Month: March 2019

Indonesian presidential candidates clashed over the nation’s low defence budget and foreign policy with the world’s third-largest democracy set to go to polls in less than three weeks.Prabowo Subianto, who’s challenging incumbent Joko Widodo in a rematch of the 2014 elections, said he would significantly boost defence spending to better prepare the nation’s armed forces against any external threats.Widodo, known as Jokowi, pitched for bolstering the technical capability of the forces, saying…

Thanks to shared histories and cultural connections, travellers from Hong Kong, mainland China and Taiwan are getting a taste for the Malaysian state of Penang.That’s good news for Heritage on a Plate, which offers tours of Georgetown aimed at satisfying appetites for both history and food.Manned by Penangite Danny Mahes and American Jeremy Bernozzi, the tour operator takes guests to some of the best street food outlets in Penang, while explaining the area’s history and culture.“I think many of…

When Cheah Cheng Hye left his hometown of Penang in northern Malaysia in 1974 for a higher paying job with The Standard newspaper in Hong Kong, his plan was to stay a few years until he saved enough money to buy his family a house.Unable to afford a flight, Cheah – 20 at the time – travelled to Hong Kong on a cargo ship. These days he is the proud owner of a BMW with a special licence plate that reads “Penang”. He is also the founder of one of Asia’s largest independent asset management firms,…

Thailand’s Election Commission said on Friday computer software was partly to blame for inconsistent and delayed vote totals from last Sunday’s general election.During early reporting of the election results, its tabulation software had trouble handling data entered simultaneously from several points and sometimes displayed incorrect numbers, the commission said in a statement as it faced accusations about a lack of transparency.Several political activists said they were starting a petition to…

The head of the UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has confirmed that the body has the power to require financial services firms to make reasonable adjustments for consumers with disabilities or to stop discriminating against people with other ‘protected characteristics’ where it considers they have not been treated fairly, and has already done so on occasion.

A UK charity’s decision to close in light of a “substantial pension deficit” should prompt other employers that participate in the local government pension scheme (LGPS) to plan ahead to manage likely increases in their liabilities, a public sector pensions expert has said.

Since Indonesia first established diplomatic ties with the People’s Republic of China in 1950, relations have been complicated – and more than those with any other country, continue to impinge on domestic affairs to different degrees.Indonesia’s ethnic Chinese community asserts significant influence over the national economy and because domestic dynamics tend to serve as the primary drivers of the country’s foreign policy, public opinion – and that of the elite – is divided over the rise of…

The Malaysian government took legal action on Thursday to freeze about 48 million ringgit (US$11.8 million) in bank accounts belonging to the father of fugitive financier Low Taek Jho, The Edge newspaper reported.The money in the seven of Low Hock Peng’s accounts is believed to have originated from state investment company 1Malaysia Development Berhad, the paper said, citing sources it did not identify.The civil forfeiture action by the government was made under the country’s anti-money…

Most of the current consumer protections contained in the UK’s Consumer Credit Act (CCA) should be retained in statute, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has said.

People working in the Lloyd’s insurance market face potential lifetime expulsion if they are found responsible for sexual harassment, the market has confirmed.