Month: August 2021

Thai lawmakers on Tuesday began a no-confidence debate targeting Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha and five of his Cabinet members, with the opposition focusing on charges the government bungled its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The debate is scheduled to last four days, with voting by the lower house set for Saturday. Organizers of ongoing anti-government street protests have vowed to step up their own separate efforts during the debate to force Prayuth out of office.

His coalition government is generally expected to turn back this week’s challenge, even though it has come under intense criticism for failing to secure timely and adequate supplies of COVID-19 vaccines.

Sompong Amornvivat, leader of the main opposition Pheu Thai party, kicked off the debate with a fierce attack, charging that Prayuth is “a power-crazed arrogant person unsuitable to lead the country.”

“If we let him continue his leadership, it will lead to more people being infected and losing their lives,” said Sompong. “There won’t be enough crematoriums in service and there will be no way to stop the spread of the disease.”

He drew an objection from a government member of parliament when he said the situation recalled a saying that “A stupid leader will lead us all to death, because a stupid person with power is the worst danger.”

This is the third no-confidence debate faced by Prayuth since he came to power after a 2019 general election. He also served as prime minister in a military government in 2014-2019 after seizing power in a coup as army commander.

A third wave of the coronavirus arrived in April and spread rapidly, accounting for 97% of the more than 1.17 million confirmed cases since the pandemic began, and more than 99% of the 11,495 total deaths.

Prayuth’s administration was largely successful at keeping the coronavirus at bay last year, although lockdowns and travel restrictions devastated the economy, particularly the key tourism industry, which virtually collapsed after most foreign visitors were barred entry. The government’s handling of the economy also promises to be a hot subject of debate.

“I think everyone can feel the same hopelessness and doubt about how our economy will recover,” Pichai Naripthaphan, deputy leader of the opposition Pheu Thai party, told The Associated Press ahead of the debate. He noted that Thailand’s economy is forecast to grow the slowest this year of all Southeast Asian nations. “We hope that this no-confidence motion will lead to some changes — either a Cabinet reshuffle or the coalition parties’ withdrawal — later.”

Digital Economy Minister Chaiwut told reporters ahead of the debate that he is ready to field the opposition’s questions.

He said the government is focusing on solving the COVID-19 problems as soon as possible so that people can live their lives normally, and if there is a political change, that effort might falter.

“It is not the time to focus on politics,” he said. “If the overall situation improves next year, then we can discuss political changes.”

Chaiyun Chaiyaporn, a political scientist at Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn University, said he does not believe the debate can break up the ruling coalition and bring down the government. He suggested that the targeted ministers will be able to successfully defend their handling of the pandemic.

“The debate by the opposition parties may reduce Prayuth’s legitimacy among the public, but not among the coalition parties. I think their relationship remains strong,” he said.

In addition to Prayuth, the opposition plans to grill government ministers belonging to three main coalition parties. They are Deputy Premier and Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul and Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob from the Bhumjai Thai Party, Labor Minister Suchat Chomklin and Digital Economy Minister Chaiwut Thanakamanusorn from the ruling Palang Pracharath, and Agriculture Minister Chalermchai Sri-on from the Democrat Party.

Prayuth and Anutin will likely bear the brunt of the opposition’s attack, since they are the ones most closely associated with COVID-19 policy.

 

 

Source: Voice of America

KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysia needs to push for progress in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI), particularly investors from the European Union (EU), the ASEAN Business Advisory Council (ASEAN-BAC) Malaysia said.

 

The council said a consultation meeting with members of its joint business councils and foreign business councils yesterday concluded that the time now is suitable to restart talks for an EU-Malaysia free trade agreement (FTA).

 

It said the EU has completed bilateral trade agreements with Singapore and Vietnam and is currently in talks for similar free trade agreements (FTA) with other ASEAN countries such as Indonesia.

 

“As such, the panellists agreed that Malaysia needs to push for progress in this area,” it said in a statement Tuesday.

 

Chairman Dr Mohd Munir Abdul Majid said Malaysia remained an attractive destination for foreign direct investment despite the many challenges that the country currently faces.

 

Council member Yong Poh Kon said the ratification of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) could enable Malaysia to reach an agreement with the EU sooner since certain provisions laid out in the CPTPP, such as those involving labour, would be similar to those required in an FTA with the EU.

 

Meanwhile, the EU-Malaysia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Eurocham Malaysia) said it firmly believed that there is a need for a formal framework to elevate trade between the EU and Malaysia to the next level.

 

“Since several ASEAN countries have already signed or are in advanced stages of FTA negotiations with the EU, we strongly recommend that the Malaysian government restarts the currently-stalled FTA dialogue,” chief executive officer Sven Schneider said.

 

Ambassador of the European Union to Malaysia Michalis Rokas said he believed that Malaysia should continue to be an attractive investment destination as long as it provided transparency and predictability.

 

“Malaysia should attract foreign investments and investors by streamlining and simplifying market access requirements for foreign companies, in a systemic and non-discriminatory way,” he said.

 

He added that although the trade and investment relationship between Malaysia and EU is on the whole satisfactory, there remained untapped potential for both sides to work together to “build back better” especially in the post-pandemic recovery period.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

The parents and brother of an American journalist who has been detained in Myanmar for 100 days vowed Tuesday to never stop working to secure his release.

Danny Fenster, 37, is managing editor of Frontier Myanmar, an independent online news outlet based in Yangon, the Southeast Asian nation’s largest city. He was detained May 24 while trying to board a flight to visit his family who live in the Detroit area, and is being held in Yangon’s Insein Prison.

“We’re just trying to stay tough — as tough as Danny is — and we’re not going to stop until we bring him home,” Buddy Fenster, his father, said during a news conference held via Zoom.

Myanmar’s military-installed government accuses Fenster of incitement, saying he spread false or inflammatory information. If convicted, Fenster could be imprisoned for up to three years.

Military officials say they are not suppressing press freedom by holding the journalist, but that limits on publishing information are needed to prevent violence and disorder. The junta has detained dozens of journalists since it took power in February this year.

Fenster’s next hearing is scheduled for next week, according to his brother, Bryan Fenster.

His family wanted to raise awareness about his detention and call for his immediate release on humanitarian grounds.

Danny Fenster told his lawyer in July that he believed he had COVID-19, but prison authorities denied he was infected. The Fensters say they have not spoken to Danny since Aug. 1. During that conversation, they came to believe that he had indeed contracted the coronavirus.

“He still was having some brain fog, loss of taste and smell, some fatigue,” mother Rose Fenster said, adding that her son has not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The U.S. government and press freedom associations have been pushing for Danny Fenster’s release.

“It’s 100 days, and he’s not home, which is frustrating,” Bryan Fenster said Tuesday. “But we know that at the highest levels this is a top priority. And resources are being used to secure his release.”

Michigan Rep. Andy Levin said he is in regular contact with the U.S. State Department and the Fenster family, whom he represents in Congress. The Democrat from suburban Detroit predicted that Fenster eventually will be freed.

“We will get Danny out, because the Fensters will not give up,” Levin said.

The National Press Club announced Monday that Danny Fenster will receive the 2021 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award, which recognizes journalists who bravely push to disclose the truth in trying circumstances.

 

 

Source: Voice of America

KUALA LUMPUR— Malaysian Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob called on the people to embrace the theme of the 2021 National Day celebration, Caring Malaysia.

 

In a post on his official Facebook on Tuesday, the prime minister stated that caring is a trait that must be present in every community in the country.

 

“When we care, we empathise with others. When we care, we take care of the safety and health of our community. When we care, we unite to fight against the enemies of the country.

 

“As such, we should embrace the theme and be caring. I am sure, when we care, Malaysia will be able to break the COVID-19 chain and remains peaceful and prosperous,” he said.

 

The prime minister also wished Happy National Day 2021 to all Malaysians.

 

In a celebration filled with patriotism in the spirit of the Malaysian family, the National Day was celebrated under the new normal circumstances for the second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic at Dataran Pahlawan Negara (National Heroes Square) in Putrajaya.

 

Ismail Sabri also attended the celebration, but virtually, as he is in self-quarantine since Monday after being detected as a close contact of a COVID-19 patient.

 

Various programmes and performances with elements of patriotism, were held in compliance with standard operating procedures (SOP) with the physical presence of limited number of viewers, while others watched them on television or virtually.

 

Themed ‘Malaysia Prihatin’ (Caring Malaysia), there were four main presentations comprising a Malaysian Armed Forces drumline performance, a silent march by the Royal Malaysian Navy, a combined band show of various uniformed agencies as well as an air display by the Royal Malaysian Air Force.

 

The live broadcast of the National Day 2021 celebration started at 8 am on all local television channels, Facebook Live Merdeka360 and Facebook Live Communications and Multimedia Ministry (MCMC) using the ‘Mix Reality’ technology.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK

KUALA LUMPUR— A total of 14,886,006 individuals or 63.6 per cent of the adult population in Malaysia have completed both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination as of Monday, according to the COVID-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV).

 

An infographic shared on the committee’s official Twitter also showed 19,621,799 individuals, or 83.8 per cent, have received the first dose, bringing to a total of 34,490,572 doses of the vaccine having been administered under the National COVID-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) until Monday.

 

According to JKJAV, 60.1 per cent of the country’s population had received at least the first dose of the vaccine, while 45.6 per cent having completed both doses.

 

On the daily vaccination, a total of 361,381 doses of the vaccine were administered Monday, with 181,281 doses as first dose and the remaining 180,100 doses to the second dose recipients.

 

PICK was launched last Feb 24 to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.

 

 

Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK