|
ISEAS Library
Selects
Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region
20 May 2020
(pm) - 21 May 2020 (am)
|
|
|
|
Greetings
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
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Southeast Asia Countries
|
|
Brunei Darussalam
|
Cambodia
|
|
|
|
|
Timor-Leste (East Timor)
|
|
Region
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To view the full articles, please click on the hyperlinks.
For those that require passwords (usually assigned to a particular PC in the Library) due to subscription restrictions imposed, please visit the Library during its operating hours. If you have not been receiving our Daily News Alert in your inbox, your email system could be treating this alert as spam. You may add "@iseas-edu.ccsend.com" and "@constantcontact.com" to Safe Senders List (white list) through your email platform. More information is available at the
Library FAQ webpage.
|
|
Indonesia
|
1
.
|
Jokowi's economic reforms in jeopardy because of Covid-19: Many countries around the world are expected to go into recession as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, but in Indonesia, the outbreak is also threatening the reform plans of President Joko Widodo....In the run-up to his re-election, Mr Joko vowed to overhaul the bureaucracy, shore up foreign investment and push through major infrastructure projects. After the polls, he announced his most ambitious plan yet: to move the administration of the country from the current capital, Jakarta - the world's fastest-sinking city, on the island of Java - to East Kalimantan in Borneo. Then, the coronavirus struck.
|
|
2
.
|
Indonesia's budget deficit reaches Rp74.5 trillion: Indonesia's budget deficit in the year ending April 30, 2020 reached Rp74.5 trillion, accounting for 0.44 percent of the national gross domestic product (GDP), Vice Finance Minister Suahasil Nazara said.
|
|
3
.
|
West Papua: Looking for an opening: Although the group represents only a fragment of the independence movement, continued attacks staged by the Liberation Army's guerilla fighters will most likely ensure Indonesia clamps down harder with security forces in Papua, increasing the likelihood of more human rights violations, which only adds to the sense of disenfranchisement among West Papuans. Unless the cycle of conflict and mistrust can be broken, West Papuans will continue to agitate for independence.
|
Laos
|
4
.
|
Little Laos teeters towards big debt crisis: If official figures are to be believed, Laos has not been severely affected by the Covid-19 global pandemic, with a mere 19 cases and no deaths. But a lockdown announced in late March has hit the economy hard, prompting Fitch Ratings to revise its "outlook" for the small landlocked country from "stable" to "negative" in an unusually in-depth recent report on the opaque government's finances released on May 15....Fitch Ratings says Laos' finances are 'inadequate' to meet its foreign debt payments owed largely to China
|
Malaysia
|
5
.
|
GPS can't share a bed with Umno-PAS yet deny marriage, says Baru: Selangau MP Baru Bian today hit out at Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leaders for denying that they are part of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government. In a statement, he said GPS could not "share a bed with Umno and PAS" and still insist that they were "not married".
|
|
6
.
|
言论
：疫情好转马国政情旋风再起
[As pandemic recedes, Malaysian politics heats up again]
:
即便是在慕尤丁上任初期，马哈迪看起来仍然信心未减。他一方面没有严厉抨击慕尤丁篡他的相位，只是指出慕尤丁与他对于结盟对象的理念不尽相同。另一方面，马哈迪仍然毫不客气地直接抨击安华没有耐心，一直想早日取代他的相位，才引发那场政权更替。
|
|
7
.
|
Plenty of scheming until next Parliament session, say experts: INTENSE behind-the-scenes manoeuvring will take place between now and the July parliamentary sitting as Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) raise the tempo to snare more MPs from across the aisle, said analysts. They told The Malaysian Insight that with PN holding a slim majority in the Dewan Rakyat, it is anyone's game.
|
|
8
.
|
Perikatan Nasional masih tidak stabil selepas ucapan Titah Diraja [Perikatan Nasional still unstable after Royal Address]: Hakikatnya, agenda dan dasar kerajaan yang terkandung dalam ucapan tersebut tidak memberi makna dan legitimasi yang kukuh buat PN kerana kedudukan mereka sebagai 'kerajaan minoriti', yakni kerajaan yang mempunyai sokongan majoriti yang nipis, bakal berhadapan dengan tekanan hebat daripada Parlimen.
|
|
9
.
|
Dr Mahathir's challenge to wrest control of Bersatu: DR Mahathir Mohamad seemed to have lost his battle with Muhyiddin Yassin for control over Bersatu and will now rely on internal elections to see if he has enough support to wrest back the party he founded, said political analysts.
|
|
10
.
|
OPINION: Malaysia must stop political squabbling and boost economic stimulus: ...Muhyiddin's newish government is preoccupied with maintaining its narrow hold on power. To raise the debt limit, Muhyiddin must allow parliament to come back into session, but if he does, a no-confidence vote he may lose awaits him. So, forget bold action to safeguard growth -- Malaysia's future is once again at the whim of dueling political interests.
|
|
11
.
|
马来西亚的后疫情经济议程（三之三）
[Malaysia's post-epidemic economic agenda, Part III]
:
作为起步，我想提出十个可以有效创造就业的经济领域。并非只有这十个领域可以提供就业，但政府可以逐步为马来西亚人打造就业保障。
|
|
12
.
|
朝野未来的角力战
[The government's upcoming battles with the opposition]
:
朝野现下所掌握的国会议席，其实是旗鼓相当，几个国会议员的跳槽就会导致政府倒台，这对我国的政治产生极大的不稳定性。从国民联盟的组成来看，马来政党的重叠票源太高，当中巫统、伊斯兰党、土著团结党存在相互竞争的关系。国民联盟内部的马华公会和国大党只是陪衬的角色，基本上在票源的开拓上相当有限。如果三个马来政党无法在来届大选前，达至合作的协议，这很有可能会在短期内出现分裂，并导致政府的倒台。
|
|
13
.
|
Titah Seri Paduka di Parlimen rungkai pelbagai isu, persoalan [Royal Address in Parliament untangles various issues, questions]: Dapat dilihat kebijaksanaan YDPA melaksanakan tugas kerana baginda sedar jika Dr Mahathir tetap meletak jawatan sudah tentu krisis akan berlaku sedangkan negara ketika itu sudah mula menghadapi pandemik COVID-19. Namun, baginda tidak memaksa apabila Dr Mahathir tetap dengan keputusannya.
|
|
14
.
|
What Does Malaysia's Troubled Transition Mean for Democracy in Southeast Asia?: This week, Malaysia's troubled transition was on full display again with an unprecedented one-day parliamentary session that put off a no-confidence vote and left the country's politics in flux. While these developments are notable for their own sake, it is also worth reflecting on a broader question that has lingered in recent months amid all this: what Malaysia's troubled transition says and does not say about the state of democracy in the region.
|
|
15
.
|
Dr M promises 'very big trouble' for Malaysia's ruling coalition: Veteran Malaysian politician Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said he would seek to oust Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin at every turn, scolding his successor for bringing back into power a graft-tainted party rejected by voters in an historic election two years ago. The prospect of more political and policy uncertainty in Malaysia comes at a time when the multi-ethnic Southeast Asian nation is grappling with the health crisis and economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
|
|
16
.
|
Covid-19: Perak MB unveils RM71m economic stimulus package: The Perak state government has allocated RM71.17 million under the second phase of its economic stimulus package to help those affected by the movement control order following the Covid-19 pandemic. Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Faizal Azumu said that six sectors will benefit from this latest economic stimulus package.
|
|
17
.
|
Covid-19 woes due to 'Sheraton Move' and ensuing political turmoil: Health Ministry director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said yesterday that nearly half of the Covid-19 cases in the country could be traced back to the cluster involving a religious gathering in Sri Petaling, Kuala Lumpur which took place between February 28 and March 1 involving participants from all over the world. If not for the Sheraton Move and the ensuing political turmoil referred to by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong in his royal address at the one-day Parliament on Monday, Malaysia would not have suffered the second wave of Covid-19 outbreak...
|
|
18
.
|
马来西亚的后疫情经济议程（三之二
) [Malaysia's post-epidemic economic agenda, Part II]:
新冠疫情危机倘若导致我国制造业、服务业和原产业这三大领域萎缩，随之而来就会是其他国内经济领域的衰退。
|
|
19
.
|
UMNO perlu segera remajakan parti [UMNO needs to quickly rejuvenate its party]: Ketua Pemuda UMNO Negeri Johor, Mohd Hairi Mad Shah berkata, UMNO perlu berani mengetengahkan pemimpin muda yang berpotensi untuk mengembangkan idealisme mereka khususnya mendekati serta menarik golongan muda.
|
|
20
.
|
Gerakan ubah kerajaan Selangor hanya rekaan [Move to change Selangor government is fictitious]: Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (ADUN) Kuang, Sallehudin Amirudin berkata, kedudukan PH di Selangor kukuh dengan dominasi 44 kerusi sementara pembangkang dengan 12 kerusi termasuk dua calon bebas.
|
|
21
.
|
Opinion: PN's trials are just about to begin: The five principal objectives drafted by the PN ... have underscored PN's aspiration to preserve political and national stability within the federal constitution framework. This shows that PN is willing to adopt a more moderate middle path in accommodating the needs of all Malaysians not along racial or religious lines. This also shows that PN is displaying a certain degree of political maturity in defending the welfare of the rakyat upon the basis of equality.
|
|
22
.
|
蓝眼党乱的祸首
[Chaos in PKR]
:
如果安华要当个强势的党主席，就必须铲除所有党内癌细胞，特别是阿兹敏所留下的残部。读者们如有观察，在
223
政变以来蓝眼敏派在表态不退党的立场时，只字未提安华或党主席，几乎含糊其辞地说
"
与党同在
"
，请问言中的是阿兹敏的公正党还是安华领导的公正党？表态模糊是其招来清算的前因，刻意留暧昧空间让人诟病，在人际上仍维持与阿兹敏阵营的关系，是故安华清党是可以被理解的举动。
|
Myanmar
|
23
.
|
Is China Deploying COVID-19 Diplomacy to Speed BRI Projects in Myanmar?: For Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) partners, some view China's government are using such soft power to push through projects that may not be in the recipient's best interests. In Myanmar, some saw Chinese Ambassador Chen Hai's May 6 meeting with Deputy Minister for Planning, Finance and Industry U Set Aung regarding the implementation of the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor (CMEC) project - which falls under the BRI - as an attempt to push such projects through.
|
|
24
.
|
Fighting on two fronts: the women facing conflict and COVID-19 in Rakhine state: Although "stay home, save lives" has become the global mantra to combat the spread of COVID-19, staying home is not an option for people in conflict affected areas. Many have become homeless, without security, safety and protection. If people in conflict zones are not in positions to follow the recommended health precautions, how should the Myanmar government control the spread of COVID-19 in Rakhine?
|
|
25
.
|
Myanmar Strips Rakhine Politician Jailed For Treason of MP Status, Bars Him From Elections: Myanmar's Union Election Commission (UEC) has stripped jailed Rakhine politician Aye Maung of his status as a Lower House member of parliament and barred him from running for office, citing his conviction on charges of treason, according to state media reports... Aye Maung, the former chairman of the Arakan National Party (ANP), and author Wai Hin Aung were arrested in January 2018 after giving speeches at a public event in in Rakhine's Rathedaung township commemorating the anniversary of the fall in 1784 of the Arakan Kingdom to the Burmese.
|
Philippines
|
26
.
|
Wanted: Congressional action now: Once we start thinking recovery and getting back to business, business is going to need all the help it can get. Some two million Filipinos will be looking to business people to give them jobs. They've suffered some 60 days and counting (for most of them live day-to-day), struggling just to get enough to eat, let alone anything else. The largesse of the DILG will soon evaporate and they'll be left with nothing - unless they can be given jobs.
|
|
27
.
|
Cybercrime law as a weapon vs criticism in a time of pandemic: Amid COVID-19, the Philippine government has focused its attention more on suppressing freedom of expression in the guise of protecting the nation from "anarchy, chaos, fear and confusion" during the pandemic. The line that has been drawn, however, between legitimate calls for improved health and medical services and "sedition" is unclear. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had already sent a clear message - arrest all his critics.
|
Singapore
|
28
.
|
Global Health Security: COVID-19 and Its Impacts - Future of Aviation and the Singapore Story: With COVID-19, the international air transport industry and its associated sectors have collapsed. The meltdown has hit Singapore Airlines and the Changi air hub severely, and going forward, they need to reinvent their respective business models to survive. Their perseverance and ability to innovate successfully will have a significant impact on the resilience of Singapore's economy and society.
|
Thailand
|
29
.
|
Latest seawall project another potential debacle: Governments still approve budgets for seawall structures. Nearly 3 billion baht has been granted for seawall projects from 2017 to 2022. Indeed, there are alternatives such as bamboo fences for mud-based beaches which are gaining popularity in Samut Prakan and Samut Sakhon provinces. These alternatives are cheap. But they are not popular among Thai authorities who seem to prefer expensive concrete construction. But what is more worrying is the lack of environmental oversight for this dubious public infrastructure.
|
Vietnam
|
30
.
|
Understanding the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement: In February, the European Parliament adopted the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA). This is the most comprehensive and ambitious EU trade agreement with a developing country. Since failing to negotiate an EU-ASEAN trade agreement, the European Union and Vietnam turned to extensive bilateral negotiations to reach a trade deal of their own. Once it is ratified by Vietnam's National Assembly in May, the EVFTA will open up huge opportunities for businesses and consumers.
|
|
31
.
|
Government actions not enough to revive business sector: academic: [Dr Tran Hung Son, Deputy Director of the Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology under the Vietnam National University-HCM City] said the Government's 300 trillion VND credit package at low interest rates for affected businesses, extending the payment deadline for 180 trillion VND worth of taxes and fees and reducing social insurance and health insurance premiums for employers are not enough.
|
|
32
.
|
Street vendors struggle to earn livelihood as pandemic hits tourism: The Covid-19 pandemic has cost nearly five million Vietnamese workers their jobs as of mid-April, bringing Q1 employment figures to a 10-year low, according to the General Statistics Office. Informal workers like Duc, Thanh and Thao, who lack social security or an established business, could be among the hardest hit. If they stop working due to an economic downturn or a pandemic like this, they have no income.
|
|
33
.
|
Temporarily halting petrol and oil imports must be considered carefully: ministry: In mid-April, the Viet Nam Oil and Gas Group (PVN) urged relevant ministries to halt petrol and oil imports to support Dung Quat and Nghi Son refineries as domestic sales struggled, resulting in high inventories, sometimes at more than 90 per cent of their storage capacity. Hải said that the Ministry of Industry and Trade was working with PVN and the Steering Committee on Price Management before making a decision.
|
ASEAN/Southeast Asia
|
34
.
|
ASEAN Bloc Fights Impulse to Hoard Medical Goods: More than half the nations of Southeast Asia started this week by taking a donation of protective personal equipment (PPE), such as medical suits and masks, from their neighbor Vietnam to help them in the fight against COVID-19. It is the latest sign the region is resisting the impulse to choke off any shipment of medical supplies out of their borders, an impulse seen globally as supply shortages put health workers' lives at risk.
|
|
35
.
|
Resolution, recovery and reinvention: How Australia can help Southeast Asia respond to Covid-19: In Southeast Asia, in particular, socioeconomic disparities are likely to deepen. The repercussions of Covid-19 are, in many ways, already undoing the regionalism efforts that ASEAN has been pursuing for decades.
|
|
36
.
|
Myanmar Arrests Canadian Pastor For Violating Coronavirus Ban on Mass Gatherings: The ASEAN Emergency Operations Centre Network for Public Health Emergencies (ASEAN EOC Network) hosted another video conference among ASEAN Member States (AMS) health officials focusing on major government policies for containment, mitigation, and recovery phases in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic.
|
ASEAN-China
|
37
.
|
China, ASEAN civil organizations exchange views on pandemic fight: The "political virus" made by some Western countries cannot eliminate the "natural virus," said Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries (CPAFFC), stressing the need for cooperation in the fight against COVID-19. Lin made the remarks on Tuesday in a video meeting with leaders of civil organizations from 10 countries that make up the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He thanked the ASEAN governments and their people for supporting China in its fight against the virus, saying it represents the sincere friendship between the two sides. He noted that China also supported ASEAN countries after the pandemic spread to the region, and the mutual support has set a model for global cooperation.
|
Asia Pacific
|
38
.
|
Indonesia and Philippine central banks cross the Rubicon: Known as debt monetization, these bond purchases by Indonesia and the Philippines essentially provide free money for governments to spend, unless they are reversed at some point. It's a risky strategy as they could erode confidence in monetary authorities and weaken currencies, potentially triggering uncontrollable inflation. No major central bank in the developed world has made such a move in recent times.
|
|
39
.
|
Lives not lost: Asia sees unexpected gains in virus lockdowns: As Asia starts to assess the damage caused by the pandemic, some countries are realising there have been unforeseen benefits. Vietnam's nationwide isolation has seen a drop in crime, Hong Kong has hailed an early end to its annual flu season -- and now, Thailand is seeing a much-needed win in road safety.
|
East/South China Sea
|
40
.
|
What's in a name? China recently gave names to 80 geologic features in the Spratlys and the Paracels. Twenty-five of these features are above water at high tide, while 55 are undersea features. Is there any significance to China's giving names to these features? Names do not determine sovereignty, sovereign rights, or jurisdiction. However, the state that has sovereignty over a high-tide feature has the right to name such feature, including under sea features within its territorial sea.
|
|
41
.
|
Vietnam-China Conflict In The South China Sea: Unrealistic And Dangerous Suggestions For Vietnam: Another obstacle that Vietnam has to overcome before proceeding to arbitration is "admissibility". There exists a China-Vietnam bilateral agreement that stipulates that "for sea-related disputes between Viet Nam and China, the two sides shall settle them through friendly negotiations and consultations." Whether this would apply and prevent the panel from proceeding depends on the status of this "agreement". If it is considered formal and binding, it will carry more weight with the panel than the Declaration on Conduct of the Parties in the South China Sea that the previous panel in the Philippines dismissed as only a "political statement' not preventing "admissibility".
|
|
42
.
|
China Harvests Vegetables in South China Sea to Cultivate Territorial Claims: China's navy recently harvested 1.5 tons of vegetables on its biggest military base and civilian center in the Paracel Islands, in what state media portrayed Wednesday as vindication of Beijing's position that disputed land features it claims in the South China Sea can sustain human life. The navy has completed a sand-to-soil cultivation project on Woody Island in collaboration with a top-tier Chinese research university, potentially paving the way for self-sufficient farming on China's other occupied reefs and rocks in the South China Sea, the Global Times reported.
|
Superpower relations and the region
|
43
.
|
Destined for conflict? Xi Jinping, Donald Trump and the Thucydides trap: Tense relations with the US and the question of whether armed confrontation can be avoided will loom large when China's political elites meet. Structural shifts in balance of power have brought the countries closer to the brink, analyst says, with the South China Sea the most likely flashpoint.
|
|
44
.
|
US Air Force ramps up flyovers near China in sign of rising tension and risk of conflict between world powers: B-1B Lancer bomber flyovers accompany US Navy and Air Force operations in region. South China Sea grows 'tense and turbulent' with military actions linked to political and diplomatic issues, says analyst
|
|
|
Disclaimer: Best effort has been made to ensure the external links provided are valid as of the date of collation. We welcome your suggestions to help us improve the quality of this service. Please take a moment to give us your feedback via the
online feedback form. If you do not wish to receive our Daily News Alert, please click
here to unsubscribe.
|
|
|
| |
| |
|