Asian Insider: Johor set to vote | Australia is finally reopening

Dear ST reader,

Malaysia’s Johor state assembly election will be held on March 12, with partner coalitions set to challenge each other in the polls. Australia is finally reopening its borders from Feb 21, and Philippines’ presidential candidates have kicked off campaigning this week. Read on for more.

The Johor state assembly election will be held on March 12, Malaysia correspondent Nadirah H. Rodzi reports. The Umno-led Barisan Nasional coalition and the Perikatan Nasional pact led by Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia will be going head to head with each other, and against the opposition pact Pakatan Harapan in the polls. The election will mark the first time that individuals aged 18 to 20 can vote in a Malaysian election. 

Delve deeper: Gloomy outlook for PH in crucial Johor polls 

Elsewhere in Malaysia: Mahathir takes lakeside stroll after 'severe illness'

Beijing, the only city in the world to have staged both the Winter and Summer Games, kicked off the Winter Olympic Games this time with a much more pared-down ceremony than the extravaganza it held during the Summer Games in 2008.

Beijing's claim that it will hold a "clean and green" Olympics is under scrutiny amid fears of the return of severe smog and concerns over the use of fake snow. It is also walking a fine line to ensure that the pandemic does not overshadow the much-awaited sporting event. 

China’s foreign-born athletes have come under the media spotlight in recent days, like teenage ski star Eileen Gu who spent most of her growing up years in the United States but chose to compete under the Chinese flag. China’s adorable ice panda souvenirs featuring its mascot Bing Dwen Dwen have also proven hugely popular with the masses. 

Catch more of the latest news on the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing here.

The Philippines’ presidential hopefuls have kicked off campaigning, with Mr Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the son and namesake of the late dictator, leading a pack of 10 candidates seeking to replace President Rodrigo Duterte in May. If opinion polls are anything to go by, Mr Marcos looks set to win by a landslide, completing a revival of his family's political brand more than three decades in the making, Philippines correspondent Raul Dancel reports. 

Read more: Is Bongbong Marcos another Manchurian candidate? 

Don't miss: Marcos Jr's path to Philippine presidency muddled by lawsuits

Australia will finally reopen its borders to all foreign travellers from Feb 21, ending a two-year closure that has devastated the nation's tourism sector. Entry will be allowed for all travellers who hold visas and are double-vaccinated, Jonathan Pearlman reports. Much of Australia is still currently in the grip of a surging Covid-19 outbreak, but the number of infections and hospitalisations have begun to drop, raising hopes that the outbreak has peaked. 

Find out more: Can Singaporeans travel to Australia?

A near-exhaustive report recently released by the US State Department on Beijing’s maritime claims in the South China Sea, is set to bolster South-east Asian claimants’ arguments against China, US correspondent Charissa Yong writes in the weekly Power Play column. While these claimant states already had international law on their side – a 2016 international court ruling had dismissed Beijing’s claims to some 90 per cent of the waters – the latest report lays out exactly how strong their legal case is relative to China's. 

Read more: Indonesia's maritime challenge - many guardians, more boats needed

Japan and South Korea are at loggerheads once more, this time over Tokyo’s bid to nominate ancient gold and silver mines for Unesco World Heritage status. Japan regards the mines on Sado Island as industrial heritage that boasts of the country’s outstanding mining technology that was ahead of its time, but Seoul sees them as a painful reminder of forced wartime labour of South Koreans. Japan correspondent Walter Sim examines the dispute.

India’s advertising industry is facing a wave of rising intolerance towards progressive concepts incorporated into their work, India correspondent Rohini Mohan reports. The conservative rage amid an increasingly polarised atmosphere has spooked agencies and brands alike, limiting creative freedom as companies grow wary of any potential backlash and those that get flak over sensitive issues beat a hasty retreat. 

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