CNA Explains: Beijing vs Manila in the South China Sea - what’s the endgame?

By:
On:
In: Asia

Each episode has been accompanied by a war of words. The Philippines has described China’s “unprovoked acts of coercion” as violating international law, damaging maritime assets and putting lives of Filipino crew at risk.

Beijing has said it’s applying “law enforcement activities” to deal with violations of “indisputable” Chinese sovereignty. This claim relies on what it calls “historic rights” to the South China Sea.

So does the South China Sea belong to China?

Depends on who you ask.

Back in 2009, China unveiled to the United Nations its “nine-dash” line laying claim to over 80 per cent of the South China Sea.

In addition to the Philippines, Southeast Asian countries Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei also claim parts of the vast ocean, which serves as a crucial maritime route for over US$3 trillion in annual global trade, and as a key source of both fishing and gas reserves.

After a 2012 standoff between the Philippines and China in Scarborough Shoal, Manila took the matter to arbitration in The Hague the next year. 

The Philippines wants China to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS, which sets a country’s exclusive economic zone or EEZ at 200 nautical miles from a national landmass.

A historic 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling subsequently found that China’s claim had “no legal basis”. Beijing squarely rejected this as “null and void”.

Continue Reading

Personal mobility aid sellers could take months to adjust speed limits, sell off old stock

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Mr Chew told CNA that Falcon Mobility would need six months to comply with a reduced speed limit for PMAs. 

About 20 per cent of their electric wheelchairs and 75 per cent of mobility scooters are above the threshold and have maximum speeds of up to 10kmh, he said.

Depending on the device, Falcon Mobility will charge between S$30 and S$90 to reprogramme its speed limit – a service which may take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours, according to Mr Chew. 

He expects “thousands” of customers asking for their devices to be reprogrammed, and was concerned his company would be unable to cope with a “tsunami” of requests.

DNR Wheels’ sales and business development manager Jackson Teo said all of the disability equipment provider’s mobility scooters would be affected by a reduced speed limit.

While staff would be able to reprogramme them, the company will also need up to half a year to discuss with its manufacturer the production of PMAs with a default maximum speed of 6kmh.

Retailer Mobot’s brand manager Bobby Lai said his company might not be able to clear inventory accumulated for the holiday season. It would take up to four months to sell existing stock, he added.

POPULAR WITH FOOD DELIVERY RIDERS

In an Instagram poll by CNA, respondents said they often saw families using PMAs as a form of transport around neighbourhoods and more commonly, food delivery riders on PMAs and speeding on paths.

“One even livestreams his delivery and honks at pedestrians (while) speeding on the pavement,” said an Instagram user by the name of Joshua Tan.

Mirroring observations by the mobility panel’s focus groups, other poll respondents said the PMA riders appeared to be able-bodied, and that some were abusing the devices for their own entertainment. 

Food delivery companies told CNA they would support riders should the proposed recommendations come to pass. They did not share how they would ensure riders complied with the requirements.

A Deliveroo spokesperson said that as part of supporting the diverse needs of riders, including those with disabilities, the company was “open” to them using vehicles that comply with local regulations, including PMAs, to fulfil their deliveries. 

“The wellbeing and safety of our riders are always our top priorities, and we will continue to establish an inclusive environment for riders and the wider community.”

The Grab platform said a “small percentage” of delivery riders use PMAs currently. 

“We will work closely with the government and do our best to support our delivery-partners through any transition if the recommendations are accepted,” a spokesperson said. 

In a statement, foodpanda said it gave delivery riders the “freedom to sustain their livelihoods and pursue their goals”. 

“Foodpanda maintains its commitment to making platform work safe, inclusive and accessible to all delivery partners. The safety and welfare of our delivery partners, regardless of delivery mode, and the wider community continues to be our number one priority,” a spokesperson said. 

Foodpanda also said it hoped that government policies would consider the impact on the livelihoods of delivery riders.

“We stand ready to work closely with authorities towards improving guidelines around the use of PMAs and an implementation that is fair to all stakeholders,” it added.

Continue Reading

Frozen remittances in China: Some customers unable to access accounts for months

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

About 430 of the police reports made were against Samlit Moneychanger.

Mr Sam Malik of Samlit Moneychanger told CNA that the company observed an uptick in cases in October, but cannot pinpoint exactly when the accounts were frozen.

Referring to the MAS decision to suspend non-bank and non-card transfers, he said: “We strongly believe the move will be welcomed by customers and our industry peers in the current situation.”

“SAFETY FIRST”

Mr Li, the sushi chef, now sends money to China using DBS instead of choosing overseas third-party agents through remittance companies.

“The money reaches my family in a few minutes, and it’s safe. The exchange rate isn’t as good, but safety first,” he said. “I don’t need to worry about my account being frozen.”

“There are 600, 700 of us waiting for good news. I hope we can be compensated quickly and our families will be able to use the money. That’s what we want,” he added.

While speaking to reporters, Mr Li paused to tell another Chinese national, construction worker Xing Yu Zhu, that he should also use official banking channels.

Mr Xing said he had not decided whether to use a bank or a different remittance company and said he feels that whatever he chooses, there will still be a risk of running into trouble.

He has been a customer of Samlit Moneychanger for around 10 years and his account in China was frozen a few months ago.

He showed CNA messages on WeChat that detailed how his money was sent over to China in three batches.

The first two were unaffected, but the last tranche of money – around 12,000 yuan (S$2,200) – was frozen. Mr Xing said he believes he is a victim of a scam because his family was asked to pay a ransom of 500,000 Chinese yuan (S$94,000) for the account to be unfrozen.

MAS said on Monday that it is unclear why these funds had been frozen.

Mr Xing chose Samlit because it offered a better exchange rate.

“The safer ones have a bad exchange rate,” he said. “It could be a few hundred dollars’ difference.”

He said he drops by Samlit nearly every week to ask for updates.

“I’m thinking of going back to China to settle this issue,” he said. “It doesn’t feel good. I earned my money honestly, but it’s frozen in an account.”

Samlit’s Mr Malik said the company assesses documents provided by their customers who face issues. It then determines if the customer suffered “financial inconvenience” due to the transaction processed by the company and looks for a resolution based on Singapore’s laws.

SUPPORTING CUSTOMERS

Two other remittance companies named by MAS and the police were involved in a meeting on Monday evening with 39 people whose accounts were frozen.

Mr Jed Huang, chief executive officer of Zhongguo Remittance, said the meeting went well and affected customers had the chance to ask questions.

“The central part of it is to assist the customers in getting the relevant documentation and to consider how we can help the customer to get their accounts unfrozen. All of them, their funds are from legitimate sources,” he said.

Continue Reading

Indonesia elections: Suspicious transactions worth trillions of rupiah unearthed, activists call for probe

By:
On:
In: Asia

MONEY USUALLY USED TO BUY VOTES, PAY POLITICAL DOWRIES

The discovery has highlighted the “power of money” in Indonesia’s elections, an anti-corruption official told CNA.

According to research by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), success in legislative and regional head elections is 95.5 per cent determined by money, said Mr Amir Arief, the commission’s director of Anti-Corruption Socialisation and Campaign. 

“The power of money is very important. For this reason, election participants such as legislative candidates or political parties believe that the more money they have, the greater their chance of winning the election,” he said. 

The money is used to buy votes, mobilise campaign machinery or pay political dowries, among other things.

Political dowry, or “boat money”, refers to what a person must pay to a political party to stand as its representative in parliamentary elections. The amount varies between 1 billion rupiah (US$64,406) and 12 billion rupiah, said Mr Amir. 

According to the KPK’s prosecution record, some campaign funds have been sourced through corrupt means, he added.

“For example, regional heads who want to run for election (will take from) their regional funds. They also get campaign funds from various vendors and contractors. If elected, the funders will expect rewards … (such as their companies being awarded) a tender for the procurement of goods and services,” he explained.

“There are also those who get their funds from within the government itself, for example from civil servants who give money to politicians. If the politician wins the regional head position, the civil servant hopes to be appointed the head of the department,” said Mr Amir. 

While a monitoring mechanism known as the Campaign Fund Information System (Sidakam) already exists to promote transparency among election participants, “the challenge is whether what the politicians report on Sidakam is transparent”, he said. “That is what the KPU must ensure.” 

Continue Reading

Telok Ayer emerges as one of the warmest spots in Singapore in study

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

COOLING THE COUNTRY DOWN 

The phenomenon where built-up areas tend to be warmer than rural or heartland areas is known as the Urban Heat Island Effect. 

To counter this, design elements that cool buildings, like increased tree canopy cover or reflective roofs may help, said Dr Shawn Lum from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). 

“Many parts of the city, including some that are maybe more prone to absorbing and radiating heat – you can’t just tear them down and rebuild,” said Dr Lum, a senior lecturer at NTU’s Asian School of the Environment. 

Instead, buildings may need to be retrofitted, he said. 

“Paints or some kind of cladding that either reflect or somehow just shield the buildings and keep them from absorbing too much sunlight can be done but they might be costly,” he said. 

Change in some norms may also help, Dr Lum added. 

This includes dressing comfortably for the heat and getting used to slightly higher temperatures indoors so that air conditioning, which generates heat in the environment, does not have to be set too low.

ONGOING EFFORTS 

Singapore is already making efforts to tamper the heat, said Mr Tony Chan, Arup’s associate principal for Cities and Planning in Singapore. As part of the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the government is conducting a digital urban climate study, he noted. 

“(It) all adds to the body of knowledge to help us implement strategies moving forward in terms of mitigating against heat,” he told CNA’s Singapore Tonight.

Continue Reading

Town council managing agent FMSS and director suing insurer for failing to foot bill in AHTC case

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: The managing agent embroiled in the long-running Aljunied Hougang Town Council (AHTC) case and its director are suing their insurer for failing to indemnify them or make any payments over the law suits.

The parties suing Allied World Assurance Company are: Former AHTC managing agent FM Solutions & Services (FMSS) and its director Ms How Weng Fan, who is also suing in the capacity of her late husband Mr Danny Loh.

According to court documents obtained by CNA, the three plaintiffs are suing Allied World Assurance Company for failing or refusing to indemnify them or make payment to them as provided for under their insurance contract after the plaintiffs were sued by AHTC and Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PRPTC).

FMSS, Ms How and Mr Loh signed an insurance contract with Allied World Assurance Company in August 2016, according to court papers.

According to the three plaintiffs, the insurer agreed to indemnify them against liability at law for money to be paid under judgment, award or settlement arising from legal proceedings brought by third parties against them, resulting from any civil liability incurred in connection to the property management or project management services they provided.

The insurance company was also supposed to pay all other costs and expenses incurred by the plaintiffs in such legal proceedings, such as the legal costs of defending themselves, said the plaintiffs.

The indemnity was effective for the period from Aug 16, 2016 to Aug 15, 2017, and AHTC filed its lawsuit against the plaintiffs on Jul 21, 2017, with PRPTC following suit on Aug 3, 2017.

However, the plaintiffs alleged that Allied World Assurance Company breached the insurance contract by failing or refusing to indemnify them or make payment to them as provided for under the contract.

The plaintiffs alleged that they have suffered “loss and damage”, including the legal fees they incurred in defending both civil suits.

They are suing for declarations that the insurer breached its obligations under the insurance contract, damages, interest, costs and other reliefs.

They filed a writ of summons to avoid potential time bars under the Limitation Act and were last granted an extension for the writ to be renewed for another six months from Jul 3, 2023.

The insurance company is represented by Mr Joshua Ho, Mr Joseph Lee and Ms Pak Waltan from LVM Law Chambers.

Parties last came to court for a pre-trial conference on Dec 15, according to public court records.

BACKGROUND OF THE AHTC SUIT

FMSS, Ms How and Mr Loh are all defendants in the civil suits brought by AHTC and Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (later handed over to Sengkang Town Council) against Workers’ Party leaders and former AHTC town councillors for the alleged misuse of millions in town council funds.

Continue Reading

Japan has at least 15 Nobel Prizes, but scientists fear the decline of country’s research industry

By:
On:
In: Asia

WHY NAGOYA UNIVERSITY IS SPECIAL

Nagoya University’s ability to inspire future Nobel Laureates achievements is because of its conducive conditions, its president Professor Naoshi Sugiyama told CNA.

“We have an environment where we can freely discuss with each other. Japanese society is known to be hierarchical — a professor is like a very, very great person, while students are like slaves. But it’s not the case in this university,” he said.

Prof Sugiyama, who is also a respected physicist, began his six-year tenure in April 2022. He said his mission is to make Nagoya University an institute of choice for the world’s best minds as he expects more Nobel-winning research to be done there.

 “We’d like to get the best graduates, best junior faculties, best professors. For that we have to change our environment into English if we want to get the top professors from the US or even from Singapore,” he said.

Salaries will also have to be doubled, he said, adding that such reforms to make the institution “truly internationally competitive” have begun.

THE BEGINNING OF LED LIGHTING

One of Nagoya University’s brightest stars is Professor Hiroshi Amano.

He was awarded a Nobel Prize in physics in 2014 for inventing the light-emitting diode (LED), a semiconductor device which enables bright and energy-saving white light sources.

LED lighting products, which are now commonly used worldwide, produce light up to 90 per cent more efficiently than incandescent light bulbs.

With about one-fourth of world electricity consumption used for lighting purposes, the highly energy-efficient LED contributes to enormous savings in energy as countries confront a climate crisis.

Continue Reading

When a breastfeeding mother gets mastitis: How to treat infected milk ducts and build up supply after

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

Here are two things to consider when shopping for a breast pump.

MANUAL OR ELECTRIC BREAST PUMP?

It really depends on one’s comfort level and needs. A colleague who breastfed both her kids swore by her trusty manual single pump. She found the electric pump painful to use. Pumping by hand allowed her to control the pressure more intuitively, even though it gave her quite a workout.

On the rare occasion that she had blocked ducts, she managed by latching her baby and using the manual pump regularly until the blockage cleared.  

An electric pump will do all the hard work for you but tends to be more expensive than a manual pump. Mums who prefer an electric pump feel it does a more thorough and faster job, which may help to prevent plugged milk ducts.

For some who have fattier milk and are more susceptible to mastitis, a hospital-grade pump – though more expensive – is the best way to unblock those painful milk ducts.

Of course, using an electric pump means you need an electric plug or batteries. A manual pump eliminates all that and is lighter to pack. Some mums thus use an electric breast pump on a daily basis but switch to a manual one when they have to be on the run or on business trips.   

SINGLE OR DOUBLE PUMP?

Using a single pump on one breast, then the other, will naturally take more time compared to using a double pump. If a mum is rushed for time, she may sometimes cut short or even skip expressing milk from the second breast. If that happens frequently enough, it may lead to blocked milk ducts and mastitis.

There are ways to work around this. Breast pump maker Medela recommends that “if you’re single pumping, alternate and switch breasts every five minutes until your milk flow stops”. Think of it as how you’d alternate breasts when you latch your baby.

Whatever your preference for breast pumps, the key thing is to clear both breasts adequately – although not completely – when you express milk. Emptying both breasts may lead to an oversupply of milk. While having plenty of milk may sound like a good problem, it may backfire on you and increase your risk of mastitis.

Continue Reading

'RM10,000 in losses': Slow start to Malaysia's flood mitigation measures leaving victims high and dry

By:
On:
In: Asia

Dr Serina Rahman, who is a lecturer with the Southeast Asia Studies Department at the National University of Singapore (NUS) and specialised in environmental issues in Malaysia, told CNA that the implementation of these projects will inevitably take time.

However she acknowledged that delays due to cost cutting measures by the government or the funds not being allocated properly would hurt residents, who are mostly rural folks. 

“Good that cash has been allocated to work to alleviate floods. But the process of putting this into fruitful action on the ground will take time,” said Dr Serina. 

“But climate change impacts needed to be mitigated a few years ago so until it is done, we will continue to suffer these disasters,” she added. 

THINGS LIKELY TO GET WORSE 

Amid slow progress for the RTB projects, environmental experts CNA spoke to warned that the effects of climate change are likely to exacerbate the problem. 

UTM’s Dr Zulfaqar told CNA that due to Malaysia’s topography, it is susceptible to coastal flooding and flash floods, both of which are increasing in frequency and intensity due to global warming. 

He explained that the melting of glaciers and ice sheets will cause sea levels to rise, adding volume to the ocean water and likely to impact coastal areas across Peninsula Malaysia as well as Sabah and Sarawak. 

Moreover, flash flooding will also be more frequent as warmer temperatures increase, putting more moisture into the atmosphere that then gets released as rain. 

Dr Zulfaqar estimated that based on the climate change projection reports on Malaysia released by the World Bank, floods are likely to occur 20 per cent more over the next five years. 

He also spoke about the matter during his presentation on climate change scenarios and water security during the five-day Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023 in Johor Bahru in November. 

Dr Zulfaqar also told CNA that based on his research and data collection, Peninsular Malaysia specifically has already seen increased volume of rainfall between November and January each year.

“This means that the impact of the annual northeast monsoon will be much worse in years to come. Expect more rainfall and if the mitigation efforts are not stepped up, worse floods,” he added. 

For some residents, the increased frequency of rain over the last few years has been clearly felt.  

Fisherman Sharuddin Hatman, who lives on the banks of the Johor River at Kampung Sungai Telor near Kota Tinggi, told CNA his village has seen more frequent and more intense floods over the last five years. 

“It’s been getting worse, and we are so used to floods especially during the year-end that it has become the norm,” said the 31-year-old. 

Continue Reading

CNA Explains: What happens when a foreigner is deported from Singapore for a crime?

By:
On:
In: South-East Asia

SINGAPORE: In November, Chinese national Han Feizi was deported after serving a jail term for altercations and arguments with a security guard, a police officer and hospital employees.

Han gained notoriety after TikTok videos of her arguing with the police went viral. Social media users applauded the news of her deportation, but how foreign convicts are expelled from Singapore is a process that remains opaque even to seasoned criminal lawyers. 

In its official response to CNA, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said it was unable to divulge details of deportation procedures due to “operational sensitivities”.

However, it said biometrics scanning technology at Singapore’s checkpoints can detect deported individuals if they attempt to re-enter Singapore under another identity or passport.

To get some insight into the process, CNA spoke to a foreigner who was sent home after completing a jail term, as well as several lawyers who have had clients deported. Some lawyers declined to be named, citing the sensitivity of the topic.

What happens when a foreigner is deported?

The idea behind deportation is for the foreigner to be “removed” from Singapore and returned to their home country, said lawyer Gloria James-Civetta.

She said her previous clients who were deported after serving their sentence in Singapore were generally escorted from prison to ICA, where they were processed to be deported.

“Depending on their home country, they would either be sent to the airport, to the ferry terminal or customs.”  

She usually advised her clients to pack and send their belongings back home before beginning their sentence in Singapore.

In its response to CNA, ICA said a foreigner who has been convicted and jailed for an offence in Singapore is deemed to be an “undesirable immigrant” and liable to be “removed” under the Immigration Act.

“The presence of a foreigner may also be undesirable from a public interest perspective, for example, if their presence in Singapore threatens the safety and security of the local community,” said the ICA spokesperson.

John’s experience

John (not his real name), who is in his 50s, was convicted in Singapore of criminal breach of trust and jailed.

He told CNA that foreign convicts are usually deported immediately upon finishing their jail terms, if they do not have a valid pass to stay in Singapore.

However, he said he was given a “quite rare” extension via a Special Pass to stay in Singapore after finishing his jail term, pending his flight home at his own expense.

When he completed his jail term, John said he was transported from Changi Prison to ICA, which he said seemed to be the general rule.

He was released on a Special Pass, on the condition that he present his air ticket no later than the next day.

“As I got from my talk with the officials of ICA, it is (an) extremely rare case,” said John.

“Normally, if a ticket is supposed to be bought by a person released from jail in return (for) a longer stay in Singapore before departure, this ticket has to be presented immediately upon arriving at ICA from the jail.”

Even if the air ticket is presented, it is no guarantee that the convict will be allowed to stay longer in Singapore before flying home, said John.

“If the decision is negative, it is very unlikely, near to impossible, to get a permit to visit any place in Singapore before departure, even to collect personal belongings.” 

Convicts who are deported upon finishing their jail terms are allowed to change into their own clothes in ICA’s detention area before departure, said John.

John said he was not escorted to the plane, but added that this decision was made by ICA depending on how dangerous a convict is determined to be, if they are left in Singapore on their own before the scheduled departure.

Being detained under ICA was not much different from conditions in jail, he added.

“But the staff of the detention department of ICA are quite friendly and polite, yet I have (a) strong feeling that it depends on how heavy the sentence was,” he said.

“In my case the staff was ready to listen to my requests but I am sure ICA (agrees to) such requests only if the argumentation is strong, well-prepared and documented.”

Who pays for the flight?

Continue Reading