JAKARTA (UCAN): “People should vote for candidates who care for the environment and are serious about tackling ecological problems,” said Kisworo Dwi Cahyono, executive director of the provincial branch of the Indonesian Forum for the Environment (WALHI), as environmental concerns took centre stage in regional elections in South Kalimantan, Indonesia, when it emerged that the vast majority of mining and palm oil businesses in the province flout environmental laws.
 

PENANG (UCAN): Malaysia’s bishops have broken their collective silence following the May 9 election win by the Mahathir Mohamad-led opposition alliance, Pakatan Harapan (Alliance of Hope), over the corruption-tainted government of Najib Razak, calling it a golden opportunity to set the nation on a new course.
 
The ousting of Najib spelled the end of a six-decade ruling coalition dominated by the United National Malays Organisation (UMNO).
 

MANILA (UCAN): Any Church worker or Church organisation official running for office in Philippine local village and youth elections on May 14 will be considered as having resigned from their post, Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao, Metro Manila, has warned.
 
In a pastoral letter issued in the third week of April, the bishop said that in order to prevent allegations of undue advantage or perceptions that the institution will be used for partisan activities, Church workers or officials need to give up their posts.
 

MANILA (SE): An uncharacteristic hush has come over the normally garrulous Philippine bishops since the president-elect, Rodrigo Duterte, launched a stinging attack on several of their members and the Church in general in mid-May.

The Mouth from the South referred to the bishops as sons of bitches and called the Church the most hypocritical of all institutions, as well as threatening to name those who have children or a few skeletons stored in their cupboards.

SYDNEY (SE): As Australia wades through its longest ever election campaign on the torturous road to the July 2 polling day, the bishops of the Land Down Under have released a strong appeal for Christians to pressure political parties for an end to what they call the throwaway culture espoused by the two candidates for the top job, the incumbent prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and opposition leader, Bill Shorten.