Cambodia's next leader, Chinese FM pledge to boost ties - CNA

Hun Manet was appointed by the king but he and his cabinet must still win an Aug 22 vote in parliament, where his father's Cambodian People's Party (CPP) dominates the lower house.

Hun Manet posted on his Telegram channel that he and Wang "pledged to promote cooperation between the two countries".

He also reaffirmed in a Facebook post his government's "unchanged position" towards the One-China policy and promised no interference in Chinese national affairs.

Hun Manet is scheduled to visit China in September and October.

Wang also met his Cambodian counterpart and reaffirmed Beijing's "unwavering commitment" to respecting Cambodian sovereignty and conveyed Beijing's support for the kingdom, according to a Cambodian foreign ministry statement.

His visit follows diplomatic clashes between Beijing and Manila over their claims to the South China Sea.

China insisted a Philippine navy vessel grounded on a reef in the Spratly Islands be removed from the hotly contested waters, long a flashpoint between them, after the Philippines accused the China Coast Guard of firing water cannon at boats on a resupply mission last weekend.

Cambodia, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines are all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which is in talks with China over a code of conduct in the South China Sea, which Beijing claims almost in its entirety.

Phnom Penh has become one of China's strongest allies in the region under Hun Sen, who ruled for almost four decades, receiving huge sums of Chinese investment.

Hun Sen's CPP won all but five of the 125 seats in the lower house in July polls, which were widely decried as a sham after the main opposition party was barred from running.

He announced days after his landslide victory he would hand power to his eldest son, a four-star general, and that he would become president of the Senate early next year as well as serving in other positions until at least 2033.

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2023-08-13 15:41:00Z
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479 take Pledge as new Singapore citizens at annual ceremony - The Straits Times

Speaking at the event held at ITE College West in Choa Chu Kang, Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong said Singapore has always been open to the world – to flows of goods and services, people and ideas.

“Our multiculturalism and multiracialism are what define us as a society and make us uniquely Singapore,” added Mr Gan, who is an MP for Chua Chu Kang GRC.

“Today, we are here to welcome you to the Singapore family. Like our forefathers decades ago, you bring with you new ideas, networks and skills. You bring with you the determination and desire to build a better future for your family.”

This year’s event opened with a performance by Keat Hong Chinese Orchestra, a cultural group under the administration of Chua Chu Kang Community Club. The orchestra played a selection of familiar tunes, including National Day songs.

The event closed with the attendees reciting the Pledge and singing the National Anthem.

The first National Citizenship Ceremony was held in 2007 to commemorate the significance of citizenship, and served as an occasion to formally welcome new citizens into the Singapore “family”.

All new citizens are required to receive their citizenship certificates either at the annual ceremony, which GRCs take turns to organise with support from the National Integration Council, or at citizenship ceremonies held at the group representation constituency-level that are organised throughout the year.

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2023-08-13 13:05:00Z
CBMidGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LnN0cmFpdHN0aW1lcy5jb20vc2luZ2Fwb3JlLzQ3OS1uZXctc2luZ2Fwb3JlLWNpdGl6ZW5zLXRha2UtdGhlaXItcGxlZGdlLWF0LW5hdGlvbmFsLWNpdGl6ZW5zaGlwLWNlcmVtb2550gEA

Taiwan vice president in New York for US stopover en route to Paraguay - CNA

NEW YORK: Taiwan Vice President William Lai arrived in New York on Saturday (Aug 13) at the start of a sensitive stopover in the United States, which China has condemned and Taiwanese officials fear could prompt more Chinese military activity around the island.

Lai, the front-runner to become Taiwan's president in the elections in January, is officially making only transit stops in the US on his way to and from Paraguay for the swearing-in of its president next week.

The China Airlines flight Lai took from Taipei landed at New York's John F Kennedy Airport shortly after 8.15pm local time, according to flight tracking app Flightradar24.

Neither Taiwan nor the US has given exact details about his US schedule, which both are aiming to keep low-key, according to officials briefed on the trip.

Taipei and Washington call US stopovers by Taiwanese officials routine and no cause for China to take "provocative" actions, but Beijing has reacted with anger at what it sees as a further sign of US support for Taiwan, which it claims as its own.

China is likely to launch military drills next week near Taiwan, using Lai's US stopovers as a pretext to intimidate voters ahead of next year's election and make them "fear war," Taiwanese officials say.

Lai, speaking to reporters before leaving Taiwan, made only fleeting mention of the US part of his trip, simply noting he was going to New York first.

Lai's US stopover will be the 11th by a Taiwanese vice president, according to the US State Department, which calls them routine but "private and unofficial".

Washington does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but is its most important international source of weapons, and the island’s contested status is a constant source of friction with Beijing.

Paraguay is one of the few remaining countries in the world that retains formal ties with Taiwan.

Lai has made one prior US transit as Taiwan’s vice president, in January 2022 on a trip to Honduras, a then-ally of the island that switched its diplomatic recognition to Beijing in early 2023.

Lai said he would use the Paraguay visit not only to deepen ties with that country but also to have "self-confident" exchanges with other countries and meet with delegations from like-minded partners. He did not say who.

This would "let the international community understand that Taiwan is a country that adheres to democracy, freedom and human rights, and actively participates in international affairs," Lai added.

Lai went to Honduras last year for the inauguration of its president and had a brief though symbolic chat there with US Vice President Kamala Harris. The US has not announced who may be going to Paraguay next week.

Three sources told Reuters the Biden administration was eager to keep Lai’s visit low-profile so as not to stoke tensions before Taiwan's election and to preserve the recent momentum in US engagements with senior Chinese officials.

That includes the prospect of a visit to the US by China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, which could pave the way for a meeting between US President Joe Biden and China’s leader Xi Jinping later this year.

Beijing particularly dislikes Lai, who has in the past described himself as a "practical worker for Taiwan independence". Lai has repeatedly said during the election campaign he does not seek to change the status quo.

Before leaving, Lai wrote in English on social media platform X, formerly called Twitter, that he was "excited to meet with US friends in transit" and to be going to Paraguay, one of just 13 countries to maintain formal ties with Taipei.

Laura Rosenberger, chair of the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), a US government-run non-profit that carries out unofficial relations with Taiwan, responded on X that AIT was looking forward to welcoming him. 

She said on Saturday she would meet Lai in San Francisco when he transits there on his way back from his visit to Paraguay.

Lai will return from Paraguay via San Francisco and is due back in Taiwan next Friday, according to the official schedule for the trip.

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2023-08-13 01:17:00Z
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Malaysia's Anwar thwarts opposition challenge in state polls - Bangkok Post

PUBLISHED : 13 Aug 2023 at 01:45

A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Malaysia's Selangor state on Saturday.

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's ruling coalition thwarted a challenge by an opposition alliance in state elections, official results showed Sunday, with analysts saying the win would buy him time to consolidate power in the largely Islamic Southeast Asian nation.

Saturday's vote in six states had been the toughest political challenge yet to Anwar, who was appointed prime minister in November last year to head a unity government after an indecisive general election.

The election of state assembly members does not affect Anwar's current two-thirds majority in parliament.

It was, however, widely seen as a barometer of support for Anwar, including his push for a more inclusive society in which minority ethnicities could be allowed greater participation in the largely Malay Muslim nation, which also has large Chinese and Indian populations.

Results released by the Election Commission showed that Anwar's Pakatan Harapan coalition retained three states: Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan.

The opposition alliance Perikatan Nasional -- whose key member the PAS party aims to create a theocratic state in Malaysia -- kept its hold on Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.

Retaining Selangor, which hosts the country’s biggest port, and Penang, home to Malaysia’s thriving semiconductor industry, are prized wins for Anwar, analysts said.

The ruling coalition, however, lost its two-thirds majority in Selangor, as the opposition made strong inroads.

Perikatan is backed by the Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS, whose strong performance in last year’s general elections had sparked ruling party concerns it could spring a surprise and flip one or two states to the opposition.

"This is a decision of the people. We have to respect this decision," Anwar said of the results at a late-night press conference as he also appealed for unity after a divisive campaign.

"The federal government remains strong after this poll and we will continue to promote a prosperous Malaysia," he added.

Oh Ei Sun of the Pacific Research Center of Malaysia think tank said "it was a nail-biting win for Anwar after he thwarted the challenge from the powerful Islamic party PAS".

Bridget Welsh, a Malaysia expert from the University of Nottingham, said retaining the three states was a "victory for Anwar" as "he had gone into this campaign defensively".

"It was in many ways a stress reliever for Anwar not to be confronted with any major political shifts that could alter the status quo," said Mustafa Izzuddin, a political analyst with consultancy Solaris Strategies Singapore.

But the outcome was also a disappointment in that "his coalition did not make much significant inroads" at the polls, he told AFP.

Anwar "has more than enough time" before the 2027 general elections "to shore up support including the complex political bargaining that may need to happen within the coalition", according to Mustafa.

- 'No guarantee' -

James Chin, a Malaysia expert at the University of Tasmania in Australia, had warned earlier Saturday of "dire" consequences if Anwar lost even a single state, including shifting allegiances that could have threatened his future as prime minister.

Anwar became prime minister last November after a long struggle as an opposition leader.

His party had won the most seats in the general election but fell short of the outright majority needed to form a government.

That forced him into an alliance with former foes in the United Malays National Organisation to secure a two-thirds parliamentary majority and approval from Malaysia's king to form a "unity government".

The coalition has so far held together in a country that had seen three leadership turnovers in as many years after scandal-tainted Najib Razak was voted out as prime minister in 2018 over massive corruption at state fund 1MDB.

But Oh, the analyst, said Anwar "must remain vigilant" even as he pushes for reforms.

"There is no guarantee that his government will stay until the next general elections," he said.

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2023-08-12 18:45:00Z
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Malaysia state polls: Opposition's strong performance shows a rejection of Anwar's unity govt, says former PM Muhyiddin - CNA

RESPECT PEOPLE’S CHOICE: ANWAR

In a short speech just before midnight in Kuala Lumpur, a tired-looking Mr Anwar said the people had made their choice through the ballot and that this should be respected. He did not take questions.

“This is the decision of the people. In a democratic system, we must respect the decision of the people. Respect by accepting the results of the election,” he said at the World Trade Centre, where top PH-BN leaders had gathered for a live viewing of the results.

The prime minister said that the unity government at the federal level was still intact and strong, and that it would continue to work hard to serve the people in line with the Madani economy framework announced recently.

“God-willing from Monday, we will work harder so that Malaysia can achieve success that we can be proud of,” he said.

While Mr Anwar acknowledged that the country’s political temperature had risen during the campaign period, he said it was time for the country to move on.

“This is a time for everyone and all parties, win or lose, to look after the peace and to concentrate on raising the dignity of the country and to defend the people,” he added.

PN AIMING TO WIN MORE STATES NEXT: SANUSI

Beyond making inroads in Selangor and Penang, PN also strengthened its grip on the northwestern state of Kedah, where it clinched 33 out of 36 state seats. The coalition previously held 20 seats before the state assembly was dissolved.

During the course of campaigning, PH-BN had eyed Kedah as a winnable state with Mr Anwar making multiple stops to canvass support.

The state’s popular but polarising chief minister Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor was also arrested and charged with sedition for allegedly insulting the Selangor ruler, a move that observers said could have made him a “martyr” a week before hustings kicked off.

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2023-08-12 15:39:00Z
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Malaysia state polls: PH and PN retain three states each in status quo result - The Straits Times

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia’s closely watched state polls have ended in a “3-3” status quo outcome between Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s unity government and the opposition alliance, Perikatan Nasional (PN).

The Election Commission announced officially on Saturday night that PN had retained Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu, with unofficial results showing the coalition had swept to more than two-thirds supermajorities in these states.

Datuk Seri Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition and its unity government ally Barisan Nasional (BN) have officially retained Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang, after about seven million votes were tallied to see which party will govern six of the federation’s 13 states.

Selangor was the subject of both a concerted assault by the PN coalition as well as a robust defence by PH, with Mr Anwar spending the most time there during the two-week campaign.

While PH and BN managed to triumph in Selangor, PN made huge gains on Saturday compared to the last vote in 2018. Unofficial results peg PH-BN winning 34 of the 56 seats, while PN scooped up the remaining 22 seats, denying its rival a two-thirds majority of the assembly in Malaysia’s richest state.

This is the first time the PH-BN alliance was tested at an election, after the parties set aside decades of bitter enmity to form the federal government in the wake of the November general election.

“There will be no shocks. But now we just have to see whether in Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan, PH-BN is trashed,” said former Umno Youth chief and health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Unofficial results show that PH-BN won just five of the 81 seats on offer in Kedah and Kelantan and failed to stop PN’s clean sweep of Terengganu.

While Datuk Seri Anwar’s comfortable parliamentary majority is not at stake in this election, the polls are widely viewed as an early referendum on his administration less than nine months after the November general election, which gave Malaysia its first ever hung Parliament.

The so-called unity government is led by the premier’s PH coalition with the support of a host of East Malaysian parties, and crucially BN.

In theory, the prizes at stake are control of the six state governments. But the number of seats won by any particular party is important both for the careers of politicians and as a bellwether of how these parties might perform at future polls.

PN is set to easily exceed two-thirds majority – the threshold needed to make constitutional changes – in Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, as well as register gains in the three PH-BN states.

The opposition alliance can boast that it continues to gain ground, following its unexpectedly strong showing at November’s general election, when it won 74 of Parliament’s 222 seats.

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2023-08-12 13:15:00Z
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Death toll hits 80 as Hawaii starts probe into wildfire handling - CNA

Late Friday, Maui County officials revised the death toll to 80, adding that 1,418 people were in emergency evacuation shelters.

The fires follow other extreme weather events in North America this summer, with record-breaking wildfires still burning across Canada and a major heat wave baking the US southwest.

Europe and parts of Asia have also endured soaring temperatures, with major fires and floods wreaking havoc. Scientists have said global warming caused by carbon emissions is contributing to the extreme weather.

REUNION

For some of those who made it back into Lahaina, there was elation as they tearfully reconnected with neighbours they feared might not have gotten out alive.

"You made it!" cried Chyna Cho, as she embraced Amber Langdon amid the ruins. "I was trying to find you."

For some of the luckiest, there was joy - albeit tempered by the scale of the tragedy that counts among the worst natural disasters to hit the state of Hawaii.

"I just couldn't believe it," Keith Todd told AFP after finding his home intact.

"I'm so grateful, but at the same time it's so devastating."

Todd, 64, discovered his house and his neighbour's house untouched, and his solar panels providing electricity to the fridge, which was still dispensing ice on demand.

But even those few whose homes still appeared habitable were being warned they might not be safe.

"Some structures in the Lahaina water system were destroyed by the fire ... These conditions may have caused harmful contaminants, including benzene and other volatile organic chemicals (VOCs), to enter the water system," said Maui's water department.

"As a precaution ... (we) are advising residents to not use the tap water for drinking and cooking until further notice."

Fears of looting were also on residents' minds.

"I heard people were looting the houses as the fire was coming down the hill. What you can think of that? Holy Christ," said Todd.

"I will stay here, now that I know my house and my things are here. I will sleep here just in case someone tries to come in."

County authorities said anyone accessing Lahaina would have to prove they lived or were staying at a hotel there, and that a curfew would be in place between 10pm and 6am.

"The curfew is intended to protect residences and property," it said in a statement.

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2023-08-12 11:55:00Z
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