SINGAPORE: Nine new COVID-19 cases were reported in Singapore as of noon on Friday (Oct 16), including eight imported infections.
The remaining case was discovered in a foreign worker dormitory. No new cases in the community were reported.
All eight imported cases were placed on stay-home notices or isolated upon their arrival in Singapore, said the Ministry of Health (MOH) in its daily preliminary update.
The new infections take Singapore's total number of COVID-19 cases to 57,901.
Details of the new cases will be released on Friday night, said MOH.
SAVING BUSINESSES AND JOBS
Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat on Thursday said in Parliament that with the scale of the COVID-19 crisis, the Government may not be able to save every business and job, but it will continue to support every worker.
As some jobs “may never return”, Mr Heng urged mid-career professionals to consider changing industry and taking pay cuts to put themselves “in a better footing” after the crisis.
He also called on companies to be “receptive” to hiring mid-career workers, who come with their “wealth of experience”.
The COVID-19 pandemic has dragged Singapore’s economy into its most severe downturn since independence, as the Ministry of Manpower recorded 11,350 retrenchments in the first half of the year.
According to the ministry, this is higher than the 10,120 recorded during the SARS period, but still lower than other recessionary peaks.
On Thursday, the Transport Ministry also announced that Singapore and Hong Kong have reached an in-principle agreement to establish a bilateral air travel bubble.
This means that those travelling under the bubble will have no restrictions on their travel purpose and will not need to have a controlled itinerary. Travellers will also not be subject to quarantine or stay-home notice requirements.
However, travellers will need to test negative on mutually recognised COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. They will also be required to go on flights dedicated for those travelling under the bubble.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian king on Friday (Oct 16) urged all citizens, especially politicians, to self-reflect together and not allow the country to be pulled back into political turmoil.
This is especially important when the country is faced with multiple problems and a difficult future as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he added.
In a statement issued by palace comptroller Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, King Al-Sultan Abdullah Ri'ayatuddin Al-Mustafa Billah Shah reiterated that Malaysian Members of Parliament (MPs) should show political maturity, and to understand and take to heart the citizens’ concerns, and not neglect their welfare.
He previously espoused a similar message when the Lower House convened in May.
“His Majesty reiterates that politicians should not end their differences in opinion with enmity, but solve problems through consultation and the legal processes enshrined in the Federal Constitution,” the statement said.
The king also decreed that all mosques throughout Malaysia carry out special prayers for the COVID-19 pandemic to be contained effectively and speedily.
“His Majesty also advises all citizens to continue playing their respective roles and be disciplined in adhering to the standard operating procedures and new normal practices to help the authorities, in fighting the COVID-19 spread for personal safety and the country’s welfare,” according to the statement.
The king was reportedly supposed to meet with leaders of Malaysia’s major political parties, after a meeting with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim on Tuesday. This was after the latter claimed that he had more than 120 MPs backing him to take over as prime minister from incumbent Muhyiddin Yassin.
However, the palace later said Mr Anwar had only provided the number of legislators who he said backed his bid, and not their identities.
Currently, the palace has postponed all appointments due to a two-week conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) instituted in the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, as well as the surrounding Selangor state, which went into effect on Wednesday.
KUALA LUMPUR (THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - Three men may determine what happens in Putrajaya in the coming weeks.
Two harbour hopes of becoming the next prime minister whereas the third has been prime minister twice.
Umno veteran leader Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim are basically staring down each other for the premiership while former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has thrown his support behind one of them.
It is quite evident by now that Razaleigh, or Ku Li as he better known, and Dr Mahathir have joined forces to stop Anwar from claiming the prime minister job.
"We are looking at the coming together of two former adversaries to defeat Anwar," said Azmi Anshar, a media consultant and an insider to recent political developments.
A group photo of Dr Mahathir, Ku Li and Dr Mahathir's wife Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohd Ali (Ku Li and Siti Hasmah are holding hands, by the way) has been making the rounds.
The message they are sending out is that despite their problematic history, the two men have bonded over a common enemy.
They are old rivals but also equals in a way - Dr Mahathir calls Razaleigh "Li" while Razaleigh is one of the very few politicians around who addresses the elder man as "Mahathir".
Azmi said the publication of Razaleigh's letter urging the Dewan Rakyat Speaker to expedite a motion of no confidence against Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that Dr Mahathir had submitted back in March was a deliberate move.
"It was done with a purpose. At one level, it is aimed at Muhyiddin. At another level, it is to clear the air and dispel claims out there that his audience with the King was in support of Anwar.
"Ku Li is not with Anwar. He is telling Anwar and Muhyiddin that the constitutional way out of the impasse is to put the numbers to a test in Parliament," said Azmi.
According to Azmi, Ku Li may be looking to form a "unity government" comprising political parties as well as individual MPs.
There is a big Malay power play going on and it involves several groups, each pushing their own agenda and objective.
Apart from the Anwar takeover bid and the Mahathir-Ku Li blockade, Umno is flexing its muscles in the background.
It is learnt that Umno has issued a multi-pronged ultimatum to the Prime Minister.
The first demand is to appoint a deputy prime minister from Umno on the grounds that the party is the biggest in the ruling coalition.
It is obvious that the demand is to position the party for the top job after the next general election.
The second demand is for a mini Cabinet reshuffle to accord more "grassroots portfolios" to Umno.
Umno also wants the Prime Minister to set up a presidential council so that all parties can give input on important policies.
Umno leaders have been unhappy about what they regard as inconsequential portfolios given to its ministers while Bersatu ministers were given portfolios like rural development and agriculture.
"We were patient but we won't be bullied anymore. What happened in Sabah was an important lesson.
"They (Bersatu) took our seats, they put independents against us, then they took the Chief Minister post," said an Umno warlord from Melaka.
An Umno insider said the deputy prime minister post need not necessarily go to party president Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"From what I understand, the party has indicated that it should go to "someone senior" and who has the experience for the job.
"It could be Zahid, Mat Hasan (deputy president Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan), Ismail Sabri (vice-president Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri) or even Datuk Seri Annuar Musa," said the insider.
Johor Umno deputy chairman Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said the tough stance his party president has taken of late has "100 per cent support" from the party grassroots.
"This is not about his court case. Zahid has tried to accommodate the government but from now on, we want him to be firm about what the party wants," said Nur Jazlan.
Umno leaders at the political bureau meeting were reluctant to confirm it, but it was learnt that Zahid admitted issuing a "support letter" to Anwar for the latter's audience with the King.
The meeting accepted his explanation that it was a "tactical move" to show Umno can be the kingmaker and that without Umno MPs, neither side will have the numbers to form the government.
"It has been a crazy week in politics. Now we know who our friends and enemies are, as well as the frogs and snakes," said Umno supreme council member and Kok Lanas assemblyman Datuk Alwi Che Ahmad.
Like many in Umno, Alwi was taken aback by Ku Li's move.
Ku Li is an adviser to Umno, but the party was not in the loop about what the Kelantan prince was up to.
But that is Ku Li - he has a mind of his own and is not afraid to say and do what he thinks is right.
The irony about Ku Li and Anwar is that the premiership has been that elusive dream for both.
Or as Alwi put it, the pair "kena game" by Dr Mahathir. By that, he meant that Dr Mahathir had "played out" the two men at certain chapters of their career.
The Malay power play is still unfolding and the end is not in sight.
However, things may reach a critical juncture during the Budget session of Parliament when Muhyiddin will need to muster the votes to get Budget 2021 approved.
A perfect storm is swirling around Muhyiddin. The seasoned politician has weathered many storms, but can he ride out through this one?
The writer is a columnist with The Star. The paper is a member of The Straits Times media partner Asia News Network, an alliance of 24 news media titles.
MIAMI/PHILADELPHIA: Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden on Thursday (Oct 16) criticised what he called President Donald Trump's "panicked" response to the coronavirus pandemic, while Trump defended his handling of a crisis that has killed more than 216,000 Americans.
The rivals spoke in simultaneous town halls broadcast on separate television networks after a debate originally scheduled for Thursday was called off following Trump's COVID-19 election.
The split-screen showdown offered a stark reminder of the many ways the campaign season has been changed by a pandemic that has prompted more than 18 million people to cast ballots more than two weeks before Election Day on Nov 3.
Biden, speaking to voters in Philadelphia on ABC, blamed the Republican president for concealing the deadliness of the virus that has killed more than 216,000 people in the United States.
"He said he didn't tell anybody because he was afraid Americans would panic," Biden said. "Americans don't panic. He panicked."
Trump defended both his response to the pandemic as well as his own personal conduct, including staging a Rose Garden event at the White House where few wore masks or practised social distancing, which resulted in numerous attendees contracting the disease.
"Hey, I'm president - I have to see people, I can't be in a basement," Trump said on NBC in front of an outdoor audience of voters in Miami, implicitly criticising Biden for spending months off the campaign trail as the pandemic raged.
He did not answer questions about the last time he tested negative before getting the virus, saying he did not recall precisely.
Trump, who aggressively interrupted Biden during a chaotic debate two weeks ago, showed little interest in altering his belligerent tone, sparring frequently with moderator Samantha Guthrie.
He said he "heard different stories" about the efficacy of masks, even though his own administration's public health experts have said wearing them is key to stopping the spread of the virus.
The president declined to denounce QAnon, the false conspiracy theory that Democrats are part of a global paedophile ring, first praising its adherents for opposing paedophilia before saying he knew nothing about the movement.
Trump also dodged questions about a New York Times investigation of two decades of his tax returns, which he has refused to release publicly despite decades of precedent for presidential candidates.
He appeared to confirm the paper's report that he has some US$400 million in personally guaranteed loans, arguing that the amount was a "peanut" compared with his worth. He also did not deny the Times' report that he paid only US$750 in federal income tax during his first year in the White House, although he said at one point the paper's numbers were "wrong".
EARLY VOTING SURGE
The second presidential debate had originally been scheduled for Thursday, but Trump pulled out of the event after organisers decided to turn it into a virtual affair following his diagnosis two weeks ago. A final debate is still scheduled for Oct 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Trump, who spent three days in a military hospital but has since returned to the campaign trail, is trying to alter the dynamics of the race. Reuters/Ipsos polls show Biden has a significant national lead, although his advantage in battleground states is less pronounced.
North Carolina, a highly competitive state, saw huge lines as it began more than two weeks of in-person early voting on Thursday, following record turnout in Georgia and Texas earlier in the week.
About 18.3 million Americans have voted either in person or by mail so far, representing 12.9 per cent of the total votes counted in the 2016 general election, according to the US Elections Project at the University of Florida.
Voters are seeking to avoid in-person lines on Election Day to stay safe as coronavirus infections and hospitalisations continue to rise, but also to make sure their ballots will count. Many are concerned that Trump will challenge widely used mail-in ballots, after his repeated claims without evidence that they were fraudulent.
SUPREME COURT BATTLE
The Senate confirmation hearings for Amy Coney Barrett, Trump's nominee for a vacant Supreme Court seat, prompted careful answers from both candidates. Republicans have pushed to seat Barrett before the election after refusing to do so for former Democratic President Barack Obama's nominee in 2016, saying it was inappropriate in an election year.
Biden said he was not a "fan" of court-packing, the idea promoted by some Democrats of adding justices to countermand what they view as a stolen seat. But he declined to rule it out after moderator George Stephanopoulos pressed him, saying: "It depends on how this turns out."
Trump would not say whether he would like to see abortion rights invalidated, an outcome that many legal scholars believe is more likely with the conservative Barrett on the court.
"I think that she's going to make a great decision," he said. "I did not tell her what decision to make."
US$1.5 BILLION
In a sign of Democratic determination to defeat Trump, a massive amount of money has poured into the party's coffers in recent months.
Democratic fundraising organisation ActBlue said on Thursday it collected US$1.5 billion online from July to September, the most it had ever raised in one quarter. By comparison, major Republican fundraising platform WinRed said on Monday that it collected US$623.5 million in the same period.
Biden's campaign collected US$383 million in September, setting a new record for a US campaign for the second consecutive month. The Trump campaign has not released its monthly figures.
Both candidates have been visiting battleground states this week, with Trump holding rallies in Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa and Biden travelling to Ohio and Florida.
BANGKOK: From shops, offices and schools they spilt onto a Bangkok street in their tens of thousands, voicing shock and anger and defiance.
Thailand's government had announced emergency measures to ban gatherings of five or more people to try to end three months of protests. The response was one of the biggest demonstrations so far, in the heart of the capital.
About 10,000 Thai protesters gathered on Thursday (Oct 15), chanting "Prayut get out!" and "Free our friends!" as they confronted police at Ratchaprasong, a busy junction in central Bangkok.
"You push us into the corner like a dog," one of the few prominent activist leaders not in custody, Panupong "Mike" Jadnok, told the crowd.
"And with our backs against the wall, we'll bite back with nothing to lose," he said.
Thailand protesters hold up flashlights on phones during a demonstration in Bangkok on Oct 15, 2020, after Thailand issued an emergency decree stopping gatherings. (Photo: Jack Taylor/AFP)
As night fell, protesters waved their lit-up mobile phones in the air.
Thousands sat on plastic sheets on the road snacking on street food while scores more watched from overhead walkways. Many said they would return on Friday evening.
A man reacts during anti-government protests in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct 15, 2020.. (Photo: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)
"I'm not afraid. Emergency or not, I have no freedom," said 26-year-old illustrator Thanatpohn Dejkunchorn, who left work early to attend the protest with friends. "I want freedom to exist in this country. I want it to be free from this vicious cycle."
Protests have built since mid-July in the biggest challenge in years to the political establishment - seeking the removal of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former military leader, and to curb the powers of King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
"We have to create understanding with the protesters," government spokesman Anucha Burapachaisri told Reuters, complaining that protest leaders were not giving protesters "complete information".
Police said they would arrest all protesters, though they did not explain how they would charge tens of thousands of people.
The Royal Palace has declined to comment on the protesters or their demands.
People gesture at a man lying on the ground during anti-government protests in Bangkok, Thailand on Oct 15, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)
Until Wednesday, the government had largely allowed demonstrations to happen, while making no sign of meeting protesters' demands.
But that changed after an incident in which protesters jeered Queen Suthida's motorcade as she and the king were paying a rare visit from Europe, where they spend most of their time.
The government cited the risks to national security and the economy from protests, as well as the danger of spreading coronavirus, as reasons for imposing emergency measures.
The government then launched a crackdown early on Thursday, sweeping away a camp set up outside Prayut's office and arresting three protest leaders - among around 40 arrests in the past week.
Later, student leaders took to social media to urge supporters to take to the streets.
Among those who turned out were high school students, who covered the ID tags on their uniforms with duct tape.
"EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY POWER"
"It's obvious that the state wants to exercise excessive and unnecessary power on people," said 22-year-old student Pattanun Arunpreechawat, who joined Thursday's protest after studies.
People are seen during anti-government protests in Bangkok, Thailand October 15, 2020.. (Photo: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)
"I want democracy for my country," said Katherine, a 13-year-old attending her first protest. "I want to be a part of big change."
Police estimated 10,000 people attended the rally. Demonstrators began to disperse at 10pm local time.
"All of these people who assembled today - their actions are against the law," deputy police spokesman Colonel Kissana Phathanacharoen told AFP.
He said it was up to the authorities on who to pursue legal action.
A protester makes a white ribbon as a symbol of peace in front of a police officer during anti-government protests in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct 15, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)
Protesters want to oust Prayut, who first took power in a 2014 coup, saying he engineered election rules last year to keep his position - an accusation he denies. Breaking a longstanding taboo, protesters have also challenged the monarchy - saying it has helped entrench decades of military influence.
They gathered in the shadow of upmarket shopping malls and shiny tower blocks that are home to multinationals and other businesses in Southeast Asia's second-biggest economy.
But the Ratchaprasong Intersection also has a historic resonance for protesters. In 2010, it was the scene of bloodshed as security forces cracked down on Red Shirts who battled pro-establishment Yellow Shirts during a decade of turmoil.
"I'm not afraid. I've been chased by guns," said beef noodle seller Thawat Kijkunasatien, 57, a veteran of the bloody crackdown a decade ago and another in 1992.
"Wherever the kids go, I go," he said at the protest while sipping a can of beer.
One characteristic of the latest Thai protests has been the extent to which they are led by students and other young people. Most protest leaders are in their 20s, but an even younger generation is following.
From giving the three-finger salute of protest when the national anthem plays at school to tying white ribbons in their hair and on school bags as symbols of protest, high school students have rallied to the campaign.
People show the three-finger salute as they protest against the government in Bangkok, Thailand, on Oct 15, 2020. (Photo: REUTERS/Soe Zeya Tun)
Many left school to join Thursday's protest - among them 18-year-old Tan, who came along after finishing school exams. He declined to give his full name for fear of reprisals.
"I make sure I’m prepared for exams before I go to protests. I have to give importance to both things," he said. "We can’t let it go on like this, or it will never end."
While details are still being worked out, people could be travelling between both places in several weeks.
Here are some answers to commonly asked questions:
Q: Who can apply?
Anyone who has lived 14 days in the territory of either party, regardless of age and nationality, will be eligible to travel, said Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung on Thursday (Oct 15).
The only exception so far, at the request of Hong Kong, said Mr Ong, are the foreign workers living in dorms in Singapore.
He said that "in the interest of getting this started, we will probably exclude that group first", but as the situation continues to stabilise, they may be included in time.
There will be a quota on the number of flights plying both sides, but neither side has revealed numbers.
Details such as how close to the flights the tests would have to be carried out, and which airlines can get involved, have also not been finalised.
Mr Ong said that people will get to travel on a first-come, first-served basis, just like with most flights to other places.
There is more demand than supply so it all depends on "fastest fingers first", he added.
The launch date of the Singapore-Hong Kong air travel bubble, and other implementation details like how to apply for it, will be announced later.
Q: When will flights be launched and how much will they cost?
Mr Ong said the price of flights will be "a commercial decision".
"This is a very busy sector and I'm sure the airlines will price them accordingly."
Travellers under the air travel bubble will also have to take mutually recognised Covid-19 polymerase chain reaction tests, and test negative for the coronavirus.
This is similar to the requirements for the arrangements Singapore has with other cities.
The Straits Times previously reported that such tests cost $186.
Mr Ong said a key factor in making such travel arrangement decisions is ensuring that there are low incidence rates in both territories.
"We monitor (cities') data over several weeks, months, and notice that they have very successfully controlled the virus," he said.
Hong Kong also has an impressive record, Mr Ong noted.
"I think between Singapore and Hong Kong, our risk profile is the same... The risk of a Hong Konger bringing the virus into Changi is not very different from someone coming from Jurong."
However, he noted that both parties will have to "agree to a certain incidence rate that health officials on both sides are comfortable with".
A second wave of Covid-19 cases is a possibility, and if it happens, "the agreement must have an ability to be scaled back at very short notice".
Q: How are air travel bubbles different from the other schemes in place?
Air travel bubbles are for general travellers and have no requirements for a controlled itinerary.
Under this agreement, there will also be no restrictions on segments of the population or purpose of travel on both sides.
Other schemes in place, such as bilateral green lane arrangements, are for essential business and official travel.
Unilateral border openings, which are one-sided, "safely lift our border restrictions for these countries and regions, and welcome their travellers", Mr Ong said in Parliament previously.
Countries in this group are New Zealand, Brunei, Australia - excluding Victoria state - and Vietnam.
Visitors have to apply for the Air Travel Pass that allows all forms of short-term travel, including leisure travel.
"Their governments will decide if and when to reciprocate for travellers from Singapore. Once they do that, aviation links between us would have been restored... Although the other countries are not ready to lift their restrictions now, Singapore can be top of mind when they are ready eventually," said Mr Ong.
