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Gigi Choy

With Tuesday ushering in the Year of the Pig according to the Chinese zodiac, what are the prospects of political leaders across the Asia-Pacific?
This Week In Asia spoke to four of Hong Kong’s best known fortune-tellers to get their views.
To feng shui master Lee Shing-chak, who has been in the business for almost three decades, the year will bring “lots of changes”. He said there will be tensions over cyberwarfare and technology, while conflict in the South China Sea will “affect the economy”.
“Leaders should wear blue and other cool colours to appear less aggressive. Wearing gold, white, and silver will bring luck,” he said.
So who will fortune favour in the Year of the Pig? Read on to find out.
MAHATHIR MOHAMAD
Born: July 10, 1925
Chinese zodiac sign: Ox

Veteran Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohamad returned to power in a shock victory over disgraced incumbent Najib Razak last year, ending six decades of rule by the Barisan Nasional coalition and making Mahathir, at 93, the oldest prime minister in the world.
Lee Shing-chak says the year ahead for Mahathir will be tumultuous, “like what would happen after stepping on a leopard’s tail.”




“He will likely anger someone and hurt his reputation, and should be cautious between the seventh and ninth lunar months [from the beginning of August to the end of October].”
Najib, Mahathir’s predecessor, is embroiled in the 1MDB corruption scandal. He is facing trial in February for a series of corruption charges tied to the state investment fund that he helped set up. If found guilty, the former prime minister could be fined and face 20 years in jail.

Geomancer So Man-fung, who is known for his signature ponytail, said Najib’s zodiac – the snake – is in conflict with Tai Sui, or “Great Duke Jupiter”, which means that “this year will bring big changes and instability for him”.

“2018 was already a particularly bad year for him. Since his trial is taking place after the new year begins, there is a higher chance that he will go to jail,” he said.
Lee Shing-chak similarly said this year would be a huge challenge for Najib because of the snake zodiac clashing with the pig: “His reputation will not hold.”
NARENDRA MODI
Born: September 17, 1950
Chinese zodiac sign: Tiger

The world’s largest democracy is heading to the polls, with national elections to be held by May. The contenders are incumbent prime minister Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi, the president of the Indian National Congress.
Is Lunar New Year the worst time to travel in Asia?
Modi, a Hindu nationalist, won a landslide election victory in 2014, but his Bharatiya Janata Party suffered setbacks in three key states in December’s regional polls.
Religious polarisation and rural discontent with falling prices for agricultural commodities and unemployment are seen as key issues in the upcoming ballot.

Raymond Lo, popularly known as “Feng Shui Lo”, predicted that Modi will be re-elected.
“Modi’s birth element is wood, which is assisted by the water element. This means he will have good fortune in 2019 and 2020 because both the Year of the Pig and the Rat have the water element,” he said.

Lee Shing-chak also anticipated a Modi victory: “His opposition [Gandhi] doesn’t have fortune on his side. Modi is stronger and will have a very stable year if he remains in politics.”
JOKO WIDODO
Born: June 21, 1961
Chinese zodiac sign: Ox

Joko Widodo, known as Jokowi, will run for re-election against former general Prabowo Subianto, who has been accused of human rights violations and who narrowly lost in the 2014 national elections.
Widodo is under pressure to appeal to the country’s significant Muslim voting bloc, while moderate voters who supported him previously feel he has not taken a strong enough stand on resolving past human rights abuses.


But despite this, fortune-tellers believe Widodo will triumph when over 190 millions go to the polls on April 17.
“Widodo is running on good luck, while his opposition’s fortune is only so-so,” Lo said.
So agreed. “Prabowo’s birth element is metal so he needs fire, but 2019 and 2020 are water years so he won’t have enough fortune,” he said. “Widodo’s birth element is wood so he needs water. He also has good fortune between the age of 45 and 70.”

Indonesia, which is situated in the Ring of Fire, was devastated by more than 2,000 natural disasters last year. The country must brace itself for more natural disasters to come, fortune-tellers say.
“From 2004 to 2024 the disaster area is in the southeast area, so countries like Indonesia and Nepal will be impacted,” So said.
LEE HSIEN LOONG
Born: February 10, 1952
Chinese zodiac sign: Dragon

Singapore’s prime minister Lee Hsien Loong may call an early election this year as it fits into his previously stated plan to hand over the mantle to his successor and stand down by the time he turns 70 in 2022.
Lo says he will likely win because the water element in the Year of the Pig will bring him good fortune. The leader is blessed with the Gui Ren, which means that powerful mentors and benefactors will help open doors for him, Lo says.

But the prime minister’s relationship with his brother, Lee Hsien Yang, will remain strained. They have been embroiled in a bitter public argument over their father Lee Kuan Yew’s legacy – with Lee Hsien Yang, the youngest of three siblings, joining hands with his sister Lee Wei Ling to accuse their brother of gratuitously invoking their father’s memory for personal political gain.
“Lee Hsien Loong will be under pressure from many rivals, including his brother, who will oppose him this year,” Lo said.
On speculation that Li Hongyi – the older son of Lee Hsien Loong and his second wife Ho Ching – will enter politics, Lo says: “Li is running on good fortune right now, but he won’t get into politics this year. It will probably be 2022.”
SCOTT MORRISON
Born: May 13, 1968
Chinese zodiac sign: Monkey

Scott Morrison’s bid for electoral victory has taken a hit lately thanks to the public’s changing opinion of him but the Australian prime minister is hoping to win support with a stronger economy and tax cuts.
The date of the election has yet to be confirmed but the showdown between Morrison and opposition leader Bill Shorten is expected to be in May.
“Morrison’s fortune is not that good this year. 2018 was very tough for him so 2019 should be a little better, albeit a hectic one,” Lo said.
“He should eat more omega-3 for good health. Placing white objects and metals in his surroundings will also be beneficial.”

Lo said Morrison’s challenger has better fortune on his side because those who are born in a year that ends with a seven tend to have good fortune in the Year of the Pig.
So also predicts that Shorten will fare better in the upcoming federal election: “Morrison will start having better fortune only after turning 57 years old, whereas Shorten is currently in the stage of his best fortune. Shorten’s chance of winning is, therefore, much higher.”

 
OTHER LEADERS …
Shinzo Abe, a conservative who has devoted much effort to revising Japan’s pacifist constitution, will become the country’s longest-serving prime minister if he is still in office this November.
Born in the Year of the Horse, Abe “will be very ambitious but also inflexible”, Lee Shing-chak said.
“His fortune is not bad for this year. He’ll want to do a lot in terms of the economy and real estate but issues with foreign exchange will not make his plans go smoothly.”

Heightened tensions between Japan and South Korea over wartime forced labour and comfort women are also unlikely to ease, according to Lee Shing-chak.
South Korean president Moon Jae-in was born in the Year of the Dragon. the soothsayer said the zodiacs of Abe and Moon “aren’t a great fit, so they will easily have differences”.
Public support for Moon has plummeted, and he is hugely unpopular among men in their twenties.
“His image will take a hit during and between the seventh and ninth lunar months, so he will need to be careful,” Lee Shing-chak said.

New Zealand’s Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who at 38 is the world’s youngest female head of government, made history when she gave her debut speech at the UN General Assembly with her three-month-old baby.

Ardern endured a difficult 2018. She was urged to take a stand against allegations of Chinese political interference in New Zealand and oversaw the ban on Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei’s 5G network roll out in November.
Luck doesn’t seem to be on her side, either. Ardern’s zodiac sign, the monkey, will clash with Tai Sui this year, and the fortune-tellers said she will have another troublesome two years ahead of her.

“This year is not the best for her, it won’t be smooth. People don’t think she’ll do well so there’ll be a lot of rumours circling around. 2018, 2019 and 2020 are three years of big struggle for her,” said feng shui master Mak Ling-ling.
So, meanwhile, warned that “2020 will be the most challenging year in her lifetime.”
In the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte has built a reputation for being tough on crime, drugs and corruption. Human rights watchdogs have criticised his ruthless war on drugs, in particular, which has left thousands dead.

Duterte and his allies are seeking to lower the country’s legal age of criminal liability to 12 after resistance to the proposal of dropping it to nine.
“He won’t have enough support to carry out change in legislation and educational policy, even if he’s very enthusiastic about it,” Lee Shing-chak said, while also warning that the Philippines will be hit with more natural disasters this year.
Vietnam’s ‘incense village’ gets busy ahead of Lunar New Year
Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader of Myanmar, is facing international criticism for failing to speak out against the atrocities committed by her country’s troops against the Rohingya Muslim minority. The Nobel Peace Prize winner has denied what the US and the United Nations have called ethnic cleansing in Rakhine state.

“She’ll be under more pressure but the Year of the Pig will be better for her. She has finally put bad fortune behind her,” Mak said.
“This year is better for females who were born in the Year of the Rooster compared to males [like Duterte]. She’ll have more success with enacting legislative change but the economy may pose problems,” Lee Shing-chak said.






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The Year of the Pig is upon us. Photo: Reuters

New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern makes a joint statement with European Council President Donald Tusk at the European Council headquarters in Brussels, Friday, Jan. 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2018 file photo, a soldier stands near a toppled mosque as recovery efforts continue at the earthquake-hit Balaroa neighborhood in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Picture of Fung Shui master Mak Ling-ling for story on 15th anniversary of handover Fung Shui predictions. Picture taken in Central. 25APR12

FILE PHOTO: Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi attends Invest Myanmar in Naypidaw, Myanmar, January 28, 2019. REUTERS/Ann Wang/File photo

Fortune teller Raymond Lo photographed in Tsim Sha Tsui. 29JAN19 SCMP / Jonathan Wong

epa07238810 Labor leader Bill Shorten final speech on day three of the Labor Party National Conference in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia, 18 December 2018. Labor's 48th National Conference is being held at the Adelaide Convention Centre from 16 to 18 December 2018. EPA-EFE/KELLY BARNES AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT

epa07293130 Presidential candidate Joko Widodo (L), and his running mate Ma'ruf Amin (R) speak during a debate among candidates in Jakarta, Indonesia, 17 January 2019. Indonesia expected to hold the presidential elections in April 2019. EPA-EFE/ADI WEDA

Portrait of Fung shui master Peter So Man-fung. 08SEP11

epa07103783 Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong arrives for the 12th Asem, Asia-Europe Meeting in Brussels, Belgium, 19 October 2018. Heads of state and governments from 51 European and Asian countries will discuss on the theme 'Europe and Asia: global partners for global challenges'. EPA-EFE/STEPHANIE LECOCQ

Photo: AP

Lee Shing-chak

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison grimaces during a speech in Brisbane, Australia Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019. Morrison has raised the prospect of the nation suffering its first economic recession in 28 years if the opposition wins general elections due by late May. (Darren England/AAP Image via AP)

Moon Jae-in, South Korea's president, speaking during the U.N. General Assembly meeting at the United Nations on Sept. 26, 2016. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by Jeenah Moon.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attends a House of Councillors plenary session in Tokyo on Jan. 29, 2019. (Kyodo) ==Kyodo

epa06724362 Malaysia's outgoing Prime Minister Najib Razak (R) speaks during a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 10 May 2018. EPA-EFE/FAZRY ISMAIL

Narendra Modi, India's prime minister, speaks during a news conference at Parliament House on the opening day of the Budget Session in New Delhi, India, on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019. Modi has a last-ditch attempt to win voters with possible populist spending measures in Friday’s budget, risking his debt targets in the process. Photographer: T. Narayan/Bloomberg

epa07269487 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaks at the Barangay Summit on Peace and Order with village officials in Manila, Philippines, 08 January 2019. EPA-EFE/MARK R. CRISTINO

FILE PHOTO - Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad reacts during an interview with Reuters in Putrajaya, Malaysia June 19, 2018. REUTERS/Lai Seng Sin/File Photo

(FILES) This file photo taken on April 10, 2017 shows Lee Hsien Yang, younger brother of Singapore's prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, leaving the Supreme court on April 10, 2017 as he took the government to court for control over oral history tapes recorded by their late father, Singapore's founding leader Lee Kuan Yew. A feud between the children of Singapore's late founding leader intensified on June 14, 2017 after two siblings publicly accused their brother Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong of disobeying their father's last wishes and abusing his powers. / AFP PHOTO / ROSLAN RAHMAN

Rahul Gandhi, President of India's main opposition Congress party, gestures as he addresses his supporters at the end of the party's youth wing's "Yuva Kranti Yatra" campaign in New Delhi, India, January 30, 2019. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis

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Passengers wait at Beijing Railway Station to catch their trains home ahead of Lunar New Year celebrations, on January 21. Picture: EPA

Tourists arrive at the Philippine island of Boracay on October 26, 2018. - The Philippines re-opens its crown jewel resort island Boracay to holidaymakers on October 26, after a six-month clean up aimed at repairing the damage inflicted by years of unrestrained mass tourism. (Photo by NOEL CELIS / AFP)

Beach beers are soon to be a thing of the past in the Indian state of Goa.

***PAY PER USE. Please re-download from vendor website.*** M4NB94 Tokyo, Japan. 17th Feb, 2018. Asian tourists shop in the Ginza shopping area on February 17, 2018, Tokyo, Japan. Japan is expected to be the second most popular overseas destination for Chinese travelers during the Lunar New Year holidays behind Thailand. A Chinese government think tank reported that some 6.5 million people will travel overseas (6% more than the previous year), as a strong yuan made foreign destinations more accessible. Credit: Rodrigo Reyes Marin/AFLO/Alamy Live News

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With elections looming in India, Indonesia and Australia, we asked four of Hong Kong’s best known soothsayers what the future holds


Narendra Modi

Mahathir Mohamad

Shinzo Abe

What does Year of the Pig have in store for Modi, Abe and other Asian leaders? We asked four fortune-tellers

.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}With elections looming in India, Indonesia and Australia, we asked four of Hong Kong’s best known soothsayers what the future holds

With elections looming in India, Indonesia and Australia, we asked four of Hong Kong’s best known soothsayers what the future holds