ASEANEWS FRONT PAGES: PETALING JAYA, Malaysia- Economic Casualties
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BRUNEI-Sultanate records 13 COVID-19 cases, total now 104
Brunei Darussalam recorded 13 new cases of COVID-19 yesterday, bringing the total of confirmed cases in the Sultanate to 104. Eight of the new cases are linked to Case 91 from a family group that went on a vacation to Surabaya, Indonesia, and returned to Brunei Darussalam on March 20, aboard Flight BI796.
PHNOM-PENH- Cambodia- Virus cases rise to 91, four cruise passengers test positive
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Four passengers of the Viking Cruise Journey tested positive for COVID-19 after being quarantined in Kampong Cham province, raising the toll to 91, a provincial official said Tuesday. Among the patients are two US and two British nationals.
Kampong Cham Provincial Governor Un Chanda said 53 passengers and crew members of the cruise ship will be allowed to leave the hotel where they had been quarantined today after testing negative for the coronavirus.
“The 31 crew members will be leaving with the ship Viking Cruise Journey while the 22 passengers will be travelling to Phnom Penh by bus as they wait for their flights to be arranged,” said Chea Krouch, spokesman of the Kampong Cham provincial hall administration yesterday, noting that the cruise ship is set to leave for Vietnam./ Khuon Narim / Khmer Times Share:
READ MORE: https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50705420/virus-cases-rise-to-91-four-cruise-passengers-test-positive/
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The 36-year-old female tour guide and the 28-year-old male worker from Crowne Plaza Vientiane Hotel are being treated at the 150 Bed or Mittaphab Hospital.
But they are in good condition, Deputy Head of the National Taskforce Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control, Associate Prof. Dr Phouthone Muongpak told a press conference yesterday. The two infected Covid-19 were among the 131 suspected cases.
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JAKARTA- Indonesia’s Covid-19 Deaths Climb to 55, New Cases Hit Biggest Single-Day Rise ![](https://img.beritasatu.com/cache/jakartaglobe/960x620-4/2020/03/1585047676.jpg)
President Joko Widodo, right, and State-Owned Enterprises Minister Erick Thohir visit a makeshift hospital at the former Asian Games Athletes’ Village in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Monday. The facility is designated for Covid-19 patients. (Antara Photo/Hafidz Mubarak)
Jakarta. Six more people died from coronavirus in Indonesia on Tuesday, bringing the country’s death toll from Covid-19 to 55 as a worrisome trend continues where the number of deaths keeps beating the number of patients recovering from the disease.
In fact, no recovery was reported by the government’s Covid-19 Task Force on Tuesday.
“The number of recoveries is unchanged. It remains at 30 [same as yesterday],” task force spokesman Achmad Yurianto said in a daily video conference in Jakarta. / BY :HERU ANDRIYANTO
READ MORE: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/indonesias-covid19-deaths-climb-to-55-new-cases-hit-biggest-singleday-rise
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PETALING JAYA, Malaysia- Extension of MCO would bring grave hardship to SMEs and B40 group, say economists
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![Extension of MCO would bring grave hardship to SMEs and B40 group, say economists Extension of MCO would bring grave hardship to SMEs and B40 group, say economists](http://www.thesundaily.my/binrepository/768x479/0c24/768d432/none/11808/TPIW/city_1043411_20200325104346.jpg 768w,//www.thesundaily.my/binrepository/640x399/0c20/640d360/none/11808/TPVY/city_1043411_20200325104346.jpg 640w,//www.thesundaily.my/binrepository/512x319/0c16/512d288/none/11808/TPPU/city_1043411_20200325104346.jpg 512w,//www.thesundaily.my/binrepository/384x240/0c12/384d216/none/11808/TPSA/city_1043411_20200325104346.jpg 384w,//www.thesundaily.my/binrepository/300x187/0c9/300d169/none/11808/TPQA/city_1043411_20200325104346.jpg 300w)
PETALING JAYA: Extending the movement control order (MCO) beyond March 31 will have a negative impact on the economy, according to economists.
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and those in the B40 group will take the brunt of this slowdown, they said.
However, they added that incentives in cash and kind to the people could help the country ride through the storm.
Professor of economics at the Asia-Europe Institute at the University of Malaya, Datuk Dr Rajah Rasiah, said the economy could go into recession if the MCO is extended.
“The SMEs and the B40 (the poorest 40% of Malaysians) will be hit hard because they usually don’t have adequate savings and are tied to household debts, making them the most vulnerable,” he told theSun yesterday.
He said there could be lay-offs and some employers might not honour retrenchment regulations.
Professor of economics at Sunway University Business School, Dr Yeah Kim Leng, said the nation’s production capacity would be reduced as assets are sold off and workers could be laid off or have their salaries cut.
He said public consumption, which accounted for about 60% of last year’s GDP, would see a steep decline as households are forced to curtail spending.
Meanwhile, Prof Dr Barjoyai Bardai of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak said the SMEs would not be able to offer paid leave to their employees if the MCO was extended.
“If the situation worsens, the government will have to come up with a large-scale humanitarian support of RM20 billion to RM40 billion,” he said.
Economist Muhammed Abdul Khalid said the government should provide monthly cash assistance of at least RM1,000 instead of allowing workers to dip into their Employees Provident Fund (EPF) savings.
He added that for those employed in private companies, the government could offer employers a subsidy of RM1,000 a month to be paid directly to each employee.
“This is to ensure that no one is retrenched.”
He said this would benefit up to 72% of the workforce (those earning below RM5,000 a month) and would cost the government RM26 billion in the next three months, adding that this would not be a strain on the government’s finances.
Independent economist Dr Baayah Baba said while allowing for EPF withdrawals would help those facing financial difficulties, the government could also provide non-monetary incentives by way of higher subsidies for water and electricity bills.
“I think a 20% discount would be a fair amount, considering everyone will be using more of it when staying at home,” she said.
Baayah also called on the government to reduce the ceiling price of all essential items in view of the drop in global crude oil price, pointing out that this could lead to savings in transportation.
Khazanah Research Institute urged the government to focus on a massive employment-retention programme, in its second stimulus package slated for March 30, to ensure households have enough resources to ride out the outbreak in the next few months.
Its deputy director of research Christopher W.W. Choong said the existing employment retention programme, which provides a RM600 payout to those forced to go on unpaid leave, is insufficient.
The Malaysia-China Chamber of Commerce and Malaysian Islamic Chamber of Commerce also jointly urged the government to provide RM1,200 each month, particularly to Cost of Living Aid recipients./ AMAR SHAH MOHSEN — KEERTAN AYAMANY /
READ MORE: https://www.thesundaily.my/local/extension-of-mco-would-bring-grave-hardship-to-smes-and-b40-group-say-economists-HY2177393
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Duterte gets powers to aid poor, health workers
MANILA, Philippines — The new measure approved by Congress to deal with the coronavirus crisis would allow President Rodrigo Duterte to reallocate funds and resources to finance crucial programs during the national emergency and provide more benefits and compensation for health workers, including P1 million for the families of those who died in the line of duty.
Duterte was expected to sign the “Bayanihan to Heal As One Act” on Tuesday.
Congress approved the bill in a special session that started Monday and ran up to the early hours of Tuesday.
Senate version adopted
/ By: Leila B. Salaverria – Reporter -Philippine Daily Inquirer
READ MORE: https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1247929/duterte-gets-powers-to-aid-poor-health-workers
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