These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Singapore, Pacific Alliance conclude negotiations on free trade pact
Negotiations have been concluded between Singapore and the Pacific Alliance, a trading bloc of four Latin American nations, on an agreement to collaborate on energy, digital economy, infrastructure and urban solutions, port management and logistics, and other areas. The free trade agreement (FTA) was welcomed by Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong and ministers of Chile, Colombia, Mexico and Peru in a videoconference on Wednesday (July 21). Mr Gan said the Pacific Alliance-Singapore Free Trade Agreement (PASFTA) is significant in that it is Singapore's first FTA with Colombia, and establishes a modern, comprehensive, high-quality and mutually beneficial economic partnership that builds on existing agreements between the alliance and Singapore. "This agreement complements Singapore's existing bilateral and plurilateral links with each (Pacific Alliance) country, including the Trans-Pacific Strategic Economic Partnership Agreement, Peru-Singapore FTA, and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP)," he was quoted in a statement issued on Thursday by the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The PASFTA represents a shared commitment by the alliance and Singapore to persevere with greater economic integration and support a rules-based multilateral trading system, Mr Gan said. "It sends a powerful message to the global community that our countries remain open for business and, despite the pressures placed on economic multilateralism, we want to reach out to one another and create more opportunities for our people." He added that both sides wish to build on this foundation to grow further links and generate opportunities for people and businesses. The Pacific Alliance is the eighth-largest exporter in the world, with a combined population of 230 million, a per capita gross domestic product of US$19,000 (S$25,900) and annual exports totalling US$627 billion. It is also the eighth-largest economy worldwide, attracting 56 million tourists, representing 41 per cent of the GDP of Latin America and the Caribbean, and accounting for 38 per cent of its foreign direct investment. In 2019, Singapore's total trade in goods with the alliance was $6.1 billion, or around a third of its total trade in goods with Latin America. Singapore became an observer state of the Pacific Alliance in 2014, and a candidate associate state in 2017. It is one of the group's 59 observers. It already has existing agreements with three of the four alliance countries. Chile, Mexico and Peru are member states of the CPTPP. Colombian Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism Maria Ximena Lombana said the trade pact marks a milestone in the alliance's economic integration with the Asia-Pacific region. Singapore will also become its first associate state when the pact is signed. "With this new agreement... we are embarking on the path of improving our commercial relationship, attracting investments, expanding market access of goods and boosting access for service suppliers in a wide range of sectors," she said. "Reaching Singapore's market allows us to use regional inputs from different countries, which will enhance productive regional chains. We expect to attract Singaporean investors... as a productive and export platform to the region." She said both sides can explore areas for collaboration on technology and the digital economy. – The Straits Times
Syed Saddiq accused of RM1mil CBT, squandering RM120k of party funds
Former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has claimed trial to committing Criminal Breach of Trust (CBT) involving RM1 million of his former party, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM), money. The 29-year Muar Member of Parliament, who is also the party's former youth chief, was also accused of misappropriating RM120,000 of the party youth wing, Armada's funds which had been raised from members of the public. On the first charge, he was accused of committing CBT by withdrawing a RM1 million cheque from the party accounts without the party leadership's approval. He was accused of committing the offence under Section 405 of the Penal Code, at Menara CIMB, KL Sentral on March 6, 2020. The offence carries a maximum 10-years jail, fine and whipping. For the second charge, he was accused of committing the offence between April 8 and April 21, 2018. Syed Saddiq pleaded not guilty immediately after the charges were read out to him in Bahasa Malaysia. The prosecution, which was led by Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Datuk Faridz Gohim Abdullah from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), later said the offence was a non-bailable one but noted that the court could use its discretionary powers to grant bail. He said the court should fix RM500,000 with one surety if it wanted to allow bail. He also wanted the court to order Syed Saddiq to report to the closest MACC office once a report. The DPP also sought a gag order to prevent Syed Saddiq from talking about the case outside the courtroom. Defence lawyers Gobind Singh Deo and Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan immediately objected to the prosecution's application for all the conditions against the accused. First off, the mark was Gobind, who objected to the amount of bail sought. He also blasted the other conditions sought by the prosecution. Gobind shot down the prosecution's argument that the offence was a serious one and therefore his client should be denied bail. "They say it is a serious case and the accused holds a high position. "However, I want to highlight here that the consent to charge him for the first offence was given on Jan 7, which is seven months ago. "If it was so serious, why charge him only now, three days before Parliament is about to reconvene. "As for the second offence, the consent to charge was given on August 4, 2020..it has been one whole year and he is only being charged now." Gobind also noted that the MACC had recorded Syed Saddiq's statement on April 1 and 2 last year and his client had been attending every single time the graft busters called him thereafter. "He was asked to return to the MACC and he attended every single time...there has also been no report of him disturbing any witnesses or making an attempt to escape. "They are now making such wild statements from the bar. My client is 29-years old and is not married. He has three siblings and is an active MP in his constituency. Where is he going to run to?," he said. Gobind said the prosecution's application for RM500,000 bail was to ensure his client could not come up with the amount. "I have represented many similar cases and the bail is normally just about RM20,000 or RM30,000...so why ask so much for this, what about him attending parliament." The application which drew the most venomous arguments from Gobind involved the DPP's application for a gag order to prevent Syed Saddiq from talking about the case in the social media. Gobind questioned why the MACC had publicised charges against his client even before Syed Saddiq was charged but was now trying to shut him out. "You cannot charge somebody and then gag him. If there is anything subjudious said they can always seek court redress after that. "But why ask for a blanket order ... the court does not have such power and this request should be denied," he said, adding that there was no basis in law for such an application to be made. Gobind argued that the charges against his client were without any basis, noting that it involved a political party and the defence would go into the details during trial. Another defence counsel Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan also objected to the gag order application, pointing out that it was against the freedom of speech which is guaranteed in the Federal Constitution. "What they are saying is that this court will be influenced by whatever is said outside this courtroom. "That is an insult to the court. We have a robust democracy and the courts have never been influenced by what is said outside," she said, adding it was a bad precedent being sought by the prosecution and should be stopped before it got anywhere. "The court must not encourage this practise ... we don't see it in any other criminal justice system. "The gag order must be refused," she said. Faridz Gohim countered the defence arguments about the dates for consent to charge which had been read out by Gobind. He said the prosecution had the discretion to charge someone any time after the consent to charge was issued by the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC). "There is no expiry date for this after the consent to charge is given," he said. Sessions Court Judge Azura Alwi eventually set bail at RM300,000 with one surety. She also ordered Syed Saddiq to report to the closest MACC office once a month and for his passport to be impounded until the case is over. Gobind later requested for time to raise funds for the bail but Azura ordered RM50,000 must be posed by today. She allowed the defence until Tuesday to raise the balance amount. The court also fixed Sept 10 for mention of the case. – New Straits Times
'Sorry' for slow vaccine supply
The National Vaccine Institute (NVI) has apologised for slow Covid-19 vaccine procurement and says it is prepared to hold talks to join the Covax global vaccine sharing scheme. The apology came after the government weathered heavy criticism over its failure to procure enough vaccines as infection numbers continued to soar, with a record 13,002 new cases reported on Wednesday. Speaking at the Public Health Ministry, NVI director Nakorn Premsri said the agency tried to contact vaccine manufacturers in August last year and place advance orders even though the vaccines were in research trials. The Public Health Ministry issued a ministerial regulation under the National Vaccine Security Act to allow the NVI to place advance orders for vaccines being researched. This led to talks with AstraZeneca between August and September last year to procure 61 million vaccine doses, Dr Nakorn said, adding that an order was placed in November last year. He said that vaccine procurement plans must go before a vaccine procurement committee chaired by the permanent secretary for public health. Such plans cannot be undertaken by any individual, but by a committee comprising experts and agencies involved, he said. Even though the NVI and the Department of Disease Control are assigned to work together to procure vaccines, procurement must be decided by the committee and working panels, Dr Nakorn said. This is because the matter involves budget spending and requires a commitment to agreements which means a vaccine procurement plan cannot be undertaken by any particular agency alone, he said. Advice must also be sought from the government's legal advisory agency before an agreement is signed, he added. "This has led to public feeling that the vaccine procurement may not meet the target. It's all about those impediments and constraints. I apologise to the public. Even though the NVI has tried to do all it can, it cannot procure enough vaccines to respond to the unexpected situation," Dr Nakorn said. "The Covid-19 pandemic is something we have never experienced before. The mutations of the virus are also unforeseeable and are spreading even faster, further disrupting vaccine procurement efforts." He also said the NVI has prepared for talks to join Covax, an international vaccine-sharing scheme administrated by the World Health Organisation. "The NVI aims to receive vaccines from Covax next year," he said. Asked whether the NVI will be able to procure 100 million vaccine doses by this year, he said that the institute is speeding up negotiations with manufacturers of various vaccine types, including mRNA and protein subunit vaccines. However, it has not been decided how many doses will be procured and when, Dr Nakorn said. He added the NVI also plans to procure 2nd-generation vaccines that are more effective against variants of concern in the first quarter of next year. – Bangkok Post
DOT allows family room sharing in COVID-19 quarantine hotels
The Department of Tourism (DOT) on Thursday reminded COVID-19 quarantine hotels to allow room sharing for individuals belonging to the same household if they will undergo mandatory isolation. Tourism Secretary Berna Romulo-Puyat made the clarification following reports that some DOT-accredited quarantine hotels are implementing a one-room-one-person policy “even for travellers coming from the same household.” “We all share the same struggles but it is imperative that we implement the right policies to help our kababayans who want to return to the country,” Puyat said in a statement. Under DOT guidelines, single occupancy is required for quarantine guests coming from different households. However, DOT encourages room-sharing for quarantine guests belonging to the same household and guests requiring a companion, such as minors, persons with disabilities, or senior citizens. This is in line with the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases’ (IATF) policy that allows certain individuals under mandatory quarantine to stay in the same room, according to the DOT. “If we want to fast-track the recovery of the industry, tourism stakeholders should also help the Department in properly implementing such measures,” Puyat said. – INQUIRER.net
Standard Chartered revises forecast for Viet Nam down
Standard Chartered has lowered its growth forecast for Viet Nam for 2021 from 6.7 per cent to 6.5 per cent. The bank maintains its 7.3 per cent growth forecast for 2022, and continues to expect a post-COVID-19 economic acceleration. “We believe Viet Nam is moving towards its goal of becoming a regional supply-chain hub, a modern industrial economy and a high-income country in the future,” said Tim Leelahaphan, Economist for Thailand and Viet Nam, Standard Chartered. “Viet Nam managed the COVID-19 situation well in 2020, further enhancing its appeal to foreign investors. The country had already benefited from the ongoing supply-chain shift in recent years. In the near term, the country’s pandemic management will be crucial to the outlook,” he went on. Standard Chartered’s economists anticipate domestically oriented sectors such as retail are likely to be the hardest-hit if the current COVID-19 wave persists. The focus now is on whether the impact on the industrial sector will be temporary or more long-lasting. While the global pandemic has weighed on Viet Nam’s economy via reduced tourism, supply-chain disruptions and weaker overseas demand, external indicators are showing a strong recovery. Exports in the first half of the year rose 28.4 per cent year-on-year and imports rose 36.1 per cent. According to the UK-based bank, rising inflation is reducing the likelihood of further interest rate cuts. The bank does not expect rate hikes despite improving economic and credit growth from the last quarter of 2020. It also expects the State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) to keep its refinancing rate at 4.0 per cent through to the end of 2023 to support credit growth. The possibility of a rate hike may gradually emerge if inflation and growth accelerate faster than expected. Standard Chartered has recently lowered its US dollar – Vietnamese dong forecasts to 22,900 at the end of the third quarter of 2021 (from 23,100) and to 22,850 at the end of 2021 (23,000). Its end of 2022 forecast remains unchanged at 22,500. The balance of payments remains highly supportive of the currency, with strong exports and high net FDI inflows. Earlier, on Tuesday, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) also lowered its forecast for Viet Nam’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2021 to 5.8 per cent from its previous prediction of 6.7 per cent in April, as the fourth wave of COVID-19 infections hampers the country's recovery. Viet Nam's economic growth accelerated from 1.8 per cent in the first half of 2020 to 5.6 per cent in the same period this year as the global recovery from the pandemic boosted exports, the bank said. However, the ongoing wave of COVID-19 infections has led to disruptions in supply chains and prolonged social distancing measures in many provinces and cities whose growth rates are high. These have severely affected the circulation of goods and greatly limited economic activity in 2021. Also, as part of the report, the bank is projecting 7.2 per cent economic growth for developing Asia in 2021, compared with its forecast of 7.3 per cent in April, as new COVID-19 outbreaks slow the recovery in some regional economies. Excluding the newly industrialised economies of Hong Kong (China); the Republic of Korea; Singapore; and Taiwan (China), developing Asia’s updated growth outlook is 7.5 per cent for 2021 and 5.7 per cent for 2022, compared with earlier projections of 7.7 per cent and 5.6 per cent, respectively. – Viet Nam News
One million doses of Sinopharm vaccine to touch down in Cambodia today
An additional one million doses of Chinese Sinopharm vaccine will arrive in Cambodia this morning. Ms. Youk Sambath, Secretary of State of the Ministry of Health, confirmed that the vaccines are an order of the Royal Government. Vaccination is an essential and important way to fight the Covid-19 epidemic. The Royal Government of Cambodia, led by Hun Sen, has launched a vaccination plan as a strategic plan to combat the pandemic. So far, Cambodia has received a total of 16 million doses of the vaccine. Of that, about 15.7 million doses are vaccines donated and purchased from China. In August, another 4 million doses of the vaccine will be shipped from China to Cambodia. The vaccine that Cambodia received is a fulfilment of Cambodia’s plan to find 20 million doses of the vaccine to be given to about 10 million people. China has become an important country in helping Cambodia achieve this plan. Hun Sen also announced that China is a strategic reference in the supply of vaccines. In addition, Japan joins China in donating vaccines to combat COVID-19 in Cambodia with one million doses of AstraZeneca vaccines manufactured in Japan under license. Thus, two Asian nations have come to the aid of Cambodia to fight the pandemic with direct contribution of vaccines to battle the COVID-19 pandemic while other western superpowers provided lip service with no direct vaccine contributions though some of them have huge stockpiles. Even in the face of a pandemic like COVID-19, geopolitics takes precedence over human life, notwithstanding the fact that people need to be alive to embrace human rights and other rights being preached and insisted upon by the west. – Khmer Times
Junta says it will release some detainees in effort to curb spread of Covid-19 in prisons
Prisoners who were charged with criminal offenses before February 1 will soon be released as a measure to prevent the spread of Covid-19, the junta announced on Wednesday. All criminal cases against those facing trial on 11 different charges, including gambling, drug-related offenses, and prostitution, will be dropped, according to the announcement. The regime cited a backlog of court hearings due to Covid-19 restrictions as the reason for the move, which comes amid growing concern about the spread of the disease in the country’s overcrowded prisons. It was unclear how many prisoners would be released under the order. No releases had been made as of late Wednesday, according to prison authorities. “We can only release them if [the junta] dismisses the charges. When they do, we can release them right away,” said one prison officer contacted by Myanmar Now. He added that the courts were likely still examining prisoner lists to determine who was eligible for release. “We can only release them when we get the release order. Because the detainees [who will be released] are not permanent inmates, we don’t have an exact number yet,” the officer said. It was clear, however, that the order does not apply to opponents of the regime who have been detained since the military seized power on February 1. “If they’re worried about prisoners getting Covid-19, shouldn’t they release everyone? Prostitutes and drug addicts are not the only ones affected by the pandemic,” said Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer who is part of the defence team for leaders of Myanmar’s ousted civilian government. Some also expressed concern that the measure might result in a ramping up of arrests targeting those opposed to the junta’s rule. “It makes me think that they are creating more space within the prisons so that they can detain more political activists opposing them,” said an official with the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) who asked to remain anonymous. The regime has already released large number of prisoners since seizing power. On February 12, it announced a mass amnesty of more than 23,000 prisoners, and in April, it freed a similar number to mark the start of the Buddhist New Year. The February release coincided with the start of mass protests against the military takeover and was seen by many as an attempt to create chaos, as many prisoners were released in the middle of the night in residential areas. The regime has claimed in a recent statement that only six inmates of Insein Prison, the country’s largest detention centre, have contracted Covid-19 since the start of the third wave of the pandemic in early July, while a total of 375 cases have been detected in the country’s prison system over the same period. Among the infected prisoners was Nyan Win, an executive member of the deposed ruling party, the National League for Democracy, who died on Tuesday morning after being transferred from Insein prison to Yangon General Hospital. According to AAPP, more than 5,300 of those detained for anti-coup activities are still being held in Myanmar’s prisons. – Myanmar NOW
32 million PLN customers in Indonesia get electricity stimulus: govt
The Indonesian Government has decided to further extend the electricity stimulus program until December 2021, and more than 32 million customers of state electricity company PT PLN Persero had enjoyed it in the first semester of this year, the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry (ESDM) has informed. The government allocated Rp4.97 trillion as stimulus – Rp2.43 trillion for the third quarter and Rp2.54 trillion for the fourth quarter of 2021, ESDM's electricity director general, Rida Mulyana, noted. Despite the grant, people still need to save electricity and use it safely, he reiterated on Wednesday in Jakarta. Meanwhile, PLN's commerce and customer management director, Bob Saril, said he hoped that the continuation of the aid would drive the productivity of people and businesses, as well as help raise the public’s purchasing power amid the pandemic. “We (PT PLN Persero) always support and carry out the government’s regulation to give the stimulus to the people in need and enterprises affected by COVID-19,” he said. The mechanisms for extending the stimulus in the fourth quarter of 2021 are stated as following: 1. The extension of electricity discounts for households, businesses, and industries will be regulated as: a. Households with 450 VA [R-1 (Household 1)/TR (Low Voltage) 450 VA], small businesses with 450 VA [B-1 (Business 1)/TR 450 VA], and small industries with 450 VA [I-1 (Industry 1)/TR 450 VA]: 1) Post-paid: granted 50 percent discount or completely free usage and subscription fee; 2) Pre-paid: granted 50 percent discount on the purchase of token-code electricity quotas; b. Households with 900 VA on subsidy (R-1/TR 900 VA): 1) Post-paid: granted 25 percent discount on usage and subscription fee; 2) Pre-paid: granted 25 percent discount on the purchase of token-code electricity quotas; 2. Waiver on the minimum bill of 50 percent for customers whose energy usage is under the minimum bill (40 operation hours) will apply to: a. Social Category Customers with 1,300 VA and more [S-2 (Social 2)/TR 1300 VA to S-3/TM (Medium Voltage) > 200 kVA]; b. Business Category Customers with 1,300 VA and more [B-1 (Business 1)/TR 1300 VA to B-3/TM > 200 kVA]; c. Industrial Category Customers with 1300 VA and more [I-1 (Industry 1)/TR 1300 VA to I-4/TT (High Voltage) 30,000 kVA and more]; and, the customers will pay the bill based on their energy usage. 3. Waiver on minimum bill of 50 percent for Special Category Customers, according to the Electricity Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPJBTL). 4. The 50-percent waiver on subscription fee will be granted to: a. Social Category Customers with 220 VA, 450 VA, and 900 VA (S-1/TR 220 VA to S-2/TR 900 VA); b. Business Category Customers with 900 VA (B-1/TR 900 VA); and, c. Industrial Category Customers with 900 VA (I-1/TR 900VA). – AntaraNews.Com