ISEAS Library Selects

Daily News on the Southeast Asian Region

27 April 2017 (pm) -  28 April 2017  (am)
 
Greetings

This issue of Daily News Alert includes two commentaries contributed by Dr Joergen Oerstroem Moeller, Visiting Senior Fellow and Dr Thitinan Pongsudhirak, Former Visiting Fellow as well as three citations attributed to Dr Norshahril Saat, Fellow and Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, Fellow, ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.

Two ISEAS' research projects to be funded by Research Projects Selected for Inaugural Social Science Research Thematic Grant (SSRTG) were also featured in the news:  i) Christianity in Southeast Asia: Comparative Growth, Politics and Networks in Urban Centres by Dr Terence Chong, Senior Fellow and Head, Nalanda - Sriwijaya Centre; and ii) Singapore's Islamic Studies Graduates: Their Role and Impact in a Plural Society by Dr Norshahril Saat, Fellow, Regional Strategic and Political Studies Programme

ISEAS Library will be closed on 1 May. The next issue of Daily News Alert will be released on Tuesday, 2 May 2017, covering news from this afternoon till the morning of next Tuesday.

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CamCambodia

1 .
Lawmaker Long Ry Probed; RFA Issues Defiant Statement: Opposition lawmaker Long Ry became the first witness to be questioned by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court over accusations that Radio Free Asia journalist Huot Khin Vuthy falsely identified himself while accompanying Mr. Ry and CNRP Vice President Mu Sochua on a prison visit last week. The release of a defiant statement from Radio Free Asia (RFA) saying Mr. Khin Vuthy, the station's deputy director for Cambodia, was innocent and that the broadcaster would not be cowed by government pressure. RFA would also continue their "brave and courageous" reporting in the run-up to June's commune elections.
 

2 .
NGOs' 'Adhoc 5' effect: Yesterday, a Phnom Penh investigating judge ruled to extend the pre-trial detention of Adhoc staffers Lim Mony, Ny Sokha, Yi Soksan and Nay Vanda, and ex-staffer and National Election Committee deputy secretary-general Ny Charkya. As of today, the five have already been held without trial for a full year. Explaining his decision to extend the group's detention by up to six more months, investigating judge Theam Chanpiseth yesterday told the five and their lawyers that more time was needed to question witnesses and further investigate the case, despite the fact that only one witness has been interrogated by the Phnom Penh Municipal Court since last October.

3 .
Youk Chhang: A Cambodian National Treasure: Although Youk Chhang strongly advocated war crimes trials, he never considered them a panacea for his nation's many ills. The DC CAM director's voice was refreshingly human compared to the UN lawyers, diplomats and human rights industry experts who spoke of war crimes trials as if they were little more than the cold application of fact to law and treated politics like it was somehow beneath them. When trials were first seriously considered in 1996 after Khmer Rouge leader Ieng Sary defected and appeared to receive a royal pardon, Chhang took a compellingly honest stand. He argued that for the sake of historical clarity it was better to grant Ieng Sary a political amnesty in exchange for testimony, along with a lifetime ban from politics, than "to pretend that he will not be tried because evidence and law are lacking."
 

4 .
Hun Sen Tells US to Stop Deporting Ethnic Cambodian Felons to His Country: "We request an amendment to the agreement on deportation. Such deportation splits up families of our Cambodian people," Hun Sen said at a speech at a graduation ceremony in Phnom Penh. "When they are jailed in the U.S., their families are allowed to visit them in the prison. However, when they are deported, they are far apart (from their families). The Cambodian government needs to address this matter," he said. Under a 2002 agreement, which the Cambodian Foreign Ministry said remains in effect until renegotiated, some 500 convicted felons of Cambodian descent after serving their sentences have been repatriated to a country most have never visited with a language they do not speak.

5 .
'HUMAN RIGHTS NOBEL' NOMINATION FOR JAILED CAMBODIANS SHINES LIGHT ON STIFLING OF DISSENT: Since mid-2015, the number of political prisoners in Cambodia's jails has escalated rapidly, with 27 currently behind bars and eight others released after serving time, according to local rights group Licadho. Among them are land-rights activist Tep Vanny, sentenced to 2.5 years over a protest demanding the release of fellow activists, and university student Kong Raya, who was jailed in response to a Facebook post calling for a "colour revolution".
Sophal Ear, associate professor of diplomacy and world affairs at Occidental College in Los Angeles, said the use of the legal system as a means of intimidation had "reached new heights" ahead of local elections in June and national elections in 2018. "People will be even more afraid to stick their necks out and vote for the opposition; to speak truth to power," he said.
 

IndIndonesia

6 .
More 'Urban Forests' for Jakarta: Jakarta, which is home to 10 million residents, is constantly high in temperature. The city needs more green spaces. Developing urban forests as recreational sites for Jakartans had been a priority program of Governor Ahok and his predecessor Jokowi, who is currently the president of Indonesia.
 
Leo Jegho
Global Indonesian Voices, 28 April 2017
http://www.globalindonesianvoices.com/30086/more-urban-forests-for-jakarta/


7 .
Agriculture ministry to create 80,000 hectares of new rice fields: The Ministry's agricultural infrastructure director general Pending Dadih Permana said the new rice fields would be created outside Java. "Many plots of land have not been developed [by the owners]. We will help them convert the land into rice fields. We will prioritize owners who are ready to cultivate their land," said Pending during a hearing with members of the House of Representatives' Commission IV overseeing agriculture affairs. Last year, the ministry created 129, 096 hectares of new rice fields in 27 provinces, slightly lower than the target of 132,167 hectares.

8 .
Economic Census shows businesses still concentrated in Java: About 60.74 percent of 26.71 million businesses are located in Java, 18.61 percent in Sumatra, 8.09 percent in Sulawesi, 5.68 percent in Bali and Nusa Tenggara, 5.16 percent in Kalimantan and 1.72 percent in Maluku and Papua. "It is up to us to develop eastern Indonesia," BPS head Kecuk Suhariyanto said during his opening for the reading of the census.
Conducted every decade, the Economic Census surveys businesses of all sizes, except those in the agriculture sector. The number of companies it covers has increased by 17.51 percent to 26.71 million in May 2016 from 22.73 million in 2006.
 

9 .
Pancasila, a religion-friendly ideology: Ahead of the recently completed Jakarta gubernatorial run-off election, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo appealed for politics and religion to be kept separate. His statement reinvigorated the classical discussion over whether religion and the state are inseparable.
 
Syafiq Hasyim, Director of the International Center for Islam and Pluralism in Jakarta
Jakarta Post, 28 April 2017
http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/04/28/pancasila-a-religion-friendly-ideology.html


10 .
Between inequality and identity in Jakarta polls: Mainstreaming the issues of inequality and poverty requires political education-including how religion ought to be placed in electoral politics-so religion doesn't become a conduit used for channeling anger. It's politics that decides who gets what. It's politics that positions who will have power to regulate economic matters. If it's economic regulation that we position as an end (ghayah, in Islamic terms), then politics in its general sense, or electoral politics in particular, is the means (wasilah). If that goal is an obligation to be undertaken, then, to borrow a legal maxim of Islamic jurisprudence (qa'idah fiqhiyyah), 'a means in whose absence an obligatory end will not be fulfilled is obligatory as well' (ma la yatimm al-wajib illa bihi fahuwa wajib)-but this is not to be confused with the 'ends justify the means' ethical philosophy of instrumentalism.
 
Azis Anwar Fachrudin graduated last year from the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), a master's program in Religious Studies at the Graduate School of Interdisciplinary Studies, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM), Yogyakarta
New Mandala, 28 April 2017
http://www.newmandala.org/inequality-identity-jakarta-polls/


11 .
Govt to Continue Building Low-cost Houses: After building a modest flat complex in South Tangerang, affordable houses would be soon built in Depok and Bogor, West Java Province, the Head of State said while inaugurating the groundbreaking of flat construction in Serua Ciputat, South Tangerang, here on Thursday.
 
"Next week, we will see the construction of 2 thousand houses near Depok station," he stated. Each 21(meter)-type house would be sold at Rp112 million, which is affordable for blue-collar workers in Bogor and Depok."It is very cheap. Non-blue collar workers should refrain from buying them. If it is saleable, I will push for more development. But, if it is not saleable and only the rich could afford them, then it will be stopped," he noted.

12 .
Man deemed 'Indonesia's Donald Trump' considers presidential run: Founder and president of diversified conglomerate MNC Group, Tanoesoedibjo created his own political faction in 2015 - the United Indonesia Party, or Perindo - and said he may enter the 2018 presidential race if nobody else from his party was game. "Let's see, if there is nobody else, I may consider," the 51-year-old magnate said on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Video Operators Summit (APOS) in Bali.
Perindo is focused on increasing the welfare of the poor and bridging the country's massive wealth gap, he explained. "My interest in politics is to see Indonesia growing in the right direction, to see a developed Indonesia." He noted that incoming Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan personally promised him to focus on the poor.

13 .
Bottom up' campaigning failed Ahok, and it might fail Jokowi: As we look ahead to 2019, Jokowi should be concerned is that his non-political party supporter base may be dissipating. Many volunteer groups who expected more of a say in his presidency have been disappointed. Others who did not support Prabowo in 2014 rallied behind Anies in 2017. Indonesian democracy is often described as rambunctious and kaleidoscopic, but in the 2017 Jakarta election the leading campaign forces shifted from young, pluralist reformers to Islamic leaders and groups.
 
Ross Tapsell Lecturer in Asian Studies at the Australian National University
Jakarta Post, 27 April 2017
http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/04/27/bottom-up-campaigning-failed-ahok-and-it-might-fail-jokowi.html


14 .
Flowers for Ahok moved to Monas as number reaches more than 2,000: The flowers have adorned all sides of City Hall and neighboring sidewalks since Tuesday. "We'll put them in Monas park," said Bambang of Gambir district environmental agency on Thursday, adding that the agency had prepared eight trucks to move the flowers. [The trucks] have been back and forth three times, but there are still more [of the flowers] at City Hall," he said as quoted by wartakota.tribunnews.com.
Apart from the floral displays, Jakartans still flocked to City Hall on Thursday to express their support for Ahok and Djarot before they leave office in October. The incumbent pair was defeated by Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno in the April 19 runoff election.

15 .
Indonesia may get Rp 55t investment commitment from Malaysia: On President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's instruction, Eko visited the neighboring country on April 20-21 with the specific task of offering investment opportunities in the archipelago. "They were highly interested in investing in Indonesia. Potential investment from Malaysian companies has reached Rp 33 trillion," said Eko in Jakarta on Thursday. Though they expressed interest in various sectors, a majority of these 12 companies had their eyes on Indonesia's infrastructure and plantations, he added.

16 .
Will Indonesia fall into middle-income trap? The economies of Southeast Asian countries have rapidly developed since 2000, and from this point onward some countries, such as Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia, have reached middle-income status and are now known as emerging countries. Unfortunately, these growing countries will probably face the threat of a middle-income trap in the future.
 
Taufans Victor works at the Fiscal Policy Agency of the Indonesian Finance Ministry
Jakarta Post, 27 April 2017
http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/04/27/will-indonesia-fall-into-middle-income-trap.html


17 .
Digging up the Dutch colonial past: The Dutch inquiry into the Indonesian revolution perhaps has a wider significance, for it comes at a time of concern about the erosion of international norms and values in a world of fading idealism, rising populist nationalism, and decaying global cooperation. It is quite possible that an inquiry led by liberal academics half a world away from where their countrymen used violent means in the defence of empire could mean a whole lot more than spending three million Euros of Dutch public money on the closure of an ugly chapter of history: it could help keep alive the promise of justice for millions of other victims of war crimes around the world.
 
Michael Vatikiotis is Asia Director of the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
New Mandala, 27 April 2017
http://www.newmandala.org/digging-dutch-colonial-past/


18 .
93 Countries to Question Indonesia`s Human Rights Violations: According to Ifdhal, reviewers often ask questions related to the death penalty that still exists in Indonesia. In addition, President Jokowi has considered a death penalty moratorium following pressure from the public. "We can't deny the death penalty. We will report what we have done with our death penalty system. It can be seen in the criminal code revision," he said.
Indonesia will also explain the development of past human rights violation incidents, such as the Wamena Wasior case. "It's being discussed by the attorney general's office to determine whether the status will be improved to an investigation or not," Ifdhal said.

2017 Indonesian Regional Elections

19 .
Why the middle class switched to Anies: The time has come for intellectuals, activists, survey institutions and the media to stop equating Anies Baswedan and Sandiaga Uno's's victory in the Jakarta gubernatorial election with the rise of radical Islam and fundamentalism that threatens to snuff out democracy and silence the voice of minorities. This is all just a political fabrication that is not based on real data.
 
Edriana Noerdin, Program director of Women Research Institute
Jakarta Post, 27 April 2017
http://www.thejakartapost.com/academia/2017/04/27/why-the-middle-class-switched-to-anies.html


20 .
'Bottom up' campaigning failed Ahok, and it might fail Jokowi: As we look ahead to 2019, Jokowi should be concerned is that his non-political party supporter base may be dissipating. Many volunteer groups who expected more of a say in his presidency have been disappointed. Others who did not support Prabowo in 2014 rallied behind Anies in 2017. Indonesian democracy is often described as rambunctious and kaleidoscopic, but in the 2017 Jakarta election the leading campaign forces shifted from young, pluralist reformers to Islamic leaders and groups.
 
Ross Tapsell is a lecturer in Asian Studies at the Australian National University.
New Mandala, 27 April 2017
http://www.newmandala.org/bottom-campaigning-failed-ahok-might-fail-jokowi/


LaosLaos

21 .
Lao food prices higher than neighbours: The prices of food staples in Laos are still around 10-20 percent higher compared to neighbouring countries especially Thailand and Vietnam, the National Assembly (NA) was informed. To manage the price of staples and services, the government, especially the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, had issued new regulations to cover the management more items, Ms Khemmani explained. The ministry also improved coordination with other ministries, provinces and at local level to assist domestic trade staff while Vientiane had been selected as a model in goods management and inspection and consumer protection, she said.

MalMalaysia

22 .
How grave an issue is fake news? Human rights lawyer Eric Paulsen has questioned the government's sense of priorities, saying it appears to be too preoccupied with trying to fight fake news. Speaking to FMT, Paulsen said he was concerned that Putrajaya could be distracting itself from more important matters. His remarks followed a statement from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission that warned WhatsApp group administrators of prosecution if their groups were caught spreading fake news.

23 .
Sarawak Report editor confirms accepting legal papers from PAS: Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown has left it to her lawyers to handle a defamation suit filed by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang. "It is in the hands of my lawyers. It will not be appropriate to make statements at this early stage," she told FMT in an e-mail reply. Takiyuddin said PAS was seeking substantial damages and an injunction to compel Sarawak Report to remove the article titled "As Najib Denies All Over 1MDB, Let's Not Forget His Many Other Criminal Connections - COMMENT". The suit is over a claim in the article that RM90 million was "reckoned" to have entered the accounts of top PAS leaders to woo them into supporting Umno and the Barisan Nasional.

24 .
Silence of the Islamic elite: A university professor has criticised Islamic officials and Muslim scholars and politicians for what he alleges is their silence in the face of extremism in the form of speeches, writings, teachings and acts of violence. Tajuddin Rasdi, who teaches Islamic architecture at USCI, says their silence was a bigger tragedy for Islam than extremist speech or behaviour themselves because it could be interpreted as indifference. "It's worse if it's interpreted as quiet agreement," he told FMT. He said he was sad to observe that institutions of learning had been organising forums that had essentially attacked non-Muslims or those who appeared to defy mainstream Islamic mores, such as the LGBT community.

25 .
Yet another child's blood on our hands: There are many troubling questions that arise from this tragic and needless loss of life but perhaps the most glaring and disturbing of them all lie in the fact that the religious school where Thaqif was a student did not fall under the purview of the Ministry of Education as it was not an institution that was registered with the ministry. Of equally grave concern is the criminal history of the assistant warden currently being remanded over Thaqif's death. Why was a convicted felon who once served time for theft allowed to work with children in the first place?
 

26 .
Pas Youth approves motion to cut ties with PKR, without debate: Pas Youth has accepted the motion to end the Islamic party's "tahaluf siyasi", or political cooperation, with PKR without debating it. This was announced by Pas Youth's deputy permanent chairman, Dr Riduan Mohd Nor, during the party's 63rd general assembly, or Muktamar, today.
The motion, which was moved by Terengganu delegate Ramlan Mahmood, received unanimous support from all delegates present. "Pas Youth now approves the motion to cut ties with PKR, without a debate," Riduan said, while the delegates cheered in agreement.

27 .
Penang Pas: PKR have done nothing to help Muslims on island: Penang Pas has no regrets moving a motion to end its 'tahaluf siyasi' or political cooperation with PKR, said the state's youth delegate Muhamad Hafiz Alias. He said this was because Penang PKR had done nothing to help Muslims on the island, adding that Batu Maung assemblyman, Abdul Malik Kassim had failed to speak on behalf of the people. "YB Malik Kassim has been silent when it was actually the Malays who had voted for him. But he continues to stay silent even on Islamic matters," he said when debating the Pas youth chief's keynote address at Kompleks Pas Kedah in conjunction with the party's 63rd Muktamar. He also pointed out that the livelihood of the fishermen at the island have been affected due to Penang government's action of reclaiming three man-made islands.

28 .
Stop criticisms or lose our support, Pas warns PKR: Upset over criticisms made against Pas leaders, Sukri called on Rafizi to run against Pas Youth in Pandan in the upcoming 14th General Election (GE14). "I want to remind Rafizi, we are not afraid over what he has to say, even if he continues to attack us. If he's a man, then contest at Pandan in the next GE and face the youth. Same goes to Selangor MB (Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali). He can call us 'lebai' all he wants, but without our support, this will be his last term as Selangor MB," Sukri said during Pas' 63rd Muktamar, held at Kompleks Pas Kedah here, today.
On April 13, Rafizi claimed that former Pas deputy president, Datuk Dr Nasharudin Mat Isa, allegedly received funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd, a former 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) subsidiary.

29 .
Kerajaan tak fungsi kalau tolak GST [Government Does Not Function If Minus GST]: KUALA LUMPUR - Pembangkang hanya tahu menabur janji tanpa perlu membuktikannya melalui fakta untuk menarik sokongan politik. Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak mengulas penentangan berterusan pembangkang terhadap pelaksanaan GST bahawa pembangkang mempolitikkan isu itu tanpa 'berpijak di bumi yang nyata'. "Jika kita tolak GST bermakna kita tolak lebih RM50 bilion setahun dari bajet (RM260 bilion) sekali gus kerajaan memang tidak boleh berfungsi dan berkhidmat kepada rakyat. "RM260 bilion tolak RM50 bilion tinggal RM210 bilion sahaja. Hendak bayar elaun penjawat awam pun tidak cukup. Perkiraan pembangkang bersifat politik. Bukan kenyataan dan relevan," katanya.

30 .
Hadi Awang's eldest son rises to power: Born and raised in Terengganu as the oldest of 11 children from Datuk Seri Hadi's first wife, Mr Khalil said his involvement with PAS began in his teenage days. His ascension within PAS is unsurprising as Mr Hadi is keeping his most trusted lieutenants close as the party gears up for the next general election. Mr Khalil takes the youth chief baton from fellow political blueblood Nik Abduh Nik Aziz, son of the late revered spiritual leader of PAS, Nik Aziz Nik Mat.
 
Trinna Leong In Alor Setar (Kedah)
Straits Times, 28 April 2017
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/hadi-awangs-eldest-son-rises-to-power


31 .
PAS sets big election goals at annual congress: In a speech officiating at the Youth meeting, deputy PAS president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, using football analogy, said the party sees itself winning four "Division 1" states - Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Selangor - with Pahang as a less certain Division 2 state. PAS has ruled Kelantan since 1990, and governed the states of Kedah and Terengganu for one term only. Analysts see PAS' election goals as overly ambitious, since the party has gone solo after a bitter fallout with former partners in the opposition, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and the Democratic Action Party.
 
Analysts see PAS' election goals as overly ambitious, since the party has gone solo after a bitter fallout with former partners in the opposition, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and the Democratic Action Party. "It's to whip up sentiments among hard-core supporters and mobilisers of the party that they have high aspirations for elections," said Dr Mustafa Izzuddin, fellow at the ISEAS -Yusof Ishak Institute. "By marking territory early should they go into negotiation with any parties, these are the seats they've marked for themselves."
 
Reme Ahmad and Trinna Leong In Alor Setar (Kedah)
Straits Times, 28 April 2017
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/pas-sets-big-election-goals-at-annual-congress


32 .
Commentary: Bravo! Judicial power restored after almost 30 years: I cannot sufficiently stress the importance of this decision. All ouster clauses and provisions that vest judicial power with a non-judicial body should now be struck down. We have a long way to go, but the wheels of change have been set in motion. Parliament must now restore Article 121(1) to its original form. This decision is a great victory for the Federal Constitution. The Judiciary has rightfully restored its position as the independent defender of the constitution, free from the shackles of Parliament and the Executive.
 
Surendra Ananth is an advocate and solicitor in the High Court of Malaya and deputy co-chairperson of the Malaysian Bar Constitutional Law Committee.
Free Malaysia Today, 27 April 2017
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2017/04/27/bravo-judicial-power-restored-after-almost-20-years/


33 .
Commentary: The country needs a U-turn: I read a piece on the prime minister accusing the opposition of making many U-turns, suggesting that U-turns is a sign of inconsistency and lack of resolve. Well, I think we need more than the opposition suggesting U-turns. This country is in dire need of making a U-turn itself before it reaches a point of no return. We can't justify GST by first digging ourselves a big hole. Is this not what we are doing?
 

34 .
Hindraf dismisses Bertindak's 'shallow thinking': "My advice to this group of 22 organisations is go read the Federal Constitution and the laws of our country to understand better what is the true meaning of freedom of expression and the right to practice religion in peace and harmony. "Just because an organisation like Hindraf stands up for the rights of non-Muslims does not mean we are against Muslims," the Hindraf chairman said in a statement today. He added that it was amusing that Bertindak wants the dreaded Internal Security Act (ISA) to be revived just because it considered him "a threat to national security".

35 .
Nik Abduh confident PAS can win 40 parliamentary seats in GE14: "PAS Youth can help realise the PAS president's goal of winning 40 parliamentary seats and rule five states with PAS Youth's commitment to place more young candidates and win 60% of the youth votes in every seat PAS stands in," he said in his opening address at the PAS Youth Muktamar in Kota Sarang Semut today. The outgoing youth chief, who will hand over the reins to Muhammad Khalil Abdul Hadi - the son of PAS President Abdul Hadi Awang - didn't however specify the five states. Later on, PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man, who officiated the youth wing's gathering, said the five states were Kelantan, Kedah, Pahang, Terengganu and Selangor.

36 .
PAS Dewan Ulama passes motion to cut ties with PKR: PAS Dewan Ulama information chief Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali announced that the motion was passed unanimously. "Realising that PKR has contravened many conditions of our political cooperation, the ulama wing assembly agrees that cooperation with PKR be terminated subject to the Syura Council's decision on the matter." The announcement was met with shouts of "takbir" (God is great) from the delegates. The motion to cut ties was put forth by the delegates from Negeri Sembilan and Perak. The Syura Council - PAS' highest decision-making body - will make a final decision on the matter.

37 .
PPBM slams Malay groups over non-Malays' citizenship: Yesterday, a spokesman for Bertindak, Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz, had alleged that the granting of citizenship to non-Malays in the years after Malaysia gained her independence had violated the stipulated terms under the Federal Constitution, thus warranting a review. At a press conference, Khairul said that Schedule 1 of the Federal Constitution required the taking of an oath of loyalty prior to citizenship being granted to any individual. "However, this procedure was bypassed between 1957 and 1970, making it possible for 1.75 million people to gain Malaysian citizenship," he had said. Syed Saddiq said it was irresponsible of the group to try and disrupt the nation's moral fabric by making a move to strip away the citizenship of fellow Malaysians.

38 .
Salleh: Anwar changes his story every time: Anwar Ibrahim is adapt at tailoring statements to suit the political situation, according to Communications and Multimedia Minister Salleh Said Keruak. He said the former deputy prime minister had been giving different answers regarding Bank Negara's forex losses in the 1990s when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister. Anwar, the PKR de facto leader, has met the special task force investigating the foreign exchange losses to give a statement as he was then the finance minister. Among other things, Anwar claimed in a press statement that former Bank Negara Malaysia assistant governor Nor Mohamed Yakcop did not provide a complete report on the billions of ringgit in forex losses suffered by the central bank in the 1990s.

39 .
Opinion: Can Mahathir be trusted? Dr Mahathir Mohamad was the one who tore Umno apart, six years after he became prime minister in 1981 when a bruising battle saw him win the Umno presidential elections against challenger Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah by the narrowest margin ever. But he did much worse than that.
 
P Gunasegaram
Malaysiakini, 27 April 2017
http://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/380430


40 .
Muktamar to spell end of Pas - PKR ties? Pas Ulama information chief Datuk Dr Khairuddin Aman Razali has issued a warning, or a reminder, that only the big boys have what it takes to set foot in Malay-majority seats. "Pas will contest in 80 Malay (parliamentary) seats against Umno. Pakatan Harapan does not step in. No to PAN. No to PPBM (Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia) either. PKR to contest the same seats as in the 13th General Election. The same goes for DAP," he said. "(That way), there will only be straight fights (against Barisan Nasional)."
 
And, Khairuddin did not forget to extend a special mention for his former colleagues in PAN. "But, is PAN prepared to refrain from contesting in the election? Or, are PKR and DAP ready to make way and provide seats to PAN without encroaching on Pas's traditional seats?" Political scientist Associate Professor Dr Muhammad Fuad Othman, however, suggests that Pas should not overcompensate its ability in GE14, especially in the fluid political landscape.
 

41 .
Selangor Pas delegate wants party leadership to take a stand on PKR ties: Nik Bakri Nik Mat said the Selangor Pas Ulama wanted to "immediately end ties" with PKR, after Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azmin Ali allegedly insulted Pas by calling out a 'lebai'. "Offending one another in politics is normal. But when Selangor Menteri Besar insulted (us) and called out a 'lebai', we cannot accept it. In fact, we (Pas Ulama Selangor) wanted to end (Pas-PKR ties) immediately. We Ulama in Selangor have always advised the MB, in the future, please do not be a loose cannon and insult the Ulama," he said, during the debates at the Pas Ulama assembly here, today.

42 .
čæ›å…„哈čæŖēˆ¶å­ę—¶ä»£ . å®—ę•™åøę“¾ē‰¢ęŽ§ä¼Šå…š : 伊ę–Æ兰党ē»čæ‡äøŠå±Šå…šé€‰åŽę“—ē‰Œļ¼Œęœ¬å±Šå…šé€‰ä»ŽęÆä½“ć€é’å¹“å›¢ć€å¦‡å„³ē»„态é•æč€ä¼šč¦čŒå¤§éƒ½äøęˆ˜č€Œčƒœēš„å½¢åŠæļ¼Œę˜¾ēŽ°ä»Šę—„å®—ę•™åøę“¾å·²ē‰¢ęŽ§ä¼Šå…šå’Œę‰€ęœ‰č‡‚膀怂
 
ęØ微屏
ę˜Ÿę“²ę—„å ± , 27 April 2017
http://www.sinchew.com.my/node/1638004/%E8%B2%E6%8E%A7%E4%BC%8A%


MyaMyanmar

43 .
What's Behind Myanmar Military Chief's Europe Voyage: As with his previous trip to Europe, Min Aung Hlaing's visit so far has proceeded as expected: with a number of courtesy calls and visits with officials and companies focused on the defense realm. During the stopover in Austria, on April 23 he visited the Austria Army Museum in Vienna and had other engagements, including one at the Myanmar embassy there. And on April 24, he was accorded a guard-of-honor welcome by Chief of Defense Staff of the Austrian Armed Forces General Othmar Commenda at the Austrian Defense Ministry. Both sides reportedly discussed various subjects including officers from Myanmar's military (Tatmadaw) attending military training courses. He then visited Diamond Aircraft Industry, where he and his delegation got a tour of the facilities and then embarked various aircraft produced by the firm (he himself went on board a DA-62 aircraft).
 

44 .
Magwe embezzlement accusations are politically motivated, says USDP: Burma's Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) has said that the government's investigation into an alleged misappropriation of over 7 billion kyat (US$5 million) is political motivated against the party. The funds were allegedly skimmed from Magwe regional government coffers during the previous tenure of the USDP. Magwe Division Chief Minister Aung Moe Nyo on Tuesday told reporters that the President's Office had ordered the USDP to return 7.4596 bn kyat in missing regional development funds, which it says was collected from local oil well operators by the previous administration led by former Chief Minister Phone Maw Shwe.

45 .
Sign erected naming Mon State bridge after Aung San as controversy persists: Min Min Nwe, spokesperson for a public movement against naming the bridge after Aung San, said local authorities early Thursday morning installed a large signboard - reading "General Aung San Bridge" - above the entrance to the bridge, which is set to open for use in May. "The official opening ceremony for the bridge is scheduled for next month. They came to install the signboard at 4:30 a.m. this morning," said Min Min Nwe. "We also plan to send an open letter to the international community to expose how the Burmese government does not respect the opinions and rights of ethnic minorities."

46 .
Border conflict no match for Sino-Myanmar relations ļ¼š Although there are analyses claiming Chinese complicity in the Kokang conflict, one cannot dismiss the possibility that the Chinese government is willing to secure a deal with the Myanmar government at the sacrifice of these ethnic rebels - particularly if continuing insurgency is going to bring trouble for President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road dream.
 
Enze Han is Senior Lecturer at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London.
East Asia Forum, 27 April 2017
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2017/04/27/border-conflict-no-match-for-sino-myanmar-relations/


47 .
'No changes' under NLD, says human rights commissioner: Created in 2011 by President Thein Sein, the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission (MNHRC) is supposed to investigate rights violations and make recommendations to the government. It was reconstituted to an 11-member body in 2014 after the Myanmar National Human Rights Commission Law was enacted. Myanmar Now interviewed Yu Lwin Aung, a former colonel who served 27 years in the military before becoming director general at the Ministry of Labour. He has been looking into complaint over the conditions in the prison system, in particular following protests at Mingyan Prison in Mandalay Region.

48 .
Huge river dredging task begins: The Ayeyawady, Chindwin, Sittaung, Thanlwin and Kaladan are affected by forest depletion, excessive mining, gold digging and landslides. The Ayeyawady River measures 839 miles from Bhamo to Yangon. A 372-mile section remains intact, 23 miles have been repaired and the remaining 444-mile section has yet to be repaired. Under phase-3 of the Ayeyawady basin management project funded by the World Bank, 120 miles from Mandalay to Nyaung U is being improved at a cost of US$37.8 million. In the fiscal year 2015-16, when the project started, dredging work was carried out near Pakokku and Nyaung U.

Eleven Myanmar, 27 April 2017
http://elevenmyanmar.com/local/9052


49 .
US ambassador Scot Marciel meets refugees: Scot Marciel, the United States ambassador to Myanmar, met with the refugees on the Myanmar-Thailand border earlier this month, Saya Bwe Sae, the secretary of Kayin Refugee Committee (KRC) told to Eleven Media Group yesterday. He said that the US ambassador also met with the Kayin National Union (KNU), committees' members from each refugee camps and other civic organizations. He said that the US government pledged to provide aid for the refugees, migrants and internal displaced persons living at the camps along the border area. He also observed activities involving health, education and food and preventive measures against diseases.

Eleven Myanmar, 27 April 2017
http://elevenmyanmar.com/local/9061


50 .
Daw Aung San Suu Kyi Rejects National-level Political Dialogue in Arakan State: The national-level political dialogue is a mandatory step of the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA), where regional stakeholders discuss suggestions at large-scale public consultations, the results of which are shared by representatives at the Union Peace Conference or 21st Century Panglong.

51 .
Women and War: A Karen Leader's Account: Most displaced people dare not return to their villages after experiencing brutal treatment from Tatmadaw troops. Women are particularly vulnerable, despite the Burma Army ensuring their safety. "Bad memories still linger," says Naw Zipporah Sein. "The Burma Army and our leaders should think about the safety of women."
 

52 .
Opinion: Many in Myanmar need deeper understanding of 'reconciliation': The term 'reconciliation' or 'national reconciliation' is an overused term in Myanmar these days. It is often found in political statements or uttered by politicians or ethnic leaders. Given Myanmar's protracted conflict, the term is the nation's prevailing narrative. It is trendy, easy to use and seemingly progressive. Most of all, it fits the conflict landscape perfectly in Myanmar to call for reconciliation.
 

53 .
Farmers Stage Protest in Naypyidaw over Land Grabs for Businesses, Mine: Thirteen farmers staged a protest in the Myanmar capital Naypyidaw on Wednesday to demand compensation for farmlands seized in 2007 and 2015, seizures they said did not follow proper legal procedures. The protesters said that in the Hteechaint Township in the Saigaing region of northwestern Myanmar in 2015, 31 farmers had 130 acres of lands confiscated to build the Great Wall sugar factory. In 2007 in the same area, more than 3,000 acres held by 130 farmers were confiscated for the Takaung Nickle Mine. And in 2009, a businessman connected to the then ruling military junta seized 20 acres from 26 farmers without any compensation to build a jetty that never got completed.

54 .
Rights Groups Call For Pressure on Myanmar to Cooperate With UN Mission in Rakhine: An open letter sent on Thursday by 23 rights groups and other international organizations is calling on world governments to urge Myanmar's cooperation with a forthcoming U.N. fact-finding mission sent to investigate abuses in Rakhine state and other conflict zones in the country. "We are deeply concerned that if the government of Myanmar fails to fully cooperate with the Fact-Finding Mission, the situation in Rakhine State may further deteriorate," says the letter addressed to the United States, United Kingdom, member states of the European Union, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and Organization of Islamic Cooperation.

PhiPhilippines

55 .
Philippines police 'keep people hidden in secret cell': At least 11 people have been found in a tiny dark room hidden behind a bookcase in a Philippine police station. The captives were discovered during a raid by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), following a tip-off. The undocumented prisoners said they had been there for a week, and alleged police at the Manila station had locked them up in order to extort money. But officers said they were arrested as part of President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs.

56 .
Philippines Wants Spotlight on Building Boom, Not Drug War: President Rodrigo Duterte's team wants investors to focus more on a plan to spend up to 9 trillion pesos ($180 billion) on infrastructure and less on a growing number of dead drug pushers. "People want to talk about extra-judicial killings, but let's talk about what's really happening in this country, which is poised to boom," Philippines Public Works Secretary Mark Villar said in an interview Wednesday. "If we succeed in this infrastructure program, Philippines will be a middle-class country and poverty will be half of what it is today."

57 .
THE TRANSGENDER POLITICIAN FIGHTING FOR GAY RIGHTS IN THE PHILIPPINES: The election of Roman, who underwent sex reassignment surgery in New York in the 1990s, symbolised many things to many people: a transition to progressive liberalism in a country where religion is meshed with law; a breaking of stereotypes; a hope for change. But Roman's win meant most to the LGBT community, which saw in her a champion for acceptance and an advocate for the Anti-SOGIE (sexual orientation and gender identity expression) discrimination bill.
 

58 .
What Filipinos Think of Philippine President Duterte: Filipinos are rarely neutral about Duterte. They either love him or hate him. Here are some opinions of Filipinos about Philippine President Duterte.
 

SinSingapore

59 .
Kajian mendalam 3 tahun mengenai fahaman, amalan asatizah S'pura akan dijalankan [Three-year study about the educational background of Singapore religious elites]: "Jadi, menerusi perspektif anak watan ini, kita boleh memahami apakah cabaran-cabarannya, apakah masalah-masalah yang dihadapi oleh para agamawan kita dan ini berbeza dengan perspektif yang mungkin dibangkitkan pengkaji-pengkaji barat," jelas Dr Norshahril, yang merupakan seorang Zamil di ISEAS - Institut Yusof Ishak.
 

60 .
Editorial: Industry 4.0 smarts vital to maintain Singapore's edge in manufacturing: SINGAPORE'S faster-than-expected expansion of manufacturing output in March, by 10.2 per cent, has cheered economists who now say that first-quarter gross domestic product (GDP) may have expanded at a faster rate than previously thought. On a three-month moving average basis...

61 .
$21 million in grants awarded for 12 research projects on Singapore society, identity: The council was set up in January last year to promote social science and humanities research. Its 12 chosen studies range from racial biases in children to coping strategies in low-income families. This first batch was chosen from 70 applications seeking the council's grant for studies addressing future needs in Singapore and Asia.
Projects between $100,000 and $1 million: Christianity in Southeast Asia: Comparative Growth, Politics and Networks in Urban Centres Dr Terence Chong, Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute Singapore's Islamic Studies Graduates: Their Role and Impact in a Plural Society Dr Norshahril Saat, Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute
 

62 .
Cabinet changes: Four new senior ministers of state tipped for bigger roles: The rapid pace at which four ministers of state have been promoted to senior ministers of state is a sign that they are being groomed for ministerial appointments, political observers said. The quartet are Dr Lam Pin Min, Dr Janil Puthucheary, Dr Koh Poh Koon and Mr Chee Hong Tat. Their move up the ranks of political leadership from May 1 was announced by the Prime Minister's Office yesterday.
The rate at which all four have moved up the ranks is noteworthy, said observers. ISEAS - Yusof Ishak Institute fellow Norshahril Saat said: "They have been seen as high fliers. Their promotion reflects their performance in the last few years."
 

63 .
MPA inks five pacts to drive transformation: MPA chief executive Andrew Tan said all five agreements will help bring the maritime sector into its next stage of development, where data analytics, intelligent systems and IoT will open up new opportunities for port operators here, companies and research institutions to develop innovative solutions. "We believe the time is ripe to leverage new technologies to ensure Maritime Singapore stays ahead of the curve as a world-class port and international maritime centre," he said.
 
At a separate interview with reporters, he said he hopes the upcoming Tuas port will be able to feature technologies that emerge from such collaboration. Drones, for example, can be used for the maintenance of cranes or to inspect ships.
 

64 .
Shanmugam raps critics of remarks on penalties: Read and understand them first: He noted that based on the TODAY article, some have assumed that he suggested that sentences in individual cases should be dictated by public opinion. Referring to LKYSPP Associate Dean Donald Low, Mr Shanmugam said: "Others, such as Donald Low, claim that 'making laws on the basis of public opinion is populism by another name', and that 'if criminal punishments are to reflect only public opinion', one may as well 'just run an opinion poll each time someone has been convicted'."
 
He added: "Academics, like Donald, have every right to criticise statements made by others, in particular on issues of public importance. But to be meaningful, and sensible, it will be first useful to read and understand what has been said, before jumping in to criticise. Otherwise the commentator does no credit to himself or his institution. Particularly an institution which carries Mr Lee Kuan Yew's name."

65 .
ę–°åŠ å”ä¼äøšęŠ•čµ„äø­å›½ēš„åŒŗåŸŸé€‰ę‹© : ę ¹ę®ę–°åŠ å”ēš„ē‰¹ē‚¹å’Œä¼˜åŠæļ¼Œē¬”者认äøŗļ¼Œä¼˜å…ˆč€ƒč™‘äø­å›½ć€äŗšē»†å®‰å›½å®¶å’Œå°åŗ¦ä½œäøŗ国际化ēš„ē›®ę ‡å›½ļ¼Œę˜ÆęÆ”č¾ƒēŽ°å®žēš„é€‰ę‹©ć€‚č€Œäø”ļ¼ŒåœØę”æåŗœēš„ē»Ÿäø€åč°ƒäø‹ļ¼Œē”±ę”æč”å…¬åøäøŽäøšåŠ”ē›ø关ēš„äø­å°ä¼äøšē»„å»ŗ " ē»ęµŽčˆŖęƍē¼–队 " ęؔ式ļ¼Œå°†ęœ€å¤§é™åŗ¦åœ°å‘ęŒ„ååŒę•ˆåŗ”和各č‡Ŗēš„äø“é•æļ¼ŒåƹäŗŽåæ«é€Ÿå®”ę‰¹ć€é”ŗåˆ©čžčµ„ä»„åŠč§£å†³äø­å°ä¼äøšēš„资č“Øć€å®žåŠ›å’Œäøšē»©ēŗŖå½•ę¬ ē¼ŗéƒ½å¤§ęœ‰č£Øē›Šć€‚åƹäŗŽé™ä½Žäø­å°ä¼äøšå›½é™…化ēš„风险ļ¼Œä¹Ÿęœ‰é‡č¦ēš„ę„ä¹‰ć€‚
 
黄čæ›å¹³
Zaobao, 28 April 2017
http://www.zaobao.com.sg/zopinions/views/story20170428-754061


66 .
Foreign workers trickle out of Singapore, with job outlook to remain cautious: Singapore's reliance on foreign labor may be shifting, with the city-state's central bank pointing on Thursday to a cautious employment outlook. In its macroeconomic review, conducted twice yearly, the Monetary Authority of Singapore said it expected net employment growth was expected to stay "modest and uneven across sectors." That comes as the MAS forecast Singapore's economy would grow by 1-3 percent this year, not much off the 2 percent growth in 2016, boosted by the IT-related segments, amid new mobile-phone product launches and increasing use of semiconductors.
 

67 .
7 full days after JC mergers announced, Hwa Chong alumnus Ng Chee Meng finally says something: Now, why the minister decided the best course of action to take, after "hearing feedback" for a week, looking as if he was dodging public scrutiny and questions, is not to do a sit-down interview (even if it happens to be with The Straits Times or Channel NewsAsia, anyone really), a doorstop interview (with various media present to ask him questions), or any interview - but instead to put up a Facebook post, is beyond us. But we'll just say we aren't sure we agree entirely, amid all the unanswered questions and issues left unaddressed.
 

68 .
Singapore economy picking up but growth remains 'volatile and uneven': Trade-related sectors have since experienced a significant turnaround which started in the fourth quarter of 2016, underpinned by a rebound in manufacturing, the MAS noted. This was driven by a resurgence in global chip demand which boosted semiconductor production, as well as the completion of maintenance work in the biomedical cluster. Firmer manufacturing activity, in turn, has had positive spillovers on trade-related services such as air and sea cargo handling.
 

ThaThailand

69 .
Opinion Acts against free speech hinder unity: Many of them are young people concerned about the future of this country. But they are treated like criminals or enemies of the state. In many cases, they are accused of being on one side of the political preference.
 

70 .
Opinion Are Thais getting the dictators they deserve?: If the Thai people are going to break out of the grip of military rule this time, their movement may have to be more spontaneous and involve a build-up similar to the culmination in October 1973. This is not good for Thailand because it would likely involve a political catharsis and considerable turmoil. A better way would be some kind of civil-military compromise, as seen in Myanmar now and Indonesia in the recent past.
 

71 .
Opinion: Kill sub deal, spare nation: No further proof is needed that the controversial submarine purchase deal with China that went ahead with secret cabinet approval has put the Prayut Chan-o-cha government in the hot seat. On April 26, anti-corruption advocates came out in force and demanded the military regime reveal the details...
 
Bangkok Post Editorial Column
Bangkok Post, 28 April 2017
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/1240010/kill-sub-deal-spare-nation


72 .
Integration pushed as vital for tourism: Further expansion of Asean tourism can be achieved through maximising the potential of the existing air, land and maritime links between mainland Southeast Asia and the rest of the region. Thailand's developing north-south and east-west corridors, the planned aviation hub in Rayong's U-Tapao, its developing Phuket-based maritime tourism and over 600 flights from Thailand to other Asean countries are some of the Kingdom's strengths that will not only stimulate Asean tourism but also improve regional connectivity.
 

73 .
PM tries to calm fears on media regulation bill: PRIME MINISTER Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday attempted to allay fears over the controversial media regulatory bill, denying it was intended to restrict media freedom and calling for mutual trust between the media and the government. He said it was necessary to have a new law to regulate the mass media, particularly online social media, due to a lot of problems created by "bad people" who spread false information irresponsibly.

TimTimor-Leste (East Timor)

74 .
KOICA provides $6.4 million for mass drug distribution program: Although Timor-Leste managed to eliminate leprosy in 2010, he said it still affected communities in some municipalities. "I am appreciative that KOICA continues its financial support to the Health Ministry to help strengthen the national strategic plan for Mass Drug Administration (MDA), which will contribute to the country's development," he said.

75 .
Army chief calls for establishment of maritime authority: Army Chief Major-General Lere Anan Timor has called on the government through the Ministry of Defense to establish a maritime authority to protect the country's ocean's resources. He said the authority would have an important role in bringing all the other maritime agencies under one umbrella to work together.

VieVietnam

76 .
PM okays funds for social support system: Prime Minister Nguyį»…n XuĆ¢n PhĆŗc has approved a target programme to develop a social support system for the 2016-20 period. The programme is aimed to create a safe, friendly and healthy living environment for children and reduce the rate of increase in the number of abused children.

77 .
Ho Chi Minh City's top leader faces the music for 'serious violations' at state energy giant: In an extraordinary political event that shows the past can always catch up with the present, Thang, 57, is now held responsible for a series of "serious" violations several years ago at the state-owned oil and gas group PetroVietnam, his former workplace. In particular, the inspectors held Thang mainly responsible for the mismanagement. He served as the board chairman from 2009 until 2011, when his political career took off as he joined Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung's cabinet as Minister of Transport.
 
The recent inspection only focused on business violations at PetroVietnam between 2009 and 2015. The Party's inspectors have found that he was responsible for illegal business decisions, including violations involving an investment in local lender OceanBank and "big bidding packages," according to a post on the government website.

78 .
Vietnam says Facebook pledges to prevent offensive content:Vietnam's government said Facebook has committed to work with it to prevent content that violates the country's laws from appearing on its platform. In February, communist Vietnam complained about "toxic" anti-government and offensive content on Facebook and Google Inc.'s YouTube and pressured local companies to withdraw advertising until the social media firms found a solution. Facebook's commitment came during a meeting between its Head of Global Policy Management Monika Bickert and Vietnamese information and communication minister Truong Minh Tuan in Hanoi on Wednesday, a statement on the government's website said.

Asahi Shimbun (AJW), 27 April 2017
http://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/AJ201704270041.html


79 .
Vietnam well poised to face growth challenges: Global research and consultancy firm Oxford Business Group (OBG) on April 25 launched a comprehensive report on the Vietnamese economy. OBG Chairman Michael Benson-Colpi and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of HSBC Bank Viet Nam Pham Hong Hai, one of the contributors to "The Report Vietnam 2017" spoke to Viet Nam News reporter Nguyen Linh Anh about the factors that make Viet Nam stand out as an investment destination as well as the challenges that lie ahead.
[Link to the report, "The Report: Vietnam 2017"]

80 .
The forgotten story of a Saigon warrior: Few in the noisy neighborhood outside Binh Thanh District's Eastern Region Bus Station know the 75-year old woman served in the National Liberation Front's elite Special Forces Unit. Interviews with Nguyet, her relatives and the unit's retired officers confirm she helped pull off the boldest urban guerilla bombings of the Vietnam War - a campaign that left holes in tawny hotels, embassy walls and police station compounds. " I don ' t like to talk about these things at all," Nguyet said on a recent afternoon, her eyes rheumy, her voice bitter. In many ways, the bombings cost Nguyet her life.

ASEANASEAN/Southeast Asia

81 .
China and the South China Sea: 'you shall not pass': Chinese cynicism about the COC belies apparent progress. In August 2016-a month after the historic Hague ruling on Manila's case against Beijing-ASEAN and China agreed on a hotline for maritime emergencies and a joint declaration applying the Code of Unplanned Encounters at Sea to the South China Sea. Last month, Mr Wang said a draft COC had been completed. China will host a meeting with ASEAN in May to come up with a preliminary agreement on a COC framework.
 
William Choong, Shangri-La Dialogue Senior Fellow for Asia-Pacific Security at the International Institute for Strategic Studies. Image courtesy of US Navy.
Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 28 April 2017
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/china-south-china-sea-shall-not-pass/


82 .
Editorial: Asean focus: unity, growth: In accepting the chairmanship of Asean, which is marking its golden year, President Duterte promised last year to highlight the 10-nation grouping as a model of regionalism and a global player, with the interest of the people at its core. This can serve as the mission from which action plans can be drawn.

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 28 April 2017
http://opinion.inquirer.net/103548/asean-focus-unity-growth


83 .
Pay heed to radicalism in SE Asia before it gets too late: The manner in which political Islam is rising in South-east Asia has made the region more fertile for radicalisation, with the likes of Islamic State now becoming more effective in reaching out to its followers, said Minister for Home Affairs, K Shanmugam. Delivering a keynote speech in Washington DC, he added that the international community has to come together to tackle the underlying philosophy and causes of radicalisation before it is too late to do so. Below is an excerpt from his speech on the conflict in Syria and radicalisation in South-east Asia at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies on Wednesday.
 

84 .
Vietnamese PM's visit spurs further cooperation: The first official visit to Laos by Vietnam's Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has proved fruitful as the two governments have inked deals worth millions of dollars. The two-day official visit from April 26-27 was Mr Phuc's first as Vietnam's Prime Minister and coincided with celebrations for Laos-Vietnam Friendship Year 2017. According to a joint statement, the governments of Laos and Vietnam signed nine agreements/documents in Vientiane on Wednesday.
 

85 .
Wives wanted in the Faroe Islands: There's a shortage of women in the Faroe Islands. So local men are increasingly seeking wives from further afield - Thailand and the Philippines in particular. But what's it like for the brides who swap the tropics for this windswept archipelago? There are now more than 300 women from Thailand and Philippines living in the Faroes. It doesn't sound like a lot, but in a population of just 50,000 people they now make up the largest ethnic minority in these 18 islands, located between Norway and Iceland.

86 .
Southeast Asia Warms to China as Cherished Asean Unity Is Restored: "Increasingly, the smaller Asean nations such as Cambodia and Laos are moving into China's orbit, as well as Malaysia and the Philippines to some extent," said David Skilling, founding director of Landfall Strategy Group, a Singapore-based advisory company. "Countries are being peeled off with a mixture of sticks and carrots." As Asean restores public unity "that strengthens the future" for the bloc, according to former Philippine foreign secretary Delia D. Albert. "We now have to see how China will be able to deliver" on its economic engagement, said Albert, now a senior adviser to professional services firm SGV & Co., a unit of Ernst & Young.
[news contains 3-minute video clip]

87 .
'Who can pressure China? Us?': Philippines' Duterte says pointless discussing sea row at Asean summit: Duterte, who has put the ruling on the back burner and said he will revisit it later in his term, said it was a waste of time for Asean to discuss that award now, and it was not relevant. "Arbitral is simply entitlement. It's not even a territorial thing. The only question at arbitral was entitlement, not jurisdiction, not even territory," he said. "How will you raise the issue? ... We cannot on our own enforce the arbitral judgment."

88 .
Indonesia-Philippines sea border pact ratified: "The conclusion of the agreement with the Philippines and the subsequent ratification by Indonesian Parliament constitutes the seriousness of the Indonesian government in resolving the border issue with all of Indonesia's neighbours," said Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi in a statement. The new boundary, said to be about 1,161km long, is the first maritime border agreement to be finalised between Jakarta and Manila.

89 .
Time for Asean to combat climate change: Philippine Daily Inquirer Columnist: As a core issue, climate change has lagged behind in Asean's agenda. True, the association is mindful about integrating marine conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in its strategic programmes. But so far, it has failed to give climate change the priority that the issue deserves, along with free trade and economic integration. With the Paris Agreement entering into force, Asean would do well to invigourate its efforts on climate change resiliency. It may begin with a programme to arrest the ongoing oceanic destruction and overfishing.
 
Rex D. Lores is a member of the Futuristics Society of the Philippines.
Straits Times, 27 April 2017
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/time-for-asean-to-combat-climate-change-philippine-daily-inquirer-columnist


30th ASEAN Summit

90 .
Bring down tariff to zero, eliminate NTB, Najib tells Asean: "On that, we still have a long way to go," he said today in his keynote address at the Prosperity For All Summit organised by the Asean Business Advisory Council held in conjunction with the 30th Asean Summit being held here. Najib, who is also the finance minister, pointed out that that Asean has to further bring down trade tariffs which still exist.

91 .
Ignore marginalised populations at own peril, Najib tells Asean: Speaking at an event for entrepreneurs during the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) summit in Manila, Najib said the region is posting strong growth that could see Asean become the world's fourth-largest economy, but that growth needs to be equitable. "We do not want our citizens to be marginalised in the age of extremism and radicalisation," he said. "We know that those who see no hope in their own societies are more prone to the siren calls of terrorists who can and exploit their vulnerability and fill them with their lies."

92 .
Vietnam to actively contribute to promoting ASEAN connectivity: Along with boosting cooperation in narrowing development gaps to benefit ASEAN residents, Vietnam's participation in the event is also a chance for the country to bolsters its friendship and partnership with other ASEAN member states as well as the bloc's dialogue partners, thus expanding itsregional and international integration.

93 .
30th ASEAN Summit tops April 2017 "ASEAN Today": ASEAN Leaders are gathering for the 30th ASEAN Summit and related meetings in Manila this week. That story tops the April 2017 edition of "ASEAN Today." Raissa Chentami of The Indonesia Channel anchors the program from Jakarta, home of the ASEAN Secretariat. She also reports on Vietnam's coffee push into China, and street person art in the Philippines.
[17-minute video]

ASEAN-Japan

94 .
Japan pursues currency swaps with ASEAN members: Japan seeks to establish bilateral currency swap frameworks with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations as a hedge against tight fund supplies in a financial crisis and also as a counter to the growing influence of the yuan. The Finance Ministry will propose the initiative soon. Japan's finance minister and central bank chief will meet with their ASEAN counterparts for the first time in four years, to coincide with the Asian Development Bank's annual meeting starting May 4 in Yokohama.

AsiaAsia Pacific

95 .
These Asian cities are becoming smarter, but at what cost? Singapore's Smart Nations program is focused on making every aspect of life, from transport to water systems to even garbage disposal, more efficient. Under that program, the government is placing sensors in cars, roads and homes to measure how things run, and then tapping that data to make them run better.

When asked why his country is able to foster innovation, Singapore's foreign minister and head of its Smart Nation initiative, Vivian Balakrishnan, told CNBC that a large urban population and a lack of bureaucracy in its single-tier government are part of what makes the city state an ideal laboratory for new ideas.

SCSEast/South China Sea

96 .
Opinion: South China Sea remains a concern: The framework of the code of conduct (CoC) in South China Sea being finalised by Asean and China may be adopted next month when seĀ­nior officials meet. But concerns remain on "developments" still taking place in the hotly contested maritime area. Asean and Chinese officials have met twice this year - in Bali and Siem Reap in February and March - to work on the draft. But some officials fear the CoC, when it is finally adopted, will be less "valuable" as China which is also claiming the area, continues with its development plans.
 

97 .
Push for South China Sea code stirs Asean suspicions about Beijing's endgame: "Some of us in Asean believe this is just another ploy by China to buy time," said one senior diplomat familiar with the talks. "China is expectedly stalling until it has completely attained its strategic objectives... What need is there for the green grass when the horse is dead?"
 
Another diplomat from the 10-member bloc said the framework would be "re-stating most of the major points" of the DOC, but the hard part was getting China to agree to a legally binding contract. "Here lies the big challenge. You need to understand this is not just a simple matter of conforming to a set of words," the diplomat said.
Richard Heydarian, an expert on politics and international affairs at Manila's De La Salle University, said China's strategy was to project an image of being a responsible stakeholder rather than an aggressor, and avoid being bound to rules that could weaken its geopolitical position should the United States assert itself in the South China Sea.

SPBrexit

98 .
Five Scenarios for Brexit - With Only One Good Outcome: The European Council prepares to define the EU negotiating mandate after Prime Minister Theresa May triggered Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to fix terms for leaving the EU. The stage is set for a dramatic - traumatic - meeting with destiny for Britain and its former 27 partners. Five scenarios appear on the horizon, four of which point to total breakdown followed by a clean cut in economic and trade links between Britain and the EU. In any case, next two years promises to be bruising - something that Britain brought upon itself.
 
Joergen Oerstroem Moeller is a visiting senior fellow with ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
Yaleglobal Online, 27 April 2017
http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/five-scenarios-brexit-only-one-good-outcome


Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)/Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

99 .
Former New Zealand PM John Key on Trump, China and the TPP: John Key, who ended his term as New Zealand's leader in December, gave an exclusive interview to Southeast Asia Globe during a visit to Phnom Penh this week, talking about the value of US leadership in Asia and what a resurrected Trans-Pacific Partnership could mean for the region
 
Paul Millar
Southeast Asia Globe, 27 April 2017
http://sea-globe.com/john-key/


US Foreign Policy

100 .
Opinion: Trump, public imagination, and Islamophobia: DONALD TRUMP'S crafty manipulation of Islamophobia, we are told, was one of the factors that propelled him to the presidency of the United States. He was very much aware of the prevalence of negative sentiments towards Islam and Muslims within segments of the American electorate. Because Islamophobia was part of the public imagination, he had no scruples about exploiting it for political gain.
 
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