The Phnom Penh Post - ENGLISH: “Get salary from the people” plus 9 more

I am not happy that police get salary from the people but they don't find justice for people like us.

Officials, business professionals and political analysts have mixed opinions on the leadership of the single-party Cambodian government and what the future hold for the next five years.

Sok Touch, a professor of political science at Khemarak University, said the political deadlock won't help the nation become prosperous within the next five years and beyond.

He said he can't predict the future of Cambodia while the political situation remains unclear and nothing seems to be going smoothly, with one party overly arrogant and the other rather impotent.

"You see, the government is like a mushroom with a big head, and in the meantime the opposition has no influence at all," Touch said.

He said the new government has not been recognised by many democratic bodies like the US, the EU and others, and that is "serious challenge" for the new government.

Prime Minister Hun Sen was appointed by the National Assembly on September 24. The premier spent six hours on September 25 reading the government's third-phase strategy and promised to bring in reforms, while the CNRP members of parliament led by Sam Rainsy and deputy president Kem Sokha attended a Buddhist ceremony in Siem Reap province.

Son Chhay, a CNRP lawmaker, echoed Sok Touch's views. He said a single-party government is unacceptable for citizens, and the nepotism and favouritism that had been used to control the system won't work any more. Cambodian society today is not like Cambodia in 1989.

He warned that if the governing system is weak, then the country will be weak, but when that system is strong, the country will be strong.

"I think the way people see if a country can move forward or backward does not depend on a person [leader], but it depend on a leading system," Chhay said.

"I understand that for the next five years and beyond, there will be many problems happening," Chhay said. He added that "our farmers will owe a lot of money to banks and be heavily in debt. Secondly, good investors will not come to invest beside illegal land grabbers".

Newly appointed Minister of Education, Youth and Sport Hang Choun Naron told the Post that as a new minister he is sure Cambodia will shine under the leadership of Prime Minister Hun Sen.

He said the education system will be fixed and more youth will get jobs, and a better education system will help improve the economy.

"We are going to hold discussions among our ministerial officials to come up with a plan to tackle problems like corruption during exams and even salaries for teachers," Choun Naron said.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon said that over the next five years he will make Cambodia a green and clean attractive tourist destination, as well as promoting cultural and eco-tourism.

"We have to educate our people in new concepts … to build more public toilets and clean up all the plastic bags on the street," Thong Khon said. "We will encourage people to use eco-bags instead," he said.

He said the tourism sector remains an important pillar for economic growth even before and beyond 2015, when ASEAN becomes one single market.

"What I want to happen within the next five years is tourism schools. We are looking for partners to establish tourism schools, and we would provide loans to students from banks for this professional skill," Khon said.

He said by 2020, the tourism sector could create 800,000 jobs. By 2030, there will 115 million travellers within ASEAN, a region with a population of 600 million.

Visa exemptions will be in place and improved airport facilities will help carry about 7.5 million passengers by 2025.

Nguon Meng Tech, the director-general of the Cambodian Chamber of Commerce, said from the private investor perspective the future is not as bleak as some political analyst say. He has confidence in newly appointed Minister of Commerce Sun Chanthol, who is known as a clean man with a Harvard degree and uniquely qualified to handle the pressure of the position.

"We can see a more positive future. I saw that he is a clean man and has a high capacity, he has talent, he has a wide vision," Meng Tech said.

He added that the deadlock won't stop new investors coming into Cambodia – they are merely on the sidelines with plenty of investment capital as they wait to see how the dust settles. He said that in order to make the situation favourable for investors, the CNRP should be ready to speak out on anything they want to change at the National Assembly.

"I believe that opposition MPs should be at the National Assembly. If they don't join, then citizens will pass judgment on them and voters will be asking, 'Where are my voices?'"

Ho Vandy, the co-chair of a private tourism sector group, said the political environment is a major obstacle in the tourism sector right now.

"This is a matter that everyone has to raise questions about. What do we all actually want? Politicians have to come together to forge a deal that is a win-win solution" he said.

He said in case politicians are not able to reach any solutions, then the economic situation as well as development plans will be blocked.

"We are not talking about predictions, we are talking about the truth," he said.

Kay Kimsong is the Editor-in-Chief of Post Khmer, The Phnom Penh Post's sister paper.

The body of a missing American woman was discovered in the popular Sihanoukville tourist destination of Koh Rong on Monday, police said yesterday.

Katherine Ann Grgich, 55, disappeared on September 28, after checking into Island Palace Bungalow Resort for a five-day stay.

Oum Sam Ol, provincial deputy police chief, told the Post that following the discovery of Grgich's body, local authorities alongside US Embassy officials and a local medical team examined the body and found no signs indicating murder or rape.

"The body was decomposing and cremated on Tuesday with the US Embassy's agreement. The remains will be given to the embassy on Thursday. The police have not come to any conclusion yet [on the cause of death]," he said, adding that a team of representatives from the provincial crime department, central justice police and local police would continue investigating.

Grgich arrived in Siem Reap International Airport on September 23 and checked into her hotel on the same day, Sam Ol said.

Sean McIntosh, US Embassy spokesman, offered few details on the case but confirmed the embassy was in the loop.

"The US Embassy confirms that the body of an American was found on Koh Rong and we have requested the relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation," McIntosh said.

Two women are missing after the boat they were travelling in was overturned by strong currents in Oddar Meanchey province's Anlong Veng district yesterday as severe floods continue to inundate much of the country, police said.

According to Pheng Phout, the police chief in Trapaing Tav commune in Anlong Veng, the boat was travelling on a river flowing out of a large lake, ferrying five people to a nearby pagoda.

Midstream, the boat's engine stalled and the boat overturned and was carried off by the current.

Two men and one woman who were also passengers were able to swim to safety, but passengers and Anlong Veng residents Van Kim Sreng, 40, and Phan Lak, 50, were unable to make it, the police officer added.

"As of now, they are missing. We have not yet seen them dead since they fell into the water," Phout said. "It is tragic for their family."

The death toll from this year's flooding has reached 52, said Keo Vy, the cabinet chief of the National Committee for Disaster Management, with Kampong Cham province province the most deadly with 18 fatalities.

Meanwhile, with 14 provinces now feeling the effects of the floods, more than 30,000 homes and 30,000 hectares of rice paddy have been affected.

However, he added, the disastrous floodwaters are beginning to recede slowly, but surely.

"Phnom Penh water levels are down, too. It is down from 10.25 metres to 10.19 metres if compared to yesterday," Vy said, adding that even with the floods abating, residents still needed to take special care around the floodwaters that still remain.

Doung Pov, director of the Stung Treng Provincial Hall, said that water levels in his province were going down as well, dropping from 9.2 metres yesterday to nine metres today.

A Cambodian woman working at a garment factory in Malaysia has been arrested and detained in prison for nearly one month since her visa was revoked after she failed a mandatory annual health test, according to a legal aid organisation.

According to the Community Legal Education Center, worker Sry Ratha arrived in Batu Pahat, Malaysia, in July 2011 with a visa permitting her to work at Honsin Apparel Sdn Bhd, where she was employed until she was detained on September 9 this year.

After failing an annual health test – for reasons that remain unclear because she was never provided with any documentation – Ratha's visa was revoked before she had a chance to make arrangements to return to Cambodia.

When she visited Malaysian authorities with her employers to request documents to travel home, she was immediately arrested.

The very fact that she had requested such documents clearly demonstrated "that she had no intention to break the law by remaining in Malaysia", said a CLEC statement.

Program officer Huy Pichsovann expressed concern yesterday over Ratha's case, saying she was healthy when she left Cambodia and didn't seem to have any communicable disease that would necessitate detention or deportation.

"Her employer must return her on time if she fails a health check, but they kept her until her visa was cancelled. This is not her fault, the factory owner must be held responsible for this case," Pichsovann said.

In its statement, CLEC also called on the Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Malaysian Department of Immigration to release Ratha immediately, calling the situation "a further example of how the respective governments have failed to put in place the proper safeguards to ensure safe employment for Cambodians in Malaysia".

Koy Kuong, spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday the ministry was aware of the case and investigating.

"This morning, I just got a letter from [CLEC], and now our embassy in Kuala Lumpur is investigating her case so she can return home," Kuong said.

Energy demand in Southeast Asia is expected to increase by more than 80 per cent by 2035, fuelling some $240 billion in oil spending, a new report from the International Atomic Energy Association (IAEA) shows.

In its "Southeast Asia Energy Outlook" published yesterday, the Paris-based IAEA estimates that oil imports will climb to more than five million barrels per day, doubling dependency and making the region the world's fourth-largest recipient after China, India and the EU.

The increased reliance on oil in the region "will impose high costs and leave it more vulnerable to potential disruptions", the report said, suggesting that for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member states like Cambodia, which imports all its oil and has yet to tap natural resources, the price shocks could hit hard.

The IAEA also noted that between 2002 and 2011, the number of people with access to electricity in Cambodia doubled. But that still leaves nine million, or 66 per cent of the population, without access. Thirteen million Cambodians, a staggering 88 per cent of the population, are relying on traditional biomass methods for cooking, according to the IAEA report.

On the same day of the energy association's gloomy outlook, the Asian Development Bank released an upbeat forecast for growth in Cambodia, keeping the rate steady at 7.2 per cent.

"So far this year, most sectors have performed as projected in April," the Manila-based development bank said in its "Asian Development Outlook 2013 Update" yesterday. In 2014, growth is expected to pick up to 7.5 per cent as recovery takes hold in Europe and the US.

"Cambodia's economy is expected to remain buoyant over the next two years, reflecting steady reforms and recovery in the traditional global markets," Eric Sidgwick, ADB country director for Cambodia, said in the statement yesterday.

ADB's outlook contrasts with several warnings from analysts and officials about the impact that post-election instability could have on the economy.

In comments after the July 28 poll, then-Minister of Commerce Cham Prasidh warned in August that demonstrations could derail growth and lead to riots and looting. A recent study conducted by Indochina Research shows that confidence among foreign business leaders in the country has plummeted roughly 50 per cent in the aftermath of the disputed vote.

"I almost agree with the analysis of ADB on the performance of the Cambodian economy and estimated growth rate," said Hiroshi Suzuki, chief economist at the Business Research Institute for Cambodia.

"Regarding the impact of the political situation, it's difficult to estimate the affect on economic performance at this moment.

"The four engines of the Cambodian economy are all in good situations: Export, construction, tourism and agriculture."

According to the ADB outlook, garment and footwear exports to the US and the EU reached $2.3 billion in the first six months, an 11.3 per cent year-on-year increase. Milled rice exports doubled to $122 million, while construction project approvals totalled $1.9 billion.

The tourism sector saw a 19.1 per cent year-on-year increase, with 2.1 million visiting Cambodia from January to June. The ADB forecasts the whole service sector will grow by about seven per cent this year.

Regionally, unexpected sluggish growth in Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand is cutting into the overall predicted economic performance in Southeast Asia. The 10-member ASEAN is forecast to grow by 4.9 per cent this year, down from 5.6 per cent in 2012.

"One of the reasons for the difference with other countries is that US and EU are major export destinations for Cambodia," Suzuki said. "Cambodia will not be so affected by the slow down of the economy in emerging countries such as China and India."

After two rounds of dramatic twists and turns, Pakhruddin Bin Abdullah Majid emerged as the gross winner of the 2013 Prudential Astro Masters grand final at the Angkor Golf Resort in Siem Reap on Tuesday.

In the net category, Zman Bin Asakil took top honours. A field of 37 finalists drawn from 20 qualifying events played all over Malaysia from March this year lined up for this prestigious annual tournament, the first round of which was played on Monday at the Siem Reap Booyoung Country Club.

Coming out on the final day with a total score of 154, Pakhruddin grabbed the top prize on the strength of his score being the best on the second day. Mohamad Shokri Bin Saad finished runner-up ahead of Lim Bun Keong in third place. Mohamad Alias Bin Abdullah and Kamaruzzaman Bin Kedah took the next two places.

Expat Richard Crlik's recent call to action to clean downtown Siem Reap, and primarily the riverside, from rubbish has taken root and Sunday week ago 750 people took part in a mass clean-up initiative to tidy up the streets riverbanks.

"We covered thirteen areas specifically around the river and town," says Crlik. "Also two extra areas behind Angkor High School, one area between the Crocodile Farm and Angkor Beer, Honour Village did a cleanup in their area and Kampuchea House worked along National Road 6, consulting with local officials and stallholders."

The day was a resounding success, with 856 bags of rubbish filled including 90 bags of recyclables and 16 sacks of glass items. Crlik says he was delighted that the majority of clean-up volunteers were Khmer.

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"I think it was a huge success. 700 plus people was amazing," he says. "The most amazing thing is that it was 90 per cent at least Khmers. They were all from hotels and companies and from what I hear, they were all asked and they all volunteered; nobody was forced – they all wanted to do it. They were just so happy and so enthusiastic."

Crlik says some locals even apologised for their untidiness.

"We stopped for a coffee and were explaining to a group of tourists what we were doing and the waiter actually came up and said, 'I'm so sorry my people are not clean.'"

He adds that when he went to collect rubbish from NGO Honour Village Cambodia based out near the airport, he got a welcome reception.

"They'd taken the rubbish into the village to the pagoda and as we were driving through a lot of the people were smiling and waving and saying thank you. That was really nice."

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Nine NGOs took part in the clean-up as well as five schools, plus individual students from Angkor High School, 10th January High School, Build Bright University and Angkor University. Age was no issue with one helper as young as four, a student from ISSR, happily tidying up alongside his older sister, parents and grandmother.

Hotels got on board too, with eleven participating including Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort, Amansara and Shinta Mani, while numerous restaurants, bars and other businesses took part.

Crlik says some weird and wonderful things were turned up during the course of the morning, including a tortoise which was given a new spruced up home.

"I had half a sack full of bottles collected before I actually found him under there," he says. "It was really cute, and so lovely to give him a clean home to live in. There was a lot of underwear found, plus bicycle seats and up in Area 1 they found some carvings from the pagoda, quite old apparently they thought."

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Looking to the future, Crlik acknowledges while some locals seem keen to follow the example, for others the reality is not quite so simple. He says on Sunday one of his helpers told off a local for dropping litter, encouraging him to place it in a rubbish bag instead.

"The local said to her, 'But where else can we put it? It's not our fault.' And, looking around, that's the biggest problem – where do they put their litter? There are bins near the palace and a few around the market but not many, and even the people who try, who bag it up and leave it, it's not collected. So the message is really to get to the local authorities and the Ministry of Tourism and say we need to push the message of keeping clean, we need more garbage bins."

Crlik has a meeting scheduled with the Cambodian Hotels Association to drum up more support, with a view to approaching the relevant authorities.

"The next step is to get a committee together and see where we want to take it," he says. "I'd like to do one-off, smaller clean-up campaigns in different areas, which isn't as effective but probably more practical for everybody during high season."

Most businesses seem keen to participate in the clean-up campaign, an initiative that was also encouraged by the governor Khim Bun Song.

But some businesses still defile public areas by disposing their rubbish on riverbank land and pathways along the river.

A prime example is the stretch of riverside on Achasva Street, aka River Road, between the Samdech Tep Vong Street bridge and the Street 25 bridge. Most of this stretch is in superb condition and maintained by three hotels in the strip, the relatively new Angkor Sayana Hotel and Spa, the City River Hotel, and the Bopha Angkor Hotel and Restaurant.

The latter two hotels have sort of "colonised" the river bank so that guests can sit there and take in marvellous river views. But both hotels have their staff out most mornings sweeping the areas and removing any trash.

But just down from the City River hotel and over the road from some restaurant-bars, is a section of pathway that is used as a rubbish dump, presumably by restaurants on the other side of the road.

Rubbish is dumped in a small bin that's always overflowing, and in plastic bags, but also at times rubbish is just thrown directly onto the pathway. The plastic bags also are often split open by dogs and scavengers. This creates an ugly and unhealthy eyesore – often rotting food smells and attracts flies and at times surges with maggots. Broken glasses and glass bottles are also dumped here. Rats can occasionally be seen darting in and out of the mess.

Insider is unsure about exactly who dumps rubbish here but one evening Insider did spot a kitchen staffer, dressed in a white rubber apron and boots, emerge from Molopor Café with a bucket of kitchen slops and simply throw the contents onto the mess that was already piled on the pathway. At times the rotten food filth gets onto the roadway itself.

The rubbish service does collect here – but only the contents of the bin and plastic bags are removed, never the rubbish strewn all over the place and hence the area is never clean..

About 80 people turned up on Saturday for the second Reapers' Run of Shame, the 1 kilometre "walk, run or stagger" in aid of NGO ABCs and Rice, and more than $1400 was raised

Organiser and ABCs and Rice strategic planner Monica Butler was delighted with how the day went. Race winner was Globalteer's Charlie Pomroy, who, she said, was in keeping with the shame theme by cheating his way to the finish-line.

"He shamefully cheated by catching a moto-dop, but as there are no rules this was perfectly acceptable," she said. "Second place was Madi Stott, a volunteer at ABCs and Rice, and third was long-time expat Dylan Barry."

Members of the Hash House Harriers led by Victoria Angkor Resort & Spa general manager Hanno Stamm again took part, with one of them, Sophea Chan, taking the prize for the Best Fake Boobies.

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Other prizes were handed out for Prettiest Lady, Best Outfit and Craziest Outfit, won by Ryan Ahlers who was dressed as a Russian complete with fur hat.

"We were very fortunate with the weather as the sun appeared for the first time that day just as the registration desk opened," said Butler, "Although the participants dressed as a Russian and a gladiator would've preferred a little less warmth. It was a fantastic day filled with smiles, laughter and silliness.

"There was even an impromptu fashion parade at the Warehouse afterwards. I can't wait for next year's run."