These are the top stories making the front pages of major newspapers from across Southeast Asia today.
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Shangri-La Dialogue resumes in S'pore as US-China frictions loom over security meet
Asia's top security summit returns to Singapore this weekend after a two-year pandemic hiatus, with the first face-to-face meeting between American and Chinese defence leaders and Russia's invasion of Ukraine among the most anticipated items on the agenda.
Observers expect the Shangri-La Dialogue, organised by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), to shed light on the United States' and China's thinking and posture in relation to the region.
Also of interest will be the regional security implications as countries take stock of their recovery from Covid-19, which led to the cancellation in 2020 and 2021 of an otherwise annual affair in Singapore for the last 20 years. Over Friday (June 10) to Sunday, some 500 delegates from 42 countries - including more than 60 ministers and senior defence officials - will gather in person at the eponymous Shangri-La hotel in downtown Orchard Road for speeches, debates and, as per tradition, private huddles on the side-lines of the event.
In a statement on Thursday (June 9), Singapore's Ministry of Defence (Mindef) said the Dialogue "has provided a valuable, open, and neutral platform for the exchange of perspectives on defence and security issues and initiatives".
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will kick off proceedings on the first day with an address covering his country's changing strategic outlook, regional repercussions of the war in Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific's security challenges. The last Japanese premier to be keynote speaker at the Dialogue was Mr Shinzo Abe in 2014. – Straits Times
Adequate passport supply, congestion due to high demand - Immigration DG
The congestion reported at the Immigration offices, especially in the Klang Valley, is due to the sharp increase in applications and renewals of Malaysian International Passports.
Immigration director-general Datuk Seri Khairul Dzaimee Daud said passport applications and renewals had increased by 65 per cent this time, causing congestion at Immigration offices, especially in the Klang Valley.
He said the Immigration Department had a supply of more than 1.2 million passports that could accommodate the sharp increase in passport applications and renewals.
"The supply of passports is sufficient, we have more than 1.2 million (passports) in the store and if it runs out, the supplier will add more," he said when contacted today when asked to comment on the congestion at the Immigration counters.
Khairul Dzaimee said one of the factors behind the congestion at the Immigration offices was due to many people being present at the same time, especially in the morning, for passport applications and renewals. "For example, at the Immigration office in Shah Alam, the office is narrow and many turned up in the morning to get a passport… when they can come in the afternoon," he said.
The operating hours at six Immigration offices were extended to 10pm while the other six were extended to 6pm from May 11, to accommodate the sudden increase.
The six premises with extended operating hours until 10pm are the Immigration Department offices in Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Johor, Negri Sembilan, and Melaka, while those in Penang, Kedah, Perak, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Perlis will operate until 6pm.
Khairul Dzaimee advised the public to take the opportunity of the current school holidays to apply for and renew their passports at the Immigration offices outside the Klang Valley. – New Straits Times
Addiction fear mars law change
Starting on Thursday, people can grow cannabis plants at home, but the legalisation of cannabis has prompted concerns that it may lead to a rise in drug addiction.
Pol Gen Roy Ingkapairote, deputy commissioner of the national police and the director of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB), said police will not arrest anyone who smokes cannabis at home. But if they smoke it in public areas and cause a public disturbance, they can face charges, Pol Gen Roy said.
Cannabis will not be considered an illicit drug from today when a Ministry of Public Health announcement published in the Royal Gazette on Feb 9 takes effect. This means the production, import, export, distribution, consumption, and possession of cannabis will be formally legalised.
However, cannabis oil extracts that contain more than 0.2% of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, are categorised as a category 5 substance and regulated under laws pertaining to narcotics control and suppression.
More than 4,200 prisoners whose cases are cannabis-related will be released, Pol Gen Roy said. Cannabis cases pending investigation will also be dropped while any arrest warrants issued for cannabis use will be revoked, he said.
Regarding health concerns, the Ministry of Public Health is aware that the improper use of cannabis could lead to an increase in drug users, said Kiattiphum Wongrajit, the ministry's permanent secretary. – Bangkok Post
104K vacancies available in Independence Day job fairs: DOLE
Some 104,000 jobs are available at the Independence Day job fairs to be held simultaneously around the country on June 12.
In a virtual forum Wednesday, Rolly Francia, Information and Publication Service (IPS) director of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), said they expect the number of employment opportunities to increase as the scheduled event draws near.
“We hope that it will increase and can even exceed what we had last May 1 where there were 153,000 available jobs. So, there are 104,000 available jobs and apart from private companies, there are also available jobs to be offered for government positions,” the DOLE official said.
He added that aside from the processing of job applications, vaccination against coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) will also be available to the public at these fairs.
“We will provide you with the list of available jobs in the private sector and even in the government. Then all job sites will also open free vaccinations for those with booster shots and those without vaccinations. This is an opportunity for our countrymen who are looking for work even those who don't work. You can go to the job fair sites to get vaccinated either primary dose or booster shots,” he added.
Francia said they also invited President-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the main event of the Independence Day job fairs in Malolos, Bulacan.
“President (Rodrigo Roa Duterte) already sent word that he will not be able to attend but the Secretary (Silvestre Bello III) will be there on June 12. We invited President-elect Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to the job fair and we have yet to receive a confirmation of his attendance,” he added. – Philippine News Agency
Viet Nam becomes Vice President of UN General Assembly
Viet Nam has been elected as one of the Vice Presidents of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly’s 77th session, representing the Asia-Pacific region.
The country will perform its responsibility for one year from September 13.
At a meeting on June 7 (New York time), the UN General Assembly also elected Ambassador Csaba Korosi from Hungary as the 77th President of the UN General Assembly, replacing Abdulla Shahid, Maldivian, President of the 76th UN General Assembly.
The UN General Assembly is one of the six main organs of the UN and the only UN body with representatives from all the 193 member states.
It has broad authority in the fields of political, economic, cultural and social cooperation, and the right to discuss and make recommendations on matters falling within the scope of the Charter or any matter within the competence of the organs of the UN to promote international cooperation.
Other countries elected as Vice Presidents of the 77th UN General Assembly are Benin, Burundi, Kenya, Mauritania, Niger, Zimbabwe (Africa), Malaysia, Nepal, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan (Asia-Pacific), Chile, El Salvador, Jamaica (Latin America), Estonia (Eastern Europe), Israel, Australia (Western Europe and others).
During its 45-year membership in the UN, Viet Nam has shouldered many significant responsibilities and made many substantial and influential contributions to the largest multilateral organisation on the planet. – Vietnam News
Confident claim: CPP says it has won up to 80% of commune council seats
Although the National Election Committee (NEC) is due to announce the official result of the June 5 Commune Election at the end of this month, the ruling Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has claimed it has won up to 80% of the 11,622 commune council seats contested across the Kingdom.
The claim seems consistent with the preliminary results provided by NEC deputy secretary-general Som Sorida on Tuesday night, with data showing the CPP has won up to 5.3 million popular votes, followed by the main opposition Candlelight Party (CP) which won only 1.6 million.
“The seats will be distributed by Capital/Provincial Election Committees after complaints or objections related to the provisional election results have been resolved first,” Sorida said.
According to NEC Chairman Prach Chan, the official election results will be released on June 26. The NEC has announced that the voter turnout rate for the sub-national election was 80.19 % or 7,382,449 of the total 9.2 million eligible voters.
In an interview with Khmer Times, CPP spokesman Sok Eysan cited an analysis document of the ruling party which claims the party had won up to 80.71% of the total commune council seats.
“We won 1,648 commune chief positions out of a total of 1,652, the opposition party (CP) won only four commune chiefs’ positions,” he said, adding that the data shows the CPP has won up to 99.76% of the commune chief positions. The data also interestingly shows the results of the battle for deputy commune chief positions.
The document says the CPP won 1,619 first-deputy commune chief and 261 second-deputy commune chief posts. The CP is said to have won 25 deputy commune chief and 1,357 second-deputy commune chief positions. – Khmer Times
Myanmar military’s proxy party convenes central assembly
The proxy party of Myanmar’s military convened its annual central committee meeting in Naypyitaw on Wednesday amid tight security and expectations of a shakeup of senior leaders.
More than 400 central committee members of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) attended the first day of the two-day gathering at the party’s headquarters Naypyitaw’s Dekkhinathiri Township, party sources said.
With some 20 armed soldiers seen guarding the event inside the office compound and at least four vehicles with junta troops spotted near the office, the party appeared to be taking no chances with the safety of its delegates.
The heightened security comes as no surprise, as a bomb attack targeting USDP supporters injured at least six in Naypyitaw less than a month ago. The Naypyitaw chapter of the People’s Defence Force, the armed wing of the shadow National Unity Government, claimed responsibility for the attack, which was carried out near the USDP headquarters.
As the meeting started at around 9:30am, traffic police, with soldiers and police close at hand, were busy inspecting passers-by near the site of the explosion, according to a Naypyitaw local.
Yin Min Myint Swe, a spokesperson for the USDP, said the security measures were necessary to ensure that the party’s committee members can meet without concern for their personal safety.
“We provided suitable security around the headquarters compound during their stay for their safety,” she told Myanmar Now on Wednesday afternoon. – Myanmar NOW
Mamuju earthquake: District head urges residents to stay calm
Mamuju District Head Sitti Sutinah Suhardi urged residents to remain calm after a 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck part of the Mamuju District area on Wednesday afternoon local time.
"The government will be together with the community and hope that the Mamuju people would not panic. (Please) be calm but remain vigilant and follow the government's official appeal regarding the earthquake that just occurred," Suhardi noted in Mamuju, West Sulawesi.
"The Mamuju administration advises people to stay away from high and cracked buildings and find a safe place," she added.
According to ANTARA's observation, several residents of Mamuju, West Sulawesi, chose to stay outside their homes after the 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the district at 1:32 p.m. local time.
Rafiuddin's family was among the residents, who did not want to take the risk to enter their homes for fear of aftershocks.
"We do not have the nerve to enter the house because we are worried that there will be aftershocks," Rafiuddin, a resident of Simboro, Mamuju, stated. Rafiuddin and his family fled the house once they felt the tremors caused by the earthquake on Wednesday afternoon.
"At first, the tremors were not too strong, but in a while, they got stronger, so I immediately saved myself and my children and wife," he remarked.
The quake has compelled Mamuju's residents to leave the district to move to highland plateaus. – AntaraNews.Com