US-led Indo-Pacific talks produce deal on supply chain early warnings - CNA

DETROIT: Trade ministers of 14 countries in the US-led Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) talks "substantially completed" negotiations on an agreement to make supply chains more resilient and secure, US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said on Saturday (May 27).

The "first of its kind" agreement calls for countries to form a council to coordinate supply chain activities and a "Crisis Response Network" to give early warnings to IPEF countries of potential supply disruptions, Raimondo told a news conference following a ministerial meeting in Detroit.

The deal provides an emergency communications channel for IPEF countries to seek support during supply chain disruptions, coordinate more closely during a crisis and recover more quickly.

Raimondo cited shortages of semiconductors during the COVID-19 pandemic that shut down American auto production, idling thousands of workers.

"I can tell you I would have loved to have had that Crisis Response Network during COVID. It absolutely would have helped us secure American jobs and keep supply chains moving," she said.

The supply chains agreement, led by Commerce, marks the first tangible outcome of a year's worth of IPEF discussions. But it is just one the four "pillars" of the IPEF talks.

The other pillars - trade, climate transition, and labour and inclusiveness - are more complex and expected to take longer to negotiate.

The supply chains agreement also includes a new labour rights advisory board aimed at raising labour standards in supply chains, consisting of government, worker, and employer representatives, the Commerce Department said.

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2023-05-27 19:03:00Z
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Toddler tantrum almost forces family off Langkawi-KL flight, airline cites safety regulations - The Straits Times

PETALING JAYA - An airline cited safety regulations for almost forcing a family to disembark from a Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur flight recently.

The incident on Wednesday went viral after a man claimed on Facebook that his family was almost removed from the MYAirline flight because his two-year-old child was not properly seated and buckled up as the plane was getting ready for take off.

He claimed the cabin crew refused to provide an infant belt or seat belt extender to allow the child – who had just turned two years old – to sit with the mother, as it was “against policy”.

The man said his child was distraught and would not remain seated with the seat belt buckled, which prompted the cabin crew to repeatedly remind him to keep the child seated.

After a brief argument, the cabin crew consulted the pilot who announced over the plane that the family would have to be removed if they did not follow the instructions.

The man said they managed to comply in the end despite protests and crying from his child, and the take-off was successful.

He added that the whole incident was embarrassing and that a group of ground staff also tried to convince them to delete video clips of the incident after they landed.

“In conclusion, if you plan to travel with MYAirline with a child who is two or three years of age and cannot be seated independently like a robot, you should reconsider and choose another airline.

“For now, MYAirline is a firm ‘no’ for me and my family because they are not child-friendly,” wrote the man.

MYAirline later released a statement to clarify that it had initially asked the family to leave, as it had to comply with Civil Aviation Authority Malaysia (CAAM) safety requirements.

It said it was mandatory for children aged 24 months and below to be seated with a parent or guardian using an infant seat belt.

“However, children above 24 months must be fastened with a seat belt in their own seat for safety,” said MYAirline on a Facebook post on Saturday.

MYAirline said it would be conducting a thorough investigation into the incident.

“We will identify the gaps in our service and take immediate corrective actions to prevent similar situations from occurring,” it added. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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2023-05-27 13:45:00Z
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Petronas says Malaysian anti-graft probe found no wrongdoing by the firm - CNA

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia's state oil firm Petronas said on Saturday (May 27) an anti-corruption probe into the firm's dealings involving a US$90 million project had not found any wrongdoing by the company.

Malaysia's Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) said on Friday it was investigating allegations of corruption involving Petronas and an international oil and gas company in a project worth RM399 million in the state of Sarawak. It did not identify the company.

Petronas said the investigation was opened in relation to its award of a contract to a Malaysian subsidiary of an international upstream company in 2021.

"Petronas had given full cooperation to MACC in the investigation that had not found any wrongdoing by Petronas, its employees, and directors," the company said in a statement to Reuters.

The MACC said it had found "several weaknesses in practices, systems and work procedures" in its probe, and proposed improvements to Petronas' standard operating procedures as preventive measures.

Petronas said it continues to improve and strengthen its standard operating procedures as part of an effort to prevent and fight all forms of corruption and misconduct.

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2023-05-27 03:49:00Z
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APEC trade chiefs agree on more inclusive trade, but no joint statement - CNA

DETROIT : Trade ministers from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries agreed on Friday to promote more inclusive and sustainable trade, but failed to produce a joint statement due to Russia and China's objections to language on Ukraine.

Closing out two days of talks in Detroit, the APEC host, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Tai, instead issued a chair's statement summarizing the discussions, with an emphasis on inclusiveness, fighting climate change and sustainability.

"We reaffirm our determination to deliver a free, open, fair, non-discriminatory, transparent, inclusive and predictable trade and investment environment," the statement read.

The group reaffirmed its commitment to the rules-based multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core. "We will continue to work to ensure a level playing field to foster a favorable trade and investment environment and reaffirm our commitment to keep markets open and to address supply chain disruptions," it said.

APEC leaders last November in Bangkok approved language stating that "most members" strongly condemned the war in Ukraine and the resulting human suffering and economic impact.

But at the meeting in Detroit, China and Russia objected to including the language, leaving it to Tai's chair's statement, which noted there were differing views and that "APEC is not the forum to resolve security issues."

Tai told a news conference that she hoped APEC leaders at a November summit in San Francisco would be able to produce a joint statement.

Tai used the Detroit meeting as a venue for pushing the Biden administration's vision of a "worker-centered" trade policy to a broader international audience. She said she chose Detroit to showcase its history as a city hit hard by aggressive trade liberalization, but which has seen a rebirth and shift to new green transportation technology.

"I'm confident that APEC's reputation as an incubator of ideas and a catalyst for cooperation can also benefit our work in driving a race to the top for workers throughout the region," she said.

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2023-05-26 23:10:39Z
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'Affordable with advanced facilities': More foreigners are heading to Johor private hospitals for treatment - CNA

Over at Gleneagles Hospital Medini, located near the southwestern part of the state, chief executive officer Kamal Amzan said that around one in four of the patients there are international visitors. 

“I think over the last eight years, we have grown from a very small hospital that focuses on its core local clients in Gelang Patah and Iskandar Puteri to a tertiary centre that not only looks after patients from Johor, but Indonesia, China … and Singapore,” Dr Kamal told CNA. 

Meanwhile, for Columbia Asia Hospital, which has two branches in Johor - Tebrau and Iskandar Puteri - the occupancy has remained high at 70 to 100 per cent post-pandemic. 

Columbia Asia’s regional manager Rahani Yaakob, who oversees both hospitals, told CNA that the level of occupancy is driven by “the tremendous increase in foreign patients seeking treatment”. 

“The number of foreign patients from the likes of Indonesia, Singapore and China surged post pandemic and this has helped our business,” said Mdm Rahani. 

LOWER COSTS FOR SOME TREATMENTS 

When asked what was the biggest pull factor for foreign patients, patients and doctors noted that it was due to more affordable treatment in areas like cancer, orthopaedic and obstetrics. 

Johor’s geographical position, being accessible to both Singapore and Indonesia gives the state an edge when it comes to medical tourism. 

Gleneagles Medini’s Dr Kamal said: “I give you an example of a patient who has to go for chemotherapy in say Singapore. The drugs are the same, but they would have to pay less at hospitals in Malaysia. I suppose Johor would then be the preferred location given the vicinity and proximity to Singapore.”

Dr Teo Yin Keong, an oncologist at Gleneagles Medini, told CNA that the treatment is cheaper because some pharmaceutical companies, including the big players, supply drugs at a cheaper price to Malaysian hospitals as compared to hospitals in neighbouring countries. 

“Putting aside government subsidies and the exchange rate, the cost of treatment is at least 50 per cent lower in Malaysia than in Singapore and some places in Indonesia,” added Dr Teo.

For Indonesian citizen Mr Grantino, choosing to do his ACL surgery at Regency Specialist Hospital was a no-brainer cost-wise, he said. 

He paid around RM30,000 (US$6,543) in total for his operation and subsequent follow-up appointments.

Mr Grantino told CNA that based on checks he did, an ACL reconstruction procedure would cost around S$20,000 (US$14,855) at a private hospital in Singapore for uninsured foreigners. He added that the same surgery would cost around 130 million ruppiah (US$8,740) at a private hospital in Batam. 

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2023-05-26 22:06:00Z
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Japan unveils policy outline featuring increase in childcare spending - CNA

TOKYO: Japan on Friday (May 26) unveiled an outline of its mid-term economic roadmap that featured Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's policy priorities such as efforts to stem a declining birthrate with increases in childcare spending.

The outline, which will serve as a backbone for the government's economic policy roadmap set to be finalised in June, made no mention of how to fund such spending measures - a key sticking point ahead of a possible snap election Kishida could call later this year.

In Japan, fiscal reform is an urgent task for the industrial world's most heavily indebted government with public debt at more than 250 per cent of its gross domestic product (GDP).

Still, rounds of heavy anti-COVID stimulus spending made its primary budget-balancing target, excluding new bond sales and debt servicing costs, by the fiscal 2025 year-end even more elusive.

On top of already heavy debt burdens, Kishida plans to double Japan's military outlay to cope with threats from China and North Korea, while also doubling childcare spending.

With his approval ratings improving after successfully chairing this year's G7 summit, some domestic media have reported that Kishida could call a snap election by the Jun 21 end of the current parliament session.

The prospects of a near-term election could delay much-needed debate on how to fund Kishida's spending wish list that includes childcare - set to cost an additional ¥3 trillion for each of the coming three years.

Kishida has ruled out raising the consumption tax to fund the cost. Some ruling party lawmakers have called for issuing bonds, though the government says no decision has been made.

Although elections for parliament's powerful lower house is not due until 2025, Kishida could call a snap election when the opposition is still weak as a victory would help him solidify his grip of power within his ruling party.

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2023-05-26 11:46:20Z
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South Korea detains passenger after Asiana plane door opened mid-air - The Straits Times

SEOUL – South Korean police have detained a passenger and launched an investigation after he opened the door of an Asiana Airlines plane shortly before the aircraft landed, the country’s transportation ministry said on Friday.

The ministry said police had taken the passenger into custody and were investigating a possible violation of aviation safety laws.

The Airbus A321-200 was on a domestic flight with nearly 200 people on board.

The incident occurred when the plane was preparing to land at Daegu International Airport, about 240km south-east of the capital Seoul.

When the plane was around 200m above the ground, a passenger sitting near the emergency exit “opened the door manually by touching the lever”, the South Korean carrier’s representative told AFP.

Passengers were exposed to a fierce wind blowing into the plane through the emergency door, which was completely ajar, for about 10 minutes until the plane landed.

Some young passengers were reported to have panicked, crying and screaming as the air pressure deafened them.

The plane landed safely at around 12.40pm local time after departing from the island of Jeju an hour earlier, the airport’s flight schedule showed.

At least nine people suffered minor injuries and were sent to a hospital in Daegu.

The nine people had hyperventilated, the Daegu Fire Department said.

Those injured included eight student athletes.

Daegu Airport authorities said no deaths or severe injuries occurred as a result of the incident.

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2023-05-26 09:46:14Z
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