Myanmar junta says will carry out first judicial executions in decades

Myanmar’s junta will execute a former lawmaker from Aung San Suu Kyi’s party and a prominent democracy activist, both of whom were convicted of terrorism, in the country’s first judicial executions since 1990, a spokesman told AFP on Friday.Four people, including former MP Phyo Zeya Thaw and democracy activist Ko Jimmy, “who were sentenced to death will be hanged according to prison procedures”, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun told AFP.The junta has sentenced dozens of anti-coup activists to death as part of its crackdown on dissent after seizing power last year, but Myanmar has not carried out an execution for decades.Phyo Zeya Thaw, a former lawmaker from Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy who was arrested in November, was sentenced to death in January for offences under anti-terrorism laws.Prominent democracy activist Kyaw Min Yu – better known as “Jimmy” – received the same sentence from the military tribunal.“They continued the legal process of appealing and sending a request letter for the amendment of the sentence,” the spokesman said.“But the court rejected their appeal and request. There is no other step after that,” he added.Two other men, who were convicted and sentenced to death for killing a woman they alleged was an informer for the junta in Yangon, will also be executed, the spokesman said.No date has been set for the executions, Zaw Min Tun said.United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres condemned the junta’s decision, calling it “a blatant violation to the right to life, liberty and security of person”, according to his spokesman Stephane Dujarric.Guterres called for the two pro-democracy activists to be released and all the charges against them to be dropped.“The secretary-general considers that the death penalty cannot be reconciled with full respect for the right to life,” Dujarric told reporters.“Abolition is necessary and desirable for the enhancement of human dignity and the progressive development of human rights.”A spokesman for Amnesty International called on the junta to “immediately drop such plans and for the international community to step up its efforts to intervene”.‘Fuel to the fire’The junta’s decision to “move towards executing two prominent political leaders will be like pouring gasoline on the fire of popular anti-military resistance in the country”, said Phil Robertson, a deputy director at Human Rights Watch.“Such a move will also lead to global condemnation and cement the junta’s reputation as among the worst of the worst human rights abusers in Asia.”Phyo Zeya Thaw had been accused of orchestrating several attacks on regime forces, including a gun attack on a commuter train in Yangon in August that killed five policemen.A hip-hop pioneer whose subversive rhymes irked the previous junta, he was jailed in 2008 for membership of an illegal organisation and possession of foreign currency.He was elected to parliament representing Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD in the 2015 elections, which ushered in a transition to civilian rule.The country’s military alleged voter fraud during elections in 2020 – which the NLD won by a landslide – as justification for its coup on February 1 last year.Suu Kyi has been detained ever since and faces a slew of charges in a junta court that could see her face a prison sentence of more than 150 years.Kyaw Min Yu, who rose to prominence during Myanmar’s 1988 student uprising against the country’s previous military regime, was arrested in an overnight raid in October.The junta issued an arrest warrant for him last year, alleging he had incited unrest with his social media posts.


UK becomes first country to approve Covid Pfizer vaccine

The BBC is reporting breaking news that the UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine for widespread use.British regulator, the MHRA, says the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19 illness, is safe for roll-out.Immunisations could start within days for people in high priority groups such as frontline workers and care home residents.The UK has already ordered 40 million doses – enough to vaccinate 20 million people, with two shots each.Around 10 million doses should be available soon, with the first doses arriving in the UK in coming days.It is the fastest ever vaccine to go from concept to reality, taking only 10 months to follow the same developmental steps that normally span a decade.Although vaccination can start, people still need to remain vigilant and follow coronavirus rules to stop the spread, say experts.That means sticking with the social distancing and face masks, and testing people who may have the virus and asking them to isolate.


Daily cases shoot past 4,000 in highest numbers yet

Another 4,029 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 155,095.Selangor recorded 1,466 cases, of which 1,161 or 79.2% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Johor (719), Sabah (449), Kuala Lumpur (347) and Negeri Sembilan (214).Kedah recorded 195 cases, Kelantan 141, Penang 120, Terengganu 80, Sarawak 69, Pahang 65, Perak 54, Melaka 44, Putrajaya 35, Labuan 17 and Perlis 14.Active cases stand at 37,126 with 205 in the ICU and 79 in need of respiratory assistance.Six new clusters were detected:1. Senai Cyber (Kulai in Johor; 114 cases)2. Tembok Nanas (Pontian in Johor; 41 cases)3. Jalan Sembrong (Kluang in Johor; 18 cases)4. Jalan Permata (Seremban in Negeri Sembilan; 61 cases)5. Taman Juta (Hilir Perak in Perak; 14 cases)6. Kampung Lebu (Bentong and Kuantan in Pahang; 21 cases)Five others ended, leaving 285 active clusters across the country.Another 2,148 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 117,375.However, eight more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 594.


Indian PM stokes Eid tensions by banning animal sacrifice in Kashmir

India has ordered a crackdown on the religious sacrifice of animals in Kashmir, appearing to invite tensions in the majority-Muslim region days before one of Islam’s biggest holidays, the Telegraph is reporting.Animal welfare officials released an order for the end of the “illegal killing or sacrifice of cows, calves, camels and other animals”.The directive to the Indian-administered part of the disputed territory came just days before Muslims mark Eid al-Adha by offering prayers and slaughtering livestock.Religious leaders in the region condemned the order and residents predicted widespread protests.Sentiment against Indian rule has run deep in the contested Himalayan region for decades. Many Muslims seek either independence or unification with Pakistan, which controls the other part of the region.Tensions increased in 2019 when Delhi revoked the region’s semi-autonomy.Narendra Modi, the Indian prime minister, has been accused of trying to alter its demographics by increasing the proportion of Hindus.Elsewhere in India, his ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has been accused of whipping up violence against minority groups“Delhi is interfering in our religion,” Bashir Ahmad Thoker, who lives in the northern Baramulla district of Kashmir, said. “Sacrificing animals is mandatory for Muslims on Eid, but Delhi wants to implement a Hindu nationalist agenda in Kashmir.”Abdul Razaq, from Srinagar, said: “We would prefer to die defending our religion, rather than accept this diktat.”The Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulema group of clerics urged Delhi to “revoke this arbitrary and discriminatory order”.Cows are considered sacred in Hindu-majority India, and slaughtering them is illegal in much of the country.Since Modi took power in 2014, a series of mob attacks by so-called ‘cow vigilantes’ from extremist Hindu groups have targeted Muslims, who make up 14% of India’s nearly 1.4 billion people. The victims have been accused of smuggling cows for slaughter or carrying beef. Over 40 have been killed.One political analyst, who asked not to be named for fear of reprisals, suggested the BJP wants to inflame Muslim violence to bring out the Hindu vote in upcoming state elections.Gowhar Geelani, another analyst, said: “Banning the sacrifice of animals on Eid-al-Adha is a message that neither the sentiments nor the religious freedoms of the Muslim community in Kashmir matters.”


Daily caseload surges past 9,100

Another 9,117 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,904,131.Another 6,546 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,806,154.Meanwhile 123 are in the ICU, including 81 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 67 are in need of respiratory assistance including 34 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 9,117 cases reported today, 47 (0.5%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 9,070 (99.5%) are in Category One and Two.


Cherry-picking morality in consumerism

Reading a news report about how a retail chain in the UK is now banning the sale of glitter before this Christmas tipped me over the edge.We can’t use glitter on our Christmas decorations, we can’t have microbeads in our facial cleansers, we can’t use plastic straws, because all these will harm the environment in one way or another.Are we forgetting that innovation has allowed us these conveniences?Yes, protect the environment, but it will take much more than focusing on micro-aspects such as straws, microbeads and glitter.Protecting the environment through the lens of consumer demand is a narrow view.Activism means cutting off the head of the snake – government policy, political will, complete stakeholder commitment.And frankly, we consumers should take some responsibility, too, because our bottomless desire to consume goods is also part of the problem.If we didn’t want to consume so much by buying all this transient stuff, perhaps we wouldn’t be in the dire situation we are in now.Do you actually remember the satisfaction you got from the last facial exfoliation or the purple glitter on last year’s Christmas tree?No, because that gratification was momentary.It was for that moment, and then you began to worry how long your in-laws were staying after dinner.We demonise the straw while ignoring the plastic wrap on the frozen chicken and beef. We demonise plastic shopping bags at the supermarket but develop blindness to the plastic wrapping on dinky, disposable items at the DIY store.And we feel so utterly smug about ourselves for carrying those woven nylon bags for our shopping but ignore the fact that the manufacturing processes that produced our beloved cars and houses all contributed to smoggy skies and polluted waterways.It seems we like to cherry-pick our moral outrage.Yet, we do not like examining our cavalier consumption, our “throw-away” culture (“My laptop is two years old, it’s slow, I’m throwing it away and getting a new one”) and, most, importantly, our unchecked desire to buy all things new and shiny.Perhaps it’s time we curbed our desire to have things even if we don’t need them. Yes, the car is old, but it runs. You have a fatter paycheck and you don’t want to look like a loser among your friends with their Hondas and Beemers, so you chuck the chuggy old Volvo and splash out on a sleek new SUV.Do you have any idea the carbon footprint of the factory process that made every single part of that car, from the gearstick to the buttons on your in-car stereo?No. You just cruise along, smug in the feeling that you are no longer embarrassed by your old – but functioning – car.Yes, buying that car means someone in the automotive industry got paid this month, but we cannot get angry at the failure of nations to stop filling the skies with choking smog and stinking up our rivers and seas with industrial waste when we buy something with our hard-earned dollars but do not care beyond that to hold corporations and governments accountable for the spillover effects of our unchecked consumerism.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


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New infections fall to 1,900 as another 2 deaths reported

Another 1,904 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,791,456.
There were 3,138 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,726,250.
There are now 28,961 active cases, of which 27,584 or 95.2% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 18 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,286 (4.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 73 are in ICU with 36 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 63.4%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 19.6%.
Two more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,245.


Malaysia in talks to bring back Jho Low, says Anwar

Malaysia is negotiating with other countries to speed up the return of fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, wanted for his role in the multibillion-dollar 1MDB scandal, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today.
Low, better known as Jho Low, has been charged in Malaysia and the US for allegedly masterminding the theft of US$4.5 billion from state fund 1MDB. He has consistently denied wrongdoing.
Anwar told reporters Malaysia was committed to bringing back Low as quickly as possible, describing the negotiation process with other nations as complicated.
"It involves many countries, it involves intelligence services, Interpol, et cetera," Anwar said. He did not reveal the countries involved in the talks, and declined to confirm Low's whereabouts.
Malaysian authorities previously said Low was believed to be in China, though Beijing has denied this.
At least six countries have opened probes into 1MDB, in a wide-ranging scandal that has ensnared financial institutions and high-ranking officials across the globe.
Former prime minister Najib Razak, who co-founded 1MDB, was sentenced to 12 years in prison last year and faces several other trials for corruption and money laundering linked to the scandal.
In 2019, US authorities struck a deal with Low to recoup a record US$1 billion in funds allegedly looted from 1MDB, which included a private jet, high-end real estate in Beverly Hills, New York and London, and other assets.


Fix your own problems, netizens tell minister after Taliban comment

Social media users have criticised Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek for urging the Taliban in Afghanistan for reopening higher education to women, saying the PKR women's chief should be rational in her response to the issue.
They also reminded Fadhlina not to forget the weaknesses in Malaysia's own education system.
The Taliban banned women from universities earlier this week in a move that drew global outrage, including from Muslim nations.
Fadhlina had said that the move would only widen the gap in competitiveness and affect economic and social status.
However, social media users said she should concentrate on education-related problems in her own country before looking to others.
"No need to meddle in other countries," Facebook user Ghazali Mukhtar said in the comment section of a news portal's account.
"Fix the problems in our country. It looks like you don't have any concrete ideas."
"What a long hop to talking about the Taliban," Facebook user Mohd Fauzi Mohd Shariff added.
Yuzaidi Yussof meanwhile said that Fadhlina had her work cut out for her in her own ministry.
"Please prove your mettle," he said. "Don't hide behind the achievements of your late father."
Fadhlina is the daughter of Siddiq Fadzil, the former leader of Angkatan Belia Islam Malaysia.
Others on social media asked Fadlina to focus her attention on the education of women in Malaysia.
"Why talk about the Taliban? Do you know how many girls in Malaysia are unable to further their education because it costs too much? And many others are illiterate," said Danny Iskandar.
Ismail Mohd meanwhile questioned the point of Fadhlina's statement, asking if it would be read by the Taliban leaders in Afghanistan.
"Do the Taliban read the news?" he said.
"Hope the Taliban listen and follow what she says," Ramzuk Hanif added.


Exiled Singaporean charged with paedophilia in US

A Singaporean who was granted asylum in the US exchanged nude photos and “thousands” of messages with a 14-year-old Texas girl while he was living in Chicago, according to police.Amos Yee, 20, a  former actor, gained international notoriety when he was jailed at 16 in Singapore for controversial and obscene online posts he made following the death of Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew in 2015.He was jailed again in 2016 for “wounding religious feelings” over his social media posts on Christianity and Islam.Yee fled Singapore a day before he was due to report for a medical examination ahead of enlistment into national service. He was granted asylum in the US and has been living in Chicago for three years, reports the Chicago Sun Times.Yee started a now-removed YouTube channel for paedophiles. In a post last year, he discussed rumours of an inappropriate relationship with a 14-year-old girl.“He argued that even if he did sexually abuse her, it does not change that there is nothing immoral about paedophilia,” prosecutors said.Yee’s public defender described him as an “internet troll” who is “all over the internet saying fantastic things. Anything he says online should be taken with scepticism.”Prosecutors in Illinois obtained messages from last year that included nude photos he requested and received from the girl and nude photos of himself that he sent her.The girl repeatedly mentioned her age in the messages, prosecutors said.She eventually contacted a “paedophile-hunter” group, and Yee was arrested last week.At his arraignment, the judge said the charges indicated he was significantly more than an “online troll”.Yee is currently held on US$1 million (RM4 million) bail and banned from using the internet while awaiting trial in November.If convicted, Yee’s asylum status could be terminated.In a Facebook post on Friday, New York-based Singaporean activist Melissa Chen, a former advocate of Yee, wrote that she had been first alerted to Yee’s alleged activity anonymously more than a year ago, by an individual from the community of “MAP (minor-attracted people) hunters”, reports the Straits Times.“I took the allegations seriously, responded and verified the accusations. After speaking with the young victim, I was broken. I vowed to do all I could to get her justice and remove him from society,” she wrote.Chen had assisted Yee in his political asylum application, but later called for him to be deported from the US over his championing of paedophilia.


Pahang regent congratulates Anwar on PM appointment

Pahang Regent Tengku Hassanal Ibrahim Sultan Abdullah has congratulated Anwar Ibrahim on his appointment as Malaysia's 10th prime minister in a social media post accompanied by the #reformasi hashtag that has been the PKR president's slogan for more than two decades.
The congratulatory post on Tengku Hassanal's Instagram account was accompanied by a picture believed to have been uploaded after the 260th Conference of Rulers in Kuala Lumpur today.
"From prisoner to prime minister, it has been a difficult road for you and the path ahead will be even more challenging," he said.
"Congratulations and good luck @anwaribrahim_my #reformasi."
Anwar, the Pakatan Harapan chairman, was sworn in as prime minister on Nov 24 after receiving the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.
His appointment ended days of political turmoil sparked by the inconclusive results of the Nov 19 polls which saw no single coalition winning enough seats to form the government with a simple majority.


Iran, Saudi to restore ties in major step for Middle East

Regional powerhouses Iran and Saudi Arabia agreed Friday to restore ties and reopen diplomatic missions in a surprise, Chinese-brokered announcement that could have wide-ranging implications across the Middle East.
In a trilateral statement, Shiite-majority Iran and mainly Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia said they would reopen embassies and missions within two months and implement security and economic cooperation deals signed more than 20 years ago.
Riyadh cut ties after Iranian protesters attacked Saudi diplomatic missions in 2016 following the Saudi execution of revered Shiite cleric Nimr al-Nimr – just one in a series of flashpoints between the two longstanding rivals.
Friday's announcement, which follows five days of previously unannounced talks in Beijing and several rounds of dialogue in Iraq and Oman, caps a broader realignment and efforts to ease tensions in the region.
"Following talks, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have agreed to resume diplomatic relations and reopen embassies and missions within two months," said the joint statement, which was published by both countries' official media.
The detente between Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, and Iran, a pariah for Western governments over its nuclear activities, has the potential to reshape relations across a region characterised by turbulence for decades.
Iran and Saudi Arabia support rival sides in several conflict zones including Yemen, where the Huthi rebels are backed by Tehran and Riyadh leads a military coalition supporting the government. The two sides also vie for influence in Syria, Lebanon and Iraq.
'Hash out their differences'
"It kind of sets the scene for the region's two superpowers to start to hash out their differences," said Dina Esfandiary of the International Crisis Group.
"The potential downside of that, of course, is that if they are the ones who are divvying up the region and sorting things out amongst themselves, you start to lose sight of regional contexts and grievances, which could potentially be problematic."
Iran's Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian welcomed the rapprochement and said Tehran will "actively prepare other regional initiatives".
"The return to normal relations between Tehran and Riyadh offers great opportunities to the two countries, the region and the Muslim world," he tweeted.
Saudi Arabia's top diplomat Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud said the agreement stems from the kingdom's preference for "political solutions and dialogue" – an approach it wants to see become the norm in the region.
The White House welcomed the deal, but said it remains to be seen whether the Iranians will "meet their obligations".
France also saluted the move, saying it was in favour of dialogue, but urged Iran to "renounce its destabilising actions".
UN chief Antonio Guterres welcomed the announcement and said he remains ready to "use his good offices to further advance regional dialogue".
"Good neighbourly relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are essential for the stability of the Gulf region," he said through his spokesman.
The head of Lebanon's Hezbollah, an Iran-backed militant group, called the agreement a "good development".
"It could open new horizons in the region," said Hassan Nasrallah, whose movement has been blacklisted as a "terror" group by Saudi Arabia since 2016.
Ali Shamkhani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, had travelled to Beijing on Monday for "intensive negotiations with his Saudi counterpart in China in order to finally resolve the problems between Tehran and Riyadh", Iran's official Irna news agency said.
Sandwiched between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Iraq had hosted several rounds of talks since April 2021. Those encounters were held at a relatively low level, involving security and intelligence officials.
Amir-Abdollahian had said in July that the two countries were ready to move talks to a higher level, in the political and public spheres.
But no talks had been publicly announced since April last year.
Abraham Accords
The pledge to resume ties comes two-and-a-half years after the UAE, which also lies between Saudi Arabia and Iran, signed the Abraham Accords opening ties with Israel – a similarly unexpected move.
It follows a broad pattern of attempts to settle regional disputes, including the Saudi-led blockade of Qatar, which lasted from June 2017 to January 2021.
Gulf Arab allies of Saudi Arabia already beat a path back to Tehran. In September, Iran welcomed an Emirati ambassador back after a six-year absence. A month earlier, Iran said Kuwait had sent its first ambassador to Tehran since 2016.
On Thursday, Amir-Abdollahian was in Damascus where he welcomed Arab outreach to Syria's internationally isolated government after an earthquake struck the war-torn country and neighbouring Turkey last month.
He also said Tehran, which has backed Damascus during its 12 years of conflict, would join efforts to reconcile Syria and Turkey, which has long supported rebel groups opposed to President Bashar al-Assad.
There has also been a rapprochement between Riyadh and Ankara since the 2018 killing of Saudi journalist and government critic Jamal Khashoggi inside the kingdom's Istanbul consulate.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pushed hard to revive ties, a move analysts describe as largely driven by economic considerations.


After Zahid’s hint, PH leaders on mission to explain union with Umno?

It did not take long for some Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders and their publicists to welcome with open arms a hint by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that his party could work the opposition coalition in Perak, with a flurry of social media and online writings describing such an alliance as “good for the nation”.Leaders from DAP, PKR and Amanah as well as analysts sympathetic to PH said the initiative would be beneficial to Malaysians.It is a view which could rile up DAP’s vehemently anti-Umno vote bank, who played a key role in the downfall of Barisan Nasional in the 2018 election.DAP’s Johor chief Liew Chin Tong even penned a lengthy piece praising his Umno counterpart, saying Hasni Mohammad, who took over as menteri besar following PH’s collapse early this year, should be emulated by Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.“Hasni is now prepared to change the narrative and provide a fresh framework for bipartisanship. We do not see that leadership from Muhyiddin’s federal government,” Liew wrote.Umno grassroots unhappyThe emerging narrative follows a power vacuum in Perak after Umno’s move to oust Ahmad Faizal Azumu as menteri besar following differences with the Bersatu leader.Zahid, who previously backed PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim to wrest power from Muhyiddin, said working with PH in Perak could be an option in the event that Umno fails to obtain support from PAS and Bersatu, who have condemned the plot against Faizal and threatened to stay out of any new state government.The statement riled up Umno grassroots, with social media postings showing a repeat of the anger against Zahid and former leader Najib Razak when it was revealed that they had jointly written a letter to the palace in support of toppling the Perikatan Nasional government.“Would the grassroots keep quiet at the cost of their party, all for the sake of rescuing Zahid and Najib?” read one message making the rounds on WhatsApp.Zahid and Najib have been slapped with a total of 79 corruption charges, with their cases continuing even after Umno returned to the government. In July, Najib was convicted of nine corruption charges.Last night, the Umno Supreme Council put to rest any speculation that it would work with PH in Perak.But whether it has succeeded in calming PAS and Bersatu is another question. In an immediate reaction following the announcement, both parties said they were disappointed with Umno.‘Good for Malays’A PH publicist who has been among the staunchest critics of Umno welcomed a union between the two sides.But Kim Quek, accusing the Malay party of being corrupt and championing race supremacy, said “urban Malays” no longer hold to Umno’s “racist ideology and corrupt practices”.He also said Umno’s cooperation with DAP and others would benefit the Malays.“Through such Umno-Harapan joint venture, with the right policies in place, Malays will surely make such progress in education and the economic fields (together with other races) as they have never seen before,” he wrote on Malaysiakini.A similar narrative is offered by Amanah’s Mujahid Yusof Rawa, who said Umno and PH could bring about a strong state government in Perak.The Parit Buntar MP also said working with PH would redeem Umno’s mistake of joining the Sheraton Move, a series of meetings in Petaling Jaya in February which eventually brought down the PH government.“Umno could rectify the situation from the curse of the Sheraton Move and PAS’ betrayal of political comradeship, and ultimately restore its image and comfortably enter the general election fray,” Mujahid said.PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad meanwhile said the coming together of disparate parties is expected “in an era of coalition politics”.“It is natural and inevitable that we might find ourselves on different ends of the political spectrum.“But in the face of multiple crises, we should unite in a broad, progressively-minded combination and moderate our sentiments to allow Malaysia to recover and move forward,” Nik Nazmi, a loyalist of Anwar, wrote on his Facebook.For now, Umno’s top leaders appear to have ruled out the suggestion of working with PH, despite it coming from the party president.But far from celebrating its success of removing Faizal, Umno may have opened up a whole new set of problems in its search for new friends.


Umno to hold special general assembly to amend party constitution

A special Umno general assembly will be held to amend two clauses of the party constitution, says Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan.
He said that notice of the special general assembly had been issued to the division chiefs, division secretaries, as well as secretaries of the women, youth and Puteri wings through a letter dated Dec 13.
"The special general assembly will be held after the president’s policy speech on Jan 13, 2023, at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur," he told reporters after holding a meeting with residents of Taman Seri Api-Api in Pontian yesterday.
Ahmad said the amendment involved Clause 20.11 which states that the membership of Umno members will be automatically revoked if they leave the party or contest as an independent or a candidate for another party during an election.
He said the amendment was to ensure that the party constitution is in line with the amendments to the Federal Constitution on anti-party hopping. Another amendment will be made to Clause 8.4, for all information chiefs to be automatically elected as delegates to the Umno general assembly every year.
Asked whether there was a motion for the president and deputy president posts to be contested in the upcoming party elections, he said a decision would only be made during the special Supreme Council meeting on Jan 12, 2023, before the Umno general assembly the next day.
"There has been no decision yet on the matter. We will have to wait," he said.
The Umno general assembly for 2022, previously scheduled for Dec 21 to 24, will be held from Jan 11 to 14 next year.


‘Long Tiger’, three others remanded four days

A remand order for four days was issued by the Tangkak Magistrate’s Court today against an ethnic Rohingya man known as “Long Tiger” who escaped police custody while at the court on Dec 15.The remand order against Abdul Hamim Ab Hamid, 32, was issued by magistrate Analia Kamaruddin, who also issued a similar order against three other individuals, aged 36, 38 and 46, who are believed to be Hamim’s accomplices.Hamim, who was re-arrested in Kedah yesterday, was detained for investigation under Section 223/224 of the Penal Code, while the detention of the three other individuals was made under Section 216 of the same law for harbouring an offender.Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani said Hamim was re-arrested at about 3pm in Kedah.Hamim was reported to have escaped police custody at the same court on Dec 15 when brought there to face an extortion charge.He also has other cases pending, including for rape.


Muhyiddin poised for comeback as Anwar, too, claims numbers to form govt

Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) both claimed victory at the 15th general election (GE15), emerging as the biggest winners in the Nov 19 polls although short of the simple majority needed to form the federal government.
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said he had already secured enough numbers from other coalitions to add to the 73 seats won at press time, while PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim, whose coalition has bagged 79 seats so far, claimed his side had already crossed the threshold required to form the government.
Muhyiddin said negoations were underway with partners in Sarawak and Sabah, a reference to GPS and GRS which previously joined his 17-month administration.
"So far, it has been encouraging," Muhyiddin said to loud applause from supporters gathered at the PN election centre in Glenmarie, Shah Alam.
With 220 seats contested, any bloc will need 111 seats to form the government.
Anwar meanwhile refused to reveal how he had reached a majority, but insisted that he had the numbers.

Pakatan Harapan supporters gather in Subang for the results of the 15th general election.

This follows a swing in the Malay heartlands which saw PN winning in seats traditionally considered as Umno's fort, while pushing the Umno-led Barisan Nasional to the periphery.
Despite PH winning slightly more seats, PN's close ties with GPS in Sarawak (22 seats) and Sabah's GRS (six seats), with whom it formed the government in March 2020, look set to allow it to dominate in a future coalition government.
Muhyiddin said that Istana Negara had given instructions on the next steps based on the wishes of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
"We don't have to reveal it," he added.

Pakatan Harapan chairman Anwar Ibrahim speaks at a press conference in Subang.

He also said he would work with any party to reach the numbers needed to form the government.
His statement was interrupted by shouts of "Tolak Zahid" from supporters, a reflection of anger at Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who was intsrumental in toppling Muhyiddin's 17-month government at the height of the pandemic last year.
Muhyiddin also said PN would join forces with any bloc that shared its principles.
When questioned, he ruled out PH as a future partner.


Amirudin confident of almost clean sweep in Selangor for PH, BN

The coalition government's aim of winning at least 50 seats in Selangor for the upcoming state election is realistic and achievable, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said.
He said the target was attainable with the combined strength of Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN).
"Our realistic target is to win two-thirds of the seats in Selangor. It is doable and reachable if we combine the votes from PH and BN.
"This is the time to convince the grassroots from both sides (PH and BN) to work together and secure a win for the super coalition (coalition government) and ensure peace and stability in Selangor,” he said to reporters after performing Friday prayers with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and other congregants at the Bandar Tun Hussein Onn mosque in Cheras, Kuala Lumpur today.
Amirudin was responding to views thrown by political observers and the opposition that PH and BN’s target of winning 50 out of the 56 state seats at stake in Selangor was not realistic.
Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today consented to the dissolution of the 14th Selangor state assembly, two days before the expiry of its term, to pave the way for state elections to be held.


226 in ICU as new cases stay above 3,000

Another 3,306 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 161,740.Selangor recorded 1,213 cases, of which 912 or 75.2% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Sabah (432), Johor (329), Kuala Lumpur (250), Melaka (156), Kelantan (150), Penang (145), Kedah (142), Negeri Sembilan (126), Perak (114) and Sarawak (100).Pahang recorded 84 cases, Terengganu 20, Perlis 16, Putrajaya 15 and Labuan 14.Active cases stand at 38,791 with 226 in the ICU and 94 in need of respiratory assistance.Nine new clusters were detected:1. Taman Tasik Sungai Chua (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 60 cases)2. Kompleks Segamaha (Kinabatangan in Sabah; 58 cases)3. Jalan Bukit Bendera (Kota Kinabalu, Papar and Beaufort in Sabah; 20 cases)4. Jalan Suria (Johor Bahru in Johor; 24 cases)5. Tapak Bina Jalan Nipah (Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; 29 cases)6. Tapak Bina Era Duta (Kepong in Kuala Lumpur; 20 cases)7. Pulau Lima (Pasir Puteh in Kelantan; nine cases)8. Jalan TJ (Seremban in Negeri Sembilan; 39 cases)9. Kafe Genting (Genting Highlands, Bentong in Pahang; 31 cases)Two others ended, leaving 299 active clusters across the country.Another 2,293 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 122,344.However, four more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 605.


China weighs carrots and sticks in push to vaccinate millions

Tickets to tourist attractions, shopping coupons, and report cards naming and shaming stores where staff haven’t been vaccinated: China is veering from compulsion to persuasion in its bid to inoculate its population from Covid.The country has administered around 140 million doses – most people will require two shots – since vaccinations began last year and aims to fully inoculate 40% of its 1.4 billion people by June.But many in China have been slow to sign up for jabs, feeling they are no longer at risk of catching the virus as the country has largely brought domestic outbreaks under control.China reported just 11 domestically transmitted cases on Thursday, while life has returned largely to normal in most parts of the country, where most malls, nightclubs and amusement parks have been open for a year.Keen to meet vaccination goals, local officials have had to get creative.Walls across the narrow alleys of Beijing’s Xicheng district are now plastered with green, yellow and red signs, indicating the vaccination rate of people working and living in roadside stores and courtyard homes.“I feel it’s a little strange,” said Wang Ying, a barista at a cafe that had received a red sign right by its door – the lowest grade of less than 40% vaccination.“I originally thought vaccination should be based on individual wishes but now it seems like everyone must get the vaccine.”Wang told AFP she had reservations about the safety of the vaccines, but that she and her colleagues would eventually all get jabs.“In the food and beverage business, doing so will put everyone more at ease,” she said.Meanwhile, Daxing, a suburban district of Beijing, is handing out shopping coupons to people who have received the full two doses of a Covid-19 vaccine.Neighbourhood committees in another district have promised boxes of eggs to older residents who have been inoculated, while others who receive their jab have been promised free visits to the popular Lama Temple tourist site.But elsewhere, Chinese authorities and employers have opted for compulsion rather than persuasion to vaccinate millions of people.Officials in southwestern China’s Yunnan province, which recently discovered a small outbreak, last week launched a push to vaccinate all residents of Ruili city within five days, state media reported.It’s unclear how easy it will be to opt out of having the jab in the city, which borders Muse in neighbouring Myanmar, where escalating unrest since a Feb 1 military coup has raised fears that people may try to cross into China if the violence intensifies.National vaccination numbers have shot up in recent weeks, with a long line of residents waiting outside one inoculation centre in Beijing’s Chaoyang district on Thursday.“I’d been thinking about it for a while, because this is a new thing, but now more and more people have been getting the vaccine,” Zhang, a young man waiting in line to register for a shot, told AFP.


PH acting 'exactly like BN', Bersatu man says as PKR's Fahmi leads calls for police probe

Bersatu leader Dr Afif Bahardin today slammed PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil for urging the police to act against Perikatan Nasional's (PN) candidate for the Padang Serai polls after Azman Nasrudin criticised the new government by calling it "kerajaan zina" while on the campaign trail.
In a statement, Afif said that the threat of police action was against Pakatan Harapan's (PH) pledge to defend the freedom of speech.
"Demanding that the police investigate Azman is a direct contravention of PH’s claim to be a champion of democracy," he said.
"There are no criminal elements in what Azman said. It was political criticism of the new BN-PH coalition and it was fair comment. Any use of police powers to investigate political rivals of PH over political criticism is an abuse of police powers."
Azman was called to give his statement late last night after a police report was lodged against him.
He later admitted to having been "harsh" in his words, but denied insulting the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who reportedly proposed a "unity government" in order to end the political impasse arising from the uncertain election results on Nov 19.
Afif, the deputy Shah Alam Bersatu chief, said that in calling for police action against Azman, PH was acting "exactly like how BN used to act when in power by threatening police investigations whenever they were criticised by opposition politicians".
"In stark contrast, PN when in power did not resort to police against PH politicians who repeatedly insulted the government by branding it backdoor government or kerajaan gagal as well as many other insulting terms," he said.
Urging PH and Fahmi to withdraw their call for the police to investigate Azman, he said this was also in breach of election laws as Azman was a candidate in the Padang Serai polls.
"Fahmi has no business interfering in the electoral process by threatening police action against PN’s candidate.
"This amounts to coercion and intimidation against a candidate contesting in an election," he said.


What about AirAsia, Loke asked after Batik Air rebuke

An aviation expert has urged Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook not to split hairs in reprimanding airlines for wrongdoings, but to take equal action across the board.
Germal Singh Khera, a former Mavcom Aviation Development director, also said it was unfair for Loke to rebuke only Batik Air for flight delays given similar problems of a greater frequency at AirAsia.
Loke had said that he would look into the matter after a number of video clips went viral, showing Batik Air passengers scolding the airline's staff following delays, reportedly of up to eight hours.
But Germal said that in most cases, the transport minister is not directly involved in the affairs of aviation operations.
"These can be easily handled by the relevant regulatory authorities such as Mavcom and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia," he added.
"As a minister, he should be fair to all parties. Why single out Batik Air? Why is there no mention of AirAsia delays and cancellations or refund issues? This is being biased."
Mavcom data published in September showed that the most complaints from passengers from January to June this year were against AirAsia.
A total of 527 complaints (42.1%) were made against the budget airline, followed by 40.7% against Malaysia Airlines.
Batik Air received 99 complaints or 7.9%.
Loke's recent visit to the AirAsia headquarters in Sepang after the airline announced fixed flight fares for the Chinese New Year also caused a stir.
Some AirAsia passengers, including from overseas, asked why Loke had not taken the opportunity to address the issue of flight delays, cancellations and problems with refunds reported since 2020.
Malaysian Low EeMay said she was surprised to see Loke being so firm with Batik Air when he had not taken the same approach to AirAsia.
"AirAsia is much worse," she said, adding however that Loke might not be familiar with the issues associated with AirAsia as he had only recently taken over as transport minister.
"He should mention AirAsia which has more problems than just flight delays."
Harmeet Singh from Sydney meanwhile spoke of a betrayal by AirAsia as well as the Malaysian authorities.
"The Malaysian government has failed to act," he said.
"All of this is happening under the excuse of AirAsia's debt restructuring process."
Tommy Nagao of Japan said he had given up on obtaining a refund from AirAsia.
"Tony Fernandes will continue getting away with this, and it seems that no one can stop him, not even the transport minister," he said.
Malaysian Low Pui San urged Loke to look into the matter, given that people's hard-earned money was at stake.
"God knows what the cumulative sum is in terms of advance payments by passengers," she said.
"I hope he will really look into this. With enough noise and attention, I hope he will."


Court rejects Zahid's bid for permanent release of passport

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed the temporary return of Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's passport for him to apply for a diplomatic passport to carry out his official duties.
However, judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah rejected the deputy prime minister's application to have his passport permanently returned to enable him to perform his duties.
"This is a request by the prosecution to which I agree, that the accused (Zahid) is entitled to have his passport returned to him upon application for the purposes of applying for a diplomatic passport, after which the passport ought to be returned to the court.
"The application of the applicant to have his passport permanently released is dismissed," said the judge.
On Jan 26, Zahid filed an application to have his passport permanently returned to him, so that he could carry out his official duties as deputy prime minister.
The passport was surrendered to the court as an additional bail condition after he was charged with 47 counts of corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds, the proceedings of which are now at the defence stage.
Sequerah, in his decision, said Article 8 of the Federal Constitution stipulates that all persons are equal before the law. "Before the law, there shall be no privilege, person or class above the law," he said.
The judge said the court was cognisant of the fact that as deputy prime minister, Zahid had official duties to perform, but said these duties must not clash with his duty to go to court, as the court also had its own functions to perform.
Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Abdul Malik Ayob said the prosecution had no objection to Zahid’s application for his passport to be permanently returned to him.
However, he said after the issuance of his diplomatic passport, Zahid would have to return his personal passport to the court.
In an affidavit in support of the application, Zahid, 70, said he needed the passport for his application to obtain a diplomatic passport from the immigration department, for official business within and outside of the country.
"It is appropriate for the court to consider that the approval of the application will bring good and continuity to the administration of Malaysia, which is the responsibility of every citizen in this country," he said in the affidavit.
Zahid’s defence proceedings have been fixed to resume on April 10. The defence has called six witnesses, including Zahid himself, who is represented by Hisyam Teh Poh Teik.


94.6% of adults fully jabbed as total shots top 49 million

A total of 23,766,414 people or 94.6% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.Meanwhile, 25,366,353 or 97.5% had received at least one shot, including of the single-dose CanSino vaccine.In terms of total population, 72.8% are fully vaccinated and 77.7% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Kelantan and Sabah remain below the 80% full vaccination level for adults at 77.6% and 72.2% respectively.Yesterday, 124,540 doses of vaccine were administered, taking the cumulative number of jabs given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 49,069,291.


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314 in ICU as new cases stay below 4,000 mark

Another 3,680 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 194,114.Johor recorded 1,069 cases, Selangor 822, Kuala Lumpur 698, Sabah 295, Perak 181, Negeri Sembilan 112 and Penang 101.Kedah recorded 76, Sarawak 70, Terengganu 68, Melaka 63, Kelantan 60, Pahang 42, Putrajaya 19, Perlis three and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 42,389 with 314 in the ICU and 122 in need of respiratory assistance.Seventeen new clusters were detected:1. Parit Lanjut (Muar in Johor; 547 cases)2. Industri Grisek (Tangkak and Muar in Johor; 145 cases)3. Jalan Trus (Johor Bahru and Kluang in Johor; 10 cases)4. Jalan Medini (Johor Bahru in Johor; 13 cases)5. Tengah Tiga (Kluang in Johor; nine cases)6. Pengerang Utara (Kota Tinggi in Johor; 26 cases)7. Tapak Bina Persiaran Tecoma (Kepong in Kuala Lumpur; 157 cases)8. Jalan Danau (Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; 11 cases)9. Jalan Yahya (Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; eight cases)10. Jalan Pudu (Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur; 13 cases)11. Jalan Mutiara (Petaling in Selangor; 32 cases)12. Tapak Bina Tanjung (Kuala Langat in Selangor; 46 cases)13. Persiaran Perkilangan (Petaling and Klang in Selangor; 19 cases)14. Jalan Sulaman (Kota Kinabalu in Sabah; 23 cases)15. Jalan Seri (Kinta in Perak; 17 cases)16. Jalan Pengkalan (Kinta, Kerian and Kampar in Perak; 41 cases)17. Bedayan (Serian and Samarahan in Sarawak; 13 cases)Seven others ended, leaving 366 active clusters throughout the country.Another 1,858 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 151,018.However, seven more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 707.


Blinken to seek Asean pushback on China, pressure on Myanmar

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will seek in talks with Southeast Asian nations next week to push back on China and to pressure Myanmar's junta, a top aide said Friday.
Blinken will travel to Jakarta for talks with foreign ministers of Asean, flying straight from Lithuania where he will join President Joe Biden at a Nato summit focused on Ukraine.
Blinken last month paid a rare visit to Beijing in a bid to keep high tensions in check. But the US says it has also seen little change in policy by China, which has been asserting itself in the dispute-rife South China Sea.
"We have seen an upward trend of unhelpful and coercive and irresponsible Chinese actions in the South China Sea," Daniel Kritenbrink, the top US diplomat for East Asia, told reporters.
He said that the US shared the view of Southeast Asian nations on unimpeded freedom of navigation in the strategic waterway, where China has made sweeping claims despite protests from Vietnam, the Philippines and other nations.
The US and Asean seek to "push back on behaviour that runs counter to that vision and to those principles, including the many irresponsible acts that we've seen carried out by China over the last several years and in the last several weeks," he said.
The Asean talks are expected also to take up turmoil in Myanmar, where the military ousted the elected government in February 2021 and launched a crackdown that local monitors say has killed more than 3,600 civilians.
Myanmar has been suspected from top-level Asean summits due to its failure to implement a five-point peace plan agreed on two years ago, although Thailand's outgoing army-backed government triggered controversy by recently inviting the junta's top diplomat for talks.
Without criticising Thailand, Kritenbrink said the US expected the bloc to "continue to downgrade Myanmar's representation in the Asean ministerials."
"We also look forward to finding ways to increase pressure on the regime to compel the regime to end its violence and return to a path of democracy," he said.
US officials said it was too early to say whom Blinken would meet individually in Jakarta, where visitors include Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Blinken has refused most contact with Lavrov since the invasion of Ukraine, although they met briefly at Group of 20 talks in March in New Delhi.


Ab Rauf sworn in as Melaka CM

Tanjung Bidara assemblyman Ab Rauf Yusoh was sworn in as Melaka’s 13th chief minister today.
He took his oath of office before Melaka Yang Dipertua Negeri Mohd Ali Rustam at Seri Negeri in a private ceremony at 3.33pm with his predecessor, Sulaiman Md Ali, state assemblymen, MPs and heads of department present.
Sulaiman, who remains Lendu assemblyman, resigned yesterday, midway through his second term as chief minister.
He was first appointed on March 9, 2020 and then again on Nov 21, 2021.
Ab Rauf, a one-term assemblyman, won the Tanjung Bidara seat in a tight three-cornered contest, obtaining 3,599 votes against Perikatan Nasional’s Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (3,195 votes) and Pakatan Harapan’s Zainal Hassan (489 votes) in the last state election.
He was appointed state investment, industry, entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman in Sulaiman’s second administration, having served as Melaka state assembly speaker during his first.
Ab Rauf, who has been Melaka Umno liaison committee chief since 2018, was reelected as an Umno Supreme Council member during the party’s election this year, and retained his Masjid Tanah division chief post unopposed.


Protect children from Covid-19, health DG tells parents

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah is urging parents to take proactive measures to protect their children from Covid-19 following an increase in the number of cases involving this group, especially infants under the age of one and children below five years old.He said parents with babies and children under five years old should carry out their responsibilities by staying at home and not bringing their children to risky places.He said these places include supermarkets, public markets and other crowded places, adding that parents are advised to make online purchases for their daily necessities.“All parties, especially parents, are urged to take care of the safety and health of these children as they are still young and their immune systems are immature.“Therefore, they are more likely to be infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This group is also not included in the age group that is eligible to receive vaccination through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme,” he said in a statement.Noor Hisham said parents and members of surrounding communities should also register for vaccination to create a safer environment for children and protect them from Covid-19 infection.He also advised parents to monitor their children’s movements and ensure that they stay at home and do not go out to meet friends or visit neighbours.He said children should be advised to always wear face masks and practise proper personal hygiene if they have to leave the house for unavoidable matters such as going to the hospital or clinic.On Monday, Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said a total of 82,341 children and infants in Malaysia had been diagnosed with Covid-19 so far.


US issues ‘Do Not Travel’ Covid-19 warning for Germany and Denmark

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the State Department on Monday advised against travel to Germany and Denmark because of a rising number of Covid-19 cases in those countries.The CDC elevated its travel recommendation to “Level Four: Very High” for the two European countries, telling Americans they should avoid travel there, while the State Department issued parallel “Do Not Travel” advisories for both countries.The CDC currently lists about 75 destinations worldwide at Level Four, with many European countries on the list including Austria, Britain, Belgium, Greece, Norway, Switzerland, Romania, Ireland and the Czech Republic.Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel told leaders of her conservative party that measures being taken to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Europe’s biggest economy were insufficient and that stronger action needed to be taken, Reuters reported on Monday.Case numbers in Germany have been soaring, especially among the elderly whose first two shots of Covid-19 vaccine were at the start of the year, and among children who are not eligible for inoculation.Earlier this month, the World Health Organization (WHO) said European countries must work harder to prevent the coronavirus spreading further as deaths and new cases surge.Current transmission rates in 53 European countries are of “grave concern” and new cases are nearing record levels, exacerbated by the more transmissible Delta variant of the virus, the WHO’s Hans Kluge warned. “We must change our tactics, from reacting to surges of Covid-19, to preventing them from happening in the first place,” he said.Germany has already decided to limit large parts of public life in areas where hospitals are filling with Covid-19 patients.Neighboring Austria on Monday imposed a full Covid-19 lockdown after announcing some renewed restrictions last week. German acting Health Minister Jens Spahn warned on Friday that Germany may follow.The CDC separately lowered its Covid-19 travel advisory from Level Four to “Level Three: Low” for Israel, Aruba, the US Virgin Islands, Curacao and Guadeloupe.


Arrests made in Hong Kong, Singapore over international job scam syndicate

Forty-one suspects were arrested or investigated on Tuesday in Hong Kong and Singapore for their involvement in transnational job scams, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF).Fourteen alleged “core members” of the scam syndicate, which operated from Hong Kong, were arrested by Hong Kong police between June 16 and June 18 over 134 cases of job scams in Hong Kong that involved HK$9 million (S$1.56 million).Another 27 people were arrested by the Singapore police for their suspected involvement in job scams, reports CNA.“Preliminary investigations indicated that they had allegedly facilitated in-bank transfers, funds withdrawals, or had relinquished their bank accounts to the scam syndicate,” said SPF who said it has seen a rise in the number of job scam cases in recent months.“In these scams perpetuated by the Hong Kong syndicate, the syndicate posts advertisements on different social media platforms for jobs promising quick cash,” said SPF.Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) director David Chew said the transnational crime syndicate targeted unsuspecting victims in “many jurisdictions”, including Singapore.“In this instance, they enticed potential job seekers with promises of highly paid jobs that allowed them to work from home,” said Chew.The job would require the victims – job seekers – to assist in “improving the sales of online platforms”, which included Taobao, HKTV Mall, and “some malicious mobile apps”.The victims would then be told to make payments by transferring funds to different bank accounts. In return, they were promised reimbursements of the full sum, plus 5% to 12% commissions.In the initial stages, the scammers reimbursed the victims and paid them full commissions to convince them that it was a legitimate job and to induce them to deposit increasingly larger sums of money to earn more commission.“At this point, the scammers would promise commissions only after a certain number of tasks had been completed and would delay payments,” said SPF. “The victims would only realise they had fallen prey to a scam when they did not receive the subsequent reimbursements and commissions.”The CAD, Police Intelligence Department and seven land divisions of the SPF, together with the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau of the Hong Kong Police Force, had “jointly crippled” the transnational job scam syndicate, said SPF.Law enforcement managed to detect potential victims who could have received unsolicited texts, WhatsApp and Telegram messages from the alleged scammers.Since May 20, the CAD’s Anti Scam Centre has contacted more than 660 potential victims to advise them of these job scams, said SPF.CAD has also terminated more than 270 phone numbers and frozen more than 80 bank accounts suspected to be linked to these scams.SPF says it will continue collaborating “closely” with its counterparts to detect and deter such syndicates, which exploit the anonymity of the internet.Members of the public are advised that e-commerce platforms will never ask anyone to transfer money on the promise of a refund with a commission.“If it is too good to be true, it probably is. Do not accept dubious job offers that offer lucrative returns for minimal effort,” said SPF.People who are randomly invited into a messaging application group chat, which they suspect is promoting a scam, should report the group chat using the in-app function.“If possible, always verify the authenticity of the job with the official websites or sources; and do not click on suspicious URLs or download applications from unknown sources,” SPF added.


GE during monsoon season not advisable, says MetMalaysia

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has advised against holding an election during the northeast monsoon season, amid calls for polls to be held this year by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
MetMalaysia deputy director-general Hisham Mohd Anip said that floods generally occur throughout the country during the monsoon period.
"Even during the transition period, many places have already flooded," he said, citing the recent floods in Perak and Johor.
"So in terms of suitability, it will not help to hold an election," he added when questioned at the National Climate Forum today.
The northeast monsoon is expected to continue from November until March next year.
The country is currently transitioning from the southwest monsoon phase.
Hisham said states on the west coast would be more affected by the northeast monsoon than in previous years.
Nevertheless, he said that based on existing weather models, the phenonemon would not bring about extreme weather, with normal or less than normal rainfall expected.
"There is no single model that predicts the amount of extreme rainfall in terms of monthly rainfall," he added.
"We don't expect the current La Nina phenomenon to result in us receiving more rain."
Hisham however said that the department expects above-normal rainfall to hit northern and eastern Sabah in December and January.
Meanwhile, on the east coast of the peninsula which is often a priority for disaster management efforts during the monsoon season, he said there was no significant change in the amount of rain expected.
Some areas in Pahang and Johor have already experienced floods, resulting in the transfer of hundreds of victims to temporary evacuation centres.
Hisham said based on the rain patterns, the states in the peninsula were receiving rain ahead of the arrival of the northeast monsoon.
MalaysiaNow previously reported that the 15th general election (GE15) would take place amid flash floods and storms if it is held after mid-November.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah meanwhile visited the national flood forecasting and warning centre this morning, ahead of a widely expected audience with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob in the afternoon.
Calls for GE15 to be held this year have been led by Zahid and a group of Umno leaders aligned with him, despite the current Parliament term expiring only next year.
The state governments under Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional have opposed any move for an early election, saying they will not dissolve their state assemblies until next year.


Myanmar military widens coup dragnet as scores protest at university

Several hundred teachers and students protested at a Myanmar university Friday as the military widened a dragnet against officials ousted in a coup that has drawn global condemnation and the threat of new sanctions.The rally took place after the arrest Win Htein, a key aide to de facto leader Aung Sang Suu Kyi, who was detained along with President Win Myint early Monday.The putsch ended the country’s 10-year dalliance with democracy that followed decades of oppressive junta rule, and sparked outrage and calls by US President Joe Biden for the generals to relinquish power.On Friday, around 200 teachers and students at Yangon’s Dagon University staged a rally where they displayed a three-finger salute borrowed from Thailand’s democracy movements, and sang a popular revolution song.“As a citizen, I cannot accept this military coup at all,” lecturer Win Win Maw told AFP. “We have to resist this dictatorship.”Marching around the university’s compound, students chanted “Long live Mother Suu” and carried red flags, the colour of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) party.“We will not let our generation suffer under this kind of military dictatorship,” said Min Sithu, a student.Dozens of employees from several government ministries in Naypyidaw also posed for group photographs wearing red ribbons and flashing the democracy symbol.Hours before Friday’s university protest, Win Htein was arrested at his daughter’s house, said Kyi Toe, an NLD press officer.The 79-year-old NLD stalwart, considered Suu Kyi’s right-hand man, has spent long stretches in detention for campaigning against military rule.Ahead of his arrest, Win Htein told local media the military putsch was “not wise”, and called on people in the country to “oppose as much as they can”.Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since Monday.According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a Yangon-based group that monitors political arrests in Myanmar, more than 130 officials and lawmakers have been detained in relation to the coup.Telecom providers in the country have been ordered to cut access to Facebook, the main means of communication and accessing the internet for millions of people in Myanmar.‘Hope broken’With Facebook stifled, more Myanmar people have moved to Twitter in recent days or started using VPN services to bypass the blockade.A so-called Civil Disobedience Movement has gathered steam online, calling on the public to voice opposition every night by banging pots and clanging cymbals to show their anger.“I feel our hope is broken by the military after they seized power,” said food vendor Thazin Oo, whose mobile phone case has a photo of Suu Kyi.So far, at least 14 activists and prominent pro-democracy figures have been arrested, according to AAPP.The nephew of filmmaker Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi – who has previously been jailed for criticising the military – confirmed Friday his outspoken uncle had been picked up on the morning of the coup.“I think they arrested all dissidents who could share the right information to the public,” said Kaung Satt Naing.‘Refrain from violence’The putsch has drawn condemnation globally.On Thursday, Biden reiterated his call for the generals to reverse course.“The Burmese military should relinquish power they have seized, release the advocates and activists and officials they have detained, lift the restrictions in telecommunications, and refrain from violence,” Biden said.He spoke hours after his National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the White House was “looking at specific targeted sanctions both on individuals and on entities controlled by the military that enrich the military”.He did not give further details.The United Nations Security Council took a softer tack, voicing “deep concern” – a step down from a draft Tuesday that had condemned the coup.Diplomats said veto-wielding China and Russia, Myanmar’s main supporters at the UN, had asked for more time Tuesday to finesse the council’s response.There have been calls on multinational companies working with Myanmar’s military-linked businesses to cut ties as a way to pressure the generals.Japanese beer giant Kirin said Friday it was terminating its joint venture with a military-owned conglomerate. Kirin has been under scrutiny for some time over its ties to Myanmar’s army-owned breweries.


Top Indian judge slammed for ‘atrocious’ rape remarks

Calls have been growing in India for the chief justice of the Supreme Court to go “without a moment’s delay” after his recent remarks in a rape case.Chief Justice Sharad Bobde, who was heading a three-judge bench, asked a 23-year-old man accused of raping a girl whether he would marry her.“If you want to marry her, we can help you. If not, you lose your job and go to jail,” he said.His comments shocked many, especially considering the horrific accusations the girl – who was 16 at the time of the alleged rapes in 2014-15 – had made against the man, a distant relative.In an open letter to Bobde, more than 5,000 feminists, rights activists and concerned citizens wrote that they were “outraged” and asked him to retract his statements and apologise or quit, the BBC is reporting.According to the open letter, the alleged rapist “is accused of stalking, tying up, gagging, repeatedly raping a minor school-going girl, and threatening to douse her in petrol and set her alight, to hurl acid at her, and to have her brother killed”.It added that “the rape only came to light when the minor school-going victim attempted suicide”.The girl’s family also alleged that they had agreed not to go to the police because they were promised by the accused’s mother that once the girl became an adult, they would marry the two.In a country where victims are often blamed for rape, and sexual assault carries a lifelong stigma, her family had little choice but to agree to the arrangement.But after the accused backtracked from his promise and married someone else, the survivor went to the police.The accused, who is a government employee in the western state of Maharashtra, had been granted anticipatory bail by a lower court after he pleaded that he would lose his job if arrested. But the Bombay High Court called the order “atrocious” and cancelled his bail.The man then approached the Supreme Court – which on Monday granted him protection from arrest for four weeks. This was when the infamous remarks were made by Bobde.The open letter borrows the term “atrocious” from the Bombay High Court order to describe Bobde’s remarks.“Your proposal of marriage as an amicable solution to settle the case of rape of a minor girl is worse than atrocious and insensitive for it deeply erodes the right of victims to seek justice.“By suggesting that this alleged rapist marry the victim-survivor, you, the chief justice of India, sought to condemn her to a lifetime of rape at the hands of the tormentor who drove her to attempt suicide,” it says.The top judge’s comments have been especially criticised as they are being seen as an “attempt to work out a compromise” between the two sides.Yet such an arrangement is not unknown in traditional Indian societies.Gatherings of village elders in rural communities steeped in patriarchy are known to offer such a compromise formula to broker peace between families, and over the years, there have been several instances of the judiciary trying to play matchmaker between the victim and the accused in a similar fashion.This kind of arrangement is decried by young, educated metropolitan types.


Washington plans aid to help Ukraine restore power after Russian strikes on grid

The US will announce new aid on Tuesday to help Ukraine restore electricity as its people faced another week of brutal cold and darkness after Russian strikes on its power grid caused rolling blackouts.
Russian missile strikes have targeted Ukraine's power generation sites, transmission and distribution facilities and water pumping stations since early October, with each barrage having greater impact than the last as damage accumulates and a frigid winter sets in.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he expected new attacks this week that could be as bad as last week's missile bombardment, which left millions of people with no heat, water or power.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who arrived in Bucharest early on Tuesday, will announce new assistance to help restore Ukraine’s power transmission capacity, a senior State Department official told reporters on condition of anonymity. Washington has been working with US utilities and hardware providers and with European nations to locate equipment that can restore high-voltage transmission stations damaged by Russian missile strikes, the official said.
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba told a gathering of seven Nordic and Baltic foreign ministers that his country needed transformers and improved air defences.
Kyiv says Russian attacks, which Russia acknowledges target Ukrainian infrastructure, are intended to harm civilians, making them a war crime. Moscow denies its intent is to hurt civilians but said last week their suffering would not end unless Ukraine yielded to Russia's demands, without spelling them out.
With Russia's invasion in its ninth month, Zelensky described Moscow's destruction in Ukraine as an act of revenge, and he promised that Ukraine will rebuild "every site destroyed by the occupiers."
In Kyiv, snow fell and temperatures were hovering around freezing as millions in and around the Ukrainian capital struggled with disruptions to electricity supply and central heating resulting from Russian air strikes.
DTEK, Ukraine's biggest private electricity producer, said it would reduce electricity supply by 60% for its consumers in Kyiv.
National grid operator Ukrenergo said on Monday it had been forced to resume regular emergency blackouts across the country after a setback in its race to repair energy infrastructure.
Units at several power stations had to conduct emergency shutdowns and demand for electricity has been rising as snowy winter weather has set in, Ukrenergo said.
In Kherson city, which has lacked electricity and heat since Russian forces abandoned it earlier this month, regional governor Yaroslav Yanushevych said that 24% of customers now had electricity, including partial power in the city centre. Water-filling stations had been set up throughout Kherson, he said on the Telegram messaging app.
Ukraine's armed forces General Staff said late on Monday that Russian forces were heavily shelling towns on the west bank of the Dnipro River, including Kherson, abandoned by Moscow earlier this month. Zelensky said in his address that Russian forces shelled Kherson and communities in the region 258 times in the last week alone.
Russia launched what it calls its "special military operation" on Feb 24 to demilitarise its neighbour and protect Russian speakers. Ukraine and Western nations have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for invasion.
New phase
Along front lines in eastern Ukraine, the onset of winter is ushering in a new phase of the conflict, after several months of Russian retreats, with intense trench warfare along heavily fortified positions.
With Russian forces having pulled back in the northeast and withdrawn across the Dnipro River in the south, the front line is only around half the length it was a few months ago, making it harder for Ukrainian forces to pinpoint weakly defended stretches to attempt a new breakthrough.
The Pentagon is considering a Boeing proposal to supply Ukraine with cheap, small precision bombs fitted onto abundantly available rockets, allowing Kyiv to strike far behind Russian lines as the West struggles to meet demand for more arms.
US and allied military inventories are shrinking, and Ukraine faces an increasing need for more sophisticated weapons as the war drags on.
In its evening update on Monday, Ukraine's armed forces General Staff said Russia kept up heavy shelling of key targets Bakhmut and Avdiivka in Donetsk province, and to the north bombarded areas around the towns of Kupiansk and Lyman, both recaptured recently by Kyiv.
It said Ukrainian forces had damaged a rail bridge north of the Russian-occupied southern city of Melitopol that has been key to supplying Russian forces dug in there.
Reuters could not independently verify battlefield reports.


Acryl Sani to continue as IGP on 2-year contract

The service of Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani as the inspector-general of police (IGP) will be extended for two years on a contract basis after he retires early next month.Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said Acryl, 59, would be appointed on a contract basis for a period of two years effective Oct 4, 2021 to Oct 3, 2023.He said the appointment had received the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on the advice of Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.“Congratulations and well done to Acryl on the extension of his service as the IGP. I believe he will do his best for the country.“I am confident that this appointment can inspire all officers and personnel to continue to work with the IGP to provide the best service to the country,” he said at a special press conference to hand over the letter of appointment to Acryl at Bukit Aman today.Acryl was officially appointed as the 13th IGP on May 4 this year to replace Abdul Hamid Bador whose service contract ended on May 3.


Anwar’s future dimmer than ever after PKR wipeout in Melaka

A long-standing but silent call to replace PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as chairman of Pakatan Harapan (PH) is set to be renewed in the wake of his party’s failure to win a single seat in the newly concluded Melaka state election, according to sources familiar with discussions within the party.Several PKR leaders and senior activists who had remained with the party since it was booted out of federal power in 2020 also questioned Anwar’s ability to lead the coalition, saying the party would have a “very difficult time” with its partners, especially DAP, in the allocation of multiracial seats at the next general election.At least two PKR MPs approached by MalaysiaNow refused to comment, with another saying the party’s post-mortem in the coming days “will bring back questions on its leader who has been the party’s image.”PKR lost in all of the 11 seats it contested despite being allocated more than its partners Amanah and DAP, which won one and four seats respectively.While some of its worst defeats point to a strong rejection by Malay voters, the party also lost in Machap Jaya.Machap Jaya is significant as it is the only non-Malay majority seat PKR contested. Seven other non-Malay majority seats were contested by DAP, which won four of them.“As in the rest of the country, it is already a struggle for PKR to get Chinese-dominated or even multiracial seats, as these are claimed by DAP in every election during talks for seat allocations,” said a former PKR member once involved in seat distributions between PH parties.“The defeat in Machap Jaya will only strengthen DAP’s argument not to give in to PKR or Amanah when it comes to non-Malay majority seats.”PKR was formed as Parti Keadilan Nasional (PKN) in 1999 by hardcore supporters of Anwar, months after he was sacked by Dr Mahathir Mohamad and later convicted and jailed for sodomy and abuse of power.The party has since kept to its image as Anwar’s party, with his wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and their daughter Nurul Izzah given critical roles.Calls for Anwar to step down are nothing new.As recent as August, his failure to gather enough support from opposition MPs to fill the vaccuum left by Muhyiddin Yassin’s resignation had ignited debate on whether he was still relevant.Prominent social critic Chandra Muzaffar, one of the architects of the reformasi movement, agreed that the outcome of the election would haunt Anwar with questions raised about his role in triggering the election during the pandemic.“For the last two years, Anwar has been focused mainly on getting the numbers in the Dewan Rakyat to topple the government of the day. Some voters do not like this,” Chandra, who was tasked with drafting the Keadilan constitution at its inception two decades ago, told MalaysiaNow.He said political stability was a fundamental concern for voters, adding that PKR was punished partly due to its leader’s role in triggering the state election during the pandemic.“A portion decided to turn against the person who brought down the Melaka state government a few weeks ago. Some BN leaders in fact asked the voters to punish those who caused instability in the state.”A quick check reveals that in areas contested by PKR, PH came in last among the three major coalitions, getting 16.3% in popular votes behind underdog Perikatan Nasional with 18.7%.Even its decision to field big names such as former chief minister and ex-Umno man Idris Haron in Asahan, or federal MP and party information chief Shamsul Iskandar Akin in Paya Rumput, failed to deliver seats for PKR.In Tanjung Bidara, where the percentage of Malay voters is the highest in Melaka, PKR’s Zainal Hassan lost his deposit, obtaining only 489 votes.Chandra said PKR’s failure to win any seat was also a testament to its continued rejection by the community.“For many Malay voters, PKR’s collusion with DAP is anathema,” he added.Meanwhile, a former PKR MP said any post-mortem into its defeat in Melaka could not ignore the party’s central leadership.“The answers to why we were wiped out in Melaka reside outside the state, and an honest post-mortem will bring out some bitter truths,” he said.“Some big names have lost. The leadership will have to do some soul searching, maybe ponder on the very core reasons for the party’s formation.”


Govt mulls allowing shops, eateries to open until midnight

Restaurants and eateries across the country may soon be allowed to operate from 6am to midnight regardless of which phase states are in under the National Recovery Plan, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said today.The same will apply for petrol stations and convenience shops, except for premises in areas under enhanced movement control order, he said.He added that a proposal for this will be raised at the Special Committee on Tackling Covid-19 chaired by the prime minister tomorrow.Speaking to reporters after the second meeting of the Covid-19 Quartet Ministers, he said it was important for these sectors to be allowed to resume operations as Malaysia geared up for the endemic phase of Covid-19.


Haj pilgrims face growing heatstroke risks

As thousands of devout Muslims flock to Islam’s holiest sites in Saudi Arabia for the annual haj pilgrimage this week, scientists are warning that the sacred rite is under threat due to increasing temperatures every year.The risk of pilgrims suffering life-threatening heatstroke could rise five-fold with global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial times, a study in the journal Environmental Research Letters has found.“The region is already susceptible to dangerous heat levels. We found that even in the best-case scenario, where temperatures only go up by 1.5 degrees Celsius, pilgrims would still be under threat,” said Fahad Saeed, lead author of the study.“It will compromise the very essence of Islam,” Saeed, regional lead scientist for Climate Analytics, a Berlin-based think tank, told Reuters.The haj, a once-in-a-lifetime duty for every able-bodied Muslim who can afford it, involves several strenuous outdoor activities, including praying outside and walking from one religious site to another during the day.The risk of heatstroke stems not just from rising temperatures, but from more humidity – which prevents sweat from evaporating as quickly, making it harder to cool down.To guard against the coronavirus, only 60,000 pilgrims are visiting the main sites from July 17 to 22 this year, in temperatures of about 36 degrees to 43 degrees.Climate Analytics found that July, August, September, and October will have the deadliest combination of heat and humidity – months during which the haj, which follows the Islamic lunar calendar, is set to fall for the next decade.Saudi authorities are tackling the heat threat, with a 2016 National Haj Extreme Heat Strategy pledging air conditioning and fans in all indoor places and adequate water, as heat illnesses made up 24% of hospital admissions during 2015’s haj.After allowing only 10,000 pilgrims to attend last year, the haj has expanded this year but only to citizens and residents, aged 18 to 65, who have been fully vaccinated or have recovered from the virus and who do not suffer from chronic diseases.The ministry of health announced it had provided misting fans across religious sites and a nearby hospital would be equipped with a 24-hour heat exhaustion unit.Limiting numbers to decrease the risk of spreading Covid-19 has also barred those most at risk of heatstroke, while fewer pilgrims mean cooling units can work more effectively.“There are lower numbers this year but in normal years the haj brings two million people to a confined place. The risk would be higher,” said Saeed.The study’s authors said Muslim countries should consider more actively working to curb climate-changing emissions under the Paris Agreement “in order to avoid profound risks for one of the central elements of their faith”.“Climate action could save this heritage,” Saeed said.


PKR's Ramanan blasts Khairy's PM ambition, says not the same as Anwar's

Pakatan Harapan's (PH) candidate for Sungai Buloh today hit out at his opponent from Barisan Nasional (BN), Khairy Jamaluddin, who last night announced his intention of one day becoming the prime minister, while defending the long-held ambition of his party boss to do the same.
R Ramanan of PKR said Khairy's remarks had been insensitive to the people's current situation.
Describing Khairy as "power-crazy", he said the health minister had shown his true colours.
"Even as we are trying to overcome the hardships of the people – the rising cost of living, the youth unemployment rate, the flood problems, and corruption – he is busy talking about power," he said in a statement to MalaysiaNow.
Khairy, the Rembau incumbent, was fielded in Sungai Buloh to make way for Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan to contest his seat instead.
Speaking at a campaign event in the constituency last night, he voiced ambitions of one day leading Umno and becoming the prime minister, although he reiterated that Ismail Sabri Yaakob would still take the top office if BN won the Nov 19 polls.
"If you support me today, one day, I want to lead Umno. One day, I want to be your prime minister, to raise up this country," he said.
Khairy, a former Umno Youth chief, had previously traded blows with Ramanan as well over the latter's allegation that money had been misused in the youth and sports ministry, a portfolio once held by Khairy.
Khairy had urged Ramanan not to use metaphors if he wanted to accuse him of being involved.
Sungai Buloh will witness a seven-way fight among candidates from BN, PH, Perikatan Nasional, Parti Rakyat Malaysia and Pejuang, as well as two independent contestants.
Ramanan was fielded in place of the incumbent, R Sivarasa, while Khairy had held his Rembau seat for three terms before being sent to stand in Sungai Buloh.
Ramanan said Khairy's ambition of becoming prime minister could not be equated with that of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, who has been trying for more than two decades to take the top office.
"In terms of policymaking, during his tenure as minister, Khairy had many failures, especially in handling Covid-19 and the vaccination programme, and so on," the former MIC strongman said.
Anwar, on the other hand, who is PH's candidate for Tambun, had been recognised as the best finance minister in Asia and the minister responsible for strengthening the country's Islamic financial system, he said.


Russia thumbs nose at Ukraine, supplies Sputnik V jabs to rebels

Russia has begun supplying its Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine to the rebel-controlled region of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine.This comes despite a nationwide ban on the Russian jab by Ukrainian capital Kiev, a local news outlet said on Sunday.The pro-West Ukrainian government is planning to receive shipments of Western-made vaccines from February.But it has little control over Moscow-backed separatist rebels in Donetsk on its border with Russia, where conflict between Ukrainian troops and rebels has killed more than 13,000 people since 2014.While internationally recognised as part of Ukraine, the Donetsk region is now the de facto Donetsk People’s Republic, which is backed by Moscow.Denis Pushilin, head of the self-proclaimed Donetsk republic, was quoted by the republic’s news agency DAN as saying vaccinations would soon begin thanks to Russian supplies.“A couple of thousand doses were supplied. Such deliveries will come on a regular basis,” he said. “We are grateful to Russia that it supports us in every field.”It was not clear which institution would supply the doses. On Saturday, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which markets the Sputnik vaccine abroad, said it did not supply the Donetsk or Luhansk breakaway regions.Pushilin said health workers and teachers were among those being vaccinated first and free of charge.There was no immediate reaction from the governments in Kiev or Moscow on the DAN report.


Russia accuses Ukraine of Poland missile blast

Russia on Wednesday accused Ukraine of a deadly blast in Poland, with Belgium saying it was probably caused by Kyiv's air defences firing at Moscow's incoming missiles.
The explosion in a farm building on Tuesday killed two people, leaving the village of Przewodow in shock and sparking international concern over a possible further escalation of the conflict.
Ambassadors from members of the Nato military alliance went into emergency talks in Brussels after Poland put its military on high alert in the wake of the blast and summoned Russia's ambassador.
"Based on the preliminary information available, the strikes are most likely a result of Ukrainian anti-aircraft systems that were engaged to take Russian missiles out of the sky," Belgian Defence Minister Ludivine Dedonder said in a statement.
US President Joe Biden had said it was "unlikely" the missile came from Russia, and the Kremlin said it had "nothing to do with" it.
"Photographs of the wreckage... were unequivocally identified by Russian military experts as fragments of a guided anti-aircraft missile of a Ukrainian S-300 air defence system," the Russian defence ministry said in a statement.
It added that "strikes were carried out on targets only on the territory of Ukraine and at a distance of no closer than 35km from the Ukrainian-Polish border."
But Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba earlier rejected as a "conspiracy theory" the idea that it may have been a Ukrainian missile.
The impact occurred in the village of Przewodow at 1440 GMT on Tuesday, killing two farm workers.
Police cordoned off the blast site and sirens could be heard wailing in the distance.
"I'm scared. I didn't sleep all night," said Anna Magus, a 60-year-old teacher at the local elementary school.
"I hope it was a stray missile because otherwise we're helpless," she said.
'Exercise restraint'
In Indonesia's Bali, Western leaders cautioned against jumping to any conclusions.
China said "all relevant parties should stay calm and exercise restraint to avoid escalation", while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a "careful investigation" and warned against "hasty" judgments.
According to a copy of his speech seen by AFP, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the missile incident was "a true statement brought by Russia for the G20 summit".
Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Jablonski also called for caution but told RMF radio that "in all likelihood, we are dealing with a consequence of Russia's actions".
He also responded to criticism of Poland's defences.
"Missile defence systems around the world are never one hundred percent effective systems that protect each millimetre of every country's territory," he said.
Poland on Tuesday held an emergency national security council meeting and summoned Moscow's ambassador over the incident to provide "immediate detailed explanations".
The government also said it had raised "the state of readiness of some combat units and other uniformed services."
Nato commitment
Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24 and still holds swathes of Ukrainian territory despite a series of battlefield defeats in recent months.
Poland – which shares a 530km border with Ukraine – has taken a lead in the region in providing military and humanitarian assistance to its eastern neighbour and sanctioning Russia.
The conflict has caused deep unease in Poland where memories of Soviet domination are still raw.
Poland is protected by Nato's commitment to collective defence – enshrined in Article 5 of its founding treaty – but the alliance's response will likely be heavily influenced by whether the incident was accidental or intentional.
Warsaw has said it may invoke Article 4 of the treaty under which any member can call urgent talks when it feels its "territorial integrity, political independence or security" are at risk.
'Closer to the world war'
Zelensky called the missile incident "a very significant escalation" while Russia's defence ministry dismissed reports that it was to blame as a "provocation" intended to raise tensions.
"The incident with the Ukrainian-alleged 'missile strike' on a Polish farm proves just one thing: waging a hybrid war against Russia, the West moves closer to the world war," Dmitry Medvedev, deputy head of Russia's security council, said on Twitter.
The explosion came after Russian missiles hit cities across Ukraine on Tuesday, including Lviv, near the border with Poland.
Zelensky said the strikes cut power to some 10 million people, though it was later restored to eight million of them, and also triggered automatic shutdowns at two nuclear power plants.
He said Russia had fired 85 missiles at energy facilities across the country, condemning the strikes as an "act of genocide" and a "cynical slap in the face" of the G20.
Moldova, which also borders Ukraine, reported power cuts because of the missiles fired at its neighbour and called on Moscow to "stop the destruction now".


Dutch privacy watchdog seeks information from OpenAI, flags concerns

Dutch privacy watchdog DPA said on Wednesday it is "concerned" about the use of personal data by software makers developing artificial intelligence (AI) and it has sent a letter to Microsoft-backed OpenAI seeking more information.
Governments including the European Union are considering how to regulate the technology after OpenAI's ChatGPT became the fastest-growing consumer application in history.
"The DPA is concerned about how organizations that make use of so-called 'generative' artificial intelligence treat personal information," the agency said.
The agency "will be taking various actions in the future. As a first step we have asked OpenAI by letter to clear up some things about ChatGPT."
DPA said it was seeking information about how the company has gathered the data it used to create its software and how it stores data, including information gleaned from user questions.
Concerns are mounting about potential abuse of the technology and the possibility that bad actors and governments may use it to produce far more disinformation than before.


HFMD cases up 20-fold, nearly 30% in Selangor

The number of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) cases in the country has increased at a worrying rate of 20-fold with 47,209 cases reported as of May 21 this year compared to only 2,237 cases in the corresponding period last year.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said 15,548 cases were recorded nationwide in the 20th epidemiology week ending May 21, an increase of 106.6% from the 7,526 cases recorded in the previous week.“The majority of the disease outbreaks occurred in nurseries, kindergartens and preschools with 711 outbreaks or 61% of the total cases, followed by private homes with 407 outbreaks or 35% and childcare centres with 42 outbreaks (3%),” he said in a statement today.Selangor recorded the most number of HFMD cases (13,640 cases, 28.9%) followed by Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (6,206 cases, 13.1%), Perak (4,099 cases, 8.7%), Kelantan (3,726 cases, 7.9%) and Sabah (3,352 cases, 7.1%). Other states reported fewer than 2,500 cases.Noor Hisham said a total of 1,168 outbreaks were reported in Malaysia so far with three states recording the highest number: Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya at 413 (35.4%), followed by Selangor at 143 (12.2%) and Perak at 130 (11.1%).He said most of the HFMD cases occurred among children below the age of six which was evident in 43,736 cases (93%), followed by those aged seven to 12 (2,765 cases or 6%) and those over the age of 12 (696 cases or 1%).Noor Hisham said that state health departments and district health offices nationwide had conducted engagement sessions with the agencies that supervise the management of nurseries, kindergartens and preschools since the 17th epidemiological week following the increase in HFMD cases in most states.He said the engagement sessions emphasised gatekeeping screenings; correct hand-washing practices; the disinfection of children’s toys, house floors and toilets; proper management of disposable diapers; and the use of separate eating and drinking utensils.Noor Hisham also reminded the public, especially parents with small children, not to take their children to places where there is a risk of infection, such as public playgrounds.The public is also advised to report HFMD cases occurring at their children’s nurseries, kindergartens and schools to the nearest district health office for control action.


Just under a quarter of children given first vaccine jab

A total of 879,264 children or 24.8% of those aged five to 11 had received their first dose of vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, 14,660,956 individuals or 62.3% of the adult population have received a booster dose, while 22,949,368 or 97.5% have completed their vaccination.A total of 23,229,321 or 98.7% have received at least one jab.In terms of adolescents aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,801,180 or 90% have completed their vaccination while 2,896,290 or 93.1% have received at least one dose.A total of 115,202 vaccine doses were administered yesterday, comprising 34,200 first-dose shots, 1,259 second-dose shots and 79,743 booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of shots given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 67,208,978.


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