Asian and the World leaders mourn for the death of Saudi Ruler

World dignitaries were expected to begin arriving in Saudi Arabia on Monday to offer condolences for the death of Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, whose successor is yet to be named.

US Vice President Joe Biden, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak were among the world leaders heading to the Saudi capital to offer condolences.

The body of Prince Sultan, who died Saturday in a New York hospital, was repatriated to Riyadh late Monday for a subdued funeral on Tuesday, in line with strict Islamic traditions applied in the ultra-conservative kingdom.

Saudi state television Al-Ekhbariya aired live pictures from Riyadh air base where Sultan's body was taken from the plane in an ambulance.

Ailing King Abdullah, 87, on a wheelchair and wearing a surgical mask, was at the base to receive the crown prince's body, television footage showed.

It is the first time that the seat of the heir to the throne becomes vacant in the history of the oil-rich Gulf state.

Prince Nayef bin Abdul Aziz, a half-brother of King Abdullah and the kingdom's internal security czar who has held the interior portfolio for over three decades, is touted as Sultan's most likely successor as heir.

King Abdullah, who is also the prime minister, had in 2009 appointed Prince Nayef, 78, as second deputy premier, in a move interpreted as putting him in line for the throne.

Sultan was the second deputy prime minister until the then crown prince Abdullah acceded to the throne in 2005.

Sultan's death comes also after Abdullah created in 2006 the Allegiance Council, comprised of 35 princes charged with deciding together with the reigning king who will be crown prince.

"The rules of the Allegiance Council stipulate that the crown prince would be chosen by the council," said Fahd al-Harthi, head of the Riyadh-based ASBAR Centre for Studies, Research and Communications.

"But the royal decree of this system has stated that the current king and crown prince are not forced to abide by this regulation," he told AFP.

Prince Nayef to be the next Ruler in Saudi Arabia

People in the region's power house sounded at ease about the issue of succession, with some hailing Nayef, known for being a conservative, as the best choice.

"I believe that Prince Nayef will be the next crown prince and this is a matter the Saudi people agree with, because the interior minister has a great experience in politics and security and we feel very comfortable with him," in office, said Hamad al-Nasser, 45.

"It will not make s big difference whether the Allegiance Council system is activated now or not, because all are agreed on Prince Nayef," added the public sector employee.

Ahmed Tayeb, 25, also sounded upbeat, expecting Nayef to be chosen.

"He is a good man, and has a strong personality. This is what we need, mainly given the current situation in the surrounding environment," he said.

Relations between the Sunni-dominated kingdom and Shiite Iran, its arch rival across the Gulf, are tense following an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate the kingdom's envoy to Washington.

Saudi Arabia also keeps a close eye on developments in neighbouring Bahrain and Yemen, as well as other countries hit by the so-called "Arab Spring" uprisings demanding regime change.

Except for small protests by the Shiite minority in Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia was largely spared from the wave of popular protest movements, which has so far unseated three Arab leaders.

Prince Nayef, who mobilised his servicemen to prevent the winds of change from buffetting the kingdom, publically thanked Saudis for ignoring calls for demonstrations.

He also led a campaign against Islamist militants after the kingdom was hit by a string of deadly Al-Qaeda attacks between 2003 and 2006.

 

Philippines send condolences to Saudi Arabia

Vice President Jejomar Binay left for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Tuesday to officially extend the country's condolences to the bereaved family of the late Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud.

"We would like to assure His Majesty, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, the Royal Family and the people of Saudi Arabia that the government and the people of the Philippines stand with them at this hour of their great loss," Binay said in a statement.

The vice president went as representative of President Benigno Aquino III. President Aquino is so busy in leading for the reconstruction of the country's economy after the deadly series of typhoons and flooding hit the North Luzon recently.

Sultan, who was in his 80s, passed away of an unspecified illness on October 22 while undergoing treatment in New York.

"The Crown Prince was a man of vision and many achievements. But for us, he was a true friend of the Philippines and Filipinos," Binay said.

The prince, who was the younger half-brother of King Abdullah, should have been the heir to the throne of the world's top oil exporter after serving as the kingdom's deputy prime minister and defense minister. His death reportedly opened questions about the succession in Saudi.

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Malaysia Sees- Philippines could be the new ASEAN giant

Ceritalah by KARIM RASLAN (the Star Online – Malaysia)

The Philippines – with natural resources such as gold, copper, nickel and oil and gas aplenty – has tremendous potential. Last year, the republic registered an amazing 7.1% growth rate, and growing.

MALAYSIANS have looked down on the Philippines for decades, seeing the republic as South-East Asia's basket case, a source of maids, manual workers and little else.

However, with Noynoy Aquino's thumping electoral victory in last year's presidential election, international perceptions are starting to change and the Philippines fastpaced of its Rebranding.

At long last, the republic has a leader with an unquestionable mandate.

Indeed, the Philippines – especially for the businessman – is beginning to look very interesting.

On a personal note, and having experienced how Indonesia started turning around soon after Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's victory in 2004, Manila 2011 reminds me a great deal of how Jakarta was all those years ago: gradually reaching some measure of stability before booming.

Of course, recent natural disasters such as Typhoon Pedring have tended to focus our attention on the Philippines' many weaknesses, much in the same way the 2004 tsunami shook Indonesia.

Still, there's no denying that the two countries share many unfortunate similarities, beginning with their susceptibility to natural disasters, high levels of corruption and poverty, poor infrastructure and weak government.

Nonetheless, scale has its advantages.

The two great archipelagic nations are sprawling, island-based nations with huge populations – the Philippines' 94 million to Indonesia's 240 million.

Both are hampered by poor infrastructure, vast distances and a degree of lawlessness – especially in regions far from the centre of power.

However, the Philippines' poverty levels are more acute.

More than a fifth of all Filipinos (23.1 million) currently subsist on less than US$2 (RM6.2) a day.

Furthermore, the Philippines, having endured decades of Marcos' autocratic and venal kleptocracy, has only just managed to achieve a measure of political stability as institutions and civil society now seek to regain strength and resilience.

Indeed, political violence is still a reality in the Philippines – as the 2009 Maguindanao massacre tragically demonstrated.

Nevertheless, the Philippines, much like Indonesia, has tremendous potential.

In 2010, the republic registered an amazing 7.1% growth rate.

Natural resources ranging from gold, copper and nickel are also plentiful. Troubled Muslim-majority Mindanao is estimated to have a whopping US$1 trillion (RM3.1 trillion) worth of natural oil and gas deposits.

Indeed, the Philippines – for decades an international laggard – is no longer cash-strapped.

For starters, individual Filipinos have become big savers and the country's reserves (US$76bil or RM238.6bil) far exceed net foreign debt: a record that would put most European nations to shame.

There are three fast-growing drivers of the local economy; business process outsourcing (BPO), remittances and tourism.

According to the brokerage CLSA, BPO generated US$9bil (RM28.2bil) in 2010, up 25%.

Indeed, the republic is targeting US$25bil (RM78.5bil) in revenues by 2016.

Meanwhile, BPO jobs have kicked off a mini-boom as housing, banking and auto-sales have benefited from the advent of well over 600,000 middle-class consumers across the country with major hubs in provincial cities such as Cebu and Davao.

Remittances have also been growing steadily.

With over ten million Filipinos working abroad in 2010, well over US$18.8bil (RM59bil) was sent home.

Moreover, the country is sending more and more trained and skilled workers (such as nurses, accountants and technicians) to Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Tourism is also set to grow.

The archipelagic nation is set to become a major playground for North Asian tourists.

The soon-to-be inaugurated Air Asia Philippines will no doubt bring even more visitors to the islands of Bohol, Boracay and Iloilo with their white sandy beaches and historic towns and cities.

At the same time, casino operators, having witnessed Resorts World's phenomenal success, will be pouring money into newer and even grander developments along the Manila Bay area, thereby enhancing Philippine tourism offerings even more.

With a 70% approval rating, President Aquino has a golden opportunity to change his nation's future fundamentally.

Having seen how SBY has altered Indonesia's standing, it would be very unwise to bet against the Philippines' nascent turn-around.

What does this all mean for Malaysia?

For starters, it means that Filipinos, much like Indonesians, will not be flocking to work in our homes or on our plantations and construction sites in the near future.

Today's Filipino overseas workers possess skills (including fluency in the English language) that often surpass what's available in Kuala Lumpur, Johor Baru or Penang.

Second, the Philippines will become a major challenge to our own services economy.

Third, the republic's booming and vast domestic market will attract global MNCs desperate for growth, distracting them from smaller nations including our own.

As the First World shudders once again with an impending credit crisis, middle-income nations like Malaysia have to weigh their options carefully.

Are we nimble enough to compete with Singapore and Hong Kong?

If not, can we fend off the competition from the new Asean giants – Indonesia and, now, the Philippines?

Can we become a more efficient destination for global business as these vast nations begin to stir?

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