Singapore court throws out Nagaenthran’s appeal against death sentence

The Singapore Court of Appeal today dismissed Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam’s appeal against his death sentence, calling it an abuse of the court process.Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon also said that a challenge to previous decisions in Nagaenthran’s case and a bid to get proceedings delayed for a psychiatric assessment were both rejected, AFP reported.The attempt to get a further assessment amounted to a “blatant and egregious abuse of the court process” aimed at delaying the execution, Sundaresh said.Nagaenthran’s lawyer M Ravi said the court had ruled that international law does not apply in his case.“Nagaenthran, who is mentally disabled, is due to be hanged, possibly in the next few days,” he added in a post on Facebook.Nagaenthran, now 34, was arrested in 2009 for trafficking a small amount of heroin into Singapore, which has some of the world’s toughest drug laws.He was handed a then mandatory death sentence the following year.Supporters say Nagaenthran has an IQ of 69 – a level recognised as a disability – and was coerced into committing the crime.He was scheduled to be hanged in November last year but the verdict sparked criticism due to concerns he has intellectual disabilities, with the European Union and British billionaire Richard Branson among those condemning the decision.Singapore activist Kirsten Han, an active critic of the city-state’s use of the death penalty, said the court had ruled that there was no factual basis to allow the criminal motion for Nagaenthran to be assessed by an independent panel of psychiatrists, and that the affidavits of his brother and former lawyer were dimissed as they could not be said to be “disinterested parties”.“They also said that the affidavits from his lawyer and brother were contradicted by testimony from the prison officer in charge of Nagaenthran,” she said on Twitter.As the prison officer had no interest in seeing Nagaenthran executed, she said, the court had said there was no reason to disbelieve him.“The court also remarked that the Misuse of Drugs Act is ‘unambiguous’ with regard to stipulating the mandatory death penalty (unless certain conditions are met),” she said.“If lawyers feel strongly about the death penalty, ‘the proper recourse is to seek legislative change’.”


Saudi vows to ensure China’s energy security for the next 50 years and beyond

Saudi Arabia’s state-backed oil giant Aramco has promised to ensure China’s energy security remains its highest priority for the next 50 years and beyond, CEO Amin Nasser told the China Development Forum on Sunday.Saudi Arabia, the world’s biggest oil exporter, retained its position as China’s top supplier in the first two months of this year, with volumes up over 2% percent to 1.86 million barrels per day (bpd), China customs data showed on Saturday.The kingdom beat Russia to keep its ranking as China’s top crude supplier in 2020 despite unprecedented production cuts in a pact between the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (Opec) and its allies to balance global markets after demand plunged during the pandemic.“Ensuring the continuing security of China’s energy needs remains our highest priority,” Nasser said in a video speech. “We appreciate that sustainable energy solutions are crucial to a faster and smoother global energy transition, but, realistically, this will take some time since there are few alternatives to oil in many areas.”Nasser said earlier on Sunday that Chinese demand was very close to pre-pandemic levels while Asia, East Asia in particular, has seen a strong pickup.Besides being a top supplier of China’s energy needs, Nasser said Aramco is also well-placed to help China achieve its second centennial goal in energy transition.Chinese President Xi Jinping announced in September that China will bring its carbon emissions to a peak before 2030 and reach carbon neutrality by 2060, a pledge that is expected to create a tectonic shift in its energy and manufacturing sectors.Nasser added that Aramco is working with Chinese universities and companies in researching cleaner engine fuel systems and technologies to convert crude to chemicals and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from existing energy sources.“In fact, we have even bolder ambitions to expand and intensify our research collaboration with China,” Nasser said.Experts from China National Petroleum Corp’s (CNPC) research institute have forecast that China’s oil demand will be capped at 730 million tonnes by around 2025 under Xi’s climate pledge.This comes as Aramco paid the Saudi government 30% less in taxes in 2020, the company said in a financial report on Monday, as the region’s largest economy reels from the fallout of the coronavirus pandemic and low oil prices, ABC News reported on TuesdaySaudi Arabian Oil Co, the kingdom’s largest taxpayer, transferred US$110 billion to the government in 2020 in dividends, royalties and income taxes, down from nearly US$159 billion the year before.The kingdom plans to spend US$263 billion in 2021, according to its budget, showing the significance of Aramco’s payments to state coffers.Even as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman aggressively pushes to diversify the economy away from oil, Saudi Arabia relies on the energy sector for 80% of its exports and two-thirds of its financial revenues.


6,200 no-shows for vaccination appointments in Negeri Sembilan

A total of 6,200 individuals who registered for Phase Two of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in Negeri Sembilan did not turn up for their vaccination appointments from April until today.State health, environment, cooperatives and consumerism committee chairman S Veerapan said among their excuses was that they did not check their MySejahtera application for appointment dates and the vaccination centres (PPVs) were located far from their home.“Besides that, senior citizens have no one to send them to PPVs. There are also individuals who said that they have been identified as close contacts or tested positive for Covid-19,” he told reporters after visiting the vaccination centre at UCSI Hospital today.He urged the public to take their vaccination appointments seriously to help contain the spread of Covid-19 in the country.In a related development, Veerapan said five private hospitals in the state would now serve as PPVs for the immunisation programme, namely UCSI Hospital, Mawar Medical Centre, SALAM Senawang Specialist Hospital, KPJ Seremban Hospital and Nilai Medical Centre.The vaccination exercise will also be carried out at eight clinics, namely Klinik Anda and Poliklinik Damai in Senawang; AMC Klinik, Klinik Icon and Klinik Daniel in Seremban 2; and Klinik Nisa, Klinik Desaria and Klinik Dr Lee in Nilai.Veerapan said there are currently 17 active Covid-19 clusters in Negeri Sembilan, four of which involve workplaces. The others are linked to communities (four), religious gatherinsg (five), high-risk groups (two) and one each at an educational institution and detention centre.He added that Covid-19 infection was highest among individuals aged 18 to 60 years.Negeri Sembilan recorded 370 new cases yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in the state to 23,813.


Experts back legal aid service by political parties for those fined over SOPs

Experts from the medical and political science fields have welcomed efforts by parties from across the political divide to provide legal assistance for those slapped with the maximum RM10,000 compound for violating Covid-19 SOPs, joining others in questioning the move to revise the amount upwards from the original RM1,000.The RM10,000 compound came into effect earlier this month under the Emergency (Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which also warned of a maximum RM100,000 fine, jail of not more than three years, or both for those convicted.The revision sparked public outcry with critics saying the amount is too much for those who unintentionally breach SOPs, such as by failing to register before entering business premises or not wearing a face mask in public places.It also saw political parties including Umno, PKR and MCA moving to provide free services to help those fined negotiate the compound amount.Political scientist Wong Chin Huat praised these efforts, saying they benefit the people and will help ensure the rule of law while challenging any move towards selective prosecution.He told MalaysiaNow that many were concerned not only about the amount of compound but the possibility of double standards as well.“When laws can be bent, people have every right to question whether they are fined not because they break the law, but because they are not VIPs,” he said.A lawyer from MCA told MalaysiaNow that calls had been pouring in from members of the public enquiring about the party’s free legal service.“When laws can be bent, people have every right to question whether they are fined not because they break the law, but because they are not VIPs.”Those who reach out for help are put through a vetting process which includes gathering the necessary information or evidence about the compound, examining CCTV footage at the business premise, and holding discussions with the police.Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah, president of the Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia, said the fine is too high for most people, and that the penalty should commensurate with the offence.He also questioned the move to revise the compound amount, especially during a time when people are struggling to make ends meet.“If they cannot pay the fine and are jailed, it is only going to fill up the jails and waste taxpayers’ money,” he said.Former deputy health director-general Dr Christopher Lee meanwhile said the enforcement of SOPs must be carried out in a transparent and consistent manner.He said it was more important to take an educational approach to the matter, and that enforcement should be balanced with compassion and empathy.“RM10,000 is surely viewed as overkill regardless of whether political parties are stepping in to help those hit with the fine.”“The subsequent guidelines that came later on regarding the ‘discounts’ that can be considered certainly brought more clarity and fairness,” he said, referring to Takiyuddin Hassan’s press conference on March 17 at which the law minister laid out hypothetical scenarios as examples and said that discounts would be given to those who pay their compounds within a week or two of the date of issue.He also explained how offences would be categorised, with compound amounts corresponding to the severity of the offence.Both Takiyuddin and Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob had assured after the increase in compound amount that those slapped with the maximum RM10,000 fine can appeal to the district health office for a reduction.Ismail said the officers would use their discretion to determine the amount that needs to be paid while Takiyuddin said the amount shown on the compound notice would not be final as appeals could be made to the authorised officer.Last week, former prime minister Najib Razak who was caught on video entering a restaurant without checking in said he would pay the RM1,500 compound for failing to scan the QR code, adding that he would do so within a week in order to get what he called the “early bird discount” of 50%.Lee Hwok Aun, from Singapore’s ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, said the conduct of politicians and public expectations have for many years revolved around the provision of social services.“People go to MPs and assemblymen to seek fixes for infrastructure and amenities, assistance in public complaints, attendance at weddings and funerals, etc. Political parties have from time to time offered legal aid, to fill a gap and, yes, to bolster popularity.”Noting current frustrations about movement restrictions and perceived or experienced inconsistencies in the enforcement of SOPs, he said the government had brought upon itself “a reputation problem”.“RM10,000 is surely viewed as overkill regardless of whether political parties are stepping in to help those hit with the fine.”Wong meanwhile sounded a note of pragmatism about the matter.“We should not talk naively as if governments and parties are, can or should be selfless angels,” he said.“If what parties do benefits the people, we should laud their efforts. If what they do disadvantages the people, we should chide them.”


11.8 million booster shots given as over 50% of adults triple jabbed

A total of 11,889,785 individuals or 50.8% of adults had received a Covid-19 booster dose as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, 22,924,199 individuals or 97.9% of adults have completed their booster dose, while 99.1% have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of teenagers, a total of 2,787,942 individuals or 88.6% have completed their vaccination while 2,867,585 or 91.1% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 78,731 vaccine doses were dispensed, with 510 as first doses, 728 as second shots and 77,493 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 63,466,293.Meanwhile, according to the health ministry’s Github portal, eight deaths due to Covid-19 were reported yesterday: two in Johor, three in Perak and one each in Melaka, Pahang and Terengganu.


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Covid spike in Singapore won’t hinder efforts to reopen border, says Johor MB

The hike in Covid-19 cases in Singapore will not hinder talks between the republic and Malaysia on cross-border movements between the two countries, Johor Menteri Besar Hasni Mohammad says.He said this is because both countries are taking preparatory measures, including Singapore which is supplying every family with a Covid-19 test kit and mulling giving a third Covid-19 vaccine dose.“The increase in Covid-19 cases in Singapore is not seen as an obstacle to our efforts to discuss (reopening the borders). Previously, the Malaysia-Singapore Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) and Periodic Commuting Arrangement (PCA) schemes were postponed because we were looking for a way to combat Covid-19.“But we already have vaccines and Singapore has also been thinking about a third dose and so on… so it will not be an obstacle,” he told a media conference after the 2021 Virtual Majestic Johor Tourism Week and the launch of the Johor Tourism Interchange (JTI) yesterday.On Oct 2, Bernama reported that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had told Hasni to hold talks with Singapore on cross-border movement, especially for Malaysians commuting there for work.Hasni said the technical committee on the opening of the Malaysia-Singapore border had agreed with the SOPs suggested by the state government.He said the health ministry, which functions as a secretariat to the senior minister line-up, would set the date for the tabling of the SOPs before further discussions are held with Singapore.On the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), Hasni said the prime minister had agreed to include the project to widen the expressway from Yong Peng to Johor Bahru as one of the infrastructural development programmes.In the meantime, Hasni said the state government had agreed to allocate RM1.5 million in the form of vouchers to be given to tourists to the state through the JTI application launched today.“Through the application, tourists can benefit from discounts or incentives of our tourism sector products,” he said.The JTI application was specially designed to highlight tourist attractions and facilities provided in the state, including information on interesting places, navigation systems and a picture gallery of iconic places in Johor.


Bank Negara urges reforms to social protection system after nod for latest EPF withdrawals

Malaysia should urgently reform its social protection system to ensure that the people do not face serious financial hardships in the future, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) governor Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus said today.The governor made the call after recent data from the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) showing that around 6.1 million EPF members have retirement savings of less than RM10,000 in their accounts.Of these, 3.6 million have less than RM1,000.“The pandemic has been a reminder to us again that we must urgently reform our social protection system.“It will not be easy, nor can this happen overnight, but it needs to start now,” Nor Shamsiah told a virtual press conference in conjunction with the publication of BNM’s annual reports today.She said this when asked to comment on the government’s recent nod for a special EPF withdrawal of RM10,000.She said now that the economy is showing signs of recovery, the people should start to rebuild their financial buffers.Meanwhile, deputy governor Jessica Chew said while the central bank recognised that the withdrawals would help many who are struggling to get back on their feet from the pandemic and the recent floods, the numbers from the EPF data “are really worrying”.She said it was imperative to have a policy that could provide a proportionate response to the country’s situation.“Measures like this (EPF withdrawals) should be used sparingly… very sparingly, and only in the most extreme of situations,” she said.Meanwhile, the governor said the current household debt-to-GDP ratio stands at 89%, higher than that of regional peers like Singapore (69.7%), Indonesia (17.2%) and the Philippines (9.9%).“We are carefully monitoring the high debt levels,” she said, adding however that improvements in the layout market and targeted assistance would further support the debt servicing capacity.


Survey shows people getting tired of Covid-19 SOPs

Malaysians have scored well among two dozen countries whose people have largely continued to follow SOPs meant to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, although they are also part of a worldwide trend of what is being seen as “pandemic fatigue”, according to a new survey by a global online community.The survey by pollster YouGov studies the shift in people’s behaviour within a span of six months on common measures to avoid infection, such as wearing masks, observing social distancing, washing hands and not touching objects in public.There has been an overall increase in the number of people wearing masks in September compared to April.In Malaysia’s case, this could be due to a new law effective Aug 1, making it compulsory for people to wear masks in public transport and crowded places.But like others around the world, Malaysians have been less vigilant in other measures, something Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin noted in his special address to the nation yesterday to calm the people over a sudden spike in daily infections.Muhyiddin said he had personally witnessed the violation of physical distancing rules by the public.“We must flatten the curve. We did it before and I firmly believe we can do it again,” he said on Tuesday, when daily cases rose to their highest since the pandemic was detected in Malaysia early this year.Apathy sets in?The poll showed that in April, nearly two-thirds of respondents said they were avoiding touching objects in public. By last month, only half were still mindful of this.It also found that fewer people in Malaysia still wash their hands frequently, or avoid crowded public places, among globally recommended measures that could prevent infection in the absence of a vaccine against the deadly virus.Still, London-based The Economist notes that Malaysia is among countries where people have been supportive of the authorities’ measures to curb the pandemic, which has so far claimed over one million lives across the world.It noted that in Malaysia, China and the Middle East, support for pandemic-related safety measures fell by only 6% over the past five months, unlike key Western countries where it fell by 12%.Among the worst slides were recorded in the US, Britain, Germany and France, which, combined, have so far reported over 300,000 deaths from Covid-19.The Economist called the lower compliance “pandemic fatigue”, perhaps best symbolised by President Donald Trump’s act of removing his face mask as soon as he was discharged from hospital after testing positive for the virus.But it said Trump’s dislike for masks was not shared even in the West.“If there is one thing people across the world increasingly agree on, it is the importance of masks,” the magazine wrote.


Thailand to reimpose virus curbs to contain outbreak

Thailand from Monday will reimpose Covid-19 restrictions on restaurants, construction sites and gatherings in the capital Bangkok and its suburbs as it tries to contain a wave of coronavirus cases.After a year of relative success in keeping infection rates low, Thailand’s latest wave kicked off in April when a cluster was found in upscale Bangkok clubs typically frequented by the elite.Since then, more have been discovered in its overcrowded prison system, as well as among migrant workers who toil in its construction and service industries.The government said in an order published Saturday that new restrictions will begin Monday and last for a month.They include closing construction sites in Bangkok and surrounding areas, banning workers from leaving, prohibiting eat-in customers at restaurants, and restricting gatherings to a maximum of 20 people.Checkpoints will be set up in Thailand’s southernmost provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Yala and Songkhla. Travellers must carry a “letter of intent” to leave or enter.The new restrictions come ahead of the July 1 launch of a quarantine-free model for vaccinated tourists in the popular holiday destination Phuket.The so-called “Phuket sandbox” has been touted as a way to resuscitate Thailand crucial tourism industry and related sectors such as service, restaurants and transport.Thailand’s government has also been widely criticised for its faltering vaccine rollout, with authorities scrambling to import more doses.Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha has said he plans to fully reopen the country by October, which would require his administration to hit the target of vaccinating 50 million Thais in four months.So far, a little over 10% of the population has received shots.Thailand has reported more than 244,000 cases and over 1,900 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic.


Education clusters on the rise, says health DG

There has been a sharp increase in the number of Covid-19 education clusters of late with 92 reported in the latest epidemiology week (ME) 7/2022, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said.In the week before (ME6), 61 education clusters were recorded, he added.He said the Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre (CPRC) had recorded 367 education clusters from Jan 1 to Feb 19, of which 346 are still active while 21 have ended.In a statement today, he said there had been a downward trend in ME5 due to the Chinese New Year holidays, but that the numbers went up again in ME6 and ME7 in proportion with the rise in Covid-19 cases nationwide.Noor Hisham said the states with the highest number of education clusters were Kelantan (54), followed by Selangor (49) Pahang (38), Kuala Lumpur (37) and Sabah (34).“Investigations found that 328 clusters, or 89.4%, had students as index cases while 31 cases (8.5%) involved teachers or lecturers.“In addition, six clusters (1.6%) involved index cases from support staff and two (0.6%) involved family members,” he said.The majority of cases reported were in the mild or asymptomatic categories, he added.He said 12,579 infections (76.54%) were Category two cases, 3,850 cases (23.4%) Category One and 35 cases (0.2%) in Category Three and Four. He said all of them had received treatment and were in stable condition.“All 257 schools involved are from various agencies, namely the education ministry, Majlis Amanah Rakyat, Maahad Tahfiz and others,” he said.Noor Hisham said as of Feb 19, a total of 232 clusters involving secondary schools and 25 primary school clusters were still active.“Of those, 107 schools have been temporarily closed for cleaning and turned into quarantine areas while 150 schools only required the shutting down of classes.“Investigations found that the main cause of Covid-19 infection and transmission was due to several factors. They include non-compliance with SOPs, the free movement of students, close interaction in dormitories and several other factors.”Noor Hisham proposed improvements such as scheduled Covid-19 screenings, the quick identification of students with symptoms, as well as ensuring optimum ventilation in all areas.Meanwhile, the National CPRC reported that from Jan 25, 2020 to Feb 19, 2022, some 6,704 Covid-19 clusters were detected. Of these, 6,212 have ended while 492 are still active.The highest number of clusters was recorded in the workplace (58.71%), followed by community (20.54%), detention centres (7.63%) and education (6.83%).


Kelantan eyes law to prevent teens from vaping

The Kelantan government plans to enact a law prohibiting the use of electronic cigarettes or vape among those aged 17 and below in the state.State Local Government, Housing and Health Committee chairman Dr Izani Husin said the proposed ban would specifically apply to those born on and after Jan 1, 2005.However, he said the matter was still at the proposal stage and the state government would be tabling it through a working paper at the coming Parliament sitting.“Yesterday, the health ministry tabled a working paper on the effects of smoking cigarettes and vaping.“There are those among the public who think that electronic cigarettes are not dangerous to health and that the side effects are milder than smoking normal cigarettes but the fact is, the nicotine content of vape is more dangerous,” he told reporters after attending a state executive council meeting in Kota Bharu today.Izani said the state government was concerned about the increasingly rampant use of vape, especially among women and primary schoolchildren.“We’ve found out that some of the vape users are as young as 10 years old, while its use among women is increasing. Therefore, I urge parents to monitor their children to prevent them from using vape.“In Kelantan, we (the state government) do not issue licences for the electronic cigarette business but we do not have the power to prevent people from vaping as those selling vape on the market do so without a licence or online,” he added.


The VIP factor in flights keeping to schedule

I read with mixed feelings the call for the protection of passenger rights. I am all for this as more delays and cancellations occur without any accountability on the part of the airlines. But I also know that if someone is important enough, the plane will fly no matter what. This is the sick world we live in today. This was my experience.
Some years back, I was flying from Singapore to Perth via KL. I was in no hurry so I chose a much cheaper flight as the transit window was only about an hour.
To my utter surprise, at the KLIA departure lounge to Perth there were hardly any passengers. I counted no more than five or six people. I got worried and approached the counter which was already open. I asked why there were so few passengers, if the flight was on schedule, and whether we would have to fly on another aircraft/airline.
The answer knocked my socks off. I was told not to worry, the flight would take off as scheduled because there was a VIP going to Perth. I was more than satisfied with the answer and didn't ask anymore.
True enough, the plane took off right on schedule. In the economy cabin there were more crew members than passengers. I had one of the best flights in four decades of flying. And I paid half the price that I would have if I had flown direct.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


No wastage of vaccine in Kelantan, authorities say as 10,000 miss appointments for jabs

Health authorities in Kelantan say there has been no wastage of Covid-19 vaccine despite nearly 10,000 people failing to turn up for their vaccination appointments during the second phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme in the state.Kelantan state health director Dr Zaini Hussin said such individuals who had registered would be replaced with others under the same criteria.“In fact, many Kelantanese hope that they will get vaccinated without having to wait for the given date through the MySejahtera application,” he said in a statement today.However, Zaini advised the public to constantly check the MySejahtera app to find out their status for vaccination.“Please adhere to the appointment date. For those who are unable to attend due to unavoidable circumstances, please inform the vaccination centres (PPVs) to reschedule the appointment,” he said.He also reminded the public not to simply walk in for vaccination as the authorities already have a list of substitute recipients for those absent at the PPVs.“Please be patient to wait for your turn, and getting vaccinated early does not mean you don’t need to follow the SOPs,” he added.Zaini said as of yesterday, 35,905 individuals had received their first dose of vaccine under the second phase of the programme in the state.A total of 66,314 individuals out of 125,744 aged 60 and above who are eligible to receive the vaccine under the second phase in Kelantan have registered with MySejahtera.


Ismail downplays talk of early GE, citing inflation risks

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has downplayed calls for an early election, citing a rise in food prices and other living costs, Nikkei reported today.An election is not due until 2023 but Ismail has been facing pressure from some in Umno to call an early vote to capitalise on its resurgent popularity in recent state polls.Ismail told Nikkei in an interview he will wait for “the right time” to call an election, given inflationary pressures partly stemming from the Ukraine conflict.“We are now facing a period of increasing inflation with high prices… do you think this is the right time?” Ismail was quoted by Nikkei as saying.Bank Negara Malaysia expects headline inflation to average between 2.2% and 3.2% this year, with food costs up 4.1% in April. Earlier this month, the central bank unexpectedly raised its key interest rate to cool inflationary pressures.The government has introduced price control measures, but the cost of subsidies has weighed on its coffers.Ismail told Nikkei the government was keen on reintroducing a goods and services tax (GST).An Umno government introduced the GST in 2015, but it was scrapped three years later by Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Pakatan Harapan administration, after voters blamed the 6% consumption tax for rising costs.Ismail said the government was aware of the GST’s unpopularity, but had limited options, noting it had lost RM20 billion (US$4.57 billion) in annual revenue after the tax was abolished.The government would target a GST rate that did not burden the people, but was not so low that it “defeats the purpose of expanding tax revenue”, he told Nikkei.The government is expected to spend RM28 billion on fuel subsidies alone in 2022, more than double the RM11 billion spent last year, in addition to subsidies for cooking oil, sugar, and flour.


‘Mix-and-match’ for Pfizer, AstraZeneca jabs still being studied, says Khairy

The government is still studying and considering the mix-and-match method for the Pfizer-BioNTech and AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccines to complete the two-dose vaccination regime.National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the issue had been tabled at the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee (JKJAV) meeting two weeks ago but that no decision had been finalised to date.“The mixing of vaccine doses is still under study and we tabled it at JKJAV last week but it has not been finalised by our technical committee,” he told reporters after visiting the vaccination centre at the Gong Badak Indoor Stadium at the state sports complex in Kuala Nerus today.Khairy, in a webinar session hosted by the Oxford and Cambridge Society of Malaysia yesterday, was reported as referring to real-world data from Germany on heterological vaccinations using AstraZeneca as the first dose and Pfizer as the second, which had been proven to boost the neutralisation of antibodies and boost effectiveness against variants.Khairy, who is science, technology and innovation minister, also said Terengganu would receive over 200,000 doses of Covid-19 vaccine from next month which would help the state administer 12,000 doses a day.“We will definitely increase the delivery of vaccines to Terengganu especially from July. We will discuss after this but we are expecting to send more than 200,000 doses,” he said.State health department director Dr Nor Azimi Yunus previously said 5,380 Covid-19 shots are being dispensed daily to the people of Terengganu at 14 PPVs statewide.Meanwhile, Khairy said discussions are being held on sending mobile outreach teams to vaccinate residents on Pulau Redang and Pulau Perhentian.


Millions of doses on the way to Taiwan as Hong Kong prepares to trash unwanted jabs

Millions of Covid-19 vaccine doses are on their way to Taiwan, the health minister said on Tuesday, as he extended virus-related restrictions until the middle of June even though the trend in new infections is falling, Reuters is reporting.Having spent months keeping the virus at bay with life relatively normal compared with many other places, Taiwan is currently dealing with a spike in domestic infections, exacerbated by a low vaccination rate of only about 1% per cent of its population.Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said two million vaccine doses would arrive by the end of June and 10 million by the end of August, though he did not give details.Taiwan has ordered more than 20 million doses from AstraZeneca and Moderna and is also developing its own vaccines.Chen made no mention of China’s offer on Monday to urgently send vaccines and medical staff, which has already drawn an angry response from Taiwan’s government.The minister said that while infection numbers had continued to fall since last Monday, positive rates remained high.While current measures were effective, Chen said he was concerned about “hidden spreaders” in the community, which the authorities were not able to detect because of a time lag in getting test results.His ministry has been criticised by the opposition for a logjam with recording positive tests due to reporting delays following the surge in cases.Chen said, “The worry is that we are not able to control the hidden cases during this time period, which could lead to a worsening pandemic.”Authorities are also scrambling to track the whereabouts of 300 people who were tested positive for Covid-19 in the capital Taipei and neighbouring New Taipei City, Chen said, urging local governments to work with the police to find those spreaders.Taiwan’s level-three measures, one rung below its highest alert level, would be extended until June 14, with schools and entertainment venues remaining closed and personal gatherings restricted, Chen added.Taiwan has reported 5,456 infections since the pandemic began, with 35 deaths.Meanwhile as if to demonstrate the chaotic imbalance of worldwide vaccine acquisition, Hong Kong could soon throw away millions of unused Covid-19 vaccine doses.This is because less than 20% of residents have so far chosen to accept a jab, despite plentiful supplies, many of which are approaching their expiry date.


Hong Kong sees big demand for burner phones as govt pushes contact-tracing app

Electronics shops in Hong Kong have seen a sharp increase in demand for cheap burner phones as the Beijing-ruled city government eases coronavirus restrictions while pushing the use of a contact-tracing app which is raising privacy concerns, Reuters reports.The term “burner phone” usually refers to cheap, disposable pre-paid mobile phones that are often associated with illegal activities. However, people can use burner phones for legitimate temporary phone numbers. In Hong Kong the term may refer simply to cheap old smartphones.“I’m buying a burner phone because the government clearly doesn’t trust Hong Kong people, so why would I trust them?” said Vincent, 28, an accountant who gave only his first name because of the sensitivity of the issue.Health Secretary Sophia Chan said the app poses no privacy risks as it only stores data on the user’s phone and no third party collects it. The app notifies users if they have been in the same place with a person confirmed to have Covid-19.In Hong Kong there is a deep-seated mistrust of government public policies, including measures to curb Covid-19.On Thursday, Hong Kong lifted many limits on restaurants and other venues such as gyms and beauty salons. These are now required to ask customers to scan a QR code with the LeaveHomeSafe app, which authorities use for contact tracing.Civil servants are also supposed to scan the code before entering and leaving government offices.More than a dozen phone vendors told Reuters they have seen a spike in demand for old smartphones since last week, when the government announced plans to ease restrictions and require people to use the app.“People are just looking for a cheap smartphone that can run the LeaveHomeSafe app,” said Wong, a vendor at Phone House, who said she sold 50 phones in the past week, compared with the usual 10 or so per week previously. Other vendors reported a three- or four-fold increase in sales of cheap phones.


A year later, still no citizenship for Suki

The story of Suki Wong Pei Yee, a young girl without citizenship taking care of her father alone after the death of her mother, aroused the sympathy and concern of countless Malaysians when it was first reported in 2022.
Help and offers of assistance came pouring in, allowing Suki to attend school and making physiotherapy sessions possible for her father who suffered a stroke eight years ago.
But nearly a year after her story came to light, Suki is still waiting for the biggest thing of all: the right to be called a Malaysian citizen.
Speaking in a recent interview with MalaysiaNow, her father Wong Kon Foo said that his daughter's future would remain uncertain as long as she was denied citizenship, despite the help that he and his family had received.
Expressing gratitude for the assistance, he nevertheless questioned Suki's fate if she had no access to basic facilities such as health and education and, in time to come, work.
"I hope Suki's application will be reviewed by the government," he said.
"As long as she is not a citizen, her future will be bleak because she will never be able to live a normal life like any other Malaysian."
Wong's plea followed two recent reports by MalaysiaNow on individuals without citizenship, one of which culminated in a happy ending after the home ministry decided to approve her application.
Teenager Clara Sonia Joseph was abandoned by her birth mother at the age of three, but granted citizenship on April 7.
On April 22 meanwhile, MalaysiaNow shared the story of Nurul Akashah, a young woman who, alone, had tried for years to apply for citizenship to no avail.
She was later contacted by a representative from the home ministry with regard to her case.
Suki, who was just 10 when her story was told, had taken care of her father alone since the death of her mother, Tran Diem Kiew, in April 2021.
Chen Yu Szen, a lawyer who has been helping the family with Suki's citizenship application, said his most recent attempt at contacting the home ministry was on Dec 22 last year.
He said there had been no response from the ministry.
"We have already submitted four documents: Suki's birth certificate, her father's IC and OKU card, and her mother's death certificate," he told MalaysiaNow.
"There has been no response. We are still waiting."


In Perak, PAS bent on punishing ‘treacherous’ Umno?

PAS’ refusal to join any new coalition in Perak following the ouster of Ahmad Faizal Azumu as menteri besar yesterday is the Islamist party’s way of punishing Umno for going against their cooperation in the Perikatan Nasional (PN) alliance.A source in PAS said top party leaders have been increasingly “disappointed” with Umno, with whom they had inked the so-called Muafakat Nasional charter during their time in the opposition last year.One senior leader told MalaysiaNow that Umno’s effort to oust Faizal, a Bersatu leader, smacked of “ingratitude”.“After all, Bersatu risked going into the political wilderness and was even prepared to split with its main founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad in its willingness to embrace Umno and put it back into governance after 22 months in the role of the opposition, something it had no experience in at the federal level,” the leader, seen as a dealmaker within PAS circles, told MalaysiaNow in exchange for anonymity.Yesterday, Faizal lost in a confidence motion brought by an Umno assemblyman in the Perak state assembly, as differences between him and the Malay party reached a peak over the appointments of key administrative officers, including his political secretary.The confidence motion on Faizal was opposed by 48 assemblymen comprising those from Pakatan Harapan as well as all but one Umno assemblyman.Faizal only obtained 10 votes, comprising those from fellow reps in Bersatu, PAS and two independents. The sole Umno man who abstained was Aznel Ibrahim, whom Faizal appointed as political secretary.Earlier today, Sultan Nazrin Shah urged parties in the state to find the best formula to fill the power vacuum.The move to support Faizal was endorsed by the PAS central leadership, which said it would stay clear of any attempts to seek new alliances to form a government other than within the PN cooperation.It was speculated that Umno could work with PKR and Amanah to form a new government, a move opposed by Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan who urged PN leaders in Perak to stay united despite the vote against Faizal.Many Umno leaders are also against working with PKR and Amanah, saying both parties, with only eight state seats, will still be answerable to DAP which has the lion’s share of 16 seats in Perak PH.“Bersatu risked going into the political wilderness and was even prepared to split with its main founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad.”Meanwhile, another PAS source said the party was “vehemently opposed to Umno’s treachery”.“As said by Perak PAS chief Razman Zakaria at the state assembly yesterday, Faizal made sacrifices by leaving PH and invited Umno and PAS to join him to form the state government.“Now, is Umno going to forget that and join DAP and PH to form the government?”The source said PAS was not a “lalang” which goes with the political flow.“PAS prefers to play its usual role in the state assembly without going after state posts,” the source added.Observers say DAP, which ruled Perak before it collapsed following defections, could make a comeback there even if it is not part of the state government.Malay politics observer Kamarul Zaman Yusof said Umno could stop this if it was prepared to admit its mistakes and persuade Bersatu and PAS.“Perak Umno should admit its mistake and apologise to Bersatu and PAS to ensure that the state does not fall to PH,” he told MalaysiaNow.He said what happened in Perak offered lessons to PN parties.“The head of government should always consult with the partners,” said the Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer.He did not rule out the possibility that Faizal’s ouster could have an impact on PN’s solidarity at the federal level.“The wound cuts deep,” he said, adding that PN had only recently begun to show some form of unity with the move to form a presidential council.


Approved investments up 95% to RM80 billion for first quarter of the year

Malaysia recorded RM80.6 billion worth of approved investments in the manufacturing, services and primary sectors in the first quarter (Q1) of 2021, up 95.6% from RM41.2 billion in the same period last year.The Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) said the numbers were presented to the Cabinet by International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali today.In a statement, it said the investments involved 993 projects and are expected to generate 32,557 job opportunities.Meanwhile, total approved foreign direct investments (FDI) in the manufacturing, services and primary sectors increased by 383.4% to RM54.9 billion from January to March this year from RM11.4 billion in the same quarter last year.The top five immediate sources of FDI were Singapore (RM43.1 billion), the Netherlands (RM5 billion), South Korea (RM4.3 billion), Taiwan (RM0.5 billion) and Hong Kong (RM0.3 billion).Investments from Singapore include one 100% Chinese-owned mega project with the source of funding made through its affiliate in the country.Mida said domestic direct investments (DDI) comprised the remaining RM25.7 billion, contributing 31.9% to total approved investments in these three sectors.Kedah, Selangor, Sarawak, Sabah and Kuala Lumpur contributed RM68.4 billion or 84.9% of the total approved investments for January to March.The manufacturing sector leads in investments for Q1 at RM58.8 billion, followed by the services sector (RM15.6 billion) and the primary sector (RM6.2 billion).In the manufacturing sector, positive investment growth for Q1 was driven by robust performance, soaring 126.8% compared to the same period last year.The majority of investments were in electrical and electronics (RM47 billion), fabricated metal products (RM4.9 billion), rubber products (RM3.3 billion), chemicals and chemical products (RM1.1 billion), transport equipment (RM0.5 billion), food manufacturing (RM0.4 billion), machinery and equipment (RM0.4 billion) and paper, printing and publishing (RM0.2 billion).Together, these comprise 98.3% of total approved investments for the sector.The services sector saw 74.2% or 737 of the total approved projects in Q1, with domestic investments making up RM15 billion or 96.2% of total approved investments for the sector during this period.An increase in investments was recorded in the sub-sectors of financial services, distributive trade, education services, real estate and global establishments.Leading contributors include real estate (RM8.9 billion), financial services (RM2.7 billion), utilities (RM2 billion), support services (RM1.2 billion) and distributive trade (RM0.5 billion).Approved investments in the primary sector meanwhile registered a significant increase of 3,097.3% from RM0.2 billion in Q1 of 2020 to RM6.2 billion in Q1 of 2021.Investments from domestic sources dominated at RM4.2 billion or 67.7%, with the mining sub-sector leading with approved investments of RM6.1 billion.


Court denies Najib’s bid to delay SRC appeal hearing

Najib Razak’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International Sdn Bhd funds today proceeded after the Court of Appeal rejected the former prime minister’s bid to postpone the hearing.A three-member bench led by judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil dismissed Najib’s application to adjourn the hearing after counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah said that they had additional evidence to put in their appeal including evidence related to the family of former Bank Negara Malaysia governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.“We are unanimous in this. There is no sufficient reason to adjourn the hearing. We are disallowing the application for an adjournment,” said Karim, who presided over the appeal with Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera.Shafee had said they needed an adjournment of at least one month to obtain several relevant documents from New York and Singapore.“The documents are linked to 1MDB and also involve allegations against Zeti’s family. We need at least one month to put additional evidence in our submission. We are seeking for an adjournment of the hearing,” Shafee said.However deputy public prosecutor V Sithambaram objected to the request, saying any applications should have been made before the hearing commenced.“There are non-valid grounds for them to ask for an adjournment. We pray that there is no more delay and ask the court to proceed with the case,” he said.Najib has submitted 307 grounds in his petition of appeal on why he should be freed of the charges.The Kuala Lumpur High Court had, on July 28 last year, sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty of seven charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT), money laundering and abuse of position involving RM42 million in SRC International funds.High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali sentenced Najib to 10 years’ jail on each of the three counts of CBT and each of the three counts of money laundering and 12 years’ jail and a RM210 million fine, in default five years’ jail, in the case of abuse of position.However, he will only serve 12 years in jail as the judge ordered all jail sentences to run concurrently.Najib is currently out on bail of RM2 million with two sureties pending his appeal.


Lightning strikes kill 27 during eastern India monsoon storms

At least 27 people were struck dead by lightning strikes and four passengers on a flight hospitalised after monsoon storms battered West Bengal, officials are saying.West Bengal was hit by thunderstorms late on Monday, with lightning strikes in parts of the state, a fairly common occurrence during the June to September annual monsoon.“Many of the 27 killed on Monday evening in the state were farmers working in the fields, though some were people who simply happened to be outdoors,” West Bengal disaster management minister Javed Ahmed Khan said on Tuesday.A flight from the western city of Mumbai to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, was caught in the storm as it was coming in to land, officials said. Eight passengers were injured, and four taken to hospital.“One passenger is still admitted in the hospital. The others have been discharged,” the airport’s director C Pattabhi said. “It was a close shave for the passengers.”Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced financial compensation of 200,000 rupees (US$2,746) for the next of kin of those who died and 50,000 rupees (US$686) for each injured person.Summer storms accompanied by strong winds are common in India ahead of the rainy monsoon season.The monsoon is crucial to replenishing water supplies in South Asia but also causes widespread death and destruction across the region.More extreme weather is on the way.The India Meteorological Department (IMD) is forecasting that a Low Pressure Area is likely to form over North Bay of Bengal around June 11, and under its Influence, the Southwest Monsoon is likely to advance over West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar.IMD said that widespread rainfall activity is very likely over most parts of East India and adjoining Central India from June 10 and Gangetic West Bengal on June 10 and 11.Nearly 2,900 people were killed by lightning in India in 2019 according to the National Crime Records Bureau – the most recent figures available.


Youth unemployment rate declines in Q1

Malaysia's youth unemployment rate dropped to 10.1% in the first quarter of the year compared to 11.1% for the same period last year.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Mustapha Sakmud said the high unemployment rate among youths is a global phenomenon faced by most countries.
"It takes into account that this age group is in the transition process from their academic years to the job market and then through the process of gaining employment.
"Towards that end, the government will continue to formulate and implement various initiatives across ministries and agencies to help reduce the unemployment rate as a whole, including among youths in urban and rural areas," he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.
He was responding to a question from Shahidan Kassim (PN-Arau) on government efforts to tackle youth unemployment as a result of job mismatch, lack of skills and issues concerning job quality and quantity.
He said the human resources ministry, through Socso, has also intensified several programmes, including the MyFutureJobs platform which provides more than 1 million job vacancies and 148,000 professional job vacancies.
In addition, Mustapha said a total of 1,366 career fairs were organised nationwide of which 21,740 job seekers, 78.1% of them youths, successfully secured placements.
On the performance of technical and vocational education and training graduates in the job market, he said that based on evaluations conducted, 99% of employers were satisfied with their work.
"The human resources ministry is also intensifying efforts to hold programmes through Talent Corp with a focus on development, marketability of the country's young talent through synergy and collaboration across ministries, departments, government agencies and higher education institutions," he said.


Time to be honest about crossing the aisle

Over the weekend, we saw two PKR MPs switching sides. Larry Sng from Julau and Steven Choong from Tebrau have pledged their support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.Earlier Sabah’s Sebatik assemblyman Hassan Amir Gani from Warisan pledged support for the ruling Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) coalition. These developments have sparked anger among the people.Many feel that these lawmakers who jumped ship had abandoned their principles for the sake of political expediency. The fact is that most Malaysians vote according to party line and MPs defecting had betrayed the trust placed by their voters.There are no right or wrong answers to this. Neither is it my intention to dwell on the merits of party-hopping or the proposed laws that ban such practices.But there appears to be double standards by some when it comes to party-hopping. For these people, the practice is wrong if it doesn’t fit their political viewpoint and acceptable if it does.Many ignore the fact that both sides are equally guilty of this. Let’s not forget that opposition head Anwar Ibrahim was the first one to resort to this on a large scale with the express purpose of triggering a change in government.In his infamous “September 16” caper in 2008, he went to town promising Malaysians that the then ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) would topple come that date. The date came and went, and BN fell only a good 10 years and two general elections later with Anwar himself in prison for sodomy then.More recently, as Pakatan Harapan attempted to seize back Putrajaya, it too attempted to woo Perikatan Nasional (PN) MPs, especially those from Umno. This time, Anwar was not alone in the attempt. Other PH leaders too were party to the move which they had criticised in the past, whether actively wooing the MPs or giving their tacit approval by not speaking up.In particular, Umno thought nothing of joining forces with DAP to wrest back Putrajaya despite both parties’ long chequered past. What difference does it make whether PN was wooing PH or the other way round? The very people who spoke up against political frogs should hold all political amphibians by the same standards – not just when it works in their favour.By the same token, ex-Sabah chief minister Shafie Apdal should not be hypocritical when he criticised the Sebatik assemblyman who defected to GRS.Shafie himself became Sabah chief minister in 2018 after a series of defections from BN assemblymen, particularly those from Upko. Shafie has no moral ground to criticise his ex-party colleague Hassan Amir who switched allegiance to GRS.Let’s not be hypocrites. We should hold all YBs to the same standards when it comes to party-hopping. Not just when it suits us.


Sorry.


Pua's 'corrupt BN' remarks in line with DAP's 'agenda', say former party leaders

Former DAP national spokesman Tony Pua recently created a stir by calling Barisan Nasional (BN), Pakatan Harapan's (PH) long-time foe turned partner-in-government, a "corrupt coalition".
His remarks sparked an angry reaction from BN's lynchpin party Umno as well as a response from DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke, who said that anyone unhappy with PH's alliance with BN and Umno should stop speaking on behalf of DAP.
He also said that attacking a coalition partner was uncalled for, and that Pua no longer represented DAP.
But for some former party leaders, Pua's comments ahead of crucial elections in six states could be linked to DAP's "agenda".
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they also described the remarks as a calculated move and a "political game".
"Pua spoke according to DAP's political agenda," former Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong said.
PH became mired in controversy after its decision to join hands with BN in the aftermath of the general election last year, the inconclusive results of which had led to a hung parliament.
Many questioned the move, especially given PH's long stand against corruption-tainted Umno and its leader, former prime minister Najib Razak.
Najib was ejected from power after the 2018 general election, which saw BN toppled from government for the first time since independence.
He was subsequently slapped with a string of criminal charges, and is currently serving time in prison for corruption linked to former 1MDB unit SRC International.
Earlier this year, Umno renewed efforts to win him a royal pardon, sparking further debate about PH's cooperation with BN given its long campaign against him.
Pua, in describing BN as a "corrupt coalition", had also warned that the current government under Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was fragile and expressed hope that PH could form the government on its own.
While Loke said that Pua was no longer an office holder in DAP and had spoken in his personal capacity, Wee said the former Damansara MP was Loke's adviser and therefore held an important position in PH.
"Pua is not just an ordinary member," he said. "He is Loke's adviser. Isn't an adviser also an important position?"
Former Bentong MP Wong Tack meanwhile said that Pua's remarks were an attempt to portray the party as "clean", and to rally the support of those who rejected PH's alliance with BN.
"I am no longer a DAP member, but his comments were in line with the views of the general public," he said.
"As long as you're not involved in politics, you won't know how dirty it is.
"Everything has a reason. There is always intention behind what is said and done."


Johor sultan invites PM to lunch

Johor’s Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar today invited Muhyiddin Yassin to a luncheon at Istana Pasir Pelangi where the prime minister briefed the ruler on the latest developments affecting the nation.Muhyiddin earlier attended the sitting of the Johor state assembly, where he is the Gambir assemblyman.Earlier in his speech to officiate the state assembly, Sultan Ibrahim had repeated a reminder to state assemblymen not to disrupt the government during the Covid-19 pandemic.“I will not entertain any political games by assemblymen and risk destabilising my state and government,” he said.“If that occurs, then I will not hesitate to dissolve the state assembly.”The sitting today was the first to be held since Parliament and state assembly sittings were suspended under the declaration of emergency in January.The last session of the Johor state assembly sitting before this was held from Nov 26 to Dec 6 last year.Following the withdrawal of support from a group of Umno MPs aligned with their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former leader Najib Razak, Muhyiddin said he was prepared to face a confidence vote to prove that he has enough support to lead the government.Zahid and Najib alongside PKR president Anwar Ibrahim have been at the forefront of a campaign to topple Muhyiddin since last year.


Shafee’s trial for money laundering, false statements postponed to next month

The trial involving lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who is facing money laundering charges involving RM9.5 million allegedly received from former prime minister Najib Razak as well as charges of making false statements to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) will continue on Aug 27 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.Shafee’s counsel, Harvinderjit Singh, said the hearing of the case, which was supposed to enter its third day today, was postponed as his client is under self-quarantine until Aug 1 after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 positive person.“Hence, the trial before judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin will continue on Aug 27,” he said when contacted by reporters today.So far, three witnesses have testified in the trial which began on May 21.On Sept 13, 2018, Shafee pleaded not guilty to two charges of receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities through two cheques issued by Najib, deposited into his CIMB Bank Bhd account.He was also charged with two counts of engaging in transactions resulting from illegal activities, namely submitting incorrect tax returns, which is in violation of Paragraph 113 (1) (a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2013, and Dec 31, 2014.Shafee also faces two charges of being involved in transactions involving proceeds from unlawful activities, namely submitting incorrect returns, which contravenes Paragraph 113 (1) (a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, for the financial years ending Dec 31, 2013 and Dec 31, 2014.


New cases rise to 1,889, over 500 in Selangor

Another 1,889 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 365,829.Selangor recorded 517 cases, Sarawak 489, Kelantan 226, Sabah 142 and Kuala Lumpur 134.Penang recorded 92 cases followed by Johor (84), Perak (56), Kedah (53), Negeri Sembilan (51), Terengganu (14), Pahang (13), Putrajaya (eight), Melaka (six), Perlis (three) and Labuan (one).Active cases stand at 16,696 with 204 in the ICU and 79 in need of respiratory assistance.Seven more clusters were detected:1. Jalan Khidmat (Kota Kinabalu in Sabah; 796 screened, 24 positive)2. Batu Sepuluh (Tawau in Sabah; 50 screened, 16 positive)3. Jalan Mohd Taib (Hulu Selangor and Klang in Selangor; 49 screened, 10 positive)4. Jalan Sempilai (Seberang Perai Tengah, Seberang Perai Utara and Seberang Perai Selatan in Penang; 57 screened, 14 positive)5. Permatang Berangan (Kuala Muda in Kedah; 51 screened, 28 positive)6. Jalan Gapam (Melaka Tengah and Jasin in Melaka; 102 screened, 10 positive)7. Jalan Sahadi (Sepang, Klang and Kuala Selangor in Selangor; 59 screened, 20 positive)Ten others ended, leaving 341 active clusters across the country.Another 1,485 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 347,780.However, eight more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,353.


PM's Question Time marred by limits on opposition, confusing replies by Anwar, says PN

Perikatan Nasional's (PN) Wan Saiful Wan Jan has hit out at the restrictions on MPs during the Prime Minister's Question Time (PMQ), saying these have resulted in a lack of public interest in Dewan Rakyat debates.
The Tasek Gelugor MP also criticised Anwar Ibrahim, saying the prime minister had shown a tendency to avoid questions and provide vague answers during the weekly session.
"He goes on a lot without giving complete facts," said Wan Saiful.
"Sometimes, the name of the act is not clear, and his sentences are confusing. So attention should actually be given to the quality of the responses from the prime minister.
"If the prime minister's answers are of low quality, interest in hearing the answers will also be low," he said, responding to Pakatan Harapan's Fahmi Fadzil who questioned the absence of senior PN MPs including the coalition's chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Fahmi in a Facebook picture of the opposition bench had questioned the trio's absence, saying the PMQ was the opposition's best chance to raise questions to the prime minister.
But Wan Saiful said unlike the PMQ in the British parliament, only MPs named by the speaker could ask questions.
"The others cannot ask anything. And the speaker only allows one additional question from the original questioner, and one additional question from other parties.
"This means that if it's my turn to ask a question, I am the only one from PN who can raise an additional question, and only one other person from the government can ask another question after me. Other MPs cannot."
He said there was also no slot for the opposition leader to face off with the prime minister, unlike the practice in Westminster.
"So do not give the impression that the PMQ allows the opposition leader or party chief to ask questions. It is not the case. Don't spin and give the wrong perception," Wan Saiful added.
The PMQ was introduced at the recent Dewan Rakyat session which began on Feb 13 and ended yesterday.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul said it was one of the reforms he wanted to implement.
"We will start it as a pilot test first, so that we can identify the problems that may arise," he said.


Daily cases dip again to below 20,000

Another 19,268 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,725,357.Selangor recorded 3,567 cases, Sabah 2,310, Johor 2,265, Kedah 2,084, Sarawak 2,028, Penang 1,780, Kelantan 1,308 and Perak 1,144.Pahang recorded 788 cases, Kuala Lumpur 672, Terengganu 544, Melaka 395 and Negeri Sembilan 269.Perlis recorded 71 cases, Putrajaya 41 and Labuan two.Active cases stand at 265,713 with 1,033 in the ICU and 476 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 21,257 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,443,262.However, 295 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 16,382.


PH call for MPs to rally behind Anwar the usual ‘smoke and mirrors’, says Zuraida

Former Wanita PKR chief Zuraida Kamaruddin today said the call by Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders for MPs to back its chairman Anwar Ibrahim showed that the coalition still lacks the numbers needed to topple the government.“This open appeal is an act of desperation and proof that PH simply does not have the numbers, and has never had the numbers.“Despite their own inability to form the government, they have been repeatedly and recklessly trying to bring down the current government,” said Zuraida, who alongside about a dozen MPs quit PKR to join Muhyiddin Yassin’s new coalition last year.The leaders of the three parties in PH today urged MPs opposed to Muhyiddin to rally behind Anwar as the prime ministerial candidate, ahead of the confidence vote in Muhyiddin scheduled for Sept 7.But Zuraida described the statement as a “desperate plea”.“They have in fact scored a spectacular own goal.”Anwar, his Umno counterpart Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former leader Najib Razak have been at the forefront of efforts to topple Muhyiddin since last year.Their efforts gathered momentum recently with a call by Zahid on Cabinet ministers from his party to quit the government. Both Zahid and Najib say they have mustered the support of about 15 MPs from Umno.Zuraida accused PH and Anwar of “putting on a show of smoke and mirrors” in the hope that MPs would join their side.“Remember how on Oct 13 last year, Anwar went to the palace purportedly to send in so-called proof of support for him to be the prime minister?“Nothing came out of that,” she said, adding that similar attempts to topple the government during the tabling of the 2021 budget last year also failed.“Now, once again, PH led by Anwar again attempts to destabilise the government working hard to overcome the pandemic.”


Khairy wins appeal in defamation suit brought by Anwar

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin obtained a second chance today to challenge Anwar Ibrahim’s defamation suit over a statement of immoral character filed against him 12 years ago.A five-member panel of the Federal Court led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim allowed Khairy’s appeal against the appellate court’s decision to strike out out his appeal in the lawsuit filed by Anwar.“The case is remitted to the Court of Appeal to hear the merits of the case,” Abang Iskandar said.He also fixed tomorrow for case management through online proceedings and ordered Anwar to pay Khairy RM30,000 in costs.The other four Federal Court judges were P Nallini, Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Hasnah Mohammed Hashim and Rhodzariah Bujang.Today’s proceedings were also conducted online. Khairy was represented by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah while J Leela acted for Anwar.Shafee had asked for RM100,000 in costs on grounds that the amount of preparation for the case at the Federal Court level was extensive, but Leela said the amount was too high and asked for RM10,000 instead.In April last year, Khairy obtained leave from the Federal Court to appeal against the Court of Appeal’s decision which struck out his appeal after ruling that there was ambiguity in the notice of appeal.Anwar, who is PKR president, sued Khairy, who was then youth and sports minister and Umno Youth vice-chief on March 7, 2008, alleging that Khairy had uttered defamatory words against him during a ceramah at Lembah Pantai on Feb 20 the same year and caused the publication of a video clip titled “Anwar and kin no threat” on news portals.In September 2017, High Court judge Azizul Azmi Adnan allowed Anwar’s suit against Khairy and found Khairy liable for defamation. He ordered Khairy to pay Anwar RM150,000 in general damages.Azizul also dismissed Khairy’s application to amend his statement of defence to say that his remark was a fair comment.Khairy subsequently filed the appeal against the High Court ruling for finding him liable and rejecting his application to amend his statement of defence after the trial.In February 2018, the Court of Appeal struck out Khairy’s appeal after allowing the application by Anwar’s counsel to annul the notice of appeal.


UK-born football player given Malaysian citizenship

UK-born football player Lee Andrew Tuck has been granted Malaysian citizenship after what he describes as "a tough road".
"Today, I can finally and officially say I am a Malaysian citizen," the Sri Pahang player said in an Instagram post yesterday, on Merdeka Day.
"I'm truly grateful to obtain Malaysia citizenship. It's been a tough road with making sacrifices in order to get here but this was an opportunity I couldn't pass on."
The 34-year-old, who played in football leagues in Thailand and Bangladesh before settling in Malaysia, was formerly with the Negeri Sembilan and Terengganu clubs.
In his Instagram post, he thanked Sri Pahang club owner Tengku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ahmad Shah, the brother of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, as well as club chairman and board of directors.
"I would also like to thank my loving family and close friends," he said, ending the post with a string of Jalur Gemilang emojis.


Najib stable, to continue treatment at HKL, says Khairy

Former prime minister Najib Razak, who was admitted to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) yesterday, is in stable condition and will remain there for treatment, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
Khairy said he had contacted HKL director Dr Rohana Johan and was informed that Najib's condition was stable and there was no need for him to be transferred to the National Heart Institute (IJN).
"I have asked HKL and health deputy director-general Dr Asmayani Khalib to provide Najib with the necessary follow-up treatment," he said at a press conference after an event in Putrajaya today.
He was responding to a statement by Najib's lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, that the former prime minister was likely to be transferred to IJN as he was experiencing fluctuating blood pressure.
On claims that Najib was experiencing high blood pressure because his medication was changed, Khary said these were not true. He said Najib was given a generic high blood pressure medication by HKL, the formula of which was the same as that previously prescribed to the Pekan MP.
"The medicines prescribed for Najib are the same as the ones he had taken before. The medicine is the same, the formula is the same, but in generic form," he added.
Yesterday, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said that Najib was admitted to HKL on Sept 9 as an elective, non-emergency case to ensure that his health was at "a good and optimum" level.
Najib was discharged the following day after undergoing related examinations and tests by certified senior consultants, consisting of heads of clinical services in their respective fields.
However, yesterday, the High Court cut short Najib’s hearing for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in 1MDB funds to allow him to seek medical treatment.


About working life in Singapore

I would like to give my two cents about life, work and treatment in Singapore for Malaysians who want the pot of gold over there.
They say that the grass is always greener on the other side. Make sure it's not artificial turf that you're looking at.
I was one of the first Malaysians that found a job there during the recession in the 1980s. It was a job at a five-star hotel. And let me tell you, working in Singapore, you have to hack it, if not they will eat you alive.
Don't be naive and think that working life in the island republic is any better than it is here. Think of how we treat our own migrant workers, multiply it 10-fold, and put in all of the puns that the Singaporeans use on us.
The first year there, I cried every night before going to bed, reflecting on how badly I was being treated. The thought of resigning was always on my mind. But what was there waiting in Malaysia for a guy whose only qualification was SPM?
The quarrels and fights that I got into, defending all that is Malaysia and Malaysian, made me want to show those Singaporeans that I could hack it there.
Eventually, as time passed, I became good at what I did. I kept my head down, worked 16 hours a day, offered to work during my days off, and just laughed off their puns. I found that I eventually folded into their society and began living as one of them. Life was good – tired, but good.
I kept telling myself that it was all about the money, and for a boy in his 20s, that was the bottom line. I hardly missed Malaysia anymore. I had a Norwegian girlfriend and made many friends from both sides of the divide. My early critics eventually became my friends.
You see, working in Singapore, you don't get to complain about how unfairly treated you are, how long the hours you put in, the non-existence of benefits you're getting. Always think about how much money you're making to help your family back here in Malaysia. Suck it up, man!
And don't ever forget that it was you who sought employment there. There was no gun pointed at your head. If it isn't you, there are thousands more who are willing to take your job. Now you know how our migrant workers put up with us. It's all about the moolah.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Perlis Umno ready to break ranks with centre if party cuts ties with Bersatu

Perlis Umno strongman Shahidan Kassim has threatened to break ranks with the central Umno leadership if it decides to cut ties with Bersatu at the Umno general assembly this month.Shahidan said he would not be perturbed if action is then taken against the state chapter.“Once Perlis Umno decides, if they want to expel us, let it be,” Shahidan, the Perlis Umno chief who is also the chairman of the ruling Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) backbenchers club, said on Talk, Now, a current affairs interview programme produced by MalaysiaNow.The Umno general assembly will take place on March 27 amid persistent calls by a section of its leaders against cooperation with Bersatu at the impending general election.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak have stepped up their criticism of Bersatu on the back of allegations that the party led by Muhyiddin Yassin has sidelined Umno in appointments to key government posts.They have also been urging PAS to follow suit in abandoning Bersatu.PAS, which separately entered into the so-called “Muafakat Nasional” pact with Umno during the parties’ time in the opposition, has repeatedly stated its commitment to supporting Muhyiddin’s government.Shahidan, who is the Arau MP, questioned the calls by Umno leaders for PAS to abandon Bersatu, saying PAS is already together with Bersatu in the PN coalition.“PAS has already joined PN. So it means that if we want to work with PAS, the condition from PAS is that we must be with Bersatu.“We cannot have Bersatu without PAS, because PAS is in PN. They are part of PN now,” the veteran politician said.“PN cannot contest where Barisan Nasional is and vice versa,” he added.In the interview, Shahidan also said Umno is no longer a platform for politicians to automatically climb the political ladder.He said in the past, Umno members had regarded the party as irreplaceable.“It was such that whoever contested as part of Umno would win. That was a different era. Now times have changed. With our smartphones, our views have become more dynamic and change from time to time,” he told Talk, Now.


Decriminalisation of attempted suicide took into account shariah view, says Ramkarpal

The attorney-general's department has researched and studied in depth the decriminalisation of attempted suicide, including from an Islamic point of view, especially in terms of the shariah.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Ramkarpal Singh said several engagement sessions were held with experts and stakeholders from 2018 to 2020 to examine related issues.
"I also understand that the attorney-general's office has referred (the matter) to the office of the mufti of the federal territories and there were no obstacles," he said when winding up the debate on the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2023 (Act 574) which was passed in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Ramkarpal said Section 309 of Act 574 should be repealed to change the approach to suicide attempts from a punitive one to an approach based on medical treatment.
However, he said the offence of aiding and abetting suicide under Sections 305 and 306 of the act would remain an offence. "Aiding suicide attempts will also be made a criminal offence under Sections 305 and 306 of Act 574. In addition, efforts to repeal Section 309 will also lead to amendments to other related acts," he said.
Repealing Section 309 of Act 574 will be a shift in efforts to prevent suicide attempts in Malaysia, so as to encourage those affected to come forward to seek help, remove the stigma against suicide attempts and further reduce the suicide death rate.
Also passed was the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill (No. 2) 2023 to include the abetment of attempted suicide by a child, a person with a lack of mental capacity, or any person as a criminal offence through the amendment of the Penal Code ( Act 574).
The Dewan Rakyat sitting continues today.


Don't be hasty, experts tell Fahmi after outburst over report

A communications expert says minister Fahmi Fadzil should think twice before wading into situations following his outburst over a news report predicting an increase in overnight policy rate (OPR).
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Aziz Azizam said Fahmi's actions would otherwise demonstrate a lack of understanding of hypothetical situations.
Aziz, a communications analyst and lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, was referring to Fahmi's response to the report by Berita Harian, which had quoted analysts as saying that Bank Negara Malaysia might raise the OPR by 25 percentage points by July.
The analysts had cited economic forecasts driven by strong domestic demand following recovery in the employment sector.
Fahmi had criticised the report, calling it a lie and saying that he would meet with the management of the Malay daily.
Aziz said Fahmi's reaction could give rise to misunderstanding among the people, especially given that he was the minister in charge of communications.
"If an analysis like this can be seen as a lie, what about other similar reports?" he said.
"Things like weather reports are predictions as well, why aren't they described as lies?"
Zin Mahmud, a former senior editor at Utusan Malaysia, said it was Berita Harian's right to publish the report, adding however that it must also be responsible for its contents.
He said the report should conform to commonly practised journalistic predictions.
"Berita Harian should still be responsible if the report can affect the country's economy," he said.
He said Fahmi had a right to reprimand the media as it was his responsibility to protect the image of the government as well as the country.
And the editors in turn had the right not to meet with him if they felt that the matter was unfounded, he added.
"It is the right of an editor to defend his report," he said.
Zin also said that reports based on views, predictions and the expectations of experts were part of journalistic norms throughout the world.
"Some things are international practices but not necessarily appropriate in the country," he added.


Iran says scientist killed by satellite-controlled machine gun

A satellite-controlled machine gun with “artificial intelligence” was used in last week’s assassination of a top nuclear scientist in Iran, the deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guards told local media Sunday.Mohsen Fakhrizadeh was driving on a highway outside Iran’s capital Tehran with a security detail of 11 Guards on Nov 27, when the machine gun “zoomed in” on his face and fired 13 rounds, said rear-admiral Ali Fadavi.The machine gun was mounted on a Nissan pickup and “focused only on martyr Fakhrizadeh’s face in a way that his wife, despite being only 25cm away, was not shot”, Mehr news agency quoted him as saying.It was being “controlled online” via a satellite and used an “advanced camera and artificial intelligence” to make the target, he added.Fadavi said that Fakhrizadeh’s head of security took four bullets “as he threw himself” on the scientist and that there were “no terrorists at the scene”.Iranian authorities have blamed arch foe Israel and the exiled opposition group the People’s Mujahedeen of Iran for the assassination.State-run Press TV had previously said “made in Israel” weapons were found at the scene.Various accounts of the scientist’s death have emerged since the attack, with the defence ministry initially saying he was caught in a firefight with his bodyguards, while Fars news agency claimed “a remote controlled automatic machine gun” killed him, without citing any sources.According to Iran’s defence minister, Amir Hatami, Fakhrizadeh was one of his deputies and headed the ministry’s Defence and Research and Innovation Organization, focusing on the field of “nuclear defence”.


New infections below 1,000 as another 5 deaths logged

Another 993 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,017,016.
There were 1,460 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,964,167.
There are now 16,049 active cases, of which 15,011 or 93.5% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 985 (6.1%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 53 are in ICU with 29 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another five deaths were reported, including three who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,800.


Complete vaccination needed for relaxed SOPs regardless of phase, says Khairy

The requirement for individuals to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to enjoy the easing of restrictions in social and economic sectors still applies in all phases of the National Recovery Plan (NRP), Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.He said the Cabinet at its meeting today had agreed that every form of relaxation announced before this be implemented on condition that the full vaccination status applies for all phases of the NRP.In a statement, he said this followed the latest developments regarding the transitioning of phases for all states and the dominant position of the Delta variant, which makes up 94.9% of the new variants detected in the country.“This decision was made after taking into consideration the safety of the people, (the need for) the strengthening of the country’s public health system and the smooth reopening of the economy, as well as to ensure that the government’s efforts to begin the transition process to the endemic phase is undertaken safely,” he added.Khairy said individuals who could not be vaccinated for health reasons should provide the relevant health information, verified by medical officers.Kedah, Penang, Perak, Kelantan, Johor and Sabah are now in Phase Two; Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Selangor, Melaka, Perlis, Pahang, Terengganu and Sarawak are in Phase Three; and Negeri Sembilan and Labuan are in Phase Four of the four-phase recovery plan.Khairy said an individual is considered fully vaccinated 14 days after completing the second dose of the Pfizer, AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines, while recipients of single-dose vaccines such as Johnson & Johnson and CanSino are categorised as fully vaccinated after 28 days from the date of injection.He said the country’s ability to exit the pandemic would depend not only on the government’s efforts and strategy but also on the people’s level of compliance with the SOPs.“If the people become complacent due to the relaxations given, it is not impossible for the situation in terms of infections to take a turn for the worse again,” he said.Khairy said the details on the SOPs for the recovery phases would be announced by the National Security Council soon.


Anwar loyalist urges PH not to dismiss working with Umno

A staunch loyalist of PKR president Anwar Ibrahim has urged Pakatan Harapan (PH) to keep an open mind on forming an alliance with anyone including those from Umno, saying it would benefit the opposition coalition at the next general election.“PH should not lock the door of cooperation with any party as the current political situation is fluid.“If the reformasi agenda advoctaed by PH can be accepted by other parties, it is not impossible that a political cooperation can be established,” said PKR Youth vice-chief Syed Badli Shah Syed Osman, among those who had been vocal in calling for the prime minister’s post to be handed over to Anwar during PH’s short-lived rule.His remarks come in the wake of an audio file that has been making the rounds, purportedly of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi telling his party colleagues to back Anwar.“He went to jail twice. Assuming his actions are clean, but as for his relationship with God, we don’t know… I have never seen,” a voice identical to that of Zahid’s is heard saying in the clip.An aide to Zahid told MalaysiaNow that he had no knowledge of the clip’s authenticity.Zahid and former prime minister Najib Razak, both of whom were Anwar’s allies when the latter was climbing the political ladder in Umno in the 1990s, have been at the forefront of efforts to get Umno to work with the PKR leader.In October, MalaysiaNow revealed the contents of a letter by the duo to the palace, expressing their support for Anwar’s bid to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.Zahid and Najib are among a group of Umno leaders who claim that their party has been sidelined by Muhyiddin from key government appointments.


Elon Musk sells US$5 billion in Tesla shares after Twitter poll

Tesla chief executive Elon Musk sold about US$5 billion in shares, the billionaire reported in filings on Wednesday, just days after he polled Twitter users about selling 10% of his stake.In his first share sale since 2016, Musk’s trust sold nearly 3.6 million shares in Tesla, worth around $4 billion, while he also sold another 934,000 shares for US$1.1 billion after exercising options to acquire nearly 2.2 million shares.The 4.5 million shares equate to about 3% of his total holdings in the electric vehicle manufacturer, which makes up the vast part of his estimated US$281.6 billion fortune, according to Forbes.Musk on Saturday polled Twitter users about selling 10% of his stake, helping to push down Tesla’s share price after a majority on Twitter said they agreed with the sale.The stock sank 12% on Tuesday in a multi-day selloff that endangered the company’s position in the US$1 trillion club, but recovered 4.3% on Wednesday.The options-related sales were set up in September through a trading plan that allows corporate insiders to establish preplanned transactions on a schedule, the filing said. The sales of the option-related shares paid for associated taxes. It was not clear how or whether the trading plan related to Musk’s Twitter poll. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment.The additional share sales were separate and provide Musk with sizeable reserves of cash, given his wealth is largely tied to his stakes in Tesla and SpaceX.Musk has more than 20 million further stock options that are due to expire in August of next year.If Musk carried out the 10% stock sale plan, it would be a slight negative near term, said Mark Arnold, chief investment officer at Hyperion Asset Management in Brisbane where Tesla is the top holding in its global fund.“But the stock is pretty liquid and its not a huge percentage of total issued shares, so it shouldn’t have that much of an impact… we’re quite comfortable with the outlook for the business,” he said.While Tesla has lost close to US$150 billion in market value this week, retail investors have been net buyers of the stock. Some 58% of Tesla trade orders on Fidelity’s brokerage website on Wednesday were for purchases, rather than sales.Retail investors made net purchases of US$157 million on Monday and Tuesday, according to Vanda Research.Tesla is now up more than 51% in 2021, thanks largely to an October rally that was fueled by an agreement to sell 100,000 vehicles to rental car company Hertz.“The company itself is on fire, with strong results,” said Tim Ghriskey, a senior portfolio strategist at New York-based investment management firm Ingalls and Snyder.Bullish sentiment returned to Tesla’s options on Wednesday, with about 1.1 calls traded for every put. Calls are typically used for bullish trades, while buying puts shows a bearish bias.The company’s options accounted for about $109 billion in premium changing hands over the last two weeks, or about one in every three dollars traded in the US-listed options market, according to a Reuters analysis of Trade Alert data.


Menu Rahmah initiative involves no cost to govt, says minister

The implementation of the Menu Rahmah initiative, which offers meals at RM5 and below, involves no expenditure or allocation from the government, says Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub.
Salahuddin said it was instead up to the commitment of the food operators who had voluntarily joined the initiative.
He said since its launch, Menu Rahmah had been well received throughout the country with many eateries responding to the government’s goal of helping to feed those in need, especially the B40 group.
"Many traders are racing to join this initiative by offering food for as low as RM5 at their outlets. This means they want to do it together, in the spirit of charity, without anyone being compelled.
"So the concept here is clear, not a single sen of government money is involved," he said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.  Salahuddin said his ministry had never forced any business, entrepreneur or food industry player, big or small, to become involved in the sale of Menu Rahmah.
"We do not (need to) compel. Rather, it is a deal with the industry including Mydin (Mydin Mohamed Holdings Berhad), the Malaysian Indian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association, Pertom and the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association.
"It was only after this engagement session that we presented the Menu Rahmah idea with the target buyers being those who need daily meals at an affordable price," he said.
He also said his ministry was developing an application with a directory of eateries that offer Menu Rahmah dishes throughout the country.
He said this was to provide the people with more information about the food operators participating in the government’s initiative in their area, as well as to promote the outlets that provide Menu Rahmah meals.
Salahuddin launched the Menu Rahmah initiative on Jan 31, with as many as 15,000 eateries joining the effort to help reduce the cost of living for the public, especially the poor.


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Over RM400 million collected in digital services tax

The government has collected RM428.07 million from digital service providers since the enforcement of the digital services tax early this year, Deputy Finance Minister I Abd Rahim Bakri says.He said the tax was imposed on Netflix, Amazon, advertisements on social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, as well as applications and games on smartphones, among others.“This is a new source of revenue for the country and will be enhanced in the future. This collection is not only imposed on local digital service providers, we have also started efforts to impose the tax on foreign digital service providers,” he said when winding up the debate on the Service Tax (Amendment) Bill 2020 at the Dewan Negara today.The issue on the digital services tax was raised by Senator N Balasubramaniam.On goods and services tax (GST) refunds, Rahim said most of the claims had been reimbursed, with about RM1.87 billion not yet paid as there were some matters that need to be resolved.Apart from that, he said, the Royal Malaysian Customs Department carries out regular field audits in an effort to ensure that taxpayers pay the proper amount of taxes and to avoid leakage.This also ensures that the government can collect the actual tax amount, he added.


RM145 billion EPF savings withdrawn under Covid-related programmes

The impact of the Covid-related withdrawal programmes on the savings of Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members is estimated at RM155 billion, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Deputy Finance Minister 1 Mohd Shahar Abdullah said RM145 billion was withdrawn by members under the four withdrawal programmes, and almost RM10 billion was from the impact of the employee share statutory contribution rate reduction programme.
"The level of savings of EPF members is low and very worrying, especially after the implementation of four withdrawal facilities related to Covid-19, namely i-Lestari, i-Sinar, i-Citra and the special withdrawal, and the reduction of the employee share statutory contribution rate for a period of 27 months (April 2020 until June 2022)," he said.
He was replying to a question from Razali Idris on measures to help EPF contributors who have savings of less than RM10,000.
As of June 30, Shahar said a total of 6.62 million members or 52% of the total of 12.78 million EPF members aged under 55 had savings of less than RM10,000.  Of that total, Shahar said 4.99 million members or 75% were Bumiputeras.
"At the same time, there are 3.2 million members under the age of 55 who are at a very critical savings level of less than RM1,000, and 2.58 million members or 81% of them are Bumiputeras.
"As a relative comparison, Bumiputera members make up 64% or 8.22 million of the total 12.78 million members of the retirement fund aged below 55," he said.
"This shows that Bumiputera members make up a large proportion of EPF members with low EPF savings levels compared to other races," he added.


Air quality at unhealthy level in Seberang Jaya

The air quality was at an unhealthy level in Seberang Jaya and a moderate level in three other locations today.
The Department of Environment (JAS) website said Seberang Jaya had an air pollutant index reading of 151 as of 10am.
The API reading was at the moderate level in Minden (95), Seberang Perai (91) and Balik Pulau (82).
An API reading of 0 to 50 indicates good air quality; 51 to 100, moderate; 101 to 200, unhealthy; 201 to 300, very unhealthy and 300 and above, hazardous. Meanwhile in Kota Bharu, residents began wearing face masks following the drop in air quality due to haze.
Kota Bharu and Tanah Merah recorded API readings of 107 and 104 respectively yesterday.


US says Sime Darby Plantation products no longer made with forced labour

US customs authorities have determined that palm oil products made by Sime Darby Plantation are no longer produced with forced labour, according to a notice on the US Federal Register on Thursday.
Goods made by Sime Darby Plantation have been blocked from entering the US since 2020 over suspected abusive labour practices. Last year, the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it had sufficient information that the firm used "forced labour" and the goods were subject to seizure.
In response, Sime Darby Plantation appointed an ethical trade consultancy to audit its facilities, and last year set aside about US$20 million (RM85.52 million) to compensate current and former migrant workers who paid recruitment fees to secure jobs at the firm.
CBP, citing additional information it had received, said on Thursday it had now "determined that the products were no longer being mined, produced, or manufactured wholly or in part with the use of convict, forced, or indentured labor by the Sime Darby Plantation".
The CBP did not state what evidence it had received or whether the ban on the firm's imports had been lifted. The agency did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sime Darby said it was aware of the US notice.
"We are optimistic that the tremendous strides we have made in bolstering the quality of life for our workforce will soon be recognised by the USCBP and that we will be allowed to resume exports to the United States," a spokesman said in an email to Reuters.
Sime Darby Plantation is among eight Malaysian firms that have been banned by the US in the past four years over forced labour allegations.
Malaysia in 2021 announced a government plan to eliminate abusive practices such as debt bondage, unhygienic dormitories for workers, and excessive overtime, by 2030.