1.

Immigration has no power to revoke passports, say lawyers: Lawyer R. Kengadharan said any law passed by Parliament, including the Passports Act, would be illegal if it went against the constitution which is the supreme law of the land. "The department has transgressed an irrevocable right and had acted contrary to natural justice," he said.

Kengadharan said the aggrieved parties could apply to the court and demand that the department comply with the law as interpreted by the court. The lawyer was responding to comments by the Immigration Department director-general Datuk Mustafa Ibrahim who had said that the duo's actions could not be "tolerated". "We will not tolerate any individual who insults the judiciary and Malay rulers," Mustafa had said, adding that notices would be sent via registered mail to both Tan and Ali's last known addresses to inform them about the action.

Lawyer S. N. Nair said there was no provision in the Passports Act which empowered Mustafa to cancel a Malaysian passport lawfully issued to a citizen. "Leaving aside the court pronouncement, it looks like the director-general has exceeded his authority," he said.

V. Anbalagan, Assistant News Editor
The Malaysian Insider, 9 December 2014
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/immigration-has-no-power-to-revoke-passports-say-lawyers

2.

Fresh polls may cause intense contest: A delegate at the MIC general assembly last year lamented: 'I went around the country canvassing for support. I am disappointed the RoS has ordered a re-election.'IN a move that has got some people cheering and others frowning, the Registrar of Societies (RoS) has ordered the MIC to re-elect its three vice-presidents and 23 central working committee (CWC) members within 90 days.The RoS action followed numerous complaints over last year's party polls, which saw several seasoned campaigners - like former treasurer-general Datuk Jaspal Singh, former Youth chiefs Datuk T. Mohan and Datuk S. A. Vigneswaran as well as several CWC members - being voted out.They now welcome the fresh election, seeing it as another chance to contest and possibly get elected.Those who had previously won are, understandably, displeased they have to go through an election again.The genuine victors, with undisputed support of the delegates, are upset.

The Star, 9 December 2014
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Nation/2014/12/09/Fresh-polls-may-cause-intense-contest-A-delegate-at-the-MIC-general-assembly-last-year-lamented-I-we/

3.

Malaysia's Investment Fund Disaster: The government has stepped in to extend the contracts for the IPPs, which were supposed to end after their contract periods ended. That is still not enough. The government then tendered a contract to build the coal-fired plant in Port Dickson. Critics charge the contract was unnecessary, that Tenaga Nasional, the state-owned utility, had the experience and capital to build the plant itself. The tender turned out to be a fiasco, with the YTL-SIPP consortium coming in with a lower bid, only to be disqualified on many critics have said was a technicality.

Since then, the government has awarded three contracts to 1MDB, the other two without the potential embarrassment of a tender process. But critics point out that 1MDB has never built anything and is mainly relying on the expertise of Tenaga Nasional. The bid for a 50 megawatt solar power plant project in Kedah in the north of the country is to be the largest solar plant in Malaysia despite the fact there is no guaranteed offtake, that prices for solar, even though they have fallen sharply, still exceed that of conventional plants, and that Malaysians are going to end up paying more for their electricity.

All of these moves are an attempt to rescue 1MDB and give it the potential to demonstrate income to investors. So on the advice of a 27-year-old neophyte and friend of the prime minister's family, the country has created a state-backed investment fund, got itself involved in a series of businesses it knew nothing about, put the country's sovereign backing behind a private hotel bid and a Hollywood movie, run up a vast amount of debt, and now is seeking to bail itself out via preferential contracts to build electrical plants with expertise so far it doesn't have. The critics expect that this is going to cost Malaysia's taxpayers and ratepayers a considerable amount of money.

John Berthelsen
Asia Sentinel, 8 December 2014
http://www.asiasentinel.com/politics/malaysia-investment-fund-disaster/

4.

Citizenship must come first - RCI report: Citizenship must come first before the issuance of the Malaysian identity card (IC), as stated in the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) report on illegal immigrants in Sabah in its findings.It is legally wrong to confer instant citizenship on an immigrant without going through the legal process, the panel said, citing the submission by the Sabah Law Association (SLA).

In its report, the panel said there are four ways by which a person can acquire Malaysian citizenship, namely, by operation of law; registration; naturalization; and incorporation of new territory into the Federation (of Malaysia).

Borneo Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.theborneopost.com/2014/12/08/citizenship-must-come-first-rci-report/

5.

Are we seeing the rise of Middle Malaysia?: It governs everybody, believer and non-believer, and should be the final say in any situation that demands the law stand as the judge. The allowance for Syariah law grew out of the provisions made for it in the Constitution, and should be governed by the limits and standards set by the Constitution as the highest law of the land. Is this where Middle Malaysia finally makes it's stand, it's appeal for some sanity to regain traction in our country's fractured consciousness? There's been so much talk for so long about how we need to find a path between the extremes of the political, cultural, and religious spectrum, and not very much has been done about it as the extremists ran unchecked and stole our national dialogue to turn it into something no longer quite Malaysian.

Shahril Ahmad
Free Malaysia Today, 8 December 2014
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/highlight/2014/12/08/are-we-seeing-the-rise-of-middle-malaysia/

6.

Under fire, minister says Constitution doesn't limit Shariah laws: The Federal Constitution empowers Shariah laws and does not limit the Islamic code, minister Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom argued today in response to an open letter from 25 former senior civil servants calling for open debate on religious issues.The minister in charge of religious affairs also warned that the public will resort to vigilantism if there are constant judicial reviews and challenges between civil and Shariah courts."From the beginning, the Constitution allows the existence of Shariah courts. Shariah courts were birthed from the Constitution," Jamil told reporters during the International Seminar on Aqwah 2014 here."Why do we want to flip this over by saying Shariah courts are subjected to the Constitution? ... We should not entangle the issue." "We do not agree if cases involving Islam want to be decided in civil courts ... It is against an early understanding we had since Independence," added the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

The Malay Mail, 8 December 2014
http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/under-fire-minister-says-constitution-doesnt-limit-shariah-laws

7.

The end of the road for Ku Nan: Federal Territories Minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor's plan to further alienate the rakyat from their beloved sultans has backfired. Two weeks ago, his deputy, M Loga Bala, claimed that the Conference of Rulers had requested that some roads in Kuala Lumpur be renamed after the monarchs. As expected, all hell broke loose.

The rakyat were angry that they had not been consulted. Presumably, an equally furious Keeper of the Rulers' Seal, Syed Danial Syed Ahmad, denied that the renaming of roads had been discussed at the meeting of the Conference of Rulers.

Kerplonk! Ku Nan had egg on his face. This is not the first time Ku Nan has been guilty of a serious error of judgment. In Malaysian politics, Umno Baru style, even roads can be politicised. Ku Nan's political manoeuvring has backfired. He has run out of road. It is time for him to be removed from office. He made his deputy look like a liar, he insulted the royal institution, he betrayed the rakyat.

Mariam Mokhtar is a defender of the truth, the admiral-general of the Green Bean Army and president of the Perak Liberation Organisation (PLO).
The Malaysiakini, 8 December 2014
http://www.malaysiakini.com/columns/282786

8.

Zaid hails eminent Malays urging moderation: Former minister Zaid Ibrahim has lauded a group of eminent Malays who in a widely publicised joint letter, had called for moderation amid the rise of right-wing elements, but urged more action from them.

"At last, some prominent Malays have decided to speak up to save the race and this country from becoming an Isis state.

"Better late than never, and I hope they will follow up their public statement with more assertive and effective activities to stop the rot," Zaid said in a blog posting today.

The 25 eminent Malays include former ministry secretary-generals, judges, ambassadors and academics.

The Malaysiakini, 8 December 2014
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/282874

9.

Infantile to sue your critics, says veteran newsman over Najib lawsuits: The former New Straits Times group editor-in-chief today blogged about the legal notices Najib had sent to two Pakatan Rakyat lawmakers, Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (DAP) and Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli (PKR), over their criticism on the government's sovereign fund 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) and the fuel subsidy policy. "I had not wanted to comment on Najib's action simply because I find politicians suing each other as infantile," Kadir wrote in a blog posting.

But Kadir said he felt compelled to put things in perspective after former prime minister Tun Dr Tun Mahathir Mohamad's recent remarks that he had never resorted to suing his critics.

"Damn him or praise him, he is in his own class" Kadir said of Dr Mahathir. "I believe that politicians, especially the elected ones, should use the Parliament and state legislative assemblies to sort things out and to convince the people. As elected representatives they make laws. They are their custodians. The courts merely interpret the laws they made. By resorting to the courts, the politicians are admitting that they can no longer defend themselves politically," Kadir wrote.

The Malaysian Insider, 8 December 2014
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/suing-critics-is-infantile-says-veteran-newsman-over-najib-lawsuits

10.

Interfaith dialogue needed more than ever, say religious leaders: While religion is a very passionate and sensitive subject, the head of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur Archbishop Julian Leow said interfaith dialogues were wonderful platforms to understand the motives and values of other faiths and to resolve important issues. He said it is critical such dialogues be approached with an open and generous spirit, and that all points of view are taken seriously...he said at an interfaith panel discussion held in conjunction with Human Rights Week.

Sathya Sai Baba central council of Malaysia president Professor Dr Suresh Kumar Govind said people of different faiths and creeds needed to come together to address issues affecting the country. "We cannot sit in isolation, we must come together. The moderate voice must be louder than the extremists. The voice of moderates must become loud and clear, and work and live with consciousness and conscience, bringing diverse people together to work for a common cause to eliminate the ills of society," he said.

Indonesian Muslim scholar Ayang Utriza Yakin said Islam supports religious tolerance and pluralism and this should be promoted at interfaith dialogues. "Interfaith dialogues are very important in multi-racial societies and should be used to build respect," he said. In citing an example of the Maluku Islands in Indonesia, which saw conflict between Muslims and Christians between 1999 and 2002 resulting in thousands being killed and the displacing of millions of people, Ayang said both communities are today a prime example of religious tolerance and respect.

Buddhist Maha Vihara's Sister Barbara Yen (pic, left) encouraged Malaysians to consciously live in harmony and practise moderation instead of reacting over heightened tensions in the country.

"Anger not only prevents mental development but also causes us to be unable to judge how far our speech is correct. We should find out what is the truth. And if people speak highly of us, we must not be too happy because it might mar our inner developments and strengths," she said.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan who was at the forum, said everyone had the right to freedom of religion which no one can take away. However, he cautioned that such a choice comes with consequences which each person should be responsible for.

Eileen Ng
The Malaysian Insider, 8 December 2014
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/interfaith-dialogue-needed-more-than-ever-say-religious-leaders

11.

US has no moral high ground to criticise Malaysia, says Dr M: In a strongly-worded blog posting, Dr Mahathir noted that the US assumed it was the "world's best democracy" and as such, thought it was in a position to tell other countries right from wrong and what they should or should not do.

"On this assumption, Joe Biden, vice-president of the United States, chastised Malaysia for retaining the Sedition Act and over the trial of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Who is Joe Biden to take the moral high ground?" wrote Dr Mahathir. Biden had raised concerns over Malaysia's use of the colonial-era Sedition Act to clamp down on voices of dissent saying that the US was concerned with Malaysia's rule of law. "Amid growing US-Malaysia ties, the Malaysian government's use of the legal system and Sedition Act to stifle opposition raises rule of law concerns," Biden had tweeted last week.

Malaysia's longest-serving prime minister pointed out that Biden was a leader of a country which had no qualms about detaining people without trial and torturing them while invading other countries and killing millions of innocent people. "Today the US is engaged in assassinating people opposed to America. Malaysia used to detain people without trial. But the US passes death sentences without trial, without the knowledge of the victims even.

"What right has Biden to condemn the retaining of a law to prevent racial conflicts and violence in Malaysia," he asked. Dr Mahathir said the US engaged in war with other countries on the "excuse" of protecting its own democracy, and reminded the superpower of the innocent lives lost.

"America dares to claim that it is doing all these to protect democracy. What democracy is there for the innocent people killed, wounded and maimed for life? Wherever the United States goes, there would be death and destruction. Then of course, there is this condemnation of the legal action taken against America's candidate for prime ministership of Malaysia," he said, referring to the opposition leader, Anwar.

The Malaysian Insider, 8 December 2014
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/us-has-no-moral-high-ground-to-criticise-malaysia-says-dr-m

12.

Charting through choppy waters: Sustainability extends beyond mere concern for the environment. We must also equally address the country's finances to secure the well-being of ourselves, our children and our children's children.As a nation of just under 30 million people, only one million (out of 1.7 million registered taxpayers) pay income taxes. Over the long-term such a narrow tax base is certainly unsustainable. After much debate over the past several years, we are now introducing consumption tax or goods and services tax in a necessary step to broaden the tax base. This is a bold bid towards more equitable revenue collection.Securing sustainable growth also means the Government has the unenviable task of re-evaluating subsidies. The decision to rationalise subsidies was not made overnight or taken lightly. We understood the magnitude of its impact especially on the vulnerable and poor. Cabinet discussions on subsidy rationalisation were often robust and heated.

Datuk Seri Idris Jala
The Star, 8 December 2014
http://www.thestar.com.my/Opinion/Columnists/Transformation-Unplugged/Profile/Articles/2014/12/08/Charting-through-choppy-waters/

13.

張以勒, 他山之石: 馬航最大股東國庫控股宣佈委任愛爾蘭國家航空公司首席執行員克里斯托穆勒，出任馬航首席執行員，這是馬航歷史上第一次由外籍人士掌舵。

前首相馬哈迪對此回應道："馬來西亞人是笨蛋（bodoh），不知道如何管理航空公司，導致馬航虧損"。這番話，語調酸溜溜，似乎滿是不屑。

可以預見，經馬哈迪一開口，許多種族主義分子和團體也會隨即山呼百應，反對馬航聘用外人掌管一家象徵國家形象的企業，而不是將職權交給一個馬來精英。

排外主義，這是種族主義者的自大表現，更是他們自卑心理的顯露。過去他們發表過不少類似的排外言論，有者甚至到今天還把馬來西亞華人和印度人視為外人。

張以勒, 政治工作者
星洲日報, 8 December 2014
http://opinions.sinchew.com.my/node/34933?tid=52

14.

董華, 誰真正為華教？: 董總在葉新田8年的領導下，可謂成事不足，敗事有餘；從排除董總秘書處的莫泰熙等，污蔑及迫走新紀元學院的柯嘉遜，與教總、校友聯及林連玉基金等華教盟友交惡、增江北區華小糾紛，到最近6州董聯會要求開特大罷免鄒壽漢等等，導致董總面對60年來最嚴重的組織及華教危機。

葉鄒派在這次糾紛的辯詞，不外是：一、關中是方天興與馬華的政治產物，有其分裂華教的動機；二、有馬華政黨政治牽涉、分化華教團結力量；三、挑戰派有政黨背景；四、林連玉基金是董總失意分子的匿藏組織，藉機攻擊葉鄒，有私人議程。

有關心華教者都知道，關中的申請是以吉隆坡中華獨中的名譽提出，除了方天興、魏家祥參與之外，還有許多熱愛華教的人士牽涉其中，包括董總前領導人黃道堅、林連玉精神獎得獎人陳玉康，吉隆坡中華獨中董事部，彭亨華校董聯會前主席林錦志等。關中批文曝光後，引起華社激烈的辯論，有人看到曙光，也有人說是危機，在紛紛擾擾中，最後交到全國董教總獨中工委會到關中審查，如符合條件，就讓它考統考。審查的工作尚未結束，突傳來葉新田欲召開特大，自行決定是否讓關中考統考，為關中事件添亂。

董華
星洲日報, 8 December 2014
http://opinions.sinchew.com.my/node/34931?tid=38

15.

Djarot Saiful and the High Growth of Jakarta's Minimarkets: To date, the city of Jakarta has 1,868 minimarket outlets, which is a 5% increase from three years ago. This figure is lower than the more than 2,600 outlets disclosed by the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KADIN), kompas.com reported.The 1,868 outlets are owned by a number of minimarket networks such as Alfamart, Indomart, Alfamidi, 7-Eleven, Ceria Mart, K-Circle, and Lawson.7-Eleven, Circle K and Lawson are foreign-owned. Several other renowned networks from foreign countries are reported to be in the process of obtaining government permits to enter the Indonesian market, notably Jakarta.Growing middle class and consumptive lifestyle have been the main factors behind the rapid development of the minimarkets in the capital city, some of which operate around the clock.From the time he was lieutenant governor, Ahok has repeatedly said that the city government must not stop the growth of minimarkets in the area.Arguing that minimarkets make it easier for Jakarta residents to buy things for their daily needs, he said: "You see, Jakarta citizens need minimarket. Nobody can prohibit minimarkets from existing in big cities."

Global Indonesian Voices, 9 December 2014
http://www.globalindonesianvoices.com/17839/djarot-saiful-and-the-high-growth-of-jakartas-minimarkets/

16.

Head in the sand mentality bodes ill for Golkar: Certainly, there is nothing either he or Mr Kalla have done to set Golkar on a new path.

Remembering the sparse largesse Mr Kalla offered during his earlier term as vice-president, many in the rank-and-file would have seen little to gain this time from following him into government.Mr Bakrie has understandably been less than generous too. Listed in 2007 as Forbes magazine's richest Indonesian, with a net worth of US$5.4 billion, his fortunes have slumped to a point where he didn't even make this year's Top 50.Not only did he fail to follow through on his 2009 promise of financing a 25-floor party headquarters and a 1 trillion rupiah trust fund, but election candidates were also told to cough up for his expenses if they wanted him to campaign for them. Mr Bakrie appears to have redeemed himself somewhat with many of the regional branches by taking the leadership role in the opposition coalition and pushing through a law ending direct elections for governors, district chiefs and mayors.But it may come at a cost, with the formerly-supportive Democratic Party widely expected to change tack and vote for Dr Yudhoyono's last-hour presidential decree - issued in response to a public outcry - which scraps the controversial legislation.

John Mcbeth
Straits Times, 9 December 2014
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/opinion/story/head-the-sand-mentality-bodes-ill-golkar-20141209

17.

Suryo Bambang Sulisto On Investing in Indonesia: Suryo Bambang Sulisto, chairman of the Indonesian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Kadin) since 2010, has supervised the country's premier business chamber during Indonesia's recent period of strong economic growth. Kadin works in close partnership with the Indonesian government as an advocate for the private sector. It is also a source of information and expertise for companies wanting to invest in Indonesia.

As one of the key speaker at the Indonesia Economic Forum in Jakarta recently, Mr Sulisto answered various questions from keen investors who asked him the many challenges of investing in Indonesia. One interesting question was how copyright and intellectual property was often violated in Indonesia with little done to enforce the laws. He related the story of how Giordano, the Hong Kong-based apparel company refused to open its branch in Indonesia because their products have been massively pirated. Giordano did not win its initial case defending its intellectual property before the Indonesian court. "OK, I will help you with this case, but you must promise, if I succeed, you should open your store in Indonesia," Mr Sulisto told Giordano more than a decade ago.

The Establishment Post, 9 December 2014
http://www.establishmentpost.com/suryo-bambang-sulisto-investing-indonesia/

18.

Another Ancient Discovery For Indonesia, and Human History: The accidental discovery of an engraving on a fossilized shell is the stuff the some researchers dream about. "It is almost like the fairytale of the Sleeping Beauty," said Jos�phine Joordens, a post-doctoral archaeological researcher at Leiden University in the Netherlands, who helped determine that the zigzag marking on an ancient mussel shell was the world's oldest known engraving.

The zigzag scratching on the shell, together with evidence that these shells were used as a tool, should prompt a rethink about the mysterious early human called Homo erectus, say researchers. After inspecting the shell closely under a microscope, Dr. Joordens found that the sand grains embedded in it date back at least 400,000 years, making it far older than the simple, ochre engraving found in Blombos Cave, South Africa, in 2003, and determined to be between 70,000 and 100,000 years old. At that time, Homo erectus, the direct ancestor of both humans and Neanderthals, roamed the Earth after first emerging in Africa about two million years ago and walking as far as Java island in Indonesia. Until the discovery of the Indonesian engraving, H. erectus, who went extinct around 140,000 years ago, was thought not to possess abstract thinking -something ascribed only to H. sapiens.

Resty Woro Yuniar
Wall Street Journal, 9 December 2014
http://blogs.wsj.com/indonesiarealtime/2014/12/09/another-ancient-discovery-for-indonesia-and-human-history/?mod=WSJBlog&mod=WSJ_SEA_Blog

19.

Jokowi To Return to Twitter to Keep the Conversation Going: "I use social media to explain," said Mr. Widodo, pointing to policies like his recent decision to raise fuel prices in a country that is increasingly digital and upwardly mobile, but where tens of millions still live below or near the poverty line. He said he also viewed sites like Twitter and Facebook as a way to help promote online startups and give a boost to the country's burgeoning e-commerce industry.Mr. Widodo joined Twitter in September 2011, racking up nearly a thousand tweets in three years.When he sent his first tweet, he was mayor of Solo, a mid-sized town in central Java, and about to embark on an unlikely campaign for the gubernatorial seat in Jakarta. A year later, he was elected the nation's most powerful governor.

Ben Otto
Wall Street Journal, 9 December 2014
http://blogs.wsj.com/indonesiarealtime/2014/12/09/jokowi-to-return-to-twitter-to-keep-the-conversation-going

20.

The global economy and Indonesia in 2015: The past year has not been an easy one for Indonesia's slowing economy, as the global environment generated disturbances, such as sharp falls in commodity prices, substantial uncertainty over geo-political stresses in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and East Asia, destabilizing capital flows and renewed doubts about major engines of growth such as the eurozone, Japan and China. So as we approach the end of an eventful year, we have to ask - what does the global economy portend for Indonesia in 2015?

Our take is generally a positive one - while some very real geo-political and economic risks remain, we believe that the world economy should be largely supportive of Indonesia's economic outlook. The main reason for our optimism is the robust state of the United States economy as we head into 2015. Despite China's expanding footprint in the global economy, the United States remains the world's pre-eminent market, while its monetary policies determine international flows of capital vital to an economy such as Indonesia. The good news is that, after a patchy recovery, the United States economy is now expanding at a reasonably vigorous pace.

Jakarta Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/08/the-global-economy-and-indonesia-2015.html

21.

Urban poor face climate change impacts: In his address to the Synthesis Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) launched in early November in Denmark, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned that the world was largely ill-prepared for the risks of a changing climate, especially the poor and most vulnerable who have contributed least to this problem. Scientists agree that in urban areas, climate change is projected to increase risks for people, assets, economies and ecosystems. To the urban poor the situation is an added burden to their already challenging day-to-day life.

They will be facing risks from the changing climate of heat stress, storms, extreme precipitation and coastal flooding. Without any doubt the population of urban poor is having firsthand experience related to the changing climate. Taking evidence from the ground, let us meet Mpok Neneng from North Jakarta. She lives with her small family: two teenage daughters and her husband, Toto, who works in a salted/dried-fish factory. Unpredictable seasons in the last decade ruined the family's income. Rainy seasons come way too early. Fish is getting difficult to catch and drying process often fails.

Syarifah Aini Dalimunthe
Jakarta Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/08/urban-poor-face-climate-change-impacts.html

22.

Indonesia to roll back controversial school syllabus: minister: Indonesia plans to discontinue early next year a widely criticized school curriculum that emphasizes moral and religious education, a minister said on Monday.The move follows a review ordered by the education ministry after experts complained that the curriculum, introduced last year, did little to improve a low-skilled workforce at a time when Southeast Asia's biggest economy lags its neighbors in competitiveness."Changing a curriculum doesn't automatically raise the quality of education," said Education and Culture Minister Anies Baswedan, adding that teachers and schools had been inadequately prepared to adopt the new measures.

Reuters, 8 December 2014
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/12/08/us-indonesia-education-idUSKBN0JM18H20141208

23.

Can Indonesia Be Better for Business? According to the World Bank's "Doing Business" report, starting a business in Indonesia means dealing with legal services at four different ministries and getting legal certificates for establishment, insurance, and other needs. The ministries involved are the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, the State Treasury, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Ministry of Manpower. Given rampant inefficiencies inside the ministries themselves, applying for a certificate means having to go through multiple bureaucrats in different positions. The method is outdated and very inefficient, especially for a country with Indonesia's ambitions. Sooner or later, a new and more efficient system will be needed.

Joko has yet to implement a new system, but ever since he declared himself a presidential candidate, investors have been expecting big things from him. Removing the bottleneck in Indonesia's business bureaucracy will be a major catalyst for economic growth. Small and medium enterprises could flourish and foreign investors may well coming rushing in, making 5.8 percent growth seem modest.

Eriz Ageng Wicaksono
The Diplomat, 8 December 2014
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/can-indonesia-be-better-for-business/

24.

'Trust Will Come to My Country,' President Jokowi's Exclusive Interview: He spoke at length with The Wall Street Journal about his plans to do that in his first interview with Western media since his Oct. 20 inauguration. This month, he begins reform of the state electricity company, in January he'll complete a one-stop investment shop and by February, he promised to resolve land acquisition problems that have held back a major power plant in central Java, part of a move to ward off an electricity supply crisis in the world's fourth most populous nation.

"Our national budget is very limited," Mr. Widodo said, referring to the need for non-state financing to meet his targets. "So we need investment, we need investors, to boost our economic growth, to build our deep seaports, to build our airports."

As The WSJ's Patrick McDowell, Ben Otto and Matt Murray report, Mr. Widodo said that he would break new ground by actually getting things done, meeting deadlines and stepping out from the Dutch-built presidential palace to maintain contact with ordinary people, whose support he sees as his counterweight in dealing with parliament.

Wall Street Journal, 8 December 2014
http://blogs.wsj.com/indonesiarealtime/2014/12/08/trust-will-come-to-my-country-says-president-jokowi/?mod=WSJ_SEA_Blog&mod=WSJ_SEA_Blog

25.

Middle-class angst in a globalised world: More disturbing from a generational point of view is that the sense of security associated with being middle-class has given way to anxiety, as technology and globalisation widen income gaps and take away jobs. The anxieties of the middle class are instructive because they reflect not only the condition of the middle 60 per cent of income-earners - the bedrock of social coherence and political stability - but also the aspirational expectations of Singaporeans below who are busy climbing the economic ladder. A sense that economic advancement is being foreclosed would dent the confidence of the middle class and blunt the belief of others who want to make their way up to a better life. Both would wonder if their children could hold on to it or even arrive there.

Straits Times, 9 December 2014
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/opinion/story/middle-class-angst-globalised-world-20141209

26.

S'pore signs first-of-its-kind MOU to develop new capital for Andhra Pradesh: The Republic will help draw up the master plan and develop the new capital city of India's Andhra Pradesh state in a first-of-its-kind collaboration between Singapore and another country, in a move which will further deepen bilateral ties and pave the way for more companies here to venture into the South Asian country.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed today (Dec 8) in Hyderabad between International Enterprise Singapore and the Infrastructure Corporation of Andhra Pradesh. The signing was witnessed by Singapore's Second Minister for Trade and Industry S Iswaran and the state's Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.

Noting that Mr Naidu is keen to work with the Republic and benefit from its experience, Mr S Iswaran said: "This partnership is also an excellent example of how Singapore and Singapore companies can seize opportunities and contribute our expertise in urban planning, development and governance to Indian Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi's plan to develop Smart Cities for India."

Today, 9 December 2014
http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/spore-partners-andhra-pradesh-develop-new-capital-city

27.

就业展望调查：雇主明年第一季愿聘更多员工: 本地调查显示，新加坡雇主在明年第一季更愿意请人，估计会雇用更多人手的工作领域包括服务业、交通与公用事业，以及公共行政与教育。根据人力资源公司万宝盛华新加坡公布的2015年第一季度就业展望调查报告，受访的650名雇主中，19％雇主预计未来三个月将增加人手，3％表示要削减人手，而78％打算维持现状。调查涵盖七个工作领域，全部七个领域都有雇主表示将增聘员工。当中，增聘员工意愿最高的是服务业，这个领域的净就业展望（Net Employment Outlook）是25％，"净就业展望"是预计增聘人手的雇主比率与预计削减人手的雇主比率之间的差距。调查报告使用"净就业展望"来衡量就业前景。增聘意愿排在服务业之后的交通与公用事业，以及公共行政与教育领域，净就业展望分别达到20％和19％。

Zaobao, 9 December 2014
http://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20141209-421932

28.

针对总理发表与大选攸关课题林瑞莲：工人党时机成熟才回应: 工人党主席林瑞莲说，李显龙总理前天在人民行动党干部大会上发表的谈话与提出的课题，显然与下一届大选有关，因此工人党只会在时机成熟时，才会对有关课题做出回应。也是阿裕尼集选区议员的林瑞莲昨晚在实龙岗四道接见选民时，接受本报访问表示，工人党会继续如常工作，并让民众自己判断工人党是否扮演有用角色。李总理前天在行动党创党60周年大会上说，下届大选是极其严峻的决战，是一场攸关谁组成政府，攸关新加坡能否继续拥有"第一世界政府"，而不只是有关反对党拿下多少议席的选举。政策研究所高级研究员许林珠博士说，总理显然在"借用"工人党上届大选提出的"第一世界国会"竞选口号，点出国家是需要政府来治理的。她说，行动党显然在强调治理国家包括提出良好和实际政策与计划来服务人民，若只是一味强调要监督和制衡政府，"陷阱"是政府最终难以顺利治国。"如果每个人根据要监督和制衡政府的意愿来投票，那最终要由谁来组织政府？"

Zaobao, 9 December 2014
http://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/singapore/story20141209-421908

29.

Book on Little India riot to add more depth and breadth to events one year on: "When we think of really key historical events, something as big as this, we only remember the key players," Zakaria said at the book launch. "I was asking myself - what about other people who were present? For me, (the book) was sort of a ground-up initiative whereby we hit the ground, we talk to people." The duo were interested in presenting "alternative and multiple narratives of the riot from the people on the ground". In a separate email interview, Zakaria said that he "was curious to know of the multiple narratives from everyone else present during the riot."The duo had three main questions: Where were the witnesses? What did they observe? How did they feel?

Yi Shu Ng
Monthership, 8 December 2014
http://mothership.sg/2014/12/book-on-little-india-riot-to-add-more-depth-and-breadth-to-events-one-year-on/

30.

Foreign worker survey reveals a rosy picture of Singapore as a work destination: Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin shared the results of the 2014 Foreign Worker Survey at the International Migrants Day Celebrations yesterday. The survey was jointly commissioned by the Manpower Ministry and the Migrant Workers' Centre to better understand the employment conditions and well-being of foreign workers in Singapore.90% also said that they would recommend Singapore to their friends and family as a place to work. 70% said that they would continue to work in Singapore when their contracts expired.Chairman of the Migrant Workers' Centre Yeo Guat Kwang, urged the authorities to take action against errant employers and landlords who do not maintain proper conditions at foreign worker dormitories. He also called for foreign workers to be educated and raise any concerns they have with their dormitories.Notably, Singaporeans reacting to the survey findings feel less 'satisfied' with the results.

["Foreign Worker Survey 2014" will be included in the next issue of Weekly Articles Alert]

Jonathan Lim
Monthership, 8 December 2014
http://mothership.sg/2014/12/foreign-worker-survey-reveals-a-rosy-picture-of-singapore-as-a-work-destination/

31.

LHL says opp no vision, so CSJ tweets him: PM Lee Hsien Loong said in his speech that the opposition have not articulated a vision for Singapore. This is untrue. The SDP published Dare To Change: An Alternative Vision for Singapore in 1994.Dr Chee had also recently described a new vision for Singapore in an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal. Mr Lee ignores these and claims that the opposition has not articulated one.But more than just a vision, the SDP has laid out concrete and comprehensive alternative policies in key areas such as housing, healthcare, population, the Malay community, education, Ministerial salaries, and (soon-to-be launched) the economy. The SDP's campaign for the next GE will focus on these alternative policies.As announced we will be holding our GE2015 Campaign Kick-Off on 10 Jan and stepping up our effort in preparation for the elections which many expect will be held next year.

Singapore Democrats
Singapore Democratic Party, 8 December 2014
http://yoursdp.org/news/lhl_says_opp_no_vision_so_csj_tweets_him/2014-12-08-5916

32.

China's crackdown on money laundering affects Burmese exports: Burmese exports to China have decreased recently following a Chinese government move to freeze hundreds of bank accounts in border regions in an attempt to crackdown on illicit financial transactions across the Sino-Burmese border.Among those targeted are about 20 Burmese merchants, an unknown number of hundi [money transfer] operators based in the border towns, and many Chinese traders.

"The export of rice and maize to China has gone down by one-third," said Chantha Oo, deputy-chairman of the Rice Wholesale Centre in Muse, one of the towns affected. "The Chinese government has have frozen all suspicious accounts - those with a huge flow of cash, including many belonging to Burmese persons, such as hundi operators," he said.Burmese merchants who focus on exporting by land across the border invariably rely on hundi operators to transfer their money into China. However, in recent years several cases have arisen where they become unwittingly caught up in money laundering operations.

Democratic Voice of Burma, 8 December 2014
http://www.dvb.no/news/chinas-laundering-crackdown-affects-burmese-exports-myanmar/46358

33.

NLD veteran calls for new student union: Dr Aung Khin Sint, who won a seat with the National League for Democracy (NLD) in the 1990 general elections, lodged a solo protest in the Kyaikkasan Grounds in Tamwe, Yangon, in favour of constructing a student union.

Joining the protest was Nay Myo Zin, a former military captain and political prisoner, who established the Myanmar Social Development Network and other political enthusiasts.

The protesters shouted the slogans: "Build a new union"; "We need a union to carry out student affairs"; "Contribute to the construction"; "Our enemies destroyed the union" and "Let's reconstruct what was blown up by mines".

Eleven Myanmar, 8 December 2014
http://elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8325:nld-veteran-calls-for-new-student-union&catid=32:politics&Itemid=354

34.

What can we learn from Thein Sein's rejection of six-party talks?: Over one month has passed since President Thein Sein held a meeting with key political figures, including military leaders, ethnic leaders and parliamentarians, in Nay Pyi Taw. At that meeting, attendees discussed peacebuilding, national reconciliation and charter change, and the president pledged to hold future meetings to see reforms through.

Ahead of the meeting, which took place on October 31, Thein Sein spoke on the phone with US president Barack Obama. The meeting is widely seen as a public relations manoeuvre by the government to assuage then concerns of President Obama, who would visit two weeks later.

Either way, it does not appear as though a follow-up meeting will take place before the year is out.

For years, Aung San Suu Kyi has met individually with military leaders and political rivals to try to solidify reforms in favour of national reconciliation and constitutional reform. These meetings have yielded few results.

Eleven Myanmar, 8 December 2014
http://elevenmyanmar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8335:what-can-we-learn-from-thein-sein-s-rejection-of-six-party-talks&catid=38:opinion&Itemid=361

35.

NGO hopes survey will help awareness about local political rights: The Action Committee for Democracy Development released a report December 7 presenting the findings of a survey of public opinion on the Ward and Village Tract Administrative Laws in Yangon to members of political parties, MPs, civil society organizations and the media.

ACDD, a coalition of 18 community-based social and political networks, hopes their survey - the first since the committee was founded in 2013 - will help raise public awareness about the right to vote for local administrators, and encourage debate on how the 2008 Constitution needs to be changed, according to their press release on December 7.

Mizzima, 8 December 2014
http://www.mizzima.com/mizzima-news/myanmar/item/15637-ngo-hopes-survey-will-help-awareness-about-local-political-rights

36.

Yangon Region hunts for industrial tax evaders: The Yangon Region Work Project Scrutiny Committee and management committees of industrial zones are working together to expose entrepreneurs who have not officially declared their industries in the industrial zones, representatives of the businesses community told Mizzima on December 5.

On December 2, representatives of the committees made field trips to the industrial zones of Yangon Region. The representatives were seeking to check on those who have bought land plots without operating a company or industry at the site, those who have suspended their industries due to losses and those who have not declared their industries or work in order to evade taxation.

Their first step is to look for unused land plots. Secondly, they are looking to expose tax evaders and warn them to declare their industries. If entrepreneurs are absent, the region industrial zones management committee will issue a directive to resell their land plots.

Mizzima, 8 December 2014
http://www.mizzima.com/business/property/item/15627-yangon-region-hunts-for-industrial-tax-evaders

37.

Decentralise education - then what?: In recent weeks, hundreds of students have taken to the streets of Yangon to protest against the National Education Law, which they argue subverts their liberty by establishing a National Education Commission to oversee universities. The students, led by the All Burma Federation of Student Unions (ABFSU), have publicised a number of demands, including the rights to form student unions, learn minority languages and exercise academic freedom. They have also asked for the autonomy of universities from government control.

Rosalie Metro
Myanmar Times, 8 December 2014
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/opinion/12451-decentralise-education-then-what.html

38.

South Korea contributes US$22m to rural development efforts: South Korea is supplying Myanmar for the New Village Project, a five-year plan aimed at introducing rural development and poverty reduction schemes in 100 villages throughout the country.

Union Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation U Myint Hlaing said the plan, which ends in 2019, will be implemented by the ministry in cooperation with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

Htoo Thant
Myanmar Times, 8 December 2014
http://www.mmtimes.com/index.php/national-news/12455-south-korea-contributes-us-22m-to-rural-development-efforts.html

39.

A Make or Break Year for Myanmar: Opponents of the 2008 Constitution have focused their energies on two subsections: Chapter IV, Articles 109(b) and 141(b), which grant the military 25 percent of seats in Myanmar's parliament; and Chapter XII, Article 436, which requires a 75 percent vote to amend constitutional clauses. The latter necessarily precedes the former: if the opposition is to curb the influence of the military by revoking some of the quota of its seats, it first must gather enough support to amend Section 436. "If we don't change 436, it means that the military has virtual veto power over what can or cannot be changed within the constitution," Aung San Suu Kyi has argued on her campaign for reform. Though Suu Kyi has effectively mobilized citizens across the country on this issue, she has drawn the ire of the military establishment. Her party boasts nearly five million signatories to a petition calling for the repeal of 436. But Brigadier General U Tin San, head of the military MPs in the lower house, has accused Suu Kyi of selfish motives, arguing that she is going after clause 436 in order to pave the way for her own presidency. Suu Kyi is currently barred from the presidency by Article 59(f), which prohibits those with family members holding citizenship in foreign countries from becoming president. Whether or not Suu Kyi has her eyes on the presidency, it is unlikely she will be eligible for the position before 2015 elections, as the national Constitutional Amendment Implementation Committee voted down proposed amendments to 59(f). The crux of the debate on constitutional reform will therefore come down to the military veto.

While military MPs recently rebuffed calls for a change to the amendment clause, their intransigence may point to "growing insecurity," Myanmar analyst Min Zin argues. President Thein Sein still has the space to push for reforms and solidify his democratic credentials. Drawing on his support from international investors and global democracies like the U.S., Norway, and the U.K., Thein Sein's team of reformers can capitalize on the trust it has built with representatives of armed ethnic forces by finalizing a comprehensive ceasefire negotiation. A peace agreement would rally the support his administration needs from the ethnic factions and lend parliament the political capital necessary to accomplish national, constitutional reform.

Myanmar has a difficult road to travel in the next year, one that requires serious thought and painful compromises on the part of all stakeholders. Looking ahead at Thein Sein's final year in office, the window of opportunity for concluding the ceasefire negotiations will close in 2015. Myanmar scholar David Steinberg, in a recent article, urges us to see the glass as at least half full: "Reforms are never immediate, rarely complete, often misdirected, and subject to all the ills, to paraphrase the poet, that flesh is heir to." But this is no time to let up the pressure on Myanmar's leaders to continue reforms.

Hunter Marston is a Myanmar analyst for The Indo-Pacific Review and publishes on politics and elections in Southeast Asia.
The Diplomat, 8 December 2014
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/a-make-or-break-year-for-myanmar/

40.

Ethnic Armies 'Breaking Their Promise': Ne Win's Grandson: The attack on the Laiza camp was condemned at the time by ethnic groups and political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD)."We are not countering those condemnations, but I have to say we are inspired to hold a memorial service to honor our fellow army men who sacrificed their lives for the country," said Ye Moe, one of the event organizers and a former Military Intelligence captain, who was purged in 2004 by the military government, during a press conference after the event.More than a dozen ethnic armed groups have signed bilateral ceasefires with the government since President Thein Sein took office in 2011. The KIA and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army have yet to conclude ceasefire agreements and have frequently clashed with government troops in recent months.Aye Ne Win's comments were rejected on Monday by Secretary Pado Kwe Htoo Win of the Karen National Union, the political wing of Karen National Liberation Army, which signed a ceasefire agreement with the Burmese government in 2012."What he said is not true," he said. "The civil war and the conflict are due to the governments both old and new using armed power to suppress ethnic groups' demands for their rights."

The Irrawaddy, 8 December 2014
http://www.irrawaddy.org/burma/ethnic-armies-breaking-promise-ne-wins-grandson.html

41.

Rangoon Govt Targets Idle Industrial Plots: In a move targeting speculators, the Rangoon government will require idle landholders in the division's industrial zones to present a detailed business plan for how they will use the real estate or see it seized. The divisional Industrial Zones Management Committee, under Rangoon's Department of Human Settlement and Housing Development, announced late last month that the owners of idle industrial plots would be required to submit their business plans by Dec. 15.

The Irrawaddy, 8 December 2014
http://www.irrawaddy.org/business/rangoon-govt-targets-idle-industrial-plots.html

42.

Vietnam's FPT taps Japanese investors for mobile shopping business: Vietnamese information technology leader FPT is turning to SBI Holdings and two other Japan-connected companies for support in building a smartphone shopping website in exchange for a stake. Such business is expected to attract the growing ranks of middle-class consumers in urban areas, where traditional markets offer limited selections and close relatively early.

One of these urbanites is a 33-year-old working mother here who started shopping online just a few months ago. A favorite pastime of hers is browsing and buying clothing and cosmetics online after putting her young children to bed, she says. Vietnam's e-commerce market is projected to grow to 484 billion yen next year, an 80% expansion from 2013, the country's Ministry of Industry and Trade estimates. Still, market growth has been stymied by Internet penetration of less than 40% and concerns surrounding payment systems.

In Vietnam, 57% of the 32.4 million Internet users say they have used online shopping. But since the penetration ratio for credit cards is estimated at less than 10%, nearly eight out of 10 buyers pay cash on delivery. These consumers worry about getting counterfeits. Some are wary of big transactions, with the working mother in Hanoi saying she usually does not spend more than 500,000 dong per purchase. Vietnam's online shopping industry is poised to come into its own. FPT expects the number of e-commerce sellers to triple to 21,000 by 2015 and their offerings also jump threefold to 6 million items. The market may attract many entrants, especially if the economic integration of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations is realized at the end of that year. FPT wants to establish itself as the top Vietnamese player before any of this happens.

Atsushi Tomiyama, Nikkei staff writer
Nikkei Asian Review, 9 December 2014
http://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Deals/Vietnam-s-FPT-taps-Japanese-investors-for-mobile-shopping-business

43.

How can 'carpocalypse' be avoided in Hanoi? Hanoi is responsible for more than 10% of Vietnam's economic output and is home to 14% of the population. It's a crowded city; its nine central districts have an average population density of 20,000 people/km2. By comparison, London's nine most crowded boroughs have an average population density of 11,738 people/km2 (pdf).

Since Vietnam's Doi Moi (renovation) policies of economic liberalisation began in 1986, its capital Hanoi has undergone multiple massive transformations. The most visible is Hanoi's transportation sector, which shifted dramatically (pdf) from bicycle to motorbike and now to car over the last twenty years. In 1990, 80% of trips were made by bicycle, whereas in 2005, 97% were by motorcycle. According to the same study by the Institution for Transport Policy Studies, motorcycle usage will have decreased to 63% by 2050 due to the steady rise in car ownership. Given this rapid shift, what does the future hold for transport in Hanoi? Increasing congestion, pollution, and inaccessibility, or a more liveable and sustainable environment?

Corey Pembleton is a geographic informations systems analyst at Vietnam Cleaner Production Centre
The Guardian, 8 December 2014
http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2014/dec/08/how-can-carpocalypse-be-avoided-in-hanoi

44.

Party leader meets Ha Noi voters: Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong met with voters in Ha Noi's Ba Dinh, Hoan Kiem and Tay Ho districts on Saturday to inform them of the outcomes of the National Assembly's eighth session and listen to their opinions.

Most voters praised the outcomes of the session, especially the vote of confidence and responses cabinet members gave during question-and-answer sessions. Many voiced concerns about issues related to corruption and low-quality and fake commodities that seriously affected people's health.

Viet Nam News, 8 December 2014
http://vietnamnews.vn/politics-laws/263746/party-leader-meets-ha-noi-voters.html

45.

Specialization-based education program fails: Several years ago, a specialization-based education program was launched, under which students could have opportunities to follow advanced curricula in certain majors.

Do Thi Bich Duyen, headmaster of Le Quy Don High School in HCM City, said in the first two academic years after the program was launched, many students registered to follow Group A and Group C curriculums.

However, after that, specialized groups could not attract them anymore, and most of them now choose to follow basic curricula, i.e., they wish to receive basic knowledge in all subjects.

At Nguyen Thi Minh Khai High School in HCM City, Pham Thi Le Nhan, headmaster of the school, confirmed that no one wants to followed specialized curricula.

Huynh Trong Phuc, headmaster of Nguyen Cong Tru High School, said he anticipated the failure of the program eight years ago, when MOET gathered school leaders and requested to apply the specialization-based education program.

VietNamNet Bridge, 8 December 2014
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/education/118213/specialization-based-education-program-fails.html

46.

36% local firms join global production networks: Only 36% of Vietnamese businesses take part in global production networks, including direct and indirect exporting, while the rate in Malaysia and Thailand is 60%.

According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), the involvement of local firms in the global value chains is lower than economies at the same level in the region.

This situation makes Vietnam's supply chain dispersed and less benefited from foreign investment, the transfer of technology and knowledge and improvement of productivity.

Voice of Vietnam, 8 December 2014
http://english.vov.vn/Economy/36-local-firms-join-global-production-networks/284727.vov

47.

First Vietnamese Buddhist temple shaping in India: Sivali Vietnamese Theravada Trust- the first Theravada temple of the Vietnam Buddhist Shangha (VBS) was inaugurated on December 6 in Varanasi, India's Andhra Pradesh state.

Representatives from the VBS, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, the Vietnam Embassy in India, Varanasi city authorities along with about 10,000 Buddhist monks and nuns and domestic and foreign guests were in attendance.

Voice of Vietnam, 8 December 2014
http://english.vov.vn/Society/First-Vietnamese-Buddhist-temple-shaping-in-India/284718.vov

48.

Malaysia- a leading investor in Vietnam: Malaysia is a leading country investing in Vietnam with foreign direct investment (FDI) of US$10.74 billion in 478 projects measured on a cumulative basis as of November, according to the Foreign Investment Agency.

Voice of Vietnam, 8 December 2014
http://english.vov.vn/Economy/Malaysia-a-leading-investor-in-Vietnam/284720.vov

49.

RoK, Vietnam to start ninth FTA talks: Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will hold the ninth round of negotiations on their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) from December 8-12, according to the RoK Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on December 7.Vietnam and the Republic of Korea (RoK) will hold the ninth round of negotiations on their bilateral free trade agreement (FTA) from December 8-12, according to the RoK Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy on December 7.

Voice of Vietnam, 8 December 2014
http://english.vov.vn/Politics/RoK-Vietnam-to-start-ninth-FTA-talks/284697.vov

50.

France-Vietnam Friendship Association opens congress in Paris: A sound understanding of Vietnam and its positive changes will enable the France-Vietnam Friendship Association (AAFV) to devise practical projects for Vietnam and play a constructive role in reinforcing bilateral ties.

Participants to the AAFV's 15th national congress held in Paris, France, on December 6 shared that viewpoint on the association's 2014-16 term after hearing a review report delivered by AAFV Secretary General Jean - Pierre Archambault.

Voice of Vietnam, 7 December 2014
http://english.vov.vn/Society/FranceVietnam-Friendship-Association-opens-congress-in-Paris/284696.vov

51.

New documentary explores vice and insurgent violence in Thailand's Deep South: Bars line the street, on display are neon lights, beer signs and women trying to lure in passing revelers. This scene could be anywhere in Thailand, but this particular red light district in Su-ngai Kolok is on the border with Malaysia in Narathiwat province. Here, soldiers and military vehicles patrol the streets to protect the sex workers and the Malaysian men they cater to from the very real possibility of attacks by Muslim insurgents.

That is the backdrop for 'Red Light Jihad: Thai Vice Under Attack', a short documentary made by Patrick Winn and Mark Oltmanns for the Global Post. Su-ngai Kolok is representative of the distrust, fear and sense of injustice that permeates life in the southernmost, predominantly Muslim provinces in Thailand. The insurgency has claimed more than 5,000 lives in the past decade. Siam Voices spoke with Global Post's award-winning senior Southeast Asia correspondent Patrick Winn earlier this week via email about his new documentary and the challenges they encountered making it. The interview starts after the trailer below.

Saksith Saiyasombut & Siam Voices
Asian Correspondent, 9 December 2014
http://asiancorrespondent.com/128893/new-documentary-explores-vice-and-insurgent-violence-in-thailands-deep-south/

52.

2014 growth likely below 1% Fourth-quarter figures 'not strong enough': Thailand's fourth-quarter economic growth is forecast within a range of 2.5% to 3%, adding to signs that full-year growth will come in at less than 1%. The country is nonetheless on course for recovery, Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula said Monday.

Chatrudee Theparat & Somruedi Banchongduang
Bangkok Post, 9 December 2014
http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/news/448312/2014-growth-likely-below-1

53.

Elections for PM plan hits early flak Premier chosen by public 'too powerful': A proposal for the direct election of the prime minister and the cabinet faces mounting opposition as critics are concerned the plan will give a directly-elected premier too much power and weaken the checks-and-balances system.

Bangkok Post, 9 December 2014
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/448247/elections-for-pm-plan-hits-early-flak

54.

Protest law needs time: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is correct when he says new legislation is necessary to address public gatherings. The rolling protests that have highlighted political protests since 2005 are no way to run a democratic country. But Gen Prayut is wrong about the urgency involved. His current, martial law is no model for the needed statutes, and actually will inhibit and cripple efforts to rush through a law that will certainly prove imperfect.

Bangkok Post, 9 December 2014
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/448382/protest-law-needs-time

55.

South talks a cause for cautious optimism: The recent visit of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to Malaysia marks the official resumption of the deep South peace dialogue. The event is long-awaited since the talks were suspended for one year. I have been watching this development with cautious optimism. Although more than 6,200 lives have been lost in the decade-long armed southern conflict, political turbulence in the capital has overshadowed the situation on the periphery. In my view, long-lasting peace is most likely to emerge from peace talks and not military suppression.

Rungrawee Chalermsripinyorat
Bangkok Post, 9 December 2014
http://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opinion/448412/south-talks-a-cause-for-cautious-optimism

56.

Thailand under the influence of social media: A decade ago in Thailand people in the street spilling out their political views in public was quite literally unheard of. Thai friends of mine would shush me if ever I mentioned politics in public; and if I should ever bring up the unspeakable, in any context at all it was, most of the time, met with a thorough stonewalling. At a Thanksgiving party the other week during a quiz put on by the host an image of Rama V popped-up onto a monitor, with the question, "Who is this King?", only for one or the two Thai guests to utter, "not polite" and walk away. What wasn't polite about this historical question? I can only assume because it was brought up in a jovial atmosphere while people were drinking cans of Singha beer. Perhaps something as serious as a monarch is not applicable to a party. Perhaps history of this sort is something that should be caged, left alone, not discussed openly, as Thai academic Sulak Sivaraksa did in October when he talked about, and allegedly insulted, King Naresuan the Great, who died in 1605. Sulak was later cited by two retired senior army officers on charges of l�se majest�, which could potentially land him in jail for 15 years.

James Austin is a journalist and fiction writer living in Thailand
Asian Correspondent, 8 December 2014
http://asiancorrespondent.com/128818/thailand-under-the-influence-of-social-media/

57.

Thai Coup: A normal way of life: General Prayuth Chan-ocha, with the blessing of the powerful monarchy and Privy Council, declared martial law, followed by rolling out the army's tanks on the streets of Bangkok and sealed the fate of the country by staging the so-called "bloodless" coup d'etat of 22 May 2014. It was d�j� vu, all over again! Though the political event looked serious in the eyes of the world, it was an easy task for the Thai general, the coup leader, who often holds the title "Chief of the Army" to copy the same model as his predecessors. The final stage of any Thai coup is the customary photo-op with the king for full pardon and legitimacy.

This may, perhaps, be the core origin of the Thai culture of impunity, because such an act of treason against a government is punishable by death. As usual, the king gave a full pardon for the general, for any past, current and future undertakings associated with the coup d'etat.

Why does Thailand has to go down this path every few years with the same old characters again and again while the country and the majority of the population suffer? I would hereby like to emphasise again that the people suffer, not the handful of the military thugs who stage a coup and the monarchy and its network. They have all been enriched by this despicable deed. It all boils down to Thailand's warped political system which is very confusing. Most foreigners think the Thai political system is like that of Japan or the United Kingdom.

The current system is not at all democratic! It is like the old absolute monarchy except that the monarchy has all the glories, even though the country is being run by the government whether elected or not. While the Thai monarchy and its network controls the print and television media, namely, the Bangkok Post, The Nation and various TV stations including the government owned Public Relations Department, it erroneously informs the world that Thailand is a democratic country with the king as "Head of State," an indirect comparison as in the case that of the Queen of England or Emperor of Japan who are, in reality, politically powerless. Just a quick glance of each and every Thai Constitution shows how powerful the Thai king is.

Chatwadee Rose Amornpat is based in London. She was charged with lese majeste by the Thai military junta in July 2014.
New Mandala, 8 December 2014
http://asiapacific.anu.edu.au/newmandala/2014/12/08/thai-coup-a-normal-way-of-life/

58.

Clamour for reform of Thai education: And in the latest World Economic Forum Global Competi-tiveness Report, Thailand's education quality was ranked 75th out of 144 countries and territories, behind Senegal, Rwanda and Albania.

Many students are put off by the unquestioning manner in which subjects are taught. Sixteen-year-old Parit Chiwarak, who also studies at Triam Udom, says: "I think the goal of history lessons is to understand the problems of the world. But in the classroom they don't tell me [why things happen], why the King does this, why the Queen does that."

The shortfalls in Thailand's tertiary education have spawned unemployable graduates.

Bangkok-based businessman Marc Spiegel, who recruits people for the railway and infrastructure sector, says: "A lot of the multinationals that I work with, they don't want to hire what I call 'local Thais' - Thais who have no international background in terms of having worked for a multinational company, having gone to school abroad or an international school here, and can speak English at a very proficient level."

The Nation, 8 December 2014
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Clamour-for-reform-of-Thai-education-30249321.html

59.

Reform's hard, but not the way they fear: There are greater difficulties than the usual outcries

The two men who are supposed to lead the nation in its quest for a new political soul have identified the difficulties expected along the way. Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam and Constitution Drafting Committee chairman Borwornsak Uwanno said charter clauses dealing with the powers and/or status of the monarchy and judiciary can pose the toughest questions whereas ones concerning politicians could be relatively easier to tackle. They are right, but only technically and politically speaking. When it comes to Thailand's "reform", action is far more important than words.

When people say what is hard and what is easy about "reform", they naturally refer to "reaction" of the public or affected parties more than anything else. If some proposed measures are likely to spark an outcry, they can be deemed extremely hard or troublesome. When proposals sound "politically correct" to all camps - like ones designed to eradicate corruption - they are dubbed easy.

The Nation, 8 December 2014
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Reforms-hard-but-not-the-way-they-fear-30249315.html

60.

Reset the Thai-Malaysia peace efforts in South: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha minced few words when he met with Prime Minister Najib Razak last Monday in Kuala Lumpur. "Malaysia is the one and only," he declared point-blank in English to Najib, referring unmistakably to his country's status as a facilitator in the ongoing dialogue process in southern Thailand.

With those few words, Prayut quickly put to rest Kuala Lumpur's deep suspicion of his government's ambiguity following a widespread rumour of inviting Indonesia to join in the peace dialogue.

Prayut's straight-talking manner was unusual in the annals of Thai-Malaysia encounters. His predecessors, mainly the Shinawatra family - comprising Thaksin and Yingluck - were different when holding talks with Najib as they were not as direct.

Kavi Chongkittavorn
The Nation, 8 December 2014
http://www.nationmultimedia.com/opinion/Reset-the-Thai-Malaysia-peace-efforts-in-South-30249311.html

61.

Economic stuttering: Government and private economists did not expect the Philippine economy to post its slowest pace of growth since 2011 in the third quarter of this year. Many had forecast an expansion of 6 to 6.5 percent. So when the official number came in at 5.3 percent, focus shifted on where the blame should fall.

The Philippine Statistics Authority was quick to say that the services sector continued its downward trend that began in the first quarter while the industry sector's growth slowed to 7.6 percent. Agriculture likewise suffered a 2.7-percent contraction in the third quarter,

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 9 December 2014
http://opinion.inquirer.net/80799/economic-stuttering

62.

Neda urges Apec to fast-track Asia-Pacific FTA: A wider free trade deal coupled with initiatives aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change would help buoy the economies of countries belonging to the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) amid a still fragile global economy, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan said on Monday.

In a speech at the symposium on Apec 2015 priorities during the Informal Senior Officials' Meeting in Makati City, Balisacan said he believed that "the advancement of economic integration in the Asia-Pacific region will further strengthen and facilitate trade and investment among Apec member-economies."

Philippine Daily Inquirer, 9 December 2014
http://business.inquirer.net/183224/neda-urges-apec-to-fast-track-asia-pacific-fta

63.

Clergy: ban still stands on monks' protesting: The nation's three highest-ranking clergymen and the minister of cults and religion on Friday reiterated a ban on monks participating in demonstrations, even as monks led marches from six different provinces into Phnom Penh ahead of international Human Rights Day on December 10.

The joint statement restating the ban was issued by the national leaders of the Mohanikaya and Dhammayuttika sects of Buddhism - Great Supreme Patriarchs Tep Vong and Bou Kry, respectively - and Cambodia's chief of monks, Supreme Patriarch Non Nget, and Minister of Cults and Religion Min Khin.

Phnom Penh Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/clergy-ban-still-stands-monks'-protesting

64.

Kingdom's internet 'partly free': Cambodia's internet freedom has been ranked as "partly free" for the second year in a row, according to a report released by a watchdog on Friday.

The Kingdom scored 47 out of 100 in a report from Freedom House, with 100 being the least free and zero the most free. The ranking comes amid concerns that a planned cybercrime law would severely restrict internet freedom in the Kingdom.

Phnom Penh Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/kingdom's-internet-'partly-free'

65.

KNLF to form 'gov't in exile': A dissident group, labelled a "terrorist" organisation by the government, plans to begin penning a new Constitution on Friday - allegedly with the help of members of the Cambodia National Rescue Party - in the hope of forming a government in exile.

Sam Serey, leader of the Denmark-based Khmer National Liberation Front (KNLF), announced yesterday that a group of political and civil society "delegates representing Cambodian citizens at home and abroad" will on Friday "form the Cambodian National Constitutional Congress to discuss, agree and adopt a new Constitution as the basis for establishing a Cambodian Government in Exile as soon as practicable".

According to Serey, supporters and members of the Kingdom's main political opposition will be joining the meeting on Friday, which will take place in Bangkok and via Skype.

Phnom Penh Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/knlf-form-'gov't-exile'

66.

Rights Groups Want Cambodian Government to Close Social Affairs Centers: Two human rights groups have called on the Cambodian government to immediately close all detention centers that arbitrarily detain people outside the criminal justice system, following the controversial death of a homeless man who had been taken to one such facility.

New York-based Human Rights Watch and Phnom Penh-based Licadho cited the Nov. 26 death of an ill homeless man named Phea, saying he was denied medical treatment in the notorious Po Senchey Vocational Training Center in Prey Speu, outside the capital.

Security forces had picked him up on Nov. 2 during a routine "sweep" of people considered "undesirable" in Phnom Penh to clear the streets for Cambodia's Water Festival on Nov. 5-7.

Radio Free Asia, 8 December 2014
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/cambodia/prey-speu-death-12082014171050.html

67.

Call For Laos to Consult NGOs on 'Restrictive' Guidelines: Authorities in Laos have been asked to consult with civil society groups and foreign donors on a controversial set of guidelines that could restrict the operations of international nongovernmental organizations (INGOs) working in the country, according to the United Nations development agency.

Kaarina Immonen, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) resident representative in Laos, made the call based on concerns expressed by participants in a recurring dialogue on aid strategy which the agency co-chairs with the Lao government, according to a transcript recently obtained by RFA's Lao Service.

Speaking last month at the closing session of the Round Table Implementation Meeting (RTIM) to government officials, lawmakers, and NGO representatives, Immonen said Laos should improve the operating space of civil society in the country.

Radio Free Asia, 8 December 2014
http://www.rfa.org/english/news/laos/roundtable-12082014171921.html

68.

South Korea, Asean to mark 25 years of ties at summit: A vision statement to elevate the existing strategic partnership further is expected at the meeting.

THE Association of South-east Asian Nations (Asean) and South Korea are getting ready to celebrate 25 years of relations at a summit to be held in the southeastern port city of Busan later this week.

Lee U-Wen
Business Times, 9 December 2014
http://www.businesstimes.com.sg/government-economy/south-korea-asean-to-mark-25-years-of-ties-at-summit

69.

Editorial: Reciprocity in ASEAN banking: Indonesia, the region's largest economy with the largest population (250 million), yet with the lowest banking penetration, has been the strongest proponent of the reciprocity principle because its banks find it extremely difficult to fulfill the licensing requirements imposed by the other two countries. So strong had been Indonesia's stance on the reciprocity principle that this issue had been seen as the main reason behind Bank Indonesia's decision last year to reject the US$7 billion proposal from Singapore's DBS Bank, the largest in the region, to acquire Bank Danamon, the sixth largest in Indonesia.

Indonesian banks have recovered strongly from the 1998 crisis but the industry has remained quite fragmented, populated by around 120 commercial banks, mostly small. Even the country's largest bank, state-owned Bank Mandiri, is ranked only the eighth largest in ASEAN, with the largest seven in the region dominated by Singaporean and Malaysian banks. Indonesia's two largest banks, Bank Mandiri and Bank BNI, have shown ambition to expand to other ASEAN countries in a bid to gear up for the ASEAN Economic Community slated to begin late next year. But the requirements for full-branch services imposed by the two countries are much tougher than those Indonesia imposes on foreign banks, including from ASEAN countries.

Jakarta Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/12/08/editorial-reciprocity-asean-banking.html

70.

Indonesia and Thailand take opposite paths in civic participation: Whether via revolution or counter-revolution, any abrupt change in citizen participation and political structure will shove nations onto trajectories that, for better or worse, are difficult to reverse. At the moment, no spot on our troubled planet offers a better illustration of this dynamic than Southeast Asia, with triumphant Indonesia and tragic Thailand. In sum, the former has put its military back into the barracks, and the latter has put it in charge of the country.

In the important archipelago nation of Indonesia, citizen participation in the polity has been growing since the fall of the Suharto authoritarian regime. This was back in 1998. To me, the land of 18,000 islands first glued together by European imperialism now looks like the coming star of Southeast Asia. Its elected president, Joko Widodo, has taken the national reins with great promise. And at almost the same time, his former position as governor of sprawling Jakarta has been filled by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, who is Chinese and a Christian. See what I mean about Indonesia?

Both men present themselves as the people's incorruptible tribunes. Only time will tell whether they are nothing more than fakers. In this region, political sincerity is often the first sign of outright deceit. But these two are flying on huge updrafts of legitimacy and belief, as their direct personal style greatly appeals to a public that has grown tired of slick politicians. And they may be the real deal. Still, we columnists, especially in the West, need to control our enthusiasm. Indonesia, the fourth most populous country after China, India and the US, and with more Muslims than anywhere else, is inarguably one of the most important countries but it has always proved a deep Asian enigma.

Tom Plate
South China Morning Post, 8 December 2014
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1657355/indonesia-and-thailand-take-opposite-paths-civic?

71.

Opium poppy cultivation in 'Golden Triangle' hits new high in 2014 - UN report: Cultivation of opium poppy crops in Myanmar and Laos rose again for the eighth consecutive year, nearly tripling the amount harvested in 2006, according to a new report released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today.The Southeast Asia Opium Survey 2014 - Myanmar and Lao PDR [People's Democratic Republic] found that opium poppy cultivation rose from 63,800 hectares (ha) in 2014 compared to 61,200 ha in 2013.This means that Myanmar will remain Southeast Asia's top opium producer - and the world's second largest after Afghanistan, UNODC said today.Together, Myanmar and Laos produced an estimated 762 metric tons of opium, most of which - using smuggled precursor chemicals like acetyl anhydride - was refined into an estimated 76 tons of heroin and then trafficked to markets in neighbouring countries and outside the region.

["Southeast Asia Opium Survey 2014" will be included in today's Weekly Articles Alert]

UN News Centre, 8 December 2014
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=49540

72.

Why the KMT Failed in Taiwan's Local Elections: Why did this happen? There are believed to be two main reasons: arrogance and a lack of understanding of people's concerns from Taiwan's leaders. Since being elected for a second term, President Ma Ying-jeou has imposed stronger pro-China policies, including signing the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement (CSSTA) with China. Ma also pressured legislators to ratify the agreement using his right, as party chief, to nominate candidates for Taiwan's legislature. Under Ma, the KMT pushed the CSSTA without conducting an adequate evaluation of the political risks and without communicating with industries that would be affected by the agreement. People are also anxious over the possibility of China gaining political power over Taiwan power (possibly leading to unification) due to stronger economic integration. The government clearly was not receptive to the people's concerns. Even after the Sunflower Movement, where half a million people marched on the street, the administration still has continued to push forward policies without public support, including bills regarding Free Economic Pilot Zones.

A tighter relationship with China simply does not benefit the ordinary people. Real income has declined and social inequality has worsened in the past decade while capitalists with good government relationships on both sides of the Taiwan Strait have thrived and now control the majority of wealth in Taiwan. The middle class in Taipei is disappearing as housing prices rise tremendously, thanks to the inflow of funds from Taiwanese capitalists in China. For instance, Ting Hsin International Group, the largest Taiwanese company in China's food market, issued Taiwan depositary receipts to raise capital and invest in the real estate with banks' support and the authorities' consent. This is the very same company that sold "gutter oil" in Taiwan's market for years, leading to the recent food scandal crisis in Taiwan this September. Ting Hsin allegedly avoided strict safety inspections due to their close connections with politicians. To date, no government official has taken responsibility to the food safety scandal.

Ricky Yeh is an alumnus of Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies. He formerly worked as an Economic Analyst at the Japan Center For International Finance.
The Diplomat, 9 December 2014
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/why-the-kmt-failed-in-taiwans-local-elections-2/

73.

美媒：抓准美国的软肋中国在南海悠然"下围棋": 从国际象棋的角度来看这场博弈，一名资深美国外交官认为，"大国不会为了几块岩礁而大动干戈。"一名研究中国海军的知名学者认定，"崛起中大国与邻国之间的这种紧张是自然的，对全球力量平衡并不是大危险，甚至对国际体系正常运行也不是威胁。"但在围棋手看来，中国在南海所做的，正是娴熟下棋的典型例子。最终目标是取得对整个地区的掌控。实现该目标有赖于渐进式扩张，而非大规模战役。这种扩张是个持久过程，跨度长达几十年。与该战略相应，切香肠和小棒外交均属(北京的)优选战术。其潜在逻辑是，通过不动声色地操纵地区战略格局，逐渐使形势向有利于中国支配的方向转变。

该战略有赖于一些必要规则，它们是环环相扣的。第一是尽可能避免公开武装冲突;第二是控制最重要的海上战略位置。若不能，夺取这些位置也要尽可能以不动声色的方式进行;第三是将这些位置发展成强固的控制据点、后勤保障中心和兵力投射基地。从过往行为来看，中国一直在巧妙、利落地遵循这几条原则。近60年里北京多次夺岛，但只有两次发生武装冲突，几乎没带来什么外交后果。如果近中期，北京还在渚碧礁、美济礁和黄岩岛上建飞机跑道和深水港口，那也不会让人意外。

环球网, 8 December 2014
http://oversea.huanqiu.com/article/2014-12/5231662.html

74.

What should US policy be in the South China Sea? I argue that South China Sea policy should not be overwhelmingly anti-Chinese. The United States should criticise Chinese behaviour, along with the behaviour of American friends and allies, when it is warranted. When it comes to the South China Sea, Washington should not announce policies it is not prepared to back up. US officials have publicly supported a request for arbitration from the Philippines that, among other things, seeks to clarify whether China can make a maritime claim based on the nine-dash line. But the tribunal could rule that it does not have jurisdiction. That would be a major setback to hopes that international law can be the basis for shaping the behaviour of parties involved in South China Sea disputes. The US Department of State should publicly highlight the importance of allowing the Philippines to have its day in court.

The US should also help South Sea littoral states help themselves through improvements in surveillance, command and control, and policing of their respective maritime domains. The United States also needs to be completely committed to a very long-term and dedicated effort to improve the maritime capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Both sides need to mutually agree upon a 'minimum credible deterrence' plan. US naval and air presence in the South China Sea should be a visible daily occurrence. To that end, the US should increase the duration of its exercises with South China Sea littoral states and expand participation in these exercises by inviting participation from other Asian maritime states, such as Japan, Australia, South Korea and possibly India. This will increase US presence in the region and illustrate that other maritime states are concerned about stability in the South China Sea.

Admiral Michael McDevitt is a senior fellow in Strategic Studies at the CNA Corporation
East Asia Forum, 9 December 2014
http://www.eastasiaforum.org/2014/12/09/what-should-us-policy-be-in-the-south-china-sea/

75.

Manila stands firm on arbitration in S. China Sea dispute: Arbitration is the only route to achieving a just and durable solution to disputes over the South China Sea, the Philippines said yesterday, opposing China's contention that a United Nations court had no jurisdiction to hear a complaint.The comments by Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario followed China's weekend statement denouncing the Philippines for putting it under pressure with an international arbitration case over disputed waters.In a position paper, China argued against the jurisdiction of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague to take up a case filed by the Philippines last year that could have implications for Beijing's claims over the South China Sea."It is about defending what is legitimately ours," Mr del Rosario said."It is about seeking not just any kind of resolution but a just and durable solution grounded on international law."

Straits Times, 9 December 2014
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/asia/story/manila-stands-firm-arbitration-s-china-sea-dispute-20141209

76.

Why China Won't Accept International Arbitration in the South China Sea: The crux of the matter is that China does not believe that the arbitral tribunal has jurisdiction to decide the case. More broadly, China rejects the notion that the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) can be used to decide South China Sea sovereignty issues, which Beijing maintains is at the heart of the Philippine case. "To decide upon any of the Philippines' claims, the Arbitral Tribunal would inevitably have to determine, directly or indirectly, the issue of territorial sovereignty over both the maritime features in question and other maritime features in the South China Sea... The issue of territorial sovereignty falls beyond the purview of the Convention," China's position paper concludes. One of the first things the tribunal will have to decide is, in fact, whether it has the jurisdiction to consider the case at all. China has just made clear its position: that the case should not be allowed to move forward.

Shannon Tiezzi
The Diplomat, 9 December 2014
http://thediplomat.com/2014/12/why-china-wont-accept-international-arbitration-in-the-south-china-sea/

77.

Post-'Abenomics' reforms: Prime Minister Shinzo Abe dissolved the Lower House on Nov. 21 and set the general election for Dec. 14. He characterized the snap election as an election to seek people's fresh "mandate for Abenomics" - his set of policies designed for national economic recovery.

Abenomics has achieved some results in the financial, stock market and monetary fields. But its real effects on the real economy such as workers' wages and equipment investment are still unknown. In this sense, Abenomics is headed for a crucial stage involving the question of how much it can carry out the nation's pressing structural reforms.

Shinji Fukukawa
Japan Times, 8 December 2014
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2014/12/08/commentary/japan-commentary/post-abenomics-reforms/ - .VIZ4f9KUe1c

78.

New world order? It's sink or swim - for all: Indeed, Mr O'Neill invented the acronym, the Brics. Born when the United States was riding high, and viewed with utter indifference by more orthodox thinkers, his prediction looked faintly absurd. Ten years on and his central claim - that the world economy was changing fast and would demand new forms of governance - had almost become the new wisdom of the age. Notable Singapore academic Kishore Mahbubani was another significant voice in this debate. However, according to Professor Mahbubani, it would not be the big four as such that could lay claim to the future. Rather it would be Asia more generally.

Michael Cox
Straits Times, 9 December 2014
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/opinion/story/new-world-order-its-sink-or-swim-all-20141209

79.

A Year of Divergence: As it becomes increasingly difficult for currency markets to perform the role of orderly reconcilers, friction may arise among countries. This could disturb the unusual calm that lately has been comforting equity markets.Fortunately, there are ways to ensure that 2015's divergences do not lead to economic and financial disruptions. Indeed, most governments - particularly in Europe, Japan, and the US - have the tools they need to defuse the rising tensions and, in the process, unleash their economies' productive potential.Avoiding the disruptive potential of divergence is not a question of policy design; there is already broad, albeit not universal, agreement among economists about the measures that are needed at the national, regional, and global levels. Rather, it a question of implementation - and getting that right requires significant and sustained political will.

Project Syndicate, 8 December 2014
http://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/economic-monetary-policy-divergence-2015-by-mohamed-a--el-erian-2014-12

80.

Getting everyone on same page to avert global warming: In Asia, many countries have adopted green growth strategies, focusing on clean energy, energy efficiency targets and less polluting agriculture. But there are also plans to invest heavily in new power stations fuelled by coal and gas to connect millions of people without electricity.Large corporations can help lead the way and many firms see the value in reducing energy use and their environmental impacts, particularly as customers become far more aware of the damage many corporations are causing. Leading energy and IT firms, for instance, now have internal carbon pricing to measure climate regulatory risk to operations and investments.

Renewable energy, particularly wind and solar, is growing rapidly as costs tumble. China has become the world leader in building renewable energy capacity, installing 380 gigawatts by the end of last year, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency, led by hydro power. That is more than double the renewable energy capacity of the United States, the agency wrote in a recent report.

David Fogarty
Straits Times, 9 December 2014
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/opinion/story/getting-everyone-same-page-avert-global-warming-20141209

81.

US pivot is to build ties, including with China, says official: "When we talk about the rebalance, the rebalance includes our relationship with China," said Mr Marciel, who is with the State Department's East Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau.Speaking to The Straits Times at the US Embassy last Friday, he highlighted as examples key cooperation pacts that the US and China had agreed on when US President Barack Obama went to Beijing last month for a state visit and to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit. These included a plan to combat climate change and a deal to cut tariffs on high-tech goods.As for the US security presence in the Asia-Pacific, this has been ongoing for decades, he noted."We have longstanding partnerships with many countries in the region," he said. "It contributes to a peaceful and stable environment, and so we are very committed to continuing those."The rise of China has, however, led to increasing competition in recent years between the world's two biggest economies for influence in the region. This was clearly seen in the lead-up to, as well as during, the Apec summit.

Straits Times, 9 December 2014
http://www.straitstimes.com/premium/singapore/story/us-pivot-build-ties-including-china-says-official-20141209

82.

US: a new Secretary of Defense, but does it matter?: Any US President-and any US Defense Secretary-is hemmed in by the following domestic and international constraints. The US public are war-weary from Iraq and Afghanistan and unwilling to put boots on the ground. Yet they also want to remain global top dog and favour tough action against Islamist terrorism. The Republican Party and conservative media and think tanks are ready to pounce on any indication of Democratic 'weakness' on national security, a charge the Democrats still fear. America's fiscal and economic position remains fragile, thus putting a countervailing limit on what the US can spend on defence. Externally, China is rising while Russia is covering domestic weakness with foreign policy bellicosity. The US is not willing to confront those powers in an old-style conventional war, but nor is it prepared to concede all of their demands. Islamist terror groups like ISIS are not a major security threat, but their gruesome methods both frighten the US public and generate a demand for some kind of response. Given those facts, the differences in the policies pursued by any plausible candidate for US Secretary of Defense are likely to be minimal. Most of the time, political and economic constraints matter more than individual policymakers. That's why we should focus on those rather than political gossip of the 'who's in, who's out' variety.

Charles Miller is a lecturer at ANU's Strategic and Defence Studies Centre.
The Australian Strategic Policy Institute, 8 December 2014
http://www.aspistrategist.org.au/us-a-new-secretary-of-defence-but-does-it-matter/