94.9% of adults, 74% of population fully vaccinated

A total of 24,165,940 people or 94.9% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.Meanwhile, 25,431,328 or 97.6% have received at least one jab, including of the single-dose CanSino vaccine.In terms of total population, 74% are fully vaccinated while 77.9% have received at least one dose.Kelantan and Sabah remain below the 80% full vaccination level for adults at 78.2% and 72.7% respectively.A total of 147,242 shots were administered yesterday, taking the cumulative number of vaccine doses given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 49,581,855.


Putin says nuclear tensions 'rising' but Moscow won't deploy first

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that nuclear tensions were rising, though he insisted "we have not gone crazy" and Moscow would not be the first to deploy atomic weapons in the Ukraine conflict.
Speaking more than nine months after his forces launched their military operation, Putin warned the conflict could be "lengthy".
Russian forces have missed most of their key military goals since February, raising fears that the battlefield stalemate could see Russia resort to its nuclear arsenal to achieve a breakthrough.
"We have not gone crazy, we are aware of what nuclear weapons are," Putin said Wednesday at a meeting of his human rights council.
"We are not going to brandish them like a razor while running around the world."
But he acknowledged the growing tensions, saying "such a threat is rising. Why make a secret out of it here?"
He added, however, that Russia would use a nuclear weapon only in response to an enemy strike.
"When we are struck, we strike back," Putin said, stressing that Moscow's strategy was based on a "so-called retaliatory strike" policy.
"But if we aren't the first to use it under any circumstances, then we will not be the second to use them either, because the possibilities of using them in the event of a nuclear strike against our territory are very limited," he said.
His comments drew an immediate rebuke from the US.
"We think any loose talk of nuclear weapons is absolutely irresponsible," US State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters.
"It is dangerous, and it goes against the spirit of that statement that has been at the core of the nuclear non-proliferation regime since the Cold War," he said.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, however, declared that the risk of nuclear weapons being used in the Ukraine conflict has lessened thanks to international pressure heaped on Russia.
"One thing has changed for the time being: Russia has stopped threatening to use nuclear weapons," Scholz said in an interview with Germany's Funke media group, saying it was "in response to the international community marking a red line".
"The priority now is for Russia to end the war immediately and withdraw its troops," he added.
Azov Sea
Intense shelling continued along the front in eastern Ukraine, with President Volodymyr Zelensky announcing that strikes in Donetsk region's Kurakhove killed 10 civilians on Wednesday.
"The Russian army carried out a very brutal, absolutely deliberate strike at Kurakhove, precisely at civilians," the president – who was named Time Magazine's "Person of the Year" earlier in the day – said during his nightly address.
The shelling in Kurakhove comes a day after Ukrainian artillery strikes killed six people in the Donetsk region's capital city of the same name, according to the Moscow-installed mayor.
Moscow had expected the fighting to last just days, but more than nine months after its forces entered Ukraine, Putin said its military operation could be a "lengthy process".
But he praised the announced annexation of four Ukrainian territories following September referendums held by Moscow proxies – denounced in the West as a sham.
"New territories appeared – well, this is still a significant result for Russia," Putin said, referring to Donetsk, Lugansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions.
He also made special reference to Russia's gaining control of all the land along the Azov Sea.
"The Azov Sea has become an internal sea to the Russian Federation, that's a serious thing," he noted.
Despite its best efforts, Russian troops at no point have entirely controlled any of the annexed territories and were even forced out from the capital of Kherson after a months-long Ukraine counter-offensive.
Amid domestic fears of a new callup – which triggered an exodus of Russians abroad in September to avoid an emergency draft – Putin said "there is no need" for a new mobilisation.
"Out of 300,000 of our mobilised fighters, our men, defenders of the fatherland, 150,000 are in the area of operations," including 77,000 in combat units, he said.
Person of the Year
Meanwhile, Zelensky basked in unwavering support from the West as Time chose him as its most important global figure for 2022 – a title Putin himself received in 2007.
"In the weeks after Russian bombs began falling on Feb 24, his decision not to flee Kyiv but to stay and rally support was fateful," said Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal.
"Whether the battle for Ukraine fills one with hope or with fear, Volodymyr Zelensky galvanised the world in a way we haven't seen in decades."


Court rejects Najib’s bid for stay of SRC suit hearing

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today dismissed former prime minister Najib Razak’s application for a stay of hearing of SRC International’s US$1.18 billion civil suit against him.Judge Ahmad Fairuz Zainol Abidin said Najib would not be prejudiced if the SRC suit continues while his appeal in the case involving RM42 million in SRC funds is pending before the Federal Court.“It is the view of this court that the outcome of the Federal Court appeal and applications are purely speculative at this juncture. Nevertheless, whatever the outcome of the Federal Court (appeal), it does not bar the defendant (Najib) from making amendments to pleadings, subject to necessary applications being made.“It is also the view of the court that the management of this suit must continue and that the filing of the defendant’s defence is critical to ensuring that the suit progresses efficiently,” he said during a virtual proceeding today.The court then fixed Feb 24 for further case management. Najib was also ordered to file his statement of defence to the civil action by March 31.Counsel Harvinderjit Singh appeared for Najib while DP Naban acted for SRC, a subsidiary of 1MDB.During previous proceedings, Harvinderjit submitted that his client wanted a stay of the suit until the full disposal of the criminal case involving RM42 million in SRC funds, which is in the final stage at the Federal Court, as well as three money laundering charges involving RM27 million of the company’s funds at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.On May 7 last year, SRC under its new management filed legal action against Najib and its former directors – Suboh Md Yassin, Mohammed Azhar Osman Khairuddin, Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil, Che Abdullah @ Rashidi Che Omar, Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi and Ismee Ismail – but later removed the six names from the suit and retained Najib as the sole defendant.SRC as the plaintiff, in the writ of summons, alleged that Najib had abused his power and obtained personal benefits from SRC funds in addition to misappropriating the funds. Najib was SRC’s emeritus adviser from May 1, 2012 until March 4, 2019.SRC, which is now wholly owned by the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoF Inc), is seeking general damages, exemplary, additional and interest, costs and other appropriate relief provided by the court.On Dec 7 last year, the Court of Appeal upheld the conviction, 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine on Najib for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC funds after dismissing his appeal against the Kuala Lumpur High Court’s decision on July 28, 2020.Najib filed a notice of appeal to the Federal Court that same day.


Ethnic Muslim named as Thai speaker in compromise between rival parties

Lawmakers in Thailand on Tuesday endorsed a veteran politician and leader of a small party as the new speaker of the lower house, signalling a detente in a row between the two biggest players as they seek to form a new coalition government.
The nomination of Wan Muhamad Noor Matha, 79, was widely seen as a compromise between alliance partners Move Forward and Pheu Thai, which have sparred for weeks over the speakership, a post crucial to the passage of bills and the timing of key legislative votes.
Wan Noor represents the Prachachart Party, a junior member of an eight-party alliance dominated by Move Forward and Pheu Thai, which together won the lion's share of the seats in the May 14 election, thrashing conservative parties allied with the royalist military.
A southerner and ethnic Malay Muslim in predominantly Buddhist Thailand, Wan Noor has served previously as house speaker and has close ties with Pheu Thai's leadership. He was the only nomination and his selection is pending royal approval.
"I will conduct duties fairly... with transparency in considering draft laws and petitions to improve the lives of all Thais," Wan Noor told the house.
Among his first tasks will be to table a joint vote of the 750-member bicameral parliament on a prime minister to form the next government.
The alliance, which has 312 seats, is backing Move Forward leader Pita Limjaroenrat. To become premier, a candidate needs 376 votes, or more than half.
It is unclear what the alliance's next move will be if Pita fails. He needs 64 votes from rival parties or from members of a conservative-leaning Senate that has clashed with Move Forward over its anti-establishment agenda.
Move Forward were the surprise election winners after mobilising massive youth support on social media behind ambitious plans to tackle business monopolies, keep the army out of politics and reduce the severity of punishments for insulting the powerful monarchy.
Pita on Tuesday said Move Forward had "retreated" on its position having been assured by Wan Noor that its policies would be supported. The two deputy speaker positions will go to Move Forward and Pheu Thai.
"This decision is not about me or the party, but the mission of restoring democracy," Pita said on Facebook. "In the uncertainty of Thai politics, principle is more important than the personality."
Titipol Phakdeewanich, a political analyst at Ubon Ratchathani University, said Move Forward's relent on the speaker showed its path to office faced resistance because of its determination to pursue its liberal agenda.
"The party is seen as an enemy by many of the conservatives," Titipol said, adding Pita's fate was in the hands of a military-appointed upper house.
"What we do not know is whether Pheu Thai will switch sides if the initial vote for Pita fails."


I didn’t give myself FLOM title, Rosmah tells court

Rosmah Mansor told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that she had never given herself the First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) title and denied that a division was specially created for her within the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).Rosmah, 69, said this during cross-examination by senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram on the third day of her defence trial on three corruption charges relating to the RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.The wife of former prime minister Najib Razak said the title was for “administrative purposes”.Sri Ram: Do you agree that FLOM was a title you assumed yourself?Rosmah: No.Sri Ram: Who gave you the title?Rosmah: Nobody gave me the title. It was just for administrative purposes.“Wives of the (previous) prime ministers weren’t too active in welfare activities or outstanding projects like Permata Negara. They were probably hardly ever called to give keynote addresses outside of the country. So, when my husband was the prime minister, I led a very, very, busy life,” Rosmah added.Sri Ram then asked if there was a division in the PMO called “The First Lady of Malaysia”, to which Rosmah replied, “I don’t know.”“That was not my job. I don’t interfere with the PMO,” she said.Rosmah also said that she never knew whether Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, the wife of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, was ever known as the First Lady of Malaysia.“I don’t know. Perhaps outside (of the country) she is (known as FLOM),” Rosmah added.Rosmah also said she was prepared to sacrifice herself and bear the attacks on social media for her husband when Najib was prime minister, as Najib had said the attacks were actually meant for him but that she became the soft target on social media.On Feb 18, the High Court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on the three charges after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.Rosmah faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes and two charges of receiving RM6.5 million from the managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd, Saidi Abang Samsudin, through her former aide Rizal Mansor as gratification to assist Jepak Holdings in securing the integrated hybrid solar photovoltaic system project as well as the genset/diesel maintenance and operation for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiations from the education ministry.The trial before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan continues on Oct 21.


Praise for Umno ministers for staying put in govt despite pressure from party bosses

Umno ministers have earned praise for holding on to their Cabinet posts despite pressure from their party to quit the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.At least three ministers from Umno are tasked with heading portfolios that are critical in the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.Apart from Dr Adham Baba as the health minister, Umno’s Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Khairy Jamaluddin also hold portfolios on Covid-19 security measures and the massive vaccination programme respectively.Following calls from top Umno leaders for the party to quit the administration, many of the ministers had been under pressure to resign from their posts in order to avoid being accused of going against their party bosses.A recent meeting with Muhyiddin Yassin however concluded with the ministers opting to stay in their posts despite the rhetoric against the prime minister during the Umno general assembly last week.Political scientist Chandra Muzaffar said the decision by Umno ministers to remain in their Cabinet positions was constitutionally right.“The reality is that it is not the party’s wishes that count, it is the prime minister’s.”“In a democratic set-up like ours, being a minister is the full prerogative of the prime minister. If he has decided that they should remain, then they remain. You do not have to follow the party leader because these appointments are made by the prime minister,” he told MalaysiaNow.He said likewise, the prime minister has full power to appoint anyone to the Cabinet, even from among those without any political party.“The reality is that it is not the party’s wishes that count, it is the prime minister’s,” he said, adding that many of the ministers hold positions with critical roles to play in the current economic crisis.Malay politics observer Kamarul Zaman Yusoff agreed that any resignation from the Cabinet in order to heed the wishes of the Umno leadership would disrupt the focus on fighting Covid-19 and the related financial battles.He added that Muhyiddin was not playing the politician in urging Umno ministers to stay put.“If political calculation was on the prime minister’s mind, he would have asked these ministers to resign so that he could appoint MPs from Bersatu or other PN component parties as replacements,” he said.Kamarul said the prime minister by replacing them would then mobilise support for his PN bloc to show that he was bent on running the government.Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Shamsul Amri Baharuddin contrasted the Umno ministers’ stand with that of their party leadership.“These ministers reject the selfishness of the Umno leaders who are tainted,” he said, adding that the Umno Supreme Council, made up of “tainted leaders”, is too weak for its decision to hold sway.Shamsul said there was a “silent rebellion” underway against the Umno leadership.Academic Sivamurugan Pandian said the Umno ministers’ decision would not cause them to be seen as turning their backs on their own party.“The (Umno) grassroots will praise their act of not mixing government and party affairs,” Sivamurugan, from Unisersiti Sains Malaysia, told MalaysiaNow.


Land link to Singapore to open alongside air travel lane

Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad today confirmed that a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) through the causeway and Second Link will be opened simultaneously with the VTL between Changi Airport and KLIA on Nov 29.“I have good news to share. We have been in constant communication with the respective authorities and the federal government, and the state has been confirmed that land travel will happen on the 29th of this month.“It was decided that land travel between Singapore and Johor Bahru will only include long-term pass holders who are employed or working in Singapore or in Johor Bahru,” he said in a speech at the launch of the Four Points by Sheraton Desaru Hotel today.On Nov 8, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong announced the implementation of the VTL through KLIA and Changi Airport starting Nov 29.Hasni also said that next year would be a year of optimism and growth for all economic sectors in Johor.“As the international borders are slowly reopening and human movements are no longer restricted like before, Johor hopes for a quick rebound in GDP and a decline in the unemployment rate,” he said.Hasni also said that the launching of Four Points by Sheraton Desaru Hotel was an appropriate testament to what 2022 would bring to Johor, not only for the tourism sector but also for the economy in general.“Johor is the right place for the private sector to organise international sporting and leisure events due to its ideal proximity to Singapore, connectivity and infrastructure,” he added.


Aussie art festival cancels plan to soak Union Jack in indigenous blood

An Australian festival has apologised for commissioning an artwork that would have displayed the British flag soaked in the real blood of Australia’s indigenous people.The work, titled “Union Flag”, from Spanish artist Santiago Sierra will now not be exhibited at the Dark Mofo festival in Tasmania.It had sparked condemnation after being included in the programme last week, said the BBC.The festival had asked for “First Nations peoples from countries claimed by the British Empire” to volunteer to donate small amounts of blood.Sierra said the installation aimed to convey the pain and destruction caused by colonialism.But critics, among them several Aboriginal Australians, variously called the work “abusive”, “tone-deaf” and “re-traumatising”.They noted in particular the setting of the festival in Tasmania – an island state with a bloody history of massacres of Aboriginal people by white settlers in the 19th Century.“To ask First Nations people to give blood to drench a flag recreates, not critiques, the abhorrent conditions of colonisation,” said indigenous artist Cass Lynch.Another critic wrote online: “How you do not see the hypocrisy in asking First Nations people to donate their blood to a white artist and in the same breath highlighting that this is stolen land is beyond me.”The festival director initially defended the work against criticism, saying “self-expression is a fundamental human right.“We support artists to make and present work regardless of their nationality or cultural background,” Leigh Carmichael said on Monday.But as the backlash escalated, Carmichael issued an apology and said Dark Mofo would cancel the work.“We’ve heard the community’s response to Santiago Sierra’s ‘Union Flag’. In the end the hurt that will be caused by proceeding isn’t worth it,” he said. “We made a mistake and take full responsibility.”Several indigenous artists have called for him to resign.David Walsh, the Australian billionaire owner of the festival, also apologised and said he had earlier received a letter of complaint from staff about the work.“I didn’t see the deeper consequences of this proposition,” he admitted. “Naively, perhaps incredibly, I thought it would appeal to the usual leftie demographic.”Walsh said, “I believe in the right to express an opinion even when experience is lacking, but I also agree that my ignorance does not empower me.”Many people argued the work was “performative activism”.“How about instead of propping up a white artist’s take on colonialism you support indigenous artists who are actively fighting against this oppression,” one critic said online.While many have welcomed the decision, others, including fans of Sierra’s, have criticised the festival’s about turn.Sierra himself posted an image to Facebook after the cancellation which read: “Often the slave defends the symbols of the master.”The European artist is known for his provocative art pieces on human suffering.His previous works have featured drug-addicted sex workers with a line tattooed on their backs and casting sculptures from human faeces.


EC's call on what to do if it floods on polling day, says Nadma

Whether the 15th general election (GE15) will continue as planned if large-scale floods occur on polling day will be decided by the Election Commission (EC), the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) says.
Nadma deputy director-general (post-disaster) Khairul Shahril Idrus added that while the country was busy preparing for the election, the agency remained prepared to deal with the possibility of floods as a result of the northeast monsoon, which is expected to start in mid-November.
In an exclusive interview with MalaysiaNow, he said the monsoon season this time was expected to see about the same amount of rainfall as last year.
However, he said this was no guarantee of a repeat of the massive floods which swept across several states towards the end of 2021.
The floods that occurred then took the country by surprise, claiming almost 50 lives and causing millions in losses.
In Selangor, the worst affected state, areas such as Hulu Langat and Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam were submerged to the roofs.

National Disaster Management Agency deputy director-general (post-disaster) Khairul Shahril Idrus speaks of the agency's preparations for a monsoon-season election.

Recalling the disaster, Khairul said it had been beyond anyone's expectations.
"Although the amount of rainfall might be the same, the intensity is different," he added.
"For example, in Taman Sri Muda, the rainfall could be the same but for a period of two to three days compared to the same amount of rain over a period of 30 days in other places."
Khairul, who is currently performing the duties of Nadma director-general, added that the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) would be able to make a more accurate forecast within seven or even three days before such events.
On preparations for this year's monsoon season, he said a meeting had been held at the central committee level and instructions given by the prime minister for the appropriate action to be taken.
He said similar meetings at the state and district level had also been held.
"Whether or not the election is held, we are still prepared," he said.
"This includes preparations in terms of food aid, logistics for the transportation of flood victims to evacuation centres, and other related assistance."
Nadma itself, he said, would act based on instructions from the National Security Council.
He said Nadma functioned as a focal agency in terms of disaster management, to ensure the smooth implementation of policies and strategies.
"We have made some improvements in light of our experience last year," he said.
"But before that, in terms of the agency's readiness and its assets for this purpose, it will depend on the forecasts by MetMalaysia."
Khairul said these forecasts were crucial to ensure that all areas receive the same level of attention, and to facilitate the evacuation of victims.
"We have only limited assets and cannot send them throughout the country," he said.
"That is why it's important to conduct a risk analysis based on what has been scientifically predicted by MetMalaysia."


Gerakan says convinced of PN’s moderation as it joins ruling coalition

Former Barisan Nasional (BN) component Gerakan has joined Perikatan Nasional (PN), saying it is committed to working with the ruling coalition to achieve development and moderation.Gerakan president Dominic Lau Hoe Chai said he was convinced through a series of discussions with leaders from Bersatu and PAS of their agenda centred on the people’s welfare.“This has been shown through the various economic stimulus packages announced by the prime minister. Billions of ringgit have been injected to help the people in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Lau said.PN, comprising Bersatu, PAS and several Sabah and Sarawak parties, was formed in February last year, bringing together political parties which had lent their support to Muhyiddin Yassin to form the government following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan administration.Umno and Gabungan Parti Sarawak are not members of the coalition although they have expressed their support for the PN government.Lau meanwhile said the current political setting differed from before 2018 general election.“There have been too many changes and too many disruptions.”He said there is a need for politicians to embrace unity and ignore the pursuit of positions and titles to rebuild the economy.“Gerakan pledges to always represent the people in all matters, to push for moderation and to ensure PN becomes the new political voice of Malaysia.”Gerakan, founded as an opposition party in 1968, lost all of the seats it contested in the 2018 polls.The party is among the BN partners which quit the coalition following its fall from federal power.


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Tengku Zafrul appointed to Umno Supreme Council

International Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz has been appointed as a member of the Umno Supreme Council.
He took the oath of office before a meeting of the council last night.
Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said in a Twitter post that Tengku Zafrul was appointed by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The MT#UMNO meeting on Feb 16 started with Senator Tengku Zafrul taking the oath as an MT member appointed by the Umno president," he said.


BN poised to win big as PKR takes a beating in Melaka

Barisan Nasional (BN) is expected to form the next state government with a two-thirds majority in sight at the Melaka state election today after 12 days of campaigning.The coalition has officially won seven seats so far including the hot seats of Tanjung Bidara and Asahan, defeating Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Perikatan Nasional (PN).Unofficial results meanwhile indicate that it is leading in at least 20 seats.PKR and Amanah are expected to perform worse this time around compared to their partner DAP.Unofficial results show that PKR has lost in Machap Jaya, which it won in 2018 through Ginie Lim who was dropped as candidate this time.PKR information chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin meanwhile lost in Paya Rumput.PH’s candidate for chief minister, Adly Zahari, appears to be the only Malay candidate from the coaliton to have won in this election.Political analysts had predicted such an outcome following the low voter turnout for the state polls, due in large part to concerns over Covid-19 as well as political lethargy.The Melaka state election saw a clash among the three main blocs – BN, PH and PN – following the dissolution of the state legislative assembly in October after four assemblymen withdrew their support for Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali.Sulaiman is expected to be sworn in as chief minister if BN succeeds in forming the next state government.


Baby among 5 killed as car runs down shoppers in Germany

A baby was among five people killed when a car tore through a pedestrian shopping street in the southwestern German city of Trier on Tuesday, police said, after arresting the driver.Prosecutor Peter Fritzen said the driver, a 51-year-old Trier native, appeared to be suffering from “psychiatric problems” and had been under the influence of alcohol during the incident, in which 14 other people were hurt.Police said they had “no indications of a political motive” after questioning the suspect, and Fritzen said prosecutors were considering requesting he be placed in psychiatric care.At the same press conference, Trier mayor Wolfram Leibe said those killed when the man drove his SUV into the shoppers included a nine-month-old and a 73-year-old woman.“I think this is Trier’s darkest day since World War II,” he said.Also killed were a 25-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man. Police have not yet released details on the fifth victim.Malu Dreyer, premier of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate where Trier is located, expressed shock that a baby was among those killed by the driver’s “insane act” and shared her condolences with all the affected families.The baby’s mother was being treated in hospital for injuries sustained in the rampage.Witnesses had earlier described seeing people being flung into the air as the car struck them.‘Traumatised’The incident started around 1250 GMT and ended within four minutes of the first emergency calls arriving, with police intercepting the driver after he turned off a main shopping street.Police said he had ploughed through the streets for between 600m and 1km, leaving behind a trail of destruction.Officers sealed off the area and cleared people from the centre of the city of about 110,000 people.Smartphone footage from an eyewitness showed the arrest of the driver, handcuffed and lying face down on the street being pinned down by several officers next to the damaged vehicle.In the evening, the cathedral bells were rung and a memorial service held for the victims.Joachim, accompanied by his teenage daughters Helena and Sophia, attended the service expressing their sadness.“We wanted to show our sympathy for those who lost their lives and those who lost a loved one,” Joachim said.An unnamed man who said he was a former neighbour of the suspect told NTV that the driver had a history of mental issues, as well as money worries and problems with his father.Christmas shoppingChancellor Angela Merkel voiced her “great sadness”, and said her thoughts were with the relatives of those who were “so suddenly and violently ripped from their lives” and with the injured, in a message shared by her spokesman.Early footage from the scene showed stunned shoppers huddling outside stores festooned with Christmas decorations as sirens blared in the distance.Broken glass and debris from stalls and outdoor displays were strewn along the cobbled street.Picturesque Trier, near the border with Luxembourg, traces its history back to the Roman Empire and is often called Germany’s oldest city. It is also the birthplace of Karl Marx.Although Germany is grappling with a second coronavirus wave that has forced restaurants, bars, sports and cultural centres to close, retailers have been allowed to stay open, and many people were out Christmas shopping.“It’s lucky that the Christmas market has been cancelled because of corona, or it could have been much worse,” witness Frederic Fries told Welt TV.The incident brought back memories of a truck rampage at a Berlin Christmas market in 2016 that killed 12 people, Germany’s deadliest Islamist attack to date.In January 2019, a German man injured eight people when he drove into crowds on New Year’s Eve in the western cities of Bottrop and Essen. He was later taken into psychiatric care.In April 2018, a German man ploughed his van into people seated outside a restaurant in the city of Muenster, killing five before shooting himself dead. Investigators later said he had mental health problems.


America’s tallest man dies at 38

The tallest man in America – he stood 7 feet 8 inches (2.35m) – has died of a heart problem at the age of 38, his mother said on Facebook.Ukrainian-born Igor Vovkovinskiy had a condition called pituitary gigantism that caused excessive secretion of growth hormone.His mother, who said her son died Friday in Minnesota, had brought him from their home in Ukraine in 1989 to get medical treatment at the Mayo Clinic in the northern US state.Two surgeries saved his life but failed to stop his growth.At age 27, Guinness World Records declared Vovkovinskiy the tallest person in America.In the 2013 edition of the Eurovision song contest, Vovkovinskiy walked on stage cradling Ukraine’s singer, Zlata Ognevich, in his arms. She looked tiny and doll-like.Vovkovinskiy enjoyed another moment of celebrity in 2009 when then-president Barack Obama noticed him towering above the crowd at a political rally. Vovkovinskiy was wearing a T-shirt that called him the “World’s Biggest Obama Supporter.” He shook hands with the politician.Guinness World Records says the tallest person in the world now is a Turkish man named Sultan Kosen, who is 8 feet 2 inches tall (2.51m).The tallest man in modern US history was Robert Wadlow, who was 8 feet 9 inches (2.72m). He also suffered from a growth hormone disorder, and died in 1940 at the age of 22.


Introducing 'MadaniMuzzle': Malaysia's latest tech revolution

Here is a novel idea for the Madani government: set up a new social media platform. Let us call it the MadaniMuzzle.
And why not? The government seems to be getting hot under the collar with some of the biggest social networking sites in the world.
Last week, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission threatened to take action against Meta, the owner of Facebook, over its alleged failure to remove "harmful content" on its platform. Facebook is the world's largest social networking site, boasting almost three billion users worldwide.
Late last year, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil revealed that TikTok had removed 1,126 clips upon complaints from the government.
Subsequently, Fahmi, in a departure from the convention, publicly complained about Telegram's reluctance to meet up with the Malaysian government over "harmful" content available on the mobile messaging application.
Following threats of action, Telegram finally relented and met up with the government at Bukit Aman.
The optics for these actions are horrifying, especially coming from a government that had in the past promoted freedom of speech and expression. The minister of a developing country going after global technological titans reminds one of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi propaganda minister during WWII.
It did not help that Fahmi or the agencies under his ministry did not spell out in detail what the transgressions were, except to lump them all under the "harmful content" umbrella.
Was the content related to child pornography being shared by specific Telegram channels, and if so, which ones? Or was it a scam Facebook group preying on the gullible elderly?
We need answers because as far as these global technological platforms are concerned, they have already put in place mechanisms to prevent such abuses. Users can report such content, and action would be taken without any state intervention.
Or was Fahmi referring to political content which is not favourable to the current coalition government, ahead of the elections in six states?
Did Pakatan Harapan not complain about how the ruling Barisan Nasional stifled the opposition back in the day? Surely it would not go down the same route. Right?
The Madani government now clearly has a beef with platforms like TikTok, Telegram and Facebook. That being the case, the natural solution is for the government to set up the MadaniMuzzle as an alternative.
The plus side of doing that is the Malaysian government already has a point of reference in doing so. It can learn from the communist China government which has banned platforms like Facebook and Telegram, in favour of its state-linked platforms like Weibo and WeChat.
With MadaniMuzzle, which could be placed in the Community Communications Department or J-KOM under the Prime Minister's Department, the government will be able to effectively moderate its content.
It can remove, stifle and muzzle all "undesirable" content. Then every netizen will toe the line and work towards a prosperous, united and peaceful Madani Malaysia.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Rain and storms await an end-year GE15

Voters can expect to grapple with stormy weather if the 15th general election (GE15) is held at the end of the year, a possibility that gained new currency following the government's decision last month to bring forward the budget presentation by some three weeks.
Muhammad Helmi Abdullah, chief of the meteorology department, said the country would experience a transitional monsoon phase from October to early November, where the weather would be good in the morning but frequent thunderstorms would occur in the west coast and interior of the peninsula as well as the western and central areas of Sarawak and western Sabah.
"There will be a high risk of flash floods during this period, especially in low-lying areas on the west coast of the peninsula," he said when contacted by MalaysiaNow.
Adding that the northeast monsoon usually begins in early November, he said from November to December, continuous rain could be expected for several days, especially in states on the east coast of the peninsula, and in the west of Sarawak and east of Sabah.
He also noted concerns that monsoon rains would occur alongside low pressure which could cause large-scale floods in the states in question.
Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said on Aug 26 that the government would present its budget for 2023 to Parliament on Oct 7 instead of Oct 28 as originally scheduled.
The next Parliament sitting was also brought forward to Oct 3 to accommodate the new budget schedule and the tabling of other bills, he said without saying why the budget had been brought forward.
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan meanwhile said at a recent Barisan Nasional (BN) event that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had promised that GE15 would be held this year.
The budget for 2023 is widely expected to be an "election budget", with a range of incentives aimed at attracting the support of voters.
This is despite the current term only ending in July next year – five years after the 14th general election in 2018 that saw the downfall of the BN government for the first time in more than six decades.
Mohamad, who is the assemblyman for Rantau, also said that the best time to hold an election would be in November, to avoid worse weather in December.
Ismail has been under pressure from his party to call for an early election, with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi among those urging him to dissolve Parliament before the expiry of its term.
Observers have said that an early election would benefit Zahid, who is facing criminal charges in court.
Earlier this year, Umno even amended its constitution to postpone the party elections that should have been held this year to six months after GE15.
Election calls have also been growing among the Umno grassroots since former leader Najib Razak was told to begin serving a 12-year jail term for the misappropriation of tens of millions in SRC International funds, after his final appeal was dismissed by the Federal Court.
At the meteorology department, Helmi did not rule out the possibility of a repeat of the massive floods which swept across parts of Selangor in December last year.
He said the weather was not likely to have a significant impact on the election if it is held in October as the risk of disasters only involves thunderstorms with the potential to produce strong winds, heavy rain and flash floods within a short period of time.
"If it is held in early November, there is less of a possibility that floods will occur on a wide scale," he said.
"But the risk of this will increase from mid-November onwards, especially towards the end of the month."  Meanwhile, Marlia Mohd Hanafiah who leads the Institute of Climate Change at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said the latest records showed that rainfall was expected to be higher than normal from November through to January.
"Going on this information, the rain might not affect the process of GE15 itself," she said.
"But continuous rain could result in floods in at-risk locations, especially low-lying areas."
Helmi meanwhile said that the weather would play a bigger role if GE15 is held in December, as the northeast monsoon winds are more active during this period and the risk of continuous heavy rain and large-scale flooding is higher.
"People will need to plan their travels in greater detail during this time, and always check for the latest weather updates."


WHO confident China will cooperate on Covid origins probe

Just days after Beijing rejected calls for a renewed probe into the origins of Covid-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said Wednesday it remained confident China would cooperate in the investigation.Pressure has again been mounting on Beijing to consider a fresh probe into the origins of a pandemic which has killed more than four million people and paralysed economies worldwide since it first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019.“I’m confident… that our colleagues in China are very much willing to cooperate on the scientific studies that are needed to further explore the origins,” WHO emergencies director Mike Ryan told reporters.His comment came after Beijing last Friday rejected as political a call from the UN health agency for raw data from the earliest Covid-19 cases to help revive the origins probe.WHO, and Ryan in particular, has repeatedly appealed for a depoliticisation of the origins investigation – seen as vital to helping prevent future pandemics.“I think what’s happened in all of this is that the politics have really contaminated the environment and changed the atmosphere,” he said Wednesday.“We’re working very hard behind the scenes to increase the level of confidence and to get people to recommit to the scientific process,” he said.“I believe we’re making headway in that,” he said, acknowledging though that the task was “not that easy given some of the rhetoric that we’ve all experienced over the last number of weeks and months.”The rhetoric and finger-pointing contributed to delaying the first phase of the investigation, with WHO only able to send a team of international experts to Wuhan in January 2021, more than a year after the pandemic erupted.The team’s report, written in conjunction with their Chinese counterparts, drew no firm conclusions, instead ranking four hypotheses.It said the virus jumping from bats to humans via an intermediate animal was the most probable scenario, while a leak from the Wuhan virology labs was “extremely unlikely”.However, the investigation faced criticism for lacking transparency and access, and for not evaluating the lab-leak theory more thoroughly – with the US upping the pressure ever since.In the face of China’s reluctance to open up to outside investigators, experts are increasingly open to considering the theory that the virus might have leaked out of a lab, once dismissed as a conspiracy propagated by the US far-right.Even WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has said that the initial probe into Wuhan’s virology labs had not gone far enough, while President Joe Biden in May ordered a separate investigation into the virus origins from the US intelligence community.A WHO call last month for the investigation’s second stage to include audits of the Wuhan labs infuriated Beijing, with vice-health minister Zeng Yixin saying the plan showed “disrespect for common sense and arrogance towards science”.


No regrets about leaving BN, Sarawak leader maintains after Johor polls

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah maintains that leaders in the state have no regrets about leaving Barisan Nasional (BN) in Sarawak, just days after the coalition notched another election victory in Johor.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said if Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had remained in BN, the state would not have a voice.“The decision to leave was a collective move by all the parties in Sarawak BN then,” he said.“It was the correct decision.”Pointing to GPS’ landslide victory in the Sarawak state election last December, he said this was proof of the peope’s acceptance of the coalition led by premier Abang Johari Openg.“GPS won 76 of the 82 seats it contested,” he said. “So there is no issue of regret about leaving BN. It was a good decision.”GPS, comprising PBB, Parti Rakyat Sarawak, the Progressive Democratic Party and the Sarawak United People’s Party, was formed following BN’s shock defeat at the 2018 general election.On the results of the Johor election on Saturday, Karim said a clear message had been sent to political leaders.“Congratulations to BN for the overwhelming win,” he added. “The winners as well as the losers have to sit down and do their post-mortems on what made them win big and lose big.”Nevertheless, he said it was still difficult to say if BN could pull off a similar victory at the 15th general election.“How the general election goes depends on how the political parties and their leaders adjust themselves,” he said.He added that BN had won partly due to what he described as arrogance on the part of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and its inability to show that it could govern well.BN won 40 of the 56 seats in the Johor state assembly last Saturday.PH, which previously held 27, won 11 while PKR which contested separately under its own logo won one.Perikatan Nasional won three.


188 new infections as death toll stays unchanged

Another 188 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,043,978.
There were 181 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,997,801.
There are now 9,211 active cases, of which 8,884 or 96.4% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 325 (3.5%) have been hospitalised.
A total of two are in ICU with none in need of respiratory assistance.
No new deaths were reported, leaving total deaths unchanged at 36,966.


Pfizer says Covid-19 vaccine 90% effective in Phase 3 trial

A vaccine jointly developed by Pfizer and BioNTech was 90% effective in preventing Covid-19 infections in ongoing Phase 3 trials, the companies announced Monday.The statement was released as soaring coronavirus cases across the world have forced many millions of people back into lockdown, causing further damage to ravaged economies.European stock markets and oil prices jumped on the announcement.And US President Donald Trump, who lost last week’s election in part over his administration’s response to the pandemic, hailed the announcement as “such great news”.According to preliminary findings, protection in patients was achieved seven days after the second of two doses, and 28 days after the first.The companies said they expect to supply up to 50 million vaccine doses globally in 2020, and up to 1.3 billion doses in 2021.“The first set of results from our Phase 3 Covid-19 vaccine trial provides the initial evidence of our vaccine’s ability to prevent Covid-19,” Pfizer chairman and CEO Albert Bourla said in a statement.“We are a significant step closer to providing people around the world with a much-needed breakthrough to help bring an end to this global health crisis,” he said.“We are reaching this critical milestone in our vaccine development program at a time when the world needs it most.”Seeking emergency use authorisationAcross much of the globe, Covid-19 infections rates are hitting record highs, with hospital intensive care units filling up and death tolls mounting.US biotech firm Moderna, several state-run Chinese labs, and a European project led by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca are also thought to be closing in on potentially viable vaccines.Two Russian Covid-19 vaccines have been registered for use even before clinical trials were completed, but have not been widely accepted outside of Russia.The Phase 3 clinical trial – the final stage – of the new vaccine, BNT162b2, began in late July and has enrolled 43,538 participants to date, 90% of whom have received a second dose of the vaccine candidate as of Nov 8.Pfizer said it is gathering two months of safety data following the final dose – a requirement of the US Food and Drug Administration – to qualify for Emergency Use Authorisation, which it expects by the third week in November.“We look forward to sharing additional efficacy and safety data generated from thousands of participants in the coming weeks,” Bourla said.‘Watershed moment’While the Pfizer-BioNTech trial has yet to be peer-reviewed by experts, scientists reacted positively – if cautiously to the results.Michael Head, senior research fellow in global health, University of Southampton, called it an “excellent result for a first generation vaccine”.Peter Horby, professor of emerging infectious diseases and global health in the Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, said Pfizer’s announcement “feels to me like a watershed moment” in the pandemic.But others pointed out that there would likely be significant logistical problems in getting the vaccine to everyone, especially given it must be kept super-cooled and currently requires two doses to bestow immunity.Eleanor Riley, professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh, said for example that the Monday’s results did not disclose the ages of participants.“If a vaccine is to reduce severe disease and death, and thus enable the population at large to return to their normal day-to-day lives, it will need to be effective in older and elderly members of our society,” she said.Dozens more candidatesThe so-called messenger RNA, or mRNA, vaccine is a new approach to protecting against viral infection.Unlike traditional vaccines, which work by training the body to recognise and kill proteins produced by pathogens, mRNA tricks the patient’s immune system to produce viral proteins itself.The proteins are harmless, but sufficient to provoke a robust immune response.The study also will evaluate the potential for the vaccine candidate to provide protection against Covid-19 in those who have had prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2, as well as vaccine prevention against severe COVID-19 disease.Pfizer and BioNTech plan to submit data from the full Phase 3 trial for scientific peer-review publication.As of mid-October, the World Health Organization (WHO) has identified 42 “candidate vaccines” at the stage of clinical trials, up from 11 in mid-June.Ten of them were at the most advanced Phase 3 stage, in which a vaccine’s effectiveness is tested on a large scale, generally tens of thousands of people across several continents.


Japan to extend emergency virus measures as Olympics approach

Japan will prolong a virus state of emergency in Tokyo and other regions and impose restrictions in more areas on Friday as cases surge less than three months before the Olympics.The emergency measures, less strict than the blanket lockdowns seen in other countries, focus on limiting commercial activity with malls closed and bars and restaurants told to shut or stop serving alcohol.They were imposed in Tokyo, Osaka and two other regions in late April – just weeks after a previous state of emergency was lifted – and had been due to end on May 11.But the government is expected to extend the restrictions until the end of May and also impose them in Fukuoka and Aichi prefectures, where infections are spiking.A formal announcement will be made later on Friday, with officials expected to ease some measures to allow department stores to reopen and a limited number of spectators at sports events.Japan’s Covid-19 outbreak remains much smaller than in many countries, with around 10,000 deaths.But its vaccine rollout is moving slowly and more infectious variants are driving fresh waves of contagion, with record case numbers seen in some regions and medics warning that hospitals are under strain.Osaka governor Hirofumi Yoshimura warned Thursday that “the situation of infections is very tough” and “the medical system is reaching breaking point”, saying he had requested an extension of the emergency measures.The pandemic-postponed 2020 Olympics are due to open on July 23, and the government and Games organisers insist they will go ahead safely – even though a majority of Japanese people support cancellation or another delay.US drugs giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech on Thursday announced a deal with the International Olympic Committee to provide vaccines to competitors and staff at the Tokyo Games.But Japan’s own vaccine programme is progressing cautiously, with under 2% of the population having received two shots of the Pfizer vaccine, the only jab authorised so far.The pandemic has disrupted test events for the Olympics, with several postponed, cancelled or moved abroad, although the Diving World Cup and a rowing qualifier went ahead this week in Tokyo with athletes from abroad.Several sections of the torch relay have also been moved off-road to prevent people gathering to watch.The governor of Fukuoka said Friday he wanted the torch to be pulled from public roads when it passes through the region next week.Olympics organisers are yet to decide how many fans – if any – will be allowed at the Games, with overseas spectators already barred from attending.


Daily caseload creeps over 9,000 as another 30 deaths logged

Another 9,002 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,342,559.Of the total number of cases recorded, 67 were in Category Three and above.There were 16,986 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,180,763.A total of 394 cases were admitted to hospital, with 162 (41.1%) in Category Three and above and 232 (58.9%) in Category One and Two.Of the 67 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 9 (13.43%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 22 (32.84%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 36 (53.73%) had received a booster jab;* 40 (59.70%) were aged 60 and above; and* 41 (61.19%) had comorbidities.There are now 126,455 active cases, of which 123,341 or 97.5% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 288 (0.2%) are at quarantine centres while 2,675 (2.1%) have been hospitalised.A total of 151 are in ICU with 97 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 53.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 17.5%.Another 30 deaths were reported, including six who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,341.The country’s infectivity rate as of April 12 was 0.84.


Former deputy minister Guan Dee Koh Hoi dies

Former deputy minister Guan Dee Koh Hoi died at Hospital Kuala Lumpur this afternoon.According to his party, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR), Guan Dee died at 4.50pm.Guan Dee served as deputy tourism, arts and culture minister in the Perikatan Nasional administration under former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin.He was sworn in as a senator in December last year and had also served as STAR secretary-general since July 2016.In August, his special officer Jaimin Samitah died of Covid-19.While Jaimin had tested negative during the mass screening on MPs and parliament staff before the reopening of Parliament, he subsequently tested positive for the virus after developing symptoms.


Japan may see wider Chinese seafood ban after Fukushima release

Japanese officials are worried that China, the biggest buyer of its seafood exports, may halt purchases of those items after Tokyo begins releasing treated radioactive water from its crippled Fukushima nuclear plant into the sea.
The UN nuclear watchdog this week gave Japan the greenlight to begin discharging more than a million metric tons of water, enough to fill 500 Olympic swimming pools, used to cool the plant's fuel rods after it was wrecked by a 2011 tsunami.
The planned release of the water from the plant north of Tokyo has faced opposition at home and abroad despite Japanese assurances that it is safe after being filtered to remove most isotopes.
China was the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood exports last year, even though it is among several countries that restrict imports from some Japanese regions because of the nuclear accident.
China is also the fiercest critic of Japan's planned release of the water saying it threatens marine life and human health.
China has not said what action it will take if the release goes head but it has warned Japan that it must "bear all the consequences" of its action. The release is due to start in coming weeks and take up to 40 years.
Three Japanese government officials and a ruling party lawmaker, speaking on condition of anonymity given the sensitivity of the issue, said they expected China to expand restrictions on Japanese seafood. Two of the officials said that could include a blanket ban.
"We think they may enforce a total ban on Japanese maritime products," one of the officials said. "They want to punish Japan economically for this."
"For China, Japanese maritime product imports make up a small share of their market... but for Japan this is a big market."
China's foreign ministry said on Thursday Japan did not fully consult the international community on the release and China would pay close attention to developments and would assess any possible effects to protect consumers.
Biggest buyer
Japan's foreign ministry declined to comment on the possibility of more bans but said Japan had sought scientific discussions with China on the release and would continue to do so.
China bans seafood imports from 10 of Japan's 47 prefectures, including Fukushima and the capital Tokyo, and all food and feed imports from nine of them.
Seafood imports from other prefectures are allowed but must be tested for radioactivity.
The vast majority of seafood caught by Japan's fishing industry is consumed at home but China was the biggest buyer of Japanese seafood exports last year by value despite its bans, according to Japanese data.
China accounted for 22.5% of Japanese seafood exports, worth US$604 million (about RM2.8 billion), followed by Hong Kong with 19.5% and the US with 13.9%. China buys more than half of all Japanese scallop exports.
The China-ruled city of Hong Kong said on Tuesday that when Japan begins the release it would "immediately take control measures, including imposing import control on aquatic products from high-risk prefectures".
China has said it will step up monitoring of the ocean and marine products in the wake of the release.
South Korea, where consumers have been snapping up sea salt and other items ahead of the release, has also pledged to step up monitoring to try and allay concerns but has not threatened to expand its bans on Japanese products.
In China, some consumers have called for boycotts of Japanese products, a social media trend that briefly knocked the share price of Japanese cosmetics maker Shiseido last week.


Tamil Nadu to observe Thaipusam holiday after pressure from right-wing BJP

The Indian state of Tamil Nadu will for the first time observe Thaipusam as a holiday on Jan 28 this year, in a move seen to appeal to religious Hindu voters who are being targeted by the hardline BJP which holds federal power.Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami declared the holiday earlier this month, facing pressure from the state BJP which has been projecting itself as the “saviour of Murugan”.Lord Murugan is a central character of the Thaipusam celebrations which take various forms throughout India and among the Hindu diaspora worldwide.BJP politicians have been ramping up accusations that the Tamil Nadu state government was being disrespectful of Lord Murugan in banning Thaipusam processions this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.This came on the back of a controversial YouTube video seen as deragatory towards Lord Murugan.Since then, BJP has projected itself as a defender of Murugan, and defied Covid-19 restrictions by launching a “VetriVel Yatra”, where its leaders held roadshows and visited temples dedicated to Murugan.Tamil Nadu BJP chief L Murugan also demanded that the state government declare a holiday for Thaipusam.On Jan 5, chief minister Edappadi said Tamil Nadu would follow Sri Lanka and Mauritius in declaring Thaipusam a public holiday.“Hence, I announce that Thaipusam on Jan 28 will be a public holiday in the state and Thaipusam will be included in the public holiday calendar for the coming years,” he said.The right-wing BJP, alongside other Hindu fundamentalist parties, has dominated India’s federal government for more than two decades, but its influence has been limited in the southern parts of the country where Thaipusam is largely observed.The party has in recent times set its eyes on capturing Tamil Nadu by raising religious issues close to Hindus.But one analyst said BJP would not succeed, saying the party’s strategy used in northern states would not work with voters in the south.“BJP is fighting the Dravidian ideology and it is clear in its action, but it should also keep in mind the love that people of Tamil Nadu have for Lord Murugan is much more than what the party may think.“It would not do any good for BJP in terms of its support base, but might lead to a resurgence of the Dravidian movement,” political scientist Ramu Manivannan of the University of Madras told Deccan Herald last year.


Over a million children given first jab as 64.6% of adults boosted

A total of 2,834,807 individuals or 91.1% of teenagers aged 12 to 17 had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, 2,934,891 or 94.3% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 1,097,425 or or 30.9% of children aged five to 11 had received a first dose of vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.Meanwhile, a total of 15,202,158 or 64.6% of adults have received a Covid-19 booster dose while 22,932,696 or 97.5% have completed their vaccination.A total of 23,209,324 individuals or 98.7% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 64,759 vaccine doses were dispensed, of which 20,178 were given as first doses, 1,736 as second shots and 42,845 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 68,002,567.


Revealed: Who said what at the Umno Supreme Council meeting

The Umno Supreme Council meeting yesterday saw many leaders agreeing with the move by their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to revoke support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin although there were also passionate and even heated arguments by some senior leaders who stated their opposition.Those who were vocal against Zahid included Kelantan Umno strongman Alwi Che Ahmad, Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, as well as Kepala Batas MP Reezal Merican Naina Merican, Selangor’s Noh Omar and Sabah’s Bung Moktar Radin.MalaysiaNow, which has been furnished with specific details of the discussions by each of those present at the four-hour meeting, can also confirm that Zahid had clearly given MPs from the party the choice to remain in the government despite his call for Umno to withdraw its support for Muhyiddin.The Umno president however failed to mention this apparent leeway given to MPs when he read out a statement late last night announcing the party’s immediate revocation of support for Muhyiddin.“Who will be the new PM? We want Umno to be the government. The candidates (for PM) should be from Umno. As to the method of how this appointment is done, we will have a special discussion later,” Zahid said at the meeting attended both physically and online by 55 of the 56 Supreme Council members.Kedah’s Mahdzir Khalid, who was unwell, was the sole absentee.Zahid said 53 of the 56 Supreme Council members were supportive of the proposal to “disassociate” the party from the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, while some of them supported the move with conditions attached.His speech was followed by one by his deputy Mohamad Hasan, one of the main proponents of a government “dominated” by Umno.Mohamad said Umno should revoke support for Muhyiddin, adding however that the move should not result in the downfall of the government.“I think the government must be led again by Umno,” he said.“Umno’s policy is to withdraw support for the PM. It is up to the MPs to later debate in Parliament,” he added.Mohamad Hasan.He also warned of “bad consequences” if any of the party’s decisions was ignored by its members, adding that Umno must be firm or risk being mocked for “having no balls”.“It is high time for Umno to make a decision, and tonight we must pull back our support. Whatever happens, happens.”The discussions that ensued saw several council members voicing full support for Zahid’s proposal.Puad Zarkashi criticised Ismail Sabri Yaakob for accepting the deputy prime minister’s post, saying this went against the party’s decision in the matter.Ahmad Shabery Cheek said the government had failed to manage the pandemic, and that it was time to say “enough is enough”.“The party is bigger than other positions,” he said.‘If government fails, we fail too’But it was Alwi Che Ahmad who strongly argued against any move to revoke support for Muhyiddin.Alwi Che Ahmad.He also questioned the repeated claims by some Umno leaders that the government had failed to manage the Covid-19 crisis, saying such accusations would backfire on the party as their own men were ministers critically involved in the fight against the pandemic.“So we say they failed, and we quit. Aren’t we also part of that failure, if it’s true this is the case?” Alwi asked.He also reminded the council that Umno, with only 38 seats in the Dewan Rakyat, was not in a position to make demands as it had in the past.“What we are doing now is unprecedented,” he added.He said it did not make sense for Umno to call for the prime minister’s resignation yet expect the government to remain. He added that the government would collapse if the prime minister resigned, as shown by the resignation of Dr Mahathir Mohamad which brought down Pakatan Harapan’s 22-month government.“That part, I cannot understand. I have argued with the president. But the president said, ‘Trust me, we will have the numbers, we will do it’, and that it is not going to be other than Umno,” he said.Alwi said any move to disrupt the administration was also unfair to Umno ministers who were working hard in the battle against the pandemic.“At this time of the year, I think you are being unfair to our ministers. The party is being unfair to our ministers, friends who sit in the government due to our own decision.”He also said there was no guarantee that the pandemic would be better managed under a government led by Umno.“Are we doing the right thing at the right moment? Will it benefit the party, will we benefit the Malays?Reezal Merican Naina Merican.“How do we explain to the people that we only wanted to bring down the prime minister because he failed?”Meanwhile, Reezal Merican Naina Merican warned against any rash decision, saying Umno ministers had done well in their respective portfolios in the fight against the pandemic, even as criticism was levelled against ministers from other parties.Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub from Kelantan expressed strong support for Zahid, saying Umno must emerge from its support for the government, a stand echoed by Ahmad Said from Terengganu who said the people wanted Umno back in power, urging ministers to put party interests first.‘Think carefully’However, Sabah’s Bung Moktar Radin questioned the timing of the call for a change in leadership, saying Umno could end up losing whatever power it still had by deciding to revoke its support for the prime minister.Bung Moktar Radin.“We should think carefully about what we will achieve tonight. There are signs that it could be for the total good of the party, or otherwise.“I agree with Reezal. If we want to do it, we do it wisely.”Musa Sheikh Fadzir of Penang lashed out at MPs who questioned the party decision, saying it was disrespectful of them to go against the president.Ab Rauf Yusoh of Melaka meanwhile spoke of the need to ensure that any decision would result in a better way forward with the party having the upper hand.Johari Abdul Ghani and Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, both strong allies of convicted former leader Najib Razak, also expressed support for Zahid.Johari said Umno had only supported Muhyiddin following the collapse of the PH government, adding that there had been no PN at the time as the coalition was only registered five months later.He said he could not accept that not one of the 38 Umno MPs could hold the prime minister’s office.‘Umno loses if Covid-19 situation improves’Abdul Rahman Dahlan meanwhile said Umno must act now, when the Covid-19 situation is still bad, as any improvement would not favour the party in its push for power.Abdul Rahman Dahlan.“But when Covid-19 cases go down, we will also lose because we won’t get the credit. Instead, the prime minister will claim credit. I am worried, when the situation calms down and the economy improves, what will happen to Umno?“If Covid subsides, I’m afraid we won’t get any credit. When they are comfortable, we will face more problems,” said Abdul Rahman.“In politics, it’s all about striking while the iron is still hot.”Noraini Ahmad and Zahida Zarik Khan both made general statements saying they would stand by the party.Tajuddin: ‘You think the govt will collapse?’In a surprise move, Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, who was recently sacked from the government-owned Prasarana, warned against revoking support for Muhyiddin, saying it would not result in the collapse of the government.Tajuddin Abdul Rahman.“If we pull out now, do you think the government will collapse? They may go to DAP, to get an understanding. DAP will support, it does not have to join the government, they just give their vote.“What will happen to Umno then?”Tajuddin also said there was no guarantee that Umno could solve the problems of Covid-19 and the economy.“If we fail after taking over, it will be worse,” he added.“There were many decisions that we made in the past. All gone wrong,” he said, citing Umno’s decisions to join Muafakat Nasional and to support PN as well as the recent move to cooperate with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.Turning to Zahid, Tajuddin said his disagreement was nothing personal.“I have been supporting you, working hard for you. This time I beg to differ.”Noh Omar warned that Umno MPs would not heed Umno’s decision and would damage the party’s image.He said it was better for Umno to air its grievances against Muhyiddin when Parliament convenes at the end of the month, by voting against the emergency ordinance.He said there was always the possibility of the PN government giving more allocations to opposition MPs, in the hope of filling up the vacuum caused by Umno’s withdrawal.Similarly, Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said spoke of moves by opposition parties to quietly support the government, saying there was talk that the PN government could increase allocations to opposition MPs beyond the RM300,000 recently announced.Johor Umno’s Razali Ibrahim and Khaled Nordin called on the party to make a clear decision, while Perak’s Zambry Abdul Kadir said any decision should be viewed by the people in a positive light and not based on a “power struggle” narrative.


Revealed: The inside story of Zahid’s letter to the Agong

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s letter to the Agong, in which the Umno president expressed support for his PKR counterpart Anwar Ibrahim as prime minister, was sent just 48 hours after he met with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, an investigation by MalaysiaNow confirms.What followed were tense gatherings at Muhyiddin’s house as ministers expressed shock and disbelief, and another private confrontation between Muhyiddin and Zahid, where the latter demanded that several of his colleagues in the Cabinet be sacked.The Oct 11 letter, co-signed by former Umno president Najib Razak, was sent ahead of a royal audience granted to Anwar at Istana Negara on Oct 13, where he was supposed to provide proof of his claim to possessing the majority support of MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.But two days before that, Zahid had met Muhyiddin at the latter’s residence in Bukit Damansara.During that meeting, Zahid gave his commitment to the prime minister of Umno’s support, at a time when Anwar was predicting the doom and eventual collapse of Muhyiddin’s government.An insider who revealed details of the meeting to MalaysiaNow said Zahid also went a step further by asking if Muhyiddin’s Bersatu would like to become the third member of Muafakat Nasional.Muafakat Nasional is the charter inked by Umno and PAS during their time in the opposition, a move by the two Malay-based parties to formalise their cooperation after decades of rivalry.“Yet, 48 hours later, Zahid and Najib sent their letter to Istana Negara expressing their support for Anwar to replace Muhyiddin as prime minister,” the insider told MalaysiaNow.He added that the letter was prepared without the knowledge of any of the Umno Supreme Council members.“Only the two of them knew about it. No one else,” he said.Shocked Umno ministersSo how did a letter to the palace, sent in secret without anyone’s knowledge, become known to the public?Two days later, on Oct 15, a representative from Istana Negara called on Muhyiddin to give him a copy of Zahid’s letter.“The letter was prepared without the knowledge of any of the Umno Supreme Council members.”“That same night, the PM summoned all Umno ministers to his house, where he revealed to them the letter of support for Anwar by Zahid and Najib,” the insider said.During the meeting, the Umno ministers voiced four demands of Muhyiddin, saying they had come under pressure from party members.“They said the party had not been given the positions it deserved in the government,” an aide who was briefed about the meeting told MalaysiaNow.“But all of them were shocked upon learning about Zahid’s letter, and said that they had never supported Anwar. They then resolved to bring up the matter to the Umno Supreme Council.”Revealed: Zahid-Najib’s letter to palace in support of AnwarCourt cluster threatens election clusterThe math on Anwar’s ‘formidable’ majorityUmno rejects cooperation with Anwar in blow to NajibThe next day, the contents of the letter were revealed to MalaysiaNow. Soon, several purported copies of it were making the rounds on social media.The Umno Supreme Council meeting to discuss the revelation was postponed many times.“By this time, Zahid was aware that Umno ministers knew about his letter,” said the insider.Zahid’s demand: sack Umno ministersOn Oct 17, Muhyiddin, who is Bersatu president, arranged for a meeting with Zahid and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang to discuss Muafakat Nasional.Also present were Ahmad Maslan, Takiyuddin Hassan and Hamzah Zainuddin, the secretary-generals of Umno, PAS and Bersatu.During the meeting, Muhyiddin brought up the elephant in the room: Zahid’s letter to the palace.“When the PM produced the letter, Zahid reacted by saying, ‘There’s no need to bring the letter out’.”An aide to Muhyiddin then handed the letter to Hamzah, who showed it to a visibly shocked Hadi.Zahid demanded that he be appointed as deputy prime minister and listed the names of Umno leaders whom he said should be dropped from the Cabinet.They include Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, and National Unity Minister Halimah Sadique.From left to right: Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba, Science, Technology, and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, and National Unity Minister Halimah Sadique.These demands further raised temperatures at the meeting.‘What do you really want?’Muhyiddin then questioned Zahid about his intentions and what he wanted.“Zahid accused the prime minister of breaking his promise,” the insider said.“Muhyiddin then said he had never promised anything. Zahid said that initially, when Umno supported Bersatu to form the government, it was for Dr Mahathir Mohamad to become the PM, not Muhyiddin.“Muhyiddin pressed Zahid again about his unhappiness. Zahid replied that as president of Umno, he should have been appointed the deputy prime minister.”At this point, Hamzah interrupted: “Is it about your case?”Zahid answered “no”.“Then what?” Hamzah pressed.“I’m embarrassed to tell but there are many things that are not right,” Zahid said.Muhyiddin then told Zahid that he had no say in court matters.“But as a friend, he said he would pray that Zahid will be acquitted.”Zahid is facing 47 charges of criminal breach of trust, corruption and money laundering involving funds belonging to his foundation, Yayasan Akalbudi.


Anger over death of girl set ablaze in India

Indian police on Tuesday formed a special investigative unit to probe the death of a girl who said she had been set on fire by a stalker whose marriage proposal she rejected, a case that has led to anger in a country where violence against women is rife.
Hardline Hindu groups have called for death to the accused, a Muslim man who police said lived in the same locality as the victim, a Hindu, in the Dumka district of the eastern state of Jharkhand.
Police said the man poured kerosene on the victim, named as Ankita, through her house window when she was asleep and set her on fire last Tuesday. She died in hospital of severe burn injuries on Sunday.
"Two senior officials have been deployed in the town and they will coordinate with the district police chief in the probe," said Amol V Homkar, a spokesman for Jharkhand police, adding that the accused and a co-accused had been arrested.
Reuters could not immediately contact the family of the accused or their lawyer.
The Vishva Hindu Parishad, or the World Hindu Council, said the majority Hindu community would hit the streets in protest if appropriate action was not taken.
District authorities have restricted the movement of people to prevent any fallout from the incident.
"After the cruelty meted out to Ankita, her death has made every Indian bow their heads in shame," Rahul Gandhi, a leader of the main opposition Congress party, said on Twitter.
"Today, there is a dire need to create a safe environment for women in the country."


Who are the Proud Boys mentioned as ‘white supremacists’ in the presidential debate?

The Proud Boys were catapulted onto the world’s stage on Tuesday when President Donald Trump refused to condemn them in the presidential debate.So, who are they and should the world be worried about them?The Proud Boys were founded in 2016 by Vice Media co-founder Gavin McInnes. They described themselves then as a “politically incorrect men’s club for Western chauvinists”.Current Proud Boys leader Enrique Tarrio, who is Afro-Cuban, says the group has “longstanding regulations prohibiting racist, white supremacist or violent activity”.“We don’t care what colour you are or what your background is. If you love America, we consider you a brother.”To them, “Western chauvinist” includes all races, religions, and sexual preferences.Yet the Southern Poverty Law Centre, a left-wing legal advocacy organisation says, “Proud Boys are known for their anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric.” The SPLC has designated the Proud Boys a hate group.The group claims to condemn racism, fascism, communism and socialism and members have become increasingly visible as they confront opposing groups across the US in clashes that frequently turn violent.Their unsavoury reputation was brought up in the presidential debate on Tuesday night.When moderator Chris Wallace asked Trump whether he was willing to condemn white supremacists and militia groups, Trump asked him to name a specific group. Democrat rival Joe Biden jumped in to name the Proud Boys.“Proud Boys, stand back and stand by,” Trump said.Tarrio subsequently said the group do not consider Trump’s comment an endorsement.On their website, the Proud Boys describe themselves as the world’s greatest fraternal organisation and declare: “I refuse to apologise for creating the modern world. The West is best.”They claim to have chapters in Canada, Germany, the UK, Australia, China and Japan.


Calls grow for protection of passenger rights as local airlines carry on with delays, cancellations

Pressure is mounting on the government to re-examine the laws pertaining to civil aviation amid frustration among Malaysian air travellers who feel that local airlines have been getting away with flight cancellations and delays, a problem symbolised by the recent bad publicity received by troubled budget carrier AirAsia.
AirAsia, which topped a list of airlines suffering cancellations and delays during the Aidilfitri rush this year, has been under scrutiny with chat groups and social media posts by passengers documenting their experience with the airline in everything from a lack of communication to an inability to compensate customers.
Among them was Sabah politician Wilfred Madius Tangau, who took to Twitter to relate how his travel plans were disrupted by repeated delays and flight changes.
"I was confirmed and in fact have already checking for the 8pm flight KUK/BKI on AirAsia tonight only to be rescheduled to 10pm and the latest is it was rescheduled to 12.30am ETA 3.30am. It’s simply crazy," Madius tweeted in May.
Now, the Tuaran MP plans to bring a motion on the matter to the October sitting of the Dewan Rakyat.
He said Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong must explain whether the government intends to amend its civil aviation laws to better ensure the rights of passengers.
Suggestions include the mandatory compensation of passengers, especially in the context of cancelled flights.
"It's clear that no action has been taken as flight cancellations and delays are still taking place," Wilfred told MalaysiaNow.
"The Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) needs to show some strength of will. Perhaps the Department of Civil Aviation should study the existing act as well."
Airlines across the world were forced to cease operations following the onset of Covid-19 and the movement restrictions imposed as part of government efforts to curb the spread of the virus.
While the global aviation industry is regaining its footing as countries reopen their borders, flight delays and cancellations remain an ongoing problem.
About a week ago, two Democratic lawmakers in the US proposed making it unlawful for airlines to offer flights if they know that they lack sufficient staff or to cancel flights close to scheduled departures because of foreseeable staffing issues.
Jan Schakowsky and David Cicilline spoke of an "urgent need" for stronger enforcement in the airline industry, saying it must be held accountable for the "harm" caused by flight delays and cancellations.
In Malaysia, frustration over such incidents reached a head in the run-up to the Aidilfitri celebration, with angry passengers taking to social media to complain.
Mavcom data as of May 30 showed that 495 flights or 6% of a total of 6,000 were delayed for more than an hour from April 29 to May 9.
Of these, budget airline AirAsia operated 2,954, 13% or 368 of which were delayed. Malaysia Airlines meanwhile operated 1,447 flights, with 3% or 44 delayed.
MASWings operated 656 flights, of which 10% or 64 were delayed, Firefly operated 680 flights, of which 2% or 15 were delayed, and Batik Air operated 555 flights, of which four or 1% were delayed.
Trouble for passengers
Alice Siew, a Malaysian living in Taiwan, was one of the passengers whose plans were thrown into disarray in April.
She had booked a return trip with Malaysia Airlines which was eventually cancelled.
As a result, she had to pay another RM1,203 to make sure that she could return to Taiwan as scheduled on an alternative flight.
The timing of her schedule was crucial as Taiwan was still imposing a mandatory Covid-19 quarantine for travellers before allowing them to cross its borders.
"I paid a total of RM2,746 for a Taipei-Kuala Lumpur return flight," she said.
The price of the original flight tickets which she bought in March was only RM1,543.
Glenn Bruce Andrew Priere from Sydney, Australia, meanwhile had his flights cancelled by two airlines: Philippines Airlines which was supposed to take him from Sydney to the Philippines, and AirAsia with which he had booked a two-way flight from Manila to Taipei.
The flights were cancelled due to the implementation of movement restrictions in Australia.
For him, the problem was getting a refund for his tickets. In the end, he had to wait more than a year to recover A$3,400 (RM10,745) from Philippine Airlines. It took him more than two years to get back A$1,600 (RM5,056) from AirAsia.
"I got all of my refunds but it wasn't easy," he told MalaysiaNow.
Complaints have also been rife from local and international passengers alike who received only credit and travel vouchers following the cancellation of their flights with AirAsia X (AAX).
The issue arose after AAX underwent a debt restructuring process, according to which it cannot give cash refunds.
Baskaran Sithamparam, senior manager of the Federation of Malaysian Consumer Associations (Fomca), said the guidelines on passenger rights were all stated on the Mavcom website.
Paragraph 12 of the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016, for example, clearly shows that airlines need to provide compensation or care for passengers facing flight delay issues.
"For flight delays of two hours or more, passengers should be offered, free of charge, food, drinks and telephone calls limited to the internet commensurate with the waiting time," he said.
"For flights that are delayed for five hours or more, passengers need to be offered free hotel accomodation and transportation between the airport and the place of accommodation."
For Wilfred, the biggest problem lies in the enforcement of such rules.
"This is just a guide, which is why compensation needs to be made mandatory," he said.
"Otherwise, it is the passengers who will bear the losses."
MalaysiaNow is still awaiting a response from Mavcom and transport minister Wee.


Input from parents, teachers to be considered in reopening Phase 3 schools

The education ministry will take into consideration the views of parents, teachers and school administrators before a comprehensive school reopening plan for states under Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan is finalised.Education Minister Radzi Jidin, in a Facebook post today, said their suggestions and advice would be carefully considered before a decision is made on the matter.“What is certain is that all efforts taken will be for the sake of our future generations. Insha Allah, the education ministry is always committed to doing our best,” he said.In the same post, Radzi said he had participated in an engagement session with parent-teacher association (PIBG) representatives, teachers and school heads in Negeri Sembilan today to discuss the school reopening issue.Last Sunday, Radzi held a face-to-face session with PIBG representatives, teachers and school heads in Labuan on the reopening of schools there on Oct 3.


China says US should use more carrot, less stick on North Korea

China’s UN ambassador expressed hope on Monday that US President Joe Biden’s policy toward North Korea will give more importance to diplomacy and dialogue instead of “extreme pressure” to try to stop Pyongyang’s nuclear programme and denuclearise the Korean Peninsula.Zhang Jun said China also hopes the review of US policy will give equal emphasis to both the nuclear issue and the peace and security issue, the Associated Press reports.“Without tackling the security and the peace issues properly, definitely we do not have the right environment for our efforts for the denuclearisation,” he said.The White House said last Friday that Biden plans to change from the approaches of his two most recent predecessors as he tries to stop North Korea’s nuclear programme.He is rejecting both Donald Trump’s personal efforts to win over leader Kim Jong Un and Barack Obama’s more hands-off approach.The Biden administration is appearing to signal that it wants to set the stage for incremental progress, in which denuclearisation steps by the North would be met with corresponding actions, including sanctions relief, from the US.There was no mention of US security guarantees for North Korea or a formal end to the Korean War, both of which have been demanded by Pyongyang and were considered by the Trump team as part of a larger package.China assumed the presidency of the UN Security Council this month and Zhang told a news conference that Beijing will look “very carefully” at the US policy review in hopes it will give more emphasis to dialogue.China and Russia circulated a draft resolution a year ago on lifting some sanctions against North Korea, and Zhang said it’s still on the table.He stressed that while China is implementing sanctions against the North, it also believes the Security Council should consider adjusting and lifting sanctions “which are really hindering humanitarian access and making people suffer”.North Korea said on Sunday that Biden was mistaken in calling the country a security threat and warned of an unspecified response.


Govt moving to separate roles of AG and public prosecutor

The government has initiated a move that will see the attorney-general (AG) no longer serving as the public prosecutor.Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Takiyuddin Hassan in a statement today said the government was making plans to separate their functions.He said this was to ensure justice and to fulfil the principles of the rule of law as well as to avoid conflicts of interest.Takiyuddin said the matter would be improved through a comparative study with other countries but with the suitability of the Malaysian legal system.He said this was being considered by the federal government, which he added was always open and ready to adopt measures to preserve the integrity and public confidence towards the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and its like.Takiyuddin also said the government had no objection to considering the establishment of a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) should the need arise for one if there are questions of integrity and confidence in the legislature, which he said should act as an adviser to the government in legal aspects as well as perform as the gatekeeper for criminal justice.Earlier today, Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Azalina Othman Said, in a Facebook post, called for an RCI to be set up to reform the AGC.She said current developments in the country had caused the public’s trust in the AGC to erode.


Trump says may skip first Republican debate, hold rival event

Former US president Donald Trump said he might not participate in the Republican Party's first 2024 election primary debate in August and may hold an alternative event, citing his lead in opinion polls and what he claims is the hosting network's bias against him.
In a telephone interview with Reuters, Trump said "possibly not" when asked if he would be at the debate, to be hosted by Fox News in Milwaukee on Aug 23.
The debate will be the first chance for voters to see the Republican presidential candidates square off against each other.
Trump called Fox News, which he has criticized for not covering his campaign events, a "hostile network" and said he saw little merit in debating candidates like former New Jersey governor Chris Christie who are far behind him in polling.
"Why would I give them time to make statements? Why would I do that when I'm leading them by 50 points and 60 points," Trump said.
National polls have consistently showed him to be the front-runner in the Republican primary race by a wide margin.
A Reuters/Ipsos poll earlier this month showed that some 43% of self-identified Republicans said Trump was their preferred candidate, compared to 22% who picked Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Christie was at 2%.
Trump has drawn some criticism for previously suggesting he may skip the debate.
Christie, a former Trump ally who is now one of his fiercest critics, has accused the former president of being afraid to join the debates out of fear of losing his lead in the race.
Trump said he was entertaining offers to hold a separate event during the debate or later in the same evening.
"We've had a lot of offers, whether it's a rally or whether it's an interview by somebody else," he said. "Not to be braggadocious but the debate will not be a very exciting one if I'm not there."


Canada’s Trudeau survives vote of no confidence

The minority government of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau survived a parliamentary vote of no confidence Wednesday in a face-off over the proposed budget, eliminating the possibility of early elections this summer.The House of Commons voted 211 to 121 in favour of approving the budget, which was proposed in April and contains a plan to spend C$101.4 billion over three years.The conservative opposition voted together against Trudeau, who was able to hang on thanks to the support of three other smaller blocs in the lower chamber.The 2021-2022 budget, which began April 1, must still be approved by the Senate – a formality expected Friday, ahead of the summer recess.After clearing this hurdle – and with Canada’s Covid-19 vaccination campaign progressing rapidly – Trudeau, who enjoys a high approval rating, could be tempted to call for snap elections at the end of the summer in an effort to regain a parliamentary majority, which his Liberal party lost after October 2019’s general election.The budget’s flagship provision is a C$30 billion investment over five years to establish a network of low-cost, high-quality public daycares to encourage the participation of women in the labor market.Some C$17.6 billion are earmarked for green initiatives, including helping companies reduce their carbon footprints and supporting public transport projects in large cities.


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PSC meeting on Azam postponed

The special parliamentary select committee (PSC) meeting to discuss the ownership of shares by Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki has been postponed due to several legal issues that require input from the office of Parliament’s legal adviser.Dewan Rakyat secretary Nizam Mydin Bacha Mydin said in a letter to MPs that a new date would be announced.Azam had been due for questioning by the PSC on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, a committee comprising MPs from Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional as well as GPS and Warisan.He is under investigation over claims of conflict of interest in the purchase of company shares following a series of blog articles by an activist linked to local NGO C4 Center.He has since issued a demand letter to the writer of the articles, Lalitha Kunaratnam, with the MACC lodging a police report against her describing her claims as false and unsubstantiated by evidence.He has been under fire from top Pakatan Harapan leaders who have called for him to go on leave and for MACC’s Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang to be investigated after the latter cleared Azam of allegations of conflict of interest.But Azam said last week that there was no need for him to step down, adding that only the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could give such instruction.


Muhyiddin to Anwar: Thanks but no thanks, PN will be the opposition

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin has declined an invitation from Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to join his government, saying the coalition prefers to strengthen democracy by acting as an effective check and balance in Parliament.
"PN will play the role of a credible opposition to bring the voice of the people to Parliament, as well as to ensure a corruption-free governance with integrity in line with the caring, clean and stable principles," Muhyiddin said in a statement.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in his first media conference after being sworn into the top office yesterday had extended an invitation to PN to join what he described as a "unity government".
PN won 73 seats in the recent election, in what was seen as a nationwide Malay tsunami where a number of traditional Umno and PKR strongholds changed hands to the two-year-old coalition comprising Bersatu, PAS and Gerakan.
Muhyiddin meanwhile gave his assurance that PN was committed to political stability, and as such was prepared to cooperate with the government in other arrangements within the parliamentary framework.
The "unity government" was proposed by the Agong, with Muhyiddin asked if he agreed to working with Anwar's Pakatan Harapan as well as Barisan Nasional (BN).
Muhyiddin, who had support from Sarawak's GRS before the latter was advised by the palace to join Anwar's unity government, had rejected the Agong's proposal.
"I was asked to sign a document if we agreed. I signed, but said 'do not agree'," he said following his audience with the Agong on Tuesday.