Wednesday #sgroundup: PM Lee says might not right in territorial disputes

By Jeanette Tan | What's buzzing? – 

Here are the top trending stories of today, in case you missed them:

Singapore: Might not right in territorial disputes

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong delivers a speech during the 20th International Conference on the …

Singapore's prime minister said Tuesday international law should determine how territorial disputes in the South China Sea are resolved, rather than the notion that "might is right."

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was responding to a question about China's expansive territorial claims in resource-rich oceans that have spooked some of its Southeast Asian neighbors.

Singapore is not a claimant state in the South China Sea, but is supportive of efforts by Southeast Asia's regional bloc to negotiate with China a code of conduct to manage and resolve the territorial disputes, that have increased regional tension. The city state also balances its strong ties with Washington with cordial relations with Beijing.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-might-not-territorial-disputes-185449982.html

Singapore PM asks Japan to turn page on history

Filipina former comfort women protest in front of the Japanese embassy in Manila on March 3, 2010, demanding compensation …

Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Tuesday called on Japan to turn the page on World War II, saying that persistent reopening of history worsened relations within Asia.

While China and South Korea have vociferously criticized conservative Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on history, Lee said Singapore approached the issue as a partner of the Japan "which wishes it well."

"Unless you can put the Second World War behind you and not keep on reopening issues of comfort women, of aggression, of whether or not bad things were done during the war, I think that this is going to be a continuing sore," Lee said at the Council on Foreign Relations on a visit to Washington.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/singapore-pm-asks-japan-turn-page-history-230819882.html

Letters sent to foreign media 'completely in order': Prime Minister's Office

(From left:) A screengrab of the Economist article, and a screengrab of the HK General-Consul's response to an …

The office of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on Wednesday spoke up in defence of letters sent by his press secretary and the country's representative to Hong Kong to rebut articles touching on the political leader's defamation suit against a local blogger. 
 
In a statement posted on its website, spokespersons for the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said it was "completely in order" for Lee's press secretary, Chang Li Lin, to pen a response to an article in The Economist that referred to the defamation suit against Roy Ngerng, who is accused of alleging the prime minister was guilty of "criminal misappropriation" involving monies in Singapore's social security savings system.

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/letters-sent-to-foreign-media--completely-in-order---prime-minister-s-office-101338909.html

Malaysia gets new transport minister amid MH370 crisis

MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai will face censure at the upcoming MCA extraordinary meeting this coming Oct …

Malaysia's premier on Wednesday appointed a new transport minister to replace Hishammuddin Hussein, who took the lead during the search for missing flight MH370.

Hishammuddin, who is also defence minister, had provisionally held the transport portfolio after the post was left vacant following the last elections a year ago.

He led the nation's search for the Malaysia Airlines plane that vanished on March 8 with 239 people aboard.

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/malaysia-gets-transport-minister-amid-060614846.html

Singapore to require banks to hold liquid assets for crises

A view of the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) building, pictured on April 14, 2009. MAS expressed concern …

Banks in Singapore will soon be required to keep certain amounts of easy-to-sell assets on hand in the country to support themselves in times of stress.

The new liquidity framework applies to lenders with a "significant retail presence" in the country and covers all currencies, Lim Hng Kiang, the deputy chairman of the Monetary Authority of Singapore, or MAS, said in a speech last night. Banks will also need to hold liquid Singapore dollar assets separately to manage their liabilities in the local currency.

https://sg.finance.yahoo.com/news/singapore-require-banks-hold-liquid-074432671.html

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/blogs/what-is-buzzing/wednesday--sgroundup--pm-lee-says-might-not-right-in-territorial-disputes-101953697.html