SYDNEY, May 21 – Australia gave 7,500 boatpeople until October to prove they are genuine refugees or be kicked out, declaring the “game is up” for illegal arrivals ripping off taxpayers. Before the conservatives took power and adopted a tough line on the issue in 2013, an estimated 50,000 asylum-seekers flooded into
SINGAPORE, May 20 – After a much-anticipated wait, Southeast Asia’s first Apple store will finally open for business on May 27 at 10am along Orchard Road, Singapore. The opening date was announced late Tuesday night in a notice pasted outside the tech giant’s upcoming store at Knightsbridge Mall. This came two
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 – The ringgit is expected to stay firm at around the 4.30 level to the US dollar next week, driven by the positive Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth spillover effect. The encouraging GDP data for the first quarter 2017 (1Q17) released by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) on
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 – Twenty-one police personnel have been arrested nationwide under the ‘Ops Kabaddi’ operation to nab policemen suspected of protecting perpetrators of crime, including drug trafficking syndicates. Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Noor Rashid Ibrahim said today all the suspects had been arrested under the Security Offences (Special
GEORGE TOWN, May 20 – The Ministry of Health is to propose drafting legislation to regulate Managed Care Organisations (MCO) and Third Party Administrators (TPA) under the provisions of the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998. Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam said the ministry would look into all areas and
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 – Since its inception 30 years ago, the Asia Pacific Roundtable (APR) has faced challenges in putting together topics to be discussed at highly-anticipated meetings to ensure its relevance to the region while trying to avoid being repetitive at the same time. The APR has consistently maintained
KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 – Bank Negara Malaysia is not ruling out the possibility of introducing another round of measures, if needed, to deepen Malaysia’s financial market, says Governor Datuk Seri Muhammad Ibrahim. For now, he said the central bank was in the midst of analysing the outcome of two measures that
KUCHING, May 20 – The Sarawak Barisan Nasional will hold a meeting in due course to decide on its preparation and candidate for the Pujut state by-election, said Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg. Abang Johari, who is the state BN chairman, said the coalition was not in a hurry
MANILA, May 19 – Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has signed an executive order that will impose a wide-ranging ban on smoking in public, reinforcing some of the toughest anti-tobacco measures in Asia. Smoking and selling cigarettes will be banned in all enclosed public places, as well as within 100m of schools, parks
PUTRAJAYA, May 19 – A man suspected to be an intermediary was remanded today for six days to assist in the investigation into the alleged protection money racket in Malacca. Magistrate Nadia Othman issued the remand order against the 32-year-old man upon an application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission at the Putrajaya
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 – Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) is taking aggressive measures to combat illegal financial schemes as part of the central bank’s zero tolerance policy on operators and investors knowingly participating in illegal financial activities. Governor Datuk Seri Muhammad Ibrahim said, as at May 2, 2017, 238 suspicious accounts were
SEPANG, May 19 – Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) is open to any potential partners to participate in its the wholly-owned Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (ISG) and add value to the assets of the airport. Managing Director Datuk Badlisham Ghazali said the company had already added value to the airport by
KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 – Malaysia’s economy recorded robust growth of 5.6% in the first quarter of this year (1Q17) against the 4.1% registered in the same quarter of 2016, boosted by strong domestic demand and private expenditure. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) Governor Datuk Seri Muhammad Ibrahim said growth for the just
SEOUL, May 19 – Thousands of men in their Sunday best and women in colourful traditional dress lined the streets of Pyongyang to give the scientists and workers behind North Korea’s latest missile test a hero’s welcome, state media reported Friday. “People’s enthusiastic welcome for defence science warriors,” ran a front-page
TOKYO, May 19 – The Japanese government on Friday approved a one-off bill allowing ageing Emperor Akihito to step down from the Chrysanthemum Throne, in the first such abdication in two centuries. The bill will now be sent to parliament for debate and likely swift final approval, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga
HONG KONG, May 19 – The School of Chinese Medicine (SCM) of Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) is conducting a space life science study aboard China’s first cargo spacecraft, Tianzhou-1, which was launched last month. HKBU is the only institution of higher education outside the Mainland to conduct scientific research aboard
PHNOM PENH, May 19 – The University of Cambodia (UC) has named its business school after AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes. UC unveiled the Tony Fernandes School of Business and its accompanying logo on the eighth floor of the main campus building last Wednesday. A lecture hall in the same building, which
SINGAPORE, May 19 – This year marks the debut participation of the Taiwan Excellence Pavilion at CommunicAsia 2017. Companies like Acer, Advantech, ASUS, Planet and VIVOTEK, and 14 Taiwan Excellence Award winning brands will be showcasing their latest technologies and innovations in the areas of artificial intelligence, green energy and
BEIJING, May 18 – China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) took a step towards easing tensions in the South China Sea, state media reported Thursday, agreeing to a framework for a “code of conduct” to prevent incidents in the disputed waters. The competing claims to the sea, which is
GEORGE TOWN, May 18 – State local government, traffic management and flood mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow today announced a RM1.85mil water retention pond project to be built on an open space beside Hilir Sungai Pinang, Penang, to overcome flooding in the area. The work on the project on a 0.8ha plot had been started on March
