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In today’s bulletin: Indonesia braces for a possible coronavirus outbreak, South Korea declares war on the virus, non-Malays worry about their future under the new government, is HK vital enough to the US?, Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupts, and more

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INDONESIA BRACES FOR AN OUTBREAK, SOUTH KOREA DECLARES WAR ON CORONAVIRUS

Members of the Indonesian government are calling for stronger containment measures to be enforced as the country faces the possibility of coronavirus outbreak after it confirmed its first two cases on Monday. 

A house member overseeing health, workforce, and population issues said the government had failed to conduct proper screening to keep the virus from entering the country.

The government also announced it would build a hospital on an island near Singapore to treat coronavirus patients.

Meanwhile, China is starting to see imported cases, and has warned overseas citizens to rethink any travel plans back home. Shanghai announced it would quarantine travellers arriving from coronavirus-hit countries. 

And, as domestic travel begins a slow return to normal, airlines are offering tickets for as low as S$18.

The country has dedicated S$21 billion to preventing the spread of coronavirus.

East Asia Editor Goh Sui Noi: Time to treat China’s ailing healthcare system

Read more:

Thai police raided a recycling factory that was selling used face masks as new

South Korea offers drive-thru coronavirus screening as it declared war on the virus after infections approached 5000.

Recent travellers to S. Korea, northern Italy and Iran barred from Singapore; testing for all symptomatic travellers at entry.

UK police investigate a ‘racially motivated’ attack on a Singaporean student in London.

IS HONG KONG VITAL ENOUGH TO THE US TO CONFRONT CHINA?

As the United States government is expected to issue its first annual certification on Hong Kong’s autonomy soon, questions have been raised over whether Hong Kong is important enough for Washington to sour ties with China.

Political watchers The Straits Times spoke with are split but most say the decision will hinge on several factors, including the role of Hong Kong in US interests and if China’s promise of ‘one country, two systems’, where the territory is guaranteed a high degree of autonomy, has been breached.

China said late last year it was China ready to ‘fight back’ over a US Hong Kong Bill supporting protesters after months of demonstrations

Don’t miss: 

The US bills on Hong Kong.

NON-MALAYS WORRIED ABOUT THEIR FUTURE UNDER NEW GOVERNMENT

Some minority Chinese and Indian Malaysian citizens are concerned that the mainly bumiputera-only parties in Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government might leave them under-represented. Analysts say the fears of the non-Malays – who are largely non-Muslims – are somewhat justified given that PAS has never hidden its ambition of pushing for an Islamic state, while Umno has championed rights and privileges of the Malay community.

Meanwhile, PM Muhyiddin attended a briefing on the state of the economy, coronavirus.

He also vowed to have a ‘clean cabinet’.

Read more:

Datuk Seri Azmin Ali emerges from Mahathir and Anwar’s shadow to forge own path in new alliance, and says Malaysians have the right to protest, but must also respect public order.

Malaysia’s March 9 parliamentary meeting must not be postponed, says human rights group.

After Malaysia’s political turmoil, questions over trials in 1MDB scandal.

GOLD WATCH OVERSHADOWS SOUTH KOREAN SECT LEADER’S APOLOGY

When the elderly leader of a South Korean religious sect knelt before the nation on Monday, he had hoped to defuse public anger over his church’s role in spreading the coronavirus.

Yet Lee Man-hee’s apology for the national “calamity” instead whipped up more outrage – due to a watch he was wearing.

The gold-coloured watch, visible on his left wrist, was apparently given by disgraced former President Park Geun-hye, who was impeached and jailed in 2017 for corruption and abuse of power.

Don’t miss:

The Controversies of Shincheonji.

News Editor Zakir Hussain: Shincheonji in Singapore: 2 ex-members share stories of secret classes, lies and deception.

Murder probe sought for South Korea sect.

CHINA HINTS AT RETALIATION OVER US ‘BULLYING’ OF STATE MEDIA

China on Tuesday accused the United States of “bullying” and issued a veiled threat of retaliation after Washington cut the number of Chinese nationals allowed to work for Beijing’s state-run media on American soil.

The US move comes after China expelled three Wall Street Journal reporters late last month, although the US said its decision was based on levelling numbers between the countries rather than retaliating over content.

Don’t miss:

China’s UN ambassador Zhang Jun says inappropriate for US to interfere with work of Chinese journalists.

China summons US embassy official, makes stern representations over Wall Street Journal.

As Sino-US rivalry intensifies, Singapore has to find ways to deepen cooperation with both sides.

IN OTHER NEWS

NORTH KOREA’S KIM JONG UN OVERSAW ARTILLERY DRILL

North Korean state media on Tuesday published pictures of leader Kim Jong Un supervising what it called a “long-range artillery” drill, after Seoul said Pyongyang had launched two short-range ballistic missiles in its first weapons test for months.

The images in the Rodong Sinmun newspaper included pictures of multiple launch rocket systems, and several of a larger calibre rocket being fired from a launcher in a forest.

MOUNT MERAPI ERUPTS:

Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted on Tuesday morning, sending a column of steam and ash more than 6km into the air, prompting a flight warning. In response to the code-red warning, the Adi Soemarmo airport in Solo, Central Java, was temporarily shut. The 2,968m-tall volcano, among the most active in the country, is located around 30km from the city of Yogyakarta in the country’s most densely-populated island of Java.

HANGING OF DELHI BUS RAPISTS POSTPONED INDEFINITELY:  

The execution of four men convicted of the brutal gang-rape and murder of a student on a New Delhi bus in 2012 was indefinitely postponed by a court on Monday.

The special court last month ruled the men were to be hanged on Tuesday, but postponed the execution after one of them filed a mercy plea – the last remedy for death row convicts in India – to the president.

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading and we’ll be back with you tomorrow.  

Tom

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