AJA Newsbites is a curated roundup of major news and developments from across Asia, brought to you by members of Asia Journalist Association (AJA)
Lee Sang-ki, THE AsiaN, Korea
Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong marked the company’s 57th founding anniversary on November 1 by visiting its advanced semiconductor packaging research center in Yokohama, Japan, instead of attending a commemorative event.
Opened in September, the Advanced Package Lab (APL) is developing technology to integrate multiple chips, including graphics processors and high-bandwidth memory, into more efficient AI systems. The center employs about 100 researchers, and Samsung plans to invest 40 billion yen, approximately $260 million, by 2028.
During his first visit to the facility, Lee reviewed research progress and discussed cooperation with Japanese suppliers of materials, components and equipment. He urged local executives to secure competitive packaging technologies as demand for AI chips grows. The visit followed Lee’s October 27 inspection of Samsung’s robotics research center in southern Seoul, South Korea.
Norila Daud, Malaysia World News, Malaysia
Johor is looking to attract more Indonesian visitors, particularly medical tourists, with a new ferry link to Batam expected to improve cross-border connectivity and create fresh tourism opportunities.
Indonesians accounted for 79 percent of the 127,000 international patients treated in Johor in 2025, while about 1.5 million Indonesians visited the state that year. Indonesian Consul-General in Johor Baru Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto said the new service linking Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal with Gold Coast Ferry Terminal in Bengkong, Batam, would make travel more convenient for visitors from both sides.
He said the route would particularly benefit those travelling to western Batam, an area experiencing growing tourism development. “For Johoreans travelling to Batam, this provides another option. Likewise, visitors from Batam coming to Johor will find it more convenient to reach attractions such as Johor Premium Outlets and Legoland. This will certainly open up new opportunities,” he said after attending the launch of the ferry service on November 1, as quoted by New Straits Times.
Meanwhile, the route, introduced by B Ferry, is expected to strengthen tourism ties while creating opportunities in trade, services and local businesses.
According to Sigit, ferry connectivity remained a major driver of travel between the two countries, particularly between Johor and Indonesia’s Riau Islands. Of the 11 passenger ferry connections between Indonesia and Malaysia, eight operated through Johor, while the remaining services served destinations in Kalimantan, Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.
Chhay Sophal, Cambodia News Online, Cambodia
The Royal Government of Cambodia allocated 9.4 billion riel (approximately $2.4 million) to assist 1,606 families whose homes were destroyed during the 2025 border conflict with Thailand.
Prime Minister Hun Manet noted that aid is split into two categories: families able to return and those still displaced. For returning families, the government provided repair grants ranging from 2 to 20 million riel based on damage severity, alongside unexploded ordnance clearance, farming seeds, and monthly social protection subsidies.
Meanwhile, for citizens unable to return due to barbed-wire blockades that Cambodia says were installed by the Thai military, the government has constructed thousands of temporary shelters and ensures continuous support.
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THE AsiaN Korean : 아자뉴스바이트 20261102 – 아시아엔 THE AsiaN
