I don't recall seeing "non-stop" mentioned in the quotes/articles I saw, only "direct". If MAN do consider Singapore not to be classed as Far East, then given
Cathay's previous presence at MAN, which was direct in the sense it involved no change of a/c, it is non-stop that should now be highlighted.
It's true wiki does class Singapore and Malaysia as South East Asia, so maybe semantics are at play.