Asean News Headlines at 9pm on Monday (Feb 20, 2023)

Surfers ride a wave at a popular tourism destination in Lhoknga beach, Indonesia's Aceh province on Monday, February 20, 2023. - AFP

Malaysia:

* Defence Ministry implementing PAC recommendations following LCS scandal, says Tok Mat

* Malaysia's export value expands to RM112.84bil in January

* Najib’s SRC case review: Technical glitch temporarily halts proceedings

* Lawyer forced to stay on as Najib's counsel was a 'fundamental error' by court, says Shafee

* Appeals court sets Aug 11 to hear Najib's appeal over bid to attend Parliament sittings

* Recognising UEC not a priority, says Education Minister

* Budget 2023 likely to maintain proposed tax cut for M40, tax rise for T20 - CTIM

* RM1.6mil spent on maintenance of ministers’ official cars between 2020 and 2022, says Anwar

* T'ganu cops record statements from 12 over controversial PAS Youth parade

* MCMC to meet TV channel after fake news report on reduction of civil service, says Fahmi

* Sarawak minister: Malaysian vehicles crossing international border must display physical road tax stickers

* Visitor who wanted to see S'wak MP ordered to leave Parliament for wearing short skirt

Young leatherback turtles crawl over each other after hatching and before their release into the sea on Bang Khwan beach in the coastal Thai province of Phang Nga on Monday, February 20, 2023. Leatherback turtles, which are found to nest along the Andaman Sea coast, are the most migratory of all sea turtles with populations distributed around the world in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, and are listed as a vulnerable species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). - AFP

Singapore:

* Singapore charities urge caution as fund-raising scams surface after Turkey quake

* ChatGPT vs Singapore pupils: How chatbot fared in PSLE maths, science and English

* SCDF officer charged with molesting woman at agency’s premises; he has been suspended on half pay

* Digital buddies at 15 Kopitiam outlets to help patrons transition from card to app

* Eight months’ jail for Samsung Electronics worker in S’pore who stole phones worth S$61,000 from employer

* Singapore sees rise in poultry imports from Australia

* Higher grant may raise HDB resale flat prices in Singapore

* Oil rises on China demand hopes, concerns on supply outlook

* Asia shares creep higher, wary on Fed and BOJ outlooks

Indonesia:

* Australian professor, others taken hostage in Papua New Guinea, says Prime Minister

* Erick Thohir outlines plan to fight match fixing, form hooliganism committee

* Helicopter with provincial police chief onboard crashes in Jambi jungle

* Top profitable Indonesian banks spur Jokowi’s call to rein in margins

* Sea turtles are making a comeback in Bali

* The billion-dollar coffee chain backed by Jay-Z, Serena Williams

A surfer rides a wave at a popular tourism destination in Lhoknga beach, Indonesia's Aceh province on February 20, 2023. - AFP

Thailand:

* Thailand expects THB3.9 billion revenue boost from tourist entry fee this year

* Democrat party unveils election vow to stop free sale of cannabis

* Thai baht, Philippine peso lead Asian FX higher; Fed rate woes linger

* Caught on TikTok: Thai Airways ‘urgently’ probing food tray mishap on Singapore-Bangkok flight

* Pheu Thai needs landslide win to form single-party govt: Paetongtarn

* Paetongtarn banking on nostalgia

Philippines:

* Philippines and the US discuss joint coast guard patrols in South China Sea

* High-risk volcano search all prepared for Philippine plane with four aboard feared death

* Philippines importing more chicken, less beef and pork

* Magnitude 4.8 earthquake hits waters off Quezon province

* Vice-mayor killed in ambush in Cagayan province

* ‘Not yet time to invoke US treaty’, says Marcos

Nepal's Sange Sherpa celebrates as he crosses the finish line to win the Betong 160 trail race during the 'Amazean Jungle by UTMB' event in Betong district in southern Thailand's Yala province. 1,500 runners took part in five different races taking place in Thailand's deep south, a part of the country often bypassed by tourists because of a decades-long insurgency. - AFP

Vietnam:

* Malaysia's roti canai ranked second and Vietnamese baguette ranked seventh in world’s top 50 best street foods by TasteAtlas

* Covid-19 no more as bustling scenes return to China-Vietnam border county

* Builders eye sea sand for construction as river sand runs out

* Vietnamese entrepreneurs need to prepare for the funding winter

* Many foreign funds in Vietnam enjoy profits in January

* Vietnam’s Thaco to invest heavily in Chu Lai

Myanmar:

* Nabbed on the 'high' seas: Myanmar crew on impounded fishing boat believed to be on drugs

* Myanmar actress Moh Moh Myint Aung and ex-husband sued for fraud

* Five Myanmar nationals remanded a week to assist in murder probe

* Landmines claiming more victims in Myanmar

* Four Myanmar nationals nabbed over man’s murder near PD

A surfer rides a wave at a popular tourism destination in Lhoknga beach, Indonesia's Aceh province on February 20, 2023. - AFP

Cambodia:

* Hun Sen offers govt jobs to Cambodian journalists after shutting down news outlet VOD

* Siem Reap to attain open defecation free status by early 2024, say Cambodian officials

* Rain, cold weather expected to dampen cashew nut output

Laos:

* Laos health officials find formaldehyde in food products at Luang Prabang markets

* Laos receives international aid for agricultural development

Brunei:

* Brunei LegCo session to open on March 2

* Brunei records a new Covid-19 death

Participants of the Betong 50 trail race reach the sea of mist of Jarohkanga during the 'Amazean Jungle by UTMB' event in Betong district in southern Thailand's Yala province. Some 1,500 runners took part in five different trail races taking place in Thailand's deep south, a part of the country often bypassed by tourists because of a decades-long insurgency. - AFP

AseanPlus:

* Jack Ma spotted in Australia in a nod to Alibaba’s global roots

* S. Korean president's approval rating rises to 40.4 per cent: poll

* Japan PM says to G7 summit with Ukraine's Zelenskiy on Friday

* Blinken-Wang meeting in Munich shows tensions between US and China remain

* China says 'never interfered' in Canadian elections

* N. Korea fires ballistic missiles, warns of more action over US-S. Korea drills

* Senior envoy urges US to correct mistakes in airship incident

* 4.7 billion passenger trips made during Spring Festival

* Chinese student shot in US varsity paralysed

* Nepal’s march to democracy: The Kathmandu Post

* Manga master Leiji Matsumoto dies at 85, known for 'Space Battleship Yamato'

* UN says AI poses 'serious risk' for human rights

* Golf-Honeymoon continues for newly-wed Ko with winning start

* China expects 10.25 billion IoT connections by 2026

* Maintaining a stable, fair and predictable business environment in China

* China to contribute one-third of growth - Consumption-led rebound to boost economic activity

* Salman Rushdie condemns 'absurd censorship' of rewritten Roald Dahl books

* US will back quake-hit Turkey "as long as it takes", Blinken says

* Cricket-Back to the drawing board for panicky Australia after another India failure

* Motor racing-Fast Australian GP predicted as Melbourne gets another DRS zone

* Motor racing-Multiple F1 teams contact Honda for 2026 partnership