These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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6-monthly medical exam for domestic workers, other female work permit holders to be deferred: MOM
The six-monthly medical examination for migrant domestic workers and other female work permit holders will be deferred, amid the surge in Covid-19 cases here.
This is to ease the patient load and pressure faced by healthcare providers, especially general practitioners (GP) clinics and polyclinics, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (March 2).
Employers who received notices between January and February, but have not sent their workers for the medical examination, will now have until April 30 to do so.
Meanwhile, employers whose workers are due to receive their notices in March and April will be notified of the new date by post and e-mail from end-April.
Employers will not be turned away if they need to send their workers to the clinics for medical examination.
"However, we strongly encourage employers to defer the visit unless there is a need for medical attention," the ministry added.
This comes as six polyclinics extended their usual operating hours to help meet Singapore’s Covid-19 surge.
The Health Ministry (MOH) announced last Friday that the polyclinics will take in patients on Saturday afternoons and Sunday mornings for two weeks from Feb 26. The six are Bukit Panjang, Eunos, Kallang, Pioneer, Punggol and Woodlands polyclinics. – Straits Times
Preparations in place to welcome Penang-Singapore VTL travellers
The Penang International Airport (PIA) in Bayan Lepas is all set to welcome flights under the Penang-Singapore Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL).
State Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Yeoh Soon Hin said Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd (MASB) has conducted the necessary spatial planning in PIA to ensure the smooth facilitation of the Penang-Singapore flights.
"The spatial planning includes designating a dedicated aerobridge and airport apron for passengers to disembark.
"PIA has also established a medical lab for Covid-19 swab test purposes," he said after visiting PIA to inspect the final stages and progress of its VTL preparations. In December last year, the New Straits Times reported that the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) had submitted an application for the Penang-Singapore VTL.
MAG group chief executive officer Captain Izham Ismail had said the application to travel between Penang and Singapore was submitted several months before following the success between the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore VTL in late November last year.
At that time, the Penang government had urged the federal government to consider including the PIA in the VTL between Malaysia and Singapore, stressing that the move would benefit the country's manufacturing landscape.
According to Yeoh, passengers who test negative upon arrival will be allowed to enter Penang while those who test positive will be sent to a special isolation area for further measures.
"The Penang government remains committed to curbing the Covid-19 virus spread to ensure that the Penang-Singapore VTL scheme can yield economic recovery for the state," he added. – New Straits Times
Neutral on Russia-Ukraine: PM
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has insisted Thailand will maintain its neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, a government source said.
The source said a meeting of cabinet ministers on Tuesday discussed the issue extensively following some 25 ambassadors based in Thailand pressuring the government to speak out against Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Gen Prayut told the meeting that the long-standing relations between Thailand and Russia must be taken into account and Thailand must tread carefully, the source said.
"We need to be composed and make decisions carefully. Thailand must maintain a neutral stance and bring Thais in Ukraine back home quickly," the source quoted the PM as saying.
Speaking after the cabinet meeting, Gen Prayut said Thailand will adhere to ASEAN's stance on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine as the grouping has called for dialogue among parties concerned to resolve the Ukraine crisis.
The prime minister was speaking on Tuesday after the 25 ambassadors met with the permanent secretary for the Foreign Ministry Thani Thongphakdi at the ministry on Monday.
The ambassadors asked Thailand to speak out against the Russian invasion of Ukraine and support the United Nations General Assembly's (UNGA) resolution on the Ukraine crisis. – Bangkok Post
Duterte hopes next admin will continue his war on drugs
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Tuesday said he is worried about the resurgence of illegal drugs, hoping his successor would continue his campaign against the drug menace.
“Ito bang (This) drugs, I hope that whoever would sit as president would continue the – if not, the ferocity that I did and I accept it, maski lang naman sana ‘yung (maybe just) a little lower than my standard kasi talagang sisirain ang bayan nating ito (because it will destroy our country). I’m so worried about the resurgence of drug problem,” Duterte said in his pre-recorded Talk to the People.
Duterte started his massive campaign against illegal drugs on his first day in Malacañang in 2016.
“We are getting old. As a matter of fact, we are about to make the exit na. Ang problema (already. The problem) is the next generation. We have to protect the next generation because, if not, then they will have a serious problem in their hands,” Duterte said.
“If this is how they operate – I’m addressing the nation – if you don’t meet you resolve with as much intensity, you will lose,” he added.
In his report to Duterte, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año said based on the latest report, the law enforcers have arrested 1,658 individuals and confiscated PHP159 million worth of illegal drugs in 1,230 anti-illegal drug operations. – Philippine News Agency
Five major transport projects to be completed by 2026: PM
Five major transport projects of the country are expected to be carried out from now until 2026.
Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Tuesday met with other Government leaders and authorities to discuss the feasibility of the construction of two ring roads in Ha Noi and HCM City, and three expressways in the southern region.
Pre-feasibility study reports were presented for the Ring Road 4 in the capital city, Ring Road 3 in HCM City, as well as for the Chau Doc-Can Tho – Soc Trang Expressway, Khanh Hoa – Buon Ma Thuot Expressway, and Bien Hoa – Vung Tau Expressway.
The leaders discussed planning issues, legal procedures, resource mobility, land clearance, and other technical features of the projects.
Speaking at the meeting, PM Chinh said the infrastructure would connect major economic hubs and key routes in regions, cities and provinces, and building more expressways would be one of the major missions of the Party’s 2021-26 tenure, which was identified at the 18th National Party Congress.
“We have built 700 kilometres, and today the Government and leaders of ministries, sectors and localities meet to plan the construction of another 500 kilometres,” he said.
“If the plans are approved by the Politburo and National Assembly, we will have built 1,200 kilometres of expressway this tenure.”
It required major focus and determination from the central to local governments to reach this goal, the PM added.
He assigned Deputy Prime Ministers Le Minh Khai and Le Van Thanh to be in charge of the projects, directing ministries, sectors and localities to allocate capital and keep track of the progress.
They must ensure that the five projects would be completed during this tenure, he said. – Vietnam News
PM: Ukraine conflict is now a ‘Russian war with Europe’
Prime Minister Hun Sen has said that the war in Ukraine has now turned into a war between Russia and Europe, since some NATO members sent weapons and people to help Ukraine’s fight with Russian troops. The PM’s statement was made on the occasion of the inauguration of National Road No. 3 Phnom Penh-Kampot this morning, March 2, 2022, as the war in Ukraine is escalating and growing after some European countries sent weapons and allowed their citizens to join Ukraine in the war against Russia.
The PM stated: “Now the problem is where European countries have handed over people to help fight in Ukraine, handed over weapons and fighter jets.
If so, the war between Russia and Ukraine is no longer a Russia-Ukraine war, [it is] a Russian war with Europe, with military aid and the provision of aircraft, which is an additional incentive for war.”
The PM also reiterated Cambodia’s position of not encouraging the use of military force against any party.
“We do not encourage, we oppose, the use of force or the threat of using force against the other party, this point can understand the perspective of Cambodia’s foreign policy,” he said.
As a leader who has been through decades of war in Cambodia and is leading the country in peace, the PM maintains that the situation in Ukraine “cannot be a war to end the war.”
The PM had earlier stated his view that that Russia cannot overthrow Ukraine and Ukraine cannot destroy Russia’s military force. – Khmer Times
Myanmar junta sentences four student leaders to three years with hard labour
Four student leaders held in Yangon’s notorious Insein Prison for nearly a year have been sentenced to three years with hard labour for incitement, according to their lawyers.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, Sitt Naing, Lay Pyay Soe Moe, and Thuta Soe were among hundreds arrested last March for taking part in protests in Yangon’s Tamwe Township.
All four were found guilty of violating Section 505a of the Penal Code for their part in leading the protests. They were tried by a special prison court and sentenced on Monday, their lawyers said.
“They were very calm and collected when they received the sentence. But I’m worried about Wai Yan Phyo Moe, as he has a history inside the prison,” said Thet Naung, the lawyer representing Wai Yan Phyo Moe and Sitt Naing.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, who is vice president of the All Burma Federation of Student Unions, was previously sentenced to two years and one month in prison for taking part in a campaign calling for the restoration of internet access in Rakhine State in 2020.
He is also facing other incitement charges related to his anti-coup activism last year.
Wai Yan Phyo Moe, Sitt Naing, and Lay Pyay Soe Moe were also tortured and placed in solitary confinement for taking part in a protest inside Insein Prison last July, according to statements released by their respective organisations at the time. – Myanmar NOW
Green energy is one of Indonesia's huge potentials: President
Environment-friendly renewable green energy was among the nation's vast energy potentials that other countries did not possess, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.
"Wind, underwater currents, and sea surface heat, all of these can be used for green energy development. There is (also) solar power. These are (the potential sources) of this country that other countries do not have," Jokowi noted during the 2022 Leadership Meeting of the National Defense Force and Police in Cilangkap, East Jakarta, on Tuesday.
The president pointed out that Indonesia was currently encouraging the use of environmentally-friendly energy sources for industrial uses in a bid to create or implement the green economy.
North Kalimantan has become a province set for becoming a green economy area, with the construction of a Green Industrial Park to initiate the efforts. Kayan River will become a source of hydropower that could generate 11 thousand to 12 thousand megawatts (MW) of power. The president believed that Indonesia had the ability to manage and develop renewable energy, as the country has 4,400 rivers that could be utilized to operate hydroelectric power plants (PLTA).
Apart from its water-based energy source, Indonesia had geothermal energy potential that could be harnessed into power that reached 29 thousand MW.
Thus, in order to utilize these natural resources to power up the state, Jokowi urged one and all to develop and implement a green economy as the basis or foundation as soon as possible. – AntaraNews.Com