Follow South China Morning Post - Southeast Asia, filter it, and define how you want to receive the news (via Email, RSS, Telegram, WhatsApp etc.) https://follow.it/scmp26 Tue, 18 Jan 2022 13:05:47 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrIE7hYWcp7NMb1naedg1wr Malaysia’s Securities Commission on Tuesday said an investigation into allegations of improper stock trading by the country’s anti-corruption chief was inconclusive, a finding likely to further rile government critics who are planning a protest against the official this weekend.Azam Baki, the chief commissioner of the powerful Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, has dominated headlines for weeks since a whistle-blower revealed he owned stocks of publicly listed companies well above the 100…]]> Tue, 18 Jan 2022 10:53:33 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrIE7hYWcp7NMb1naedg1wr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrtCf8QrjocXnn9ye8UNv30 The Malaysian government is in talks with Indonesia for an “amicable” solution to Jakarta’s coal export ban, as its largest power firm Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB) ramps up its search for alternative sources.Miners in the region said the government-owned private power company’s fuel services department had put out a tender for spot purchases of coal in the past week as the ban drags on, putting more importers in the region on alert.While Indonesia has signalled an easing of its restrictions,…]]> Tue, 18 Jan 2022 02:30:21 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrtCf8QrjocXnn9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrlnHEyrBAUbHn9ye8UNv30 The late Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ son Bongbong faces one less obstacle in his path to the May presidential election, after the election commission dismissed a petition to bar the former senator from running.The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Monday threw out the petition – one of multiple complaints the poll body had consolidated into seven cases – against Ferdinand Marcos Jnr’s bid to replace President Rodrigo Duterte, saying that while Marcos had failed to file income tax…]]> Mon, 17 Jan 2022 14:58:44 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrlnHEyrBAUbHn9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFo_HD82h1Ez6nn9ye8UNv30 Unresolved differences about engagement with Myanmar’s military rulers are causing discord among the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), diplomats and government officials say, as a ministers’ meeting set for this week was pushed back.The friction follows a tumultuous final few months of 2021 after Asean took the unprecedented step of sidelining Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing from its leaders’ summit in the wake of a military coup and use of deadly force against protesters.The…]]> Mon, 17 Jan 2022 14:35:18 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFo_HD82h1Ez6nn9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFqnI4uJF5i6RuT5HJgy6HUf On the morning of January 7, a sound truck cruised the streets of one middle-class district in Manila’s Quezon City to alert residents of the rising number of Covid-19 cases and where they could get vaccinated.The announcer concluded by saying, “Patnubayan tayo ng Panginoon” – may God guide us.The call for divine assistance was understandable: the Philippines faces an explosion of infections, driven by the highly contagious Omicron variant, that threatens to swamp the government’s disjointed…]]> Mon, 17 Jan 2022 02:30:17 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFqnI4uJF5i6RuT5HJgy6HUf https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFqpuuGUjsbyRV1cWWor9YPv Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is “indispensable” in restoring democracy to the military-ruled country and must be included in any peace talks, regardless of her conviction, the Philippines’ foreign secretary said on Sunday.In a strong rebuke of the Myanmar junta that overthrew Suu Kyi’s elected government last year, Teodoro Locsin condemned last week’s sentencing of the Nobel laureate and accused the military of using the judicial system to crush its opponents.Locsin said he would …]]> Sun, 16 Jan 2022 15:30:18 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFqpuuGUjsbyRV1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpp9rqqtzr9o5s0ohxaO6Yr Chinese mining companies are facing calls to take a more responsible approach and pull out their investment from Myanmar, amid an increase in human rights abuses and civilian deaths since the military took power about a year ago.The push from experts and advocates came after a recent report by Publish What You Pay Australia showed the junta raked in an estimated US$725 million in revenues from Chinese-run mines during the 2020-2021 financial year.“The mining sector is a very lucrative one for…]]> Sun, 16 Jan 2022 13:35:20 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpp9rqqtzr9o5s0ohxaO6Yr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFp-GzWipDHUEV1cWWor9YPv News that fashion magazine Vogue is to launch a print edition in the Philippines has created a buzz in a nation that prides itself on its love of celebrity culture, glamour, and beauty.Conde Nast’s confirmation this week that it would follow-up the soft-launch of its Philippine website with a monthly printed edition of glossy fashion and lifestyle spreads in September 2022 has seen fans swamping the internet with mocked up versions of what it might look like. Among the most widely shared…]]> Sun, 16 Jan 2022 05:00:17 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFp-GzWipDHUEV1cWWor9YPv https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFry0nduhkAzQSejEQ2Mq9rY Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Asean should continue to exclude Myanmar’s junta leaders from meetings until headway is made on an agreement which includes a cessation of violence in the country.The Association of Southeast Asian Nations should keep to its decision made at the bloc’s summit last year of inviting only a non-political representative from Myanmar to meetings until “significant progress” is made in implementing a five-point consensus between the grouping and Naypyidaw…]]> Sat, 15 Jan 2022 16:59:47 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFry0nduhkAzQSejEQ2Mq9rY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFp1FB1foXgDDZs0ohxaO6Yr Workers in Singapore who are not inoculated against Covid-19 may risk losing their jobs as new restrictions on office access take effect.From Saturday, a prior concession that allowed unvaccinated employees who test negative to go to workplaces will be removed, according to a government advisory.Employers can redeploy those with no jabs to suitable jobs that can be done from home, place them on no-pay leave, or as a last resort, fire them if they can’t perform their contracted work outside the…]]> Sat, 15 Jan 2022 03:55:21 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFp1FB1foXgDDZs0ohxaO6Yr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFoPeqzSu6X1ZyejEQ2Mq9rY An Indonesian college student has become an internet sensation after trade-in the digital rights to his selfies fetched more than US$1 million on a platform for non-fungible tokens.Sultan Gustaf Al Ghozali, who studies computer science at a university in the central city of Semarang, has taken a picture of himself sitting in front of his computer almost every day for the last five years.He intended to use the collection of nearly 1,000 selfies to create a time-lapse video for his graduation day…]]> Sat, 15 Jan 2022 03:00:15 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFoPeqzSu6X1ZyejEQ2Mq9rY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFobqmAx5pGaa3n9ye8UNv30 Indonesia’s devastating forest fires in 2019 burned nearly twice as much land as was officially reported, according to a recent study, raising concerns among environmental campaigners over the government’s transparency regarding deforestation.The Southeast Asian country, which has the largest rainforests outside the Amazon and Congo, has razed large swathes of land to accommodate its palm, pulp and paper industries.The fires in 2019 blanketed Indonesia and the region with haze, causing 900,000…]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2022 18:04:16 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFobqmAx5pGaa3n9ye8UNv30 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpUAQaFqz1kW-zdsCmHakzH Thailand’s health minister said on Friday the country planned to develop the antiviral pill molnupiravir to combat Covid-19 infections amid rising infections driven by the Omicron variant.The molnupiravir Covid-19 treatment pill for adult patients at risk of developing severe illness was jointly developed by US-based Merck & Co Inc and Ridgeback Biotherapeutics.The Southeast Asian nation intends to join other countries in the region also planning to make versions of the drug including…]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2022 15:44:53 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpUAQaFqz1kW-zdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpdXswy6BeAyClmFkX7M1Jw The Philippines has placed a US$375 million order with India for supersonic cruise missiles jointly developed with Russia, boosting Manila’s naval capabilities in the face of growing Chinese assertiveness in the region.The deal is also seen as a breakthrough for Delhi, as it works to export arms to regional partners, while reducing its dependence on arms imports.The BrahMos is one of India’s most advanced missiles – it has a range of 290km and travels at 2-3 Mach, or nearly one km per second –…]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2022 13:31:49 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpdXswy6BeAyClmFkX7M1Jw https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpdXswy6BeAyCejEQ2Mq9rY China has pledged to clear the way for Vietnam’s agricultural exports and deepen trade ties between the two countries following implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) earlier this month.The world’s No 2 economy will strengthen communication and collaboration with its neighbour, including in pandemic control, while managing conflicts in a fair manner, Premier Li Keqiang said in a call with Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Thursday.“China will provide…]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2022 13:15:22 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpdXswy6BeAyCejEQ2Mq9rY https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFoz1HEDXE--IOT5HJgy6HUf Malaysian Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah criticised Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen for taking unilateral action in meeting the leader of Myanmar’s junta, as the region remains divided over how to approach the troubled nation.As the rotating chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Hun Sen last week became the first foreign leader to visit Myanmar since the junta seized power in a coup nearly a year ago.His two-day trip drew widespread criticism that it would…]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2022 06:26:27 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFoz1HEDXE--IOT5HJgy6HUf https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFoXUTzxwqAeXps0ohxaO6Yr The Thai government and a key separatist group in the country’s south have indicated that their first face-to-face negotiations since the Covid-19 pandemic began has yielded positive results, raising hopes of concrete progress towards restoring peace in the region after nearly two decades.The talks in Kuala Lumpur between Bangkok and the Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) is the latest development in a long-drawn out mediation process brokered by the Malaysian government.The BRN represents…]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2022 06:00:32 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFoXUTzxwqAeXps0ohxaO6Yr https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrz_OuKgfoQMZVjH6qdYdAk An Indonesian woman was flogged 100 times Thursday in conservative Aceh province for adultery while her male partner, who denied the accusations, received just 15 lashes.Ivan Najjar Alavi, the head of General investigation division at East Aceh prosecutor’s office, said the court handed down a heftier sentence for the married woman after she confessed to investigators she had sex outside her marriage.Judges found it difficult to convict the man, who was then the head of East Aceh fishery agency…]]> Thu, 13 Jan 2022 16:13:27 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFrz_OuKgfoQMZVjH6qdYdAk https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpHA2h3yG0nRezdsCmHakzH A donation of S$200,000 (US$148,678) by the Indonesian-Chinese tycoon Bachtiar Karim’s family to Singapore badminton star Loh Kean Yew underscores the player’s rising popularity in Indonesia, which has its own set of top-flight players for fans of the sport to cherish.This week, the Karim Family Foundation awarded Loh the sum for winning the Badminton World Federation World Championships, hoping the cash would motivate the player to realise his Olympic gold medal dream. Loh, now ranked as the…]]> Thu, 13 Jan 2022 15:30:25 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFpHA2h3yG0nRezdsCmHakzH https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFqKN_TvRk8Tk11cWWor9YPv The United Nations’ newly appointed special envoy for Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, has called on Asean to work with the UN to facilitate a “humanitarian pause” to the fighting and escalating strife in the junta-ruled nation.In a press statement issued after talks with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, Heyzer said the immediate cessation of violence and “utmost restraint” by all parties was key to the implementation of Asean’s “Five-Point Consensus” peace road map for the embattled country.Heyzer’s…]]> Thu, 13 Jan 2022 08:24:49 +0200 https://api.follow.it/track-rss-story-click/v3/ryu-pJ-IRFqKN_TvRk8Tk11cWWor9YPv