Singaporean Nazeri hanged in Changi Prison

Singaporean Nazeri Lajim was hanged early today, the latest in a string of executions over drug offences in the city-state despite increasing scrutiny over its continued use of the death penalty.
Nazeri was hanged at 6am at Singapore's Changi Prison. It is understood that his family members are at the prison to claim his body and make funeral arrangements.
Anti-death penalty activist Kokila Annamalai, who accompanied the family members to the prison today, said funeral prayers would be held at Masjid Assyakirin in Taman Jurong.
Nazeri's remains will then be taken to the Muslim cemetery at Masjid Al-Firdaus.
Nazeri, 64, was sentenced to death in 2017, five years after he was arrested with two bundles containing heroin.
He had maintained that the drugs were for his personal consumption, an argument that his lawyers put forward to reopen his case based on medical evidence.
Nazeri was one of 17 death row inmates who had filed a historic suit against the Singapore government, accusing it of discrimination and bias in their prosecution due to their Malay ethnicity.
The suit was dismissed late last year with the court calling it an abuse of process. The Singapore attorney-general later took two lawyers who had represented the inmates to court, where he was awarded costs over their filing of the suit "without consent".
On Wednesday, the High Court rejected his application to set aside his death sentence in order to pursue a judicial review pertaining to his constitutional rights to equal treatment.
In his final appeal yesterday, Nazeri had begged for compassion, asking for more time to see his family members and siblings.
However, the judge said the decision of the court was final.


Sorry.


Russia says Swiss 'no longer neutral', can't act as go-between with Ukraine

Russia said on Thursday it had turned down a Swiss offer to represent Ukrainian interests in Russia and Moscow's interests in Ukraine because it no longer considers Switzerland a neutral country.
Switzerland has a long diplomatic tradition of acting as an intermediary between countries whose relations have broken down, but Foreign Ministry spokesperson Ivan Nechayev said this was not possible in the current situation.
"The Swiss were indeed interested in our opinion on the possible representation of Ukraine's interests in Russia and Russia's in Ukraine," Nechayev told reporters.
"We very clearly answered that Switzerland had unfortunately lost its status of a neutral state and could not act either as an intermediary or a representative. Bern has joined illegal Western sanctions against Russia."
Neutral Switzerland has mirrored nearly all the sanctions that the European Union imposed on Russia over its military intervention in Ukraine.
Swiss media previously reported that the main objective of the Swiss proposal would be to allow Ukrainians living in Russia to receive consular services from the Swiss embassy in Moscow.


US slams Russia for ‘irresponsible’ space missile test

The US denounced Russia on Monday for conducting a “dangerous and irresponsible” missile strike that blew up one of its own satellites, creating a debris cloud that forced the International Space Station’s crew to take evasive action.Washington wasn’t informed in advance about the test, only the fourth ever to hit a spacecraft from the ground, and will talk to allies about how to respond, said officials.The move reignites concerns about the growing space arms race, encompassing everything from the development of satellites capable of shunting others out of orbit to laser weapons.“On Nov 15, 2021, the Russian Federation recklessly conducted a destructive test of a direct-ascent anti-satellite missile against one of its own satellites,” said Secretary of State Anthony Blinken in a statement.He added the test had generated over 1,500 pieces of trackable orbital debris and will likely create hundreds of thousands of pieces of smaller orbital debris.The crew aboard the orbital outpost – currently four Americans, a German and two Russians – had to take shelter in their return ships, the standard “safe haven” alarm procedure in the event of an emergency that might force evacuation.The station later returned to a “green” alert level, tweeted Russian space agency Roscosmos.But in his strongly-worded remarks, Blinken said the danger was far from over.“The long-lived debris created by this dangerous and irresponsible test will now threaten satellites and other space objects that are vital to all nations’ security, economic, and scientific interests for decades to come,” he said.“Russia, despite its claims of opposing the weaponisation of outer space, is willing to jeopardise the long-term sustainability of outer space and imperil the exploration and use of outer space.”The US was discussing its response with partners, Blinken added.In a Pentagon briefing, spokesman John Kirby told reporters the US didn’t receive advanced notice, and was closely watching Russian defence capabilities.The target of the missile was Cosmos 1408, a 1982 Soviet signals intelligence satellite that has been defunct for several decades, according to space industry analysis company Seradata.Danger to satellitesAnti-satellite weapons (Asass) are high-tech missiles possessed by few nations.India was the last to carry out a test on a target in 2019, creating hundreds of pieces of “space junk” strongly criticized by other powers, including the US.The US shot down a satellite in 2008 in response to China demonstrating a similar knockout in 2007.Jonathan McDowell, a Harvard astrophysicist, told AFP such tests amounted to “saber rattling.”He added: “The feeling among people in the space industry is that we have way too much debris up there already – to deliberately generate more is just inexcusable.”The first objects from the debris cloud should start to enter the atmosphere within a few months, but it could be up to 10 years before it clears up entirely, he said.That could jeopardize what is an increasingly crowded region of space known as “low Earth orbit.”There are currently more than 4,500 satellites whizzing around the planet, according to the Union of Concerned Scientists, with companies like SpaceX planning to launch up to tens of thousands more, as the private space industry experiences rapid growth.New era of space weaponsRussia is increasingly flexing its muscles in space as it seeks to reassert global influence under the leadership of Vladimir Putin.Last year, London and Washington accused Moscow of testing a “nesting doll” satellite that opened up and released a sub-satellite to stalk an American satellite.China meanwhile is developing a weapon known as Shijian-17 with a robot arm capable of grappling satellites.“The threat is real in that both China and Russia are increasingly building space into their military capabilities,” director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said at a space seminar in Washington last week.“They have, effectively, counter space capabilities that allow them to jam some of our satellites, they have directed-energy weapons that allow them to essentially blind sensors on various satellites,” she added.Despite these tensions, the US and Russia have maintained strong space ties since the end of the Cold War, cooperating closely on the ISS, which they built together.


Rescuers scour for survivors after Brazil floods, landslides kill 94

Rescue workers raced against the clock Wednesday searching for any remaining survivors among mud and wreckage after devastating flash floods and landslides hit the picturesque Brazilian city of Petropolis, killing at least 94 people.Streets were turned into torrential rivers and houses swept away Tuesday when heavy storms dumped a month’s worth of rain in three hours on the scenic tourist town in the hills north of Rio de Janeiro.With 35 people still reported missing, fears that the death toll could climb further sent firefighters and volunteers scrambling through the remains of houses washed away in torrents of mud, many of them in impoverished hillside slums.It is the latest in a series of deadly storms to hit Brazil in the past three months, which experts say are being made worse by climate change.The state government said at least 24 people had been rescued alive, as it reported the latest death toll Wednesday evening.Using dogs, excavators and helicopters, rescue workers were urgently searching for more before it was too late, with the Rio Public Prosecutor’s office reporting that the 35 missing people had been registered on its missing persons list.Around 300 people were being housed in shelters, mostly in schools, officials said. Charities called for donations of mattresses, food, water, clothing and face masks for victims.Wendel Pio Lourenco, a 24-year-old resident, was walking through the street with a television in his arms, heading to a local church in search of shelter.He said he was trying to save a few possessions, after spending a sleepless night helping search for victims.“I found a girl who was buried alive,” he said.“Everyone is saying it looks like a war zone.”Governor Claudio Castro said much the same after visiting the scene.“It looks like a scene from a war. It’s incredible,” he said, adding that it was the worst rain since 1932.He praised rescue workers for managing “to save a large number of people before it was too late.”Videos posted on social media from Tuesday’s rains showed streets in Petropolis, the 19th-century summer capital of the Brazilian empire, fill with violent floods that swept away cars, trees and nearly everything else in their paths.Many shops were completely inundated by the rising water, which gushed down the streets of the historic city center, leaving jumbled piles of overturned cars in its wake.Officials said more than 180 firefighters and other rescue workers were responding to the emergency, aided by 400 soldiers sent in as reinforcements.City hall declared a “state of disaster” in the city of 300,000 people, which sits 68km (42 miles) north of Rio.The city council declared three days of mourning for victims.‘Tragedy’Petropolis is a popular destination for tourists fleeing the summer heat of Rio.The area is known for its leafy streets, stately homes, imperial palace – today a museum – and the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains.Tuesday’s storms dumped 258mm (10 inches) of rain on the city in three hours, nearly equal to all the rainfall from the previous month, the mayor’s office said.The heaviest downpour had passed, but more moderate rain was expected to continue on and off for several days, authorities said.President Jair Bolsonaro, on an official trip to Russia, said on Twitter he was keeping abreast of the “tragedy.”“Thank you for your words of solidarity with the people of Petropolis,” he told President Vladimir Putin after meeting the Russian leader.“May God comfort (the victims’) families.”Brazil has been swept by heavy rains since December that have caused a series of deadly floods and landslides.Experts say rainy season downpours are being augmented by La Nina – the cyclical cooling of the Pacific Ocean – and by the impact of climate change.Because a warmer atmosphere holds more water, global warming increases the risk and intensity of flooding from extreme rainfall.Last month, torrential rain triggered floods and landslides that killed at least 28 people in southeastern Brazil, mostly in Sao Paulo state.There have also been heavy rains in the northeastern state of Bahia, where 24 people died in December.Petropolis and the surrounding region were previously hit by severe storms in January 2011, when more than 900 people died in flooding and landslides.


US drug overdose deaths top 109,000 in the past year

More than 109,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in the 12-month period ending January 2023, a slight increase from the previous year, according to provisional data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Wednesday.
The figure is up 0.7% from 108,825 overdoses recorded in the 12-month period ending January 2022, according to US data.
The increase comes despite a push by President Joe Biden's administration for action to tackle drug addiction and overdoses.
The Biden administration in May imposed sanctions on 17 people and entities based in China and Mexico it accused of enabling production of counterfeit fentanyl-laced pills. Illicit fentanyl has played an outsized role in the US opioid crisis and drug overdoses.
The US drug overdose death toll crossed the 100,000-mark for the first time in 2021, as the Covid pandemic disrupted medical care and increased mental health problems. The effect was exacerbated by the widespread availability of lethal drugs such as fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin and increasingly mixed in with other illegal drugs.
During the pandemic, rates of mental illness, depression and anxiety went up dramatically, and people increasingly began to switch to substances, said Tom Britton, CEO of American Addiction Centers.
US drug overdose deaths rose 13.7% between January 2021 and January 2022 and by 31.4% in the prior 12 months at the height of the pandemic.
But the surge in overdose deaths began before the pandemic took hold due to abuse of prescription opioid painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin.
Stacey McKenna, senior fellow at the R Street Institute, a Washington, DC-based independent think tank, said the crackdown on fentanyl and other addictive drugs could be having the opposite of the intended affect.
"There's this iron law of prohibition that the harder you crack down on the supply, the more likely you are to get a more potent supply or a more dangerous supply," McKenna said.
The CDC noted that the latest numbers represent an estimate to include underreporting and cases pending investigation.


Texas declares official disaster over effects of ‘open-border’ migrant crisis

Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration for 34 counties along or near the Lone Star State’s border with Mexico on Tuesday, claiming that President Joe Biden’s immigration policies had allowed in a flood of drugs and gang members.“President Biden’s open-border policies have paved the way for dangerous gangs and cartels, human traffickers, and deadly drugs like fentanyl to pour into our communities,” Abbott said in a statement. “Landowners along the border are seeing their property damaged and vandalised on a daily basis.”In the disaster declaration, Abbott noted that Texas Department of Public Safety troopers had “made over 1,300 criminal arrests, apprehended over 35,000 illegal migrants and seized over 10,000 pounds of drugs and over 100 firearms” since March 6 of this year.He also stated that between January and April, troopers had intercepted “21.5 million lethal doses of fentanyl”.By declaring a state of disaster in those counties, Texas will now receive more resources and strategies to protect landowners and enforce all federal and state laws to combat criminal activities stemming from the border crisis, the declaration said. “Working together with local law enforcement, the state will continue to take robust and meaningful action to keep our communities safe.”Abbot’s statement concluded, “Texas continues to step up to confront the border crisis in the federal government’s absence, but more must be done.”Abbott has been one of the Biden administration’s most persistent critics on the issue of illegal immigration. Last month, he accused the president of abandoning “the rule of law” at the Texas border.“Our state legislature allocated about $800 million every two years for the state to pay for this border security,” Abbott told media outlets early in May.“This year, because of the extended time that we will have the National Guard on the border, it will clearly exceed a billion dollars for the state to have to secure the United States of America.”His declaration claimed the state has spent approximately US$3.5 billion on border security since 2014.“It’s clear,” the governor said at the time, “that Biden’s open-border policies are unleashing deadly consequences.”In an escalating confrontation with federal authorities over the sensitive issue of unaccompanied child migrants, Abbott has now directed the state’s Health and Human Services Commission to take all necessary steps to discontinue state licensure of any child care facility under contract with the federal government that shelters or detains unlawful immigrants.


Taiwan says needs to re-open, eyes March cut to Covid quarantine

Taiwan aims to ease its strict Covid-19 quarantine policy from next month as it needs to gradually resume normal life and re-open to the world, the government said on Monday.Since the pandemic began two years ago, Taiwan has succeeded in keeping reported cases of Covid-19 below 20,000, having enforced a blanket two-week quarantine for everyone arriving on the island even as large parts of the rest of the world have ditched theirs.Speaking at a meeting with senior health officials, Premier Su Tseng-chang said that even though there could be further domestic infections the government was “quite confident” in its anti-pandemic measures.“The government must also take into account livelihoods and economic development, gradually return to normal life, and step out to the world,” his office cited him as saying.On the precondition that there are sufficient medical supplies and preparations and that the vaccination rate continues to rise, Su said he had asked the Central Epidemic Command Centre to “consider whether reasonable and appropriate adjustments” should be made to the quarantine policy and entry of businesspeople.Health Minister Chen Shih-chung, who leads the command centre in charge of fighting the pandemic, told reporters they were aiming to cut quarantine to 10 days before the middle of March, confident they can detect any infections within that period with testing.“Basically, we can relax epidemic prevention” measures, he said.But asked whether quarantine could be done away with completely before the summer holidays, Chen said: “The possibility is not high”.About 30% of Taiwan’s 23.5 million people have now had a booster dose, a figure that is gradually rising, and the government has said it wants to get that to 50% before easing entry requirements.Taiwan has never gone into full lockdown during the pandemic and has never closed its borders, though arrivals have generally been limited to citizens and foreign residence permit holders.Chen said business travellers will be able to come again, and will have to do the same 10-day quarantine, but he could not offer a timeframe on allowing tourists back in.Taiwan is currently dealing with a handful of new domestic Covid-19 cases a day, all as a result of the more infectious Omicron variant. Officials have said they are confident they can contain those outbreaks.


US billionaires accused of avoiding income tax

Several of the richest Americans have paid zero income tax in some years, according to an investigative report published Tuesday that comes as Washington weighs new proposals to address tax avoidance by the wealthiest individuals and companies.The bombshell report, by New York-based journalism nonprofit ProPublica, showed Amazon chairman Jeff Bezos paid no income tax in 2007 and 2011, while Tesla chief Elon Musk avoided all payments in 2018.Some of the richest Americans “pay little in income tax compared to their massive wealth – sometimes, even nothing”, said ProPublica, which did not disclose how it obtained the confidential tax data.Others who paid nothing to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in some years included news industry billionaire and former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, activist investor billionaire Carl Icahn, and philanthropist and financial giant George Soros.ProPublica says the billionaires did nothing illegal in their tax declarations, but employed tax-avoidance strategies “beyond the reach of ordinary people”.They also benefited from the way taxable income is defined in the US tax code, since it does not take into account the growing value of assets like stock and property, and only taxes proceeds from sales of those items.The report comes days after G7 finance ministers endorsed a global minimum corporate tax rate of at least 15%, one of several tax proposals aimed at ensuring profitable multinationals pay their fair share.Other efforts include Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren’s initiative to tax the super-wealthy, including the value of their stock holdings and homes, rather than focusing on income alone.“Our tax system is rigged for billionaires who don’t make their fortunes through income, like working families do,” Warren said as she published the ProPublica article on Twitter.“It is time for a #WealthTax in America to make the ultra-rich finally pay their fair share.”Demolishing the mythProPublica’s report is based on IRS tax returns of extremely wealthy people over more than 15 years.“Taken together, it demolishes the cornerstone myth of the American tax system: that everyone pays their fair share and the richest Americans pay the most,” the article said.The Treasury Department and other authorities are investigating the release of the tax returns.“The unauthorised disclosure of confidential government information is illegal,” Treasury spokesman Lily Adams told AFP.The issue has been referred to Treasury’s inspector-general, as well as the FBI and federal prosecutors in Washington, “all of whom have independent authority to investigate”.Bezos in 2011 reported that his investment losses exceeded his income, meaning he could report a loss for the year. He also received a US$4,000 tax credit for his children that year, according to the report.AFP queries to staff for Bezos, Musk, Bloomberg, Icahn and Soros did not garner an immediate comment.A spokesman for Soros told ProPublica that Soros did not owe taxes between 2016 and 2018 because his investments lost money, but that he supports higher taxes for the wealthy – something he has spoken about publicly.Bloomberg and Icahn told the publication they had paid all taxes they owed.ProPublica found that the rich pay far below the official 37% rate on the highest incomes if their taxes are compared to how much Forbes magazine reports their wealth has increased in a given year.What ProPublica calls the “true tax rate” means that Buffett, for example, paid only 0.1% in taxes between 2014 and 2018.


Time to review civil servant salaries, says PM

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says it is about time to evaluate and review the salary of civil servants, especially those in the lower grades.
Anwar, who is also the finance minister, when addressing the 2023 Labour Day celebration in Putrajaya yesterday, said he was aware that civil servants were not satisfied with their salaries, especially those in the lower grades.
The prime minister said the government was studying the demands put forth by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) and the Congress of Union of Employees in the Public and Civil Services Malaysia (Cuepacs) concerning the salary of civil servants.
"To me, within a period of one year, if there is a positive increase in revenue, the top priority will be the salary of civil servants. In the meantime, for all bonus payouts and facilities like health and education that need to be assisted, it will be immediately done once there is an allocation," he said.
During the Labour Day celebration, Anwar also announced an allocation of RM1 million each to both MTUC and Cuepacs to upgrade their administration.
Anwar said he would not want a strained relationship between worker unions and the government on matters related to the demands and grievances faced by workers.
He also urged the human resources ministry and the ministry's chief secretary to fully accommodate requests for talks from MTUC and Cuepacs.
"Let there be discussions between the employers and workers. In the past, there were ministers who refused to meet unions. I do not want such a situation in my administration," he said.
Anwar said the government would also announce several changes aimed at improving the quality of service and ability of workers.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the government would also attend to problems faced by Felda and settlers, to ensure that no one is left behind.


Saarani sworn in as Perak MB

Kota Tampan assemblyman Saarani Mohamad was sworn in as the 14th menteri besar of Perak at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar today.The swearing-in ceremony, before Perak ruler Sultan Nazrin Shah, was held at 11.20am.Saarani, who is Perak Umno chairman, was also sworn in as a member of the state Dewan Negara.He signed the letter of appointment, witnessed by Ipoh High Court Chief Judge Hisham Hashim and state secretary Suaidi Abdul Rahim.Also present at the ceremony were the Raja Muda of Perak Raja Jaafar Raja Muda Musa and Raja Dihilir Perak Raja Iskandar Dzulkarnain Sultan Idris Shah.Sultan Nazrin consented to Saarani’s appointment as menteri besar based on Article 16 Clause 2 (a) of the Perak constitution after finding that the Kota Tampan assemblyman was capable of gaining the majority support and confidence of the Perak state assembly.Saarani replaces Ahmad Faizal Azumu who resigned on Dec 5 after failing to obtain the majority support of state assemblymen in a vote of confidence moved by Abd Manap Hashim (BN-Pengkalan Baru) at the state assembly sitting a day earlier.Faizal secured only 10 votes, while 48 voted against him and one abstained.


Nurul Izzah now part of finance minister's special advisory body

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar yesterday confirmed that she was no longer serving as the senior economic and finance adviser to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
In a statement, Nurul said she had now joined the finance minister's special advisory body, chaired by Mohd Hassan Marican.
"Mohd Hassan Marican has invited me to join the special advisory body to help its efforts to strengthen the economy and the people. I humbly accept this responsibility.
"With this new role, I no longer serve as a senior economic and finance adviser to the prime minister. I appreciate every opportunity to contribute to the country in order to create a better future for Malaysia," she said.
The former Permatang Pauh MP said she hoped that the services rendered under her new role would be beneficial to the country.
"Malaysians as a whole expect a bright future and solid unity led by the prime minister together with the government.
"Thank you to the entire committee. Let's all contribute in any capacity for the sake of our country," she said.
Nurul, the eldest daughter of Anwar and Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, said last month in an interview with a local daily that she had been appointed as a senior economic and finance adviser to the prime minister effective Jan 3.


US firm reaches next stage in Man United bidding process

US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management has made it through to the second stage of the bidding process in the potential sale of Manchester United.
Representatives from the company are understood to have been at Old Trafford on Thursday to watch the team's 4-1 win against Real Betis in the Europa League.
The BBC and Sky Sports said the US firm's proposal was to offer financing to interested parties, including current owners the Glazers if they decide to remain at the club, rather than seeking to buy the Premier League giants outright.
Elliott previously owned AC Milan before the Italian club was sold to American investment firm RedBird Capital last year.
The news comes days after it was reported that bids from Qatar's Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe to buy the club had progressed to the next stage.
Sky Sports and the Telegraph said those two bidders would now have the opportunity to conduct due diligence on the club by accessing detailed financial information.
Neither bid is understood to have met the reported £6 billion (US$7.2 billion, RM28.90 billion) asking price of the Glazers, who said in November they were considering selling the club.
The Americans have been deeply unpopular with United fans since burdening the club with huge debts after their takeover in 2005 and have also overseen a decline in United's fortunes on the field.
Victory over Newcastle in last month's League Cup final was United's first trophy for six years. They last won the Premier League title a decade ago.
Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim is aiming to take 100% control of the 20-time English champions and has earned support from some fans by pledging to wipe out United's debt.
However, the Manchester United Supporters' Trust has expressed concern over Qatar's human rights record.
Ratcliffe's INEOS company is seeking to gain majority control of United by buying out the stake held by the Glazer family.
Ratcliffe, a self-proclaimed United fan, is one of Britain's wealthiest people due to the success of his global chemicals company.


Umno's Jamal Yunos acquitted of uploading offensive videos on Facebook

The Ampang Sessions Court today acquitted and discharged Sungai Besar Umno chief Jamal Yunos of two counts of uploading offensive videos on Facebook two years ago.
Judge Hakim Wan Mohd Norisham Wan Yaakob made the decision after the prosecution failed to prove a prima facie case against Jamal.
Jamal, 52, was charged with uploading two videos on his Facebook page with the intention of insulting others, which were viewed at noon on Aug 20, 2020, at Taman Dagang Avenue, Ampang.
He was alleged to have uploaded the videos at 10am and 3pm the previous day.
The charge under Section 233 (1)(a) of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission Act 1998 provided for a maximum fine of RM50,000, a maximum jail term of one year, or both, upon conviction.
Deputy public prosecutor Aiza Ali Raman prosecuted while Jamal was represented by lawyer Mohd Hafizuddin Khan Norkhan.
The prosecution closed its case last month after calling three witnesses throughout the trial which began in May last year.


Zahid brought ‘stack of files’ when asking for help, Muhyiddin says

Muhyiddin Yassin said in court documents that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had shown him a large stack of files related to his criminal cases and asked for his help to intervene in the court proceedings.In the documents filed at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on April 26, Muhyiddin, 74, claimed that Zahid, 69, who is the plaintiff in the lawsuit, made the request after attending a meeting at the former prime minister’s house.“After I was sworn in as the eighth prime minister, a meeting was held at my house to discuss, among other things, the formation of a new cabinet.“Several individuals attended the meeting, including the plaintiff, Mohamed Azmin Ali and Abdul Hadi Awang. When the meeting ended, the plaintiff requested to speak to me privately and I requested Azmin to join the discussion.“During the discussion, he showed me a large stack of files which he brought along for the meeting. When I asked him why he brought the files, he explained that the files were in relation to the criminal cases against him which he claimed were politically motivated. He proclaimed his innocence and requested my help,” Muhyiddin said.The former prime minister said this in his affidavit-in-reply against the injunction application filed by Zahid in his defamation suit on allegations that he had sought the latter’s help to settle or postpone his court cases.Muhyiddin also said that when he heard Zahid’s request, he told him that he could not and would not interfere in the court proceedings, and advised Zahid to defend himself in court if he was truly innocent.He said he was also made to understand by Hadi that prior to the meeting at his house, Zahid had met him (Hadi) and also showed him the stack of files while claiming his innocence.“However, Hadi told the plaintiff that the purpose of the meeting at my house was to discuss government affairs,” Muhyiddin added.Muhyiddin said there was no reason for Zahid to show him the files and make such a request unless it was to seek his intervention in the criminal proceedings against him.Muhyiddin also denied that the statements he had made during the 15th Johor state election campaign in Mersing, at the compound of the Learning Centre Sentuhan Kasih Felda Tenggaroh 3, on Feb 16, were false or defamatory in nature, or stated with malicious intent.Lawyer Shahrul Fazli Kamarulzaman, representing Zahid, when contacted by Bernama confirmed that the inter-partes application for the injunction by his client in his defamation suit against Muhyiddin would be heard on May 25 before High Court judge Rozana Ali Yusoff.In the suit filed on April 4, the Bagan Datuk MP sought an ex-parte injunction for Muhyiddin or his representative to withdraw the allegedly defamatory statements against him.He also sought an interim injunction for the defendant to delete, edit and stop the publication of the part of the video footage which contained the statement in online news portals and social media, including on Perikatan Nasional’s Facebook page, Astro Awani’s YouTube channel and KiniTV.Zahid claimed that Muhyiddin’s statement implied he had used a shortcut to settle and postpone his ongoing court cases, that he had asked for Muhyiddin’s help to intervene in the court cases and the judiciary system and that he was not a respectable and exemplary leader.Zahid claimed that the allegations were false and aimed at tarnishing his name and reputation and that it was made by the defendant after the Election Commission’s announcement on the Johor state election.He is seeking general, aggravated and exemplary damages, as well as an order for Muhyiddin to publish a public apology in newspapers, and other reliefs and costs deemed fit by the court.


Heavy 'dragon boat water' rains hit southwest China, some cities flooded

Non-stop heavy rains lashed parts of southwest China on Friday, triggering floods in cities, engulfing roads and partially submerging buildings.
A particularly harsh first bout of summer rains known locally as "dragon boat water" saw the city of Beihai in Guangxi log 453mm on Thursday. That was a regional daily record for June, according to the China Meteorological Administration.
Cars were half underwater in flooded Beihai streets and at one multi-storey building, water cascaded down a staircase as firefighters raced to rescue its residents, videos circulating on social media showed.
The nearby city of Yulin had had 35 hours of rain as of 7am local time on Friday (2300 GMT Thursday), broadcaster CCTV reported.
Rain is forecast to continue in southern China over the coming days while the northeast is also expected to be hit by sudden thunderstorms, the weather bureau reported.
China, prone to floods, is increasingly warning of more extreme weather due to climate change. Guangxi experienced a rare extreme drought in May, with rainfall plunging to 60-year lows.
The central province of Henan, the granary of China, was recently struck by heavy rainfall that caused crops to sprout or be hit by blight, triggering concerns about food security.


DAP man relives 1998 incident in call for probe against 'deviant' Mahathir

Jelutong MP RSN Rayer trained his guns on Dr Mahathir Mohamad again today, this time urging authorities to investigate the former leader over the "black eye" incident involving Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in 1998.
Former police inspector-general Abdul Rahim Noor, who admitted to assaulting Anwar shortly after his arrest in September 1998, was sentenced to jail in 2000 over the incident.
But Rayer said Mahathir was also responsible, repeating a familiar accusation levelled by Anwar's supporters at that time.
"We know that former Langkawi MP Mahathir was the prime minister then.
"Shouldn't he be investigated too?" Rayer asked during the debate on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia's (Suhakam) annual report in the Dewan Rakyat today.
"Legally, there is no limit. If it is a civil case, no case can be filed after six years. But I want to ask now, under whose instructions did the (former) police chief act?"
'Mahathir is sesat'
In response, Perikatan Nasional's Parit Buntar MP Misbahul Munir Masduki asked why the issue was only being raised now, and not when DAP was part of Mahathir's administration during the latter's second term as prime minister.
"Why didn't Rayer raise this issue when Mahathir was the prime minister during the previous PH administration? Why didn't they drag him (Mahathir) to court?" he asked.
Rayer said it was because Mahathir was with PH then, adding however that he was now with PAS.
"Now he is following PAS, and PAS is with him.
"At that time, he was not deviant. Being with PAS now, he is deviant," Rayer said, using the Malay term "sesat" which Umno and PAS leaders hurl against each other.


Industry agrees to reduce cooking oil prices in stages, says minister

The palm oil industry has agreed in principle to make adjustments to reduce cooking oil prices in stages, based on the current market price of crude palm oil, Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation chairman Annuar Musa said today.
Annuar, who is also communications and multimedia minister, said the industry had agreed with the special task force’s recommendation on price reductions, which is expected to be implemented soon.
"What is important is that the industry has agreed in principle to work with us for the reduction of cooking oil prices," he told a press conference after chairing the special task force’s third meeting in Putrajaya.
He added that this was a good development and an example of how all quarters could cooperate and ultimately benefit the people.
According to Annuar, an engagement session was held with key players in the palm oil industry, including manufacturers, suppliers and packaging companies, on July 12.
Meanwhile, Annuar said the special task force had received a lot of information on the smuggling of cooking oil, adding that the enforcement authorities would not compromise on such misconduct.
"We are monitoring several smuggling networks, so those involved in such activities should not think that they can get away with it as the authorities will continue with their (enforcement) actions," he said, urging the public to provide information on the misappropriation of cooking oil to the authorities.
On the cost of living at institutions of higher learning, Annuar said the higher education ministry was drawing up various plans to address the issue, apart from implementing an initiative to offer food for as low as RM3.50 per plate.
He said following a meeting between Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad and university administrators, measures were being formulated to help reduce the cost of living for students not only in terms of daily food supply but also accommodation, transportation and fees.
"This also shows that it is possible to implement efforts to curb the rising prices of goods and cost of living when there is consensus and cooperation," he said.


Free bags of rice for FT’s poor every week

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today announced the weekly provision of free rice for B40 families in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan beginning today as part of ongoing government initiatives to reduce the burden of those in the low income bracket.Under this initiative, 5,750 bags of rice will be distributed.“However, I would like to remind all not to forget the need to follow specific SOPs in the process of distribution, to protect ourselves from Covid-19,” he said in a special address in conjunction with Federal Territory Day tomorrow.Muhyiddin also launched a new social safety net programme designed to help the urban poor affected by the economic restrictions of the Covid-19 pandemic.The 5MY Programme is made up of [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] and [email protected]He said the initiatives have already benefitted some 35,000 people in 331 low-cost neighbourhoods.The prime minister also noted that some 400,000 households are now considered below the poverty line as they earn less than RM2,208 in monthly income, based on findings by the National Statistics Department.The five-pronged approach under the 5MY Programme launched by the federal territories minister focuses on facilitating jobs for the poor, as well as providing groceries at discount prices, travel assistance for schoolchildren through the provision of school buses, free medical services as well as food.Muhyiddin said the [email protected] initiative has seen 3,259 people in Kuala Lumpur provided with jobs, 28% more than the original target.Under [email protected], 9,704 students in 67 low-cost neighbourhoods will get free school bus services involving 94 bus operators.The grocery assistance, meanwhile, provides daily items at discounts of between 5% and 20% of market price.“To date, MyGrocer trucks have served 30 of the People’s Housing Projects in Kuala Lumpur,” Muhyiddin said.


Car owners don't need to display road tax anymore, says Loke

Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook today said that private vehicle owners no longer need to display their road tax on their windscreens as has traditionally been the case.
In a statement, he said they will instead be able to use a digital display mode for both their road tax and their driving licence.
He added that the Road Transport Department could save up to RM96 million a year through digitalisation.
"From Feb 10, 2023 onwards, private vehicle owners who are Malaysian citizens can use the LKM Digital (e-LKM) display mode and LMM Digital (e-LMM) through the JPJ portal or MyJPJ mobile app under this pioneer project," he said.
"In line with this initiative, the provisions under Section 20 of the Road Transport Act 1987 where 'every LKM (road tax) must be displayed in the vehicle in question' will no longer be enforced for owners under the first phase."
Loke said the initiative would be carried out in stages, with the first phase involving individual private vehicle owners, including motorcyclists.
He said the system readiness and public acceptance would be taken into consideration before the initiative is expanded to further stages.
"I urge all drivers and vehicle owners to shift to the digital platform," he said.
"Those who are not yet ready to make this move can continue with the existing practice of displaying the road tax in their vehicles and using their physical driving licence for an interim period."
Members of the public can register for accounts through the JPJ portal or MyJPJ application.


New infections dip to 2,100 as another 5 deaths reported

Another 2,107 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,448,004.There were 6,890 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,366,951.There are now 45,506 active cases, of which 44,214 or 97.2% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 33 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,190 (2.6%) have been hospitalised.A total of 69 are in ICU with 45 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 52.1%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 9.3%.Another five deaths were reported, none of which was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,547.


'Allah' appeal filed at Malay rulers' request, says ex-FT mufti

The former federal territories mufti has spoken out against Putrajaya's move to drop its appeal against the High Court's ruling allowing Christians to use the word "Allah" in their religious publications, saying the government's decision in 2021 to challenge it was based on decrees from the sultans of Selangor and Johor.
Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri also said that the fatwa committee of the National Council for Islamic Religious Affairs Malaysia (MKI), a body tasked with issuing national-level fatwas (decrees) in consultation with Malay rulers, had in 2008 declared that terms such as "Allah", "baitullah", "kaabah" and "solat" were exclusive to Islam.
"So much hard work was put in by the muftis and MKI's consultation committee to discuss in many meetings with NGOs, as well as for the preparation of papers involving many experts and academic figures," said Zulkifli, who was the minister in charge of Islamic affairs when the appeal was filed in 2021 against the High Court decision.
"It was made due to awareness of the need for the words ‘Allah’, ‘baitullah’, ‘kaabah’ and ‘solat’ to remain the property of Muslims in Malaysia. Once everything was completed, I presented it to the Cabinet followed by the start of the appeal process by the previous federal government through the home ministry," he added.
In March 2021, the Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled that Christians could use "Allah" as well as "baitullah", "kaabah" and "solat" in their religious publications for educational purposes, in a decision favouring Sarawak native Christian Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, who filed a judicial review to challenge a directive by the home ministry in 1986.
Putrajaya swiftly filed an appeal against the ruling.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was today quoted as saying that the government had decided to withdraw the appeal, saying this was informed to the Cabinet several months ago.
"It is a position taken by the home ministry, and I had to inform the Cabinet, which I did a few months ago," he said, adding that details on the decision would be given later.
Meanwhile, Zulkifli, quoting a Quranic verse on seeking divine help, said he hoped the "Madani government through the home ministry" would be able to shed light on its latest decision.


CanSino vaccine still awaiting approval from NPRA, says Khairy

The CanSino Covid-19 vaccine has yet to be approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) to be brought in and used in the country, says minister Khairy Jamaluddin.Khairy, the coordinating minister for the national vaccination programme, said NPRA is in the midst of studying the vaccine from China.“Until we get approval from the NPRA, we cannot bring in the vaccine.“(Previously) the Sarawak government had asked for the vaccine, I told Sarawak that we will only be able to give them the CanSino vaccine after we get the approval,” he told reporters in Alor Setar today.Khairy added that the CanSino vaccine, as a single-shot dose, is very suitable for those living in rural areas.The science, technology and innovation minister said overall, the number of people who have registered for vaccination is on the rise with the number of those aged 18 and above reaching almost 40%.He said through intensified efforts, the number might reach up to 50% in the next one to two months.“Our target is to reach more than 80%. Many still need to register. But I think many are taking a wait-and-see approach,” he said.


Annuar calls for Ismail to be made BN chairman

Ketereh MP Annuar Musa has called for Ismail Sabri Yaakob to be made chairman of Barisan Nasional (BN) following Umno’s decision to nominate him as its candidate for prime minister at the general election to come.In a statement, he said the decision would allow Ismail to focus on mobilising all forces to restore Umno to strength and regain the trust of the people.“I am of the opinion that the time has come for the prime minister to be entrusted as the chairman of BN and the main director of the coalition’s election machinery,” he said.“As the candidate for prime minister, Ismail should be given ample space to map out an administration capable of bringing a new order to the country’s political scene, one that is fresh and clean, and which possesses integrity and is able to restore the country.”Ismail was appointed as prime minister in August last year, replacing Muhyiddin Yassin who resigned after losing his fragile majority following the move by a group of MPs aligned with Najib Razak to revoke their support for him.He was among the Umno leaders and Cabinet members who refused to join Najib and fellow party boss Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in campaigning for Muhyiddin’s ouster.The BN chairmanship is currently held by Zahid, who is also Umno president.


Learning lifeline for London kids struggling to do online lessons

In a community centre in a deprived London suburb – surrounded by old computers and tangled leads – volunteers take their screwdrivers to the piles of donated equipment.Their aim? To throw a learning lifeline to the many kids unable to access online lessons during the UK’s latest coronavirus lockdown.Many children in London have struggled to continue their schooling during the pandemic due to a lack of computers or tablets.Since the lockdown introduced in January, the CatBytes group in Lewisham in southeast London has seen demand from local schools constantly outstrip supply.“The demand from Lewisham is way in excess of what we can deliver”, says CatBytes founder Damian Griffiths, who works with volunteers most weekdays, fixing up the donated computers.Schools in England closed in early January as the new variant of coronavirus caused cases to surge.A date for reopening has not yet been set, but the government said it will announce a roadmap for easing restrictions next week.School closures have revealed the large number of families who cannot afford the laptops or tablets needed for remote learning.Throughout the pandemic, “food insecurity has been the main issue discussed but I think digital (scarcity) is really rising up the ranks”, says Griffiths.While children often access the internet on phones, “I was surprised at how many don’t have any laptops at home”, he says.Lewisham is nothing exceptional: the number of children in poverty there is slightly below the average for the capital.CatBytes usually runs workshops for adults, but during the pandemic, it has switched to helping children and has “a lot more volunteers”, Griffiths says.Marz, who is repairing a donated computer, works as a videographer.Volunteers sort through the laptops, prioritising ones that can be easily fixed while others are put to one side.These “we can fix during our little downtimes,” Marz says.‘Digital divide’The communications regulator Ofcom estimates that between 1.1 and 1.8 million children in the UK – or 9% – do not have access to a computer, laptop or tablet at home.“They don’t have something appropriate for doing schoolwork or homework,” says Griffiths.“And now, with online learning, online schooling, every child needs a laptop.”The Department for Education has delivered more than one million laptops and tablets to the most disadvantaged children across the country, as part of a US$554 million investment to support schools.Stacey McIntosh, the pastoral manager and safeguarding lead at nearby Rushey Green Primary School, drops in to pick up five laptops for the pupils.While the school received 74 laptops and tablets from the government, as well as some wireless routers, that is not enough, she says.“There are still children without computers.”The school has been providing children without devices with printed-out lesson packs but they “have been missing out on key learning from their teacher”, McIntosh says.Her school has received over 30 laptops from CatBytes since January and she says this is important for children socially, too.During lockdown, “the children have lost their friendships, their teachers who they are close to,” she says.“Being able to give them the opportunity to get online to see their friends virtually in those little squares, well, it’s significant.”‘Data problem’Vital as the computers are, some children face an additional struggle because their families cannot afford internet access, says Griffiths.“The main problem that no one knows how to fix is the data problem,” he says.“With a laptop, somebody can give it to you and you can refurbish it and redistribute it but data is an ongoing cost”.Ofcom says that seven percent of households can only access the internet through a mobile device such as a dongle or USB.A number of data providers, including Vodafone, BT Mobile and O2, are now offering free mobile data increases.Schools and local authorities in England can request this on behalf of children who do not have fixed broadband at home, cannot afford additional mobile data and are experiencing disruption to education.But Griffiths cautions that users still have to pay at least a small amount, and “that’s probably a problem that would need to be solved at a higher level.”


Daily cases dip below 6,000 again

Another 5,828 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,426,050.Another 9,178 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,320,391.Meanwhile 620 are in the ICU, including 533 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 297 are in need of respiratory assistance including 229 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,828 cases reported today, 97 (1.7%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,731 (98.3%) are in Category One and Two.


More victims evacuated as floods worsen

Kelantan and Perak have become the latest states to be hit by floods while the number of evacuees in Johor, Pahang and Terengganu continued to increase this morning.Gua Musang is the latest flood-affected district in Kelantan with 296 people from 73 families evacuated to two temporary relief centres (PPS).According to the Social Welfare Department’s Info Bencana application, a total of 279 people from 68 families were housed at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Tengku Indra Petra 1 while 17 people from five families were placed at Balai Raya Kampung Batu Papan.As of 8am, Sungai Galas in Limau Kasturi, Gua Musang had recorded a reading of 59.27m which exceeds the danger level, while the river level in Jenob, Tanah Merah breached the alert point.Two other rivers – Sungai Lebir in Tualang and Sungai Kelantan in Kuala Krai – also recorded water above alert levels.In Perak, a total of 615 people from 161 families had been evacuated to 10 PPS in three districts as of 8am.A Perak Fire and Rescue Department spokesman said Muallim became the worst-hit district when 477 victims were evacuated to seven PPS.In Kampar, 27 people were evacuated from their flooded homes at Kampung Batu 20, and moved to Dewan Dato Azman Mahalan.“In Hilir Perak, 85 residents of Kampung SC Ayer Hitam, Kampung Tengah Ayer Hitam, Kampung Sungai Rambai Chikus and Batu 9 Simpang 3, Jalan Changkat Jong were placed at Dewan Majlis Perbandaran Teluk Intan,” the spokesman said.In Johor, the number of evacuees in eight flood-affected districts in the state increased to 7,112 people from 1,854 families as of 8am, compared to 6,391 people last night.Johor state health and environment committee chairman R Vidyananthan said so far, 68 PPS have been opened in Kota Tinggi (20), Kluang (19), Johor Bahru (10), Mersing (six), Kulai (five), Segamat (three), Pontian (three) and Batu Pahat (two).Kluang recorded the highest number of flood victims at 2,527 people, followed by Kota Tinggi (2,029), Johor Bahru (1,279), Kulai (581), Mersing (513), Pontian (347), Batu Pahat and Segamat at 65 each.He said three stretches of road in Kota Tinggi are still closed to all vehicles, namely Jalan Sungai Sayong at Jambatan Sungai Sayong, Jalan Tun Sri Lanang in Bandar Kota Tinggi and Jambatan Jalan Semangar, while Jalan Mawai Lama is only accessible by heavy vehicles.In Johor Bahru, Jalan Haji Suhud Taman Muhibbah is still closed due to a collapsed bridge, while in Mersing, Jalan Jemaluang-Batu Pahat and Jalan Kota Tinggi-Mersing are passable only to heavy vehicles, he said.“Jalan Batu Pahat-Mersing in Ladang Pak Loh as well as Jalan Batu Pahat-Kluang at Sekolah Menengah Kahang are closed to light vehicles. Jalan Batu Pahat-Mersing at Pertubuhan Peladang Negeri Johor and Hock Huat are still closed to all vehicles,” Vidyananthan said.In Pahang, the number of flood victims rose to 7,603 people from 2,708 families compared to 3,979 people last night.According to the Social Welfare Department’s portal, as of 7.30am, 164 PPS had been opened in nine districts in the state.Kuantan still recorded the highest number of victims with 2,174 people, followed by Raub (1,401), Maran (943), Jerantut (878), Rompin (704), Lipis (684), Temerloh (509), Bentong (219) and Pekan (91).The portal also reported that Sungai Semantan and Sungai Pahang in the Lipis, Kuantan, Raub, Jerantut districts had exceeded the danger level.Meanwhile, Anih Bhd in a statement today said KM84.6-84.7 (Lanchang) of the East Coast Highway Phase 1 (LPT1) in both directions were closed to all vehicles at 11.30pm yesterday as the stretch was flooded by waters as deep as one metre.Travellers are advised to use the Lanchang-Felda Lakum-Bukit Damar-Mempaga-Chinta Manis-Kuala Lumpur Karak Highway (KLK) instead.The left and emergency lanes of KM113 eastbound are also closed due to the floods.In Terengganu, the number of flood victims surged to 804 people from 205 families as of 8am compared to 138 people yesterday, according to state disaster management committee Secretariat chief Lt Col (PA) Che Adam A Rahman.He said in Kemaman, the number of evacuees increased to 609 people from 145 families with five more PPS opened, bringing the total number of PPS operating in the district to six.“In Dungun, the number of victims rose to 195 people from 60 families compared to 92 people from 29 families previously. They are now taking shelter at three PPS,” Che Adam told reporters.The Irrigation and Drainage Department reported that water levels in three rivers, namely Sungai Tebak at Jambatan Tebak and Sungai Tumpat in Kampung Baru Kemasik, Kemaman and Sungai Dungun in Kuala Jengai, Dungun had surpassed the danger level as of 8am.In Selangor, 116 flood victims from 36 families were housed at two PPS in Hulu Bernam as of 8am.State disaster management unit operations officer Muhammad Izzat Haziq Mohd Nazir said the flood victims have been placed at Balai Raya Kampung Baru A and Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Sekolah Sungai Selisek.


Capacity of low-risk quarantine centres nationwide at 61%

The country is facing a third wave of Covid-19 which is even more challenging especially with the emergence of several new variants which are more aggressive, thereby contributing to a higher infection rate of the disease in Malaysia, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba says.Adham, when tabling a briefing session on Actions to Combat the Covid-19 Pandemic at the special sitting of Dewan Rakyat today, said the spike in transmission in the third wave was through sporadic cases which were not related to cluster cases.“The third wave began on Sept 20, 2020 and is still going on. As at yesterday, 1,017,787 positive Covid-19 cases with 8,071 deaths were recorded.“Even though the number of positive Covid-19 cases is high, the number of serious cases under Categories Three, Four and Five, based on the clinical conditions when they were initially diagnosed, is small compared to the total overall cases,” he said.To fight the pandemic, he said the government was taking a comprehensive approach to protect lives and ensure the survival of the people as well as the rehabilitation of the economy.He said among the measures taken to treat Covid-19 positive individuals was the setting up of low-risk Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centres (PKRC). As of yesterday, he said, PKRC occupancy nationwide was at 61%.In terms of the facilities at these centres, he said, the health ministry had provided a total of 29,835 beds at all 132 PKRCs throughout the country.He said for all 221 Covid-19 hospitals, there were 15,090 beds at public health facilities and 1,288 at private facilities with 1,405 ICU beds at public hospitals and 128 at private hospitals.“Medical equipment such as ventilators, patient monitoring devices and others were also increased to strengthen the capability and preparedness to combat the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.Meanwhile, Adham said RM7.13 billion (RM1 billion in 2020 and RM6.13 billion in 2021) had been received by the health ministry for the screening and treatment of Covid-19 patients (RM2.35 billion) while RM4.78 billion was for the procurement of Covid-19 vaccines as well as consumables and vaccine storage equipment.He said following the current requirements, the health ministry was seeking a supplementary allocation of RM1.14 billion for the procurement of health equipment such as reagents, consumables, personal protective equipment and so on.On the question of ministry human resources for the management of the outbreak until April 30, 2021, he said a total of 278,023 permanent posts had been approved apart from more than 40,000 appointments on contract.He said the health ministry had also appointed 1,519 additional contract health personnel based on the approval of central agencies to be placed at health facilities in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Negeri Sembilan.“We are not sure when the pandemic can be controlled and completely end… the service and sacrifices of the frontline health workers who work hard in providing the best health services to Malaysians should not go in vain.“Some of them have not seen their family members for months and have had to stay away to treat and save the lives of patients until some of them have been infected,” he said.On the detection of Covid-19, Adham said until yesterday, the capacity of RT-PCR laboratory tests nationwide had recorded an increase of 1,874%, that is 122,603 per day compared to 6,210 in March 2020.He said based on this increase in capacity, the testing capacity of each state had been increased, for example in Selangor which went up to 2.43 million in the first six months of 2021 compared to 840,165 tests last year.


Scrapping UPSR, a long overdue move

As a primary school teacher with over 27 years of experience, it brings much joy for me to hear that the Ujian Penilaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) has been shelved. It is a move that is long overdue.Over the years, I have seen the gradual but unmistakable shift in parents’ attitudes towards the Standard Six examination. For many of them, the exam is the be-all, end-all. As a result, many parents unnecessarily pressure their children to perform well in the exam.In other words, the parents are projecting their desires and ideas onto the minds of 12-year-olds. This is particularly telling as the exam nears, usually held around September. They will sign up their kids for “UPSR camps”, some of which are rah-rah sessions or money-making scams for organisers camouflaged as exam preparatory “seminars”.These are wrong on two counts: it sends the wrong message to our children that grades are the be-all, end-all and it robs children of the joy of studying. Do we honestly want our children to be “zombies” who ace exams by rote learning? Isn’t it more important for children at that age to develop social skills, or heighten their sense of curiosity that adds joy to what learning is all about?Over the years I have seen how my students’ key developmental skills have been impeded by the emphasis on UPSR. When speaking, they don’t make eye contact, they don’t speak confidently, they are no longer as articulate as their seniors used to be and their interests in extracurricular activities have dimmed.While the availability of gadgets like handphones or tablets is partly to blame, the over-emphasis on exams is another reason. Imagine many SJKCs used to hold extra classes after official hours ended for Year Six students. And many students go for private tutoring after that. The physical, mental and emotional exhaustion for these kids who ought to be enjoying life can be crippling.I am not saying that public examinations are not important. They are an integral part of education but there is no need to subject our children to unnecessary burden and stress that will impede their personal growth.Exams like SPM are still necessary. But for now, abolishing the UPSR is the right move and kudos to the education ministry for that!The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Assembly dissolved to open up Selangor election battlegrounds

The drum of the Selangor state election was sounded after the state legislative assembly was officially dissolved today, two days before the mandate ends on June 25.
Selangor assembly speaker Ng Suee Lim has handed the notification letter to Selangor Election Commission director Shafie Taib at Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah in Shah Alam this morning to make way for the state election to be held.
It also saw the start of Selangor being administered by the caretaker state government until a new government is formed after the state election.
Selangor followed Kelantan which dissolved its assembly yesterday, to be followed by Penang and Kedah on June 28 and Negeri Sembilan two days later, while Terengganu has yet to finalise its date of dissolution even though the current term ends on June 30.
Selangor has 56 state seats and in the 14th general election (GE14), Pakatan Harapan (PH) which comprised Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP, Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) won 51 seats with PKR (21), DAP (16), Amanah (eight) and Bersatu (six).  Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS took four seats and one seat respectively.
During this term, Selangor saw four by-elections held for Sungai Kandis, Balakong, Seri Setia and Semenyih following the demise of PH incumbents.
Three of the seats were retained by PH while BN managed to wrestle the Semenyih seat.
Following the Sheraton Move, the PH government in Selangor on March 2020 expelled Bersatu from the coalition causing them to lose five seats under Bersatu since GE14.
Apart from that, three assemblymen were expelled from PKR, and they are Mohamed Azmin Ali (Bukit Antarabangsa), Muhammad Hilman Idham (Gombak Setia) and Haniza Mohamed Talha (Ampang Jaya) as well as Sementa assemblyman Daroyah Alwi who left the party to join Bersatu. Nonetheless, last year, Haniza and Daroyah announced they were joining Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM).
Meanwhile, the number of Bersatu seats shrunk when Kuang assemblyman, Sallehudin Amiruddin, left the party to become an independent while Jeram assemblyman Mohd Shaid Rosli and Batang Kali representative Harumaini Omar joined Pejuang.
On February 16, the Batang Kali seat was declared vacant when its incumbent Harumaini did not attend the Selangor state assembly meeting for more than six months. However, no by-election was held following the declaration.
The political situation in Selangor became even more interesting when Amanah assemblymen Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar and Ahmad Mustain Othman, the representatives of Meru and Sabak respectively, made the shocking move to join PKR, which is their coalition partner in PH.
Apart from that, DAP also lost one seat in Selangor when Teratai assemblyman Lai Wai Chong announced leaving the party to join Warisan.
According to political parties, the composition of the Selangor assembly before dissolution comprised 19 representatives from PKR, DAP (15), Amanah (six), BN (five), Bersatu (four), while PAS, Pejuang and Warisan have one seat each with one independent assemblyman and one seat declared vacant.


US, Dutch set to hit China's chipmakers with one-two punch

The US and the Netherlands are set to deliver a one-two punch to China's chipmakers this summer by further restricting sales of chipmaking equipment, part of the countries' ongoing effort to prevent their technology from being used to strengthen China's military.
While the Dutch are planning to curb certain equipment from national champion ASML, and other companies, the US is expected to go one step further and use its long reach to withhold even more Dutch equipment from specific Chinese fabs.
The Dutch government and ASML declined to comment, as did the US Commerce Department, which oversees export controls.
The US in October imposed export restrictions on shipments of American chipmaking tools to China from US companies like Lam Research and Applied Materials on national security grounds, and lobbied other countries with key suppliers to adopt similar curbs.
China's commerce ministry said at the time that it opposed the new US rules, which also implemented other controls, including restricting certain high-end chips. The ministry said they hurt the normal trade and economic exchange between companies in the two countries and threatened the stability of global supply chains.
Japan, home to chip equipment makers Nikon Corp and Tokyo Electron Ltd, has since adopted rules to restrict exports of 23 types of semiconductor manufacturing equipment that will take effect July 23.
The Dutch government plans to announce new regulations on Friday with a licensing requirement for the top tier of ASML'S second-best product line, deep ultra violet (DUV) semiconductor equipment. ASML's most sophisticated machines – extreme ultraviolent "EUV" lithography machines – are already restricted, and have never been shipped to China.
ASML said in March it expects the Dutch regulations to affect its Twinscan NXT:2000i and more sophisticated models.
But the company's older DUV models, like one called the Twinscan NXT:1980Di, could also be kept from about six Chinese facilities by the US The facilities are expected to be identified in a new US rule that will allow the US to restrict foreign equipment with even a small percentage of US parts to those sites, according to a person familiar with the matter. The person was not authorised to speak publicly.
The new Dutch regulations will not take effect immediately, sources said, with one person expecting the effective date to be September, two months after publication.
The planned US rule, which sources said may be published by late July, will require licenses to export equipment to about a half dozen Chinese facilities, including a fab operated by SMIC, China's largest chipmaker, the person familiar with the US plans, said. Licenses to ship the equipment to those facilities will likely be denied, the person said.
The US rule is expected to apply to ASML, the world's leading chip equipment maker and Netherlands' largest company, because its systems contain US parts and components.
It is not unusual for the US to modify proposals before clearing regulations, so both the timing and the restrictions could change. The plan described reflects thinking in late June.
The US is also expected to come out with other updates to its sweeping October rules in July, according to sources.
ASML is Europe's largest chip equipment company due to its dominance in lithography, one of the central steps in the computer chip making process.
Other companies that could be impacted by the new Dutch rules include atomic layer deposition firm ASM International. A spokesman for the Almere-based company declined comment ahead of Friday's announcement.


Govt stable, no need to dissolve Parliament, says Annuar

The government led by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob is a stable administration due to the support of all parties including the opposition, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa.Therefore, he said, there was no urgent need to dissolve Parliament now to enable the 15th general election to be held.“This government is the most stable government, out there (many) do not understand that this government is a government also supported by the opposition.“This government can get two-thirds of the support (involving) the interests of the people, the proof is that we have amended the constitution and there will be possibly more constitutional amendments made jointly,” he said at a press conference after attending an event at the Kelantan Information Department in Kota Bharu yesterday.The Ketereh MP said that leading a strong and stable government, Ismail wanted to continue focusing on an agenda that could benefit the people.“But there are attempts to potray this government as unstable, (that) this government needs to be dissolved, (that) this government must call for elections and so on although these are two different worlds altogether.“This is a stable government. Don’t talk about the party, I’m talking about government matters so this government can be maintained, (have) enough support. There are two-thirds (support) and don’t forget this government is also governed based on the MoU (memorandum of understanding) on stability and transformation signed between the government and PH (Pakatan Harapan),” he said.Annuar said several parties outside the pact apart from PH had also expressed support for the government.“Regarding the MoU between the government and the opposition, it should be understood that the MoU has clearly stated in black and white that it is effective from the date of signing until the 14th Parliament is dissolved.“There are still many out there who do not understand. Some are claiming it (MoU) is going to be extended, a MoU 2.0 is to be signed and calling for a stop to that when, in fact, such matters do not arise.“The understanding between the government and PH (is intact). As long as both parties do not change the stand agreed on in the MoU, its contents will continue to be in force and are binding on both the government and PH,” he said.Asked whether the Ismail-led government should bow to pressure and advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament and pave the way for GE15, Annuar replied that the dissolution of Parliament for the last general election was not due to pressure.“The Cabinet has to decide if it feels it has the mandate and that it’s time to dissolve (Parliament). The Cabinet and prime minister can only advise, but the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has the prerogative in this.“So far, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong has commanded us (government) to go on working. His Majesty did not ask us to indulge in politicking but in fact, to reduce politicking. This government will uphold the command of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.”


After Singtel, now SIA suffers major data leak

Singapore’s flag carrier airline has been affected by a data leak, just weeks after the city-state’s largest mobile network operator Singtel said customer data including names, addresses and phone numbers had been stolen by a group of hackers.The Straits Times daily yesterday reported that some 580,000 Singapore Airlines (SIA) customers have had their data compromised by a leak from an external air transport IT company.SIA said in a statement that the leak involved members of its KrisFlyer and PPS programmes.The leaked data included membership numbers, tier status and, in some cases, membership names although the airline assured that no passwords, credit card information, intineraries, passport numbers or email addresses were compromised.According to SIA, the breach came from air transport IT firm Sita which said in a separate statement that it had been hit by a “highly sophisticated cyberattack”.SIA said it is not a member of Sita’s passenger service system, but that it had given a set of frequent flier programme data to other member airlines in the Star Alliance group, one of which had passed it to Sita, the Straits Times reported.It said this data was needed for verification of membership tier status and to provide the relevent benefits to customers of member airlines while travelling.“The protection of our customers’ personal data is of utmost importance to Singapore Airlines, and we sincerely regret the incident and apologise for the inconvenience caused,” it said.It also assured that it is not possible for customers’ confidential data to be accessed with only the leaked data.“If someone calls our contact centres, additional secure information will be needed to clear the verification process before he or she can perform a transaction or access the data,” a spokesman was quoted as saying.In the earlier Singtel data breach, the personal data of some 129,000 of customers was stolen by a group of hackers known as the Clop gang.Bank details of 28 former Singtel employees were also stolen, as well as the credit card details of employees of a corporate customer which subscribes to Singtel’s mobile service, along with information from 23 companies.The Straits Times said the gang later leaked over 11GB of data, putting some of it up for sale on the dark web in exchange for S$250,000 worth of bitcoin.The leak took place after the hackers breached Accellion, a file transfer software used by Singtel which was found to have been compromised in January.


Musk says Twitter clash with Apple a 'misunderstanding'

Twitter owner Elon Musk said he met with Apple chief Tim Cook on Wednesday and "resolved the misunderstanding" that prompted him to declare war on the iPhone maker's App Store.
"Among other things, we resolved the misunderstanding about Twitter potentially being removed from the App Store," Musk tweeted.
"Tim was clear that Apple never considered doing so."
Musk also tweeted a video clip of "Apple's beautiful HQ" in Cupertino, California, noting that he had had a "good conversation" with Cook.
Apple did not reply to AFP requests for comment.
The world's richest person opened fire on the planet's most valuable company early this week over fees and rules at the App Store, saying Apple had threatened to oust his recently acquired social media platform.
The billionaire CEO had tweeted that Apple "threatened to withhold Twitter from its App Store, but won't tell us why."
Apple, which has not issued a public statement on the matter, typically tells developers if fixes need to be implemented in apps to conform to App Store policies.
Analysts told AFP the clash may have came down to money, with Musk irked that the App Store takes a commission on transactions such as subscriptions.
Musk has delayed the relaunch of the Twitter Blue subscription tier intended to have users pay for perks such as account verification check marks.
Twitter rolled out Blue early in November, but pulled the plug after impersonators paid for check marks to appear legitimate in what former head of safety and security Yoel Roth referred to as "a disaster."
Both Apple and Google also require social networking services on their app stores to have effective systems for moderating harmful or abusive content.
But since taking over Twitter last month, Musk has cut around half of Twitter's workforce, including many employees tasked with fighting disinformation, while an unknown number of others have quit.
He has also reinstated previously banned accounts, including that of former president Donald Trump.
Describing himself as a "free speech absolutist," Musk believes that all content permitted by law should be allowed on Twitter, and has described his actions as a "revolution against online censorship in America."


Record 135 deaths as new cases surge past 8,800

Another 8,868 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 808,658.Selangor recorded 4,152 cases, Kuala Lumpur 1,133, Negeri Sembilan 897, Perak 543, Kedah 360, Johor 336, Sarawak 281, Sabah 279, Penang 237, Melaka 183, Pahang 152 and Kelantan 135.Terengganu recorded 68 cases, Labuan 64, Putrajaya 47 and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 77,275 with 952 in the ICU and 445 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 5,802 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 725,480.However, 135 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 5,903.


No subsidies for chicken breeders from July 1

The government will no longer provide subsidies to chicken breeders from July 1, says Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.He said the subsidy will instead be channelled directly to the people who are in need of assistance, adding that this was aimed at ensuring that the people are not burdened by the hike in chicken prices.Ismail said that previously, to ensure that chicken prices were not increased, the government had provided subsidies to breeders so that the price of chicken would remain stable at RM8.90 per kg, as it could reach RM12 per kg if the price was floated.“The government spends RM720 million to ensure that the price of chicken is not increased. However, many of the breeders do not claim the subsidy payments and various issues are raised,” he said in his speech at the Barisan Nasional convention in conjunction with the coalition’s 48th anniversary celebration in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.However, he said Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi and Agriculture and Food Industries Minister Ronald Kiandee would announce further details.He said the government was also carrying out various actions to ensure sufficient food supply and that prices could be stabilised.One is to encourage activities in the agrofood industry, including chicken breeding and the planting of corn by setting up an agrofood fund of RM500 million in soft loans to industry players.“We will also identify farmers’ organisations or cooperatives involved in agrofood projects to be given financial aid.“The government will also create a buffer stock for chicken, fish and meat. The government is studying the tax incentives to be given to agrofood industry players,” he added.Ismail said the government would also stop the export of chicken to help overcome the shortage in the country.


Khairy's odds would be better with PN, says analyst

An analyst says former Umno man Khairy Jamaluddin will have a brighter political future ahead if he chooses Perikatan Nasional (PN) over Pakatan Harapan (PH), ahead of key elections to be held in six states this year.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Ahmad Atory Hussain said Khairy would have a better chance with PN given the strong support enjoyed by the federal opposition coalition from the Malay community.
Atory, of Universiti Sains Malaysia, said support from the Malays, the majority race in Malaysia, was crucial for any politician seeking to hold the position of prime minister.
He added that Khairy would place his political career on firmer footing if he agreed to join PN and became the menteri besar candidate in Negeri Sembilan.
Khairy, who formerly held the parliamentary seat of Rembau, was fielded in Sungai Buloh at the last general election in order to make way for Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan.
While on the campaign trail, he openly announced his ambition to become prime minister one day.
He was sacked from the party in January, alongside several other Umno leaders, and has yet to announce a decision on his political direction.
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin recently revealed that Khairy had been offered membership and a place on Bersatu's highest decision-making body.
Khairy himself has yet to respond to the invitation but said that the criticism levelled by Umno and PH supporters would affect his decision on the future of his political career.
Atory also noted BN's poor performance at the Nov 19 election, saying: "BN was defeated, and Khairy sacked.
"There is no way that he would rejoin Umno."
He added that Khairy's ambition of occupying the top office would have a better chance of success if the former Umno Youth chief became a menteri besar first, aided by his years of experience as a Cabinet member in three different portfolios: youth and sports; science, technology and innovation; and health.
"Many states were once seen as Umno strongholds, including Negeri Sembilan," he said.
"But one by one, they all fell when the support of the Malays shifted, reflecting Umno's deteriorating performance.
"Right now, the Malay vote has swung towards PAS and Bersatu. So Khairy could gain the support of the community if he joined PN."
PAS won 43 seats at the last general election, the most of any political party. It was followed by DAP (40), PKR and Bersatu (31 each), and Umno (26).
This was part of the unexpected swing in Malay vote which saw PN sweeping parliamentary seats in Terengganu, Kelantan, and Perlis, and taking others seen as PH strongholds including Permatang Pauh, long held by members of Anwar Ibrahim's family.
The upcoming elections will be held in the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Penang, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan.


Russia reinstates Twitter slowdown, says Meta, Google are ‘instigators of war’

Russia cracked down on social media companies on Tuesday, reinstating a slowdown of Twitter traffic on computers, as a foreign ministry official accused Meta, Google and other Western tech giants of inciting war.On the sixth day of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a Russian armoured column bore down on the capital Kyiv and Russian forces fired rocket barrages into the centre of the second largest city Kharkiv, while at home Moscow stepped up efforts to control the narrative.State communications regulator Roskomnadzor reimposed a slowdown on Twitter’s loading speeds on computers, a measure it had lifted in May, accusing the US company of failing to take down what it said were fake posts about Russia’s “special operation” in Ukraine.Twitter declined to comment.Russia has been impeding Twitter on mobile devices for almost a year, part of a wider campaign for internet control that critics say threatens individual and corporate freedom.Moscow has partially restricted Facebook access, too.This occurred, Facebook’s owner Meta Platforms Inc said, after it refused a government request to stop independent fact-checking of several Russian state media outlets, many of which have faced restrictions in Ukraine and around the world as Western nations seek to stifle the Kremlin’s messaging.Roskomnadzor said on Tuesday it had written to Meta demanding the immediate removal of restrictions on state-backed media outlets RT and Sputnik on Facebook and Instagram.Anna Belkina, RT’s deputy editor-in-chief, said no evidence was being provided of inaccuracies in RT reporting. She said the Western establishment seemed terrified of alternative perspectives.“What they fail to realise is that it is their own echo chamber that seeds the public mistrust that they have so long lamented. They will reap what they sow,” she said.‘Instigators of war’Oleg Gavrilov, deputy head of the foreign ministry’s information and press department, said the behaviour of primarily US tech giants, singling out Meta and Alphabet Inc’s Google, was unacceptable.“Hostile propaganda activities are being carried out openly on their social platforms, Russian sources of information are being blocked, access to domestic media is being massively restricted,” Interfax news agency quoted him as saying.Gavrilov said a system should be created to “hold foreign instigators of war against Russia accountable” to strengthen Russian security.Google and Meta did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The two companies are among a handful of foreign internet firms facing possible punitive measures in Russia after failing to open local offices and take other measures required by a communications law, after a deadline to do so expired on Monday.Exiting Russia?Facebook and Twitter were slow to load for some users on Tuesday, and Facebook was unavailable on some devices, underlining an improvement in Moscow’s blocking capabilities since failed attempts to restrict access to messaging app Telegram in 2018.The escalating pressure on foreign tech firms has increased expectations that companies may leave the Russian market – either through ejection by Moscow or voluntarily under pressure from Western governments.Industry consultant John Strand said the time when global companies could focus on profit and remain passive to aggression and autocracy had long since passed. He said Russia views the likes of Facebook and Google as a threat to its control over communication.“A war in Ukraine and social media are not the best cocktail nowadays,” Strand told Reuters by email. “Western companies must make a choice: do they want to do business in Russia under the existing and future conditions or will they stop operating there?”


Sorry.


UK's PM in doghouse after another police intervention

First he broke lockdown law. Then he was fined for not wearing a car seatbelt. Now Britain's prime minister is again in trouble with the police – because of his dog.
Rishi Sunak and his family were filmed walking Nova the Labrador in central London's Hyde Park, where signs clearly state that all dogs must be kept on leads to avoid worrying the wildlife.
In the clip posted on TikTok, Nova is seen roaming freely, drawing a rebuke from the Metropolitan Police.
"An officer, who was present at the time, spoke to a woman and reminded her of the rules," a police statement said Tuesday, apparently referring to Sunak's wife Akshata Murty.
"The dog was put back on the lead," it said.
Sunak's spokesman declined to comment.
Downing Street has likewise refused to comment on reports this week that the uber-wealthy Sunak has had the electricity network upgraded at his Yorkshire mansion in northern England, to power his heated swimming pool.
The prime minister has had several awkward encounters with the public, as he battles to counter perceptions that he is too rich to connect with voters amid a cost-of-living crisis in Britain.
And while projecting a more wholesome image than predecessor Boris Johnson, Sunak is making a habit of drawing untoward attention from the police.
He was fined while serving as Johnson's finance minister for attending a Downing Street party in June 2020 that violated the government's Covid rules on social distancing.
Johnson became the first UK premier to be fined by police, for the same party. But Sunak got his own prime ministerial fine in January.
Filming a social media video, he was penalised for failing to wear a seatbelt in a moving car. Sunak apologised for an "error of judgement".


Over 8,000 flood victims in Selangor yet to receive govt aid

A total of 8,395 recipients have yet to receive the Bantuan Selangor Bangkit (BSB) assistance allocated by the state government for victims of the massive floods that hit the state at the end of last year, says Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari.He said the Klang district had the highest number of recipients who had not received the aid at 7,236 people, followed by Kuala Langat (530), Petaling (348), Sepang (223), Kuala Selangor (56) and Gombak (two).Meanwhile, aid has been fully chanelled in the districts of Hulu Langat, Sabak Bernam and Hulu Selangor.“As of March 14, the state government had approved and channelled BSB payments to 118,110 families involving an allocation of RM118.11 million. Meanwhile, out of 25 fatalities, the families of 14 of them were eligible to receive BSB assistance,” he said at the state assembly sitting today.He said a total of RM132.628 million in BSB assistance had been channelled to all land and district offices with the balance of the allocation so far standing at RM14.378 million.He was responding to Azmizam Zaman Huri (PH-Port Klang) who asked whether the BSB had been paid to all flood victims.He said a total of 2,942 applications were rejected because they did not meet the criteria with some of the applications found to be overlapping while 300 applications were still under review.Amirudin said all payments were expected to be settled by March 31 while payments in arrears as well as appeal applications will be processed until April 30.“Now we no longer organise the handing over of payments at halls, so the remaining recipients will be contacted directly and we will make remittances into their accounts via electronic funds transfer,” he said.To Azmizam’s question on what action would be taken against individuals who make false BSB claims, Amirudin said action would be taken after all BSB payments are completed on March 31.He also said that the reason for the delay in the payment of the assistance was because the state government received a high number of applications, more than 10 times the number of heads of households moved to temporary evacuation centres.“Besides that, there were overlapping applications which required verification, and we had to arrange and coordinate finances because the state government channelled the BSB together with compassionate aid money from the federal government,” he said.


Now, Rosmah gets to travel to Singapore

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today allowed Rosmah Mansor’s application for the temporary release of her passport to join her daughter who is awaiting the birth of her second child in Singapore, after a similar move by two other judges earlier this month allowing Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to travel to Germany for medical treatment.According to Astro Awani, judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan allowed the application on condition that Rosmah return the passport on or before Dec 6.The passport will be released on Oct 15, allowing Rosmah to travel to Singapore from Oct 22 onwards. She must return to the country on or before Nov 21, the report said.The Shah Alam High Court had on Oct 11 allowed Zahid’s bid for his passport in order to travel to Munich to seek treatment for his back and neck.His lawyer Ahmad Zaidi Zainal said the application was made before judge Mohd Yazid Mustafa, adding that the temporary release of the passport would not affect Zahid’s next trial date, which is on Oct 22.Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah also granted Zahid’s request for the temporary return of his passport with the condition of extra surety.The Umno president had applied for his passport to be released on Oct 26 and is scheduled to return on Nov 21.Zahid is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and home minister at the time to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the one-stop centre in China and the VLN system as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the home ministry.In another seven charges, Zahid is accused as then home minister of accepting S$1,150,000, RM3,000,000, €15,000 (RM75,663) and US$15,000 (RM62,115) in cash from the same company which he knew had a connection with his function as minister.Rosmah meanwhile faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes and two charges of receiving RM6.5 million from Saidi through Rizal 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 prosecution today raised no objections to the return of her passport as long as it does not interfere with her trial dates, The Malay Mail reported.Rosmah had said that her daughter, Nooryana Najwa, had a history of complications during delivery and needed assistance and emotional support, the report added.


Pop on top as Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Dua Lipa lead Grammy nods

Pop queen Beyonce on Tuesday led the Grammys pack with nine nominations, as music prepares to celebrate its hitmakers in a year that saw the coronavirus crisis deal devastating blows to the industry.Coming in second with six nods were Dua Lipa – who dropped a danceable album of club hits just as venues began closing in March – and pop shapeshifter Taylor Swift, whose folk-tinged surprise pandemic album appeared to bring her back into the Recording Academy’s good graces.Rapper Roddy Ricch – who won a trophy last year for his collaboration with the late artist Nipsey Hussle – also received six chances at Grammy gold, including for Song of the Year, which honours songwriting, for his hit “The Box”.Beyonce’s sweeping “Black Parade” – released in June amid explosive nationwide anti-racism protests after another spate of police killings of Black Americans – will vie for Record and Song of the Year honours on Jan 31.“Put your fists up in the air, show Black love,” sings Beyonce – the Grammy’s most nominated female artist ever with 79 – on the track.The 39-year-old megastar boasts 24 Grammy wins to her name – but notoriously lost Album of the Year in 2017 to British balladeer Adele, a controversial snub often cited as an example of the Academy’s diversity issues.Swift, a former Grammy darling whose work the Academy pushed aside in recent years, bagged a coveted Album of the Year nomination for “Folklore”. Its single “Cardigan” is up for Song of the Year.In addition to Beyonce and Ricch, rivals in that category include last year’s big winner Billie Eilish and warbling rapper Post Malone.Bluesy rock singer and songwriter Brittany Howard – known for her leading vocals with the band Alabama Shakes – jumped into the spotlight on her own with five nominations after releasing her first solo album “Jaime”.Black Lives MatterJustin Bieber snagged four nominations, including his first country nod for his work on the song “10,000 Hours” by Dan and Shay.After sweeping the general categories at last year’s gala Eilish also picked up another four nominations, as did rapper DaBaby.Following a banner year, Houston rapper Megan Thee Stallion received her first Grammy nominations, posting four.The remix of her wildly popular song “Savage” featuring Beyonce is up for several awards including Record of the Year – a collaboration that helped Queen Bey snag the lead spot.The Black Lives Matter movement appeared to catch the Academy’s notice: in addition to Beyonce’s Black power anthem, Lil Baby’s “The Bigger Picture” – released during the summer’s protests – is twice-nominated.And H.E.R. – the soulful 23-year-old R&B performer with two Grammy wins under her belt – picked up a Song of the Year nod for her BLM-themed song “I Can’t Breathe”.Waiting for The Weeknd?Women-led acts posted a strong showing in the top categories, and also swept key nominations by genre, including for Best Country Album and Best Rock Performance.Californian indie musician Phoebe Bridgers is up for four awards including Best New Artist, and the reclusive Fiona Apple is up for three awards in the rock and alternative categories.The artist famously disdainful of the industry was shut out of the general field, however, despite releasing the critically acclaimed album “Fetch The Bolt Cutters” – the first record in nearly a decade to receive a perfect-10 rating from authoritative music publication Pitchfork.While the 2021 slate appeared another step forward in the Grammys bid to improve diversity within its ranks and better reflect the charts, a number of notable snubs had social media chirping that much was still to be done.Though widely tipped as a potential leader at this year’s awards, Canadian R&B singer The Weeknd did not receive a single nomination.Harry Styles, formerly of One Direction, appeared poised to enter the top fields traditionally disdainful of boy bands – but was instead relegated to the pop categories.Lady Gaga suffered the same fate, with “Chromatica”, her album released during the pandemic, bagging only two nominations.And the K-pop phenomenon BTS received just one nomination, for best performance by a pop duo or group.The nominations were rolled out by stars across the globe speaking via video chat. Trevor Noah is set to host the 63rd annual Grammys, the format of which remains unclear.Other awards shows have been forced to go partially or fully virtual in light of pandemic restrictions on large gatherings.The Academy’s interim president Harvey Mason Jr dedicated this year’s ceremony to the resiliency of the music industry as well as frontline workers combating the infection’s spread.