Stefano Vecchia

While boasting about its interethnic harmony, the Singaporean of Indian origin and immigrants with an Indian background are refused housing by Chinese landlords because of their “smelly” cuisine. Members of Singapore’s ethnic minorities complain of hidden racism. Indo-Singaporeans represent 9 per cent of the country’s population.

In recent weeks, more than 22,000 Chin refugees have fled the violence by the Myanmar military joining Rohingya refugees already been present in the country. The Malaysian government has condemned the coup in Myanmar, but refugees from that country in Malaysia are more like hostages than welcomed and respected guests.

Before the pandemic, Thailand was home to millions of foreign migrants who played a crucial role in the local labour market. Today workers from Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos are trying to return, but Thai authorities fear they could cause the number of infections to rise again.

Built in the Neo-Renaissance style in the early 20th century, the station served the Eastern & Oriental Express. By the end of the year, it will be shuttered, replaced by new and larger Bang Sue station. Those who earned a living from small formal and informal activities under and near its vaulted iron roof are now worried.

Only Switzerland tops the city-state in the annual index by the INSEAD the Portulans Institute. The quality of its education and openness to technological innovation are among the determining factors. However, COVID-19 has revealed some limits to its model’s sustainability.

The Thai government wants to remove all limits on foreign and domestic travellers on 1 November. However, Thailand’s immunisation campaign is far from fully vaccinating 70 per cent of the population, indicated as a requirement by the scientific community. Only a few thousand tourists have travelled to “secure areas” in Phuket, bringing little relief to the local economy.

The city-state of Singapore currently has 90,000 surveillance cameras, but that number could more than double in a few years. Civil society groups view them as a tool of control, but since they were installed, some crimes have dropped by 70 per cent while they have proven useful in tracking missing people.

The Thai capital is on high alert due to two tropical storms coming in from Vietnam. The opening of locks on several dams is likely to aggravate the situation. Inhabitants are reminded of the 2011 flood in which a thousand people died.

The Parliament of Singapore passes a bill that monitors Singaporean citizens and bodies that have relations with foreign organisations. For the opposition, too much discretionary power is left with the Home Affairs minister, putting freedom of expression at risk.

Zero CO2 emissions by 2050 is the goal of the new five-year development plan presented by the government, much earlier than the other countries in the region. To get there, Malaysia will stop opening new coal-fired power plants and adapt factories and urban energy management.

As complaints rise, crisis centres are overwhelmed. Because anti-COVID-19 measures discourage overnight stay at shelters, victims are often forced to return to abusive homes.

Malaysia’s new Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his government plan to appeal last week’s High Court ruling overturning a discriminatory law that grants citizenship to children of mixed couples only if the father is Malaysian. For civil society groups, the government’s appeal is a “betrayal of rights”.