Police interrogated a diplomat at the Singapore embassy in Tokyo on Thursday ( May 2 ) after he was suspected of filming a male teen taking a public bath, according to Japanese media reports. The minister in issue is a 55- year- older, who is a “former” advisor at theContinue Reading
Since then, Malaysia’s federal government has n’t made any announcement regarding passport-free clearance at land checkpoints, but Johor’s state government and businesses are eager to move things forward.
Mohamad Fazli, chairman of the Johor Works, Transportation, Infrastructure, and Communication Committee, stated on Tuesday ( April 9 ) that he would be meeting with the relevant organizations in Singapore following Hari Raya’s discussion of the QR code initiative.
According to Mr. Fazli,” We want to see whether the application has been prosperous or not.”  ,
” I may collect all the relevant data and have a conversation with our Immigration director-general after that,” he continued.
CNA has contacted the Johor emigration department to inquire whether there is a potential for developing a passport-free immigration clearing in the near future in advance of more debate for a planned SEZ.  ,
According to Mr. Andrew Chen, Johor position assembly for the Stulang district, which is located close to the Johor Bahru immigration complex, it is crucial that Malaysia begin implementing a passport-free certification system as soon as possible. This may signal the Malaysia administration’s commitment to the terms of the SEZ, he said.
Malaysia may not necessarily implement a QR code system like Singapore’s, but the Democratic Action Party ( DAP ) politician pointed out that countries should take into account alternatives like facial recognition biometric clearance or other methods that would allow passport-free travel when the SEZ is realized.  ,
DAP is a member of the unification state under the leadership of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and the Pakatan Harapan coalition.  ,
” It is very crucial that these methods be in position right away. Malaysia does honor the contract to eventually apply passport-free travel, according to Mr. Chen, who led a state task force to relieve congestion at the Causeway between 2018 and 2020.
” The SEZ’s success depends on smooth traffic flow, and the Malaysian business can benefit from this diplomatic program. However, he continued, “it must be done right away, in order to prepare for any subsequent conversations involving the SEZ.”
According to Mr. Chen, the authorities should also look into a system that is comparable to the one that is currently in place for the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS ) Link, where visitors only need to cross immigration once.
SINGAPORE: Last week, the Singapore Police Force ( SPF ) and the Royal Malaysia Police ( RMP ) jointly attacked a transnational scam syndicate in Kuala Lumpur, according to SPF on Wednesday ( Mar 27 ).  , Between Oct 1, 2023, and Jan 31 this year, more than 3, 000Continue Reading
” One change is probably how the says of” catalyst bao” (meaning” an affront to China” ) have become, as shown by these new circumstances. The charges against Nongfu Spring are merely ridiculous and silly, according to Assoc Prof. Yew, who is not known to criticize the Chinese Communist Party.
Mo Yan, after winning the Nobel Prize for Literature, faced criticism for being too close to the Chinese authorities. He was criticized by a number of rights activists and other authors, who claimed he was unworthy of the reward.
Professor Daniel Vukovich from the University of Hong Kong ( HKU) pointed out that Mo Yan is now being criticized online for being too much like a dissident, rather than being accused of being one.
” Part of what makes his job specific is truly that he does question what life was like in the countryside during the dark and afterward decades. This is not disloyal or against- China- if anyone it’s the opposite”, Prof Vukovich added.
However, questions have also been raised over the enthusiasm of these personal- proclaimed nationalists, and whether income is a element.
Wu Wanzheng, the journalist who sued Mo Yan, had launched a paid subscription services starting at 50 yuan per month, according to a report from China Digital Times, a US-based media website covering China, on March 13.  ,
According to the report, Mr. Wu had also launched his own Weibo business and begun bringing in products. Besides these, the journalist had even opened a “blogger’s special” membership on various platforms, including paid sections.
A Chinese blogger was criticized for using loyalty to profit from his content, according to an Al Jazeera report earlier this month.  ,
The vlogger’s claim that the Nanjing purchasing mall’s New Year’s decorations were political Chinese motifs sparked controversy online. State media CCTV therefore posted an article criticising the vlogger’s says, which was titled” Patriotism is never a business, accounts may come with information”.  ,
While HKU’s Prof. Vukovich anticipates that this recent incident wo n’t have an impact on the author’s reputation and livelihood, he argued that many people now seem more patriotic and proud to be Chinese than they did in the 1990s.  ,
So it may seem as though Mo Yan’s perceived views of the Party and country are more tenuous than they were in the past, when he had liberal critics overseas or in China.
In the case of Nongfu Spring, while framing it as an appearance of “intense nationalism”, Prof Vukovich argued that it “refers as much to democracy … as to nationalism”.
Democracy has not decreased since the 1990s, but he said,” If anything has changed, then now there are populist relationships within patriotism or Chinese political society, and this can be good or bad, depending on your opinion and what it is reacting to.”  ,
The optics of Nongfu Spring’s creator, a Taiwanese nationwide, and his son, a citizen, might have contributed to the political ire, according to Prof. Vukovich.
” Zhong Shanshan is the wealthiest man in China … and his brother, who will probably gain his whole fortune, is a US resident.  , How does this search for China? No fine at all”.
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s economy ministry has been asked to coordinate meetings at the working committee level to follow up on several proposals related to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said this on Wednesday (Feb 28) during a Johor state development meeting in Putrajaya, which he chaired.Continue Reading
Meanwhile, Japan is also courting the foreign market following a shift in the country’s security policy, which opened its local defence industry to the global market.
It is eyeing Asia, where defence spending is on the rise due to economic growth and China’s military expansion.
Japan’s defence ministry has set up a booth at the Singapore Airshow for the first time, showcasing its capabilities from aircraft manufacturing to communications. It has also brought along 13 Japanese companies with the aim of supporting sales to other countries.
Both Japan and South Korea are the United States’ most important allies in Asia.
“For the case of Japan and Korea especially, they are very integrated into the Western supply chain. They’re interoperable with western systems,” said Aviation Week Network’s Asia Pacific senior correspondent Chen Chuanren.
“And I think more importantly is that given what’s happening around the world, many countries are looking to get military equipment fast and urgently, and (Korea, in particular,) has the capacity and the capability to generate and produce military equipment very easily for these countries.”
“From a timing perspective, given Boeing’s situation, airlines around the world are more keen these days to consider a third option when looking at narrow-body aircraft campaigns,” said Mr Sobie.
That being said, China faces major headwinds in its ambitions to stamp its mark on global passenger aviation.
Regulatory hurdles are the sticking point, say analysts as they point out that COMAC’s C919 has not been certified by US and European aviation regulators. Only Chinese regulators have certified the C919 thus far, giving the green light in September 2022.
Getting approval from regulators like those in the US and Europe are “most crucial” in becoming “widely accepted” and operating globally in international skies, Mr Shantanu told CNA.
According to Reuters, China’s aviation authority said last month it would this year pursue European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) validation for the C919, a process which began in 2018.
“The industry is currently in wait and see mode … be it certification or order fulfilment amongst other factors,” said Mr Shantanu.
Another obstacle confronting COMAC is the C919’s exposure to geopolitical risk and supply chain issues, due to its reliance on imported parts and technology.
A 2020 analysis by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a US think tank, estimated that more than 80 per cent of the C919’s major component suppliers were from the US and Europe.
“All the systems, engines, and avionics that make the C919 fly are Western,” said Mr Richard Aboulafia, managing director of aviation consultancy AeroDynamic Advisory.
“If they want a true (Chinese) aircraft, one that allows them to be self-sufficient for some reason, that will take many more billions of dollars and many more years than they have already invested in the C919,” Mr Aboulafia added.
SINGAPORE: A 33-year-old Singaporean woman died in a go-karting incident on Indonesian island of Batam on Wednesday (Feb 21). The incident took place at Golden City Go Kart in Bengkong around 3.30pm local time (4.30pm, Singapore time), reported Berita Mediacorp, quoting Senior Superintendent Zahwani Pandra Arsyad Zahwani Pandra Arsyad of the RiauContinue Reading
The RTS shuttle service will run between the Singapore terminus at Woodlands North station and the Malaysia terminus at Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru.
The Woodlands North station – which is being constructed at a maximum depth of 28m – will be connected via an underground linkway to the immigration area. On the Malaysia side, the immigration facilities will also be located at Bukit Chagar station.
This means passengers only need to clear immigration authorities once – at their point of departure. Currently, passengers need to clear immigration on arrival as well.
The Woodlands North station and CIQ (customs, immigration and quarantine) building, a three-storey structure with two basement levels, will be 10 times the size of a typical MRT station, LTA said.
The CIQ building is designed to BCA’s Green Mark Platinum Certification, with energy-saving equipment incorporated into its design and operations. These include features such as LED lighting, solar panels and a hybrid cooling system.
Both the station and CIQ building will be connected to the Thomson-East Coast Line Woodlands North MRT station via an underground concourse.
Before going through the emigration counter, you may provide a current passport and an authentic online arrival card for validation.
Malaysia’s automatic access method, also known as an autogate, is also available to visitors from Australia, Brunei, Germany, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United States, and the UK.
When first-time visitors arrive, they must register and have their passports verified at a regular desk before using the autogate to leave.
You can enter and exit the country right away using the autogate if your card has already been registered on a prior visit.
A current card is necessary for every arrival.
Your card may be appropriate for at least six months if you plan to arrive at one of Malaysia’s airports. Your card may have a minimum three-month validity if you plan to arrive through one of the area checkpoints.
Malaysia wants to “attract foreign tourists and make regional income” under its Visa Liberalization Plan.
The Malaysian Immigration Department stated in a Twitter post on Friday that” this will guarantee Malaysia continues to lead in important companies funding and tourism in the Eastern place.”
A student go, a multiple entry visa facility, an Umrah transport visa, and an enhancement to the validity and enrollment period of visas and cultural visit passes were among the other initiatives that were implemented.