On 2 January 2025, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore will launch a pilot initiative for an expedited track (“Expedited Track”) for certain proceedings before the Registrar of Trade Marks like trade mark oppositions and revocations. This update provides a summary on the Expedited Track.

This update looks at some of the key legal highlights over the past 3 months, across various practice areas including deals, intellectual property and property law.

Axiata Group Bhd and Sinar Mas have signed a definitive agreement to merge their Indonesian telecom units—PT XL Axiata Tbk, PT Smartfren Telecom Tbk, and subsidiary PT Smart Telcom—into a single entity named PT XLSmart Telecom Sejahtera Tbk.

Jakarta Acting Governor Teguh Setyabudi announced a 6.5% increase in the provincial minimum wage (UMP) for 2025, raising it to Rp 5.4 million ($339.6) per month.

The State Bank of Vietnam has authorized commercial banks to extend debt repayment deadlines for borrowers impacted by Typhoon Yagi until the end of 2027. 

Singaporean employers remain cautiously optimistic about hiring in early 2025, according to the latest ManpowerGroup Employment Outlook Survey, which analyzed hiring plans across 42 countries, including responses from 525 employers in Singapore across nine sectors.

Vietnam’s Prime Minister, Phạm Minh Chính, has issued a directive advancing the country’s national green growth strategy for 2021-2030, with a vision extending to 2050.