Asian Legal Review

Britain’s Duke and the Duchess of Cambridge left Pakistan on Friday afternoon after concluding their inaugural visit, which captured the nation’s attention for five days but will be remembered for years to come.The royal couple arrived in the capital of Islamabad on Monday night to a red-carpet welcome and an eager media scrum.Kate Middleton’s decision to don an elegant aqua shalwar kameez, Pakistan’s national dress of a tunic with trousers, was received positively by many in the nation.On…

Robin Jonathan had not yet been born when Japanese imperialists killed his grandfather and uncle in Indonesia’s province of East Kalimantan. The two men, both of Chinese descent, were executed for helping Indonesian fighters in their struggle for the country’s independence.Robin, now 70, recalled the tragic events as his family’s most notable contribution to the fight to defend the “homeland” during the tumultuous years under Japanese rule.Japan occupied Indonesia from 1942 to 1945 before it…

Traders in India are avoiding Malaysian palm oil imports in favour of purchases from Indonesia amid growing fears that New Delhi is weighing retaliation against the Southeast Asian nation for its criticism over Kashmir and sheltering of wanted Islamic preacher Zakir Naik. At least three importers said the uncertainty in bilateral relations had forced them to consider alternatives, while a government source who handles India’s trade ties with Southeast Asia struck a note of caution despite…

A Singaporean man became the first of the country’s citizens to be jailed for financing terrorism after he was convicted of sending money to a radical Islamist preacher.There have been a steady stream of arrests in Singapore related to support for Islamist extremism, and the affluent city state’s leaders have warned it is a prime target for an attack.Ahmed Hussein Abdul Kadir Sheik Uduman was jailed for two-and-a-half years for donating S$1,146 (US$840) to Sheikh Abdullah al-Faisal, an Islamist…

Malaysia’s navy needs upgrading to deal with the possibility of armed conflict in the South China Sea, the country’s foreign minister said on Thursday ahead of the long-awaited release of a Defence White Paper expected to outline a 10-year plan for the armed forces.Saifuddin Abdullah spelled out in parliament how China’s coastguard vessels had a 24-hour presence around the South Luconia Shoals off the Malaysian state of Sarawak in Borneo, adding that ships under the Royal Malaysian Navy “are…

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte hurt his hip and suffered scratches in a motorcycle accident, senior aides of the 74-year-old leader said on Thursday.Duterte, whose health has been the subject of intense public speculation, suffered the mishap at the Malacanang presidential palace compound late Wednesday, according to spokesman Salvador Panelo.The crash came 10 days after Duterte disclosed he is suffering from myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease that could potentially have serious…

At least 36 suspected militants, including two former policewomen, have been arrested in recent weeks for plotting suicide bombings and assembling explosive devices ahead of Indonesian President Joko Widodo’s inauguration for his second term this Sunday, police have said.Four of those detained were suspected suicide bombers aiming to attack police stations and non-Muslim places of worship in the West Java city of Cirebon, and the Central Java cities of Solo and Yogyakarta, national police…

Australia wants bilateral free trade deals with Hong Kong, Indonesia and Peru to take effect early next year, the trade minister said Wednesday, adding that the Hong Kong treaty supports its unique status within China.Trade Minister Simon Birmingham introduced legislation into Parliament that would lead to Australia ratifying the three trade treaties, as part of a push to boost the economy via new export opportunities for agriculture businesses.Hong Kong student activists have called for…

Holed up alone in a suburban British house thousands of miles from home, cannabis farmer Cuong Nguyen spent months carefully nurturing his plants, one of thousands of Vietnamese migrants working in the UK’s multibillion-dollar weed industry.Cuong – who is now 41 – slipped into Britain illegally, hidden under a lorry before going on to grow cannabis in homes, hotels and even a stable. His dangerous journey from the poor, rough Vietnamese port town of Haiphong to Britain’s illegal cannabis farms…

Seven years after turning down a US$2.5 billion offer from Coca-Cola, Vietnam’s biggest home-grown beverage company is seeking a strategic partner that can invest US$3 billion to help make it the next Red Bull.Tan Hiep Phat Beverage Group, known as THP locally, is open to mergers and acquisitions to become one of Asia’s top drinks makers, Tran Qui Thanh, the founder of the closely held business said. The company is looking to expand sales in neighbouring Southeast Asian countries, after…