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC). Puyat noted that many returning Filipinos are already fully vaccinated against COVID-19 but are still required to undergo the quarantine period the same as those who have not received the anti-coronavirus shots. In Thailand, for example, quarantine days for fully vaccinated individuals have been shortened from the previous 10 days to only seven days, said the Tourism chief. In a text message to INQUIRER.net, Puyat said the proposal covers returning overseas Filipinos, overseas Filipino workers, and “balikbayans” who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. “The point is we have to start somewhere. For example, for balikbayans, our third largest market, it could be like a test, like if the DOH [Department of Health], the other agencies allow to reduce to seven days, at least it’s not 10 days, we can encourage more people to come, to test at least,” she said in her ANC interview. “We are still proposing at least shorter quarantine days to encourage them to come home,” Puyat added. On Friday, the DOT also proposed the creation of a “green lane” that will “facilitate the entry of foreign visitors who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.” Puyat said the DOT will discuss the proposal to other concerned government agencies on Wednesday. – INQUIRER.net
VN the only country to have its outlook improved by three credit rating agencies
The S&P Global Ratings announced late last week it had retained Viet Nam’s sovereign credit rating and improved its economic outlook to "positive" from "stable". This made Viet Nam the only country in the world to have its outlook improved this year by three credit rating agencies, Moody’s, S&P and Fitch, according to the Ministry of Finance. The S&P made the decision on the back of Viet Nam’s impressive economic achievements and reforms of policymaking amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The agency said after recording one of the highest economic growth rates worldwide in 2020, Viet Nam would continue with solid recovery in the next one to two years thanks to the Government’s effective measures against the pandemic, efforts to attract foreign investment, stable exports, strong domestic demand and solid external position. Viet Nam’s fiscal policies and public debts showed efficiency and flexibility, which contributed significantly to controlling the pandemic, the agency said. Moody’s Investors Service in mid-March raised its outlook for Viet Nam to "positive" from "negative" and affirmed the country’s long-term credit rating at Ba3. The drivers of the positive outlook included signs of improvements in fiscal strength and potential improvements in economic strength that might strengthen Viet Nam's credit profile over time. Fitch Ratings in early April revised Viet Nam's outlook to "positive" from "stable" and affirmed the long-term foreign-currency issuer default rating at 'BB', given the country's success in bringing the coronavirus outbreak swiftly under control alongside strong policy support and export demand. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused social instabilities and economic slowdown in many countries in the world. In 2020, credit rating agencies lowered sovereign credit rating 124 times and economic outlook 133 times globally. From the beginning of this year to May 21, 16 countries had their outlooks lowered by Moody’s, S& P and Fitch. The finance ministry said that the Vietnamese Government would continue pursuing the goal of consolidating the macro-economic foundation, maintaining stable growth in production and trade, improving the internal capacity of the economy, boosting institutional reform in combination with fighting the pandemic, contributing to realising the country’s mid and long-term goals and improving national stature. In the near future, the ministry and the Government agencies will continue enhancing collaboration and information sharing with credit rating agencies and international organisations to fuel socio-economic development and improve Viet Nam’s creditworthiness, the ministry said. The Asian Development Bank in its Asian Development Outlook 2021 launched in late April forecast the Vietnamese economy would grow at 6.7 per cent this year, despite the return of the virus, and at 7 per cent in 2022. The World Bank in mid-May however warned about several risks to the Vietnamese economy due to the fourth outbreak of the virus in Viet Nam starting from late April. With new restrictive measures in place, the outbreak would affect domestic economic activities, especially tourism, transportation and retail. The World Bank recommended the Vietnamese Government consider stimulating domestic demand through the application of more adaptive fiscal policies, including a larger-scale support package for people and businesses affected by the pandemic. Although 2020 was considered a hard year for the global economy due to the impacts of the pandemic, the Vietnamese economy managed to expand at 2.91 per cent while many countries saw considerable recessions. The Vietnamese economy reached a scale of $343 billion last year, making the country the fourth-largest economy in the Southeast Asia region, coming after Indonesia ($1.088 trillion), Thailand ($509 billion) and the Philippines ($367 billion). The Government set the target for GDP growth at 6.5 per cent this year, higher than the National Assembly’s plan at 6 per cent. – Viet Nam News
Business as usual: State markets re-open for business under strict measures
After a month of being temporarily closed to curb the spread of Covid-19, all state markets in the capital reopened for business with strict health measures put in place. However, only vendors selling essential goods such as meat, vegetables and drinks were allowed to operate. The reopening provided much relief to traders who have had difficulty making a living since the temporary closures on April 23. Tuol Tumpoung Market chairman Chamroeun Soklim said many people came to buy food from the market yesterday, but guards were stationed around the premises to enforce social distancing. Soklim said the market started operating yesterday in accordance with the health rules and guidelines of Phnom Penh City Hall. He said that five entrances to the market have been opened. “At the entrances, I have assigned security forces to measure temperatures, wash hands with alcohol sanitiser and make people scan the QR code before allowing them entry into the market,” he said. Vendors expressed their willingness to comply with the instructions of the authorities as well as the market managers yesterday, because the suspension has affected their livelihoods significantly. Sem Pheavy, a noodle soup vendor, said the suspension made it difficult for her family. Pheavy said it has been difficult to earn enough money to service a bank loan, her child’s online studies as well as water and electricity bills, as she has not been earning regularly like before. She said she hopes that the markets will not close again and called on all people to join the fight and prevent outbreaks of Covid-19. “I am really happy to start selling again because I can earn some money to support my family,” she said. Phnom Penh City Hall has reminded vendors, security guards, staff and customers in markets that they are required to wear masks and maintain social distancing to prevent the spread of Covid- 19. It said if someone does not cooperate, they will be fined. However, it said only state markets in Phnom Penh are allowed to reopen. Unregulated markets such as morning markets, factory markets, community markets, private markets, markets around hospitals, and street markets are not allowed in order to prevent and curb the serious spread of Covid-19 in the community. Phnom Penh deputy governor Keo Sokpisey inspected Tuol Tumpoung market yesterday. She recommended that the market management use a loudspeaker to remind the vendors and customers of the health measures, to take temperature measurements at the entrances and maintain social distancing. She said the market was seen to be following the government’s measures on the first day re-opening. Kandal market vendor Srey Da said she has started to sell food again after operations were suspended for a while. “We are afraid the market will close again, if we all do not implement health measures. So, let’s join together to implement them,” she added. – Khmer Times
Four killed as military shells a Catholic church near Loikaw
Four people died and eight were critically injured as the coup regime’s forces bombed a Catholic church near the Kayah State capital of Loikaw in the early hours of Monday morning. The Tatmadaw fired artillery shells at the church in Kayan Tharyar village at around 1am, shortly after its troops were ambushed on a nearby road by local resistance fighters. People who fled the shelling were chased by soldiers firing guns and hid in nearby caves, a local resident said. The ambush came as soldiers travelled from the Kayah capital Loikaw to reinforce troop numbers in Moebye, southern Shan State. Civilians-turned-fighters from the Karenni People’s Defense Force (KPDF) said they killed at least 20 members of the regime’s forces in Moebye on Sunday and another 26 outside the nearby town of Demoso. They also captured four soldiers. Their members attacked the reinforcements from Loikaw with guns, delaying them on their way to Moebye. “The KPDF ambushed them near the Kayan Tharyar village and the reinforcements did not arrive at Moebye in time,” the local resident said. Soldiers then entered the village and began shooting. “So, the locals got scared and ran to the church to hide,” the resident added. Rescue workers on Monday were unable to send the eight people injured in the shelling to the hospital in Loikaw because there was still fighting along the six-mile stretch of road that leads there, a local resident told Myanmar Now. No further details about the four people who died were available at the time of reporting. The military council’s spokesperson could not be contacted for comment about the killings at the church. – Myanmar NOW
Raw material arrives for eight million doses of Sinovac vaccine
Coordinating Economic Affairs Minister Airlangga Hartarto revealed that the government, on Tuesday, received raw material supplies for eight million doses of COVID-19 vaccine from the Chinese biopharmaceutical company Sinovac. "Thank God, today we can receive the raw materials for eight million doses of the Sinovac-manufactured COVID-19 vaccine," Hartarto, concurrently Committee for Handling COVID-19 and National Economic Recovery Chairperson, remarked while delivering a virtual press statement from the Soekarno Hatta Airport of Tangerang here on Tuesday. After receiving the supplies, the government has received a supply of 83.9 million doses in total of the COVID-19 vaccine. Hartarto noted that the government had continued to maintain the availability of vaccine stocks to ensure that implementation of the COVID-19 vaccination runs smoothly as planned. The government is also working to ensure the safety, quality, and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccine used in the national vaccination program. "Vaccines are received through an evaluation process by the National Agency of Drug and Food Control (NADFC)," he remarked. The minister additionally explained that vaccination determines the success of efforts to control the COVID-19 transmission. The government plans to vaccinate at least 70 percent of the population, or about 181.5 million people, to achieve herd immunity against the disease. Currently, the government has vaccinated around 24.9 million people with the COVID-19 vaccine. – AntaraNews.Com