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.
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Singapore rebounds to third spot in global competitiveness ranking
Singapore has climbed two spots to become the world's third-most competitive economy, after falling from first to fifth place last year.
Denmark and Switzerland ranked ahead of Singapore in the Institute for Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Ranking, which released its latest list on Wednesday (June 15).
IMD is based in Switzerland and Singapore. Singapore, which held the top spot in 2019 and 2020, is the top Asia-Pacific economy this year, followed by Hong Kong, Taiwan, and China, which took the fifth, seventh and 17th spot globally.
IMD said Singapore's recovery stemmed from huge improvements in the domestic economy, where it leapt from 15th position to first place, employment jumped from 18th to third, public finance from 12th to sixth, and productivity and efficiency climbed from 14th to ninth.
The Republic bagged the top spot in both international trade and technological infrastructure, and second place for business legislation. But Singapore came in 14th for management practices, 16th for scientific infrastructure, and 25th for health and environment. – Straits Times
Mobile phone company fined for selling unregistered Covid-19 medicine
A mobile phone company was fined RM10,000 for selling an unregistered medical product.
The product, in the form of capsules, was marketed as an alternative treatment for Covid-19.
Sessions Court judge Elsie Primus meted out the fine on Dex Communication Sdn Bhd after its director pleaded guilty to the charge.
The male director, acting as the company representative admitted to having 1,800 units of the product known as "Lianhua Qingwen Jiaonang" on Sept 7 last year at 10.52am at the company premises in Asia City complex. The company had violated Regulation 7(1) (a) of the Control of Drugs and Cosmetics Regulations 1984 which is an offence under Regulation 30(1) of the same Regulations 1984.
The punishment falls under Section 12(2) of the Sale of Drugs Act 1952, which carries a maximum fine of RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both upon conviction.
During mitigation, counsel Chin Tek Ming who defended the company, asked for leniency, saying that the company sold the products for side income due to the pandemic situation.
In reply, Pharmaceutical Division principal assistant director (enforcement) Mad Sapri Tumiran, who prosecuted the case, asked for an appropriate sentence as a lesson. Mad Sapri told the court that the seized haul was considered large, involving 1,800 boxes of the product worth an estimated RM36,000.
He said this was the highest amount recorded compared with the recent seizure of the said unregistered products in Selangor with 1,200 boxes, as reported in the media.
"This large number of products is suspected to be for distribution throughout Sabah as an alternative treatment for Covid-19. This situation is seen as exploiting the Sabah people who were worried for their health during the Covid-19 pandemic," he said, adding that action was taken following public complaints and monitoring from the company's Facebook marketplace.
The company has 10 branches in Sabah. – New Straits Times
TM 6 immigration forms shelved for now at airports
The government will temporarily halt the need for international passengers to fill out TM 6 immigration forms to ease passenger congestion at international airports.
Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said after a cabinet meeting on Tuesday this would reduce the process for foreign visitors as they were already required to fill out many forms upon arrival. It will also help alleviate congestion as international arrival numbers have increased, he added.
Gen Prayut said authorities will evaluate the outcome of the announcement and consider if it needs to be revised, especially if they are unable to trace passengers. The Interior Ministry will expedite the drafting of the announcement, which is expected to finish in a week.
Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul said foreign travellers who enter Thailand by land or sea will still be required to fill out the form. The move will save around 45.5 million baht a year in printing costs for an estimated 65 million TM 6 forms, she said.
Immigration police can still collect data on arrivals via the biometric systems at airports, while other travel data can be collected from airlines, Ms Traisuree said.
Thais have not needed to fill out a TM 6 since 2017. – Bangkok Post
Army units help clear ashfall in Sorsogon
Philippine Army (PA) units are helping other government agencies in "round-the-clock" ashfall clearing operations in areas in Sorsogon affected anew by the second phreatic eruption of Mount Bulusan on June 12.
"Troops of the 31st Infantry Battalion (31IB), 9th Infantry Division, hand-in-hand with other government responders, continue round-the-clock clearing efforts in barangays affected by the second phreatic eruption of the Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon," Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement Tuesday night.
He said the 31st Infantry Battalion, in cooperation with the Philippine National Police and Bureau of Fire Protection, cleared the thick ash that covered roads and houses in Barangay Lungib in Casiguran, Sorsogon.
Army troops and reservists promptly launched clearing efforts after the volcano spewed ash anew on June 12.
"(The) 9ID disaster response units and Army reservists – in close coordination with local disaster risk reduction and management offices and other government agencies – remain on alert for possible episodes of phreatic eruptions in the days ahead," Trinidad said.
Meanwhile, PA Chief, Lt. Gen. Romeo S. Brawner Jr., lauded the 9th Infantry Division disaster response teams and Army reservists for working round-the-clock to help eruption-stricken families and for the possible escalation of Mount Bulusan's alert level. – Philippine News Agency
Halve port infrastructure fees: HCM City transport dept.
The HCM City Department of Transport has proposed a 50 per cent cut in port infrastructure fees for international trade goods transported by inland waterways.
The move aims to help businesses dealing with stiff challenges like rising fuel prices.
The department has submitted a document to the municipal People's Committee asking for the fee adjustment two months after beginning automatic fee collection for the use of infrastructure and public services at ports.
The reduction in fees also seeks to encourage businesses to increase use of waterways and reduce pressure on road transport.
Earlier, business associations had proposed that the Prime Minister asks the city to stop collecting infrastructure fees at seaports.
They said that the proposed fees were very high and it was not the right time to implement a collection plan, adding that it would have negative impacts on business operations and the Government’s economic recovery and development programme.
In response, Deputy Prime Minister Le Minh Khai has asked the city to adjust infrastructure fees at seaports by July. He said the city should take steps in consultation with other relevant agencies including the ministries of Finance, Transport, Industry and Trade, and Justice.
The city should continue to propagate and explain its rationale to businesses and associations to have their agreement on the collection of infrastructure fees at seaports, he said.
He has also asked the Ministry of Finance to cooperate with relevant ministries and agencies to supervise the price adjustments and report to the Government.
The automatic fee collection system, launched on April 1, is expected to fetch revenues of over VND3 trillion (US$129 million) a year. – Vietnam News
Cambodia at forefront of steps to protect children
As one of the pathfinding countries in the global partnership to end violence against children, the government always pays high attention to keeping them safe and promoting child protection measures, Prime Minister Hun Sen said yesterday.
Speaking at the “Together to #End Violence Leaders’ Event” via video conference, he said Cambodia has steadily prepared and implemented policies and action plans, such as the Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence against Children 2017-2021, the National Social Protection Policy Framework 2016-2025, and the National Policy on Child Protection System 2019-2029, to achieve an end to violence against children.
In addition, in 2019, Cambodia became a pathfinding country of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children by prioritising the strengthening of the implementation of Policy on Alternative Care for Children to promote family-based care instead of residential care, he said.
Pathfinding countries are those whose government leaders do two things: Make a formal, public commitment to comprehensive action to end all forms of violence against children; and Request to become a pathfinder within the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children. Last year, based on an evaluation of the Action Plan to Prevent and Respond to Violence against Children 2017-2021, Cambodia is on the right track in preventing violence against children.
Mr Hun Sen said that going forward, Cambodia will continue to be more active in its efforts to ensure the safety of children everywhere such as at home, at school and on the community. – Khmer Times
Resistance forces reject junta’s call to surrender
Leaders of anti-junta People’s Defence Force (PDF) chapters rejected a Saturday call by the Myanmar army for their groups to surrender.
The military council’s announcement follows unprecedented nationwide armed resistance to the coup regime that attempted to seize power in February last year. Despite launching major offensives in an effort to crush opposing forces, the junta’s administration remains unable to establish control over territory governed by ethnic armed organisations or liberated by newly formed guerrilla forces.
Despite repeatedly referring to the PDFs as “terrorists,” the military refrained from labelling them as such in the weekend statement, which suggested they could collaborate in the future.
Naga, the leader of the Myanmar Royal Naga Army, a defence force based in Sagaing Region’s Pale Township, dismissed the call as an attempt to “distract the public from seeing the military’s losses.”
“They’re going to lose if the resistance continues,” he told Myanmar Now. “They no longer have the power to face us. The public needs to think critically now. All the military council has right now are weapons – nothing else.”
He pointed to the military’s recent rejection of peace talks with PDFs as a demonstration of their lack of sincerity.
Salai Tuan Ling Thang, a spokesperson for the Chinland Defence Force based in Kanpetlet, southern Chin State, attributed the military’s offer of surrender to the major casualties that they have allegedly suffered in battles with resistance forces.
“We will never surrender to the military, no matter how hard or rough it gets. We will fight until the end,” he said. “Min Aung Hlaing is losing. Junta soldiers should surrender before it’s too late.” – Myanmar NOW
Ministry urges stakeholders to restore education services
Secretary-General of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology (Kemendikbudristek) Suharti urged policy makers in the education sector to support restoration of education services by immediately commencing face-to-face learning (PTM) in schools.
"I invited all participants from this webinar, especially from local governments, education units, and students, to restore education services during this COVID-19 pandemic," Suharti noted during a webinar in Jakarta, Tuesday.
The ministry's secretary general later outlined several aspects to take into account in learning recovery, including encouraging 100-percent safety in PTM, learning recovery, information and communication technology utilization in education services, as well as support from local governments, education units, and students, who were severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In an effort to restore the learning process and education service after the pandemic, we need a structured, systematic, and massive strategy from various parties, who had resources to encourage learning recovery," she remarked.
Suharti explained that learning and teaching activities during the COVID-19 pandemic were conducted in three forms: full distance learning, limited face-to-face learning, and mixed learning.
The government had made efforts in restoring education services by adjusting learning policies during the pandemic through a 4 Ministerial Decree, establishing an Emergency Curriculum, preparing an Independent Curriculum as an effort to restore learning, adjusting the school operational assistance (BOS) policies, as well as adjusting BOS Affirmation and BOS Performance. – AntaraNews.Com