Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region
28 April 2017 (pm) -
2 May 2017
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Greetings
This issue of Daily News Alert includes one commentary contributed by Dr Malcolm Cook, Senior Fellow as well as six citations attributed to Professor Wang Gungwu, Chairman, Dr Malcolm Cook, Senior Fellow, Dr Ian Storey, Senior Fellow, Dr Leo Suryadinata, Visiting Senior Fellow, Dr Norshahril Saat, Fellow and Dr Pavin Chachavalpongpun, Former Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.
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Country Studies
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Southeast Asia Countries
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Brunei Darussalam
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Region
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 Cambodia
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Phnom Penh Governor pans CNRP's budget promise to communes: Phnom Penh Governor Pa Socheatvong yesterday questioned an opposition policy pledge to drastically increase commune budgets, instead promoting the Cambodian People's Party's current piecemeal approach to funding projects. "One party said if they win the election, they would allocate USD500,000 to each commune and, at the previous election, they promised to give 40,000 riel [USD10] a month to the elderly as pensions," he said. "Are there any aunties and uncles here who believed the 40,000 riel pledge?"
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Government Video Won't Stop 'Color Revolution' in Cambodia: Student Activist: In a statement, Council of Ministers spokesman Phay Siphan said the video is meant to inform the public about "the consequences of a color revolution initiated by a political group." "As a result, stability has been destroyed-every good thing in society has been annihilated," he said. "As seen in the video, the homes and cities were reduced to rubble, thanks to the war and people who resorted to such kind of revolution." Speaking to reporters on Monday, Phay Siphan went on to say that Cambodia "cannot afford to waste time with more wars," because the country is still trying to recover from the murderous era of the Khmer Rouge regime, which ended with Vietnam's occupation in 1979.
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Indonesia
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Palangkaraya hopes to be chosen as Indonesia's new capital: Central Kalimantan Governor Sugianto Sabran, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician, said he hoped Palangkaraya was named the country's new capital during Jokowi's presidency, claiming the province had the "potential to be on par with other more developed provinces" in Indonesia. "We just pray the plan materializes [...] Central Kalimantan is in the center of Indonesia and less prone to earthquakes," Sugianto said at his official residence in Palangkaraya. The government included Palangkaraya on the list because Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, had planned to move the capital city there.
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SBY to launch book, prepare next political move at Dems congress: The book, titled Twitter SBY, will be introduced at the national meeting of the Democratic Party, the political party that he co-founded and continues to lead, in Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara, on May 7 to 9, an event that will be attended by more than 1,000 party members. "The national meeting will be held on May 8, and the book will be launched a day earlier by Pak SBY, said Farid Tolomundu, a congress committee member, referring to the party chairman by his initials.
He claimed the national meeting in Mataram would be the first national political party gathering outside Java and Bali. West Nusa Tenggara Governor Muhammad Zainul Majdi is the chairman of the party's provincial chapter. Known for his media savviness since leaving the presidency, Yudhoyono has used his twitter handler, @SBYudhoyono, to communicate with citizens, conveying his views on national issues, and attacking his political opponents.
[The title 'Twitter SBY' is included in ISEAS Library May Acquisition list]
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Opinion: Sorry President Widodo, GDP rankings are economists' equivalent of fake news: "Indonesia's economic growth is the third in the world, after India and China," said Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Third in the world, is it? What world is that? Within Asia alone I count 13 countries with higher reported economic growth rates than Indonesia's latest 5.02 per cent.
They are India (7.5), Laos (7.4), Myanmar (7.3), Cambodia (7.2), Bangladesh (7.1), Philippines (6.9), China (6.7) Vietnam (6.2), Pakistan (5.7), Mongolia (5.5), Palau (5.5), Timor-Leste (5.5) and Papua New Guinea (5.4).
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Indonesian workers urge President Jokowi to realize Nawacita commitments : Aspek Indonesia President Director Mirah Sumirat remarked here on Monday that President Jokowi had vowed to fulfill the Nawacita commitments for the provision of sustainable employment, and thus, he must realize them. "President Jokowi must immediately stop the planned closure of labor-intensive projects, as it will result in the layoffs of thousands of workers. The plan runs counter to the Nawacita commitments since it will lead to increased unemployment," she pointed out.
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Reflection on National Education Day: On education quality, Prof. Furqon, rector of Bandung's Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia (UPI), views that that Indonesia's education is left quite far behind the member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) whose members are developed nations. Indonesia needs another 300 years to catch up with OECD member states in terms of education quality, Prof. Furqon noted while quoting a research conducted by Harvard University. The OECD currently has 34 member states including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Canada, Latvia, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, and South Korea.
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Labor protesters burn Ahok-Djarot's floral tributes: During the protest, the workers demanded a salary increase and the revocation of the outsourcing practice. They were unable to reach the State Palace as the police had fenced off the area with barbed wire.After months of a divisive Jakarta gubernatorial election heavily marred with sectarian issues, Ahok lost the election to Anies Baswedan, a former education minister.
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Workers in Kupang still receive below standard wages: The East Nusa Tenggara administration has set the minimum salary at Rp 1.5 million. However, he said many employers do not follow the rule and there are workers who only receive Rp 300,000 to Rp 500,000 per month. Stanis said that local administration has been absent from supervising the implementation of the rule by not allocating any funds to monitor the implementation.
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Indonesians Seek to Export a Modernized Vision of Islam: "There's a whole library of interpretations of jihad - Muslims must fight non-Muslim states to expand territory, for example," said Ruud Peters, an emeritus professor of Islamic law at the University of Amsterdam. "But since the 19th century, there have been interpretations followed by many Muslim states to only defend against attack from non-Muslim states."
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Akademisi: Sebaiknya Ada Tuntutan Buruh yang Dipenuhi [Academician: It's Good to Fulfill Some of the Labour's Demands]: Peringatan hari buruh pada tanggal 1 Mei seyogianya memiliki makna penting bagi buruh itu sendiri. Jangan sampai peringatan tahunan ini hanya sekedar seremonial dengan menggelar libur nasional, tapi tidak serat makna. "Permasalahan buruh begitu kompleks dan harus diurai satu persatu," kata pengajar Hukum Tata Negara Universitas Islam Djakarta, Muhammad Soleh saat dihubungi Republika.co.id, di Jakarta, Senin, (1/5). Soleh merincikan masalah buruh yang begitu kompleks, di antaranya ialah penghapusan pekerja alih daya atau outsourcing dan permagangan, soal jaminan sosial, jaminan kesehatan gratis, jaminan pensiun sampai permasalahan upah yang layak.
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Fadli: Kelompok Pekerja Berhak Mendapatkan Penghidupan Layak [Fadli: Workers' Group Entitled to Have Decent Livelihood]: Wakil Ketua DPR RI Fadli Zon menekankan pentingnya bagi kelompok pekerja di Indonesia untuk mendapatkan penghidupan yang layak. Fadli menegaskan bahwa memberikan penghidupan yang layak bagi kaum buruh adalah mandat konstitusi, sebagaimana tertuang dalam pasal 27 ayat (2) UUD 1945. Saat ini, salah satu agenda yang masih diperjuangkan oleh kelompok buruh adalah terkait formula penentuan upah minimum yang tercantum dalam PP No.78 Tahun 2015. Formula saat ini masih mencerminkan kebijakan politik upah murah.
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'Follow tycoon Li Ka-shing and invest in Indonesia': president Joko Widodo calls on Hong Kong businesses to look south: Widodo wrapped up his two-day visit to the city by meeting Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying, incoming leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor, and CK Hutchison Holdings chairman Li. He also attended a forum with Hong Kong and Indonesian business leaders, where he put the city's richest man at the centre of his investment agenda. "Hong Kong is one of the few cities in the world where you can have breakfast with 'Superman' chairman Li ... to discuss business in Hong Kong, China and Indonesia," Widodo said at the forum, using Li's popular nickname.
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Celebration and protest as Joko visits Hong Kong: There are around 170,000 Indonesians living in Hong Kong, many of them employed as domestic helpers, and concern over exploitation is growing after a string of abuse cases. In a rock concert atmosphere, Mr Joko was greeted with exuberant music and dance shows, including some performances by helpers themselves, at the city's Asia World Expo yesterday. The more than 5,000-strong crowd were mainly women working as maids who said they were excited to see the leader - but also called on him to help them. "I hope the President can make our workplace safe," domestic helper Miasih told Agence France- Presse, saying her employer makes her work in two apartments. Some protesters gathered outside and others marched to the Indonesian consulate, calling for better migrant rights.
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Anies to shut down Alexis to rid Jakarta of prostitution: The former culture and education minister said he would shut down the infamous Alexis hotel in North Jakarta, a business widely believed to be a high-class brothel, if he were elected... Anies said recently he would not only target the closure of Alexis but all businesses involved in activities prohibited by Jakarta public order regulations.
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Indonesian elites unite to restart Jakarta Bay reclamation: The Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry, which previously opposed the project, said on Thursday that the project should continue as the government would take measures to ensure fishermen's livelihoods would not be damaged by the project. "Social aspects are very important. We need to make sure that fishermen can maintain their livelihoods," said the ministry's marine space management directorgeneral, Brahmantya Satyamurti. Among the actions to be taken is opening the National Fisheries Center of Muara Baru, which would have a fish market as well as a shopping and culinary center, he added.
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WHY ISLAMISTS, ANTI-CHINESE SENTIMENTS DON'T WORRY JOKO WIDODO: When Indonesian authorities launched new currency notes, there were even accusations that they looked too similar to Chinese money. The country's hyperactive social media went into overdrive, with one piece of fake news claiming that the commander of the Indonesian armed forces had complained that "communist China has started to meddle" in the country. But talk of Indonesia coming under Chinese hegemony is probably far-fetched, underestimating the Southeast Asian giant's own heft and political wiliness in handling its diplomacy. Indonesia does not want nor need to get too close to any big power, say experts.
Christine Susanna Tjhin, of Jakarta's Centre for Strategic and International Studies, says: "In order to maintain a certain degree of strategic autonomy, Indonesia cannot depend too much on any major power - particularly a country like China, with which Indonesia has a dramatically complex history."
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WIDODO: HALTING DOMESTIC WORKER EXODUS WILL TAKE AT LEAST FIVE YEARS : In an exclusive interview with the Post's This Week in Asia in Jakarta, the first self-made entrepreneur to be elected to Indonesia's highest office said the country needed more than five years to "prepare" Indonesian workers with the skills they need. "What we've stopped is domestic workers going to the Middle East," he said, referring to a region where abuses are common. "And we hope that while we improve and upgrade the qualities and skills of our workers and their professional training, we will head in that direction. Once investments in Indonesia have grown and our economy has grown further, then we won't need to have our workers overseas."
[contains 1-minute video clip]
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Prabowo Reappears as an Indonesian Political Force: It remains to be seen whether Anies will continue an effective reign over Jakarta, which was a city in utter chaos prior to the ascendency of Jokowi as governor in 2012. Political figures, most of them from Golkar, the party put in place by Suharto, allowed it to deteriorate shockingly. Corruption was rife and the rivers were so choked with trash that it was possible to walk on them. The capital flooded annually, although it still does.
Hundreds of Ahok's supporters showed up at the Jakarta City Hall on April 26 to express their gratitude for his reign, which actually won't end until October, and he has vowed to continue his reform efforts until then. He has also publicly extended his cooperation to Anies.
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Indonesia and Libya are Restoring Ties in Post-Gaddafi Era: Energy has indeed been central to Indonesia-Libya relations. With 48 billion barrels of proven oil reserves, Libya is a crucial energy partner for Jakarta. After halting the purchase of oil from Libya, Indonesia resumed purchasing oil from the country in 2012. In the past years, Jakarta has purchased nearly $1 billion worth of crude oil from the North African country.
Other companies that had been operating in Libya for many years and were interrupted during the Arab Spring have also shown their interests to resume their operations. These developments offer positive signs that Indonesia-Libya economic relations will improve even more in the near future. The restoration of Indonesia's ties with Libya has also been helped by soft power endeavors.
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Opinion: The Importance of the World's Largest Gathering of Female Islamic Clerics: The congress aimed to acknowledge, celebrate and empower women's ulama, whose contributions to civilization have been largely ignored throughout the years because of gender-biased historiography that has resulted from the dominance of patriarchal culture. Through the series of events the participants discussed, debated and searched for solutions to some of the current pressing issues that are facing women in Indonesian society and throughout the world today. Issues included environmental degradation, child marriage, religious extremism, sexual violence and protections for migrant workers.
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Ahok mania spreads far beyond Jakarta:The popularity of Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, who will leave office in the next few months, is apparently resonating beyond Jakarta, causing people from outside Java to come to meet him in person to express their support for the outspoken politician.
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Indonesian women's group issues edict against child marriage : The Congress of Indonesian Women Ulema said the religious edict, or fatwa, was decided at a three-day meeting that ended Thursday in the West Java town of Cirebon. The fatwa, which has no legal force but is influential, urges the government to amend a 1974 Law on Marriage to raise the minimum marriage age.The law currently sets a minimum age of 21 years, but with the parents' consent, boys are allowed to marry from age 19 and girls from 16. Parents can ask religious or district courts for an exemption for their daughters to marry at earlier ages.
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WHAT INDONESIA CAN DO TO BE IN CHINA'S BELT AND ROAD LOOP: That vote of confidence came as Indonesian President Joko Widodo told This Week in Asia he would seek details of the Beijing-led global development initiative when he and other heads of state meet in Beijing next month in a bid to put the initiative into action.
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Widodo speaks to SCMP on Chinese investment in Indonesia : In an exclusive interview with the South China Morning Post, Indonesian President Joko Widodo indicated that he wants Chinese investors in his country to build a name as long-term partners that create jobs for locals, the way Hong Kong firms have done.
[2-minute video clip]
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Next government to keep promise to stop Jakarta bay reclamation : "Our promise is clear. We will stop the reclamation, which is one of our promises," Uno stated here, Thursday. A team will be set up to suggest policies that will help deliver on the promise and benefit fishermen, he noted. After the inauguration in October, the new governor and deputy governor will introduce programs to be implemented as a realization of their promises, he added.
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Female Islamic clerics in Indonesia issue rare child marriage fatwa: The fatwa, which is not legally binding but will be influential, was issued after a three-day congress of female clerics in the country. The clerics urged the government to raise the minimum legal age for women to marry to 18 from the current 16. Indonesia is a majority Muslim country and has among the highest number of child brides in the world. Fatwas are regularly issued in Indonesia, but usually by the Indonesian Ulema Council - the highest Islamic authority in the country which is made up almost entirely of men. "Female clerics know the issues and obstacles women face, we can take action and do not just wait for the government to protect these children," Ninik Rahayu, the conference organiser, told Reuters.
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Can we overcome the tyranny of the majority? During the conversation surrounding Indonesian comic book artist Ardian Syaf's references to the 212 march and the Al-Maidah controversy in a Marvel publication, the comic community here pondered the different situations in Indonesia and the United States.
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Golkar says corrupt cadres harm political targets: The arrest of its top cadre Fahd El Fouz A. Rafiq in a corruption case surrounding the government's Quran procurement project would harm the Golkar Party's targets to boost votes in the two elections slated for 2018 and 2019, a party top leader said on Friday. Yorrys Raweyai, Golkar's head of political, legal and security affairs division, said the party needed to immediately take "strategic steps to repair its name," claiming the recent arrest of Fahd would affect the party's political ambitions in the 2018 simultaneous regional elections and the 2019 concurrent presidential and legislative elections.
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Lame-duck Ahok sees mounting defiance: Jakarta Governor Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama still has another six months to lead the city before officially passing the baton to Anies Baswedan, who defeated the incumbent in the runoff election on April 19. Lately however, the hard-charging governor seems something akin to a lame-duck ruler, as some of his policies and plans are facing defiant rebellion from affected residents.
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Long marches against Ahok to continue: The long march, which was attended by approximately 1,500 people, many of whom were children, started at noon from the Istiqlal Mosque in Central Jakarta to the final destination at the former Central Jakarta District Court building on Jl. Gajah Mada, Central Jakarta, which was initially used by the North Jakarta District Court to try Ahok. Approximately 4,600 police personnel secured the route alongside the long march. Some of them were stationed around the nearby State Palace to clear the area.
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Sri Mulyani pushes for gender mainstreaming in state budget: Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous country, still suffers from high maternal mortality rate. The country recorded 359 maternal deaths per 100,000 births in 2012. The figure is a dramatic increase from 102 deaths per 100,000 births in 2007, various data shows. The Indonesian Women's Congress (Kowani) said maternal deaths come as result of limited access to health care for women in remote areas, as well as early marriages.
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Women clerics: environmental destruction is 'haram': A result of Indonesia's first National Congress of Women Ulema in Cirebon, West Java, on Thursday, the fatwa is based on the Quran, Al Hadist (words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad) and the 1945 Constitution. "Commercial development is still possible as long as the use of natural resources doesn't cross the limit of what the [project] needs. Any development is not allowed to cause natural destruction," said a female cleric from Batam while reading out the fatwa.
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2017 Indonesian Regional Elections
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Anies Baswedan-Sandiaga Uno announced as winner in Jakarta election
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Anies-Sandi won 57.96 percent or 3,240,987 votes from a total of 5,591,353 votes, Sumarno, chairman of the KPU Jakarta, said following a plenary meeting on recapitulation of ballot count, here, Saturday evening. The pair defeated incumbent Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) pairing with Djarot Saiful Hidayat, who collected 42.04 percent or 2,350,366 votes."We will officially announced the results of the second-round Jakarta regional head election on Friday (May 5), if there is no one filing a lawsuit disputing the results to the Constitutional Court (MK)," Sumarno stated.
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Editorial: Election Tests Indonesian Democracy: Every democracy has its ups and downs. Indonesia is a model for Muslim democracy. Many experts believe that the country and its institutions have proved remarkably resilient and the election may propel moderates to become more engaged in reining in religious extremism. After the election, both Mr. Basuki and Mr. Anies spoke of putting the bitter campaign behind them. That's a start.
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Laos
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Laos-China railway will rev up pace of development: Laos will be able to accelerate the rate of development and grow even faster than some neighbouring countries now that construction of the railway linking Vientiane to the Chinese border has begun. A senior official from China's Foreign Ministry, Mr Liang Jianjun, expressed this opinion on Friday when foreign and Chinese media made a trip organised by the ministry to Tianjin province. The 417-km Laos-China railway will be an important gateway connecting China and Asean. "Laos can expect to benefit faster in the area of socio-economic development now that construction has begun with the boring of tunnels," Mr Liang said. Trains running from Laos to China can then link to destinations in Europe.
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Malaysia
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'Asri and Waytha don't understand each other': An academic has blamed cultural misunderstanding for the conflict between Perlis Mufti Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin and Hindraf chief P Waythamoorthy.
Tajuddin Rasdi, a professor at USCI, said this misunderstanding could be seen in the lack of awareness of the different nuances words could have in different cultures. For instance, he said, Waythamoorthy had used the Malay word "ditindas" for "oppression" when he spoke of the condition of Hindus in Malaysia. "For Waythamoorthy, it may just mean the Hindus were treated unfairly. But for the Malays, the word is very harsh. It means 'torture'. Asri would ask, 'How are the Hindus being tortured?'"
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Experts: PAS bid to limit PM's post to Muslims demeaning, unconstitutional: The PAS proposal for a religious prerequisite to become prime minister violates the guarantee to equality and has no practical basis, according to constitutional experts. They further disputed the Islamist party's claim that a Muslim prime minister was necessary to safeguard Islam's position...
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Jangan masuk perangkap Umno, BN! [Don't fall into the trap of UMNO, BN!]: SHAH ALAM - "Suara anak-anak muda ini sepatutnya dihargai bukan disekat," demikian Ketua Armada Bersatu, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman. Beliau berkata demikian selepas mendakwa dihalang untuk bersyarah di universiti selain diharamkan untuk memasuki mana-mana universiti awam untuk mengajar atau pun menerima jemputan para pelajar. Ia susulan surat terbuka yang ditulisnya kepada Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak bagi meluahkan rasa tidak puas hati terhadap pemerintahan di bawah pentadbiran Najib. Menurut Syed Saddiq lagi, beliau lebih rela berdialog dengan mereka yang tidak sependapat dan ideologi yang berlainan bagi meraikan idea-idea anak muda ini kerana bagi dirinya ini adalah platform yang terbaik bagi memberanikan anak-anak muda melontarkan suara bukan sahaja bagi mengkritik kerajaan tetapi juga pembangkang. "Jangan jatuh dengan perangkap kerajaan Umno dan BN yang ingin mencipta budaya takut kepada pelajar-pelajar tajaan kerajaan.
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Analysis: Divorce plot in the PAS drama: The devastating storm has been likened to an omen of the challenges ahead. PAS has returned to its roots and the decision to go it alone and to form a third bloc will be the game-changer in the general election.
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Malaysia's opposition has its work cut out for it: The mood at the five-day congress in Kedah was that PAS can still achieve good results despite ditching its former opposition allies. This sets the stage for many possible three-cornered fights at the next general election expected to be called this year. The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition led by Umno will likely face PAS and another opposition party, thus splitting the opposition vote. The anger of PAS delegates at the congress that ended yesterday was directed more at fellow opposition parties, including Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and the Democratic Action Party (DAP), than at Umno.
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SIASAT PARTI LANGGAR PERLEMBAGAAN NEGARA - HADI [Investigate Parties Which Violate Country's Constitution]: Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang menggesa Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) mengkaji status semua parti politik di negara ini yang dikhuatiri melanggar ketetapan Perlembagaan. "Saya minta ROS sila buat kajian terhadap semua parti politik adakah mereka ini hormati parti lain dan mengikut peraturan Perlembagaan atau tidak....kedudukan Islam sebagai agama Persekutuan, Raja dan Perlembagaan serta bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa rasmi, mereka hormat atau tidak. "Selain itu hak Bumiputera, Melayu, Jawa, Bugis, penduduk asal Semenanjung dan Bumiputera Sabah dan Sarawak yang ada hak istimewa yang perlu dihormati mengikut Perlembagaan...semua ini adakah mereka hormat atau tak...jadi saya minta ROS kaji parti mana yang tak ikut," katanya.
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'Stop state law handing Malay reserve land to Umno': A petition filed recently by Terengganu's lone PKR assemblyman reveals that an amendment to state laws has effectively made all Malay reserve land in the state to be directly owned by Umno, Malaysiakini reported. Bandar Terengganu state assemblyman Azan Ismail filed the petition in court challenging the amendments as he had not received any "logical explanation" from the state government on the matter. The amendments made to Section 9 of the Malay Reserve Land Enactment in May 2015 sees Umno take over the ownership of all Malay reserve land.
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Commentary: Focus on right Muslim to be PM: Instead of reacting negatively to PAS' call for a Muslim PM only, just focus on supporting the right Muslim to assume the highest post in the land. Recently PAS proposed that only a Muslim can become the prime minister (PM) of this country. In response to that, DAP secretary-general and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, was reported to have said that the non-Malays/Muslims have never wanted to be PM to begin with. Since then, a writer has taken Guan Eng to task, arguing that to accept such a proposition from PAS is to accept the "inferior" position of non-Malays/Muslims, i.e. they will never truly be citizens in this country. I think it is convenient to disagree with Guan Eng if one is idealistic and the "ivory tower" type.
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Commentary: The Pakatan ship, minus the 'men of God': If the 2015 muktamar has not convinced some people that Nik Aziz's vision was buried together with him, then this muktamar should bring them to their senses. Before his death, Nik Aziz tied his party to a pole found somewhere in the middle of Malaysia's racially charged political landscape. This made sure party elders would not stray too much to the left or to the right while keeping its Islamic identity. That string showed sign of tension when Nik Aziz took ill. When he died, it snapped. And like Cinderella fast reverting to her former self at the stroke of midnight, there was nothing to stop PAS from reverting to the PAS of the eighties.
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Commentary: We are Malaysian too: So, a newly-formed coalition of Malay-Muslim NGOs, Barisan Bertindak Melayu-Islam (Bertindak) wants to strip some 1.75 million non-Malays of their citizenship claiming that they had failed to take the oath of citizenship. In other countries, if it was really necessary to correct such an oversight, a simple ceremony would have been held to remedy the situation instead of demanding that those affected be stripped of their citizenship. But this is a country where racism and religious intolerance has run amok, where morally and intellectually bankrupt racist and extremist groups masquerade as patriots and righteous men and get away with it.
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Muktamar ends with Hadi warning not to 'toy' with Islam: The 63rd PAS muktamar (general assembly) ended today with party president Abdul Hadi Awang issuing a fierce warning to all elected representatives in Malaysia not to "toy" with Islam. He also extinguished all hope of straight fights between opposition parties and Barisan Nasional (BN) when he brushed aside Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties, saying they were small compared to PAS, and with too few divisions and branches. In his wrapping-up address, the Marang MP hit out at individuals who he said only wanted to use PAS for their own agenda.
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PAS not the type to pick fights, says Hadi: This remark was made in light of the likelihood that the Islamist party will sever ties with yet another political ally, PKR. At a press conference at the end of the party's 63rd muktamar today, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said PAS had always abided by the foundations of cooperation by respecting its allies' core values. He said past "breakups" were always triggered by its former allies and not through any fault of PAS. "Look at our history of political cooperation with Umno. They were the ones who kicked us out. We didn't leave. "Semangat 46 left our pact in 2000. It was DAP which left Barisan Alternatif." In Pakatan Rakyat, Hadi said it was DAP which proclaimed the death of the pact without following any "rules".
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49
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PAS: Other parties not keen on political funding reform: The Islamist party and its Gagasan Sejahtera ally, Parti Ikatan Bangsa Malaysia (Ikatan), were the only parties to fully support political financing laws, according to PAS research director Mohd Zuhdi Marzuki. He claimed DAP and PKR took a "sceptical" approach to the formulation of such laws, while Umno didn't seem to go all out for it. He said PAS and Ikatan have handed over a memorandum to the federal government, calling for political financing laws.
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50
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Penang Umno: PAS not joining PH an advantage for us: Penang Umno liaison committee chairman Zainal Abidin Osman said the state Umno was ready to face any eventuality even if it had to face the possibility of three-cornered contests. "Umno, as a party that has participated in the general election 13 times since the country's independence, certainly has more experience." He said BN may have the advantage in certain places as a result, he told reporters when asked about the possibility of Umno facing more competition following PAS' current feud with DAP and also PKR, after chairing the state Umno liaison committee meeting here yesterday. However, Zainal said the state Umno must accept the fact that non-Malay support in Penang for other Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties was not encouraging.
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51
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Opinion: Do non-Muslims never want to be PM? I realise that I am in the minority when I write on subjects like this, but I guess that is just the nature of oppositional politics in this country. I am in total disagreement with Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng on the issue of non-Muslims/Malay never wanting to be prime minister. While I have no idea of the accuracy of various polls - complete voodoo, if you ask me - I realise that many Malays will never accept a non-Malay prime minister.
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52
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A dilemma we can't ignore: TWO video clips surfaced on social media last month showing secondary students flaunting their association with the notorious Gang 24 triad group and "terrorising" a school in Klang. The videos sparked a public outcry. Netizens called on authorities to take punitive action against the teenagers. They also played the blame game over what they saw as a failure of "the system" to educate these youth. It's easy to point fingers, but have we asked ourselves about the role we should have played, but failed to, thus contributing to this social illness?
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53
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Pas anticipating September general election: "Should the Barisan Nasional government fail to dissolve the Parliament by June 2018, it would dissolve by itself to pave the way for GE14. "As such, we expect the polls to be held earliest by this September and the latest before next June," he said in his winding up speech at the 63rd national Pas general assembly (muktamar) today.
Mustafa added that all state Pas committees have been told to submit their list of candidates for GE14 to be evaluated by the central party leadership. In the speech, Mustafa also reminded Pas delegates and members to pay attention to three factors to secure the party's victory in GE14.
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54
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Pelaksanaan GST Ambil Kira Keputusan Majlis Fatwa [The Implementation Of The GST Take Into Account The Decision Of The Council Of Fatwa]: Timbalan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki berkata, kerajaan di bawah pimpinan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak sentiasa merujuk fatwa dikeluarkan jawatankuasa tersebut sebelum membuat keputusan apa-apa dasar. "Begitu juga dengan GST, kerajaan merujuk kepada jawatankuasa tersebut yang mengeluarkan fatwa (mengenai GST) pada tahun 2014," katanya ketika ditemui selepas pelancaran buku kompilasi 'Mimpi Dalam Realiti' Bersama Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan (YBK) di gerai jualan Karangkraf di Dewan Tun Dr Ismail, Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC), di sini.
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RUU 355: Hadi Ucap Terima Kasih Kepada Kerajaan [RUU 355: Hadi Give Thanks To The Government]: ALOR SETAR - Presiden Pas, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang hari ini mengucapkan terima kasih kepada kerajaan Persekutuan kerana memberi laluan kepada parti itu membentangkan Rang Undang-undang Mahkamah Syariah (Bidang Kuasa Jenayah) (Pindaan) 2016 atau RUU 355 di Dewan Rakyat baru-baru ini. Beliau berkata, pembentangan rang undang-undang itu merupakan satu sejarah buat Pas dan parti itu akan sentiasa mengingati jasa baik kerajaan. "Kita (Pas) berterima kasih kepada kerajaan yang telah memberikan laluan berharga buat Pas untuk membentangkan usul berkenaan. Kita tidak akan lupakan perkara itu sampai bila-bila. "Suara hati kita telah berjaya dilontar di Parlimen dan keputusan menangguhkan persidangan Parlimen membolehkan kita memberi penerangan mengenai RUU itu kepada masyarakat," katanya dalam ucapan penangguhan pada Muktamar Pas ke-63 di Kota Sarang Semut di sini, hari ini.
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Sesat Hala Tuju Politik: Hadi Jawab Guan Eng [Deviant Political Direction: Hadi Responded To Guan Eng]: ALOR SETAR - Pas menempelak kenyataan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang, Lim Guan Eng yang menyifatkan parti Islam itu sebagai sesat hala tuju politik apabila menjadikan musuh tradisi Pas sebagai rakan dan menganggap DAP pula sebagai musuh. Presidennya, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang berkata, tuduhan itu sama sekali tidak berasas kerana Pas adalah sebuah parti yang paling konsisten berbanding parti yang lain.
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Reme Ahmad In Alor Setar (Kedah): Mr Hadi, 69, is today president of the country's second-biggest political party by membership, a tuan guru (master teacher) to more than 800,000 PAS members and an aspiring prime minister. Only Umno, with 3.2 million members, is bigger. Old pictures of him show a trim young man with a long black beard and white robes. These days, he still dons similar robes but has a spare tyre and his beard is mostly grey. And, while his speeches remain fiery, there is an added mellowness to them, as befits a seasoned politician. It is not all hellfire and brimstone - this Member of Parliament now speaks about people burdened with high inflation and affirming the rights of non-Muslims under PAS rule.
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PAS votes to cut political ties with long-term ally PKR: The motion was passed with a resounding majority by delegates of the Islamist party and it will now be presented before the Shura Council, the party's highest decision-making body. It was tabled by a representative of the clerics' wing, Mr Zulkifli Ismail, and seconded by PAS Youth Vice-Chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari.
The proposed termination of political cooperation between the two parties is due to PKR contravening conditions of their political cooperation, which includes the upholding of Islam and Islamic policies, Mr Zulkifli was quoted as saying by news portal Free Malaysia Today.
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Memahami istilah bangsa Malaysia [To Understand the term "Bangsa Malaysia]:
PEMAHAMAN maksud bangsa Malaysia telah berubah-ubah mengikut keselesaan pemimpin politik yang menggunakan istilah ini. Dalam tahun 1991, bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad telah menggunakan bangsa Malaysia dalam Visi 2020 bagi menjemput sumbangan setiap warganegara Malaysia ke arah pembangunan negara. Kini idea yang sama masih dilihat relevan dalam inisiatif Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50).
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BAGI KEUTAMAAN PEKERJA TEMPATAN - PM [Give Priority To Local Workers - PM]: Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mahu majikan memberi keutamaan kepada pekerja tempatan untuk mengisi kekosongan jawatan dalam membantu merealisasikan lima Lonjakan Transformasi Pekerja yang dilaksanakan kerajaan.
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沙巴提早州选甚嚣尘上
:
对于沙巴会否比全国大选提早州选，坊间也有不同意见。最主要的，当然是因为无论州或联邦政府的这届任期，就只剩下那一年几个月，要刻意地把州选与国选分开，不是不可以，只是其实际意义不大。虽然理论上可预先几个月探测一下局部的最新民意取向，但时任的政府要做任何显著的政策改变来迎合民意，并转化为支持前者的选票，在很大程度上可能来不及了。这与砂拉越的州选一般是在两次国选之间的中期举行，是大不相同的。
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在野党阵线分崩离析
:
从伊党大会的议决而言，其态度已非常清楚，伊党打算走的是第
2
条路，即以一党之力同时挑战国阵和希盟。伊党领袖早期曾放话，她将在下届大选攻打
80
个国会议席。无论是从布局或实力来看，伊党当然不可能单独执政，她要达到的目标只有一项
,
要成为无可取代的最大马来在野党。
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A priceless heritage of Sarawak: NEXT Saturday, there will be a race up a mountain in the Bau District; this is not an ordinary mountain but one with historical importance. The history of the mountain is well documented. There are always legends associated with mountains and Bung Muan is no exception. Let members of the PASB write down anything that they know from their elders about the place.
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Commentary: Najib is the holder of a public office: If the prime minister is the holder of a public office and is paid from public funds clearly he is in a position of trust when it comes to the exercise of governmental or executive functions and powers including the utilisation of public funds. The learned High Court Judge in his grounds of judgment has opted to give a very narrow and restrictive interpretation to the meaning of public office and public officer when in reality there is a difference between the two. The prime minister as a member of the administration is a holder of a public office exercising governmental or executive functions and powers. He is paid out of public funds and he is elected to Parliament by members of the public.
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Mahathir: Pakatan can win without PAS' help: Speaking at a press conference at the party's headquarters today, Mahathir said at PH events, the Malay crowd could number between 12,000 and 15,000, even though according to TV3, only 200 Malays had attended these events. The former prime minister added the positive reception also showed that Malays, especially Umno members, supported PPBM and PH. "But we see many Malays who come out (for the events) and we see that many of them are from Umno. "So it seems even Umno members are interested in us. That's why we are confident we can win," said Mahathir. Yesterday, at PAS' 63rd muktamar, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said PAS wouldn't be cooperating with PPBM, a party he described as "directionless".
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TN50: Aspirasi matang gambarkan pandangan jauh [TN50: Mature Aspirations Describing Foresight]: ARAU - Aspirasi bersifat matang yang diutarakan golongan muda menerusi sesi dialog Transformasi Nasional 2050 (TN50) memberi gambaran generasi hari ini berpandangan jauh dan kritikal dalam memandu hala tuju masa depan negara. Menteri Belia dan Sukan, Khairy Jamaluddin berkata, perkara tersebut merupakan aset dimiliki generasi muda yang hebat dan perkembangan itu cukup mengkagumkan bagi lanskap TN50 yang mampan. "Hari ini saya cukup berbangga dengan kualiti aspirasi yang diutarakan oleh anak-anak muda di Perlis. Kita boleh bincang isu-isu yang suatu ketika dahulu dianggap sensitif untuk diperkatakan. "Tetapi hari ini kita boleh bincang apa sahaja secara terbuka tanpa timbul sebarang masalah. Ada yang menyentuh soal sekolah jenis kebangsaan, tentang kuota dan sebagainya tetapi kita bercakap secara ilmiah, dan inilah petanda baik dalam TN50," katanya.
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All the President's men: Who are PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang's trusty lieutenants? PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang consolidated his power base in 2015, after the death of revered spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat and the exit of the party's more liberal leaders in fractious internal polls. He has led PAS to abandon the moderate path and revert to ultra-conservatism, aided by his trusty lieutenants.
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PAS looks to 'Third Bloc' to treble seats at next election: "We are a party that lives in the realm of reality," said Mr Hadi, adding that there are 165 PAS divisions across Malaysia's 222 parliamentary constituencies to help in its election goals. "Contesting 40 seats is not extreme. It's considered moderate. Our party machinery is nationwide," he told reporters.
For over a decade, Malaysia's political sphere had seen straight fights between ruling coalition Barisan Nasional (BN) and the opposition coalition of Pakatan Rakyat, which PAS was a part of. However, with PAS' bitter exit from the coalition in 2015 and the formation of new splinter parties, Malaysia's opposition politics has now become much more crowded.Now PAS is positioning itself as the so-called Third Bloc.
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Komitmen Penyelesaian Hutang 1MDB-IPIC [Commitment to Settle the Debt of 1MDB-IPIC] Isu 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) awalnya dilihat menjadi senjata ampuh kepada Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad untuk menjatuhkan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Rakyat agak termakan dengan hasutan Dr. Mahathir mengenainya. Bahkan isu itu jugalah yang Dr. Mahathir gunakan untuk memujuk Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin bergabung dengannya menjatuhkan Najib.
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Pemuda Pas sedia pertahan hak orang Islam [PAS Youth ready to defend the rights of Muslims] Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi diberi mandat untuk memimpin Dewan Pemuda Pas Pusat dalam suasana parti diasak musuh dan dikhianati rakan-rakan sekutu yang pernah menjalinkan kerjasama politik dengan Pas. Kepada wartawan Mingguan Malaysia, SAFINA RAMLI dan MOHD. RAFIE AZIMI, beliau berkongsi hala tuju Dewan Pemuda Pas dalam mendepani cabaran getir yang perlu dihadapi Pas bagi meneruskan kesinambungan politik parti kedua terbesar yang dianggotai oleh orang Melayu itu.
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49,000 PENJAWAT AWAM BAKAL MUFLIS [49000 Civil Servants Will Face Bankruptcy]: Seramai 49,000 penjawat awam berhadapan risiko menjadi muflis berikutan kegagalan mereka menguruskan hutang pinjaman. Presiden Kongres Kesatuan Pekerja Dalam Perkhidmatan Awam (CUEPACS) Datuk Azih Muda berkata senario itu dijangka berlaku berikutan penjawat awam suka membuat pinjaman melebihi kemampuan mereka.
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China's Nuclear Interest In The South China Sea - Analysis: To be sure, the South China Sea carries drawbacks as a naval bastion. The biggest is probably the fact that operating there would put China's nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) further from potential targets in the Western Hemisphere, though future submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) may have longer ranges. Still, the South China Sea does enable China to disperse more widely its undersea nuclear forces, and thereby improve their survivability. If China has come to see the South China Sea as important to the security of its sea-based nuclear deterrent, then those who hope that patient economic and diplomatic engagement will persuade China to change its behavior in the region are very likely to be disappointed, as they have been to date.
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Malaysia Energy Profile: Strategically Located For Seaborne Energy Trade - Analysis: Although critics often point to the apparent discrepancies and unpredictability in Philippine foreign policy as expressed by its chief architect, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, several emerging consistencies can be gathered. In the same vein as other countries that opted not to spell out the specifics of their foreign policy strategy, especially on critical and sensitive issues, in order to have ample room for maneuver and negotiation, these incipient consistencies have yet to be formally articulated in a coherent form, more so applied in reference to a certain foreign policy priority.
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Opinion: Surviving religious education: The recent tragic death of 11-year-old Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi following beatings he allegedly suffered at a private Islamic boarding school has apparently outraged a good many Malaysians. And I see that the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) has urged the government...
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Gaji rakyat memang rendah [People's Salaries are Really Low]
Lama tidak diperkatakan tentang kos sara hidup. Apakah semua orang sudah dapat menyerap segala masalah itu dalam kehidupan masing-masing? Atau, terima sahaja dugaan yang mendatang. Sebab itu mungkin kalau ditinjau di restoran makanan segera, atau ke gerai makan - jarang yang lengang. Tiba masa tertentu, penuh sesak. Mahu tak mahu, walaupun bergaji kecil atau rendah, perut tetap perlu diisi. Bukan auta tapi kenyataan - rakyat Malaysia ramai yang berpendapatan rendah. Tapi dengan promosi itu ini dan pengaruh ajakan rakan, ramai juga orang Malaysia yang mampu melancong ke luar negara. Ada pula duit untuk 'berparawisata'.
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Najib's Latest Smokescreen: The disappearance of those funds is intimately connected to the acquisition of assets in the US and elsewhere. Some funds also flowed by diverse routes into the personal account of Najib, though the prime minister asserts these were a donation from Saudi Arabia. Now the admission by 1MDB that it is discussing the US$3.5 billion issue "in good faith" is clear admission that its early claim to have paid that sum to IPIC's BVI company was a lie to hide a gigantic fraud. The biggest question thus remains: will any of the criminals be prosecuted? It is unlikely in Malaysia unless the government changes.
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Hadi's 'brilliant' move against editor of Sarawak Report: Clare Rewcastle-Brown has two options; but in exercising them, she will have to provide alot of information and documents about 1MDB and the money trail.
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IMF Executive Board Concludes 2017 Article IV Consultation with Malaysia: Despite a challenging global economic environment, the Malaysian economy performed well over the past few years. Notwithstanding the impact of the global commodity price and financial markets volatility, the economy remained resilient, owing to a diversified production and export base; strong balance sheet positions; a flexible exchange rate; responsive macroeconomic policies; and deep financial markets. While real GDP growth slowed down, Malaysia is still among the fastest growing economies among peers.
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DAP regrets Pas' motion calling for Malay Muslim PM only: DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, in a live Facebook video, which was uploaded on to his FB page this afternoon, said Pas was trying to stir up racial sentiment and extremism. "By saying that the prime minister must be a Malay Muslim, it paints a picture that a non-Malay Muslim is claiming to become the prime minister. In fact, the prime minister's candidate has all along been a Malay Muslim. Even, in Pakatan Harapan, we have named Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. As such, Pas' action is seen as trying to sow the seed of hatred and fear among the people," the Penang Chief Minister said.
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Selena Gomez concert decisive factor in ending Pas-PKR ties: The Selangor government breached one of the condition of the 'tahaluf siyasi' (political cooperation) with Pas when it allowed the Selena Gomez concert to take place in Subang Jaya last July. Selangor Pas Youth delegate Aubidullah Fahim Ibrahim said the state government's action showed that they had broken an important term in their political ties. He said, one of the conditions of the tahaluf siyasi was for PKR to strengthen the position of Islam in the state, not the other way around. "That was the last straw. I support the move to sever ties with PKR wholeheartedly.
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81
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Towards a cosmopolitan Kuching: The state government must do more to instigate greater public and private sector collaboration in the promotion of local arts and culture as an end in itself, besides the creation of a more "happening" city as well as to draw more international visitors. Preemptive planning and thoughtful implementation must also go towards the orderly physical development and expansion of Kuching as it grows inexorably into a city with a million-plus population. Already, major thorough fares within and into the city are often jammed nowadays beyond normal peak hours. As the state government mulls implementing a light rail transit system for the greater Kuching region, debate rages as to whether the city can already sustain such an expensive undertaking.
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82
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Wasatiyah Sebagai Dasar Negara [Islamic Moderation As Country's Policy]: PENDEKATAN wasatiyah (kesederhanaan) telah pun diangkat sebagai salah satu dasar negara. Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, dengan kelulusan Kabinet mengangkat pendekatan ini sebagai dasar negara selaras dengan tuntutan ajaran Islam. Pendekatan wasatiyah menekankan kesederhanaan, berimbang dan syumul dalam semua kegiatan hidup individu serta masyarakat dengan memberi penekanan kepada kualiti hidup ummah dari segi ilmu pengetahuan, pembangunan insan, sistem ekonomi dan kewangan, pengetahuan dan perpaduan. Nilai wasatiyah tidak mengajar orang ramai membenci sesama manusia, walaupun ada perbezaan akidah, fahaman dan anutan. Sikap menghina agama lain adalah ditegah. Perbezaan pendapat dalam pentadbiran dan politik harus diberi tumpuan kepada maslahat kebaikan komuniti, masyarakat dan negara sebagaimana kaedah mengatakan: Pentadbiran kerajaan ke atas rakyat diikat dengan maslahat.
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83
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Care for the child, don't hurt: THE senseless death of Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi, the 11-year-old religious school pupil, who was corporally punished by his warden, will not be accepted by Malaysians in general. Malaysians are a forgetful lot.
After some tongue clucking and coffee shop conversations on the demise of the child, whose legs had been amputated due to the intensity of the beatings, the tragedy will slowly but surely be forgotten and allowed to be a national statistic, if at all.
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Myanmar
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84
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Patience tested: "There are no policies, plans or strategy," said Kyaw Kyaw Hlaing, a prominent Myanmar businessman and political commentator. As a result, for much of the past year, there has been deep inertia, with the business community in particular frustrated by continued delays in announcing a detailed economic policy.
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85
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Opinion: Construction sector going green: Recent studies and research have shown that energy used in Asian skyscrapers and tall buildings can be more than 40 percent of a city's total consumption. As Myanmar begins to develop, the demand for energy to drive progress becomes a need. The country's low electricity output from its power stations is not sufficient to meet this need.
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86
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How Myanmar's 'national races' trumped citizenship: Because taingyintha identity had trumped citizenship, the place of people belonging to non-national-race groups is precarious. Those people excluded juridically from Myanmar but living within its territory now have to find a way back in to the political community. And the only way available to them politically, as a collectivity, is to submit to the politics of domination inherent in the national races project, and insist that they too are taingyintha, which is exactly what Rohingya advocates have done. Rohingya advocates make their claim to be taingyintha in two parts: one evidentiary, establishing the existence of 'Rohingya', the other typological, situating Rohingya as a category in the national races schema.
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87
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Myanmar Labor Minister Commits to Working Toward Elimination of Child Labor: "Half of Myanmar child laborers are working in dangerous conditions, but we can't ask them to stop immediately," Thein Swe, the minister of labor, employment and social security, said in reply to questions by reporters at a Labor Day ceremony in the commercial capital Yangon. "We now have been working on collecting data about child laborers, providing them with an education, and checking the safety of their work environments," he said. Thein Swe also said his ministry is working with other ministries to pay current workers a minimum wage of 3,600 kyats per day and eventually eliminating child labor in the country.
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88
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Myanmar Rejects China's Offer to Resolve Row With Bangladesh Over Rohingya: "Myanmar and Bangladesh are already trying to solve the Rakhine issue," Zaw Htay, spokesman of the State Counselor's Office, said at a news conference in the capital Naypyidaw on April 29. "Our government's policy is to resolve this problem bilaterally between Myanmar and Bangladesh." "We can understand China's offer for mediation, as it has its interests in the region such as with the Kyaukphyu pipeline but, as I have said, our policy is to resolve it [the issue] between Myanmar and Bangladesh ourselves," he said.
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Yangon protesters force closure of Muslim schools in Myanmar: About a dozen monks and scores of supporters gathered Friday afternoon near the two Muslim madrassas while police stood by as protesters demanded that local officials close the buildings. The raucous three-hour gathering ended when officials agreed to allow them to chain the entrances of the two buildings, which the protesters claim were built illegally. It appeared that the madrassas were chained shut largely to appease the protesters and defuse tension, but it was unclear what their long-term fate would be.
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90
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7.5m tourists expected in 2020: "Last year, the country received 2.91 million tourists. The government is cooperating with the private sectors to achieve the target," Tint Thwin said. Border tourism is being promoted in cooperation with neighbouring countries through the 11 border gates: five each with China and Thailand and one with India. Since 2015, the ministry allowed 144 hotels with 6,169 rooms to open.
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91
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International community urged to pressure govt on UN probe cooperation: UN Human Rights Council spokesperson Rolando Gomez said the mission will go forward with or without the government's blessing. "In selecting the mission members, the President will consult with various interlocutors to ensure the best candidates are selected to fulfil the mandate entrusted to them. In the meantime, a team of human rights specialists with various expertise pertinent to the mandate is being assembled in Geneva to support the mission members establishing the facts and circumstances of the alleged recent human rights violations by military and security forces, and abuses, in Myanmar, in particular in Rakhine State," he told DVB via email.
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92
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Govt to oppose UN Rakhine mission: Zaw Htay: If a fact-finding mission is sent by the United Nations to probe the Rakhine State crisis, the government will not accept it, according to Zaw Htay, director general of State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi's office. "The Rakhine issue was discussed at the United Nations Human Rights Council and Security Council. The statement could not be issued as [permanent members] China and Russia made objections. But the United Nations Human Rights Council decided to send a fact-finding mission to Rakhine State. Myanmar did not accept the decision. If the UN forcibly sends the fact-finding mission, Myanmar will not accept it," Zaw Htay said.
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No time to prosecute old crimes: Zaw Htay: Director general Zaw Htay of the State Councillor's Office said former Magway Region chief minister Phone Maw Shwe, who had been found guilty of fraud, would not face prosecution but must return the illegally acquired assets. Zaw Htay said: "The way we are going isn't to take action against previous administrations. Like State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi has mentioned frequently, the government does not want to take action. If we want to do so, we can. The policy of the state councillor is to do her best in the current administration. "If we dig through all the previous problems, there will be no end. As we all know, there are problems like land grabbing issues and we are trying to solve these issues. We choose to make them pay back the money they have misused," Zaw Htay added.
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UN criticises plan to resettle Rohingya in 'camp-like' villages: The plan - confirmed by a senior state-level official - has sparked fear among residents that they would end up penned into de facto refugee camps, the document produced by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Burma said. "Based on the information available on the model villages and concerns brought to our attention by affected villagers, UNHCR stressed the importance to allow displaced communities to return to their place of origin and have access to their previous source of livelihoods," UNHCR Burma spokesman Andrew Dusek said by email when reached for comment on the document.
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Rangoon Lawmakers Demand Action from Officials over Lost Billions in Business Dealings: According to the auditor general's 2015-16 fiscal year report, the divisional government lost 13 billion kyats in leasing commercial space to construction companies and suffered a whopping 58 billion kyats loss from long-term reduced rent leasing of public lands and parks.
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Philippines
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Trump Defends Invite to Philippines' Duterte Amid Drug War: "The Philippines is very important to me strategically and militarily," Trump said Monday in an Oval Office interview with Bloomberg News, two days after he invited the Philippine leader to Washington. "I look forward to meeting him. If he comes to the White House that's fine." A White House statement after the April 29 call said the two leaders discussed "the fact that the Philippine government is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs." Trump also committed to taking part in a summit with leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations hosted by Duterte in November.
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White House defends Trump invitation to Duterte despite human rights criticism: Priebus insisted the outreach to Duterte "doesn't mean that human rights don't matter, but what it does mean is that the issues facing us developing out of North Korea are so serious that we need cooperation at some level with as many partners in the area as we can get to make sure we have our ducks in a row."
Since he came to power last year, Duterte has often sniped at Washington, his country's longtime ally, has sought to mend relations with China and spoken of improving ties with Russia. Asked on Monday about his invitation from Trump, he was non-committal, telling reporters: "I'm tied up. I cannot make any definite promise. I am supposed to go to Russia and go to Israel," he said, referring to already scheduled visits.
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Manila, Seoul offer Asia contrasting lesson in diplomacy: Duterte is attempting to win an advantage from both Beijing and Washington. Just one year ago, the Philippines was stuck in a serious confrontation with China and meanwhile actively courted the US for the latter's Asia-Pacific interests. Duterte has refused to act as Washington had hoped over the South China Sea issue. He emphasizes equality in the relationship with Washington, and is firm in safeguarding Philippine national interests.
The Philippines has shifted from siding with the US to a balanced diplomacy between China and the US. A friendly Sino-Philippine relationship not only brings direct interests to Manila, but also wins more respect from Washington. Duterte's "Philippine model" has expanded the ASEAN country's way of diplomatic thinking, and has not exerted any negative effects on the country so far.
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Is the Philippines' Duterte Really a Leftist? Duterte's relationship with the left was tested when he declared an all-out war last February. This led to greater deployment of government forces in rebel-controlled territories. It also worsened the state of impunity and human rights abuses in the countryside. But in less than a month, back-channel efforts were made to resume the talks again. The recent round of negotiations concluded with both parties agreeing to discuss a longer and more stable ceasefire in the next few months. More importantly, they both agreed that the guiding principle of the agrarian reform program is free land distribution to small farmers.
Interestingly, Duterte is never called a leftist president by his leftist allies. That is no surprise. Indeed, how could he be a leftist if his economic team is composed of free market adherents and his security cluster is dominated by anti-communist generals? Any decent leftist will also not advocate Duterte's bloody "war on drugs."
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Duterte visits Chinese warships in hometown Davao in first Philippines port call since 2010: The visit came a day after Duterte issued a chairman's statement on behalf of the 10-nation Asean bloc that took a soft stance towards Chinese expansionism and island-building in the Sea. Duterte boarded the missile destroyer Chang Chun which arrived with two other vessels in Davao City on Mindanao island on Sunday for a three-day goodwill visit... The visit of the Chinese vessels to Davao rather than Manila is widely seen as a personal gesture to the controversial Philippine leader.
Opposition legislator Gary Alejano, a former military officer, said that in the Asean summit, "they (China) won by convincing Duterte not to include any statement about the (international) ruling".
"To make matters worse, Duterte even visited the Chinese warships. That only shows the president is trying everything to appease China," the congressman said. "It is not about an independent foreign policy. It is about selling out and capitulating to China."
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社评：菲律宾和韩国在给亚洲国家
"
上课
":
菲律宾成为亚洲国家中从完全倒向美国回到在中美之间开展互惠外交的成功案例。中菲友好不仅带给马尼拉巨大物质利益，还扳回了华盛顿方面的更多尊重，杜特尔特开创的
"
菲律宾模式
"
丰富了东盟国家的外交思路，迄今为止人们尚未看到这一新模式对菲律宾的任何负作用。
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The Popularity of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte: Bloomberg TV Philippines' Roby Alampay reports on the popularity of Philippine President Duterte, how he is viewed in the U.S. and the coming meeting with President Trump. He speaks with Tom Keene and Michael McKee on "Bloomberg Surveillance."
[4-minute video]
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Philippines opens wallet wide for public works: Transportation-related work accounts for more than 60% of the spending. The plan as a whole is seen creating jobs for over 1 million people each year.
The flagship project will build the country's first subway system in Metro Manila. The government hopes to receive official development assistance from Japan for the project and aims to sign a deal in November. Other major plans include constructing a roughly 600km rail link extending southeast from Manila, as well as expanding regional airports.
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Human Rights Group Says President Trump Should Not 'Roll Out the Red Carpet' for Rodrigo Duterte: Trump will cut a "bad deal" for the American and Filipino people if he fetes Duterte with a White House reception without assessing the implications "of hosting and toasting a foreign leader whose links to possible crimes against humanity for instigating and inciting extrajudicial killings has already prompted warnings from the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court," Kine said in an email. Duterte said he has not accepted the invitation because of scheduled trips to Russia, Israel and other countries. "I'm tied up," he told reporters Monday in southern Davao city. "I cannot make any definite promise."
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105
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Philippines open to joint war drills with China: Duterte: "I agree (to the idea). They can have joint exercise(s) here in Mindanao, maybe in the Sulu Sea," Duterte told reporters after visiting the Chinese warship docked in Davao City wharf. Duterte said he was very impressed by the Chinese warship. "It's very impressive. It's all carpeted. It's so beautiful. Inside, it's like a luxury hotel," he told reporters, "It's clean!" He said the visit to the warship is part of the confidence building and good will between Manila and Beijing.
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Donald Trump invites Rodrigo Duterte to Washington: A readout of the call on Saturday said the discussion between the two was "very friendly" and the US-Philippines alliance was "now heading in a very positive direction". The pair talked about "the concerns of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) regarding regional security, including the threat posed by North Korea".
The phone call also touched on Duterte's war on drugs, in which some 7,000 people have died at the hands of vigilantes and state sanctioned death squads. Trump has previously praised the drug war. "They also discussed the fact that the Philippine government is fighting very hard to rid its country of drugs, a scourge that affects many countries throughout the world," the readout said.
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Emerging Consistencies In Philippine Foreign Policy Amidst Continuing US-China Frictions - Analysis: Although critics often point to the apparent discrepancies and unpredictability in Philippine foreign policy as expressed by its chief architect, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, several emerging consistencies can be gathered. In the same vein as other countries that opted not to spell out the specifics of their foreign policy strategy, especially on critical and sensitive issues, in order to have ample room for maneuver and negotiation, these incipient consistencies have yet to be formally articulated in a coherent form, more so applied in reference to a certain foreign policy priority.
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Philippines Moves to Shut Mines Accused of Polluting: The Philippine mining town of Claver is busy with bakeries, fruit stands, pool halls and karaoke bars. In the mountains nearby, bulldozers cling to treeless slopes, scooping out red soil and leaving gaping pits. On the horizon, cargo ships wait to bring nickel ore to China. Many here are afraid that none of this will last. "If the mines go, then the jobs are gone too," said Jayson Reambonanza, 31, who drives a dump truck for one of the area's many nickel mines. The Philippines, which exports more nickel ore than any country in the world, is in the midst of a wide crackdown on mines accused of violating environmental protection laws.
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Singapore
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109
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Lunch-stealing rhetoric not only unethical, but unsustainable and likely counter-productive: Remaining competitive, realistic about our economy and committed to improving our work ethic is one thing, but this sort of lunch-stealing zero-sum rhetoric is part of the problem in the first place. It feeds xenophobia because we think anything a foreigner has must have come at the expense of a local. It feeds the myth of meritocracy, telling us to think that we deserve all we have, and the have-nots must just be suckers for not having the instinct and drive we do.
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Heng Swee Keat to lead key council with younger ministers: The Future Economy Council is also expected to be a valuable platform for younger leaders to cut their teeth on economic matters. ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Norshahril Saat said the council and the latest Cabinet changes, are "the strongest indication yet of leadership renewal picking up pace". He noted that finance and trade and industry are among the most important portfolios, and that both Emeritus Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Mr Lee have overseen these areas.
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Singapore's friendship with China: China has made so much progress in the last 30 years that in some areas, Singapore could learn from China. The use of solar energy is one such area. There are other areas, such as in science and technology, where Singapore can learn from China. The new spirit is mutual learning. However, there are new areas in which Singapore is still able to make a contribution to China, such as human resource development, social management and financial governance. In conclusion, I would say that Singapore has been a steadfast, reliable and sincere friend of China since the late 1970s. Looking to the future, China can depend on our goodwill and friendship.
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PSA goes high-tech and retains all its port workers: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday cited the port industry as an example of how other industries could respond to disruption, yet retain their workers. "When the port shifted to Pasir Panjang, all jobs were kept. No jobs were lost. Workers were retrained, and quite a few of them had to take on new roles in Pasir Panjang. But they trained, they took on the new roles. They did it," said Mr Lee.
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大特写：南得百年
:
今年，本地有两所中学迎来百年校庆，包括
1917
年
6
月
14
日成立的南华中学（前身为南华女学校），以及同年
8
月
15
日创办的南洋女中（全名是南洋女子中学校）。
当年，孙中山为推翻满清政权，数次来新加坡宣扬革命，鼓励华侨办学校，包括提倡女性受教育，两所学校应运诞生。
本期大特写，记者访问两所学校的校长、教师和校友，听他们回首过去，展望未来。
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Muslim community groups join forces in battle against drugs:The drug problem has haunted the Malay/Muslim community for a long time and has to be stopped in this generation, Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin said yesterday. He was speaking in Malay at the launch of a new anti-drug campaign at the Sultan Mosque. Figures released recently show Malays account for more than half of drug abusers arrested in 2016, up from 32 per cent in 2006. -Mr Amrin said people in the community have to show they care for their friends and families by making it their "responsibility to shield or free them from drug abuse".
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Peranakan kebaya maker Raymond Wong: Passion for a dying art brings him world fame: Mr Wong, 37, is believed to be one of the last few commercial Peranakan kebaya makers in Singapore, according to industry experts. The nonya kebaya from the Peranakan culture is a translucent, figure-hugging blouse that is decorated with embroidered motifs and traditionally paired with a batik sarong skirt.
The baron of this dying craft, surprisingly, has no "shifu" ("master" in Mandarin). When Mr Wong, a third-generation Chinese Peranakan, started out in the trade more than a decade ago, the young man was armed only with an irrelevant piece of paper - a bachelor's in accounting and finance. After returning from his studies in Australia in 2003, he decided to join the well-known Kim Choo family food business as it needed help. His grandmother is the late matriarch Lee Kim Choo, who is renowned for her kueh chang, or nonya dumplings, that were sold in Joo Chiat Place and East Coast Road.
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Shipbuilders see signs of recovery: Singapore-listed Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) saw its earnings jump by 49 per cent in the first quarter, while the world's two largest shipbuilders - South Korea-based Hyundai and Daewoo - have recorded sizeable gains in profit amid an improved outlook. "Last year was the worst," Yangzijiang executive chairman Ren Yuanlin told The Straits Times in an interview last week, pointing to an industry racked by a capacity glut and lacklustre demand. "But we are expecting this year to be better." Mr Ren noted that market sentiment has picked up since the start of the year.
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Revamped towns show how our community wants to live: The plans for remaking the heartlands of Woodlands, Toa Payoh and Pasir Ris have just been announced. Based on the feedback of some 400 residents and stakeholders from the towns, the plans are an indication of the aspirations of the community, and pose a question to the rest of the nation: how do we engage with each other within our built environment? In the end, it is not just features and infrastructure, but how people - residents - interact that defines the soul of a city. What do the latest changes say about the way we want to engage in community?
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Commentary: Smooth sailing ahead for Singapore's port hub plan? Overall, Singapore has invested a lot into its port to stay ahead of the competition. Due to its experience and connectivity, its service infrastructure, cooperation to bind clients long-term, and its investment in modern port facilities Singapore's port looks set to stay ahead in the short- to medium-term. Singapore's port will have to continuously adjust to market and technological changes. Ultimately, maritime trade and shipping are tied to the state of the global economy. The ability of Singapore to provide an ecosystem of comprehensive and efficient port and bunkering services will be the key to stay ahead of the competition.
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Singapore must 'steal other people's lunches' to stay ahead of competition: Amid growing competition, and workers hungry to learn in places like Chengdu and even further away such as Russia, Singapore must not only protect its lunch but steal other people's lunches, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has urged. In this regard, youths in Singapore must especially be on their toes, he said in a discussion with union leaders about the future of jobs in Singapore held recently at Mediacorp.
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Singapore launches LNG bunkering standard: The move marks yet another step towards making the country an LNG bunker-ready port, said the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Spring Singapore and the Standards Development Organisation @ Singapore Chemical Industry Council in a joint statement yesterday. The standard, known as Technical Reference 56 (TR 56), provides the technical framework for conducting LNG bunkering operations such as transferring the fuel onto or off ships, or refuelling at the Port of Singapore, the world's top bunkering port, has been taking steps to grow into a leading LNG bunkering and gas trading hub.
Mr Marc Howson, senior managing editor for LNG at S&P Global Platts, told The Straits Times that Singapore's strategic location, existing LNG and bunkering infrastructure as well as proactive policies encouraging LNG bunkering, position it well to benefit from any rise in LNG bunkering in Asia.Singapore. There were no comprehensive standard guidelines for LNG bunkering procedures here prior to this.
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Hong Kong and Singapore compete for the tourist dollar, and there's a stand-out winner: The Singapore Tourism Board is trying to ensure the city state remains relevant by organizing a robust line of events throughout the year and forming strategic partnerships."Partnerships with Changi Airport and Singapore Airlines allow us to go into the international marketing space in a much more concerted way and effective way. We also have very good partnerships with JTB in Japan and Flight Centre in Australia, and that's helping us to drive tourists from those destinations as well," Lionel Yeo, CEO of the Singapore Tourism Board, told CNBC.
[contains 3-minute video clip]
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Law Minister takes a swipe at academic for 'misconstructing' his comments:While the Minister may be justified in clarifying the stance that the government is taking on reviewing penalties in light of public opinion, such deliberate name calling is simply uncalled for. With such directed attention/attacks on one individual over his personal comments on a local news article and the local media reporting the Minister's Facebook post word for word on his criticism of Low, it is not hard to imagine the kind of future deterrence it will have on public discourse in Singapore.It is kind of ironic in certain ways, given that the whole incident started off with Minister saying that the government should listen to public feedback whether the opinion is logical, rational or justified.
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My wish for social science research: The Social Science Research Council just announced a list of 12 studies that will get grants. But that's not all that is noteworthy. Researchers will have a free hand to publish their findings. This model of assuring researchers academic freeedom should be the default for future collaboration between government agencies and researchers.
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Thailand
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Trump's call signals closer ties. Invite marks change in tone from Obama: A source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the two leaders also touched on regional issues during the phone call. Mr Trump praised Gen Prayut for his leadership skill in bringing progress to Thailand and expressed interest in sending teams to the country to foster stronger economic ties, the source said. Meanwhile, US ambassador to Thailand Glyn T Davies met Gen Prayut on Thursday evening seeking Thailand's support in helping resolve tensions on the Korean Peninsula before the premier left to attend the regional summit.
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History uprooted in Thailand: The removal of the plaque is a shameful attempt to erase history and assert royalist dominance over a democracy that is already on its knees. However, it may also be backfiring; since the incident occurred, the previously obscure memorial has been splashed all over the media, the story is trending online and Thais are suddenly talking about 1932 again. One bookshop even advertised a special discount on books about the revolution, with a copy of the first constitution thrown in for free. Instead of burying history, the royalists might just have dug it up and given it new life again.
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126
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Opinion Pheu Thai must ponder the way forward: Why is it important that Pheu Thai review itself? The party can come back to power, and that is why. With a new election looming, Pheu Thai has many questions to ponder and it should not head into the race with the same-old attitude. Pheu Thai can be forgiven for always blaming "external factors". But looking back, there were actually things that threatened the party
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Thailand intensifies state control under new king: Chachavalpongpun - an associate professor at Kyoto University who applied for refugee status with Japan after a warrant was issued for his arrest in Thailand - said the state has certainly raised its level of absolutism following last year's royal succession and amid a growing level of public discontentment. "The situation does not help when the new king himself wishes to play politics. His eagerness only boosts the confidence of the military in its crackdown on critics," he said. "Because of the content in the new constitution, we will not have a truly democratic government. The new government, if civilian, will be weak and vulnerable, allowing itself to be dominated by the old establishment," said Chachavalpongpun.
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Thailand plaque disappearance stirs fears about military rule: "Politically, I think it's an attempt to undo the democratic legacy of the 1932 revolution," Prof Charnvit Kasetsiri, a historian and former rector at Bangkok's Thammasat University, said of the plaque switch. "Whatever [the revolutionaries] had done, had to be undone."
The plaque incident shows there is "no place for the 1932 revolution in Thai 'history'," said a Thai writer and commentator who asked not to be named because of the potential consequences of speaking out. "Books explain the revolution as a 'shotgun marriage'. They mean that Thai society is not yet ready for democracy."
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Opinion The politics of military procurements: In Thailand, after successive coups, it has become clear that the military and politics are inseparable. Even when Thailand had an elected government, the task of justifying to the public as to why the Armed Forces must have new military hardware was largely left to the country's top brass. Naturally, such a task required a high degree of sensitivity because we don't want to upset our neighbours, some of whom were our enemies.
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Timor-Leste (East Timor)
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130
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Timor-Leste's worrying economic future: Timor-Leste bought itself out of trouble under former president Gusmao. With careful management and a lot of luck it might stave off the worst of the imminent financial tightening. If it does not manage this, the booming youth population will enter a workforce devoid of jobs, presenting another momentous challenge for Timor-Leste's future governments.
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Vietnam
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131
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Political Infighting Seen Behind Rare Call to Discipline Vietnam Politburo Member: A recent proposal that a powerful top member of Vietnam's ruling Communist Party be punished for misconduct while the head of state-run oil giant PetroVietnam came at the behest of the country's party chief as part of a bid to secure his political future, according to observers. Pham Chi Dung, a Ho Chi Minh City-based reporter, told RFA's Vietnamese Service that Thang is widely seen as a pawn in a struggle between General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and former Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to cement their political standing.
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Ho Chi Minh City's 3 ambitious public transport projects: Experts have been calling for a ban on motorbikes in the city and the authorities have plans for three alternatives to the two-wheeler.
[2-minute video clip]
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133
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Flag-raising ceremony in Quảng Trị marks National Reunification Day: At that time, nearly 70,000 Vĩnh Linh soldiers and people got engaged in production and fighting as well, making significant contributions to the April 30 victory, he said. After 45 years of liberation, the provincial administration and people have gradually overcome difficulties to reap socio-economic accomplishments.
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Second province in southern Vietnam declares emergency over erosion: Erosion hotspots have been spotted along 210 meters of the river bank in Binh Thanh Commune. The National Highway 30, running east to the neighboring province Tien Giang, is also in danger. Local authorities have been asked to put up warning signs and make sure they are well prepared to evacuate residents when necessary. The cost to relocate at-risk families and protect the highway could reach VND60 billion, said Nguyen Thanh Hung, the province's deputy chairman.
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135
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How Saigon became Ho Chi Minh City: the history of a name: Time magazine spent almost its entire edition on May 12, 1975 writing about the world's most important event that year: the end of the Vietnam War. The edition published a portrait of President Ho Chi Minh and the map of a unified Vietnam under the headline "The Victor." The map was entirely red except for the yellow star and the words "Ho Chi Minh City" at the location of Saigon. That name, perfectly put on the map, is a simple yet effective announcement that the war has ended.
Many people have wondered why the American magazine was quick in calling Saigon by its new name, which was only officially chosen by Vietnamese legislators in July 1976. The only Time journalist who stayed in Saigon was Pham Xuan An. He had refused to leave with his colleagues. It wasn't very clear back then, but now we all know why: he was one of Hanoi's most important spies during the war. The fact that An knew before anybody else is not surprising. But how did the name "Ho Chi Minh City" come to life?
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136
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Vietnam's trade deficit increases day by day: According to statistics released by the General Department of Vietnam Customs, at April 15, 2017, the Vietnamese trade deficit stood at $2.56 billion, which is equivalent to 4.9 per cent of national export turnover. In particular, in the first half of April 2017, Vietnam incurred a trade deficit of $501 million. By contrast, in the same period last year, Vietnam had a trade surplus of $1.48 billion. It can be seen that the trade deficit is rising.
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ASEAN/Southeast Asia
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137
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The Straits Times says: Asean hopes up on ground signals: As it passes its 50th anniversary, Asean is taking shape as a vibrant community and economic marketplace. The region has a combined GDP in excess of USD2.5 trillion and trade of over USD1 trillion. Greater integration will undoubtedly boost the momentum. For that to happen, Asean's collective hopes must be able to rise above the individual anxieties of some members.
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138
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Asean: Putting a 'human face' to an economic community: The "human face" of the AEC concerns two segments of the population. The first is the burgeoning middle class that is demanding more equitable growth and more transparent and cleaner governments. Modern-day technology and social media have amplified these voices and generated greater accessibility for the average person to policymakers.
This is changing the style of governance in Asean member states, raising overall expectations of how governments should perform. Many traditional elites who have dominated governments and state power are struggling to deal with the challenges of rising populism.
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139
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Indonesia Rolls Out Red Carpet for Asean Neighbors: Indonesia will make it easier for tourists and traders from Thailand and the Philippines to enter the country by opening up new shipping and flight routes connecting the three regions.
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140
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Tight labor, pollution in ASEAN spook Japan makers: Survey: Japanese manufacturers regard Southeast Asia as the most important region for their business, but they are leery about labor shortages and pollution there, a recent survey by Japan's Mizuho Research Institute revealed. The think tank conducted the survey in February targeting Japanese manufacturers capitalized at 10 million yen ($89,000) or more. It received valid responses from 1,121 companies.
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141
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Asian nations pulled into China's orbit as Trump puts America first: The unexpected bonhomie that has emerged between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could give Asian countries further confidence to continue their swing towards Beijing.
"Before, most Southeast Asian states wanted to benefit from Chinese regional economic initiatives and from American pushback against China," said Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.
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142
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Jokowi, Duterte inaugurate Davao-Bitung Ro-Ro ferry service: The President and First Lady Iriana Jokowi left for Davao on Sunday, boarding Indonesia-1 Air Plane from Col Jesus Villamor Airport of Manila. According to a press release of the Press, Media and Information Bureau of the Indonesian Presidential Secretariat, the shipping line will be optimized to develop sub-regions in both countries.
The government hopes the connectivity can increase trade value and people to people contact of both countries."The new Ro-Ro will connect Indonesia and the Philippines. We will develop the line to connect other regions of ASEAN countries to achieve ASEAN Connectivity," Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said.
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143
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Asean Bersedia Belajar Daripada Brexit [Asean Ready To Learn From Brexit]: MANILA - Negara anggota ASEAN mengiktiraf keperluan bagi perkumpulan serantau itu bersedia dan dapat memaksimumkan peluang daripada Revolusi Perindustrian Keempat untuk menggalakkan pertumbuhan ekonomi di rantau ini. Dalam Kenyataan Pengerusi yang dikeluarkan pada akhir Sidang Kemuncak ASEAN ke-30 pada Sabtu, ASEAN turut menegaskan keperluan untuk menggalakkan pembangunan ekonomi yang inklusif dan saksama.
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144
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China Boleh Kendurkan Ketegangan Semenanjung Korea [China Can Loosen The Tension Of Korean Peninsula]: MANILA - FILIPINA. China boleh memainkan peranan yang lebih besar dalam megendurkan ketegangan yang sedang memuncak di Semenanjung Korea, yang menjadi tumpuan besar di wilayah ini sekarang, kata Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Beliau berkata Asean perlu mencari jalan dan cara untuk mengurangkan ketegangan yang kegusaran awam atau nuklear bukanlah merupakan suatu perkara baik kerana kebimbangan awam boleh menjadi salah dan boleh menjadi bencana yang sukar dibayangkan,. "Melihat kepada pelbagai pilihan termasuk sama ada China boleh memainkan peranan lebih besar untuk memujuk Korea Utara bagi mengubah kedudukannya yang agak agresif dan lebih menurut harapan komuniti global.
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145
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Where Is ASEAN On Press Freedom? It has been another poor year for the subregion in the annual World Press Freedom Index.
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146
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Human Rights Watch official says Southeast Asian leaders steering away from democracy: "Human rights is in a precipitous downward spiral in every ASEAN country except perhaps Myanmar, and that's only because military rule in that country was so horrible for so long," Robertson said. "By just about every measure - freedom of expression and peaceful protest, religious tolerance, non-interference in civil society, respect for democratic principles, fair treatment of refugees and migrants - the region is falling deeper into dictatorship, repression, and rights abuse." Here are the leaders of ASEAN nations and issues surrounding their rule.
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M'sia-Indonesia-Philippines must boost efforts to bolster Esscom: Malaysia will look into forging closer collaboration with the Philippines and Indonesia to strengthen the Eastern Sabah Security Command (Esscom). Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein said such working partnerships are essential, as it is difficult to defend the vast areas of eastern Sabah and the Sulu and Celebes Seas. "We should share initiatives on what we have across the board - for example, (Malaysia's) military diplomacy with Indonesia and the Philippines. I don't see any reason why we cannot expand (the collaboration) to other agencies and Esscom, to ensure no wastage of assets, quicker response time and sharing of intelligence," he said during a press conference after attending a briefing by Esscom here.
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148
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ASEAN at 50: Carry on soul searching? Signs of growing political assertiveness among some ASEAN members, both within the group and in the wider international arena, have given the impression they are going their different ways. Their position on China is one example. While ties at the ASEAN-China level are cordial, individual members have different levels of intimacy and interaction with Beijing. Relations between Singapore and China, for instance, have become strained, although this has yet to affect China's relationship with ASEAN as a whole.
Whether ASEAN's collective relationship with China can remain immune to friction between Beijing and individual member states is a key question. The cooling of relations between Singapore and China must be closely monitored, especially as the city-state will take over as next year's ASEAN chairman while continuing to serve as the group's country coordinator for ASEAN-China ties until next year.
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Asia Pacific
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149
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A French Pivot to Asia? Since the end of the Cold War, and with attempts at forging a European foreign policy, Paris has kept the profile of "overseas France" fairly low. However, major changes over the last year in France's two main territories in the Pacific, New Caledonia and French Polynesia, may shake up the whole region, and beyond. The new engagements even raise questions about the development of a possible "fourth island chain" that could fundamentally alter the strategic map of the Pacific.
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150
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China ready to play a greater role in resolving conflicts in South & Southeast Asia: China has been at the center of a regional power shift, thus the country now needs to learn how to act as a stabilizing force and conflict mediator in the region. There is so much to learn for China about how to play its role as a regional power at a time when the country is witnessing a boom in outbound direct investment. For instance, while China has the capability to resolve conflicts through mediation given its increased economic influence, the nation needs to be very prudent in dealing with other big powers, India included, in the region. In fact, mediating between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue would perhaps be one of the toughest challenges facing China in dealing with regional affairs to safeguard its overseas interests.
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151
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Diversity trumps 'Asian values': As a young and hopeful student, I arrived in Japan in 1993 to be told that due to my European ethnicity and Canadian upbringing, I could never truly understand Asian politics or international relations. Today, working in Singapore, I routinely face the same charge of intellectual "original sin." For proponents of Asian values, the Confucian embrace of hierarchy is the quintessential quality that differentiates Asia from the West -- to the benefit of Asia.
At the end of the Cold War, Asianists rightfully challenged Western intellectual universalism and arrogance. A quarter-century later, Asianist claims about East Asian cultural unity and embrace of hierarchy are themselves under challenge -- and this time from within. Asia's diversity trumps claims of cultural unity and uniqueness or universality. All observers -- Western, Asian or other -- are in the same intellectual fog. Rowing together to navigate the region's complexities is better than throwing some overboard along the way.
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152
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Trump Reaches Out to Asia Allies Over North Korea's Nuclear Threat: Trump spoke to the prime ministers of Thailand and Singapore in separate phone calls about the North Korea n threat and invited both of them to Washington, U.S. officials said. Adam M. Smith, a Treasury Department sanctions expert in former President Barack Obama's administration, said the lesson from trying to contain Iran's nuclear ambitions was that the more multilateral the pressure, the more effective it was. He said it was notable that Trump was talking to the money centers in Asia - Singapore and Japan - and reaching out to some countries in the region, including the Philippines, that have been unwilling to go beyond what was required by U.N. sanctions.
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153
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MSDF warship to escort U.S. supply vessel in first since security laws' passage: Japan will dispatch its biggest warship since World War II to protect a U.S. supply ship as early as Monday in the first such operation during peacetime under Japan's national security laws as tensions mount in the region over North Korea, government sources said Sunday. The Self-Defense Forces were newly assigned with guarding U.S. warships during peacetime under the new security laws that came into force in March last year. The laws primarily enable Japan to exercise the right to collective self-defense, or coming to the aid of an ally under attack, and expand the scope of SDF activities overseas.
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154
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Trump warms to Xi, but risks leaving allies out to dry: Chinese officials will no doubt be pleased by Trump's overtures, said Jia Qingguo, a leading academic who has advised the government on foreign policy. "It's hugely positive that there's been a reasonably constructive start to the bilateral dialogue between those two countries," said Tom Lembong, Indonesia's investment chief and close aide to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo. But longtime allies may also be wondering just how far Washington still has their back. Shashank Joshi, senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute in London, said countries such as Japan and South Korea could lose influence if Trump's focus on enlisting Xi's help over North Korea creates a "sort of U.S.-China G-2."
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155
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Beijing's charm offensive: A challenge to test loyalty: This current change in policy means that Beijing considers every ethnic Chinese outside China - which, for this purpose, includes Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan - just about on a par with mainland Chinese.
Prof Wang, 86, is a pre-eminent scholar on the Chinese communities of South-east Asia. He chairs the East Asian Institute and the board of trustees of the ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, among other things. The reason for this policy U-turn, Prof Wang says, is so that Beijing can tap the non-mainland ethnic Chinese outside China for support in its bid to realise its potential as a new superpower. The special problem for Singapore, he points out, is an old one: that some from mainland China still think Singapore is part of China, and not the sovereign country that it is.
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156
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China's 'one big family' policy raises concerns: The rub is, as Dr Suryadinata argues in his compelling new book, The Rise Of China And The Chinese Overseas, such exhortations might stoke long-burning embers of suspicion and resentment among indigenous peoples of the Chinese in their midst, no thanks to the latter's enterprise, wealth and economic dominance.
Dr Suryadinata, 76, is the world's authority on the Chinese in Indonesia. A visiting senior fellow at ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute, a Singapore think-tank, he was the director of Nanyang Technological University's Chinese Heritage Centre from 2006 to 2013, and teaches the politics and government of South-east Asia at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
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157
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Civil society across Asia is flowering but fragile: The political sensitivities of the authorities means there are no-go zones and taboo topics where CSOs are not welcome or can only operate under duress and within tightly circumscribed bounds. Even in authoritarian societies, CSOs manage to carve out space, but their activities and impact are limited so as to avoid undesired consequences. China, for example, is allowing environmental activism even as it incarcerates journalists, lawyers and other activists who venture into sensitive political issues involving repression, human rights, nepotism and corruption.
Even in nations like Indonesia that have navigated democratic transitions, civil society is not always what it seems, as some groups that enjoy the support of international donors are controlled by local elites representing legacy power networks antithetical to liberal agendas, thus thwarting good intentions.
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158
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Civil society across Asia is flowering but fragile: There are two major trends influencing the 21st century operating environment for CSOs in Asia: the spread of neoliberal economic policies and the rise and consolidation of illiberal democracies. Neoliberal economic reforms are varied, but they usually involve reducing the role of the state and cutting taxes and government budgets. The impact on vulnerable people in society can be catastrophic as programs aimed at mitigating poverty, improving living standards and addressing health and educational problems are slashed. Such reforms create a niche for CSOs as they respond to what is effectively an outsourcing of government services.
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159
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Stay the course on globalization but make it work better, say Asia-Pacific business leaders: Members of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC), meeting in Seoul to prepare recommendations on business priorities for APEC Trade Ministers in May, emphasized the tremendous benefits that more open trade has delivered for Asia-Pacific communities, lifting millions from poverty, enhancing productivity and generating dynamic growth in the region. "By contrast, protectionism harms employment, food security and living standards," said 2017 ABAC Chair Hoang Van Dung. "Leaders need strongly to resist the temptation to throw up the barriers to trade and investment."
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160
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Financing for an Inclusive and Sustainable Future in Asia: As the Asia-Pacific is home to more than 4.5 billion people, exploiting domestic revenue sources is critical. Relying on the government alone to finance sustainable development needs of the region will not be enough. We need more innovative solutions that draw resources from both public and private sectors. While national governments are expected to shoulder the bulk of the responsibility, evidence has shown that a committed private sector can play a catalytic role in accelerating the attainment of the SDGs.
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East/South China Sea
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161
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(Mis)construing China's threat to the South China Sea: China apparently does not consider defensive installations 'militarisation'. It has repeatedly warned it will defend itself if the United States persists with provocative ISR probes and Freedom of Navigation exercises (FONOPs) near its coast and occupied features. In a January 2016 teleconference with US Chief of Naval Operations John Richardson, Chinese naval commander Wu Shengli said that 'We won't not set up defences. How many defences completely depends on the level of threat we face'. Self-defence is every nation's right. There is obviously disagreement over the definition of 'militarisation' and who is doing it.
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162
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ASEAN Tacks Away from Rocky South China Sea Issue: Southeast Asia's reluctance to challenge China on its claims in the South China Sea is made worse this year by uncertainty over the foreign policy goals of U.S. President Donald Trump, analysts said. "The Trump administration has yet to show its hand on the South China Sea," said Ian Storey, senior fellow at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. "I hate to say this, but [Mr. Duterte] has a point. The asymmetries of power are growing day by day."
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163
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Philippines says it has completed scientific survey in disputed sea: The Philippines has completed an 18-day scientific survey in the South China Sea to assess the condition of coral reefs and draw a nautical map of disputed area, a top security official said on Thursday. Two survey ships, including an advanced research vessel acquired from the United States, conducted surveys around Scarborough Shoal and on three islands, including Thitu, in the Spratly group, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said. "This purely scientific and environmental undertaking was pursued in line with Philippine responsibilities under the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea to protect the marine biodiversity and ensure the safety of navigation within the Philippines' EEZ," Esperon said in a statement.
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164
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China revises mapping law to bolster claims over South China Sea land, Taiwan: China's National People's Congress Standing Committee, a top law-making body, passed a revised version of China's surveying and mapping law intended to safeguard the security of China's geographic information, lawmakers told reporters in Beijing. Hefty new penalties were attached to "intimidate" foreigners who carry out surveying work without permission. President Xi Jinping has overseen a raft of new legislature in the name of safeguarding China's national security by upgrading and adding to already broad laws governing state secrets and security.
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Abenomics
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165
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The quiet but substantial successes of Abenomics: When a policy is applied for more than four years, and consistently fails to produce the intended result, it is tempting to declare it a failure. Critics of Japan's economic stimulus declare exactly that. They are wrong. So-called Abenomics has not failed, and it should be sustained, not abandoned.
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ASEAN-China
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166
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Asian nations pulled into China's orbit as Trump puts America first: Southeast Asian nations will need more than that to convince them the United States still has their backs. In the meantime, some are leaning closer to China, soft-pedalling quarrels over the disputed South China Sea and angling for a slice of Beijing's "One Belt, One Road" infrastructure investment program to compensate for the U.S. abandonment of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact.
The unexpected bonhomie that has emerged between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could give Asian countries further confidence to continue their swing toward Beijing. "Before, most Southeast Asian states wanted to benefit from Chinese regional economic initiatives and from American pushback against China," said Malcolm Cook, a senior fellow at the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore. The second part of this balance is now in question. Hence, the pressure to acquiesce to China diplomatically and on security issues is stronger."
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Global Economy
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167
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Commentary: A world turned inside out: The pendulum of world economic growth has swung dramatically from the so-called advanced countries to the emerging and developing economies. New? Absolutely. Normal? Not even close. It is a stunning development, one that raises at least three fundamental questions about our understanding of macroeconomics..
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Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)/
Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
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168
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Trans-Pacific Partnership without America: Where does this leave Australia? For us, the TPP was more about encouraging America to stay engaged in Asia. We already have a bilateral trade agreement covering many of the economic issues. We would have signed up (perhaps after some routine parliamentary pontificating about intellectual property rights and the dispute resolution provisions). There is an argument that all this hard negotiation effort shouldn't go to waste, and indeed the Australian negotiators were successful in avoiding some worst-case outcomes on intellectual property and dispute settlement. If America returns to the TPP, we share Japan's interest in locking-in the existing negotiated terms, rather than renegotiating to placate America's desire for still-more-favourable terms.
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169
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特朗普危机和东亚经济一体化
: TPP
的动向也会给东盟和东亚经济一体化造成巨大影响。特朗普危机以前，首先是
TPP
深化了
AEC
。伴随
TPP
成立的动向，东盟也在往成立
AEC
的方向走。其次，
TPP
深化了
RCEP
，进一步深化了
AEC
。第三，
TPP
的有些新规则具有可以让
AEC
和
RCEP
更加深化的可能性。
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US Foreign Policy
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170
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On foreign policy, he's behaved like a normal president: On foreign policy, candidate Trump promised little ideology and plenty of anecdote-driven reactionism. Not enough jobs? Get them back. Terrible Iran deal? Tear it up. Allies free-riding on US defence largesse? Send them a bill. Fighting unnecessary wars? Stop. Far from a doctrine, Mr Trump offered a smorgasbord of retorts and one-liners that added up to what many worried would be a dangerous isolationist and protectionist era in US politics. But 100 days into his term, President Trump has been far more conventional than many dared hope. Many of his promises, from labelling China a currency manipulator to staying out of Syria and making nice with Russia, appear to be on hold - which should surprise no one.
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171
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Asia's American menace: Perhaps the most consistent feature of Trump's foreign policy is his obsession with gaining short-term advantage. In one recent tweet, he asked why he should label China a currency manipulator when the Chinese are working with the U.S. to rein in North Korea. Just days earlier, Trump had called the Chinese the "world champions" of currency manipulation. That tweet may offer additional insight into Trump's Asia policy. For starters, it highlights North Korea's sudden emergence as Trump's main foreign policy challenge, suggesting that the strategic patience pursued by former President Barack Obama could well be replaced by a more accident-prone policy of strategic tetchiness.
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US-ASEAN
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172
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Donald Trump builds relations with authoritarian Asian leaders: Donald Trump has revived US relations with two of Asia's most authoritarian heads of state - the leader of Thailand's junta and the president of the Philippines - by inviting them to the White House. In separate phonecalls over the weekend, Trump spoke with Thailand's prime minister, Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former general who took power in a 2014 coup, and the Philippine president, Rodrigo Duterte, who is accused of mass murder. The calls aimed to rally regional allies as Washington takes an increasingly hard line towards North Korea's nuclear programme. The country ran another failed missile test on Friday.
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173
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Trump calls Asean leaders over North Korea: A day after calling Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, Mr Trump called Mr Lee yesterday, and was later scheduled to call Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, to seek their cooperation in US efforts to rein in North Korea's nuclear and missile programmes, news reports said. Mr Trump and Mr Lee both affirmed "the deep and longstanding relationship between Singapore and the United States".
"They expressed satisfaction that ministers from both sides are already working with each other and looked forward to meeting each other soon," said Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement last night. The calls came ahead of a meeting in Washington on Thursday between Asean foreign ministers and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.
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