CNA938 Rewind - Philippines' midterm election: What's at stake for Marcos and Duterte camps?
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The Philippines is eagerly awaiting the results of the midterm election, with over 18,000 positions up for grabs, including local and congressional seats. But the spotlight is on the Senate race. The contest in the Senate is not only seen as a referendum on President Ferdinand Marcos Junior's leadership, but it could also determine the political future of Vice President Sara Duterte. Andrea Heng and Hairianto Diman look at what's at stake for the Marcos and Duterte camps with Alicor Panao, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of the Philippines Diliman
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CNA
7 hours ago
- CNA
Indonesia minister's move to declare National Culture Day on President Prabowo's birthday sparks backlash
JAKARTA: A designated National Culture Day coinciding with Indonesia President Prabowo Subianto's birthday has come under fire from senior political figures and academics. They challenged the date's cultural and historical significance amid growing concerns over the politicisation of national symbols and figures, and raised questions over perceived attempts to curry favour politically. Politicians such as House Speaker Puan Maharani have urged Culture Minister Fadli Zon to explain his decision to choose Oct 17 as the National Culture Day. 'I'm asking for a clearer explanation of the basis and reasoning behind the decision, in order to avoid ongoing public debate,' Puan said at the parliamentary complex on Tuesday (Jul 15), as quoted by CNN Indonesia. She added that she has instructed Commission X of the Indonesian House of Representatives, which oversees cultural affairs in the country among other sectors, to look into the matter in greater detail. 'Culture belongs to all people, across generations, across eras and so on, so it must not be made exclusive,' Puan, who is also the daughter of former President Megawati Soekarnoputri, said. Puan is part of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Indonesia's largest political party, which is not part of the ruling government. Critics condemned the lack of public consultation and transparency surrounding the decision, with some accusing Fadli, who is a close ally of the president, of attempting to flatter Prabowo, local news outlet Jakarta Post reported. 'People don't seem to object to National Poetry Day (because the date makes sense),' historian Asvi Warman Adam told Jakarta Post. He added: 'But with National Culture Day, the issue is that it falls on Prabowo's birthday, raising questions whether ministers like Fadli even have the authority to issue such commemorative dates.' Fadli's decision to declare Dec 17 as the National Pantun (Poetry) Day via a separate decree on the same date last week had drawn less criticism as it coincides with the day UNESCO officially recognised pantun - a traditional Malay four-line rhyming poem - as part of the world's intangible cultural heritage, according to Jakarta Post. WHY OCT 17? In response to the criticism, Fadli defended the decision by highlighting Oct 17's historical significance. The date coincides with the day Indonesia's founding President Soekarno formally established 'Garuda Pancasila' as the national emblem and 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity)' as the national motto in 1951. Garuda Pancasila symbolises the country's identity, unity and official state ideology "Pancasila", which comprises the five core principles of the country. 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika is not just a motto but a philosophy of life for the Indonesian people that reflects cultural richness, tolerance and unity in diversity,' Fadli said in a written statement on Monday, as quoted by local media. He said that the idea of declaring a National Cultural Day was raised by a group of artists and cultural practitioners from Yogyakarta, known as the Nine Plus Garuda Team, who had conducted a study since January this year. 'They then presented their findings to the Ministry of Culture after several rounds of in-depth discussions,' said the Gerindra Party politician, noting that the group consists of both traditional and contemporary cultural figures, reported Tempo. He added that the government aims to utilise the new National Culture Day to raise public awareness about cultural values, preserve national identity and establish Indonesian culture as a cornerstone of national development, reported Jakarta Post. 'Oct 17 is a pivotal moment in the journey of our national identity but it's not just about history, it's about preserving the future of Indonesian culture,' he said on Monday. Indonesian actor and cultural figure Butet Kartaredjasa has questioned the relevance of associating the National Culture Day with the day the country's national emblem was formalised, positing that it holds no direct cultural significance. 'The process, particularly the date selection, feels abrupt and artificial. There was no thorough review,' Butet told Jakarta Post on Tuesday. 'Even if a group of nine artists proposed it, can nine people truly represent cultural practitioners across the entire country?' He added that if having a National Culture Day was necessary, a more meaningful choice would be on Jul 5 or Jul 7, which are the opening and closing dates of Indonesia's first Culture Congress held in 1918 in Surakarta in Central Java. Historian Asri also questioned Fadli's authority to unilaterally declare a national commemoration day, highlighting that such designations have traditionally been made by the president through a presidential decree and not a ministerial one, reported Jakarta Post. The designated date has also drawn criticism from some online. 'Culture Day is designated on the birthday of his idol, what culture are we talking about?' said a netizen on X on Monday. This is not the first time Fadli has come under fire as culture minister. His ministry's initiative to revise Indonesia's official historical narrative by launching a new 10-volume series of history books to coincide with the country's 80th Independence Day celebrations on Aug 17 has drawn criticism from historians, human rights activists and politicians, as he confirmed that the books will not include the mass rapes committed during the 1998 riots. Speaking during the parliamentary hearing earlier this month, Fadli acknowledged the 1998 sexual violence but questioned the use of the term 'mass rape', which he said requires legal and historical verification. He added that the revision of the country's official historical narrative aims to promote national unity that avoids deepening ethnic and communal divisions through a positive retelling of key events. This sparked emotional reactions from PDI-P lawmakers MY Esti Wijayati and Mercy Barends. Fadli had earlier stirred controversy in June when he said that the mass rapes were 'all hearsay' and 'rumours'. Some historians say these history books will omit major human rights violations. The unrest in Indonesia in 1998 arose from economic turmoil and mounting anger at former President Suharto's authoritarian rule. Chinese-Indonesians were targeted in riots that broke out in various cities in May that year, days before Suharto resigned.
CNA
16 hours ago
- CNA
Singapore's exports rise 13% in June, stronger than forecast
SINGAPORE: Singapore's non-oil domestic exports rose 13 per cent in June from the same month a year earlier, government data showed on Thursday (Jul 17), outpacing analysts' estimates as shipments of PCs, integrated circuits and non-monetary gold rose significantly. The rise compared with a Reuters poll forecast for annual growth of 5 per cent, and followed a revised 3.9 per cent fall in May. Details of the month-on-month seasonally adjusted change in exports were not included in Enterprise Singapore's statement. Exports of electronic products such as PCs and integrated circuits grew by an annual 53.8 per cent and 17.5 per cent respectively, while non-electronic products such as non-monetary gold and specialised machinery grew by 211.9 per cent and 31.4 per cent respectively. Exports to Hong Kong, Taiwan and South Korea increased in annual terms in June by 54.4 per cent, 28.3 per cent and 33 per cent, respectively. Exports to China also grew year-on-year by 8.5 per cent. Exports to the US fell by an annual 4.8 per cent, while exports to Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and the European Union also decreased. For the first six months of 2025, non-oil domestic exports rose 5.2 per cent year-on-year. Singapore's economy grew at a faster-than-expected 4.3 per cent in the second quarter from a year earlier, preliminary data showed, despite a dimming outlook due to global economic uncertainty. However, Trade Minister Gan Kim Yong has warned that the implementation of US tariffs and a diminishing front-loading effect would weigh on growth over the next six to 12 months. He will visit the US later this month to discuss tariff concessions for the country's pharmaceutical exports as part of efforts to limit the economic impact of the trade war. US President Donald Trump has notified some countries that tariffs of 20 per cent to 50 per cent will kick in from Aug 1, warning that any reprisals would draw a like-for-like response. Singapore has not yet received a letter from the Trump administration this round, and its exports are still subject to the 10 per cent baseline tariff announced in April. Southeast Asian neighbours Vietnam and Indonesia have both struck deals with Washington for tariffs below the levels that Trump had initially threatened to levy on them. Enterprise Singapore said it is "actively monitoring the evolving tariff situation and will adjust the 2025 NODX forecast as necessary to reflect changing market conditions".
CNA
19 hours ago
- CNA
Commentary: India and ASEAN are growing apart. Blame tariffs
NEW DELHI: It's still far from clear what US President Donald Trump's tariffs will eventually look like. But the pressures they will put on stable trading relationships – even those that don't directly involve the US – are already visible. Ties between India and the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are already fraying: They're being pushed into different camps, and the free trade agreement they signed in 2010 could become an unexpected victim of the turmoil. Trump might be the immediate cause of this rift, but, as always, China's massive manufacturing overcapacity is at the heart of the problem. Even if no country knows what rates they or others will face, everyone can be reasonably certain that Beijing's tariffs will be the highest of all. Unfortunately, this also means that there's a big incentive to help Beijing game the system enough that we all trust each other less. GAINING FROM CHINA'S OVERCAPACITY Many Asian countries are reasonably pleased at the thought that duties on their exports will be lower than on those out of China: They've all been searching for a way to regain a sliver of competitiveness, and this might help. But the same nations are also a little scared. They fear a flood of underpriced Chinese goods, once meant for the US, will inundate their fledgling manufacturing sectors. In fact, that's already happening to an extent, and policymakers are responding. Vietnam has introduced anti-dumping tariffs on certain kinds of Chinese steel; Indonesia has banned direct-shipping e-commerce apps like Temu. But, for some, there's also the tempting possibility that China's overcapacity can be turned from an enemy into an ally. Any country that remains integrated both with China and those that are putting up tariff walls could, if it wanted, become a location for the trans-shipment of goods. Instead of paying the higher China levies, importers would pay lower ones imposed on the third country – and share a bit of the take with local partners. Tariff arbitrage could become as profitable in the future as interest rate arbitrage is today. The more countries that impose anti-dumping duties on China, the more money the successful trans-shipper would make. The US, for one, is already very concerned that parts of ASEAN might take this route – which is why Trump's trade deal with Vietnam included a clause that any goods suspected of being trans-shipped would pay double tariffs. CLOSED-OFF BLOCS A NIGHTMARE FOR INDIA For countries like India, it's an even greater fear. India's commerce minister caused a bit of a stir recently when he described ASEAN as 'China's B-team'. That was certainly impolitic. But, perhaps, not entirely unjustified. New Delhi has been trying to update its free trade agreement with ASEAN for a while. Its particular focus has been to tighten rules-of-origin requirements – the way in which you ensure that a free trade agreement only benefits local producers in both countries, not those shipping goods that originate elsewhere. Indian officials feel that ASEAN has been going slow on these discussions. Meanwhile, news broke in May that the bloc had expanded the scope of its parallel FTA with China. They achieved that in double-quick time – negotiations only started in November 2022 – which raised a few eyebrows in New Delhi. Some in India, clearly including its commerce minister, now seem to think that tariff-free trade with Southeast Asia is the same as opening your market to China. That isn't true – or, at any rate, not yet. But the fact is that member states simply aren't doing enough to reassure their other trading partners, including India. It would be a nightmare for most countries, including India, if closed-off blocs were to replace today's open trading system. Yet Trump's actions, when combined with China's overcapacity, are taking us there. Any country that wants to trade with both sides of the divide – which, clearly, many in Southeast Asia would prefer – will also need to be able to be very transparent about the goods it is exporting, and how much value has been added domestically. In other words, it's ASEAN's move: They will have to step up and give most of their trading partners, not just India and the US, a clearer view into their supply chains. The US is clearly worried that some countries will evade its tariffs. Those concerns will be shared, especially by India. New Delhi seems to believe that, if world trade blocs form, then ASEAN has already chosen its side – and it won't be the one India picks. Trade's impossible without trust, and these two partners will have to work to rebuild it.
