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.
Sri Lanka's president asks China for help amid its worst financial crisis
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday (Jan 9) met Sri Lanka’s President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, reaffirming bilateral ties before discussing tourism, investments and the fight against Covid-19.
Mr Wang, who is also China’s State Councillor, arrived in Colombo on Saturday for a two-day visit to commemorate 65 years of China-Sri Lanka diplomatic ties and the 70th anniversary of the Lanka-China Rubber Rice Pact, a 1952 trade agreement under which Colombo supplied rubber to Beijing in exchange for rice.
PM Rajapaksa posted on Twitter that he had a “very pleasant meeting” with Mr Wang, “centred around the logistics of facilitating the return of the many (Sri Lankan medical) students to China”, tourism, investments, Covid-19 relief and post-Covid-19 preparedness. - Straits Times
Malaysia can't afford lockdowns, says health minister
Malaysia cannot afford to take the same approach as China in handling the Covid-19 pandemic by implementing lockdowns in the country.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this was because lockdowns posed economic implications and would affect the people's welfare.
"Malaysia cannot afford lockdowns in terms of the economy and the people's welfare. Our strategy is mitigation. - New Straits Times
New testing centre opens in capital
A new Covid-19 testing centre with the capacity to conduct up to 1,000 tests per day will begin operating on Tuesday to meet growing demand following a surge of new coronavirus infections since the New Year holiday.
Set to operate until Jan 21, the Covid-19 testing centre will be on the first floor of Car Park Building B at the government complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, said Deputy Prime Minister and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Sunday.
The free mass-Covid-19 testing service is a joint venture between the National Health Security Office (NHSO), Mahidol University's Faculty of Medical Technology and Dhanarak Asset Development, a state enterprise under the Ministry of Finance. - Bangkok Post
Expand home isolation packages, Palace to PhilHealth
Malacanang is pushing the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to expand its Covid-19 Home Isolation Benefit Packages (CHIBP) to include free reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing.
Acting Presidential Spokesperson and Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said PhilHealth currently covers free testing but only among patients who are symptomatic and are currently confined in public or private hospitals.
“We’re also pushing PhilHealth to increase the packages for home treatment. Those who are treating themselves at home can also be covered by PhilHealth. The PhilHealth package will also include RT-PCR,” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel’s Headstart. - Philippine News Agency
HCM City businesses overcome economic 'storm'
Many enterprises in HCM City have successfully contributed to the economic recovery and development of the city after the pandemic.
In the last days of 2021, consumers were surprised to see Chuk Chuk stalls selling fresh juices, cakes and nutritional combos at GO!, Big C and Tops Market shopping malls.
The introduction of new food and beverage chain Chuk Chuk is a strategic move between Kido Group and Central Retail Vietnam. - Vietnam News
Campaign for fourth dose of vaccine to begin on Jan 14
The Health Ministry announced that the first phase for the provision of the fourth dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, comprising Pfizer, will be administered from January 14 onward.
The campaign will begin with frontliners including leaders of the government, the Senate, the National Assembly, frontline doctors (both public and private), government officials, the army and police, local authorities and the elderly.
Those eligible must fit the definition of a frontliner and be at least 60-years-old. Staff of embassies and both national and international organisations as well as journalists and celebrities are also invited to join the campaign. - Khmer Times
Lao and Vietnamese PMs Launch ‘Laos – Vietnam Friendship and Solidarity Year’
The announcement was made yesterday during a state visit to Vietnam made by the Prime Minister of Laos, Phankham Viphavanh.
Addressing the press conference, Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham said that the two countries have noted with satisfaction the great friendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States, and peoples, which have unceasingly been reinforced in the recent past, Vietnam Plus reports.
The two sides have agreed to commence implementation of a joint statement issued during an official visit to Vietnam by Party General Secretary and President of Laos, Thongloun Sisoulith in June 2021, as well as 14 bilateral agreements signed during a trip to Laos by Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc in August. – The Laotian Times
Public involvement key to nourishing electoral agencies: UI
The public's involvement in selecting the commissioners of the General Elections Commission (KPU) and the General Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) can strengthen the electoral institutions.
Deputy director of the Center for Political Studies at University of Indonesia (Puskapol UI), Hurriyah made the remarks, in the webinar "Questioning the Selection of Elections Implementation: Prospects and Challenges of Fit and Proper Test in the House of Representatives", here on Sunday.
"The public's involvement in the selection process is also useful to bolster electoral agencies. In the context of fit and proper test, the public 's engagement will help advise members of the House of Representatives (DPR RI)," Hurriyah explained. - AntaraNews.Com