Good morning:Lincoln said, 'I walk very slowly.',But I never step back

Today in history:Four years ago, General Bing Tingsuran, who was 98 years old, passed away. He was the 16th Prime Minister of Thailand and had served as the Regent and President of the Privy Council of Thailand. He was open-minded and gentle, with a clean government, and was a rare military leader among Thai soldiers who enjoyed high prestige.

politics

01Malaysia's Criminal Law (Amendment) decriminalizes suicide

Recently, the House of Commons of the Malaysian Parliament has successively passed the Criminal Law (Amendment), the Criminal Procedure Law (Amendment) and the Mental Health Law (Amendment). The main content of these amendments is to decriminalize suicide, eliminate the crime of attempted suicide in the Criminal Law, and stipulate measures for crisis management and suicide prevention in the Mental Health Law.

Before the amendment of the law, the Malaysian Criminal Law stipulated that attempted suicide was a criminal offence and would face up to one year of imprisonment, a fine or both. This revision of the law still retains the crime of instigating suicide in the original law; At the same time, it is stipulated that acts of online bullying leading to suicide by others will be punished with the crime of instigating suicide.

In addition, the debate session on the amendment to the Malaysian Bankruptcy Law is also ongoing, including the following main changes: prohibiting creditors from opposing mentally disabled individuals who cannot manage assets and those over the age of 70 who have gone bankrupt from poverty; Reduce the conditions for bankrupts to escape poverty, such as shortening repayment terms and reducing repayment amounts.

02The Indonesian Employment Party has once again raised doubts about the ban on restricting the presidency

The Indonesian Employment Party has once again requested to the Constitutional Court to allow the President to serve as a candidate for two terms as Vice President. This is the second time that the Employment Party has raised doubts about the ban on limiting presidential term, and the third time it has submitted it to the Constitutional Court. Despite the previous veto by the Constitutional Court, the party has once again requested that the constitutional guardianship institution open up opportunities for two presidents to advance as vice presidential candidates in the upcoming elections.

Article 169 of the Indonesian Constitution stipulates that the condition for becoming a candidate for President and Vice President is that they have never been re elected to the same position for two consecutive terms as President or Vice President. Article 227 stipulates that the oath has never served two terms as President or Vice President in the same position.

The next presidential election in Indonesia is scheduled for February 14, 2024, and the Employment Party believes that its constitutional rights may be compromised due to the existence of these two articles. This is because the party is unable to nominate a president who has served two terms as the vice presidential candidate in the next election.

economic

01Draft law approving rules of origin in Cambodia

Recently, the Cambodian government approved a draft law on rules of origin, consisting of 9 chapters and 35 articles, aimed at promoting domestic and cross-border trade and investment in Cambodia and in compliance with free trade agreements. The draft bill will need to be passed by the National Assembly and ultimately reviewed by the Senate before being submitted to King Norodom Sihamoni of Cambodia for approval.

The chief spokesperson of the Cambodian government, Phay Siphan, stated that the draft law on rules of origin is aimed at determining the principles and rules of origin, including rules of origin under preferential and non preferential trading systems. Currently, apart from implementing this part through the free trade agreement to which Cambodia is a party, there is no separate law on rules of origin for goods under preferential and non preferential trading systems.

The certificate of origin is an official document used to prove that the product is completely produced or manufactured in a country. It is usually a key document that buyers need. Traders and exporters can apply for export certificate of origin online and submit the application through the website of the provincial competent commerce department under the Ministry of Commerce.

02Indonesia's Yawan high-speed railway is open to traffic

The first high-speed train in Indonesia connecting the capital Jakarta and the fourth largest populous city of Bandung completed trial operation at a speed of 180 kilometers per hour on Monday (May 22). The Indonesian government plans to start commercial operation of the train on August 18.

With a total length of 142.3 kilometers and a maximum operating speed of 350 kilometers per hour, Ya'an Wanzhou High speed Railway is a landmark project of the "the Belt and Road" initiative and practical cooperation between China and Indonesia. After completion and opening to traffic, the travel time from Jakarta to Bandung will be reduced from over 3 hours to 40 minutes, which not only improves local transportation conditions but also drives economic and social development along the route. As of now, 51000 local people have been employed, and it is expected to create a high-speed rail economic belt along the Jakarta Bandung corridor in the future.

security

01Singaporean mountaineer Srinivas missing on Mount Everest

Shrinivas Sainis, a 39 year old Singaporean mountaineer who climbed Mount Everest last Friday morning (May 19), disappeared. The Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that since receiving the news, close contact has been maintained with the families of the missing individuals, Nepalese authorities, and emergency medical services, and search and rescue operations are ongoing. As of now, Mr. Srinivas' whereabouts have not been found.

According to the Nepal Tourism Department, this year's mountaineering season will continue until early June. Nepal has issued a total of 478 permits to foreign mountaineers, and as most people require a guide, a total of over 900 people will attempt to climb the summit. Since last Saturday, more than 400 climbers have reached the summit. According to data statistics, on average, about five climbers die on Mount Everest every spring. But this year, the number of fatalities on Mount Everest during the mountaineering season has reached nine.

Experts say that the area above 8000 meters is referred to by many as the "death zone". In this area, humans cannot survive for a long time, and their bodies can also be rapidly damaged. Challenging the limits requires rationality.

culture

01Laos International Tea Day Ceremony Held in Vientiane, Laos

Recently, at the Vientiane Trade Center in Laos, the Lao Ministry of Agriculture (DoA) and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry jointly held a ceremony to celebrate this year's Lao International Tea Day. The event brought together farmers, producers, experts in the consumption field, and relevant parties from all over the country. This is to make Laotians aware of the potential of tea in their daily lives, as well as in reducing poverty and creating economic opportunities in the country.

The Mekong Tea Project aims to increase the income of small-scale tea farmers through supply chain management, increase value and better market access through high-quality and certified products. This project is funded by the French Development Agency (AFD) and implemented by the Department of Agriculture (DoA) of the Ministry of Agriculture. It has two components: one is to develop the value chain at the national level, and the other is to support two pilot projects at the local level.

02380 New Species Discovered in the Greater Mekong River Region of Southeast Asia

According to a new report recently released by the World Wildlife Fund, scientists discovered 380 new species in the Greater Mekong River region of Southeast Asia between 2021 and 2022. Among them, 5 were chameleons, thick thumb bats, venomous snakes named after goddesses in Chinese mythology, orchids resembling puppets, and tree frogs with thick mossy skin. This brings the total number of vascular plants, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals described in the Greater Mekong region since 1997 to 3390.

Due to the threat of extinction caused by human activities, the World Wildlife Fund has called on governments in the region to strengthen the protection of these rare and magical creatures and their habitats.

weather

In Singapore, the next week will see showers turning cloudy, with temperatures ranging from 27 to 32 degrees Celsius. Please pay attention to sun protection and hydration, and bring an umbrella when going out.