ASEAN News

Myanmar – The Myanmar junta turned down a request from a regional special envoy to meet with a group of expelled MPs, which it had labeled a terrorist organization, on Sunday, as part of efforts to break a year-long political impasse since the coup. Since the putsch in February 2021, Myanmar has been in disarray, its economy has been paralyzed, …

Malaysia – Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah underlined that Wisma Putra would make no announcements on nominees for Malaysia’s envoys overseas. “Wisma Putra will announce the names only when the persons have received documents of appointment from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, and we will withhold the identities until there are none,” he told a news conference after officiating the …

India – An Indian official said that India has lodged a formal complaint with Singapore over a comment made by the country’s prime minister regarding the number of Indian legislators facing criminal charges, marking a rare case of disagreement between the Asian allies. In Singapore’s parliament on Wednesday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong made the comment while participating in a …

Indonesia – With the first international passenger flight to the Indonesian vacation island in in two years, Bali started a tentative re-opening to foreign visitors on Feb 16. Flights have resumed as the Southeast Asian archipelago relaxes quarantine laws despite an increase in Covid infections caused by the Omicron strain. A Singapore Airlines flight carrying 109 foreign passengers and 47 …

ASEAN – Once the Omicron transmission wave has peaked and begun to subside, Singaporeans should expect further loosening of Covid-19 limits, according to Health Minister Ong Ye Kung. He mentioned this in a written response to a query from Mountbatten Member of Parliament (MP) Lim Biow Chuan, who questioned what the goal conditions are before the government considers relaxing the …

North Korea – The North Korean government has deported thousands of gardeners to labor camps after thousands of special flowers planted to commemorate the late dictator’s birthday failed to blossom. The Kimjongilia, which was named after Kim Jong-il, Kim Jong-father un’s and previous North Korean leader, were supposed to be in bloom on February 16 to commemorate the late dictator’s …

Myanmar – Myanmar’s junta on Monday (Feb 14) said it would not attend an upcoming ASEAN summit after the bloc’s “regrettable” exclusion of its top diplomat over a lack of progress in defusing post-coup violence. ASEAN invited Myanmar to send a “non-political representative” to this week’s foreign ministers’ meeting, citing a lack of progress on a consensus agreed last year …

Singapore – Furious critics in Singapore said that a video posted by the New York Times showing a Taiwan-based writer preparing a “Singaporean chicken curry” looked more like sewage than a traditional local meal, prompting the publication to remove the video. It is common for Singaporeans to be quite proud of their culinary traditions, which are a fusion of influences …

China – As the territory confronts an expanding outbreak, China’s administration overseeing issues in the city said it will fully back Hong Kong’s “dynamic zero” coronavirus approach. In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO), which falls under China’s State Council or Cabinet, said the central government was “extremely worried” about residents’ safety and …

ASEAN – According to Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong, the government would invest S$150 million (RM468 million) on space research and development to improve Singapore’s space capabilities (February 9). The Office for Space Technology and Sector, which controls the country’s space industry, and the National Research Foundation will make the investment, according to Gan, who was speaking at …