ASEAN Regional News - Compiled Threads [Archive] - Page 19

patchay

April 30th, 2011, 05:41 PM

talking about Sabah i found this intereting economic news today about Sabah being a goldmine. It's quite surprising for me who doesn't know much about Sabah.

Sabah invites investors to tap oil & gas, palm oil sectors
Joniston Bangkuai
Business Times | April 30, 2011

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah is keen to see more local and foreign investors tapping the vast business opportunities in its oil and gas as well as oil palm indutries.

http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/sabba/pix_bottom

State Industrial Development Minister Datuk Raymond Tan Shu Kiah said that based on estimates, Sabah is endowed with a whopping reserve of 2.3 billion barrels of oil and 12.1 trillion cu ft of gas.

Speaking at the "Oil, Gas and Palm Oil Supply Chain Forum 2011" here, he revealed that the estimated depletion period of the state's oil reserves is 43 years and 30 years for its gas reserves.

In the plantation sector, Sabah has planted 1.4 million hectares of oil palm, producing some 6.5 million tonnes of crude palm oil (CPO), about a million tonnes of palm kernel oil and some 30 million tonnes of valuable biomass.

"Sabah's oil palm industry can potentially generate a direct economic value of more than RM100 billion when downstream value adding is fully explored through initiatives such as the palm oil industrial clusters," Tan said.

With the current prices of CPO hovering between RM3,500 and RM4,000 per tonne, the oil palm industry is set to be a driving force in the state's economic development.

Tan said the Palm Oil Industrial Clusters (POIC) in Lahad Datu have thus far attracted 23 companies, with investments totalling about RM2 billion.

On the development of the state's oil and gas industry, Tan said national oil company, Petronas, is expected to start landing its oil and gas at the Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGt) in Kimanis by 2014.

He also said that the state government plans to develop an oil and gas industrial park in Sipitang, with emphasis on downstream gas activities.

"Gas available in Sabah will provide the fuel for the generation of electricity for both our domestic and industrial use," he said, adding that plans are already in the pipeline to use gas both in the west coast and east coast of the state.

Tan said Petronas is also planning to obtain 1.7 billion barrels of oil through enhanced oil-recovery technology and development of marginal oil fields.

There are about 106 marginal fields in Malaysia and some are located off Sabah's shores.

"I was told that Petronas will put their investment in the development of the fields with a view of creating a pool of development and production companies," he said.

curiosity takes me to the forum and found out some nice new project in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
taken from http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=981134
new renders for C Park by the developer: Chang Cheng
http://i.imgur.com/xCxAH.jpg
Jesselton Residences
www.jesseltonresidences.com
http://i.imgur.com/bmO2q.jpg

More concert news. This time from a very popular international band in Malaysia...

After Justin Bieber, Maroon 5 rocked KL yesterday!!
No ‘Misery’ for Maroon 5 fans
By S. INDRAMALAR
Saturday April 30, 2011
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/4/30/nation/8583466&sec=nation

KUALA LUMPUR: It was another cool evening last night. But inside Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil, things were certainly heating up as the boys from Maroon 5 rocked the stage.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/4/30/nation/n_pg18maroon.jpg
Red hot: Maroon 5 performing at Putra Stadium, Bukit Jalil Friday night.

It was their debut concert in Malaysia and lead singer Adam Levine and his bandmates - Ryan Dusick on drums, Mickey Madden on bass, James Valentine on guitar and Jesse Carmichael on keyboard - entertained a 3,000-strong crowd.

The band came on stage at about 9.30pm, opening with Misery, a track from their latest album Hands All Over.

It wasn't all new tunes though as the band knew better than to leave out their smash hits from earlier albums, Songs About Jane and It Won't Be Soon Before Too Long.

Good thing too - the crowd, mostly screaming and adoring women, responded enthusiastically especially when they played This Love, Sunday Morning and Wake Up Call.

By the third song, Maroon 5 got everyone singing and dancing along to almost every song, fast and slow.

They played for about 90 minutes before saying goodbye, leaving the stage and coming back for an encore.

The band is on their summer tour and is scheduled to play in Australia next before going to Japan.

No doubt about it, Maroon 5 was red hot last night.

kevinb

April 30th, 2011, 06:00 PM

^^ Sabah is not just a region being claimed by the Philippines. It is rich in banana and rubber. If I'm not mistaken, a huge chunk of Malaysian rubber export is taken from Sabah.

I believe it was before Marcos. If I remember right, from what I have read, the Philippines and Indonesia were protesting the formation of Malaysia because of land/territory dispute. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think it was Macapagal era?

I think you're right but the claim became widespread, AFAIK, during the Marcos era.

icarusrising

May 1st, 2011, 05:26 AM

China is Malaysia's largest trading partner, and Malaysia is China's 8th largest trading partner.

From Asian Economic Forum:

Same case here.

Manila-Guangzhou trade confab set June (http://www.mb.com.ph/node/316206/manilaguangzhou-trade-confab-)
April 30, 2011, 12:55am

MANILA, Philippines – To further boost Philippines-China trade and investment relations, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT)-Guangzhou and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) have signed a cooperation agreement to co-organize the Manila-Guangzhou Trade and Investment Conference slated to be held in early June this year.

About 500 business leaders, industry captains and government officials are expected to participate.

The Conference will include product promotion through a virtual trade fair featuring top export products of China and, business matching activities.

Office and factory visits will also be arranged for the estimated 200 business and industry leaders comprising the Chinese delegation.

Dr. Francis Chua, PCCI President said, “The Philippine and Chinese’ economies are open to mutual cooperation in trade and investments. While initially, the idea behind the conference is to promote Chinese-manufactured products for export to the country, we are making it a point to ensure that local enterprises and industries get maximum exposure and gain from the visit of top-level Chinese businessmen. That is why we are arranging business meetings and site visitations on the sidelines of the Conference.”

The rise of China as economic powerhouse is cited as one of the key factors that is helping boost the growth of Philippine exports. While trade with traditional export markets such as the United States and Japan significantly slowed down in 2008 and 2009 and saw some sharp growth spurts during the recovery period, trade with China has consistently progressed.

Data from the National Statistics Office show that the combined markets of China and Hong Kong in 2010 accounted for about 19.52 percent of the Philippines' total exports. Japan and the United States had 15.17 and 14.70 percent share, respectively.

China is currently the country’s top trading partner with export receipts reaching US$ 51.39 Bn in 2010.

These were stressed by Guangzhou Vice President of CCPIT, Madame Li San Jian in a recent meeting with officials and industry members of the PCCI.

Madam Li said, “China is a very big market. With increasing domestic demand and infrastructure development, Philippine export products such as mineral-and metal-based resources, as well as processed and fresh food products can easily gain entry into the Chinese market.”

Meanwhile, in addition to existing investments in the country, the Philippine government has been enticing Chinese businessmen to participate in infrastructure projects under the public-private partnership framework.

Enhancing external trade is one of the measures being promoted by the PCCI to address the country’s employment situation. With the proper regulatory framework and required infrastructure, trade can significantly increase competitiveness and strengthen the manufacturing sector, which in turn will translate to viable employment and income.

patchay

May 1st, 2011, 09:12 AM

"The First Lifestyle-Themed Airport Built for ASEAN"

Construction Update:

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c224/dengilo/DSC04211.jpg

- Called "KLIA2", it will be the world's largest low-cost carrier airport

- Capacity: 30 million passengers in Phase 1, 45 million passengers in Phase 2

- Total no. of boarding gates = 68

- Phase 1 started construction in Aug 2010 due for completion in May 2012

- The airport will be built to meet the Green Building Index Certification using green-building technology

- The airport will also incorporate large space for a state-of-the-art multimodal transport hub, shopping outlets, hotel and offices for AirAsia Group

- Will cater to airlines of AirAsia Group, Tiger Airways and Cebu Pacific

- Potential future airlines include Jetstar Asia and FireFly, Malaysia's 2nd largest domestic carrier

More info:
- http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=119809
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_International_Airport

Interior perspective:

bNWHSwgXGMs

Exterior perspective:

oluvreD8oic

r0mm3l

May 1st, 2011, 11:05 AM

Ninth day of Thai-Cambodia border clashes despite truce
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-13247446

Troops from Cambodia and Thailand have exchanged fire across their disputed border for a ninth consecutive day.

Officials from both sides said Saturday's fighting took place near the Ta Krabey temple - one of three claimed by both countries. No casualties have been reported.

Sixteen people have been killed in the latest clashes, part of a long-running dispute between the two countries.

On Friday a truce was broken by renewed fighting hours after it was agreed.

Tens of thousands of people have been displaced by the violence. Each sides accuses the other of starting it.

"Even though there is a recent ceasefire agreement... Thailand still breached it," Cambodia's Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters in Phnom Penh on Saturday.

On Friday, Thai army spokesman Col Sansern Kaewkamnerd blamed Cambodia, adding that "local units might not agree to the talks as easily as their commanders did".

The latest series of border clashes began on 22 April, mainly around the temples of Ta Krabey and Ta Moan.

It briefly spread to a third location - the hill-top temple of Preah Vihear - on Tuesday.

Parts of the Thai-Cambodian border have never been formally demarcated, spurring nationalist sentiment in both countries.

Fighting took place three years ago in the run-up to a general election in Cambodia, and this latest outbreak comes with the Thai government due to call an election in the coming weeks.

A long-term solution at governmental level remains elusive, although the two prime ministers may talk at a meeting of the Asean regional bloc next month.

crossboneka

May 1st, 2011, 11:50 AM

"The First Lifestyle-Themed Airport Built for ASEAN"

this is a nice project. it will bolster air linkages among ASEAN people :banana::banana:

anything on Indonesia?

i think we should be hearing more from Indonesia or Vietnam because the world, beyond question, is looking at them right now as a mecca for investment in ASEAN.

unity

May 1st, 2011, 12:44 PM

Our government now are focusing more development especially for much needed infrastructure, such as airports, railway, highway, bridges, power plant, and harbour...
One of the most notorious is airports development. Until 2014, there will be four new international airports, nine new terminal redevelopment, and four airport capacity terminal increase.

Here is one of them and arguably the largest new airport on development at the moment...

Kuala Namu International Airport, Medan, North Sumatera Province
Phase I:
-3600m of Runway
-88,000m sq of passenger terminal
-6 millions passenger per year
-24 kilometers of tollway to the city of Medan
-5 kilometers new airport line from Aras Kabu Station in Medan's outskirt
Phase I completion by 2012

http://img848.imageshack.us/img848/2900/78144577.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/199771_190375354332378_108984149138166_390934_4859446_n.jpghttp://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197575_190375490999031_108984149138166_390937_188868_n.jpg
http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196892_190375550999025_108984149138166_390939_127945_n.jpghttp://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189537_190375890998991_108984149138166_390946_8091139_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189545_190376214332292_108984149138166_390952_1144470_n.jpghttp://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/199062_190376257665621_108984149138166_390953_6982346_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199547_190376330998947_108984149138166_390954_6287959_n.jpghttp://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190108_190377020998878_108984149138166_390973_6752002_n.jpg
http://img807.imageshack.us/img807/9602/56380962.jpg

unity

May 1st, 2011, 12:45 PM

Kuala Namu International Airport, Medan, North Sumatera Province

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196315_190376890998891_108984149138166_390968_1042040_n.jpghttp://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199364_190376944332219_108984149138166_390971_2223100_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/197547_190377794332134_108984149138166_391002_1027727_n.jpghttp://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190343_190379690998611_108984149138166_391071_6700545_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196075_190379644331949_108984149138166_391069_1175550_n.jpghttp://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198894_190371434332770_108984149138166_390838_1586922_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200148_190373517665895_108984149138166_390887_2690486_n.jpghttp://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200777_190373440999236_108984149138166_390885_331152_n.jpg
http://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189635_190372364332677_108984149138166_390859_6440219_n.jpghttp://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188419_190373204332593_108984149138166_390879_629918_n.jpg

unity

May 1st, 2011, 12:45 PM

Kuala Namu International Airport, Medan, North Sumatera Province
Inside of the terminal...

http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196632_190373597665887_108984149138166_390889_4088362_n.jpghttp://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198453_190373634332550_108984149138166_390890_3641249_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199669_190373704332543_108984149138166_390892_1796142_n.jpghttp://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188600_190373747665872_108984149138166_390893_6420886_n.jpg
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/198957_190373864332527_108984149138166_390896_1721892_n.jpghttp://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/190428_190373884332525_108984149138166_390897_2814532_n.jpg
http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/196716_190373917665855_108984149138166_390898_4075888_n.jpghttp://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188605_190373957665851_108984149138166_390899_5072321_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/200520_190373990999181_108984149138166_390900_5240031_n.jpghttp://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/197825_190374030999177_108984149138166_390901_5004536_n.jpg

unity

May 1st, 2011, 12:46 PM

Kuala Namu International Airport, Medan, North Sumatera Province
Inside the Terminal..

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196689_190374077665839_108984149138166_390902_1736711_n.jpghttp://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196856_190374107665836_108984149138166_390903_2174930_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189042_190374134332500_108984149138166_390904_7948810_n.jpghttp://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/190323_190374164332497_108984149138166_390905_2120510_n.jpg
http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189409_190374237665823_108984149138166_390906_652585_n.jpghttp://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189733_190374284332485_108984149138166_390907_1230945_n.jpg
http://a5.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/200520_190374334332480_108984149138166_390908_7553132_n.jpghttp://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/189894_190374380999142_108984149138166_390909_7932885_n.jpg
http://a8.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/198602_190374437665803_108984149138166_390910_3994933_n.jpghttp://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/188715_190374464332467_108984149138166_390911_4754332_n.jpg

All photos courtesy of Widjaja Lagha of NasPic

unity

May 1st, 2011, 12:47 PM

Kuala Namu International Airport, Medan, North Sumatera Province
Inside the Terminal...

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/198009_190374517665795_108984149138166_390912_6802515_n.jpghttp://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196329_190374557665791_108984149138166_390913_2475238_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/199286_190374620999118_108984149138166_390914_3509758_n.jpghttp://a1.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/189765_190374664332447_108984149138166_390915_2830226_n.jpg
http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/196341_190375137665733_108984149138166_390928_7359799_n.jpghttp://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/198924_190374960999084_108984149138166_390924_2828667_n.jpg

All photos courtesy of Widjaja Lagha of NasPic

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And when all the phase is finished, it will be like this...

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_f7Y7Vf654VE/SR1dNx_ugdI/AAAAAAAAAGA/t0kBYS47uHY/s1600/kualanamuct9.jpg
Suvarnabhumi masterplan meets Chek Lap Kok design...:D

unity

May 1st, 2011, 12:55 PM

And this is what we got from China...

Indonesia wins loans and deals
By Li Xiaokun and Qin Jize (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-04-30 07:46

JAKARTA, Indonesia - China on Friday offered multibillion-dollar loans and $10 billion worth of business contracts to Indonesia, further strengthening trade and investment ties with Southeast Asia's largest economy.

Visiting Premier Wen Jiabao announced these at a press conference after hour-long talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/images/attachement/jpg/site1/20110430/0013729e4abe0f25c44015.jpg
China's Premier Wen Jiabao (L) shakes hands with Indonesia's President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono during a meeting at the Merdeka Palace in Jakarta, April 29, 2011. [Photo/Xinhua]

The offers include a $1 billion preferential buyer's credit - the largest that Beijing has ever given a foreign country, as well as $8 billion worth of financing contracts for investors in Indonesia's much-needed infrastructure projects and major industries.

The business delegation representing 150 Chinese companies which accompanied Wen will sign contracts valued at about $10 billion with Indonesian companies on Saturday.
Wen arrived in Jakarta late Thursday after a two-day visit to Malaysia, kicking off the first official visit of a Chinese premier to Indonesia in a decade.

Gita Wirjawan, Indonesia's investment chief, told media earlier that China Investment Corp plans to offer $4 billion of the $8 billion financing contracts. Other Indonesian officials have said the Export-Import Bank of China and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China are also involved in the program.

"I believe through joint efforts, it's completely feasible for us to raise bilateral trade volume to $80 billion in 2015," Wen said.

Bilateral trade volume reached $42.7 billion in 2010, a 50.6-percent surge upon the last year.

During the talks, the two sides agreed to establish regular meeting mechanism between the leaders of the two countries and a strategic dialogue will be set on the vice-prime minister level.

In the field of maritime cooperation, the two countries decided to set up a committee on the issue.

Wen said China will provide 1 billion yuan to start a fund for the program for tangible cooperation ranging from maritime security and research to resources exploitation and disaster prevention.

China has no territorial disputes with Indonesia in the South China Sea but the two sides still have maritime rights and interests to be settled.

The agreements came two days after China and Indonesia set up a joint oceanic observation station in Padang, the capital of Indonesia's West Sumatra province, the first time for China to jointly establish an overseas observation station with a foreign country.

Yudhoyono said he is happy to hear Wen's proposals and invited Chinese companies to Indonesia's massive plan of the building of six "economic corridors" in the coming 15 years.

"We expect more cooperation, which will make China's economy grow faster so that the world's second largest economy can further help with Asia's economic recovery," he said.

He told reporters the two countries also reached agreement on defense cooperation, without elaborating.

Besides, he said Wen also discussed with him how China can move together with members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to stabilize prices of grains and oil to ensure food and energy security in the region.

Analyst Dewi Fortuna Anwar of the Indonesian Institute of Science told Reuters that Wen's visit was going to be both symbolic and substantive.

"This is a reaffirmation of the increasingly close bilateral relations between the two," he said.

Indonesian Ambassador to China Imron Cotan told The Jakarta Post earlier this week that "China is very eager to invest and do business with us and I believe this country puts no preconditions on its economic offers".

"Moreover, different from other countries, they are willing to transfer their technology to us while building businesses in Indonesia," he said.

Imron said China was sincere in boosting its relations with its Southeast Asian neighbors as the country realized that it needed stable and prosperous surroundings to continue to progress.

Wen will wrap up his two-day Indonesia visit and fly back to Beijing on Saturday.

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-04/30/content_12425113.htm

patchay

May 1st, 2011, 05:54 PM

Something new in Kuala Lumpur for those visiting the Bukit Bintang Shopping Area...

The refurbished upmarket mall - Starhill Gallery - will reopen again in a few weeks time. Stay tuned to to official thread here:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=76914947

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5181/5669913261_1d03b0f7a7_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5670492008_7658135fea_b.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5030/5669918469_2d0b4f379b_b.jpg

Askal82

May 1st, 2011, 09:42 PM

crossboneka

May 2nd, 2011, 02:44 AM

^^ that is just so huge

unity

May 2nd, 2011, 03:06 AM

Beautiful terminal. It looks like this one is going to be Asia's alternative hub aside from KL, SIN and BKK. :)

^^
I hope so...
Garuda and Indonesian Government are planning this airport to be a hub for flights to South Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Europe. But to be a real hub like BKK or SIN definitely will take quite long time...

The phase I of this terminal only contains 25% of the terminal masterplan...
We are eagerly wait for this airport to be completed, since it's has been stalled since 2005...:bash:
So, when they will start the phase II?? Only God knows...:nuts:

patchay

May 2nd, 2011, 05:57 AM

Osama bin Laden has been shot dead in Pakistan by US Forces, announced President Obama a few minutes ago. :banana:

Nabartek

May 2nd, 2011, 08:15 AM

^^ Can't judge if it's good news or bad news...TBH

amigo32

May 2nd, 2011, 09:12 AM

Osama bin Laden has been shot dead in Pakistan by US Forces, announced President Obama a few minutes ago. :banana:

It must be his look-alike :D

Nabartek

May 2nd, 2011, 09:14 AM

^^ Don't they all look a like because of their beards ans deep eyes? :lol:

xxxriainxxx

May 3rd, 2011, 08:12 AM

"The First Lifestyle-Themed Airport Built for ASEAN"

Construction Update:

- Called "KLIA2", it will be the world's largest low-cost carrier airport

- Capacity: 30 million passengers in Phase 1, 45 million passengers in Phase 2

- Total no. of boarding gates = 68

- Phase 1 started construction in Aug 2010 due for completion in May 2012

- The airport will be built to meet the Green Building Index Certification using green-building technology

- The airport will also incorporate large space for a state-of-the-art multimodal transport hub, shopping outlets, hotel and offices for AirAsia Group

- Will cater to airlines of AirAsia Group, Tiger Airways and Cebu Pacific

- Potential future airlines include Jetstar Asia and FireFly, Malaysia's 2nd largest domestic carrier

More info:
- http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=119809
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_International_Airport

Interior perspective:

Exterior perspective:

That would be great news man, KLIA-LCCT is a big big mess. No toilets inside the gate (Y1/Y2). The guy just outside the immigration before departure did not inform the tons of people who are supposed to board that they can queue at the immigration. Oh yeah, a lot of us were pissed at the Air Asia check in, as they messed up all our seating numbers. Arriving from Jogja, we have to wait over 45 minutes before we get checked in by the immigration.. A little disappointing...

At least it wasn't a cattle yard like the Adi Sucipto Airport in Jogjakarta - really horrible airport.

WawaY[625]

May 3rd, 2011, 08:20 AM

Something new in Kuala Lumpur for those visiting the Bukit Bintang Shopping Area...

The refurbished upmarket mall - Starhill Gallery - will reopen again in a few weeks time. Stay tuned to to official thread here:
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=76914947

Impressive Starhill redevelopment (although it looks a little like Orchard central :nuts:)..the last time I was in KL (2009) It looked really old (but upmarket nonetheless) It felt more like a hotel lobby than a mall :lol:

Any chance this will open by end of the month? I'm planning on a weekend trip to KL and have sheesha at changkat bukit bintag :lol:

patchay

May 3rd, 2011, 08:57 AM

That would be great news man, KLIA-LCCT is a big big mess. No toilets inside the gate (Y1/Y2). The guy just outside the immigration before departure did not inform the tons of people who are supposed to board that they can queue at the immigration. Oh yeah, a lot of us were pissed at the Air Asia check in, as they messed up all our seating numbers. Arriving from Jogja, we have to wait over 45 minutes before we get checked in by the immigration.. A little disappointing...

At least it wasn't a cattle yard like the Adi Sucipto Airport in Jogjakarta - really horrible airport.

That is Low Cost Airport (KL-LCCT) pionereed in Asia by AirAsia.

The warehouse airport (it was supposed to be for cargo) was built to serve a small capacity, but it's now overcrowded. The reason is back in the early days the Airport Operator doesn't want AirAsia to compete with the other main airlines especially Malaysia Airlines.

Today, AirAsia is booming. They will be shifting to a New Airport called KLIA2 closer to the KLIA Main Terminal in May 2012.

For those travelling into KL by AirAsia, please note that KLIA-LCCT is about 30mins by car/bus to the main airport (KLIA).

For now, the Airport Express Train to KL City is from KLIA only, and it takes 30mins to KL City Air Terminal (commonly known as KL Sentral). By car, KLIA is about an hour's drive to the City. For travellers on certain airlines, you can check in your luggage early at KL City Air Terminal before heading to the airport for departure.

It is most advisable for AirAsia passengers to take the AirAsia busses from KLIA-LCCT directly to KL Sentral for just about a few dollars.

My advice for all friends here visiting KL is to read the Travel Guides or websites like Wikitravel, etc. and please plan your trips before starting your journey. Travelling in KL kills... as the city is spread out into suburbs and provinces and the public transport SUX.

More info can be found on Google or about KL-LCCT here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuala_Lumpur_International_Airport#Low_Cost_Carrier_Terminal_.28LCCT.29

junax

May 3rd, 2011, 09:05 AM

Something new in Kuala Lumpur for those visiting the Bukit Bintang Shopping Area...

The refurbished upmarket mall - Starhill Gallery - will reopen again in a few weeks time. Stay tuned to to official thread here:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5261/5670492008_7658135fea_b.jpg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=76914947

weird feeling :nuts: was at the same spot (that lady with a cellphone) barely 2 months ago. i love the nightlife in the bukit bintang area. :okay:

Panzer_18

May 3rd, 2011, 09:10 AM

patchay

May 3rd, 2011, 09:43 AM

There's quite a good write-up about how and what to get around in KL here: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Lumpur

Map showing KL-LCCT and KLIA Main and Satellite Terminals
http://www.lcct.com.my/images/lcct/lcct_location.gif
http://lcct.klia.com.my/
http://www.lcct.com.my/

Please Note: Besides AirAsia airlines, Cebu Pacific also uses the KL-LCCT.

On travelling to KL, please use this website for reading about hotels: http://www.kl-hotels.com/

Here's a map showing the distance between the Airport and KL City (approximately 50 mins by Expressway). I live in the suburban city of Petaling Jaya, which is the city next to KL City.

http://hartalmsm.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/brickfields-kuala-lumpur-federal-territory-of-kuala-lumpur-to-kuala-lumpur-international-airport-kul-klia-sepang-selangor-google-maps_1285401204208.jpg

Putrajaya is the new administrative centre of Malaysia.

unity

May 3rd, 2011, 10:49 AM

That would be great news man, KLIA-LCCT is a big big mess. No toilets inside the gate (Y1/Y2). The guy just outside the immigration before departure did not inform the tons of people who are supposed to board that they can queue at the immigration. Oh yeah, a lot of us were pissed at the Air Asia check in, as they messed up all our seating numbers. Arriving from Jogja, we have to wait over 45 minutes before we get checked in by the immigration.. A little disappointing...

At least it wasn't a cattle yard like the Adi Sucipto Airport in Jogjakarta - really horrible airport.

^^
I strongly agree... All of the airports in Java are horrible!!! From Jakarta to Bandung, From Semarang to Surabaya... Except the CGK T3...
They are lack of maintenance, and desperately need a super-mega upgrade!!!

But fear not!!!
The brand new international airport is about to be build in Kulon Progo Regency. About 30 km from the city center. It will be build by the Indian company, starting from next year. And will approximately takes 3-4 years before fully complete...:cheers:

Yogyakarta International Airport, Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta Province...

http://s4.postimage.org/bwd4wtoe1/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_41.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s4.postimage.org/bwdtpvvuo/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_59.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://img37.imageshack.us/img37/844/airportpresentationf200.jpg (http://img37.imageshack.us/i/airportpresentationf200.jpg/)

http://s4.postimage.org/8cs98dl35/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_61.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s4.postimage.org/8cst2tqze/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_62.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s4.postimage.org/fg18cw2br/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_63.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s4.postimage.org/4t9wihkw7/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_64.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s4.postimage.org/q2ye8jmju/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_65.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

http://s4.postimage.org/tmknj44oq/Airport_Presentation_F2009_A_Page_66.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

Cuplikan Presentasi FS Bandara Kulonprogo. Sumber : Bappeda Kab. Kulonprogo

unity

May 3rd, 2011, 10:55 AM

^^is there any monorails access to other buildings on it, that is a huge airport :okay:

^^
The right and left wings on the masterplan will be built as phase II and III. And I'm not sure whether they will add a monorail or not, since it's basically still in the same building, not separated...

But the airport is connected to the city air terminal in Medan City Central Station by airport express line that will run eventually every 10 minutes... :cheers2:

Other supporting facilities, including the express airport link, highway, and City Air Terminal in Medan Central Station...

Airport Train Station

21.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8722_resize_resize.jpg

City Air Terminal

22.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8712_resize_resize_resize.jpg

23.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8713_resize_resize_resize.jpg

24.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8714_resize_resize_resize.jpg

unity

May 3rd, 2011, 10:56 AM

All of the supporting facilities will be build by the end of this year, and will be fully operated together with the new airport end of next year (2012)... :cheers:

26.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8716_resize_resize_resize.jpg

27.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8717_resize_resize_resize.jpg

28.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8718_resize_resize_resize.jpg

29.
http://i363.photobucket.com/albums/oo79/centroval/KNIA-IICE/IMG_8723_resize_resize_resize.jpg

E.O.U

patchay

May 3rd, 2011, 03:48 PM

Malaysia, or precisely Metro KL, will announce and kickstart a series of urban megaprojects soon. Amongst them are transforming a few areas into "new financial districts", "new waterfront cities along the river", a new 100-storey tower, a new MRT system and many more. KL also announced setting up a new international financial district for its expertise, that is Islamic Finance. >>> http://www.1mdb.com.my/klifd1/global-financial-city

Also, the government recently showcased a proposed Cultural CBD for KL as below:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_9-TGpM01RS0/TMGwuBEby2I/AAAAAAAAF08/F9OcLjiG3G0/s400/G.jpg

One word = Crazy. Ridiculous skyline.

ok back to the topic.. daily news in ASEAN

SE Asia stocks weaker on global recovery worries, led by Thailand
REUTERS | feed The Malaysian Insider | May 03, 2011
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/business/article/se-asia-stocks-weaker-on-global-recovery-worries-led-by-thailand/

SINGAPORE, May 3 — Southeast Asian stock markets fell today, led by financials and resources as worries over the fragile nature of the global economic recovery and the prospect of further monetary tightening weighed on sentiment.

Thailand, the region’s best performer this year, shed 2.12 per cent, Indonesia fell 0.9 per cent from the previous session’s record high, and Singapore closed 0.8 per cent weaker at a two-week low. Malaysia and the Philippines edged down 0.2 per cent.

“There is no compelling reason for investors to rush for stocks at this juncture as inflation is rising and further monetary policy tightening measures are expected globally amid a slipping dollar,” said Song Seng Wun, a Singapore-based regional economist at CIMB-GK Research.

Manufacturing growth in the world’s two biggest economies, the United States and China, softened in March but it firmed in Europe and India, data showed, highlighting the fractured nature of the global economic recovery.

“If the US payroll data shows an improvement, sentiment may turn back to shares and risky assets on the hope of a better second quarter in the United States,” Wun said.

The holiday mood also affected regional markets, traders said. Markets other than Indonesia and the Philippines were closed yesterday.

The MSCI SEAsia, a measure to gauge market performance in Southeast Asia excluding Vietnam, was down 1.45 per cent today, in line with MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan, which fell 1.42 per cent.

Despite the falls, most of the markets enjoyed net foreign inflows today, with Indonesia taking in US$19.3 million (RM57.2 million), a day after it received US$89.3 million, while the Philippines had US$4.2 million in inflows, Thomson Reuters data showed.

Malaysia received a net inflow of US$16.2 million and Thailand had a net foreign inflow of US$23.8 million, stock exchange data for the countries showed.

Bangkok had its biggest percentage drop since October 2, which drove the bourse to its lowest in a month, led by banks and energy shares in heavy trading volume, some 1.3 times its 30-day average.

Domestic politics was in the spotlight as investors waited to see if parliament would be dissolved to clear the way for an early general election, although the bourse authority did not see that as a factor.

“The Thai market fall today was a reaction to weak sentiment in regional markets,” said Charamporn Jotikasthira, the president of Thailand’s Stock Exchange.

“There was no significant concerns involving the government’s house dissolution plan,” Charamporn added.

In Jakarta, the index fall was driven by financials and mining shares.

“Most banking and resources stocks closed in negative territory as investor sold on the news, after strong Q1 results, and a drop in commodities price,” said John Teja, director of Ciptadana Securities, in Jakarta. — Reuters

unity

May 3rd, 2011, 04:02 PM

patchay

May 3rd, 2011, 04:18 PM

^^
IMO, it's look great, actually...
Although for me it's the private investors that should manage skyscraper development, not the government (except it's gov't company)... And it's look a bit ambitious, to be honest...
But.. who knows...:)

Yay agreed. But we see it abit NOT sustainable because we are not very high in purchasing power yet.

I believe cities like Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila can do more wonders as they have very large population, thus domestic demand. Whereas there's still plenty of land with no people and declining expatriates here. :lol:

I guess this model is quite similar to Bonifacio Global City in the Philippines.

Anyway this is not the first time KL embarks on purpose-built urban jungle projects. About a decade ago we started a suburban area called Mont' Kiara. Today it looks like this:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5138/5525068721_c24e7bf9ac_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/54683320@N02/5525068721/

That would be great news man, KLIA-LCCT is a big big mess. No toilets inside the gate (Y1/Y2). The guy just outside the immigration before departure did not inform the tons of people who are supposed to board that they can queue at the immigration. Oh yeah, a lot of us were pissed at the Air Asia check in, as they messed up all our seating numbers. Arriving from Jogja, we have to wait over 45 minutes before we get checked in by the immigration.. A little disappointing...

At least it wasn't a cattle yard like the Adi Sucipto Airport in Jogjakarta - really horrible airport.

That is Low Cost Airport (KL-LCCT) pionereed in Asia by AirAsia.

The warehouse airport (it was supposed to be for cargo) was built to serve a small capacity, but it's now overcrowded and looks bad!.

oh i found one video showing how to get from your Aeroplane to KL City if you are arriving at the Main Terminal

you can compare between KL-LCCT and KLIA Main Terminal

featuring Asha Gill, former veejay of Channel [V] and model for Tag Heuer
SxQfCkyJX2Y
Note: Malaysia Hospitality is the slogan or tagline for Malaysia Airlines. Video is presented on all Malaysia Airlines flights upon arrival at KLIA.

xxxriainxxx

May 3rd, 2011, 05:23 PM

^^
I strongly agree... All of the airports in Java are horrible!!! From Jakarta to Bandung, From Semarang to Surabaya... Except the CGK T3...
They are lack of maintenance, and desperately need a super-mega upgrade!!!

But fear not!!!
The brand new international airport is about to be build in Kulon Progo Regency. About 30 km from the city center. It will be build by the Indian company, starting from next year. And will approximately takes 3-4 years before fully complete...:cheers:

Yogyakarta International Airport, Kulon Progo Regency, Yogyakarta Province...

This is interesting... Looking forward to that new airport, if and when I come back to Jogja, I hope to see the new airport.. Btw bro, I think Indonesian Tourism should fix the entrance fees of your sights. Borobudur costs about 15USD and 13USD for Prambanan and they are separate. In Burma, I only have to pay about 10USD for an entire heritage city of Bagan with thousands of temples, Angkor Wat wasn't that expensive either and like in Bagan, you pay for multiple temples at once. I was a bit disappointed about Depok Sand Dunes, I thought it to be more stunning as in the Jogja Tourist Guide.. and when I went there, it doesn't look anything like in the photos..

I love the food however and the people were very friendly. The traffic is much more organised than Hanoi (:lol::lol::lol:).

There's quite a good write-up about how and what to get around in KL here: http://wikitravel.org/en/Kuala_Lumpur

Map showing KL-LCCT and KLIA Main and Satellite Terminals
http://www.lcct.com.my/images/lcct/lcct_location.gif
http://lcct.klia.com.my/
http://www.lcct.com.my/

Please Note: Besides AirAsia airlines, Cebu Pacific also uses the KL-LCCT.

On travelling to KL, please use this website for reading about hotels: http://www.kl-hotels.com/

Here's a map showing the distance between the Airport and KL City (approximately 50 mins by Expressway). I live in the suburban city of Petaling Jaya, which is the city next to KL City.

http://hartalmsm.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/brickfields-kuala-lumpur-federal-territory-of-kuala-lumpur-to-kuala-lumpur-international-airport-kul-klia-sepang-selangor-google-maps_1285401204208.jpg

Putrajaya is the new administrative centre of Malaysia.

I think pretty much the next thing that KLIA can do is interconnect all terminals with rail. And they really need to extend the LCCT considering there are so many flights coming in and out of that terminal. From Putra Nilai I took a taxi to the Nilai Station and took the KTM all the way to KL Sentral and then hopped to another train to KLCC. Hopefully more airport hotels pop up near LCCT.

wino

May 3rd, 2011, 11:23 PM

I guess this model is quite similar to Bonifacio Global City in the Philippines.

I guess it is somehow similar.. but the difference is.. Bonifacio Global City is funded by private demand.

xxxriainxxx

May 4th, 2011, 04:36 AM

Yay agreed. But we see it abit NOT sustainable because we are not very high in purchasing power yet.

I believe cities like Jakarta, Bangkok and Manila can do more wonders as they have very large population, thus domestic demand. Whereas there's still plenty of land with no people and declining expatriates here. :lol:

I guess this model is quite similar to Bonifacio Global City in the Philippines.

Anyway this is not the first time KL embarks on purpose-built urban jungle projects. About a decade ago we started a suburban area called Mont' Kiara. Today it looks like this:

oh i found one video showing how to get from your Aeroplane to KL City if you are arriving at the Main Terminal

you can compare between KL-LCCT and KLIA Main Terminal

featuring Asha Gill, former veejay of Channel [V] and model for Tag Heuer
SxQfCkyJX2Y
Note: Malaysia Hospitality is the slogan or tagline for Malaysia Airlines. Video is presented on all Malaysia Airlines flights upon arrival at KLIA.

Oh yeah I saw that MH ad..I may have to use the main terminal in December when I fly to Maldives via KL. I reeaaaaallly hope that they interconnect the terminals and there is a hi speed train that connects the airport directly to KL Sentral. It will be better for KL tourism.

unity

May 4th, 2011, 07:08 AM

This is interesting... Looking forward to that new airport, if and when I come back to Jogja, I hope to see the new airport.. Btw bro, I think Indonesian Tourism should fix the entrance fees of your sights. Borobudur costs about 15USD and 13USD for Prambanan and they are separate. In Burma, I only have to pay about 10USD for an entire heritage city of Bagan with thousands of temples, Angkor Wat wasn't that expensive either and like in Bagan, you pay for multiple temples at once. I was a bit disappointed about Depok Sand Dunes, I thought it to be more stunning as in the Jogja Tourist Guide.. and when I went there, it doesn't look anything like in the photos..

I love the food however and the people were very friendly. The traffic is much more organised than Hanoi (:lol::lol::lol:).

^^
Well the problem is Borobudur and Prambanan is not in the same complex. It's far away one to another. They are even in the different province. Borobudur is in Magelang Regency in Central Java Province, meanwhile Prambanan is in Sleman Regency in Yogyakarta Province. And I don't think that they will allow such multiple entry ticket, since that means they will lose some of their income because they have to share it between two province...:ohno:

About Depok Sand Dunes... Seriously, I never heard such place before. I didn't even know that there is place called Depok in Jogja, since the only Depok I know is the one of Jakarta's Suburb...:D

So where else did you go in Jogja?? Did you taken any pictures?? :cheers:

patchay

May 4th, 2011, 08:55 AM

Oh yeah I saw that MH ad..I may have to use the main terminal in December when I fly to Maldives via KL. I reeaaaaallly hope that they interconnect the terminals and there is a hi speed train that connects the airport directly to KL Sentral. It will be better for KL tourism.

Great.. wow Maldives. Hope to see ya! lol

Yeah there's a high-speed rail from KLIA to KL Sentral in just under 30mins but it's quite expensive, especially if ya guys travelling in groups.

Seven economies including India to rise by 2050 - ADB
4 May, 2011, 09.49AM IST,Reuters
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/seven-economies-including-india-to-rise-by-2050--adb/articleshow/8157632.cms

HANOI: Seven economies are the potential drivers of Asia's rise over the next 40 years into a powerhouse that accounts for just over half of global output, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released on Wednesday.

In the report on Asia in 2050, the ADB said the dominant economies needed to avoid falling into the middle-income trap that has seen the development of other emerging markets stall.

If they can achieve that, some 3 billion people will enjoy prosperity a generation earlier than they otherwise would, the ADB said at its annual meeting in Hanoi.

"Yawning inequalities must be narrowed and -- as home to over half of the world's population -- Asia must confront a massive wave of urbanisation and changing demographic profiles," the ADB said, adding the region's urban population would nearly double to 3.1 billion people by mid-century.

Necessary reforms included improved governance and strong institutions -- which the ADB said was an Achilles heel for most economies in the region -- and tackling environmental challenges to ensure food and water supplies.

"Asia's rise will be led by China, India , Indonesia, Japan, (South) Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand," the ADB said.

The seven economies had a combined GDP of $14.2 trillion in 2010, 87 percent of Asian GDP, and a total population of 3.1 billion, or 78 percent of Asia's people.

The study found that by 2050, the seven could account for 90 percent of Asian GDP -- and 45 percent of global output -- even as their share of Asia's population falls to 73 percent.

Average per capita income across the seven countries would be $45,800 in purchasing power parity terms -- 25 percent higher than the global average of $36,600, the study found.

MIND THE GAP The middle income trap, which sees per capita income stall before advanced-economy levels, usually occurs as countries try to change from resource-driven economies reliant on cheap labor and capital to growth based on high productivity and innovation.

The ADB said based on Asia's record over the past 25 years, there were three categories of Asian economies.

Seven -- Brunei, Hong Kong , Japan, South Korea, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan -- had grown rapidly since the 1950s, "avoiding the middle income trap and becoming high-income developed economies in one generation."

A second group of 11, including China and India, have posted high growth since 1990 but now face the greatest risk of seeing per capita income stalling at middle-income levels.

The others in this group are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Georgia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

"Several of these economies, or the larger ones, could easily derail the enticing prospect of the Asian Century," the report said.

Another 31 economies, which include Pacific Island nations and also countries such as the Philippines , Myanmar, Iran and Uzbekistan, have achieved only modest or low long-term growth.

"Their success in joining the ranks of the fast-growing group would significantly facilitate the spread of affluence to all Asians," the ADB said.

The ADB is charged with fighting poverty in a region that includes small Pacific islands, Southeast Asia, the giant economies of China and India, and central Asian republics such as Kazakhstan.

Fraulein

May 4th, 2011, 11:56 AM

^^Well, let's see...:lol:

xxxriainxxx

May 4th, 2011, 12:41 PM

^^
Well the problem is Borobudur and Prambanan is not in the same complex. It's far away one to another. They are even in the different province. Borobudur is in Magelang Regency in Central Java Province, meanwhile Prambanan is in Sleman Regency in Yogyakarta Province. And I don't think that they will allow such multiple entry ticket, since that means they will lose some of their income because they have to share it between two province...:ohno:

About Depok Sand Dunes... Seriously, I never heard such place before. I didn't even know that there is place called Depok in Jogja, since the only Depok I know is the one of Jakarta's Suburb...:D

So where else did you go in Jogja?? Did you taken any pictures?? :cheers:

Oh yea. That's probably the reason. Maybe, a pass can be bought from the airport or the hotels, which entitles entrance to these temples and divide the profits between the two? Like a Day Pass or a 2 Day, 3 Day Passes similar to Angkor..

About Depok (it is near Parangtritis Beach), I only saw it on the tourist guide map that my driver showed me, it was on the back cover... so I was very intrigued.. I am still editing some of my photos. Will post it here over the weekend. The sand dunes in the photo looked huge and they looked orange similar to a desert.. when I got there it was gray sand.. So with a little bit of fixing on Picasa, I managed to turn the sand orange and cropped the photo to show less shrubbery. :D I kept a copy of the original sand color tho. :D

Great.. wow Maldives. Hope to see ya! lol

Yeah there's a high-speed rail from KLIA to KL Sentral in just under 30mins but it's quite expensive, especially if ya guys travelling in groups.

Seven economies including India to rise by 2050 - ADB
4 May, 2011, 09.49AM IST,Reuters
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/seven-economies-including-india-to-rise-by-2050--adb/articleshow/8157632.cms

HANOI: Seven economies are the potential drivers of Asia's rise over the next 40 years into a powerhouse that accounts for just over half of global output, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said in a report released on Wednesday.

In the report on Asia in 2050, the ADB said the dominant economies needed to avoid falling into the middle-income trap that has seen the development of other emerging markets stall.

If they can achieve that, some 3 billion people will enjoy prosperity a generation earlier than they otherwise would, the ADB said at its annual meeting in Hanoi.

"Yawning inequalities must be narrowed and -- as home to over half of the world's population -- Asia must confront a massive wave of urbanisation and changing demographic profiles," the ADB said, adding the region's urban population would nearly double to 3.1 billion people by mid-century.

Necessary reforms included improved governance and strong institutions -- which the ADB said was an Achilles heel for most economies in the region -- and tackling environmental challenges to ensure food and water supplies.

"Asia's rise will be led by China, India , Indonesia, Japan, (South) Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand," the ADB said.

The seven economies had a combined GDP of $14.2 trillion in 2010, 87 percent of Asian GDP, and a total population of 3.1 billion, or 78 percent of Asia's people.

The study found that by 2050, the seven could account for 90 percent of Asian GDP -- and 45 percent of global output -- even as their share of Asia's population falls to 73 percent.

Average per capita income across the seven countries would be $45,800 in purchasing power parity terms -- 25 percent higher than the global average of $36,600, the study found.

MIND THE GAP The middle income trap, which sees per capita income stall before advanced-economy levels, usually occurs as countries try to change from resource-driven economies reliant on cheap labor and capital to growth based on high productivity and innovation.

The ADB said based on Asia's record over the past 25 years, there were three categories of Asian economies.

Seven -- Brunei, Hong Kong , Japan, South Korea, Macau, Singapore and Taiwan -- had grown rapidly since the 1950s, "avoiding the middle income trap and becoming high-income developed economies in one generation."

A second group of 11, including China and India, have posted high growth since 1990 but now face the greatest risk of seeing per capita income stalling at middle-income levels.

The others in this group are Armenia, Azerbaijan, Cambodia, Georgia, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

"Several of these economies, or the larger ones, could easily derail the enticing prospect of the Asian Century," the report said.

Another 31 economies, which include Pacific Island nations and also countries such as the Philippines , Myanmar, Iran and Uzbekistan, have achieved only modest or low long-term growth.

"Their success in joining the ranks of the fast-growing group would significantly facilitate the spread of affluence to all Asians," the ADB said.

The ADB is charged with fighting poverty in a region that includes small Pacific islands, Southeast Asia, the giant economies of China and India, and central Asian republics such as Kazakhstan.

Yeah, excited about the trip to Maldives but more excited about my trip to Mongolia in less than a month. I'd rather spend my Christmas there than here in Hanoi which is a reallly sad place during the holidays.

Btw, I was supposed to go to this ADB event but I dint because I am too tired from the trip.

Just wanna say - I love Malaysian and Indonesian food. :D I could eat Nasi Lemak forever. Heaps of other stuff I had, will post it here once I have finished editing the photos. :)

patchay

May 4th, 2011, 04:55 PM

I understand that the BPO Industry/Shared Services is going to be one of the key service sector for Southeast Asia in coming years.

Philippines is leading this industry followed closely by many other nations, most of which are neighbouring Asian nations.

Do you think this industry will continue to grow? Your thoughts about its future in Asia and what happens if one day Asia is no longer cost-attractive? What happens if Asian companies outsource to other parts of the world instead?

HP GLOBAL CENTER @ CYBERJAYA MALAYSIA
The HP Green Global IT Campus was opened in Oct 2010.

2V0cqvvMyJQ

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1222/5098660363_ee2e86ffc4_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/multiplay/5098660363/

kenken94

May 4th, 2011, 05:09 PM

^^ As long as the developed world continues to contract and still have their expensive labor cost. Emerging market will always have the upperhand. The Philippines is competitiveness + low-cost = the reason it led the World in BPO. Now we're diversifying further into the KPO which requires more sophisticated knowledge than customer service sectors. ;)

xxxriainxxx

May 4th, 2011, 05:21 PM

Some of my captures of my Indonesian trip last weekend:

Wayang Kulit:

http://shareimage.org/images/jjwfo9nzgln17jctqpxb.jpg

Tamansari:

http://shareimage.org/images/1j8q7zdxps24spjwme4.jpg

Prambanan:

http://shareimage.org/images/7h97loi4wlwkztbefjw.jpg

Phoenix Hotel (a historical hotel)- where I stayed

http://shareimage.org/images/eh2m8fwom69zdsvi9uj.jpg

Depok Sand Dune (image filtered)

http://shareimage.org/images/9pcuod7ezmv51uh46s2.jpg

xxxriainxxx

May 4th, 2011, 05:24 PM

Some of my Singapore shots:

Manila in Singapore

http://shareimage.org/images/seuy1n9qbjavcbf63c9.jpg

Singapore's Next Top Model

http://shareimage.org/images/3srahdqo3om6g3dvnw.jpg

The Straits of Johor

http://shareimage.org/images/eepbzdrt9sbwe8bumywj.jpg

xxxriainxxx

May 4th, 2011, 05:33 PM

At the icky hotel in Nilai, Filipino soap opera Marimar on TV:

http://shareimage.org/images/4y2vxkxpzo0zkqkocdz.jpg

Nasi Lemak Breakfast with Cham in a Kopitiam in Johor, I could eat it this forever:

http://shareimage.org/images/xuyc1xe3863dmj811ff2.jpg

KTM Nilai Station:

http://shareimage.org/images/2auhaxt2gzkbh5zzbyw.jpg

Petronas:

http://shareimage.org/images/7lovv3p26oxkkshe2u9c.jpg

patchay

May 4th, 2011, 05:50 PM

Nasi Lemak Breakfast with Cham in a Kopitiam in Johor, I could eat it this forever:

http://shareimage.org/images/xuyc1xe3863dmj811ff2.jpg

^^ Singapore's next top model? haha looks like Singapore's Next Top Auntie...

neway nice pics from ur travelsss there... btw as for your nasi lemak where's the meat? :lol:

Next time you're in KL I'll bring you to savour more nasi lemak varieties. LOL

Feel free to share your artistic pics at our photo section too http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=363 :)

xxxriainxxx

May 4th, 2011, 05:53 PM

^^ Singapore's next top model? haha looks like Singapore's Next Top Auntie...

neway nice pics from ur travelsss there... btw as for your nasi lemak where's the meat? :lol:

Next time you're in KL I'll bring you to savour more nasi lemak varieties. LOL

Feel free to share your artistic pics at our photo section too http://www.skyscrapercity.com/forumdisplay.php?f=363 :)

^^ Singapore's next top model? haha looks like Singapore's Next Top Auntie... :lol::lol::lol::lol:

I had different types of Nasi Lemak - Sotong Sambal as well, one with chicken, as well. But yeah, I actually prefer the one above, very simple, and I missed the anchovies. :) Okay will post tomorrow man, but not sure exactly which thread..

manila_eye

May 4th, 2011, 05:59 PM

i've always thought phoenix hotel is in vietnam. palabas rin pala ang marimar sa malaysia hehehe.

patchay

May 4th, 2011, 05:59 PM

:lol::lol::lol::lol:

I had different types of Nasi Lemak - Sotong Sambal as well, one with chicken, as well. But yeah, I actually prefer the one above, very simple, and I missed the anchovies. :) Okay will post tomorrow man, but not sure exactly which thread..

oh ic.. great.. wow I wished I was like you travelling all around hahaha... I worked as a young accountant so schedules are pretty tight and my boss from India even ask me to work on Sat (hope he doesnt surf till here)... :lol:

(oh yeah u can start a new thread there)

xxxriainxxx

May 4th, 2011, 06:13 PM

i've always thought phoenix hotel is in vietnam. palabas rin pala ang marimar sa malaysia hehehe.

Yep there is one in Hanoi

http://i1.bookcdn.com/data/Photos/LargePhoto2/53/5317/5317933/Hanoi-Phoenix-Hotel-photos-Interier-Photo-album.JPEG

Looks like shit to me.

The one in Yogyakarta was absolutely gorgeous. I think it's a 5 star hotel and managed by Accor Hotels.

I was transfixed watching that Marimar show. Haha.

Good to hear Tagalog being spoken. :)

oh ic.. great.. wow I wished I was like you travelling all around hahaha... I worked as a young accountant so schedules are pretty tight and my boss from India even ask me to work on Sat (hope he doesnt surf till here)... :lol:

(oh yeah u can start a new thread there)

I love seeing new places that's why I travel. I hate the actual travelling tho- waiting at airports, ports, buses, etc. Really excited for Mongolia next month. :D

I heard that last May 2nd it was a public holiday in Malaysia, but the people who worked did not get extra compensation? I asked the reservations lady. No extra holiday pay?

Cisten18

May 5th, 2011, 02:46 AM

PHL in ‘middle income trap’; ADB cites stagnating economic growth

Business Mirror, Wednesday, May 3, 2011
by:Cai U. Ordinario

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/hom...conomic-growth

THE Philippines may miss out on what the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has dubbed the “Asian Century,” a period of high economic growth that can propel 3 billion people to affluent levels by 2050, with per-capita income in the region similar to Europe today.

That’s because the Philippines, along with Sri Lanka, is showing “classic signs” of what the Manila-based lender calls the “middle income trap”—a period of stagnating or declining economic growth—according to a draft report released by the ADB at its 44th Annual Governor’s Meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The report, titled “Asia 2050: Realizing the Asian Century,” explained that traditionally, in a steadily growing economy, per-capita gross domestic product (GDP) will increase over time and move toward higher incomes.

However, some economies, particularly that of middle-income countries like the Philippines, have short periods of growth followed by periods of stagnation or even decline, or become stuck with low growth rates.

“They are caught in the middle-income trap—unable to compete with low-income, low-wage economies in
manufacturing exports and unable to compete with advanced economies in high-skill innovations. Put another way, such countries cannot make a timely transition from resource-driven growth, with low-cost labor and capital, to productivity-driven growth,” the ADB report explained.

In the case of the Philippines, former Philippine Economic Society president Fernando Aldaba said the country’s growth has been low because of the magnitude of poverty and high inequality.

Aldaba said he explained in one of the papers commissioned to him by the ADB that chronic poverty experienced by a portion of the Philippine population is “jeopardizing” the chances of the Philippine economy to growth at desired levels.

The study, titled “Poverty in the Philippines: Causes, Constraints and Opportunities,” defined chronic poverty as a situation where the poor remains poor for an extended period of time or are poor from birth. This is also the same as intergenerational poverty.

“Maybe a major reason is that poverty and inequality themselves constrain growth which leads to a low-growth equilibrium,” Aldaba said.

If many middle-income countries in Asia were caught in this trap in the next five to 10 years, the ADB warned that Asia would follow the pattern of Latin America over the past 30 years. This, ADB said, is the “pessimistic scenario” and should serve as a “wakeup call” to Asian leaders.

In a middle-income trap scenario, Asia will only account for 32 percent of global GDP; followed by Europe which will account for 26 percent; North America, 23 percent; Latin America and Carribean, 9 percent; Middle East and North Africa, 5 percent; Sub-Saharan Africa, 3 percent; and the rest of the world, 2 percent.

“A few countries have shown occasional bursts of growth but they were followed by periods of stagnation or decline. Some countries, like the Philippines and Sri Lanka, exhibit the classic signs of the middle-income trap,” the report said.

This could cost the Philippines high economic losses, especially in the Asian Century, which the report explained is characterized by Asia’s GDP reaching as much as $148 trillion.

“As Asia leads the world out of recession, the global economy’s center of gravity is once again shifting toward the region,” ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda said. “The transformation underway has the potential to generate per-capita income levels in Asia similar to those found in Europe today. By the middle of this century, Asia could account for half of global output, trade, and investment, while also enjoying widespread affluence.”

Under the Asian Century scenario, Asia will account for as much as 51 percent of global GDP, followed by Europe with 18 percent; North America, 15 percent; Latin America and Carribean, 10 percent; Middle East and North Africa, 3 percent; Sub-Saharan Africa, 2 percent; and the rest of the world, 1 percent.

“If today’s fast-growing Asian economies become mired in the middle-income trap, Asia would fall far short of the Asian Century. Total GDP in 2050 would reach only $61 trillion, not $148 trillion—at market exchange rates. GDP per-capita would be only $20,300, not $38,600, in PPP [purchasing power parity]. Such an outcome would deprive billions of Asians of a lifetime of affluence and well-being,” the ADB said.

By nearly doubling its share of global GDP, which at market exchange rates, is from 27 percent in 2010, Asia would regain the dominant global economic position it held some 250 years ago, before the Industrial Revolution.

The ADB added that there would be no poor country in Asia or a country with an average per-capita GDP of less than $1,000. There are currently seven countries in Asia today that have per- capita GDPs of less than $1,000.

“All this assumes that Asian economies can maintain their momentum for another 40 years and adapt to shifting global economic and technological environment by continually recreating their comparative advantage,” the report stated.

To reach the Asian Century, countries must implement national strategic and policy actions; engage in collective regional actions to bridge the national and global agenda; and improve interactions with the global community.

This can be done if countries will achieve economic growth with inclusion; financial transformation; be able to manage massive urbanization; radically reduce the intensity of energy and natural resource use; promote entrepreneurship, innovation and technological development; improve governance and institutions; and set priorities for national action.

Can you give comments on this especially for those filipinos who have knowledge in this kinds of topics.. How will it affect our country in the next 2 to 3 decades from now??:ohno::ohno:

patchay

May 5th, 2011, 08:00 PM

forgive me if i share something...

How walkable is your city?
I think Singapore tops the list in ASEAN. Road pavements are well maintained and connected.

How about other ASEAN cities? I like the elevator pedestrian bridge in Hong Kong.

KL has just started a plan to link all major corners of CBD in a pedestrianised networks (some with air-con and landscaping). Phase 1 is completed and eventually the network will be more than 42km long. (KL skybridges discussion http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=825980)

http://www.pemandu.gov.my/
http://upislam.com/images/79966707340759655541.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5014/5533542991_fedac15e6d_b.jpg

"Tunnel from Convention Center to KLCC"
From flickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2777/4311575436_37d7326e0a_b.jpg

First in SSC to Experience the KLCC Walkway
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5460489731_8f44fe6639_z.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/5460486107_119de7bea7_z.jpg

wino

May 5th, 2011, 11:15 PM

^^ WTH! It's air conditioned!! :cheers:
only downside is, outside is barely visible, because of the railings.. you can't really go sight seeing using those walkways.. it would have been better if it was just glass panels.

Metro Manila CBDs are very pedestrian friendly... we had those infrastructures for a long time now..

In Makati walkways are very open. you have a very nice street view. :)
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTW1j7SMNA50lUFfUO3KWCIY5uv9StMCiSmaJDX5vlkW-vp8sEF
http://cache.virtualtourist.com/1/4526888-Elevated_Pedestrian_Walkway_in_Makati_Avenue-Makati.jpg

xxxriainxxx

May 6th, 2011, 04:01 AM

pau_p1

May 6th, 2011, 05:06 AM

^^ Manila CBDs are very walkable, but once you get out of the CBDs, all hell breaks loose. But that's nothing compared to Vietnam where walkways are used as parking lots and traffic comes from all directions. When in Vietnam you got to look from all directions - left, right, front, back, up and down. Look up for any falling bricks or somebody throwing the bath water into the street (both happened when a few months ago) and look down for any open manholes and to navigate the uneven pavements (dangerous during floods).

SG walkways are mostly airconditioned as well. ;)

And when you are still crossing the street when the light turns green... better stay still and let the motorcycles pass you.. a step forward or backward could cause you harm... i can still remember that crossing in Hanoi in 2003... heheheh... scared the hell of me when hundreds of motorcycles rushed to go past me..

xxxriainxxx

May 6th, 2011, 05:22 AM

And when you are still crossing the street when the light turns green... better stay still and let the motorcycles pass you.. a step forward or backward could cause you harm... i can still remember that crossing in Hanoi in 2003... heheheh... scared the hell of me when hundreds of motorcycles rushed to go past me..

Try mo magcounter flow bigla at salubungin ang mga motorsiklo! Ginawa yun ng driver ko, muntik akong atakihin.

Ady001

May 6th, 2011, 06:05 AM

^^ Makati is walkable. It's one of the few cities that you'd spend a day with a camera on hand, just walking and taking pictures.

wino

May 6th, 2011, 10:54 AM

^^ So is Bonifacio and Ortigas.. I also like walking around Intramuros. :D
even the Malate Area is OK for walking.

amigo32

May 6th, 2011, 03:38 PM

here in the mountains, walang choice kundi walking:rofl:

patchay

May 6th, 2011, 03:59 PM

Great sharing there... :banana:

I hope the weather is nice enough to allow walking any day any time. Here in KL it's simply too hot, that's why we need to build air-conditioned walkways.

xxxriainxxx

May 6th, 2011, 04:33 PM

Summer's back in Hanoi. Today was exceptionally hot. Not looking forward to it. And some damned reason, deodorants are not very popular here even though it's very cheap. Taxi drivers turn cabs into mobile gas chambers with weak air-conditioning.

Time for me to take my Glade Spray again.

Yes, I spray inside a cab. :lol:

pulsephaze22

May 6th, 2011, 04:35 PM

^^ LOL, you're a jerk sir!:nuts:

xxxriainxxx

May 6th, 2011, 04:37 PM

^^ LOL, you're a jerk sir!:nuts:

Better a jerk than to pass out from absolutely foul body odour. I did not pay to be gassed. Some people have no sense of personal hygiene.

manila_eye

May 6th, 2011, 05:17 PM

you really spray inside the cab? i can't imagine the scenario. :lol:

Fraulein

May 6th, 2011, 06:00 PM

Better a jerk than to pass out from absolutely foul body odour. I did not pay to be gassed. Some people have no sense of personal hygiene.

You will miss your country then... :lol:

xxxriainxxx

May 6th, 2011, 06:13 PM

you really spray inside the cab? i can't imagine the scenario. :lol:

Yep, and I am unapologetic about it. The customer is always right. ;)

Nagugulat si manong driver. :lol::lol:

Sa office nga nagdadala ako ng alcogel. Andudugyot kasi ng mga tao dito.

You will miss your country then... :lol:

Of course. That's why I made Chicken Inasal for dinner. :cheers:

patchay

May 6th, 2011, 06:24 PM

let me share something for ASEAN thread:

Repost from Asian Economic and Business Thread

The Birth of The New ASEAN Stock Exchange...:banana:

http://www.bursamalaysia.com/website/bm/resources/images/logo_asean_exchanges.jpg http://www.bursamalaysia.com/website/bm/resources/images/logo_asean_stars.jpg
Source: http://www.bursamalaysia.com

http://www.aseanexchanges.org

ASEAN Exchanges is a collaboration of seven exchanges from Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam. The collaboration aims to promote the growth of the ASEAN capital market by streamlining ASEAN access, introducing cross-border harmonisation and creating ASEAN centric products.

The ASEAN Exchanges collaboration will bring greater investment opportunities to more people as well as bring greater liquidity to collaboration members.

The 210 ASEAN Stocks representing the Top 30 of each exchange as Ranked by Market Capitalisation, The ASEAN Stars are the blue chips of ASEAN.

ASEAN Exchanges’ CEOs comprise Dato Tajuddin Atan of Bursa Malaysia Berhad, Dr. Tran Dac Sinh of Hochiminh Stock Exchange, Mr. Tran Van Dzung of Hanoi Stock Exchange, Mr. Ito Warsito of Indonesia Stock Exchange, Mr. Hans B. Sicat of Philippine Stock Exchange, Mr. Magnus Bocker of Singapore Exchange, and Mr. Charamporn Jotikasthira of the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/AseanExchange.jpg

Profile of ASEAN Exchange Member - Bursa Malaysia:

http://www.bursamalaysia.com/export/templateone/resources/images/bursa-malaysia.gif
Source: http://www.bursamalaysia.com

Bursa Malaysia, or otherwise popularly known as Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange, has 960 listed companies, with 7 listed companies from P.R. China since 2009. Its market capitalisation stands at MYR1.278 billion (approx. US$426 billion) and is the second largest stock exchange in ASEAN (as of April 2011).

Since 1980, Bursa Malaysia is the world's largest crude palm oil futures exchange. To further strengthen its derivatives market, Bursa has partnered CME Group Inc., the world's largest derivatives exchange. In 2010, it was announced that Bursa Malaysia will be promoted to 'Advanced Emerging Market' by FTSE Global Equity Index Series with effect from June 2011. Bursa Malaysia is also a world leader of International Islamic Capital Market product and services, including the world's premier destination for foreign sukuk listing.

Bursa became a demutualised exchange operator and subsequently listed in its own exchange in 2005. The company also owns Malaysia's first and only international offshore financial exchange, the Labuan International Financial Exchange (LFX).

In 2011, it became one of the founding member of 'ASEAN Exchanges', and is currently pursuing a strategic collaboration with the London Stock Exchange plc.

ASEAN Stock Exchanges Comparisons

Source: The Stock Exchange of Thailand
http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/ASEANStockExchanges.jpg

eonynx

May 6th, 2011, 06:27 PM

^^damn! wow! now a unified source to take advantage of and to get familiar with what are the bluechips and the emerging listed stocks across the region!:cool:

patchay

May 7th, 2011, 03:54 AM

^^ There's more news about BPO companies setting up in the Philippines, employing HUNDREDS of people.. here's a couple more.. :D

Tech Mahindra commences BPO operations in Philippines recruiting 600 associates (http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2011-05-02/news/29496103_1_tech-mahindra-president-sujit-baksi-bpo-operations)

Expertise to open office in Philippines (http://www.royalgazette.com/article/20110506/BUSINESS/705069933/-1/business)

^^ BPO is helping alot of Asian countries, from India to Philippines and now to China. Malaysia has its own city for BPO too, called Cyberjaya which is now home to many MNCs: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberjaya

But I'm afraid that this industry is short-term (in terms of capital investment and employment) and not gonna help us much to innovate and rise up in the global value chain in the longer term.

Now that I'm also in a similar industry (financial shared service), but the workscope is too specific that local employers find hard to employ people from this industry. :lol:

In the long run, I think we need a diversified source of FDIs, not just from BPO. We need FDIs or Strategic Collaboration (was just reading this is a trend in developed countries) that can make our local companies become global/regional players like Samsung and Sony.

What do you guys think?

-----------------------------------------

xxxriainxxx

May 7th, 2011, 06:02 AM

Vietnam 'seals ethnic Hmong protest site'
06 May 11 07:01 ET

Vietnam has sealed off the scene of a rare protest by thousands of ethnic minority Hmong in a remote north-eastern mountainous area, reports say.

It comes after army units were sent in to quash the demonstration for greater autonomy, which started on 30 April.

Soldiers are stopping people leaving or entering the Dien Bien region, and electricity and telecommunications have reportedly been cut.

It is the most serious ethnic unrest in Vietnam for seven years, analysts say.
Vietnam's communist rulers keep a tight control on dissent and protests of any kind are extremely rare.

'Minor clashes'

Some 5,000-7,000 people have been involved in the unrest, according to a diplomatic source cited by the Reuters news agency.

The demands of the protesting Hmong - who are mostly Christians - include more religious freedom, better land rights and more autonomy.

The Dien Bien region, which borders Laos, is one of Vietnam's most remote, making it difficult to verify reports.

A local official told the BBC's Vietnamese service on Wednesday that the authorities had tried to negotiate with the demonstrators.

But several officials had been taken hostage by the protesters, he said. It is unclear whether they have been released.

A military source quoted by the AFP news agency said the army had sent reinforcements and "had to disperse the crowd by force".

He said there had been "minor clashes", but did not say whether there had been any casualties.

"The situation is still being resolved by all levels of party and government so that the lives of the compatriots there can return to stability at an early time," foreign affairs spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga told Reuters.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/mobile/world-asia-pacific-13306362

xxxriainxxx

May 7th, 2011, 10:22 AM

BREAKING NEWS: INDONESIA
Merpati plane crashes into the sea, 27 dead
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Sat, 05/07/2011 3:08 PM

A Merpati MA 60 Airplane crashed into the sea near the Utarung Kaimana Airport, West Papua, at approximately 2 p.m. As many as 27 people, including the pilot, reportedly died.

“We are conducting recovery operations. We will provide more information shortly,” Kaimana police chief Sr. Adj. Comr. Antonius Wantri Julianto said Saturday.

The plane reportedly had been circling for around 15 minutes before finally plunging into the sea.

“We do not yet know if it was due to bad weather or not because the investigation is still underway,” Antonius said.

He added that the search for victims is ongoing, although as many as 15 passengers have already been found dead.

“The Search and Rescue Team is combing the area,” he said.

Source:
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/05/07/merpati-plane-crashes-sea-27-dead.html

:(

patchay

May 7th, 2011, 01:05 PM

Australia, Malaysia working on deal to trade asylum-seekers
Headlines | Paige Taylor | The Australian | May 07, 20114:03PM
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/prime-minister-gillard-announces-australia-malaysia-working-on-deal-to-trade-asylum-seekers/story-fn59niix-1226051659951

PRIME Minister Julia Gillard has announced that Australia and Malaysia are finalising a deal to trade asylum seekers.

Ms Gillard and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said that they were close to signing a bilateral agreement which would see 800 people who tried to get to Australia by boat taken immediately to Malaysia instead. :bash:

In return, Australia will take 4000 genuine refugees from Malaysia over four years. :bash:

The announcement came as the HMAS Broome has escorted a boat carrying about 90 asylum-seekers into Christmas Island after it was intercepted close to the island overnight.

The Royal Australian Navy brought the battered wooden vessel into Flying Fish cove about 11.30am local time (2.30pm AEST) this afternoon.
The crowded 15m boat was packed with passengers, including some perched on its wheelhouse roof.

Customs officers are now preparing to bring those aboard on shore, where they will be placed in immigration detention.

In making today's announcement, Ms Gillard described the impending deal as a "big blow'' to people smugglers.

"If someone seeks to come to Australia, then they are at risk of going to Malaysia and going to the back of the queue," she told reporters in Canberra today. :bash:

The Australian Online has been told that additional federal police and a contingent of senior immigration officials are en route to Christmas Island this afternoon to help respond to any unrest among detainees in the wake of the announcement.

Authorities on Christmas Island were nervous yesterday about how detainees would react to an announcement about the reopening of Manus Island.
Mr Bowen said the exchange being negotiated would cost $292 million over the forward estimates period.

"I know this will be controversial," he said.

"I expect protests, I expect legal challenges, I expect resistance.

"As the prime minister said, nobody should doubt our resolve to break the people smugglers' business model."

patchay

May 7th, 2011, 06:54 PM

Read more at: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=77364041

R&D in ASIA
QUALITY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report - Research Institutions
Global Ranking of East Asia & Middle East Nations:

Singapore - 12
Japan - 15
Taiwan - 18
South Korea - 22
India - 25
Malaysia - 28
Qatar - 32
Hong Kong - 34
China - 35
Saudi Arabia - 37
Indonesia - 43
Sri Lanka - 45
United Arab Emirates - 53
Thailand - 60
Oman - 63
Vietnam - 64
Jordan - 70
Turkey - 71
Kazakhstan - 80
Pakistan - 81
Kuwait - 83
Mauritius - 85
Tajikistan - 88
Brunei Darussalam - 97
Philippines - 102
Mongolia - 106
Cambodia - 107
Bangladesh - 108
Syria - 110
Bahrain - 112
Nepal - 127
Timor Leste - 132

xxxriainxxx

May 8th, 2011, 05:34 AM

Overheard at the Hilton Hanoi last night: "Real estate bubble in Hanoi has burst." "I lost 20% of my salary, already".

patchay

May 8th, 2011, 06:29 AM

Singapore's PAP returns to power, opposition makes breakthrough
ChannelNewsAsia | Posted: 08 May 2011 0055 hrs
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1127434/1/.html

SINGAPORE: Singapore's ruling People's Action Party (PAP) was returned to power on Sunday with a huge majority but lost a Group Representation Constituency (GRC) to the opposition.

The PAP won 81 of the 87 seats, compared with its victory in 82 out of 84 seats in Singapore's last General Election in 2006.

But the opposition won a GRC for the first time, with the Workers' Party (WP) grabbing five seats in the hotly-contested Aljunied GRC.

The WP also kept its stronghold - the Hougang single-member constituency (SMC).

However, the PAP took back opposition stronghold Potong Pasir, with Sitoh Yih Pin taking the seat by a margin of 114 votes, beating Singapore People's Party's (SPP) Lina Chiam.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's Ang Mo Kio GRC won by a large majority, garnering 69.33 per cent of the votes against the Reform Party's (RP) 30.67 per cent.

Speaking to reporters after his win, PM Lee said: "We have tried our best to serve the voters well over the last five years ... They have confidence in us.

"After this election, we'll look at the results, analyse them ... This is a long journey and we won't stop working hard".

Jurong GRC -- led by Finance Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam -- also saw relatively strong victory, with the PAP garnering 66.96 per cent of the votes against rivals National Solidarity Party (NSP).

Meanwhile, Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, helmed by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, also won by a relatively big margin - 64.79 per cent of the votes against Singapore Democratic Alliance's (SDA) 35.21%.

In his victory speech, Mr Teo appealed to all residents to be united and to work together with the team.

He said he is deeply honoured and humbled by this responsibility, and he and his team would do their best to listen to residents' needs and meet their expectations.

In Chua Chu Kang GRC, PAP beat NSP by winning 61.20 per cent of the votes.

PAP also won strongly in Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, which was contested by the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP).

The PAP team, led by Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, won 60.10% of the votes.

The PAP also won Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, beating SPP's team, led by veteran Opposition MP Chiam See Tong.

The PAP team, led by Wong Kan Seng, gained 56.94 per cent of the votes, leaving SPP with 43.06 per cent.

In his victory speech, Mr Wong said for those who did not vote for the PAP, they will still continue to work hard for residents there.

Commenting on SPP's loss, Mr Wong said they have fought very hard.

"I admire Mr Chiam's spirit and his determination and I really respect him for what he wants to do," Mr Wong said.

"Voters have made their choice and we humbly respect the voters' choice. In the next five years we have a lot of work to do and we will implement what we said in our manifesto".

Meanwhile, PAP's Sembawang GRC -- led by Khaw Boon Wan -- received 63.89 per cent of votes, defeating rivals SDP, led by James Gomez.

In Moulmein-Kallang GRC, the PAP team beat WP's team, winning 58.56 per cent of the votes.

The PAP also won Marine Parade GRC.

It won 56.65 per cent of the votes, while NSP received 43.35 per cent of the votes.

Mr Goh Chok Tong thanked supporters, and said he and his team would work "even harder" after the election.

"My team and I have heard voices of all voters and will work with you for all the issues raised," Mr Goh said.

Ms Tin Pei Ling said she will do her best to serve the people of Singapore.

Over at Tampines GRC, PAP beat NSP.

The PAP team received 57.22 per cent of the votes, while NSP received 42.78 per cent.

Mr Mah Bow Tan and his team thanked residents for electing them into Parliament again.

He said he and his team would work hard to gain the trust of residents who did not vote for them.

Meanwhile, PAP also saw victory in West Coast GRC by a relatively big margin. They won 66.57 per cent of the votes, while rivals Reform Party (RP) received 33.43 per cent.

The PAP team, led by Minister Lim Hng Kiang, defeated the RP team headed by Kenneth Jeyaretnam, son of the late JB Jeyaretnam.

The late Jeyaretnam was the first Opposition candidate in Parliament in 1981.

PAP's East Coast GRC team, meanwhile, won 54.83 per cent of votes against the WP.

PAP's Nee Soon GRC team also saw victory -- PAP defeated WP by gaining 58.39 per cent of votes there.

"ZukiChirO"

May 8th, 2011, 09:13 AM

http://www.asianewsnet.net/photo/gallery/Asean%202011_copy1.jpg
CLASS PICTURE
Source : AFP Published on 07-05-2011
Description : The 10 leaders and representatives of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations join hands for a group photo session at the 18th Asean Summit in Jakarta on May 7.

"ZukiChirO"

May 8th, 2011, 09:18 AM

ASEAN has good single currency prospect (http://positivenewsmedia.net/am2/publish/Business_19/ASEAN_has_good_single_currency_prospect.shtml)

SEMARANG, May 7 (PNA/Antara News) - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has a good prospect for a single currency like the euro by the European Union, as the regional association`s trade has been accumulating hundreds of millions of US dollars each year.

Diponegoro University economist Nugroho SBM said in Semarang Friday that ASEAN remains an important geopolitical and economic power in Asia, and even in the world, and therefore a single currency will strengthen it against pressure from the US dollar for instance.

With ASEAN having a single currency, he said, the strong effect of the US dollar in that part of the world would be sterilized and thus strengthening the monetary position of the ASEAN countries.

"In need it would take a very long time. The European Union alone needed 60 years before agreeing to use the euro as a single currency, bit it would be better to discuss the foundation of an ASEAN single currency from now on," he said.

He said Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, and the Philippines may serve as a driving power for the formation of a single currency because they have a dominating trade volume among the ASEAN member countries," he said.

He also said that it is indeed not easy to form an ASEAN single currency because such a great idea will be facing an obstacle from the countries with an already strong currency and did not wish their monetary data be known to other countries.

"The formation of a single currency needs central interbank transparency while not all the central banks of the member countries are open to information. This is one of the serious obstacle," he said.

Nugroho predicted that China and India will be playing an increasing important role in the world economy and in the Asian region which was marked with the huge trade volume of the two countries with the ASEAN member countries.

According to data, ASEAN trade with India in 2010 stood at US$ 50 billion, while China has since the introduction of the China-ASEAN free trade set a target of its trade with ASEAN of US$ 500 billion by 2015. (PNA/Antara)

amigo32

May 8th, 2011, 09:35 AM

Sana peso pa rin:D

cmituyen

May 8th, 2011, 11:40 AM

Overheard at the Hilton Hanoi last night: "Real estate bubble in Hanoi has burst." "I lost 20% of my salary, already".

OMG, are you living in Hanoi? I miss Hanoi so much. I wish i can come back HN somedays. Would you mind posting some Hanoi pictures here.

Thanks,

xxxriainxxx

May 8th, 2011, 12:03 PM

OMG, are you living in Hanoi? I miss Hanoi so much. I wish i can come back HN somedays. Would you mind posting some Hanoi pictures here.

Thanks,

Yes. and it's very hot here.

Summer's back... will post later....

chris_nigel

May 8th, 2011, 01:24 PM

Sana peso pa rin:D

:lol: hindi papayag sina ringgit, baht etc nyan...ano kaya tawag sa magiging pera natin??

amigo32

May 8th, 2011, 01:46 PM

peribah?:D

oreotm

May 8th, 2011, 02:59 PM

xxxriainxxx

May 8th, 2011, 02:59 PM

ACU ? HEHEHE

Asean Currency Unit??

Asean Dollars?

ASD?

kevinb

May 8th, 2011, 03:03 PM

^^ Wag ung Asean Dollars. Wag na tayong magpaka-US.:D

xxxriainxxx

May 8th, 2011, 03:18 PM

^^ Wag ung Asean Dollars. Wag na tayong magpaka-US.:D

Singapore Dollars, Brunei Dollars use them.

HKD, NTD, as well

kevinb

May 8th, 2011, 03:24 PM

^^ Kahit kasi naman madaming bansa ang gumagamit ng dollars, hindi mo maiiwasan na maisip ang US. :)

xxxriainxxx

May 8th, 2011, 03:39 PM

^^ Kahit kasi naman madaming bansa ang gumagamit ng dollars, hindi mo maiiwasan na maisip ang US. :)

Ok lang sa akin na dollars ang pera.

Basta a name that would be easier to pronounce and workable for the majority of the ASEAN countries would be acceptable.

"ZukiChirO"

May 8th, 2011, 03:44 PM

narinig ko AMU = ASEAN MONETARY UNIT..

xxxriainxxx

May 8th, 2011, 04:06 PM

narinig ko AMU = ASEAN MONETARY UNIT..

Amu- monkey sa Bisaya. :lol::lol:

Mercato

May 8th, 2011, 04:34 PM

konting paligo lang, atsay na sa hong kong. :lol: meaning ASEAN will become a vassal federation of States under Hong Kong.

http://images.webster-dictionary.org/dict/109/618481-housemaid.gif

http://img1.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n5/n27139.jpg

xxxriainxxx

May 8th, 2011, 04:46 PM

^^ di payag Singapore nyan.

Mercato

May 8th, 2011, 04:56 PM

^^ :D :D

Nabartek

May 8th, 2011, 05:45 PM

Peso nalang! Anuveh! Padollars dollars pa kayo dyan... :lol:

wino

May 8th, 2011, 08:08 PM

^^ ASEAN peso? lol

Shantika

May 8th, 2011, 08:26 PM

From local news online and translated by google:

Jakarta - Bids Philippine President Benigno Aquino III to mediate talks Thai - Cambodian conflict, do not get a response from Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen.

Aquino, at the 18th ASEAN Summit, Sunday ( 8 / 5 ), claimed to be approximated PM Philippines Abhisit Vejjajiva to help him by becoming the mediator of peace talks. As known, relationships Aquino quite familiar with both head of state.

However, Aquino who even intend to bid to host the talks, just get a cold response from Prime Minister Hun. " It's painful. He did not respond, just smiled as if to thank it, " he explained.

Aquino humble attitude understood by Prime Minister Hun. He felt that one time when delivering it to him. " Perhaps the time is not quite right, because he had just made a statement that somewhat hot, "said Aquino.

Prime Minister Hun make other heads of state was surprised when he suddenly spoke up about this issue in a closed session, shortly after the ASEAN summit opened, yesterday. Reportedly, he said something to the PM Abhisit. It was unclear what he was saying, but it made the atmosphere was tense.

Although states do not want to interfere, Aquino also said the issue is an issue that concerns the entire region. " ASEAN's interest to seek a solution to the problem of Thai -Cambodian border, " he said.

http://www.inilah.com/read/detail/1493092/presiden-filipina-tersinggung-sikap-pm-kamboja

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 04:01 AM

ASEAN Summit Jakarta:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227199_224375810910748_100000149914608_1037582_5023107_n.jpg

Ady001

May 9th, 2011, 04:40 AM

^^ Akala ko kukuha ng bolpen :D :D

patchay

May 9th, 2011, 04:41 AM

^^ what is he doing there?

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 05:03 AM

^^ Reading the menu.. :lol:

Mercato

May 9th, 2011, 05:26 AM

:lol: oh my gulay, a picture speaks a thousand words. :dizzy:

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 06:08 AM

^^ I think that was inappropriate to show on the newspaper. Or it's just me.

amras

May 9th, 2011, 06:53 AM

The person next to him is the one holding up the menu not Pnoy.. ^^

But yah, the picture is quite unglam... :nuts:

wino

May 9th, 2011, 07:29 AM

he looks fascinated with the glass of water.. LOL

Yre

May 9th, 2011, 07:37 AM

he looks fascinated with the glass of water.. LOL

:lol:
Iba tuloy pumasok sa kukute ko. :bash:

Mercato

May 9th, 2011, 08:11 AM

Back to that pic. :lol: I am having a hard time grasping the concept that he is the son of Ninoy and Cory. I dunno, why does he have to behave the way he does? And he's like, like Mr. Bean or something ... :nocrook: Seriously, his media handlers should do something, teach him or what ... oh geeez... :lol:

rawr

May 9th, 2011, 08:15 AM

ASEAN Summit Jakarta:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227199_224375810910748_100000149914608_1037582_5023107_n.jpg

looking at the brochure

patchay

May 9th, 2011, 08:53 AM

^^ to me is like "what's that in the glass?" :lol:

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:03 AM

ASEAN struggles for credibility as members feud (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/05/09/11/asean-struggles-credibility-members-feud)

by Martin Abbugao, Agence France-Presse
Posted at 05/09/2011 4:53 PM | Updated as of 05/09/2011 4:54 PM

JAKARTA, Indonesia - It was supposed to be a summit to advance ASEAN's community-building goals, but as Southeast Asian leaders sat down in Indonesia at the weekend, the cracks began to show.

Minutes into the meeting on Saturday at Jakarta's swanky convention center, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen launched into a tirade against Thailand over a border conflict which has cost 18 lives since February.

The row hijacked the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and fuelled concern that such distractions are hurting the credibility of the group's plans to create a fully integrated community by 2015.

"When you have a feud in the family, especially when fighting can be heard outside the house, it is very embarrassing to the neighbors," a regional diplomat said.

Mediation efforts by current ASEAN chair Indonesia have so far yielded few concessions that could lead to a lasting ceasefire and negotiated political solution between the warring neighbors.

Eighteen people have been killed and 85,000 temporarily displaced in weeks of clashes over ownership of a small patch of territory surrounding an 11th-century Khmer temple. The temple itself belongs to Cambodia.

International pressure on ASEAN is also expected to mount after Myanmar announced it wants to chair the group in 2014 despite allegations of ongoing human rights abuses and doubts over democratic reforms, including an election last year that was widely regarded as a sham.

"We cannot afford to put our community building efforts in jeopardy by failing to respond to such bilateral conflicts," Philippine President Benigno Aquino said at the meeting, according to a copy of his speech seen by AFP.

"We call on both countries to move forward in the interest of the region's peace and stability. Intra-regional skirmishes do not bode well for... ASEAN's peace and stability or its credibility in the international community."

Aquino also called for the release of remaining political prisoners in Myanmar, saying this will be a "concrete step" in its reform process.

ASEAN wants to be the driver of future debates about security and economic challenges in the Asia-Pacific region, but Ernest Bower, a US-based Southeast Asia specialist, said there were doubts it was up to the challenge.

"The key issue is ASEAN credibility -- it must move toward being more specific about how it will define whether it is achieving its self-defined goals for regional economic, social-cultural and political security integration," Bower, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, told AFP.

"General goals are already defined, it needs to now focus on clear definable accomplishments in order to convince its business leaders and citizens that policy will be changed to move toward genuine progress toward these goals."

Among others, ASEAN should obtain a ceasefire and peace process from Thailand and Cambodia and "define a baseline criteria" for Myanmar to meet before takes over chairmanship, Bower said.

It must also agree on a "pro-active and comprehensive" agenda for the East Asia Summit (EAS) that ASEAN will host in November, he added.

The East Asia Summit will be attended by the Russian and US leaders for the first time since their entry into the forum last year. With China and Japan also members, the ASEAN-driven EAS has become a heavyweight on the regional diplomatic stage.

Diplomatic sources say Beijing is against putting maritime security on the agenda because it wants to avoid US meddling in South China Sea territorial disputes.

ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam have partial claims on the Spratlys, an island-chain in the South China Sea which is being claimed in whole by China. Taiwan is the sixth claimant.

The group's end-of-summit statement on Sunday said the EAS would discuss economic and strategic issues but made no direct reference to maritime security being on the agenda.

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:25 AM

Aquino cites gains from 18th ASEAN Summit (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/05/09/11/aquino-cites-gains-18th-asean-summit)
abs-cbnNEWS.com
Posted at 05/09/2011 3:38 PM | Updated as of 05/09/2011 3:38 PM

MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino finally arrived in the country, brandishing the country’s gains in the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit.

Cabinet members were around to welcome Aquino, who was supposed to arrive Sunday night. His flight was cancelled because of tropical storm “Bebeng.”

The President’s plane took off at exactly 8:15 a.m. (Manila time) from the Perdanakusuma Military Airbase.

In his arrival speech, Aquino said he was happy to be back thinking of the many successes the country gained in the past few days, starting with the win of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.

He also said the country gained an important spot in the ASEAN, not only as an effective member but also as a nation that could help its neighbors.

He cited, for example, Indonesia’s plan to adopt the country’s targeted subsidy program called Pantawid Pasada Program.

He also said Cambodia and Laos are eyeing the country as an investment partner.

Before he left Indonesia, Aquino was also able to hold bilateral talks with Vietnam.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang said the discussion revolved around both
country’s claims over the disputed Spratly Islands.

He said: “Napagkasunduan natin sa Vietnam kung ano man ang claims natin sa South China Sea ay hindi dapat mauwi sa gulo yung competing claims. So, ang sinasabi natin sa Vietnam, maghanap tayo ng paraan para hindi maging tensiyonado ang South China Sea.”

amigo32

May 9th, 2011, 11:26 AM

ASEAN Summit Jakarta:

http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/227199_224375810910748_100000149914608_1037582_5023107_n.jpg

:lol:
wala kasi syang spouse(s) kaya sa menu na lang pinagkakaabalahan nya:lol:

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:26 AM

Asean seeks to strengthen antipiracy drive (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/05/08/11/asean-seeks-strengthen-antipiracy-drive)
By Butch Fernandez, Business Mirror
Posted at 05/09/2011 7:48 AM | Updated as of 05/09/2011 7:48 AM

MANILA, Philippines - Foreign ministers of Association of Southeast Asian (Asean) member-states will seek to strengthen further the regional and global campaign to combat piracy and violations of intellectual property through the development of multilateral and bilateral arrangements, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Sunday.

The DFA reported that the proposal to further enhance Asean's antipiracy drive aims to facilitate the apprehension, investigation, prosecution, and extradition, exchange of witness, sharing of evidence, inquiry, seizure and forfeiture of proceeds of piracy, mutual legal and administrative assistance among Asean member-states, which is in accordance with the Asean Plan of Action to Combat Transnational Crime.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario have pushed forward Philippine priorities in achieving the Asean community building goals in 2015 during the Fifth Meeting of the Political-Security Community (APSC), the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting and the Eight Meeting of the Asean Coordinating Council in preparation for the 18th Asean Summit in Jakarta.

According to the DFA, these priorities also include the “full and effective implementation of the Asean Work Plan on Combating Illicit Drug Production, Trafficking and Use for 2009 to 2015 to achieve a Drug-Free Asean by 2015.”

Del Rosario highlighted the Philippines’ commitment to promote and protect human rights in Asean through the Asean Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights and the implementation of the Asean Declaration on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Migrant Workers.

He cited the completion of the Guidelines on the Implementation of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea this year to commemorate 20 years of Asean-China strategic partnership.

During the preparatory meetings, del Rosario also asserted Asean Member States’ need for closer coordination to promote and protect the welfare of its nationals caught in crisis situations given the peace and security situation in the Middle East and Africa.

Moreover, the list included enhancing disaster-management cooperation in the Asean Regional Forum by improving coordination mechanisms and capacity building such as the Disaster Relief Exercise held in Manado, Indonesia, from March 14 to 19.

Del Rosario likewise pushed for the full implementation of APSC Communication Plan which, he said, was adopted in 2010 to enhance awareness among the peoples in Asean of how APSC benefits the region to contribute to the promotion of peace and security in the region.

The DFA Secretary said also in the priority is the preparation of an Asean Convention on Trafficking in Persons as soon as possible as a mechanism to enhance Asean’s efforts in combating trafficking in persons.

 In this regard, he said, the Philippines, as the lead shepherd on Trafficking in Persons (TIP), will host the “Experts’ Meeting to Study the Feasibility on Developing an Asean Convention on Trafficking in Persons” in June, and the Fifth Senior Officials’ Meeting on Transnational Crime Working Group Meeting on TIP and the 20th Meeting of the Heads of Specialist Antitrafficking Units in July this year.

As agreed in the preparatory meetings, the Asean Ministers also committed to ensure “tangible progress” on the implementation of the priority projects and key actions of the Master Plan on Asean Connectivity which include the feasibility studies on (1) the Asean roll-on/roll-off and Short Sea shipping; and (2) the extension of the Trans-Asean Gas Pipeline in BIMP-Eaga;

Del Rosario said the conferees also agreed on the inclusion of political and security issues in the agenda of the East Asia Summit (EAS) by “creating an environment conducive to discussion of such issues.”

By doing this, he said, Asean raises the strategic value of the EAS as a leader’s forum with the inclusion of the United States and the Russian Federation as new members.

Del Rosario explained that since Asean is only four years away from its target date of building its community by 2015, he stressed during the meetings the need for Asean to step up and expedite its work to realize an Asean Community that is peaceful, stable, economically competitive and people-oriented.

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:28 AM

ASEAN integration message lost on Thai-Cambodia border (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/05/08/11/asean-integration-message-lost-thai-cambodia-border)
by Arlina Arshad, Agence France-Presse
Posted at 05/08/2011 8:56 PM | Updated as of 05/09/2011 3:16 AM

JAKARTA, Indonesia - The Association of Southeast Asian Nations on Sunday failed to resolve a bitter border row between Thailand and Cambodia which hijacked the agenda of an annual summit in Indonesia.

ASEAN leaders said the dispute was threatening regional unity and overshadowing the 10-nation group's strategic message of economic integration, but were unable to wring any compromises from the feuding neighbors.

The bloc's weakness in conflict resolution was thrown into stark relief when the leaders' final statement merely said the dispute "should be amicably resolved in the spirit of ASEAN solidarity".

It also welcomed an in-principle agreement to allow Indonesian military observers on the disputed border and called on Jakarta, the current chair of ASEAN, to continue its mediation efforts.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono hosted an unscheduled meeting with the Thai and Cambodian leaders on Sunday morning but failed to achieve a breakthrough in negotiations.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen admitted after the meeting that the row was "spoiling" the summit, which was supposed to focus on long-term plans to create a harmonized economic community by 2015.

"Everyone knows that the problem of the Thai-Cambodia border has been spoiling the atmosphere and also creates a challenge for ASEAN," he told reporters.

Eighteen people have been killed and 85,000 temporarily displaced in weeks of clashes over ownership of a small patch of territory surrounding an 11th-century Khmer temple. The temple itself belongs to Cambodia.

In a highly critical tone not usually heard at ASEAN meetings, Hun Sen on Saturday accused Thailand of invading Cambodia and seeking to prolong the conflict "in order to violate weaker neighboring ASEAN members".

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva dismissed the accusation and warned that the dispute, which was not on the formal agenda of the summit, threatened to undermine ASEAN's broad strategic vision.

"I accept that the issue could affect the credibility of ASEAN. We must therefore make sure that any problem should be solved, locally, bilaterally and if needed with the facilitation of the region," he said.

"Thailand recognizes full well that any conflict between ASEAN member states can undermine ASEAN’s community-building efforts."

Other issues on the table at the summit included food and energy security, territorial disputes in the South China Sea, the scourge of human trafficking and East Timor's membership bid.

Myanmar stole the headlines on Friday when ASEAN officials announced that the military-led country -- which is under Western sanctions for serial human rights abuses -- had asked to chair the group in 2014.

US-based Human Rights Watch said ASEAN would become the "laughing stock of intergovernmental forums" if it granted the request.

The ASEAN chairman's statement at the end of the meeting said only that the request had been "considered", meaning the leaders deferred a decision to a later date.

Yudhoyono said Myanmar, which held elections last year that were derided as as a farce by critics, would have to "continue the process of democratization" so that its leadership of ASEAN would not be "viewed negatively".

The ASEAN leaders also emphasized the "need for a breakthrough" in talks with Beijing about a code of conduct in the South China Sea, a strategic maritime route where China and several ASEAN states have rival territorial claims.

Indonesia has been trying to find a solution to the Thai-Cambodia conflict on behalf of ASEAN, but so far it has achieved little except the in-principle agreement to accept a small team of military observers on the border.

Officials said Hun Sen and Abhisit agreed to have their foreign ministers meet again in Jakarta on Monday to discuss the conflict further.

Putting a brave face on the episode, ASEAN Secretary General Surin Pitsuwan said: "The fact that they are meeting is a good sign."

But other ASEAN leaders were not so sanguine.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino, speaking to reporters late Saturday, said that ASEAN unity was at stake and expressed concern that the conflict could worsen.

"How can we have one ASEAN, one family if we have two major components who cannot solve their problems?" he said.

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:33 AM

ASEAN open to giving Myanmar chairmanship in 2014 (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/05/08/11/myanmar-lead-asean-2014)
Reuters
Posted at 05/08/2011 5:52 PM | Updated as of 05/08/2011 8:35 PM

JAKARTA, Indonesia (UPDATED) - Southeast Asian leaders have no objection to Myanmar's request to chair the 10-member ASEAN bloc in 2014, as long as it continues making progress towards democracy, Indonesia's president said on Sunday after the group's latest summit.

"ASEAN leaders do not object in principle," Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at his closing news conference. "But Myanmar, which is a focus of world attention, is expected to continue progress on democracy so when it becomes chair it does not generate negative views."

A communique issued at the end of the 2-day ASEAN leaders' summit in Jakarta said: "We considered the proposal of Myanmar that it would host the ASEAN summits in 2014, in view of its firm commitment to the principles of ASEAN."

It added that ASEAN leaders supported the "steady progress and political developments in Myanmar" after it held general elections and formed a new government in March, calling the ballot "successful."

A previous draft communique said ASEAN had already "consented to the proposal" to chair the bloc in 2014. The final draft, and Yudhoyono's comments, suggest a final decision will be made at a later date.

Myanmar held elections earlier this year to switch from military to civilian rule, leading the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) to push the United States and Europe to drop sanctions against it.

But many observers dismissed the election as a sham that has kept the generals in power behind the scenes.

Any decision to allow Myanmar to chair ASEAN would provoke protests from Western governments and rights groups, and would complicate efforts by ASEAN to work more closely with the United States and the European Union.

Rights group Human Rights Watch sharply criticized ASEAN's apparent readiness to allow Myanmar's 2014 presidency.

"This is unfortunately a decision of political convenience over political principle, and indicates once again that human rights is not a priority for ASEAN," Phil Robertson, the HRW's Asia deputy director, told Reuters.

***

Isang malaking good luck lang ang masasabi ko.:lol:

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 11:37 AM

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:45 AM

Hun Sen blasts Thailand at ASEAN summit: officials (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/global-filipino/world/05/07/11/hun-sen-blasts-thailand-asean-summit-officials)
by Arlina Arshad, AFP
Posted at 05/07/2011 11:05 PM | Updated as of 05/07/2011 11:05 PM

JAKARTA - Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen launched an aggressive attack on Thailand over a border dispute during the first session of a summit of Southeast Asian leaders on Saturday, officials and ministers said.

Senior officials said Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders were taken aback at the salvo across the meeting table, regarding a topic that was not even on the formal agenda of the two-day summit in Jakarta.

The trade and economy-focused summit was at risk of being hijacked by tensions over the bloody military conflict which has killed 18 people and temporarily displaced 85,000 in weeks of clashes.

An Asian foreign minister, who did not want to be named, said Hun Sen was "quite aggressive" when he raised the issue during the closed-door session.

Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva confirmed that Hun Sen raised the dispute and repeated Bangkok's willingness to resolve the issue peacefully.

"We had a frank discussion this morning," he told reporters after the meeting.

"We need to resolve the problem because we don't want this to be a problem that would affect ASEAN's agenda on community building," he added.

Thai government spokesman Panitan Wattanayagorn said Abhisit was "disappointed" and had rebutted Hun Sen's allegations that Thai troops were attacking Cambodian territory.

"He said he was very disappointed to hear Cambodia accusing Thailand of using force against Cambodia. In fact we have not. In fact we have been helping Cambodia through difficult times," the spokesman said.

"Despite our good intentions, yes, he (Abhisit) was disappointed that Prime Minister Hun Sen misunderstood our intention."

The dispute centres on a small area around an 11th-century Khmer temple which belongs to Cambodia under a 1962 World Court ruling.

Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong told reporters that Phnom Penh had done everything it could to resolve the issue but would never agree to Bangkok's demands to pull troops out of the temple.

"Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed to ASEAN to help solve the problem peacefully," he said.

"I have already said that Cambodia can never withdraw their troops from their own territory and by putting this condition, Thailand knows very well that Cambodia can never accept that."

Philippine presidential spokesman Ricky Carandang said the session was more animated than most participants had expected.

"We were surprised, many people were surprised that the Cambodian side brought it up and it took quite a bit of their time," he said.

"It became a little dramatic but I think that's just the way that Prime Minister Hun Sen delivers speeches."

As chair of ASEAN, Indonesia has been trying to mediate a settlement but it has made little progress.

The neighbours have agreed in principle to allow a small group of Indonesian military observers to monitor the border but efforts to broker a permanent ceasefire have broken down amid mutual distrust and accusations.

The row is a blight on ASEAN's plans to create a more closely integrated economic community by 2015, with mechanisms for conflict resolution and enhanced security cooperation.

Some senior ASEAN officials are keen to burnish the group's international relevance by being seen to resolve the dispute, something which does not come naturally to an economic block that cherishes principles of non-interference.

Thailand has insisted the row be resolved bilaterally with ASEAN help, but has steadfastly rejected Cambodian calls for UN involvement.

Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said there was little enthusiasm among ASEAN leaders for the issue to be internationalised.

"I think what all the other ASEAN leaders have been saying this morning is that we should keep the conflict within the ASEAN family," he said.

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:46 AM

Indonesia turns ASEAN focus to food, energy security (http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/-depth/05/07/11/indonesia-turns-asean-focus-food-energy-security)
Agence France-Presse
Posted at 05/07/2011 10:52 PM | Updated as of 05/07/2011 10:52 PM

JAKARTA - Indonesia on Saturday warned fellow Southeast Asian states that rising food and energy prices could drive more people into poverty and urged coordinated action to fight inflation.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said at the start of the annual Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit that the regional bloc must take steps to ease the surge in consumer prices.

"We must give serious attention and take concrete measures to address the soaring of food prices and world energy, which in turn will negatively affect the prosperity of our people," he said in his opening speech.

"History shows that the rise of food and energy prices... has always caused the increase in the number of people living in poverty, yet we know very well that decreasing the poverty level is not an easy task."

Philippine Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said every leader who spoke at the plenary session mentioned high energy and food prices as among the most critical issues faced by the region.

"It is common to all countries in Asia, in ASEAN countries particularly," he said, adding that ministers like himself were under instruction by their leaders to work on mitigating the impact.

He said the Philippines was inviting oil companies to invest in storage infrastructure and retail distribution networks in the country in a bid to enhance competition that will hopefully lead to cheaper fuel.

Oil prices soared to their highest peaks in more than two years last month, driven largely by political turmoil in the crude-producing Middle East and North Africa region.

The increase has sparked fears that inflation could slow down the recovery from the global recession in 2008/2009.

ASEAN groups 10 disparate nations from oil-rich Brunei and high-tech Singapore to impoverished Cambodia, Laos and Myanmar, as well as major rice producers Thailand and Vietnam and rice-importers like the Philippines.

Indonesia and Malaysia round up ASEAN's 10 members.

Commodities prices including oil and gold took a hammering on US markets Thursday due to a higher US dollar and the reweighing of risk by institutional investors, but analysts expect the upward price trend to resume.

On the same day, the United Nations said high food and oil prices could keep an additional 42 million people in poverty in the Asia-Pacific region and threaten economic growth.

The International Monetary Fund warned in a report last month that rising food and energy prices could start an inflationary spiral.

The impact would be especially bad in the developing world where households spend larger shares of their incomes on food and energy compared to those in advanced economies.

Several ASEAN members have already raised interest rates as part of efforts to fight inflation, at the risk of slowing down economic growth in a region that led the world out of the global financial crisis.

In his speech, Yudhoyono called for the establishment of an integrated food security framework in ASEAN.

"More specifically, we must attend to the formulation of a food reserves system in ASEAN and also one that assists farmers to escape poverty," he said.

To enhance energy security, members must work towards developing renewable sources that are abundant in ASEAN such as hydro-power and geothermal, he said.

"One way to achieve that is the development of research centres and renewable energy in our region," he added.

The Indonesian leader also called for further cooperation in disaster management, citing the giant earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March which also damaged a nuclear power plant and triggered an atomic crisis.

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 11:49 AM

Tumama ka din Noy. Seriously, the Jakarta Summit was a big disappointment, I had high expectations that Jakarta would lead the way in calming the tensions and have more concrete actions but instead, it went on a face saving measure of scheduling harried talks between Phnom Penh and Bangkok.

This is the right time for Jakarta to seize ASEAN leadership, but I dunno... I expected more and what I got less than paltry.

Agree din ako sa sinabi PNoy. The thing now is, if Jakarta cannot do anything about it just right about now to lessen tension, who would then?

PNoy, you're have the right words as of this moment. Do what you think is right, don't just say it.;)

patchay

May 9th, 2011, 11:55 AM

Tumama ka din Noy. Seriously, the Jakarta Summit was a big disappointment, I had high expectations that Jakarta would lead the way in calming the tensions and have more concrete actions but instead, it went on a face saving measure of scheduling harried talks between Phnom Penh and Bangkok.

This is the right time for Jakarta to seize ASEAN leadership, but I dunno... I expected more and what I got less than paltry.

I agree with you. To me, Indonesia is the biggest brother in ASEAN, if they can't I dont think anyone else can.

I'm further disappointed with giving Burma the chairmanship. That would mean past efforts to pressure the junta is vanished. That would also do no good to the country and ASEAN's reputation in the world is at stake@!!!

kevinb

May 9th, 2011, 12:03 PM

I'm further disappointed with giving Burma the chairmanship. That would mean past efforts to pressure the junta is vanished. That would also do no good to the country and ASEAN's reputation in the world is at stake@!!!

Myanmar hasn't been given the rights to the ASEAN Chairmanship yet. The body said it's still considering. I just hope they would eventually deny it.

Shantika

May 9th, 2011, 02:01 PM

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 02:06 PM

Yep, they are considering giving the chairmanship to Burma. When that happens, no one will ever take ASEAN seriously.

Shantika

May 9th, 2011, 02:10 PM

Yep, they are considering giving the chairmanship to Burma. When that happens, no one will ever take ASEAN seriously.

And don't forget that 2014 is a crucial year for ASEAN to realizing the ASEAN Community in 2015.

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 02:18 PM

the 911 Special Forces of Cambodia has trained by Kopassus, Indonesia and the 911 unit get involved in that dispute. So, no wonder the Thai army refused Indonesia as a mediator and TNI as observer :lol:

IMO, Bangkok do not want international observers there or even mediators because that would put them under a disadvantage diplomatically - as it is, their military capabilities overshadow that of Phnom Penh's, also, it does not unwanted attention as the international courts have ruled that the temples in 'dispute' were that of Cambodia's and UNESCO listed the temple under Phnom Penh's. Those are imprimaturs that are strong as a brick for the Cambodian side.

What is sad is that to fire up emotions among constituents in Thailand, Thai politicians use the temples as pawns for their elections.

Jakarta really must speak up now. It has to lead.

And don't forget that 2014 is a crucial year for ASEAN to realizing the ASEAN Community in 2015.

I don't think it is gonna happen, and if it is, it will be pretty much a house of cards.

Nabartek

May 9th, 2011, 02:41 PM

IMO, Bangkok do not want international observers there or even mediators because that would put them under a disadvantage diplomatically - as it is, their military capabilities overshadow that of Phnom Penh's, also, it does not unwanted attention as the international courts have ruled that the temples in 'dispute' were that of Cambodia's and UNESCO listed the temple under Phnom Penh's. Those are imprimaturs that are strong as a brick for the Cambodian side.

What is sad is that to fire up emotions among constituents in Thailand, Thai politicians use the temples as pawns for their elections.

Jakarta really must speak up now. It has to lead.

I don't think it is gonna happen, and if it is, it will be pretty much a house of cards.

It is sad that a "democratic" nation such as Thailand is the ASEAN-mainlands hegemon :ohno:

Shantika

May 9th, 2011, 02:58 PM

It is sad that a "democratic" nation such as Thailand is the ASEAN-mainlands hegemon :ohno:

Politician in democratic nation needs "food" for their elections, right??

swatch69sg

May 9th, 2011, 03:44 PM

Another boat accident in Vietnam's famous Halong Bay...

French tourists escape as boat sinks in Vietnam

Posted: 09 May 2011 2058 hrs

HANOI : A group of French travellers had a lucky escape in Vietnam when their tour boat sank on Halong Bay, the party's leader said on Monday, in an eerie echo of an accident earlier this year that killed 12.

There were no injuries in the latest incident, which involved 28 French tourists on Sunday afternoon at the popular visitor attraction, said Josette Farret, a 65-year-old who was among those on board.

"We felt that there were some technical problems before the departure of the boat, which was in poor condition," she said.

According to Dang Huy Hau, government vice-president in Quang Ninh province, the boat went down after a collision with another craft delivering water, but Farret insisted there was "absolutely no collision".

Hau said an investigation would be conducted after the boat is salvaged.

"Everybody aboard the tourist vessel was transferred to another boat before it completely sank," he said.

In Vietnam's worst tourism accident, 11 tourists and their guide died in February when a boat sank in Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its stunning limestone cliffs, about 160 kilometres (100 miles) from Hanoi.

A senior provincial official said water leakage resulting from human error was the most likely cause. The boat's captain and engineer were arrested for investigation over alleged safety violations.

The local travel agency that organised the February tour was unlicensed and the tour guide unregistered, officials said.

After the tragedy, a safety inspection of 135 tour boats found 98 with a variety of minor technical or safety problems, Hau said, adding that owners of the boats had been ordered to correct the problems immediately.

Jonathan Galaviz, a tourism sector economist at Galaviz & Co consultancy, said in February that the fatal sinking was an indication of a continued lack of attention to safeguards.

"Safety standards for tourism must be taken seriously by the Vietnamese government if the country wants to protect its long-term tourism image," he said.

rawr

May 9th, 2011, 03:54 PM

^^ maybe Singapore, Malaysia or the Philippines can send a battalion each of peacekeepers?

Heck this problem is a big thorn to the ASEAN image...let's see if Jakarta can exercise its chairmanship.

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 04:00 PM

Philippine press freedom improves ‘marginally’
By Manolo B.Jara May 04, 2011

MANILA: Press freedom improved “marginally” in the Philippines as it tries to recover from the massacre of 57 people, including 32 journalists, in Mindanao in late 2009, according to a report of the US-based Freedom House.

Freedom House released the report entitled “Freedom of the Press 2011: A Global Survey of Media Independence,” on the eve of the observation of World Press Freedom Day on May 3.

The report said that of the 196 countries examined, the Philippines ranked 93rd, or four notches higher than the 97th position it was accorded in 2010 as it pointed out: “The score for the Philippines recovered somewhat having dropped in 2009 due to that year’s massacre which claimed the lives of 32 journalists and media workers.”

The massacre, considered the worst election-related violence in Philippine history, was blamed on members of the powerful and influential clan headed by their patriarch former governor Andal Ampatuan of Maguindanao province in Mindanao.

The killing of the 32 Mindanao-based journalists was also regarded as the biggest casualty in just one day of violence when compared to other media workers covering dangerous and war-torn areas like Afghanistan and Iraq.

Freedom House is a Washington-based independent watchdog that supports democratic change, monitors the status of print, broadcast and Internet freedom around the world and advocates democracy and human rights.

Despite the marginal improvement, the report noted that the Philippines was still troubled in 2010 by the murder and intimidation of journalists and “impunity for such crimes remained the norm.”

But the same situation prevails in the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) which is also hounded by the killing of journalists, the report said.

Aside from the Philippines, the Asean is composed of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and Myanmar (Burma).

In the Freedom House reckoning, media in the Philippines and Indonesia were “partly free” while those of their counterparts in the other Asean members such as Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia were deemed as “not free.”

Source: http://gulftoday.ae/portal/d1b9166f-1f5a-4d73-9756-692f58a7f3a0.aspx

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 04:01 PM

patchay

May 9th, 2011, 04:02 PM

^^ ASEAN still has a long way to go. Sometimes I eat in the restaurant, we would hear stories from Burmese of their sufferings back in their country. There are now something like few hundred thousand Burmese working and seeking refuge in Malaysia (currently there's an ongoing refugee swap between Australia and Malaysia). Pity. :ohno:

Anyway some good news about women and Mother's Day:

Malaysian among Forbes’ top ten powerful women in UN
By CHIN MUI YOON
http://www.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/9/nation/8635656&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: Judy Cheng-Hopkins, the assistant secretary-general of the United Nations for Peace-building Support, has become the first Malaysian to be listed in Forbes magazine's illustrious list of “The 10 Most Powerful Women at the UN”.

The list is a run-up to Forbes' selection of “The 100 Most Powerful Women 2011”, which will be released on Aug 24.

The top 10 women in the UN list have an unprecedented level of institutional power.

http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2011/5/9/nation/n_3judy.jpg
Hands-on approach: Cheng-Hopkins pumping water for residents in a village in southern Chad in this file picture.

They manage US$5bil (RM15bil) budgets and mobilise resources and over 100,000 staff worldwide.

They are responsible for the coordination of thousands of peacekeepers in conflict zones throughout the world.

“This recognition means a lot for someone who has worked through the ranks to reach this level,” said Cheng-Hopkins, 60, from the UN headquarters in New York via email.

“Most of the other women listed have had illustrious and powerful positions in their governments before joining the UN.

“So, I am privileged to be amongst them. I know them all personally and these are truly great women,” she added.

Penang-born Cheng-Hopkins is married to Dr Thomas Hopkins, a retired consultant in development work.

They have two daughters, Tara, 28, and Fiona, 23.

She is credited with turning around the US$340mil (RM1.02bil) UN Peace-building Fund infamous for being slow in disbursement and devoid of an identity into one of the United Nations' swiftest, most flexible and catalytic funds within two years.

The fund has earned praise from the British government, its largest donor and known for its strict evaluation system.

Prior to her appointment, from 2006 to 2009, she was the assistant High Commissioner for Refugees in charge of operations, active in over 118 countries.

Kartika, the Malaysian that was ordered to be caned for drinking alcohol, searching for missing eldest son
Monday May 9, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/9/nation/8643862&sec=nation

Kartika's son found drowned
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/9/nation/20110509123330&sec=nation

SUNGAI SIPUT: While mothers around the world were being feted by their children in conjunction with Mother’s Day, former model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarnor, who was ordered to be caned for drinking alcohol two years ago, is searching for her missing eldest son Muhammad Azfar Muhammad Affandi.

Muhammad Azfar, nine, who is an autistic and hyperactive boy and suffering from mild cerebral palsy, went missing from his maternal grandfather’s chalet at Jawang near here on Saturday afternoon.

Kartika’s father Shukarnor Abdul Mutalib, 62, said the boy was last seen watching television with his cousins in a room at lunchtime.

Where is my son?: Kartika being consoled by friends after learning of her son Muhammad Azfar’s (inset) disappearance.

“When his uncle went to the room to ask the boy to come out for lunch, he was nowhere to be seen,” he told reporters at his chalet, which faces Sungai Perak.

Personnel from the Fire and Rescue Services Department, Marine Police and Civil Defence Department and villagers combed the area near the river during a search for the boy.

Kartika courted controversy when the Kuantan Syariah High Court ordered her to be caned six times and fined RM5,000 for consuming alcohol at a hotel in Cherating on July 11, 2008. She paid the fine.

Her caning sentence was later commuted to three weeks’ community service at the Tengku Ampuan Fatimah Children’s Home in Alor Akar, Kuantan.

Since Muhammad Azfar’s disappearance, Shukarnor said Kartika, 33, had been inconsolable.

”She has not slept a wink since and has refused to eat,” he added.

OCPD Supt Azman Salim said 113 people were taking part in the search and rescue operations.

“We started the search at 2pm on Saturday before calling it off at 12.30am on Sunday (yesterday) and resuming at 7am,” he added.

Researcher gets RM300,000 to create vaccine for polio and HFMD
Monday May 9, 2011
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/9/nation/8645290&sec=nation

PETALING JAYA: Dr Jane Cardosa, who is renowned for her work on tropical diseases, has won a US$100,000 (RM300,349) grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to pursue a global health and development research project.

She is the founder and chief scientific officer of Sentinext Therapeutics Sdn Bhd, one of the winners of the Grand Challenges Explorations (GCE), an initiative funded by the foundation.

Dr Cardosa will use the money for research on a vaccine for polio and hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD).

Winning scientist: Dr Cardosa showing an equipment used for her research on infectious diseases in her laboratory at Universiti Sains Malaysia. Her project “Poliovirus Vaccine for the Post Eradication Era” is to design cell viruses that can generate polio virus-like particles to produce vaccine.

“This grant is aligned with Sentinext’s core vaccine programme, which is the development of a vaccine against Enterovirus 71,” Dr Cardosa said. The Enterovirus 71 (or EV71) leads to HFMD.

“I am very pleased to have won a GCE award and to be able to show that Malaysian scientists working in Malaysia can compete on a global level,” she said.

Dr Cardosa, who is also known for her work on viruses such as dengue and viral encephalitis, said: “The vaccine we develop will stimulate the immune system to make antibodies which would inactivate poliovirus.

“So, infection cannot take place.

“This would be the same principle upon which our EV71 vaccine would work.”

Dr Cardosa obtained her PhD from Oxford University in 1984 and a liberal arts degree from Princeton University in 1974.

She has previously served 25 years as an academic in Universiti Malaysia Sarawak and Universiti Sains Malaysia.

To receive the fund, Dr Cardosa and the other winners had demonstrated their ideas online in one of five health areas: polio eradication, HIV, sanitation and family health technologies, and mobile health.

Dr Cardosa was previously involved in a probe on the outbreak of HFMD in Sarawak in 1997.

Then, following the 2004 Aceh tsunami, she was called upon by the World Health Organisation to set up a basic laboratory in order to test residents for infectious diseases.

The GCE is a US$100mil (RM304mil) initiative funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation since 2008. Nearly 500 researchers worldwide had been awarded with grants.

“The grant means a lot to Sentinext. Winning a GCE is an important milestone in our efforts to get international recognition as a serious player in vaccine development for global health and tropical infectious diseases,” she said.

le Reine

May 9th, 2011, 04:33 PM

Caned for drinking alcohol? OMG! :nuts:

patchay

May 9th, 2011, 04:34 PM

Caned for drinking alcohol? OMG! :nuts:

Yeah, that news make a big hoohahooha in international news. In Malaysia, most non-Malays do not support that decision but not too sure about the opinion from Malay Muslim.

(btw having said that, the brewery industry in Malaysia is probably the biggest in the Muslim world. It has a 5 billion ringgit beer and stout market alone, with 5% growth each year. one of the company website claimed to best website in the world: http://www.carlsberg.com.my)

Welcome to ASEAN. :lol:

Myanmar row, Thai-Cambodia spat cloud ASEAN summit
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jPW9VdCb_Qgr8KZSwDAN8ECO2Pzg?docId=CNG.08792357d46f2afef70ee39435e88b91.1d1

Malaysia blames Thailand over Cambodia border clash
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_666638.html

Gunmen seize Malaysian businessman in Philippines
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_666632.html

M'sia detains Singaporean over 'militant ties'
http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/SEAsia/Story/STIStory_666649.html

Singapore and Malaysia says East Timor not ready for ASEAN
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/ME06Ae01.html

http://www.straitstimes.com/STI/STIMEDIA/image/20110509/thai.ap.jpg
A Thai ranger, left, watches as his comrades move away the body of a Cambodian soldier at a battlefield in Surin province, northeastern Thailand. -- PHOTO: AP

Nabartek

May 9th, 2011, 04:43 PM

^^ ASEAN is the ANTI-THESIS of NATO and EU. We don't stand up together, we kill each other. I think the dragon in the North is happy

:lol:

Mercato

May 9th, 2011, 05:30 PM

^^ perhaps the northern dragon is pulling the strings ...

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 05:33 PM

eonynx

May 9th, 2011, 05:41 PM

^^ ASEAN is the ANTI-THESIS of NATO and EU. We don't stand up together, we kill each other. I think the dragon in the North is happy

:lol:

when EU became a somewhat distinct political entity (though not obviously a distinct and single nation but nevertheless with their own constitution and even an EU national anthem) it first became progressively but gradually, an integrated economic bloc. with all our complex disagreements, the ASEAN may eventually get there. rome wasn't built in a day. and so will this one. i just hope, our full pledged integration or near full fledged association as a single political and economic entity will not be too late to counterbalance china's increasingly aggressive unilateral actions in the south china sea. an aggressiveness that is in direct proportion with her growing economic might.

eonynx

May 9th, 2011, 05:44 PM

I asked some Vietnamese, if they had a choice, which regional grouping they would join, they said they preferred East Asia Group than ASEAN.

I think ASEAN 5, would have been much workable than the newer ASEAN 4.

now,that's an interesting stand.you said, "some". i wonder if it's a popular sentiment shared by their leaders?

patchay

May 9th, 2011, 05:46 PM

Nabartek

May 9th, 2011, 06:16 PM

when EU became a somewhat distinct political entity (though not obviously a distinct and single nation but nevertheless with their own constitution and even an EU national anthem) it first became progressively but gradually, an integrated economic bloc. with all our complex disagreements, the ASEAN may eventually get there. rome wasn't built in a day. and so will this one. i just hope, our full pledged integration or near full fledged association as a single political and economic entity will not be too late to counterbalance china's increasingly aggressive unilateral actions in the south china sea. an aggressiveness that is in direct proportion with her growing economic might.

I hope that ASEAN would not wait for the day that the Chinese are actually sending troops to our shores. The signs are all over, it's like an omen. We need to act together to counter the poison-gas breathing dragon. I think another problem in ASEAN is that not all nations are democratic. Many ASEAN nations, including the economic forefronts are not that democratic in terms of people's participation in politics.:ohno:

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 06:36 PM

now,that's an interesting stand.you said, "some". i wonder if it's a popular sentiment shared by their leaders?

I am not sure, and I don't want to suggest that. As a rule they are apathetic when it comes to political discussions. But the reasons they gave me was that Vietnam is more culturally affiliated with East Asia rather than SEA, also, doing business with China.

Jokingly, I asked what if China offered them to be a province in exchange for economic growth and protection, they nervously laughed and of course said no.

xxxriainxxx

May 9th, 2011, 06:37 PM

I think ASEAN wouldn't want Malaysia's involvement after the failed MORO and Southern Thai issues, etc stuffs.

Additionally I was just reading this in Australian newspapers today:
"Lonely, beaten and ill, but still hopeful: refugees in Malaysia" (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/lonely-beaten-and-ill-but-still-hopeful-refugees-in-malaysia/story-fn59niix-1226052859344)

WOW our govt is holding 93,000 UN-registered refugees in ransom, 9 out of 10 are from Burma. After striking a deal with Australia over the ASEAN meeting, today Malaysia was the no.1 public anger topic in Australia.

Remember the Boxing Day tsunami? People say that more people died in Thailand but were not reported because they are mostly Burmese illegals.

Oh yeah, also, the Sabah issue and the mass deportation of Filipinos from Sabah and the reported maltreatment in detention centres were also one of the thorny issues between KL and Manila.

Nabartek

May 9th, 2011, 09:44 PM

I am not sure, and I don't want to suggest that. As a rule they are apathetic when it comes to political discussions. But the reasons they gave me was that Vietnam is more culturally affiliated with East Asia rather than SEA, also, doing business with China.

Jokingly, I asked what if China offered them to be a province in exchange for economic growth and protection, they nervously laughed and of course said no.

Not likely for Vietnam. Many centuries ago, they kicked off the Chinese. Now, they are turning to their former enemy who napalmed them to counter China :lol:

patchay

May 10th, 2011, 05:10 AM

Over 35% of tourist arrivals from other ASEAN countries

Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia received 210,372 tourists from other ASEAN member states in March, accounting for 35.17 percent of the overall tourist arrivals in the country in that month.

Singapore took the lead as the source of Indonesia`s tourist arrivals among ASEAN member states in the January-March 2011 period, with 271,523 tourists, up 7.92 percent from the same period last year.

This was followed by Malaysia with 239,663 tourists, the Philippines 28,400, and Thailand 16,750.

He said the ten countries with the highest number of foreign tourists visiting Bali were Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Russia, UK, Singapore, France and the US. (*)

Top ASEAN visits to Indonesia between Jan-Mar 2011

1. Singapore - 271,523
2. Malaysia - 239,663

3. the Philippines - 28,400
4. Thailand - 16,750

A huge gap in the numbers, indicating how much those countries know of another ASEAN country. A similar nature can be seen for visits to Thailand as well.

ald3rson

May 10th, 2011, 06:28 AM

although I never been to indonesia, you dont need to travel to know that country and their culture. posting pics on the web is just enough to know every country for me. . :)... but if i have extra money, i will travel in more exotic cambodia. :lol:

ald3rson

May 10th, 2011, 07:07 AM

PH gov’t told to boost growth, escape ‘middle-income trap’

Cebu Daily News

Manila — The Asian Development Bank has challenged developing countries like the Philippines to step up efforts to boost economic growth and consequently escape the “middle-income trap” they are caught in.

In one of the discussions during the recently concluded 44th Annual Meeting of the Board of Governors of the ADB, economists noted that many Asian countries have remained middle-income earners.

ADB said in a statement that while the transition by several countries in the past decades from low- to middle-income status has lifted many Asians out of poverty, these economies have to speed up the process toward the developed status to pull out even more people from poverty.

According to Ursula Schaefer-Preuss, ADB vice president for knowledge management and sustainable development, 1.8 billion Asians still live below $2 a day.

In the case of the Philippines, the economy has grown by an average of 4 to 5 percent a year in the past decade.

Despite this, the proportion of Filipinos living below the poverty line has even slightly increased.

Latest government data showed that poverty incidence in the Philippines stood at 26.5 percent in 2009 from 26.4 percent in 2006 and 24.9 percent in 2003.

ADB said one of the factors keeping some Asian countries in the middle-income trap has been the loss of competitive advantage in cost of production.

“...Middle income countries cannot compete with low-cost producers at the lower end of the market or with advanced nations at the higher end of the market,” Shaefer-Preuss said.

ADB said a key strategy to boost growth would be to engage the private sector in development efforts. There should be a campaign to awaken the “sleepy private sector” and to develop human capital, one official said.
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/cebudailynews/enterprise/view/20110510-335650/PH-govt-told-to-boost-growth-escape-middle-income-trap

ald3rson

May 10th, 2011, 07:10 AM

OT. ...WTH.. my visual impairment hinders my opportunity to be trained in texas instrument baguio..:moods:

ald3rson

May 10th, 2011, 07:13 AM

PH eyeing investments in Cambodia, Laos

MANILA, Philippines - Cambodia is willing to sell rice at a lower price in exchange for investments from the Philippines.

Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon “Ricky” Carandang told Malacanang reporters late Saturday in Jakarta, Indonesia that Cambodia is tapping the country for investments in their agriculture and tourism sectors.

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen held a bilateral meeting there on the sidelines of the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit.

“Cambodia said some of the rice we are buying from Vietnam also comes from them. Their problem is they do not have enough storage facilities and we do not have direct flights between our countries,” he said.

“We will be studying their proposal. This will certainly result in lower rice prices because we remove the middleman, so to speak,” Carandang added.

Hun Sen also wants direct flights to and from Cambodia and Manila.

Laos also engaged Aquino in a bilateral talk, as it also asked the Philippines to pour in investments there.

Carandang said Lao Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong has invited Aquino for a state visit.

Aquino’s next foreign trips will be to Thailand and Brunei by the end of the month.
http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/business/05/08/11/ph-eyeing-investments-cambodia-laos

kevinb

May 10th, 2011, 07:17 AM

^^ I like that proposal. At least even if we still import rice, the price will surely go down. But more than that, income will still get in the national coffers.:)

manila_eye

May 10th, 2011, 10:43 AM

^^ I concur. It's time for our local industries to shape up outside the country.

xxxriainxxx

May 10th, 2011, 10:44 AM

Top ASEAN visits to Indonesia between Jan-Mar 2011

1. Singapore - 271,523
2. Malaysia - 239,663

3. the Philippines - 28,400
4. Thailand - 16,750

A huge gap in the numbers, indicating how much those countries know of another ASEAN country. A similar nature can be seen for visits to Thailand as well.

Bro, it's not unlikely that Singapore and Malaysia will have more visits to Indonesia when from Singapore, you only need to take a ferry to Bintan Island and you are in the Indonesian side. From Malaysia, you share land borders with Indonesia, so of course the figures are higher.

xxxriainxxx

May 10th, 2011, 11:45 AM

China's secret spy plan for East Timor outed by WikiLeaks
From: AAP May 10, 2011 10:22AM 6 comments

US embassy cables leaked to WikiLeaks show China approached East Timor about establishing a surveillance radar facility in East Timor, but were rejected.

A NEW batch of WikiLeaks cables has revealed that China tried to set up a surveillance radar base in East Timor.

According to US embassy cables leaked to WikiLeaks, China approached East Timor in December 2007, hoping to establish a surveillance radar facility on the country's north coast.

However, East Timorese officials viewed the proposal with concern and entered into talks with the United States and Australia before rejecting the plan, The Sydney Morning Herald reports.

China had proposed to build and operate the facility free of charge, to help East Timor in its fight against illegal fishing.

The leaked US cables show that East Timor's deputy prime minister, Jose Luis Guterres, was concerned the radar would be used to extend China's intelligence capabilities further into south-east Asia.

"The only catch was that the facilities were manned by Chinese technicians," Mr Guterres reportedly told the US embassy.

US diplomats in the East Timor's capital Dili reported that Mr Guterres, President Jose Ramos Horta and the Secretary of State for Defence, Julio Pinto, had stated they had a "strong preference" for working with Australia, Portugal, the US and Japan on defence and security.

The Wetar Strait, separating East Timor's north-east coast from Indonesia's Pulau Wetar Island, is reportedly used by US navy vessels moving between the Pacific and Indian oceans.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/world/chinas-east-timor-surveillance-scheme-outed-via-wikileaks-cables/story-e6frfkyi-1226053103793#ixzz1LwQ3IHOc

Ady001

May 10th, 2011, 11:53 AM

^^ I concur. It's time for our local industries to shape up outside the country.

FYI @manila_eye, naka-trademark kay amigo ang I concur mo :lol: :lol:

I think this spreading out of investments could help in the long run.

patchay

May 10th, 2011, 12:02 PM

Bro, it's not unlikely that Singapore and Malaysia will have more visits to Indonesia when from Singapore, you only need to take a ferry to Bintan Island and you are in the Indonesian side. From Malaysia, you share land borders with Indonesia, so of course the figures are higher.

Sorry for the confusion there. And that post was merely pointing out how come there's such a quite large gap. And thanks for pointing that out.

But honestly I don't think there's really many tourists that visit Indonesia via Bintan and Borneo borders. HAHA the unexpected nature (by sea and forest) doesn't allow that much travels.

A closer look at it is simple. We can GOOGLE the number of flights between these countries: (Pls update me if there are errors in the below figures)

- 105 flights between Singapore and Jakarta per week, vice versa
- 92 flights between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta per week, vice versa
- 72 flights between Manila and Jakarta per week, vice versa
- 36 flights between Bangkok and Jakarta per week, vice versa
- 183 flights between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur per week, vice-versa with up to 33 airlines (most are connecting flights) operating this route (one of Asia's busiest air route)

These are connecting capital cities only. I think Malaysia and Singapore have flights to (more than) 12 Indonesian cities.

xxxriainxxx

May 10th, 2011, 12:27 PM

^^ 3 points of contention there

1) in Manila or Philippines' case, the aviation market is tightly controlled, no open skies. Once there is, flight frequency will increase. Also, Indonesia is not a popular destination for Filipino travelers and vice versa.

2) A large number of travelers from either countries (MAS and SIN) to Indonesia are foreigners as well which uses KL and SG as transit.

3) Aside from financial ties between the two countries, Malaysia and Singapore also play host to a number of Indonesian workers.

wino

May 10th, 2011, 05:53 PM

A huge gap in the numbers, indicating how much those countries know of another ASEAN country. A similar nature can be seen for visits to Thailand as well.

tourism numbers indicates how well a country knows another country? :nuts: :nuts: :nuts:
So Malaysia knows Indonesia the most.. maybe that's why they are each other's most favorite neighbor.. :lol:

anyway, in a certain degree, i would agree that tourism helps people get to know each other's country. but it's not always true.. some of them only learn the stereotypes. Also, nowadays, traveling is not the only way now to learn about other countries, unlike during Marco Polo's time. Media has evolved so much and let us learn faster.

So in my conclusion, even though Singapore and Malaysia have more tourists going to Indonesia, it doesn't follow that they know more about Indonesia compared to Thailand and the Philippines. LOGICALLY, it could be sometimes true, but not always true. :)

mataram

May 10th, 2011, 07:29 PM

kenken94

May 10th, 2011, 07:32 PM

^^ Well at least most of SEA including RI and PHL are Malays. And have similar indigenous culture.

mataram

May 10th, 2011, 07:41 PM

^^ I can assure you that culture in Bali and Java are as 'exotic' as Cambodia. In fact, Java and Cambodia probably has more cultural intermixture than other 'malay' areas of the archipelago, considering the fact that centuries ago most Khmer crown prince would come to Java and vice versa because of royal kinship ties. So, I guarantee it will be an 'exotic' experience :D

wino

May 10th, 2011, 08:27 PM

^^ Bali is definitely EXOTIC. very very amusing culture.

mataram

May 10th, 2011, 08:33 PM

Yup, I think culture is probably a much more important magnet for tourism than beaches or the likes..

wino

May 10th, 2011, 08:38 PM

^^ sometimes yes, sometimes no. :D

wino

May 10th, 2011, 08:47 PM

hmm.. I'm sorry but this is just a personal opinion.

This news smells fishy, it's not making any sense.. why would a Singaporean have a political interest in Mindanao..? It would make more sense if it was the other way around... but it's just me.

Malaysia says Singaporean helped Philippine rebels
http://ph.news.yahoo.com/malaysia-says-singaporean-helped-philippine-rebels-135918540.html
The Associated PressAP – Mon, May 9, 2011

Malaysian police say they have arrested a Singaporean businessman suspected of channeling funds to southern Philippine militants.

National police Chief Ismail Omar says Abdul Majid Kunji Mohamad was arrested under a law that allows indefinite detention without trial of people regarded as security threats.

Ismail said Monday the man is believed to have provided funds and logistical assistance to militants in the southern Philippines. He did not elaborate.

The southern Philippines is home to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which has fought for Muslim self rule but is in negotiations with the government. Other insurgents include the Abu Sayyaf group that is notorious for kidnappings and Indonesian militants linked to regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah.

patchay

May 11th, 2011, 01:51 AM

hmm.. I'm sorry but this is just a personal opinion.

This news smells fishy, it's not making any sense.. why would a Singaporean have a political interest in Mindanao..? It would make more sense if it was the other way around... but it's just me.

There was a Singaporean by the name of Mas Selamat. He is the most wanted man in Singapore and was subsequently captured in Malaysia in 2009.

All our countries have people with links to the ASEAN's regional terror network - JI. Some of these people are making troubles in our countries. And some of them are fighting out governments. (There are groups that want to form an Islamist Jihad Nation comprising Southern Thai, Malaya, Singapore, Indonesia and Mindanao)

Further to that, there are many groups in Malaysia that are condemning US's killing of Osama, including one government minister.

Perkasa Protest Osama’s Killing
May 10, 2011 No Comments
http://my.news.yahoo.com/perkasa-protests-bin-laden-killing-libya-at-us-054148040.html

KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 — Perkasa held a gathering today in front of the United States Embassy to protest the “cruel” killing of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and America’s military involvement in the Libyan civil war.

A dozen or so members of the Malay rights group, led by deputy president Datuk Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar, handed a memorandum to the embassy at about 1pm condemning the US for shooting an unarmed Bin Laden before “dumping” his body at sea.

“This is an insult to us Muslims,” Abdul Rahman told reporters here.

“The cruel killing (of bin Laden) and the way his body was disposed of at sea was inhumane.”

Bin Laden was killed by US special forces at his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan during a night raid on May 2.

The alleged mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Centre (WTC) was shot in the head and chest for “resisting” capture despite being unarmed, according to the White House.

He was then buried at sea within 24 hours of his death, which the White House has argued was in accordance with Islamic tradition.

But several prominent Islamic clerics have criticised the decision, pointing out that a sea burial is only allowed in special cases where death occurs aboard a ship.

Four others were killed during the raid, including bin Laden’s 20-year-old son, Khalid, who was also unarmed.

The memorandum, addressed to US President Barack Obama, also denounced US involvement in the Libyan civil war, which Abdul Rahman said was possibly part of the superpower’s hidden agenda to deprive Muslim nations of their oil wealth.

“We question America’s attitude towards Muslim nations, especially those that produce oil,” Perkasa deputy president Datuk Abdul Rahman Abu Bakar told reporters here.

“We feel America has its own motives to destroy the right given by Allah to these countries, particularly the Arab ones.”

The Libyan civil war is an on-going armed conflict, which began in February, between forces loyal to ruler Muammar Gaddafi and rebel forces seeking to depose him.

The US commenced military operations in Libya together with 16 nations following the adoption of Resolution 1973 by the United Nations (UN) Security Council.

The resolution demands an “immediate ceasefire” and authorises the international community to establish a no-fly zone and use all means necessary short of foreign occupation to protect civilians.

The US has deployed 11 ships to enforce these measures, including guided missile destroyers, cruise missile submarines and amphibious assault ships.

An undisclosed number of CIA operatives are also said to be in Libya to gather intelligence for air strikes and to make contact with rebels.

The memorandum added that Perkasa viewed America’s “actions against the so-called Islamic extremism and Muslims around the world as a one-sided act, which smacks of Israel’s agenda”.

Perkasa Youth chief Irwan Fahmi, however, stressed that the group does not support bin Laden and is only critical of what it considers to be an extra-judicial killing.

“Why wasn’t he treated like former Iraq president Saddam Hussein? He (bin Laden) also has a right to defend himself (in a court of law),” he said.

He similarly said Perkasa did not support Gaddafi’s administration but warned the US that it could continue killing innocent Libyan civilians in the course of enforcing the UN resolution.

The gathering dispersed without incident after 15 minutes under orders from the police.

Skyprince

May 11th, 2011, 04:19 AM

72 flights between Manila & Jakarta per week ? Means 10-11 flights a day -Seriously that much ? :eek:

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 04:35 AM

Why? Indonesian culture is nothing like Filipino culture, if that's what you mean...

Not quite, there are a lot of similarities. Ancient Filipino script, Baybayin for example are heavily influenced by Java script. There are language similarities, there are food influences and there are historic ties.

Yup, I think culture is probably a much more important magnet for tourism than beaches or the likes..

That opinion is not well shared by everyone in the tourism industry, otherwise there would be lesser number of people going to the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands.

While cultural attractions are as important, they are not entirely the sole driver for tourism traffic. Exceptions of course are well known ancient monuments like Angkor Wat, the Great Wall, the Pyramids where these attractions basically drive the tourist traffic in those countries and cities. When I went to Borobudur and Prambanan, most of the visitors there are Indonesians not foreigners. This is a stark contrast to the busloads of foreign tourists going around Angkor Wat complex.

Also, when by cultural attractions you meant ancient monuments, then basically, a lot of countries in the world do not have that, in spite of that, a lot of countries do have good tourism numbers.

patchay

May 11th, 2011, 05:10 AM

72 flights between Manila & Jakarta per week ? Means 10-11 flights a day -Seriously that much ? :eek:

Quoted from here: http://www.farecompare.com/flights/Jakarta-JKT/Manila-MNL/market.html

Skyprince

May 11th, 2011, 06:05 AM

^^ That site states only 8 weekly flights between Manila & Jakarta - not 72 ..

wino

May 11th, 2011, 06:12 AM

^^ I think you only counted Cebu Air and Philippine Airlines (NON-STOP flights).. there's around 20 airlines operating that same route (with stops)

but yeah, I was surprised too.. i didn't know the demand between these 2 cities could be that big... :)

While Jakarta - Manila has 8 weekly direct flights..
it is really very pale compared with BANGKOK - MANILA (WEEKLY NON-STOP) of 52!!!
MANILA - SINGAPORE has 128(WEEKLY NON-STOP)!!
MANILA - HONGKONG has 133(WEEKLY NON-STOP)!!

NOW I SEE YOUR POINT SKYPRINCE. lol

Skyprince

May 11th, 2011, 06:56 AM

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 07:15 AM

^^ Of course dude, we should only count Non-stop flights.
I just feel that Filipinos love to travel alot to the rest of ASEAN but not the other way around. There is once a stat twhich says the number of Filipinos travelling to Malaysia is >10 times the number of Malaysians travelling to Philippines.

I think it's time to TURN THE TABLE OVER !

Yeah there is still a prevalent sentiment in Malaysia that the Philippines is a dangerous place (a sentiment dating back to the Sipadan hostage crisis).

Hopefully more Malaysians get to discover the country. I have many great Malaysian friends actually more than any other ASEAN countries.Most of them have been to the Philippines several times.

Saw your photos man, btw, around Clark, some of the areas you photographed were lahar flows (volcanic mud). Also I was told there is a Filipino resto in KL (Suria I heard).

patchay

May 11th, 2011, 07:26 AM

Saddhim

May 11th, 2011, 07:43 AM

Yeah there is still a prevalent sentiment in Malaysia that the Philippines is a dangerous place (a sentiment dating back to the Sipadan hostage crisis).

Hopefully more Malaysians get to discover the country. I have many great Malaysian friends actually more than any other ASEAN countries.Most of them have been to the Philippines several times.

Saw your photos man, btw, around Clark, some of the areas you photographed were lahar flows (volcanic mud). Also I was told there is a Filipino resto in KL (Suria I heard).

My Malaysian friend once asked me if its dangerous to travel to the Philippines. I boldly told her, I've been living in the Philippines my whole life and I've never experienced being killed, not even once. :lol: :lol:

So I finally convinced her to come here and she was like... who said Filipinos are poor?

Fraulein

May 11th, 2011, 07:44 AM

^^Yeah It's time visit our country...

and you will be surprised... :cheers:

kevinb

May 11th, 2011, 07:45 AM

^^ Cebu Pacific has already lots of flights between major ASEAN cities. I hope the people think about visiting the Philippines more.

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 07:50 AM

OK TIME TO VISIT THE PHILIPPINES...

Hopefully with AirAsia friendship amongst people of ASEAN will be better.

(I read that AirAsia Philippines gonna introduced whole lots of new flights between MANILA and JAPAN).

Yeah according to Air Asia Magazine, the flights from PH will concentrate on the East Asian market: Korea, Japan, China as well as Malaysia, Singapore.

WawaY[625]

May 11th, 2011, 08:02 AM

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 08:04 AM

My Malaysian friend once asked me if its dangerous to travel to the Philippines. I boldly told her, I've been living in the Philippines my whole life and I've never experienced being killed, not even once. :lol: :lol:

So I finally convinced her to come here and she was like... who said Filipinos are poor?

I have a few Malaysian friends who are actually braver than myself when traveling around the Philippines.

Oh yeah, Pinoys are not poor, Bieber concert last night was apparently jampacked and tickets costs 100-300USD a pop. Hahaha. A lot of international acts make a stop in Manila now, very lucrative concert stop.

I noticed that Asian tours of musicians makes the Manila-Singapore-HK route. And oftentimes, KL-JKT-BKK are included.

I remembered that Beyonce was banned in KL?

kevinb

May 11th, 2011, 08:09 AM

^^ I think that was Lady Gaga..

WawaY[625]

May 11th, 2011, 08:10 AM

Si Avril din ata..:bash:

edit: yup! Si avril nga http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1592957/avril-lavigne-sexy-malaysia.jhtml

So Jialat

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 08:13 AM

Oh... I hope when SM Arena finishes we will have more world class concerts in Manila. There is a reason why David Pomeranz kept on coming back to the Philippines- seems like it's where he gets his retirement money. :lol:

kevinb

May 11th, 2011, 08:13 AM

^^ And the Air Supply, Chicago and the likes.:D

Fraulein

May 11th, 2011, 09:32 AM

Skyprince

May 11th, 2011, 09:35 AM

In my work I have to deal with our colleagues in all over ASEAN..

I must say I feel most comfortable to deal with our colleagues in Philippines :) They speak English very nicely, fast in action and very friendly . Second place goes to Indonesia.
For most other countries I always have to shout because they don't understand me and I didn't understand them well either ( their accent is too localized unlike the near-perfect American accent spoken by Filipinos :applause: )

I really like "Open-minded" outward-looking countries like the Philippines :cheers:
instead of "Inward-looking", too "local-minded " nations like many others.

wino

May 11th, 2011, 09:36 AM

Manila could be the concert ground capital in South East Asia.

wino

May 11th, 2011, 09:59 AM

^^ Of course dude, we should only count Non-stop flights.
I just feel that Filipinos love to travel alot to the rest of ASEAN but not the other way around. There is once a stat twhich says the number of Filipinos travelling to Malaysia is >10 times the number of Malaysians travelling to Philippines.

I think it's time to TURN THE TABLE OVER !

it's not just Malaysia... it's almost the same for the other ASEAN countries as well...

just look at the figures: (these are all 2008 data)

418,920 Filipinos visited Singapore vs. 100,177 Singaporeans visit the Philippines

397,884 Filipinos visited Malaysia vs. 69,676 Malaysians visiting the Philippines

198,873 Filipinos visited Thailand vs. 31,499 Thais visiting the Philippines

159,003 Filipinos visited Indonesia vs. 27,830 Indons visiting the Philippines

We seem to be not getting the reciprocity in terms of tourists.. o well... :)
so yeah.. please do turn the table over! LOL

kevinb

May 11th, 2011, 10:01 AM

^^ That means we have more money for international travel.:lol::D

wino

May 11th, 2011, 10:05 AM

^^ or maybe they just don't like going to the Philippines.. lol

But I have to really say, FILIPINOS really really really love to travel.

kevinb

May 11th, 2011, 10:10 AM

^^ Ako mismo. I love to travel.:D

Skyprince

May 11th, 2011, 10:32 AM

^^ or maybe they just don't like going to the Philippines.. lol

But I have to really say, FILIPINOS really really really love to travel.

I heard that.... Filipinos are the worst when it comes to saving. Don't know if it's true.

wino

May 11th, 2011, 10:37 AM

^^ i'm sorry to admit but it's true...

it's typical for a Pinoy to spend his full year's bonus in just one go... poof! lol
it's ironic that the Filipino's reason for SAVING is for SPLURGING.. lol

kevinb

May 11th, 2011, 10:37 AM

^^ I think that's true. I can't even save something from my allowances.:D

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 10:49 AM

Karamihan kasama na ang Manila sa international concert nila. Why? Because of good audience. Most of the Filipino audience come to sing along with the artist. Example is Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars.

Take note, Miley Cyrus will perform to one Asian city: Manila and after that, she will fly to Australia.:)

Hmm.. I dont think it's the audience (but that can be an added bonus) but also, really, people are willing to spend on concerts like this. It's a financial decision.

it's not just Malaysia... it's almost the same for the other ASEAN countries as well...

just look at the figures: (these are all 2008 data)

418,920 Filipinos visited Singapore vs. 100,177 Singaporeans visit the Philippines

397,884 Filipinos visited Malaysia vs. 69,676 Malaysians visiting the Philippines

198,873 Filipinos visited Thailand vs. 31,499 Thais visiting the Philippines

159,003 Filipinos visited Indonesia vs. 27,830 Indons visiting the Philippines

We seem to be not getting the reciprocity in terms of tourists.. o well... :)
so yeah.. please do turn the table over! LOL

Can I ask for links to these figures you cited? Thanks. :)

^^ or maybe they just don't like going to the Philippines.. lol

But I have to really say, FILIPINOS really really really love to travel.

I think that is true and also, even with a big presence of Filipinos working and living in the countries you mentioned, seems like our expats there are not really good ambassadors of our country (otherwise they should invite their friends to come to the country)- and more importantly, DOT do not advertise much on these countries.

But yeah, Filipinos have a big penchant for travel.

Ady001

May 11th, 2011, 10:49 AM

I heard that.... Filipinos are the worst when it comes to saving. Don't know if it's true.

I hate to admit it but it's true. I love saving data, love saving my word files... But saving that... Oh great...

pau_p1

May 11th, 2011, 10:50 AM

I'd agree Filipinos love to travel.. that even the days back Filipinos would make time at least once a year to travel to a local destination.. and nowadays with cheaper fares by the likes of Cebu Pacific more Filipinos are now able to jump off to our neighboring countries....

about saving... I'd agree that Filipinos love to splurge... there is a common habit called 'ubos-biyaya' where in when a person receives a big amount of money like winning in a bet or having a bonus, Filipinos tend to spend so much of this earning.. sometimes even before they actually get the money... I think we lack some basic financial training... o we just like to enjoy our savings...

Ady001

May 11th, 2011, 10:51 AM

I think that is true and also, even with a big presence of Filipinos working and living in the countries you mentioned, seems like our expats there are not really good ambassadors of our country (otherwise they should invite their friends to come to the country)- and more importantly, DOT do not advertise much on these countries.

But yeah, Filipinos have a big penchant for travel.

With Facebook on the heels, pictures of people you know going abroad and going on trips are a sight to behold.

I think we really have to turn the tables around...

Nabartek

May 11th, 2011, 11:33 AM

it's not just Malaysia... it's almost the same for the other ASEAN countries as well...

just look at the figures: (these are all 2008 data)

418,920 Filipinos visited Singapore vs. 100,177 Singaporeans visit the Philippines

397,884 Filipinos visited Malaysia vs. 69,676 Malaysians visiting the Philippines

198,873 Filipinos visited Thailand vs. 31,499 Thais visiting the Philippines

159,003 Filipinos visited Indonesia vs. 27,830 Indons visiting the Philippines

We seem to be not getting the reciprocity in terms of tourists.. o well... :)
so yeah.. please do turn the table over! LOL

Aba, unseen tourists mga Pinoy ha.

Ady001

May 11th, 2011, 11:35 AM

^^ Mga chameleon kasi tayo...

mataram

May 11th, 2011, 11:35 AM

Not quite, there are a lot of similarities. Ancient Filipino script, Baybayin for example are heavily influenced by Java script. There are language similarities, there are food influences and there are historic ties.

That opinion is not well shared by everyone in the tourism industry, otherwise there would be lesser number of people going to the Caribbean and the Pacific Islands.

While cultural attractions are as important, they are not entirely the sole driver for tourism traffic. Exceptions of course are well known ancient monuments like Angkor Wat, the Great Wall, the Pyramids where these attractions basically drive the tourist traffic in those countries and cities. When I went to Borobudur and Prambanan, most of the visitors there are Indonesians not foreigners. This is a stark contrast to the busloads of foreign tourists going around Angkor Wat complex.

Also, when by cultural attractions you meant ancient monuments, then basically, a lot of countries in the world do not have that, in spite of that, a lot of countries do have good tourism numbers.

The Baybayin is a dead script that has never been used to write literature. That's completely different from other SEA scripts which were used as court literature and thus has a long CULTURAL tradition. Javanese script has a thousand year old history as as living literature. I don't think its the same thing.

Plus, much of the culture that exists in Bali and Java was heavily influenced by the general Indian influence throughout Southeast Asia. So to focus on the underlying Austronesian influence is weak. People come to Bali and not other Austronesian islands in the archipelago because of its unique Indic influence. Flips either lost them or never had them in the first place, but it seems to me that it copied a lot more from your colonizer: Mexico :D

How many people actually go to the pacific islands? They're probably large in comparison to the total population/economy of the islands? Obvioiusly, culture is not the only thing. Connectivity, advertisement and the perception that a country is safe and easy to reach is important. But why is the Malaysian advertisement Truly Asia, with the focus on showing the cultural diversities of that nation? We also have to concede that France and Egypt is a big attraction to tourists exactly because of their monuments and culture.

Or lets say that beach is the big thing for Cancun and the Carribean. The reason why people would go so far to Southeast Asia from Europe or the US is because it is beach + culture. If beach they want, the Mediterranean or Carribean is a better option.

Nabartek

May 11th, 2011, 11:40 AM

Someone is so bitter about the Philippines here, just saying :lol:

And twisting facts. Yo, the Philippines is natively closer to Southeast Asians than the Nahuatls, Mayans, Olmecs, Zapotecs, Mexica, etc... of Mexico. And although the Philippines was governed from Mexico, it was under the Spanish crown. And was directly administered from Spain when Mexico broke away.

Nuff of revisionism. It ain't gonna work.

mataram

May 11th, 2011, 11:57 AM

^^ Can't you take a joke? I put a smilie next to Mexico hahaha..

My arguments still stands though..

manileño

May 11th, 2011, 12:08 PM

now who says everyone is into indic scripts and "more of the same exoticism" found everywhere else in the ASEAN region? i was just viewing @Skyprince's PHL trip album he posted in his sig and found out that even asian travellers like him find the unique blend of cultures we have as interesting and to their liking. he even termed it as a "mix of Malaysia and Mexico" :lol: so honestly, theres no point in trying to be what we are not, our selling point is this uniqueness in our culture aside from nature of course and i hope we get to promote this coming together of Asia and the New World more in our tourism marketing campaigns. :)

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 12:23 PM

The Baybayin is a dead script that has never been used to write literature. That's completely different from other SEA scripts which were used as court literature and thus has a long CULTURAL tradition. Javanese script has a thousand year old history as as living literature. I don't think its the same thing.

Plus, much of the culture that exists in Bali and Java was heavily influenced by the general Indian influence throughout Southeast Asia. So to focus on the underlying Austronesian influence is weak. People come to Bali and not other Austronesian islands in the archipelago because of its unique Indic influence. Flips either lost them or never had them in the first place, but it seems to me that it copied a lot more from your colonizer: Mexico :D

How many people actually go to the pacific islands? They're probably large in comparison to the total population/economy of the islands? Obvioiusly, culture is not the only thing. Connectivity, advertisement and the perception that a country is safe and easy to reach is important. But why is the Malaysian advertisement Truly Asia, with the focus on showing the cultural diversities of that nation? We also have to concede that France and Egypt is a big attraction to tourists exactly because of their monuments and culture.

Or lets say that beach is the big thing for Cancun and the Carribean. The reason why people would go so far to Southeast Asia from Europe or the US is because it is beach + culture. If beach they want, the Mediterranean or Carribean is a better option.

Just to elucidate my point clearly:

Origins of Brahmi script unclear. On Aramaic origin hypothesis:
-Proto-Sinaitic alphabet
-Phoenician alphabet
-Aramaic alphabet
-Brāhmī

Detailed descent of Baybayin script from Brahmi is unclear. Hypothesis of Kawi origin:
-Pallava
-Old Kawi (AKA Old Javanese)
-Baybayin

Sister Systems

Buhid
Hanunó'o
Tagbanwa
Other family relationships unclear. Sister scripts on hypothesis of common Kawi origin:
Balinese
Batak
Javanese
Lontara
Old Sundanese
Rencong
Rejang

As for the 'absence' of literature, evidence suggests that the Baybayin was used in daily transactions (Laguna Copperplate) and decor (Butuan and Cebu), a lot of the 'literature' did not survived. Although a big portion of the Philippines are still undiscovered, it is not wise to dismiss it altogether.

Culture is present whenever there is a society. Culture includes the language, system of governance, music. I hope I am not misinterpreting your comments incorrectly but somehow I am seeing a little hostility and outright dismissal that the Philippines never had any culture. FYI, the people who built the rice terraces in the Cordilleras, thousands of years ago before the temples in Bali was constructed had an existing hierarchy, system of governance, religion, language, even an understanding of astronomy, weather and engineering. They had music etc.

The Filipino as a modern nation has not been formally conceptualised until the revolution of 1896, but to say that the Philippines copied everything from Mexico is doing a great disservice and a grave insult to my country. I hope I misread your comments, and you are not insinuating that we have none. No one country in ASEAN can claim a pure, indigenous culture because of the thousands of years of maritime trade in these countries exposed it to a mixing of cultures. For example, Hinduism and Buddhism are not native to Indonesia and it is as foreign as Catholicism in the Philippines. If you have to really go back to the basics, the natives of ASEAN were animists at first before anything else.

People come to Bali to party and soak up some 'culture'. The accessibility to majority Australian tourists pertains to this. Indic influence like you said is just that, Indic influence. I can find that in Cambodia, in Vietnam, in Thailand, in Burma, in Malaysia and in other ways in the Philippines (language and food for instance).

I don't want to speak ill of Bali, but most Australians go there during their gap year from the uni to get drunk. It's cheap, it's easy, it's accessible from Australia. Without the first Australians who went there to surf, Bali would have meant nothing to the world.

Beaches? Other beaches in Indonesia are better than Bali - Flores! Lombok! I don't need to speak of the quality of Philippine beaches because that has been proven countless times.

Big monuments are important, but it does not stop there, like I said, ecotourism plays a bigger role now more than before. Infrastructure and like what you have said and what I have said - perception. People look for more than just a vacation.

EDIT: I really hope you wont joke about something like this. We'd like to correct misconceptions here, after decades of misinformation and cultural racism from other ASEAN neighbours Thanks.

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 12:31 PM

With Facebook on the heels, pictures of people you know going abroad and going on trips are a sight to behold.

I think we really have to turn the tables around...

That's right, going abroad now is so common amongst my friends. Sometimes, you'd think going to Hong Kong or Singapore is like going to Quiapo. :lol:

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 12:32 PM

I am still waiting for wino to validate his statistics with a link.

Wino, nasan ka na???

manileño

May 11th, 2011, 12:33 PM

i sense some anti-semitism, este anti-hispanicism here.. so what do you guys plan to do with Vigan and Intramuros? burn them? :lol:

again, for those who don't appreciate the spanish bread and paella, at least share them with others, you'll never know the demand that could be created here. imagine why tourists flock to Macau when all they have are casinos and world heritage Portuguese chorizos. :D

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 01:05 PM

patchay

May 11th, 2011, 02:01 PM

I have a few Malaysian friends who are actually braver than myself when traveling around the Philippines.

Oh yeah, Pinoys are not poor, Bieber concert last night was apparently jampacked and tickets costs 100-300USD a pop. Hahaha. A lot of international acts make a stop in Manila now, very lucrative concert stop.

I noticed that Asian tours of musicians makes the Manila-Singapore-HK route. And oftentimes, KL-JKT-BKK are included.

I remembered that Beyonce was banned in KL?

Actually KL has quite a vibrant nightlife and concert scene. The reason being sponsors. The next reason is because we are close to Singapore :lol: (but it's true according to people i know). Well Justin Bieber was in KL last month, and the list continues on a weekly basis.

KL is also very active in the Asian/Chinese/Bollywood/Korean movie/music industry constantly being one of the top 3 most visited and film places amongst Southeast Asian major cities.

However, the Government puts alot of restrictions as we are a conservative Asian society and that we are predominantly a Muslim nation. So I guess we prefer "entertainment" with acceptable local values.

it's not just Malaysia... it's almost the same for the other ASEAN countries as well...

just look at the figures: (these are all 2008 data)

418,920 Filipinos visited Singapore vs. 100,177 Singaporeans visit the Philippines

397,884 Filipinos visited Malaysia vs. 69,676 Malaysians visiting the Philippines

198,873 Filipinos visited Thailand vs. 31,499 Thais visiting the Philippines

159,003 Filipinos visited Indonesia vs. 27,830 Indons visiting the Philippines

We seem to be not getting the reciprocity in terms of tourists.. o well... :)
so yeah.. please do turn the table over! LOL

Most people here don't know much about tourism in Philippines.

And I heard accommodation is not really cheap in Philippines, so people would prefer to go to Vietnam or China, and for good holidays = Europe.

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 02:44 PM

Actually KL has quite a vibrant nightlife and concert scene. The reason being sponsors. The next reason is because we are close to Singapore :lol: (but it's true according to people i know). Well Justin Bieber was in KL last month, and the list continues on a weekly basis.

KL is also very active in the Asian/Chinese/Bollywood/Korean movie/music industry constantly being one of the top 3 most visited and film places amongst Southeast Asian major cities.

However, the Government puts alot of restrictions as we are a conservative Asian society and that we are predominantly a Muslim nation. So I guess we prefer "entertainment" with acceptable local values.

Most people here don't know much about tourism in Philippines.

And I heard accommodation is not really cheap in Philippines, so people would prefer to go to Vietnam or China, and for good holidays = Europe.

That's true.

Thai scholar hears charges of insulting royals

Associated Press

Posted date: May 11, 2011

BANGKOK—A Thai historian known for his outspoken views has reported to police to hear charges that he insulted the country's monarchy.
Somsak Jeamtheerasakul of Bangkok's Thammasat University faces lese majeste charges filed by the army that could put him in jail for up to 15 years. He says his writing and speeches have never violated the law against insulting the monarchy.

The charges cite commentary he recently wrote about a television interview with Princess Chulabhorn, the youngest daughter of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Dozens of supporters greeted Somsak as he arrived Wednesday at a police station in Bangkok. The charges come as a movement is growing to amend or abolish the lese majeste law, which is often used for political harassment.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110511-335945/Thai-scholar-hears-charges-of-insulting-royals

xxxriainxxx

May 11th, 2011, 04:02 PM

Big downpour here in Hanoi and this is the result:

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/50/mua_ngap_(5).jpg

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/50/Ha-noi-ngap-115_16.jpg

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/50/mua_ngap_(1).jpg

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/50/Ha-noi-ngap-115_6.jpg

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/50/Ha-noi-ngap-115_8.jpg

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/50/Ha-noi-ngap-115_4.jpg

Source: http://vnexpress.net/gl/xa-hoi/2011/05/duong-ha-noi-tac-dai-sau-tran-mua-giai-nhiet/

And if you think that is bad....

The septic tank at the International Airport bursts.

Noi Bai International Airport podium septic tank

Heavy rains occurred this afternoon (11 / 5) cause the septic tank lid on the Noi Bai Airport, the eruption of waste here and run a park nearby aircraft, as reflected by readers VnExpress.

A reader reflects hot line, Noi Bai International Airport at 5pm to witness the horror. Heavy rain occurs within 20 minutes caused septic tanks located at the airport on the cover. Discharge of waste causes stench rises concentration anonymously everywhere.

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/49/phan1.jpg

The waste has been identified as human excrement filled the yard close to the aircraft parked at Noi Bai, at pm on 11 / 5. Photo supplied by readers.

One reader said that a plane may take off now has to close earlier than usual cavity to avoid the stench at the airport. The septic tank is located at the airport for 9. When the septic tank lid cracks and other types of waste, including human excrement had been rainfall runoff flowing out of the bridge take the position 7, the bridge 19 and bridge 20.

Talking to VnExpress.net units Noi Bai airport management has acknowledged the problem on septic tank lid occurred due to heavy rain this afternoon.

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/49/phan.jpg

Another angle at Noi Bai International Airport is also filled with waste and smelled the stench. Photo supplied by readers.

He said rain occurred within 20 minutes but caused significant water pressure strong. Sewer system cracks, together with septic tank lid was on, causing the overflow of waste. Environmental staff are using the machine to suck dry to cover re-installed.

This leader said many heavy rain occurs, but this is the first time, septic tank cracks. "We were surprised about this, could be degraded piping system and it is time to repair," the leaders said.

This is not the first time from Noi Bai airport to witness the waste spilled when the rains. As reflected by a number of staff working here so many times they suffer from both the airport smelled the stench. "Every time we get rain to a scapegoat. Even on sunny days, the smell is coming out from the pipe system and septic tanks," reflects the staff here.

In 2008, the terminal at Noi Bai airport scene also occurs when rain leaking .

Nhu Quynh

Source: http://vnexpress.net/gl/kinh-doanh/2011/05/san-bay-quoc-te-noi-bai-buc-be-phot/

Yes, you are seeing crap all over the Noi Bai International Airport.

:toilet: :toilet: :toilet: :toilet: :toilet:

patchay

May 11th, 2011, 04:37 PM

^^ some international concerts held in Malaysia that got into some troubles (mainly violation of dresscode, stage acts and "sexyness") include:

- Rihanna
- Avril Lavigne
- The Pussycat Dolls (the concert organiser was fined heavily)
- Mariah Carey
- Gwen Stefani
- Kelly Clarkson
- Kylie Minogue
- Beyonce (the biggest one with international headliens, cancelled twice)
- Inul Daratista (Indonesia)
- Black Eyed Peas
- Kanye West
- Adam Lambert (2011, this year)

Most other international celebrity concerts had not much problems compared to the above. Major concerts held in KL this year so far:

- Arrested Development
- Secondhand Serenade
- Adam Lambert
- Mary J. Blige
- The Wanted (UK)
- Raymond Lam (Hong Kong)
- Deftones
- Jay Chou (3rd time)
- Michael Bubble
- MGMT
- Bruno Mars
- Justin Bieber
- Maroon 5
- Wonder Girls, Bunkface, Hoobastank, The Azenders, DJ Bento, RAIN (in conjunction with F1 Malaysian Grand Prix KL Concerts)
- Deadmau5 (first full LED outdoor concert ever held in Malaysia was held last week)

Upcoming:
- Kenny G (May 2011)
- Switchfoot (May 2011)
- Hurts (May 2011)
- Jolin Tsai (June 2011, 3rd time)
- Incubus (July 2011)
...and many more...

Nabartek

May 11th, 2011, 04:51 PM

^^ Can't you take a joke? I put a smilie next to Mexico hahaha..

My arguments still stands though..

still, how are Filipinos related to Nahuatls, Olmecs... ? What a corny joke. Can't think of a better one? :banana: We must have copied the Olmecs, Mayans etc. The Philippines must have a lot of those pyramids and glyphs!

Animo

May 11th, 2011, 06:30 PM

You have to admit that during the galleon trade many Mexicans came to the Philippines and vice versa. There is actually a community in the Pacific side of Mexico that are descendants of Filipinos (i.e. Acapulco).

I have to say that Filipinos share a lot more in common with our Latin American brothers than our Asian counterparts based on my personal travels. Just read that travel blog from a British guy who said that he prefers the Philippines now than Colombia. He even stated we are a Latin country in the Pacific.

Mercato

May 11th, 2011, 06:49 PM

Mine too (travels). I concur :lol: Somos filipinos, somos hispano asiaticos. Viva Filipinas y Mexico, Viva Hispanidad! :nocrook:

http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc4/34010_139024109444940_100000120541358_382000_7747352_n.jpg

http://www.google.com.sg/imglanding?q=mexico+philippines&hl=en&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=oEEKhpJAp2ue7M:&imgrefurl=http://www.reflectionsofasia.com/phil.htm&imgurl=http://www.reflectionsofasia.com/images/Philippine%252520Centennial%252520stamps%252520-%252520framed%252520Philippine%252520stamps.jpg&w=1071&h=778&ei=fr3KTarSG4nUvQP1vN37BA&zoom=1&iact=rc&page=1&tbnh=128&tbnw=176&start=0&ndsp=25&ved=1t:429,r:5,s:0&biw=1280&bih=717

http://www.reflectionsofasia.com/images/Philippine%20Centennial%20stamps%20-%20framed%20Philippine%20stamps.jpg

manileño

May 11th, 2011, 07:55 PM

http://vnexpress.net/Files/Subject/3b/a2/9b/49/phan.jpg

Yes, you are seeing crap all over the Noi Bai International Airport.

:toilet: :toilet: :toilet: :toilet: :toilet:

for a minute there, i thought this was a tweet from Mislang. :lol:
omg can you imagine if she was still there? seeing all those vietcong crap seeping through her shoes at the airport :lol: i wonder what sort of new slander she'd be spreading about them hehe! :D :jk:

Eh? How? Where?

sorry, not you. that post was intended for that bigoted Javanese. :lol:

Nabartek

May 11th, 2011, 08:02 PM

Wind Shear

May 11th, 2011, 08:10 PM

What he's trying to do is pit Austronesian culture vs Hispanic culture we inherited

If he does, he will get...

nothing.

Besides, The Philippine Islands or La Islas Filipinas is a cultural melting pot.

Animo

May 11th, 2011, 08:29 PM

That is undisputed. However, the Austronesian over Mexican thing is brought out of proportion by some "foreigner" here. What he's trying to do is pit Austronesian culture vs Hispanic culture we inherited

Let him be and just accept that we are a melting pot. If Malaysia is "Truely Asia" then the Philippines is "Truely the World". :wink2:

If he does, he will get...

nothing.

Besides, The Philippine Islands or La Islas Filipinas is a cultural melting pot.

+1 :cheers:

wino

May 11th, 2011, 10:32 PM

Can I ask for links to these figures you cited? Thanks. :)

sorry for the late reply lol

most of that info is just a repost from the ASIAN forum; I did a research on it like way back ago.
most of the links doesn't work anymore, they moved it somewhere else.

check post number 203 (the link for Thailand still works-- I think)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=300046&page=11

here is the current link for Philippines (http://www.visitmyphilippines.com/index.php?title=VisitorStatistics&func=all&pid=39&tbl=1), the old one doesn't work anymore.

patchay

May 12th, 2011, 02:27 AM

Not bad.

New inter-state electrified locomotive train for KTM Malaysia (national railway company).
http://www.ktmb.com.my

Ipoh, Perak - Malaysia
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5305/5596661483_93093154dc_b.jpg
http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanim/5596661483/

omnislash

May 12th, 2011, 03:00 AM

kevinb

May 12th, 2011, 03:45 AM

Not bad.

New inter-state electrified locomotive train for KTM Malaysia (national railway company).
http://www.ktmb.com.my

Looks like Manila's LRT2.:okay:

xxxriainxxx

May 12th, 2011, 08:36 AM

for a minute there, i thought this was a tweet from Mislang. :lol:
omg can you imagine if she was still there? seeing all those vietcong crap seeping through her shoes at the airport :lol: i wonder what sort of new slander she'd be spreading about them hehe! :D :jk:

sorry, not you. that post was intended for that bigoted Javanese. :lol:

LOL. What would Mai Mislang say?

:D

I think the Philippines is a cultural melting pot and we celebrate from the indigenous to the influences. No one country in ASEAN can ever claim 'pure' culture, because first 1) it's wrong and smacks of bigotry and xenophobia 2) that is just an outright lie.

sorry for the late reply lol

most of that info is just a repost from the ASIAN forum; I did a research on it like way back ago.
most of the links doesn't work anymore, they moved it somewhere else.

check post number 203 (the link for Thailand still works-- I think)
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=300046&page=11

here is the current link for Philippines (http://www.visitmyphilippines.com/index.php?title=VisitorStatistics&func=all&pid=39&tbl=1), the old one doesn't work anymore.

Thanks.

LCI is not Baybayin..it's kawi.. Baybayin may or may not have been derived from Kawi.

Written literature did not survive because they were written on perishable materials(i.e. leaves and bamboo) TOO BAD :ohno:

Oral literature of the Christianized people did not survive as well because their daily routine(in which they chant these oral traditions) was disrupted by the invaders

yes, our brothers in the Cordillera built the LARGEST MONUMENT DEDICATED TO RICE.

Yes true.

xxxriainxxx

May 12th, 2011, 08:44 AM

Not bad.

New inter-state electrified locomotive train for KTM Malaysia (national railway company).
http://www.ktmb.com.my

Nice! Unfortunately both ways I used the old train in and out of KL Sentral.

Deus Ex

May 12th, 2011, 09:05 AM

OT:If only we had y'all over @ asia's finest. We're being treated like cattle there.

xxxriainxxx

May 12th, 2011, 10:00 AM

OT:If only we had y'all over @ asia's finest. We're being treated like cattle there.

Pangit ng layout dun eh.

^^FWIW, People at SSC are better educated than in other forums such as the one you mentioned.

xxxriainxxx

May 12th, 2011, 10:23 AM

General Luna in Siargao venue of first ever SEA Games surfing tilt
05/12/2011 | 02:05 PM

BUTUAN CITY — Asia's surfing capital "Cloud 9" in General Luna town in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte province, has been chosen official venue of the first ever surfing competition of the 26th Southeast Asian Games which will be held November 11 to 25 this year with Indonesia as host country.

General Luna Mayor Atty. Jaime Rusillon has said he received formal communications from SEA Games organizers and the Department of Tourism central office in Manila informing General Luna officials that the town was chosen official venue of the SEA Games' surfing competition.

Eleven Southeast Asian countries take part in SEA Games with some 6,000 athletes competing in 666 events in 56 sports.

Rusillon said he was very happy that General Luna, which had hosted several local and international surfing competitions, has been chosen as venue of the SEA Games surfing tilt.

Countries that will be competing in the SEA Games are the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Burma, Cambodia, Brunei, Timor-Leste, Burma, Vietnam and Singapore. — Ben Serrano/LBG, GMA News

Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/220388/regions/general-luna-in-siargao-venue-of-first-ever-sea-games-surfing-tilt

xxxriainxxx

May 12th, 2011, 05:23 PM

Robbery stalking travelers

VietnamNet English - 11 hour(s) ago 1 readings

VietNamNet Bridge – At the meeting with HCM City’s authorities last week, Deputy Chair of Amcham Christopher C.Twomey advised the local authorities to take necessary measures to prevent robbery, or Vietnam will lose a reputation as a safe destination.

Robbers lurking everywhere

According to the HCM City Police, traveler property robbery cases have been taking place in different situations. On March 3, on the cross road of Pham Ngu Lao – Nguyen Thi Nghia streets in district 1 in HCM City, Anna Julia Urban, a German traveler, was walking on streets when two men, riding a motorbike, pressed against her and snatcher her bag. Luckily, the policemen who were on the duties, discovered the robbery, captured the robbers and gave the property back to the woman.

Most recently, at the road junction of Dong Khoi – Mac Thi Buoi in District 1 of HCM City, Kanda Michiyo, a Japanese traveler was walking when two young men on a motorbike tried to snatch her bag. They unsuccessfully snatched the bag, but the woman fell into the road and was heavily injured.

Many travelers were robbed, even when they were sitting at shops or restaurants. On March 4, Toru Yamada, a Japanese traveler, was sitting at an Internet shop at No 38 Ton That Tung, when his bag with many valuable properties inside was snatched.

On February 10, when Shuichi Kitahara, also a Japanese traveler, was eating pho at a restaurant, a man came closer, snatched and ran. Local residents chased the robber and got back the bag, but the perpetrator escaped.

One month ago, Liu Rui Zeng and Yuan Mei Xia, Chinese travelers also had their handbag snatched when they were walking on Tran Quy Road in District 11.

The areas, where most of travelers had their properties robbed, are Ben Thanh market, the area around the War Remnants Museum or in front of the city’s Post Office.

Le Hoai Nhon, a worker of the traveler protection team, called “the green shirt team”, related that several days ago, he and his colleagues chased and caught a robber, who snatched a gold bracelet. The victim, a Thai traveler, said that when she came to HCM City for the first time, she also lost the mobile phone in a robbery case.

Nguyen Minh Tuan, another member of the “green shirt team”, said that robbery cases have made Japanese travelers become more vigilant. “They do not want to see anyone come close to them. I once tried to help them find ways, but they refused my help,” he said.

“I always advise travelers not to ware gold bracelets,” he said. “One time, I advised a woman to do that, but she did not listen to my advice, and she witnessed the bracelet robbed just some minutes later”.

According to “green shirts”, robbers regularly snatch properties of travelers when they try to cross the roads and they have to pay attention to avoid traffic accidents.

Robbery spoiling national image

Pham Xuan Anh, Director of a travel firm, specializing in serving cruise travelers, said that more robbery cases have happened recently. Especially, robberies taking place right at the center of HCM City, where there are many people, because robbers think that travelers lack vigilance there.

Therefore, tour guides always have to advise travelers to be careful when visiting excursion places. They should walk on the pavement instead of streets, keep cameras tightly and leave bracelets and valuable properties at hotels.

Many travelers have complained about the robbery with foreign travel firms, the partner companies of Vietnamese travel firms. They have also written on tourism forums about their feelings after the trips. “Vietnam is a wonderful destination. However, in Vietnam, I was, for the first time, robbed near Rex Hotel. Therefore, I do not dare to bring valuable properties with me,” a foreigner wrote on Tripadvisor.

VEF

Source: http://en.baomoi.com/Info/Robbery-stalking-travelers/12/141957.epi

Same same all over ASEAN (save for Singapore and Brunei).

patchay

May 12th, 2011, 05:45 PM

Looks like Manila's LRT2.:okay:

Cool! The KTM train will be used for long distance inter-state commuter train. I myself not sure but wouldn't care as I rarely take trains here. :nuts:

OK goodnite... oh yeah before I go wanna share some pictures of the nearest mall (about 5mins) from the place I live and grew up: :lol:

2 mins by car

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5247/5380807006_0e458d4ce5.jpg

5 mins by car
The Curve Mall and e@Curve, sub-urban Mutiara Damansara in Petaling Jaya City
http://www.upislam.com/images/06210823039218446579.jpg
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/47109104
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/22963048.jpg
http://www.panoramio.com/photo/22963048

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1032/1013415311_0ec1a611a0_b.jpg

Mercato

May 12th, 2011, 06:05 PM

^^ I also wish to see pics of the great Blue Mosque at Shah Alam. :) It's one of the most beautiful mosques I had seen in southeast asia... thanks!

patchay

May 13th, 2011, 02:36 AM

My personal; opinion quoted from Asian Economy Forum :)

^^ Not second, still third after Thailand. :D

2010 - GDP GROWTH
Singapore 14.7%
Thailand 7.8%
Philippines 7.3% ----> 7.6%
Malaysia 7.2%
Indonesia 6.1%

Merely interpreting growth rates without considering the size of GDP and GNI is just a part of the whole story.

You should imagine the size of economy + the growth rates, then that will give you a clearer picture. Huge economy with huge growth rates will be simply awesome. Which means the pie is growing bigger and faster!!

Another thing is it is better if we compare growth rate on a time series, or a few years data to get the real picture of growth (growth doesn't happen in one year).

In this case, I believe Indonesia has its economy expanded the most last year amongst ASEAN nations. (just can't imagine China's economy growing at 9-11% per annum almost for the last 2 decades)

Philippines GDP per capita accdg to Goldman Sachs...
2020 - $2,595
2030 - $4,640
2035 - $6,684
2040 - $9,821
2045 - $14,266
2050 - $20,391

This is an interesting forecast. But we should take it with a pinch of salt, as most forecast in the past is not really accurate.

If all things go well, I think "averagely" ASEAN can achieve developed status faster. One of the criteria is to have GNI per capita/GDP per capita (nominal) above US$15,000.

For5 example, Malaysia plans to achieve that in its "ETP 2020" plan. Current statistics as per 2010:

GNI per capita (nominal) = US$7,000
GDP per capita (nominal) = US$8,100
GDP per capita (PPP)= US$14,700

Other factors that may be considered as obstructing growth should be considered such as Inflation, Unemployment, Corruption (very high in ASEAN), Risk of Devaluation of Currency, Risk of Another Economic Crisis (the 2009 was not predicted by Goldman Sachs previously), Risk of Natural Disasters, etc etc.

Skyprince

May 13th, 2011, 06:06 AM

^^ I also wish to see pics of the great Blue Mosque at Shah Alam. :) It's one of the most beautiful mosques I had seen in southeast asia... thanks!

Lol, actually I live in Shah Alam and I pray in Blue Mosque Every night ! It's just 5 min from my house..

Shah Alam city centre with ASEAN's 2nd largest mosque -Taken by me.

The 4 minarets of the mosque are the Tallest buildings in Shah Alam city :lol: You can see my thread about Shah Alam city where I live here--> http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=866438

http://img36.imageshack.us/img36/550/img0112p.jpg (http://img36.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img0112p.jpg)

r0mm3l

May 13th, 2011, 09:09 AM

xxxriainxxx

May 13th, 2011, 09:13 AM

^^ That's the third time this was reposted..

xxxriainxxx

May 13th, 2011, 01:56 PM

Baby leopards, bear found in bags at Thailand airport

Associated Press
First Posted 15:27:00 05/13/2011

BANGKOK—Authorities at Thailand's international airport arrested a first-class passenger Friday whose suitcases were filled with baby leopards, panthers, a bear and monkeys. The animals had been drugged and were headed for Dubai.

The man, a 36-year-old United Arab Emirates citizen, was waiting to check-in for his flight at Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi International Airport when he was apprehended by undercover anti-trafficking officers, who had been monitoring him since his black market purchase of the rare and endangered animals, according to the FREELAND Foundation, an anti-trafficking group based in Thailand.

When authorities opened the suitcases, the animals yawned, said Steven Galster, director of FREELAND, who was present during the bust. There were two leopards, two panthers, an Asiatic black bear and two macaque monkeys—all about the size of puppies.

"It looked like they had sedated the animals and had them in flat cages so they couldn't move around much," Galster said. Some of the animals were placed inside canisters with air holes.

Authorities believe the man was part of a trafficking network and were searching for suspected accomplices.

"It was a very sophisticated smuggling operation. We've never seen one like this before," Galster said. "The guy had a virtual zoo in his suitcases."

Thailand is a hub for illegal wildlife trafficking, but authorities typically find rare turtles, tortoises, snakes and lizards that feed demand in China and Vietnam. Finding such an array of live mammals is unusual.

"We haven't seen this mixture (of animals) before," Galster said. "It's amazing. We were really surprised."

In Thailand, leopards and panthers fetch roughly $5,000 a piece on the black market, but their value in Dubai was presumably higher, Galster said. It was not known if the animals were destined to be resold or kept as exotic pets, a practice popular in the Middle East.

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/world/view/20110513-336294/Baby-leopards-bear-found-in-bags-at-Thai-airport

wino

May 13th, 2011, 05:03 PM

^^ :ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno::ohno:

patchay

May 13th, 2011, 07:30 PM

=== Oil & Gas Industry ====

Petronas to Build US$20 Billion Malaysia Oil, Chemical Hub Next to Singapore
By Manirajan Ramasamy and Yee Kai Pin | Bloomberg | AFP | REUTERS
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-13/petronas-to-develop-20-billion-southern-malaysia-oil-petrochemicals-hub.html
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20110513091249/Article/index_html

Kuala Lumpur (AFP) - Petroliam Nasional Bhd., Malaysia’s state oil and gas company, will build a $20 billion refining complex bordering Singapore to benefit from increased global demand for petrochemicals and plastics.

Petronas, as it is known, will construct a crude oil refinery with a capacity of 300,000 barrels a day, a naphtha cracker, petrochemicals and polymer facilities in Pengerang, in the country’s southern state of Johor, Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters in Kuala Lumpur today.

It may also construct a liquefied natural gas import and re-gasification terminal in the area, he said.

The project, scheduled for completion in 2016, will help the nation compete with Singapore, which has a refining capacity of more than twice as large even though it has no natural energy resources of its own.

Malaysia and Indonesia, Southeast Asia’s biggest oil producers, have lagged their neighbor in investing in specialist downstream facilities, which traditionally produce higher margins.

“This signifies the depth of Petronas’s ambition to capture the opportunities that Asia’s dynamic energy and chemical markets are expected to provide in the decades ahead, especially in the specialty chemicals segment,” Najib said. “These efforts will also strengthen and help diversify the country’s export capabilities.”

Boosting Capacity

Petronas, Exxon Mobil Corp. and Royal Dutch Shell Plc operate refineries in Malaysia with a combined capacity of 551,700 barrels a day, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.

Exxon, Shell, Chevron Corp. and Singapore Petroleum Co. operate refineries in Singapore with a daily capacity of 1.32 million barrels, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. They import crude from overseas, including Indonesia, for processing and re-export.

“The threat to Singapore is not Malaysia,” John Vautrain, a Singapore-based senior vice-president at U.S. energy consultancy Purvin & Gertz Inc., said in a telephone interview. “If there was a threat to Singapore, people talk about Shanghai or the Arab Gulf. Shanghai is obviously a much larger consumption center, but the problem is there’s not much free trade. It’s not a shipping hub the way that Singapore is.”

The Johor oil and gas hub will complement Malaysia’s Economic Transformation Program, under which the government has identified $444 billion of private-sector led investment to champion in the current decade.

Deep Water

The Johor hub is likely to attract “significant investments from international companies within and further down the business value chain,” Shamsul Azhar Abbas, chief executive officer of Kuala Lumpur-based Petronas, said in a statement. The company is open to partners joining the project, Shamsul told reporters.

Dialog Group Bhd. (DLG), based in Selangor, Malaysia, is constructing Southeast Asia’s first deepwater petroleum terminal in the same area in partnership with the Johor state government and Rotterdam-based Royal Vopak NV, the world’s biggest chemical and oil storage company.

“Pengerang has been chosen as the site because of its water depth of up to 26 meters, which is one of the deepest in Southeast Asia,” Alex Goh, an analyst at AmResearch Sdn., said in a report on May 11. This would make it accessible for very- large and ultra-large crude carriers.

The Johor refinery will be bigger than the combined capacity of Petronas’s existing facilities in Melaka and Kerteh, Najib said. It will produce refined petroleum products such as gasoline, jet fuel and diesel for local use and export, he said.

Chemicals Complex

The naphtha cracker will produce about 3 million tons of ethylene, propylene and olefins a year, Petronas said in its statement.

The accompanying petrochemicals and polymer complex will make highly specialized chemicals it said. This would be bigger that the combined capacity of its existing facilities in Kerteh and Gebeng on Peninsular Malaysia’s east coast, it said.

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/Kertih.jpg
Petronas' Kerteh "oil" town has one of East-Asia's largest integrated petroleum and petrochemicals facilty.
>>> Check out Kerteh Town on Skyscrapercity: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=228342.

The Malaysia government wants to help transform Johor into and oil and gas hub. France’s Technip SA (TEC) this month opened a 20- hectare plant in the area to produce flexible pipes and subsea umbilical systems used in deepwater oil and gas fields.

Dialog operates the 500 million-ringgit Langsat storage terminal nearby that opened in February 2010. Amsterdam-based Trafigura Beheer BV, the world’s third-largest independent oil trader, is the main user of the facility.

Langsat is less than 30 miles (48 kilometers) away from Singapore, Asia’s biggest oil-storage and trading center, where Dubai-based Emirates National Oil Co. and closely held trader Hin Leong Trading Pte. have storage facilities.

Petronas will decide on whether to proceed with the Johor LNG terminal and re-gasification project by year-end, Shamsul said. It is already constructing a re-gasification plant in Melaka state which other companies can tap when completed in mid-2012, he said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Manirajan Ramasamy in Kuala Lumpur at rmanirajan@bloomberg.net; Yee Kai Pin in Singapore at kyee13@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Alexander Kwiatkowski at akwiatkowsk2@bloomberg.net

spearhead

May 14th, 2011, 02:15 AM

WTF are you trying to do to us here, are you making us drool?

patchay

May 14th, 2011, 04:01 AM

Just food for thought...

Actually in all nations, the biggest services sector should be those related to banking and finance; capital markets; retail, wholesale and trading; utilities, energy and oilfield services; healthcare; education; IT; pharmaceutical services and biotechnology; professional services (legal, audit, etc) and consultancy; etc etc...

Certain services sector may sound big, but is actually very small and not really contributing much to the government. One of them is BPO Industry in Malaysia, as many BPOs, which I believe, have some forms of tax incentives for many years. Certain BPOs have corporate structures that are not taxable in the country of operation, depending on the country and its legal implications.

In the end, the government gets nothing much other than to stimulate employment and downstream impact on society, which is good for public but not necessary the government.

So formal legal entities may not mean anything. Alot of foreign companies do not incorporate a major subsidiary in that country of operations due to accounting/corporate planning, for example: a foreign investor may not want to pump in capital/equity into a local subsidiary balance sheet as the capital may not be able to move out of the country in later years. Examples include many foreign companies operating in China and India, where subsidiaries are incorporated in places like Hong Kong and Singapore but have a whole operations in Mainland China or India.

-------------------------------

xxxriainxxx

May 14th, 2011, 04:07 AM

Rat poison theory in Thailand tourist deaths
From: AAP May 13, 2011 8:56PM

RAT poison is among the latest theories surrounding the mystery deaths of several tourists in northern Thailand.

A 23-year-old New Zealand student, two elderly Britons and a 48-year-old Thai tour guide had all been staying at the Downtown Inn Hotel in Chiang Mai, 800 kilometres north from Bangkok, before their mysterious deaths in recent months.

Reports from New Zealand have suggested they were poisoned by a chemical used to kill bedbugs, but a senior Thai physician has told AAP that forensic investigations were widening to include insecticides capable of killing rodents.

Dr Surasing Visaruthrat, a deputy director at the Chiang Mai Public Health Office, said investigations had widened beyond the initial theory that a bedbug killer spray containing chlorpyrifos was responsible for the deaths.

Dr Surasing said investigations covered three hypotheses focused on a potential virus, chemical contamination or environmental factors that led to the deaths and illness.

"We have to look at another type of pesticide," he told AAP.

The New Zealand student, Sarah Carter, died on February 7 and her travelling companions Amanda Eliason, 24, and Emma Langlands, 23, fell gravely ill but later recovered.

Later in February, a British couple, George Everitt, 78, and his wife Eileen, 74, died from reported heart attacks at the same hotel.

The Associated Press reported that seven tourists had died in Chiang Mai earlier this year, and six of them had been staying in the same hotel in January and February.

The AP said the other victims were from France, the US and Canada.

An independent investigation carried out in New Zealand and broadcast on New Zealand TV alleged traces of chlorpyrifos had been detected in the hotel rooms.

Chlorpyrifos is a restricted-use agricultural pesticide in the United States.

Downtown Inn Hotel manager, Thanthep Bunkaeo, has denied the hotel used the bed bug pesticide containing chlorpyrifos in the recent past, local media reported this week.

Mr Thanthep was unavailable for comment when contacted by AAP.

Chiang Mai governor, Panadda Disakul, in media reports today said there was insufficient medical information to support the claims that chlorpyrifos was responsible for the deaths.

Mr Panadda said Thai police were to launch their own investigation into the deaths, adding that the incident had damaged the image of Chiang Mai as a tourist destination.

The Chiang Mai Public Health Office this week met with foreign diplomats and consulates from affected embassies, as well as medical staff, to share the outcome of the investigation.

Test samples have been sent to the US-based Centre for Disease Control in Atlanta as well as Osaka University in Japan for examination.

"I think we are halfway now," Dr Surasing said, with investigations likely to be concluded in two months before a final report.

A spokesperson for the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the New Zealand government was "actively encouraging the Thai authorities to progress the investigation into Sarah Carter's tragic death".

She said the New Zealand Embassy, as well as New Zealand medical experts, were in "close and regular contact" with their counterparts in Thailand.

But she added in a statement to AAP that given the "investigation is not yet complete", it was "premature to comment on possible findings".

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/rat-poison-theory-in-thai-tourist-deaths/story-e6frfku0-1226055600354#ixzz1MHwsgPfD

patchay

May 14th, 2011, 06:28 AM

ASEAN economies past and future
Maddaremmeng A. Panennungi, Jakarta | Wed, 05/11/2011 9:58 PM | Opinion
The Jakarta Post
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2011/05/11/asean-economies-past-and-future.html

Many experts have forecast promising economic growth from member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). And there are several reasons for such expectations, including the region’s advantageous location, global security, the global economy and its policies over the last two decades.

But history has also shown us evidence of the presence of great nations in the ASEAN region in the past. The golden age of Sriwijaya, Majapahit and many other kingdoms in Southeast Asia are in the remaking now, albeit under a different banner: ASEAN countries.

The most important reason for this is the location advantage of the region, which connects two economic giants, China and India, as well as the Middle East and Western nations.

The second most important factor is global security in the past and in the future. The formation of Singapore by Thomas Raffles and the “cooperation” between the British and Dutch in the early 19th century after the Napoleonic Wars in Europe provided security for an economic connection between some Southeast Asian countries and the rest of the world.

(Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and to some extent Thailand shared this historical link, where the Dutch traded off with the British
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Dutch_Treaty_of_1824
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_Indies)

The rise of Singapore as the center of trade in Southeast Asia has also provided a better linkage among Southeast Asian nations. However, during the two world wars and the Cold War era, Southeast Asia was one of the centers of battles between great powers. Today, threats of terrorism have also affected this region, especially Indonesia.

The third most important factor is the global economy and its policies. In the past, before Arabs and Western influenced Indonesia, or when India and China became the poles of the global economy, the region was known as “the busy road”, which allowed nations on both sides of the Malacca Strait and Java to enjoy a golden age of trade growth.

If both India and China reemerge as great economic powers, the golden age of this region will reemerge. The simplest explanation of this could be taken from the gravity model: The increasing economic size of both India and China and “the attraction of the economic force” of these giants will impact positively on the economy of this and the ASEAN region. :banana:

Economic policy is another important factor in the future of this region. There are at least three institutions helping this region remain on the right track in international trade relations — ASEAN, APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) and the WTO (World Trade Organization). Despite many criticisms, especially during the Asian financial crisis of the late 1990s and during the global financial crisis of 2008, these institutions have helped the world, particularly ASEAN, face the challenges.

ASEAN has ratified the AFTA (ASEAN Free Trade Agreement) and the ASEAN-China Free Trade Area (ACFTA). There also other forms of communication forums between ASEAN and other economies, especially with the European Union (EU).

The following facts will help us understand the big picture of economic relations between ASEAN and some major economies, particularly APEC member countries.

The dynamic economic relations between ASEAN founding members (ASEAN-5) and economic powers within APEC were manifested in their trade volume in 1999-2009.

Trade between ASEAN-5 and China rose from 3.7 percent from the grouping’s total trade volume in 1999 to 11.1 percent in 2009; ASEAN-5 and Japan trade dropped from 15.9 percent in 1999 to 10.36 percent in 2009; ASEAN-5 and the US’ trade declined from 18.7 percent in 1999 to 9.66 percent in 2009; and trade between ASEAN-5 and APEC economies slumped from 75.1 percent to 72.8 percent in 2009.

The region’s advantageous location, global security, global economy and its policies during the period explain the trade relations well.

First, the ASEAN-5 countries are located in a strategic and advantageous region. Among the ASEAN-5, Singapore booked the fastest average economic growth during 1989-2009 with 6.73 percent, with Malaysia 6.15 percent, Indonesia 5.16 percent, Thailand 5.02 percent and the Philippines 3.79 percent.

The location of Singapore and Malaysia near the Malacca Strait (and supported by their seaport infrastructure) are better than the other three economies. However, overall, this region has a very good location in connection with international trade.

Second, during the last two decades (1989-2009), there were no important global conflicts that affected this region. The war on terrorism has hardly impacted the region’s security either.

Third, during this period, the world economy grew by a positive 2.69 percent. APEC economies growth during the same period was 2.83 percent. In comparison economic growth of main APEC economic powers like Japan was 1.31 percent, the US 2.52 percent and China 9.98 percent.

Economic growth in simple average of ASEAN-5 (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand) during the last two decades stood at 5.37 percent. This shows that ASEAN-5 and China’s economies are becoming more important in the world economy in APEC and the world.

ASEAN countries have a better choice in keeping their relations closer to each other. This strategy will give a better “power” because unilateral action will weaken individual nations in the face of great powers. As small open economies, ASEAN countries should be very responsive to the global events that build relations with the great economic and political powers.

ASEAN’s advantageous location is a blessing, but it will turn into a curse if members of the group act individually and only serve the interests of great powers as happened in the past.

The writer is a researcher at the University of Indonesia’s School of Economics and director of the university’s APEC Study Center (ASC UI)

TWK90

May 15th, 2011, 06:03 AM

Nice! Unfortunately both ways I used the old train in and out of KL Sentral.

This is the long distance electric train service, from KL to Ipoh, about 210 km in distance.

patchay

May 15th, 2011, 08:12 AM

State of the economy according to IMF.

To be a developed or high-income nation, one of the main criteria is to have a GDP per capita of roughly $25,000 and above. Other criterias are: HDI indices, poverty rate of less than 1%, unemployment and inflation, gross national income (GNI) of more than $15,000.

Many countries are still below the world average. Thus, ASEAN countries need to do more to fight poverty, income inequality, corruption and investing in science and technology.

For me, Malaysia is still a relatively poor middle-class country despite government figures showed national poverty rate of 2.8%. Unemployment rate ranged from 2.4% to 3.2% throughout 2010 and inflation rate stood at an average 2.5% in 2010. In totality, the government is criticised for being far far away from other Asian Tiger economies.

Anyway for 2010, the verdict is out.

http://www.globalresearch.ca/coverStoryPictures/14115.jpg
International Monetary Fund
WORLD ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2010/2011
State of the Economy 2010
ASEAN Countries
Gross Domestic Product
based on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) per capita of GDP
(current international dollar)

Developed/High-Income Nation
Singapore (#3) = 56,522 / Projected 72,179 by 2016

Newly Industrialised Nation
Malaysia (#57) = 14,670 / Projected 19,541 by 2016

---------------------2010 World Average = 10,886 ---------------------

Developing Nation
Thailand (#86) = 9,187 / Projected 12,681 by 2016
---> China (#94) = 7,519 / Projected 13,729 by 2016

Emerging Market
Indonesia (#122) = 4,394 / Projected 6,556 by 2016
Philippines (#125) = 3,737 / Projected 4,852 by 2016
Vietnam (#130) = 3,134 / Projected 4,803 by 2016

---> India (#129) = 3,339 / Projected 5,398 by 2016

Source: http://imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2011/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=74&pr.y=19&sy=2009&ey=2016&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C941%2C914%2C446%2C612%2C666%2C614%2C668%2C311%2C672%2C213%2C946%2C911%2C137%2C193%2C962%2C122%2C674%2C912%2C676%2C313%2C548%2C419%2C556%2C513%2C678%2C316%2C181%2C913%2C682%2C124%2C684%2C339%2C273%2C638%2C921%2C514%2C948%2C218%2C943%2C963%2C686%2C616%2C688%2C223%2C518%2C516%2C728%2C918%2C558%2C748%2C138%2C618%2C196%2C522%2C278%2C622%2C692%2C156%2C694%2C624%2C142%2C626%2C449%2C628%2C564%2C228%2C283%2C924%2C853%2C233%2C288%2C632%2C293%2C636%2C566%2C634%2C964%2C238%2C182%2C662%2C453%2C960%2C968%2C423%2C922%2C935%2C714%2C128%2C862%2C611%2C716%2C321%2C456%2C243%2C722%2C248%2C942%2C469%2C718%2C253%2C724%2C642%2C576%2C643%2C936%2C939%2C961%2C644%2C813%2C819%2C199%2C172%2C184%2C132%2C524%2C646%2C361%2C648%2C362%2C915%2C364%2C134%2C732%2C652%2C366%2C174%2C734%2C328%2C144%2C258%2C146%2C656%2C463%2C654%2C528%2C336%2C923%2C263%2C738%2C268%2C578%2C532%2C537%2C944%2C742%2C176%2C866%2C534%2C369%2C536%2C744%2C429%2C186%2C433%2C925%2C178%2C869%2C436%2C746%2C136%2C926%2C343%2C466%2C158%2C112%2C439%2C111%2C916%2C298%2C664%2C927%2C826%2C846%2C542%2C299%2C967%2C582%2C443%2C474%2C917%2C754%2C544%2C698&s=PPPPC&grp=0&a=
Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_GDP_(PPP)_per_capita

xxxriainxxx

May 15th, 2011, 03:51 PM

Flights delayed in Malaysia airport blackout
Posted: 15 May 2011 1724 hrs

KUALA LUMPUR: National carrier Malaysian Airlines said Sunday 13 of its scheduled flights had been delayed and over 300 bags left behind following a "total blackout" at the capital's international airport.

"Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) suffered a total blackout early this morning. Although it was restored within a short period of time, it had resulted in several flight delays," the airline said in a statement.

"Out of the 42 scheduled flights, a total of 13 flights were delayed and in excess of 300 bags were left behind due to the power interruption," it said.

"We would like to advise our customers to check with the destination Malaysia Airlines offices upon arrival, in the event that they have missing baggage."

The national carrier said it was working with airport operator Malaysia Airports Holdings to reunite passengers with baggage left behind during the interruption and restore normal flight operations.

Airline officials told AFP that the cause of the blackout was being investigated but declined to say when it occurred or how long it lasted.

Officials from Malaysia Airports Holdings could not be reached for details on how many other airlines were affected by the power cut.

-AFP/ac

Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/1128998/1/.html

patchay

May 15th, 2011, 05:23 PM

Flights delayed in Malaysia airport blackout

This is a joke of the century. And as expected there was a widespread online condemnation and blaming the government for making it happen again due to corruption. :lol:

Meanwhile, a major natural disaster struck KL this afternoon causing some floods and trees collapsing. When combo lightning strike, some people shouted "I don't want to die...". :lol:

http://thestar.com.my/archives/editorspick/images/jlnkuching1505.jpg

from: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/15/nation/20110515174439&sec=nation

Strong winds also blew off the roof of the Jalan Duta Hockey Stadium where a match was ongoing and City Hall promptly sent a rescue squad to check on the damage.

xxxriainxxx

May 15th, 2011, 05:36 PM

This is a joke of the century. And as expected there was a widespread online condemnation and blaming the government for making it happen again due to corruption. :lol:

Meanwhile, a major natural disaster struck KL this afternoon causing some floods and trees collapsing. When combo lightning strike, some people shouted "I don't want to die...". :lol:

http://thestar.com.my/archives/editorspick/images/jlnkuching1505.jpg

LOL so it's only a minor thing. :lol::lol:

Flash floods hit parts of KL (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/5/15/nation/20110515174439&sec=nation)
By BAVANI M and JADE CHAN

KUALA LUMPUR: A heavy rainstorm late Sunday afternoon caused flash floods that slowed traffic in many parts of the city.

Segambut was the hardest hit and motorists were stuck in a jam for over an hour in areas like Jalan Duta, Jalan Ipoh and Jalan Kuching as several trees, uprooted during the storm, blocked traffic.

In Jalan Duta near the turnoff to Jalan Semantan, a car was stuck with water reaching window-level.

The Kuala Lumpur City Hall Disaster Unit, however, recorded the most complaints of uprooted trees and broken branches in Jalan Segambut and Segambut Dalam.

A landslip was also reported in Segambut Bahagia.

Strong winds also blew off the roof of the Jalan Duta Hockey Stadium where a match was ongoing and City Hall promptly sent a rescue squad to check on the damage.

Meanwhile, Segambut BN Chairman Jayanthi Devi Balaguru said a road widening project along Jalan Segambut might have caused the massive flooding in Segambut area.

Over in Petaling Jaya, a flash flood along the LDP Expressway in front of The Curve forced traffic to slow down and resulted in a backlog of vehicles in the surrounding area.

The storm also toppled several trees and a couple of billboards near the Kota Damansara Toll exit on the NKVE Expressway.

A Quick Response Team was sent to deal with uprooted trees in SS22 and Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) Public Complaints Unit director Tengku Nazaruddin Zainudin said.

xxxriainxxx

May 15th, 2011, 05:46 PM

That's like normal in Manila during heavy rain. :lol:

patchay

May 15th, 2011, 05:50 PM

LOL so it's only a minor thing. :lol::lol:

Yeah it's a small thing but you know the people here have never experience big natural disasters. The worst so far is haze, floods, flash floods, used to be some landslides, maybe deseases such as SARS and JE are the worst.

The worst disaster is actually "politics". Everyday our politicians talking about Christianity vs Islam, Malay vs Chinese and Anwar Anwar and his sex video. Truly Lame Asia indeed! :lol:

A timebomb in the nation. Just google to read more of these lame stories.

Fresh religious tensions brewing in Malaysia
(AP) – 6 days ago
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ha_x_yqs1UH411h4htdT3Do3usSg?docId=c7be689860c244e88778a33fc500a398

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia's government sought to defuse new religious tensions Monday following allegations that church leaders were conspiring to make Christianity the official religion in this Muslim-majority country.

Christian officials insist the accusation is a lie intended to create suspicion between ethnic Malay Muslims and religious minorities, but several Muslim activists have filed police complaints demanding an investigation into what they consider a threat to the position of Islam.

A string of religious disputes in recent years, often involving minority complaints of discrimination, has triggered persistent feelings of insecurity among both Malaysian Muslims and minorities about their religious rights in a country that prides itself on multiethnic peace.

The allegation by two anonymous political bloggers about a plot by Christian leaders received little attention until the country's leading Malay-language newspaper reported it on its front page Saturday under the headline "Malaysia a Christian nation?"

The Utusan Malaysia newspaper is owned by Prime Minister Najib Razak's Malay-dominated ruling party. It said dozens of pastors were believed to have pledged at a recent meeting to make Christianity the official religion of Malaysia and have a prime minister elected from the Christian community, which comprises about 10 percent of Malaysia's 28 million people.

Najib said late Sunday authorities will investigate the claim, but stressed the issue should not be sensationalized.

"Calm down until we get the facts," Najib said. "If there is anyone who tries to jeopardize national peace, we will not allow it to happen because what is important is national harmony."

Christian groups acknowledge there was a meeting last week, but say it was meant to honor some Christian pastors and discuss regular religious issues, not politics.

The accusations are "insidious, provocative and malicious lies" that have "the effect of creating religious disharmony, inciting hatred and heaping odium on Christians," Archbishop Murphy Pakiam, who heads the Catholic Church in peninsular Malaysia, said in a statement.

Opposition politician Lim Guan Eng warned Monday that the government would have to "bear full responsibility for any undesirable consequences on the Christian community in Malaysia" because of Utusan's report.

Tensions surged briefly last January when 11 churches suffered firebomb attacks and vandalism amid anger among some Muslims over a court verdict allowing minorities to use "Allah" as a translation for God. Some Muslims say the use of "Allah" in Christian literature could be used to convert Muslims, who comprise nearly two-thirds of the population.

patchay

May 16th, 2011, 08:33 AM

Probably ASEAN developing nations can make itself more attractive by:

^^ i think i left out this news last week, presumably it could have some impact on the attractiveness of ASEAN as an investment destination in general.

The government has to attract US$444 billion before 2020, in order for Malaysia to become a nation in the same category as Taiwan and S.Korea. The countdown clock shows 9 more years.

Anyhow, stay tuned for today's biz news later this evening...

Malaysia to reduce income tax?
By Ben Tan | Business Times | May 6, 2011
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/ben10f/Article/index_html

JOHOR BAHRU: The government is considering reducing corporate and individual taxes in the Budget 2012 to be tabled in October. :banana:

http://www.btimes.com.my/articles/ben10f/pix_middle

Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai said the tax reductions could be made once the implementation of the long-awaited goods and services tax (GST) takes place.

"There are more than 225 countries in the world that have already implemented the GST and Malaysia too will implement it soon,'' he said after launching Pantech Stainless & Alloy Industries Sdn Bhd's new RM100 million factory in Pasir Gudang Industrial Estate here yesterday.

Also present at the event were Pantech group executive chairman and managing director Datuk Jimmy Chew Ting Leng, group deputy managing director Datuk Goh Teoh Kean and Johor International Trade, Industry, Energy, Water, Communication and Environment committee chairman Tan Kok Hong.

Lim said with the GST in place, the government is hoping to reduce the country's deficit level to between 2.8 per cent and 3 per cent by 2015 from 5 per cent currently.

Business communities and industries, he said, could expect some good news in Budget 2012 as the government sees the private sector as the main economic driver to help transform Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020.

The deputy minister also said that there will be more incentives for investors and business communities, but declined to give details as they will be announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in October.

Najib, who is also Finance Minister, will chair the Consultative Meeting session with players from the industries next Tuesday to discuss matters related to businesses in Malaysia.

"At present, we (the government) welcome feedback from all business communities, especially the private sector, to put forward their views, suggestions or proposals, to be included in Budget 2012," Lim said.

The government is serious in getting feedback on the problems or challenges faced by the business communities, including the problem of employing local skilled workers.

"For Malaysia to become a developed nation by 2020, 40 per cent of the country's total workforce must be skilled workers... at present, only 29 per cent of them are skilled workers," he said, adding that the country's manufacturing sector has to reduce its dependency on foreign workers by offering better salaries to locals.

patchay

May 16th, 2011, 06:09 PM

Philippines' pancake expands in KL... and Malaysian hainanese chicken rice went to Manila...

Is this the new spirit of ASEAN? :cheers:

Philippines' Pancake House teams up with Malaysia's The Chicken Rice Shop
By Cheryl Yvonne Achu
Business Times | May 12, 2011
http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/PanHse/Article/index_html

KUALA LUMPUR: Pancake House Inc (PHI), a leader in the casual dining segment, plans to open two Pancake House outlets in Malaysia by year-end.

"We are going to open one or two more outlets, looking at the great business potential in the food and beverage industry in this country," its president Martin Lorenzo said.

The company yesterday inked an agreement with The Chicken Rice Shop Sdn Bhd (TCRS) to open its first outlet in Malaysia. :banana:

The cost for the new outlet is not more than RM500,000.

Lorenzo said PHI is pleased to enter the Malaysian market in partnership with TCRS.

"With the proven expertise of TCRS and their in-depth knowledge of the local food and beverage industry, we are sure that our relationship will open up many more growth avenues," he said.

TCRS chief operating officer Wong Kah Lin is confident that the partnership will prove fruitful and help bring the Pancake House International brand to greater heights in the region.

"Pancake House International is a good stream of business for TCRS," she said.

It is known for its specialty pancakes with warm and friendly atmosphere, combining a comfortable dining experience with quality sevice.

"I believe the menu served here will meet the taste of the people in this country even though the dishes are originally prepared in the Philippines," Lorenzo said.

Currently, PHI has more than 90 restaurants in the country.

Last month, TCRS opened its first outlet in Manila and will open two or three more this year in partnership with Pancake House.

patchay

May 17th, 2011, 04:00 AM

A repost from Asian Economic and Business Forum: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=952252

State of the Economy
All data were generated in May 2011 on http://www.google.com/publicdata/directory.
All data were based on official International Monetary Fund World Economic Outlook April 2011 and World Bank's World Development Indicators.
MORE COMING SOON... :banana:

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/ASEANStats_1.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/ASEANStats_2.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/ASEANStats_3.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/ASEANStats_4.jpg

http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc425/patchay/ASEANStats_5.jpg

R&D in ASIA
QUALITY OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS
World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report - Research Institutions
Global Ranking of East Asia & Middle East Nations:

Singapore - 12
Japan - 15
Taiwan - 18
South Korea - 22
India - 25
Malaysia - 28
Qatar - 32
Hong Kong - 34
China - 35
Saudi Arabia - 37
Indonesia - 43
Sri Lanka - 45
United Arab Emirates - 53
Thailand - 60
Oman - 63
Vietnam - 64
Jordan - 70
Turkey - 71
Kazakhstan - 80
Pakistan - 81
Kuwait - 83
Mauritius - 85
Tajikistan - 88
Brunei Darussalam - 97
Philippines - 102
Mongolia - 106
Cambodia - 107
Bangladesh - 108
Syria - 110
Bahrain - 112
Nepal - 127
Timor Leste - 132

Malaysia is not a developed nation yet. Far from it but on track to achieve it if everything goes well. In macroeconomics, it is still a developing nation. In industrial economics, we are considered a newly industrialised Asian economy. In capital markets, it will be advanced emerging market this year.

As an example, our GNI per capita (not GDP per capita) hasn't reached the global threshold of developed nation, at US$15,000. We are currently around US$8,000. Secondly, our overall HDI hasn't reach >90% or 0.90. We are around 0.75. Poverty rate must be further reduced to around 1%. Our national poverty is currently at 3% or around 200,000 households.

That is also presuming if Malaysia is able to rise in the World Competitiveness Index. Our R&D levels are still relatively low compared to international standards. Our unversities ranking have dropped significantly, when University of Malaya was one of Asia's top uni back in 1970s.

Many other indicators showed similar trend that we are not there yet, but on track to achieve it (based on historical trend) in just under 10 years, if everything goes well.