Health
On Wednesday, Singapore announced 142 new coronavirus cases, bringing the country’s total to 1,623. Of the 142 infections, Singapore’s highest single-day spike, 40 cases were linked to local clusters at foreign worker dormitories and 28 were related to non-dormitory clusters or other cases. [SCMP]
Thailand reported 54 new COVID-19 cases and 2 more deaths, taking its total to 2,423 cases and 32 deaths, while 940 patients have recovered and gone home since the outbreak began in January. [CNA]
Malaysia reported another 156 COVID-19 cases on Wednesday, pushing its total past 4,000. The country’s total number of cases went past 3,000 only last Thursday. Malaysia remains the worst-hit country in Southeast Asia. [CNA]
Domestic Politics
The Singapore government announced new measures to accelerate local food production by ramping up rooftop farming. The disruption to global supply chains has led the city-state, which produces only about 10% of its food need, to come up with plans that include turning car park rooftops in public housing estates into urban farms. [Jakarta Post]
In a national address on late Monday, Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said he’s inclined to extend a lockdown on the main island, which is home to more than half the country’s population, until April 30. [Jakarta Post]
The Indonesian government announced new measures that entail a $24 billion rescue package, a 50-year ‘pandemic’ bond, and a US Federal Reserve credit facility to help the economy. The newly unveiled US$24.3 billion health care, social safety net, and business rescue package adds up to a relatively modest 3% of gross domestic product (GDP), which will result in the deficit reaching up to 5%. [Asia Times]
The prime minister of Timor-Leste, Taur Matan Ruak, withdrew his resignation on Wednesday, saying he would stay in power to oversee the battle against the coronavirus pandemic as the government approved a US$250 million (S$356 million) fund to fight it. [Strait Times]
Cases against several Rohingya Muslims who were detained after fleeing Myanmar’s Rakhine state have been dropped, as fears grow of a potential coronavirus outbreak in the country's overcrowded prisons. On Wednesday, one of the courts suddenly dropped cases against two of the largest groups of arrested Rohingya, totaling 128 people. [Strait Times]
International Relations
On Wednesday, The Phillippines’ government voiced “deep concern” over the April 3 collision between a Chinese coast guard vessel and a Vietnamese fishing boat in the South China Sea. The Department of Foreign Affairs cited its own experience last year as a sign of “how much trust in a friendship is lost” following such incidents. [SCMP]
Society
Malaysia’s cabinet rescinded its approval for brewers Heineken and Carlsberg to restart operations during month-long curbs on travel and non-essential business after a backlash in the Muslim-majority nation. In a statement posted on Twitter, opposition politician Zaid Ibrahim said, “If producing Heineken is deemed ‘essential services’ then I can think of another 200 services more worthy of that designation.” [Jakarta Post]
Image Source: Jakarta Post
Southeast Asia in Review: April 09, 2020
Read more about the latest events from Southeast Asia.
April 9, 2020
