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Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region
23 July 2020  (pm) - 24 July  2020 (am)
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This issue of Daily News Alert includes the following commentaries and citations attributed to researchers at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. You can click on their names to go to these articles directly.
This is a daily information alert service containing articles and commentaries from international and regional news sources. The alert is released every Monday to Friday, focussing on Southeast Asia and special topics relevant to ISEAS' research interests. You can click on any of the links below to directly access the subject of your immediate interest. If you think your friends and colleagues would find this alert useful, please invite them to  subscribe .

 
Country Studies
 
   Indonesia
  Thailand
 
Southeast Asia Countries
 
Brunei Darussalam
 Singapore
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
 
Region
 
 
 

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camCambodia
 
1 .
Cambodia, China to ink trade deal before EBA withdrawal: Deputy Prime Minister Hor Nam Hong said yesterday that Cambodia and China will sign a free trade agreement before August 12 ahead of the European Union's partial withdrawal of the Everything-but-Arms (EBA) trade status... "This agreement will open the door for more of our goods and agricultural products, such as bananas, cassava flour and rubber, to be exported to China. That is why China told Cambodia to speed up the work plans," Nam Hong said.
 
2 .
Kingdom has 36.5 tonnes of gold and $19.5 billion in FX reserves, says NBC: In a statement released this morning, NBC said Cambodia has $19.5 billion in forex reserves as of July 2020. In addition, the Kingdom has 36.5 tonnes of gold, 12.4 of which are considered as "heritage" or "old" Cambodian gold handed back to the country and deposited in Switzerland. Meanwhile, 14.1 tonnes were invested in London's Bank of England and the remaining 10 tonnes are being kept in the country's treasury.
 
3 .
Experts Warn Cambodia's Trade Deal With China is Poor Substitute For EU Scheme: Cambodia's bid to offset the partial loss of a European Union preferential trade scheme by pursuing a free trade agreement (FTA) with China will leave the country poorer and beholden to Beijing, unions and analysts said Thursday, ahead of an expected signing of the deal next month.
 
indIndonesia
   
4 .
Prosperity and perception: Experts review Indonesian democracy: Executive director Philips J. Vermonte of the Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Indonesia said that if the ongoing fragmentation and elite infighting continued to hamper the government from delivering public welfare, both politicians with an antidemocratic bent and a public impatient over minimal democratic gains could look to countries that had taken a alternative route to prosperity.
 
5 .
Trade without aid: Will it work for Indonesia? Since 2011, Indonesia has been one of 120 countries benefitting from the United States' GSP scheme. Nonetheless, in the past few years, the US has several times threatened to remove Indonesia from its GSP list. On April 12, 2018, the US Trade Representative (USTR) confirmed that it would review Indonesia's GSP eligibility due to its concerns about Indonesia's compliance with GSP market access, services and investment criteria. The USTR also alleged that Indonesia had applied various trade and investment barriers that had a negative effect on US trade.
 
6 .
US official urges RI to buy American weapons: With the United States renewing its campaign against China in the Indo-Pacific theater, Defense Secretary Mark Esper expressed his intention to visit Indonesia to strengthen the cooperation through arms sales despite recent reluctance from the Indonesian side.
 
7 .
UNHCR grants refugee status to 99 Rohingya migrants in Aceh: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)-Indonesia Office officially granted refugee status to 99 Rohingya migrants that three Acehnese fishermen had rescued on humanitarian grounds in June, Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi stated. The EU's Foreign Affairs and Security Policy spokesperson, Nabila Massrali, has lauded Indonesia's decision to provide a safe-landing and humanitarian assistance to the Rohingya refugees.
 
8 .
LGBTQ+ community leaders in Indonesia: overcoming pandemic hardship: However, In line with global trends over the past six years, Indonesia has seen a 13 per cent drop in the number of respondents who believe society should not accept homosexuality, from 93 to 80 per cent. This data presents a significant shift in public perceptions of the LGBTQ+ community in Indonesia. Despite the uncertainties faced by vulnerable populations during the COVID-19 pandemic, LGBTQ+ Indonesians have recently made great strides in community representation and leadership. Exploring such strides in contrast to the Pew survey results provides a holistic understanding of contemporary LGBTQ+ acceptance in Indonesia.
 
9 .
Editorial: Misguided Takeover: The takeover of the Rokan Block by Pertamina has the potential to cause losses. The government policy of nationalizing foreign assets needs to be corrected. The government should not be angry when the production, or lifting, of oil from the Rokan Block falls sharply this year. The decision by Chevron Pacific Indonesia, the operator of the oil block in Riau province, to not carry out exploration or make any new investments in the largest block in Indonesia was easy to guess from the outset. What is more, Pertamina, which will become the new operator there, will only be able to start drilling in August 2021.
 
laoLaos
   
10 .
Laos-Timor-Leste mutual support continues to prosper: Mutual support between Laos and Timor-Leste has been reconfirmed with the new diplomatic representative of the young state in Southeast Asia taking up her mission in Laos... (The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Saleumxay Kommasith) said two sides benefited from the good diplomatic relations, supported each other on regional and global stages, and confirmed the Lao PDR continued to support the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste in gaining Asean membership.
 
malMalaysia
   
11 .
Polls victory assured if PPBM, Umno, PAS team up, say analysts: Two political analysts agree that a convincing election victory will be assured for Umno, PPBM and PAS if they work as a team. However, both told FMT the current state of affairs did not inspire confidence that such a united front could be forged any time soon.
 
12 .
Can Finas enforce licensing law on film producers in digital age? Here's what lawyers say: Several lawyers familiar with the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia (Finas) Act 1981 said Saifuddin's caution to today's film producers to get a licence from Malaysia's industry regulator was a dubious interpretation of the law that was drafted ahead of the digital age and sent mixed signals to society at large.
 
13 .
Form an alternative cabinet line-up appointed by PM-designate, opposition urged: In an interview with Malaysiakini, Liew said he proposed an alternative cabinet, instead of the much talked about shadow cabinet, which is the Westminster system featuring a senior group of opposition lawmakers. This is because, he said, a shadow cabinet has been proven to work well in the two-party system in the UK, but may not suit the current political scenario in Malaysia, where no party commands a comfortable majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

Malaysiakini, 24 July 2020  
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/535856
   
 
14 .
PKR MP calls govt to abolish film licencing requirements in Finas Act: PKR information chief Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (photo, above) said Section 22(1) of the Act, which is on the need for a licence to distribute, exhibit, or produce any moving images, is no longer relevant in today's context. Shamsul clarified that PKR does not deny the need to "control materials" that could impact the country's peace and harmony but stressed that there is an important need for creative content development.

Malaysiakini, 24 July 2020  
https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/535879
   
 
15 .
Ex-speaker fears road to reform cut short: Internationally, Ariff said after the 14th general election, Malaysia received a lot of traction as being a symbol of democracy. ... Ariff also commended lawmakers, especially the young ones, on improving the quality of debates instead of heckling and name-calling.

Malaysian Insight, 24 July 2020  
https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/262565
   
 
16 .
Lambang BN lebih relevan mewakili Perikatan Nasional [BN's logo is more relevant in representing Perikatan Nasional]: "Namun, kesepakatan perlu ada dalam PN untuk menggunakan lambang BN terutama melibatkan parti-parti lain seperti Pas, Bersatu (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) dan parti-parti di Sabah serta Sarawak," kata Mujibu kepada Sinar Harian di sini semalam.
 
17 .
PRK DUN Slim: Ujian sebenar Perikatan Nasional [PRK DUN Slim: Perikatan Nasional's real test]: Berbanding PRK DUN Chini, BN menang mudah atas beberapa faktor antaranya Pakatan Harapan (PH) tidak meletakkan calon selain parti-parti dalam gabungan PN juga bersetuju dengan calon BN tersebut.
 
18 .
By-election for Slim on Aug 29: The by-election for the state constituency of Slim in Perak will be held on Aug 29, with nomination day on Aug 15. Election Commission deputy chairman Azmi Sharom said early voting meanwhile will be held on Aug 25. Azmi, who spoke after chairing a special meeting on the Slim by-election at the EC headquarters here, said the total cost for the polls is estimated to be RM4.6 million.
 
19 .
Reputable young Malaysians wanted: Malaysian political culture is such that the environment in which many political parties operate in not conducive enough for the young politicians to forge ahead in their careers, especially when you have the old guards cautiously clinging onto their high positions. The vocal young may even be frowned upon by their party elders as they can be mistaken for being rude or too much in a hurry.
Mustafa K Anuar

Malaysian Insight, 23 July 2020  
https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/s/262405
   
 
20 .
统考,无休止的问题 [UEC, an endless question]:   承认统考文凭是一个长期存在的问题,从国阵时代到希望联盟时代,如今来到了国民联盟时代,到底是应该,还是不应该承认统考文凭?我所看到的是缺乏以明智方式来解决问题的政治意愿,双方的极端分子都是坚持己见,要么就是承认,要么就是不承认,并不热衷于寻找共同点。我所说的共同点,就是找出要承认与不要承认的原因,之后深入研究问题是可以解决,或是根本不可能解决。
刘哲伟

Malaysian Insight, 23 July 2020  
https://www.themalaysianinsight.com/chinese/s/262398
   
 
21 .
Tangani tiga isu dalam pelan pemulihan ekonomi jangka panjang [Address three issues in the long-term economic recovery plan]: Mustapa menekankan bahawa pergantungan besar negara kepada pekerja asing berkemahiran rendah melemahkan keupayaan ekonomi Malaysia untuk bersaing secara efektif.
 
22 .
Going beyond stereotypes to understand ethnic inequality in Malaysia: Combating the "rich Chinese versus poor Malay" stereotype is easy, but it only constitutes part of the picture. A timely data trove furnishes material for a broader engagement on inequality. On July 10, the Malaysian Department of Statistics released the 2019 Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey Report, based on a nationwide representative survey of 85,000 households conducted twice every five years.
 
myaMyanmar
   
23 .
Myanmar joins band of Asian nations launching satellites: Myanmar is preparing to launch its first-ever satellite, joining an unlikely coalition of nascent space nations aiming to protect millions from environmental disasters. The future "super constellation" of micro-satellites from nine Asian countries will track typhoons, seismic activity and water flows, as well as provide data on land use, the growth of crops and disease outbreaks. It is the first space venture for Myanmar, the least economically developed country in a consortium that includes the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia.
 
24 .
Decentralise budget powers to improve governance, urges ex-Asia Foundation chief: The public health crisis has laid bare the importance of local governments and fiscal decentralisation is necessary for Myanmar's democracy, argues a leading policy expert based in Yangon. Further decentralisation could support the country's ongoing battle against the COVID-19 pandemic, Matthew Arnold told The Myanmar Times in an exclusive interview. He was the country chief of the US development organisation Asia Foundation until earlier this year.
 
25 .
Small businesses essential for Myanmar's COVID-19 recovery: DaNa: Small businesses are essential for Myanmar's economy to recover as economic growth is forecasted to slow to zero due to COVID-19, according to a recent report from UK-funded DaNa Facility. The report was made for the government by DaNa Facility in cooperation with the International Trade Centre and the United Nations to review the impacts COVID-19 had on Myanmar's economic sectors and to suggest effective responses primarily on Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
 
26 .
Tourism, manufacturing in Myanmar hardest hit by COVID-19 pandemic, MTPO says: The MTPO, under the Ministry of Commerce, recently published a survey about the COVID-19 impact on the country's exports. The study found that 30 percent of businesses are seriously hit while 46pc are moderately hit. Among the companies surveyed, 40pc say they are running into problems in exporting. It added that tourism is suffering from the most severe COVID-19 impact, followed by the garment industry. Rubber export sector is also seriously affected and small-scale rubber companies were slightly hurt. Factors include a fall in market demand abroad.
 
27 .
Japan wins deal for nearly $2bn LNG power plant in Myanmar: Trading houses Marubeni, Sumitomo Corp. and Mitsui & Co. will build a liquefied natural gas-fired power plant in Myanmar, one of the biggest investments by Japanese companies in the Southeast Asian country, people familiar with the matter say.
 
28 .
Rights Group Wants Japan to Drop Plan to Give Funds to Myanmar's Police Force: Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged the Japanese government to drop a plan to donate 100m yen (U.S. $934,300) to buy vehicles and communications equipment for the Myanmar Police Force to use to protect dignitaries, arguing that the police are partners with the army in widespread abuses.
 
29 .
The Resolution of the Rohingya Crisis May Require Military Intervention: If Burma's government continues to resist the voluntary repatriation of the Rohingyas, as it has done up until now, then repatriation should be swiftly executed under the protection of an international peacekeeping force.
 
phiPhilippines
   
30 .
House to conduct parallel probe on alleged 'widespread corruption' at PhilHealth: The House of Representatives will conduct a parallel investigation into the alleged procurement anomaly linking certain officials and employees of the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), a move that was welcomed by the state-run firm.
 
31 .
Abu Sayyaf leader, followers surrender in Sulu: A mid-level leader of the Abu Sayyaf and two of his followers surrendered in Indanan, Sulu early this week. Tuan Annual Jainal, 42, and his followers Mubarak Abdullah, 26, and Nibras Salahudin Tampakan, 41, surrendered to Col. Ignatius Patrimonio of the 1102nd Brigade at Camp Bud Datu in Barangay Tagbak, according to Maj. Gen. Corleto Vinluan Jr., Joint Task Force Sulu and 11th Army Division commander.
 
32 .
Foreign terrorists' presence no longer monitored by military: But Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Armed Forces Western Mindanao Command, said they are not lowering their guard since the main objective is to deny foreign and local terror groups the opportunity to strike in any part of the country. "We have been looking for them but there are no more traces of their presence. But still we do not lower our guards, we maintain our security posture," said Sobejana.
 
33 .
Criticising China could be 'terrorism' under Philippines' anti-terror law, warn retired Supreme Court justices: Retired Supreme Court justices Conchita Carpio-Morales and Antonio Carpio and scholar Jay Batongbacal file petition against Duterte's Anti-Terrorism Act. They say controversial law is so vague it could even be used to censure their criticisms of Beijing's actions in the South China Sea.
 
thaThailand
   
34 .
Monarchy off limits, students told: Speaking to the House committee on national reconciliation on Thursday, Mr Jatuporn said the students must not drag the monarchy into their activism. If they did, the movement would be weakened because many citizens would not accept it, he added. "It would end with huge losses like in the past," Mr Jatuporn said. He is understood to be referring to the student protests in the 1970s. Unless the students steer clear of the topic of the monarchy and stick to their three demands -- charter changes, dissolution of the House and a stop to violations of people's freedom -- they would be defeated, he said.
Aekarach Sattaburuth
Bangkok Post, 24 July 2020  
https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/politics/1956443/monarchy-off-limits-students-told
   
 
35 .
PM plays down rejig talk: Incoming ministers will be given up to one year to prove their worth in the yet-to-be finalised cabinet reshuffle, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha said. The prime minister also said that some outsiders tipped to become finance minister and energy minister have not yet confirmed their intention to join the cabinet.
 
36 .
Yingluck responds to NACC: The NACC on Wednesday announced it found evidence the fugitive former premier and two senior colleagues committed offences and abused their authority during a public relations campaign in 2013. The former premier took to her official "Yingluck Shinawatra" Facebook page on Thursday to question why the NACC was quick to process two cases against her when it should instead be scrutinising the current government's activities.
 
37 .
Do Thailand's Weekend Protests Signal Renewed Opposition Energy? The protests may signal the return of some degree of the angry and contested street politics that had erupted in Thailand late last year, after Thailand's pro-military party, relying on a constitution midwifed by the armed forces, put together a coalition to control parliament after last year's elections.
Joshua Kurlantzick

Council on Foreign Relations, 23 July 2020  
https://www.cfr.org/blog/do-thailands-weekend-protests-signal-renewed-opposition-energy
   
 
38 .
Deserted beaches, empty bars: Covid-19 devastates Thailand's tourist islands: The travel sector has survived devastating crises before, including the 2004 tsunami, bird flu and Sars outbreaks. But the impact of the coronavirus pandemic is beyond comparison, says Tanes Petsuwan, deputy governor for marketing communication at the TAT. During previous crises, revenue dropped by around a fifth, he said. This year, the coronavirus pandemic is expected to cause a 80% fall in revenues. "It's a huge impact," he said.
 
vieVietnam
   
39 .
Vietnam relationship boosts US security: consul general: Vietnam has probably been the most successful country in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic, she said, noting also that the entire Vietnamese society had got involved, something she would like to see in the U.S. Damour also said that ever since Vietnam entered its Doi Moi renovation process in 1986 and opened its economy to the world, the country has achieved "light-speed" development.
 
40 .
Viet Nam to take opportunities from green energy: The deputy PM told the Viet Nam Energy Summit 2020 on Wednesday in Hà Noi that: "The private economic sector is very active in investing in renewable energy development." Dung said: "As energy is both an economic and technical sector that plays an important and pioneering role to serve the country's socio-economy, its development will mark the level of industrialisation and modernisation of Viet Nam."
 
aseASEAN/Southeast Asia
   
41 .
Opinion: The growing trade walls of South-east Asia: Just when you thought South-east Asia was on the threshold of a unique geoeconomic opportunity to soak up investments leaving China and from others seeking neutral venues amid the strategic tussle between Western nations and Beijing, it looks as though the economic crunch accentuated by the pandemic is spurring protectionist instincts instead, to the region's detriment. To get a sense of this, look no further than the data on trade-related non-tariff measures (NTMs) put out by Cari, the CIMB Asean Research Institute.
 
42 .
Global Health Security: COVID-19 and Its Impacts - Race for the Vaccine: Will ASEAN Be Left Behind? ASEAN cannot afford to be left behind, and it has already changed many practices to accommodate the pandemic. National-level approaches to vaccine acquisition will quickly run up against the typically high costs for new drugs, and worse, result in countries competing against each other as US states did over PPE. As Richard Haass of the US Council on Foreign Relations has quipped: "Vaccine nationalism is almost certain to win out over vaccine multilateralism." This need not be true for ASEAN, but to avert this, it must approach the issue multilaterally. As part of its COVID19 response, ASEAN could consider pooling purchasing agreements and must devise a concerted response to ensure its presence in global negotiations for future treatments.
 
asiAsia Pacific
   
43 .
Why is Xi Jinping pitting China against the world? "There has long been a question of whether Beijing could be authoritarian at home while acting responsibility and constructively abroad," said Mira Rapp-Hooper, a senior fellow for Asia studies at the Council on Foreign Relations. "Hong Kong, Xinjiang, the South China Sea, Huawei, come together in a distressing picture. It is hard not to feel like we have been given a preview of what sole Chinese global leadership would look like," she said. "This puts all of its neighbours on guard at once." Analysts have been puzzled by the behaviour of the Chinese leadership over the last few months, cautioning that it is difficult to decipher why certain decisions have been made and who made them.
 
easEast/South China Sea
   
44 .
Is ASEAN ready to stand up to China in the South China Sea? For much of the three years following the Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 tribunal ruling, China appeared to taken a more conciliatory stance in the South China Sea. It agreed to negotiations for the Code of Conduct (COC). Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi even expressed hopes for COC negotiations to be completed by 2021. Some analysts however, argue that this was part of China's attempt to cushion the fallout and improve its regional image following the 2016 ruling. For the Southeast Asian claimants, the willingness to call out illegitimate Chinese actions in the disputed waters has oscillated over the years. The pendulum-swinging behaviour of Southeast Asian states stems from the security-economic conundrum that small states face vis-a-vis China.
 
45 .
In the South China Sea, America is churning waters claimed by China: The other claimants welcome the American move, which has bipartisan support in Washington. Mr Duterte's love-in with China appears over, and hawks alarmed at Chinese behaviour are running Philippine foreign policy again. Vietnam may take its own case against China to The Hague. As for a promised code of conduct in the South China Sea between China and the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN), of which the other claimants bar Taiwan are all members, agreeing on a text looks daunting, say Hoang Thi Ha and Ian Storey of the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. China will never accept a code that affirms unclos provisions, as ASEAN members want; nor will ASEAN members give in to China's demands, in effect, to be able to veto military exercises with outside parties.
 
46 .
South China Sea: Australian warships encounter Chinese navy in disputed waters: The Australian government has played down the encounter - believed to have occurred last week - saying on Thursday that "all interactions with foreign warships throughout the deployment were conducted in a safe and professional manner". The ABC first reported that Australian warships had encountered the Chinese navy during a voyage that included travel close to the Spratly Islands, although it was believed the Australian ships did not go within 12 nautical miles of the contested island.
 
speComprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) / Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
   
47 .
The world can still prosper from free trade: Had the US had not pulled out of it as the TPP, it would undoubtedly be stronger than it is. But it functions and delivers results. This explains interest from the United Kingdom in doing free trade agreements with Japan, Australia and New Zealand. If the UK wants to join the CPTTP, as it says it does, it cannot get there without getting bilaterals with three of CPTTP's members. We do know that in the Covid-affected world, the Asia-Pacific will be a significant player in the regrowth of global trade flows. In the WTO's most recent projection, global trade in the 2019-20 year (first quarter) will drop about 18.5%. Beyond first quarter 2021, the recovery should be better in the Asia-Pacific than in the rest of the world.
 
Global Economy
   
48 .
Singapore's Tharman calls for 'activist' policymaking over big government post-pandemic: Debt-fuelled crisis spending by governments may not last and the wealthy must share the burden to help the less well-off. Focus on 'what matters most rather than everything' says ex-finance chief Tharman Shanmugaratnam.
 
Superpower relations and the region
   
49 .
China's catastrophic success: US strategic blunders fuel rivalry: Deepening enmity could amplify Beijing's assessment that Washington may pursue the overthrow of the CCP as an end goal.
 
 

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