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Malaysian Paper

/thesundaily /

Myanmar criticises Asean, sets out govt agenda

of mass protests over leaked exam papers and other irregularities, which culminated last Saturday in the resignation of then Education minister Dharmendra Pradhan. The protests, spearheaded by the online Cockroach Janta Party movement, drew massive support from students across the country and presented a major challenge to Modi’s government. Despite repeated government crackdowns, leaks have remained a recurring problem in both national and state-level examinations. On Tuesday, according to local media, India’s federal investigative agency charged 13 people with a range of crimes relating to the leak of a national medical college entrance test earlier this year – a controversy that helped fuel the youth protests. Demonstrations against the paper leaks in New Delhi turned violent on July 20 when huge crowds attempted to march towards Parliament. Police fired tear gas and used batons to disperse the protest, triggering clashes and a wave of detentions. – AFP for intelligence-related legislation, including penalties for those involved in foreign influence operations and legislation to expand communications interceptions for national security purposes. The ramp up in intelligence activities has drawn concern from some opposition lawmakers over whether the two bodies could remain politically neutral and whether planned legislation could infringe on people’s privacy. – Bernama-Kyodo N. Korea slams US military expansion SEOUL: An editorial carried by North Korean state media KCNA yesterday criticised the expansion of the US Forces Japan command, adding that a clash on the Korean Peninsula is now a matter of timing rather than just a possibility. It said the increase in US Forces Japan headquarters personnel shows the command is becoming a full-fledged “war command” and accused Washington of preparing Japan’s Self-Defence Forces for conflict in the Asia Pacific. The comments follow remarks by US Forces Japan Commander Lieutenant- General Stephen Jost, who told Japan’s Asahi newspaper that headquarters staffing had been increased by 215 personnel from a year earlier to strengthen command functions and improve coordination with US allies. KCNA said recent US, South Korean and Japanese military cooperation has heightened regional tensions, and US Forces Japan would likely be among the first reinforcements deployed on the Korean Peninsula in the event of a conflict. – Reuters

NAYPYIDAW: Nearly four months after taking office, Myanmar’s junta chief turned president Min Aung Hlaing yesterday criticised the regional Asean bloc’s peace plan and outlined his government’s plans for the war-torn Southeast Asian country. Myanmar was plunged into turmoil in February 2021 when the military ousted an elected government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi. o We have been patient, will respond to non-constructive actions on case-by-case basis: Min Aung Hlaing

including the controversial Myitsone dam, and efforts are underway to build a nuclear power plant. He emphasised that his government would allocate 10% of the national budget for the education sector in the next fiscal year and up to 15% in the 2028-2029 fiscal year. The government is focusing on the tourism and agriculture sectors, and aims to boost domestic cotton production via loans and technical assistance for farmers, he said. Large numbers of young people, aged between 18 and 34, have been leaving the country, impacting economic development, he noted. The military’s conscription law is a major factor for this exodus, Reuters has previously reported. “I will take two years to build momentum for constructing a new nation. “I will also take three years to execute this build-up at full speed.” – Reuters

The government will enhance the capacity of the military and police while continuing to implement a conscription law, he added. His administration has invited rebel groups for talks without preconditions and has met with 13 ethnic armed organisations (EAOs), he highlighted. The government is working to stop money laundering and arms smuggling by EAOs as well as cracking down on drug trafficking and online scam centres, said Min Aung Hlaing. The government is prioritising the 1,400km India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project, as well as the 410km Mandalay-Muse railway project to reach the border with China, added. “The goal is to export goods to international markets in a short time at low cost.” The government is also working on 10 power generation projects,

This sparked protests that expanded into a protracted civil war, killing some 100,000 people and displacing millions. At the turn of this year, the military engineered a widely criticised election that was won by an army-backed party that allowed Min Aung Hlaing to transition into a civilian role. During his speech to Parliament yesterday, he dismissed Asean’s peace plan, which is known as the “Five Point Consensus”, and said the 11-member bloc has discriminated against Myanmar. “We have been patient. We will respond to non-constructive actions on a case-by-case basis,” he said, without referring to any specific member of Asean. He said his administration would hold by-elections next year in 172 constituencies that were unable to vote during the December-January polls because of the ongoing unrest.

India approves tougher exam leak Bill NEW DEHLI: India’s upper house of Parliament on Thursday passed a Bill that would increase penalties for leaking exam papers following youth-led protests that demanded sweeping reforms and forced the resignation of the country’s Education minister.

The legislation would double the maximum jail term for those involved in leaking exam papers to 10 years, and raise the maximum fine to more than US$1 million (RM4 million). Lawmakers approved it by a voice vote after several hours of discussion, a day after the lower house also passed the same Bill. “This is an issue in which every parent, every family and indeed every citizen of this country has a stake because these young children are our greatest investment,” said junior minister Jitendra Singh, who had negotiated with the protesters. The Bill must now be signed into law by President Droupadi Murmu. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Cabinet greenlighted the stricter punishments last week. The approval followed weeks establish an expert panel under the council by autumn to discuss counter-espionage legislation for submission to next year’s regular Diet session. Bills likely to be discussed include legislation to establish a system for registering agents of foreign governments engaged in lobbying activities, as well as measures to establish Japan’s own foreign intelligence agency. Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party also compiled proposals on Tuesday

DAMAGED DISTRICT ... A woman waiting to cross a street beside part of the Shohinken Teahouse and Garden that collapsed in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture, following an earthquake on Tuesday. – AFPPIC Tokyo launches counter-espionage bureau TOKYO: Japan launched its

An upgraded version of the Cabinet Intelligence and Research Office, it has about 730 staff, the same as its predecessor. Kazuya Hara, who had served as Cabinet intelligence director since June 2023, assumed the post of the bureau’s director yesterday. He previously held senior positions at the NPA, including head of its Security Bureau, and served as an executive secretary to then prime minister Shinzo Abe. The government is expected to

The launch of both bodies paves the way for counter-espionage legislation, which the government under national security hawk Takaichi says is needed to respond to increasingly complex overseas threats. The bureau serves as the council’s secretariat and will coordinate intelligence gathered by the National Police Agency (NPA), the Foreign Ministry, the Defence Ministry and other organisations, with the authority to require them to share information.

new National Intelligence Bureau yesterday as part of efforts by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government to strengthen the country’s intelligence capabilities and pursue counter-espionage legislation, Kyodo News reported. Its establishment follows the enactment of a law in May creating the bureau and the National Security Council, a central command body headed by the prime minister and nine other Cabinet ministers.