Johor to move to Phase 3, Pahang to Phase 4

Johor will move to Phase Three of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) while Pahang will move to Phase Four effective Oct 8, Senior Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said today.In a statement, he said the decision was reached at the Covid-19 Pandemic Management Special Committee meeting today.“This (phase) transition has been made in accordance with the guidelines set by the National Recovery Plan and after taking into account the current risk assessment by the health ministry and the National Security Council (NSC),” Hishammuddin, who is defence minister, said.He said SOPs for states entering Phase Three and Four will be the same as before. The latest SOP details will be updated by the NSC on its website, www.mkn.gov.my.Hishammuddin said the meeting also agreed to allow several new flexibilities including the operating hours of wholesale markets, as well as the “thaali” tying ceremony at temples and holy matrimony at churches during the NRP period, effective Oct 9.“The operating hours of wholesale markets under Phase Two and Phase Three will be allowed according to the conditions of the licence and permit from the local authorities (PBT) as stipulated, provided the employees are fully vaccinated and comply with the existing SOPs,” he said.On the implementation of weddings at temples and churches, he said the national unity ministry would inform the Hindu and Christian associations of the necessary SOPs.Apart from that, he said public auctions for the pawnbroking sector registered under the housing and local government ministry will also be allowed from Oct 9 with certain conditions.These include allowing only fully vaccinated employees and bidders, as well as involving only 54 auctioneers that have been identified nationwide, limited to 30-minute sessions on the first and seventh days of each month with the capacity of employees and bidders according to the NRP phases.For Phase Two, only 60% of employee capacity and 50% of bidders will be allowed followed by Phase Three (80% of employee capacity and 80% of bidders), and Phase Four (100% capacity for both employees and bidders).He also said that the tobacco sector and its supply chain will be allowed to operate under Phase Two onwards.Hishammuddin however reminded the public to continue practising the SOPs, and to increase self-assessment to protect themselves and the surrounding community from the Covid-19 infection.“In the #ReopeningSafely effort, the most important thing is for all of us not to be complacent.“Despite all the concessions that have been announced, the fact that we have to face is that we all still have to live with the (threat of) Covid-19 virus,” he added.


Virus cases breach 3,000 in new high

Another 3,027 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 128,465.Johor recorded 1,103 new cases, of which 1,043 or 94.6% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Selangor (706), Sabah (493), Kuala Lumpur (316) and Penang (111).Kelantan saw an increase of 66 cases, Negeri Sembilan 63, Perak 59, Kedah 30, Pahang 25, Putrajaya 17, Sarawak 14, Melaka 11, Terengganu 10, Labuan three.Active cases stand at 25,221 with 142 in the ICU and 63 in need of respiratory assistance.Nine new clusters were detected:1. Senai Murni (Kulai in Johor; 66 cases)2. Tapak Bina Hartamas (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 48 cases)3. Damai Pelangi (Hulu Selangor in Selangor; 21 cases)4. Tapak Bina Jalan Ipoh (Kepong in Kuala Lumpur; 98 cases)5. Rungkup (Kepong in Kuala Lumpur; 20 cases)6. Desa Setapak (Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; 15 cases)7. Jalan Jaya (Cheras in Kuala Lumpur; seven cases)8. Ziarah Putra (Putrajaya; seven cases)9. Keranji Tabuan (Kuching in Sarawak; six cases).Seven others ended, leaving 254 active clusters across the country.Another 2,145 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 102,723.However, eight more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 521.


Latin American universities embrace ChatGPT despite cheating fears

When Chilean university professor Diego Martínez asked his 50 students if they had used ChatGPT to help with an engineering assignment, he was surprised to find that every one of them had.
The popular AI chatbot can generate coherent prose, including essays, stories, summaries, legal text, and even poetry about virtually any subject in response to users' questions and is designed to mimic a human conversation.
"We just have to realise that there is a new student in the room that is helping everyone," said Martínez, associate professor of industrial engineering at Chile's Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaiso (PUCV).
"Students use it for everything, to brainstorm, to synthesize information to improve grammar," said Martínez.
From Chile and Colombia, university teachers and students are using OpenAI's chatbot on a regular basis as a research assistant, writer, editor, and even code programmer, which they say can boost learning and reduce teacher workload.
In Mexico, Rafael Mendoza, a computer science professor at the Autonomous University of Mexico State, was also caught off guard by ChatGPT's boom.
"My students caught me by surprise. They got to AI before me, and I became suspicious as they suddenly started delivering perfect assignments, with no grammatical errors and perfectly structured," said Mendoza.
At Brazil's University of Brasília, art student Maicon Costa has been using ChatGPT for months for research and to stave off his writer's block.
"When it started, professors were terrified of it, but now they're trying to get us to learn how to use it," Costa said.
Critics have warned the tool could lead to greater misinformation, cheating and plagiarism and called for stricter regulation of generative AI.
Martinez noted that while ChatGPT can help improve teaching and learning students need to approach it with a critical mind, while teachers should be left to decide if they want to introduce their own guidelines on it is use.
"ChatGPT is a very good tool but it's also good at lying, making mistakes, which are called hallucinations, and you have to be an expert to catch them," said Martinez.
"And I don't think the students are there yet," he said.
Cheating
Universities in Latin America are debating the benefits and pitfalls of AI in higher education and society.
In March Brazil's biggest state-run university, USP, hosted a seminar on ChatGPT, as have other institutions in the region.
In Mexico, universities like the Monterrey Institute of Technology have shared recommendations with teachers and students on the ethical use of chatbots, such as attributing text written by AI and double-checking the sources it provides.
"It's not a matter of right and wrong. We need students to be responsible when using AI," said Edward Bermúdez, who is co-drafting AI guidelines for the Ibero-American University in Mexico City.
"They must think deeply about the ethical use of technology, not to be punished for using it."
The main challenge facing universities is how to ensure ChatGPT's already ubiquitous use does not lead to more cheating.
Some academics have warned their students grades will be cancelled if they are caught using ChatGPT, while others have changed the way they are assessing students, including fewer take-home assessments and more hand-written essays and exams in class and oral exams.
"I'm going to try not to set essays outside of class because this immediately invites the use of ChatGPT," said philosophy professor Andrés Páez at Colombia's Los Andes University.
One colleague, he said, is showing students examples of essays generated by ChatGPT and asking them to improve on it.
Some professors, particularly in law, economics and business schools, are teaching students to effectively use the tool, ask it better questions, and to be critical.
Last month a US judge imposed sanctions on two New York lawyers who submitted a legal brief that included six fictitious case citations generated by ChatGPT.
Teachers say their students are concerned that generative AI tools will make some professions obsolete, such as entry-level coders, paralegals and data analysts, leading some to question the value of a degree.
Design professor Bermúdez has planned lessons on the ethical and technical use of generative art AI like Midjourney and DALL-E, which generate artistic images in a matter of minutes.
"I teach students that their job is beyond technical; it requires critical thinking skills. They aren't competing with AI, but using it to reach new potentials," said Bermúdez.
To ban or not to ban
Plagiarism concerns have led some institutions like Sciences Po, one of France's top universities, to ban its use in January, as did India's Bengaluru-based RV University.
In the US and Australia, some high schools have banned the use of ChatGPT to prevent cheating.
In Latin America, however, most universities have so far taken a hands-off approach and few have introduced university-wide ChatGPT guidelines and restricted its use.
In Colombia, Páez said there is no official university policy on ChatGPT nor are there any plans to ban it.
"I think the consensus is that... prohibition doesn't get us anywhere," said Páez, who is also a researcher at Los Andes Artificial Intelligence Research and Training Center.
"As there is no way of proving its use, other options need to be found," he said.
Many universities are leaving it up to teaching staff to decide how best to incorporate ChatGPT into their lessons and monitor its use.
"Universities can and should allow the use of ChatGPT for students, teachers and researchers... it should be taught how it can be used responsibly and honestly," said Patricia Avila, who heads The Union of Latin American and Caribbean Universities (UDUAL).
This week the Russell Group of 24 leading British universities including Oxford and Cambridge issued guidelines on the use of generative AI.
According to the guidelines, universities should support its "ethical and responsible use" and "ensure academic rigour and integrity is upheld."
Engineering professor Martínez, a self-described "heavy user" of ChatGPT said the tool is a "major opportunity in education that needs to be taken cautiously."
"We are using it, people are using it in their jobs. But we also need to be critical and experiment with it in our classrooms and develop our own guidelines," he said.


1,009 new cases, 6 more deaths

Another 1,009 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 36,434.Of these, 564 were recorded in Sabah, followed by Selangor (180), Labuan (95), Negeri Sembilan (90), and Penang (36).Kuala Lumpur recorded 17 new cases, Kedah seven, Perak six, Sarawak six, Melaka five, Johor two, and Putrajaya one.Active cases stand at 10,503 with 78 in the ICU and 28 in need of respiratory assistance.Five more clusters were also detected: Sutera in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah; Tamar in Petaling, Selangor; Intan in Timur Laut, Penang; and Danau in Titiwangsa, Kuala Lumpur.Another 839 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 25,654 or 70.4%.However, six more deaths were also reported, pushing the virus toll to 277.


Whopping 17,045 cases take total infections past 1 million

Another 17,045 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,013,438.Selangor recorded 8,500 cases, Kuala Lumpur 2,045, Kedah 1,216, Johor 950, Sabah 818, Perak 609, Penang 573, Negeri Sembilan 513, Pahang 424, Sarawak 407, Melaka 370, Terengganu 273 and Kelantan 266.Putrajaya recorded 50 cases, Labuan 21 and Perlis 10.Active cases stand at 160,903 with 970 in the ICU and 501 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 9,683 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 844,541.However, 92 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 7,994.


Will Umno members sit back and watch party's decline, asks Mahathir

Dr Mahathir Mohamad has asked whether Umno members will sit by and watch the party being controlled by leaders who are out to protect their own interests, following the move by the Malay party at its recent general assembly to stop any contest for the top two posts.
Mahathir said the party's election performance had consistently declined over the years due to the actions of his successors – Abdullah Badawi, Najib Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi – whom he said were not interested in fighting for "race, country and religion".
"The Umno constitution allows members to change leaders. But Umno members seem willing to keep a leader who is facing charges.
"The current Umno president is facing charges. Will Umno members continue to support the party?" Mahathir, who was the party's longest serving president, asked in a statement shared online.
Zahid is facing a slew of corruption charges in court related to tens of millions of ringgit belonging to charity outfit Yayasan Akalbudi.
The Umno general assembly last weekend passed a motion to stop any contest for the posts of president and deputy president when the party holds is election, due by mid-May.
Mahathir said the Umno chief appeared ready to abandon the party principles in order to save himself from criminal charges.
He said this included the move by Zahid to work with Anwar Ibrahim and DAP.
"We will see whether Anwar can save Zahid from trial or not. Will Anwar's reform include 'the rule of law'?" he added.
He also said Zahid was afraid that he would be convicted if he were not made the deputy prime minister.
"That is why a contest for the position of president and deputy president was stopped by the Umno general assembly.
"And so Umno continues to be dominated by a president who is being tried for corruption. It is very likely that Umno seats will decline again in the general election."


Full-scale lockdowns should be the last resort, says economist

Prominent economist Jomo Kwame Sundaram today urged the government to introduce a targeted response to combat the spread of Covid-19, saying that full-scale lockdowns should be the last resort.Speaking at a forum hosted by Astro Awani, he said Malaysia might fail in its efforts to control the pandemic if the government delayed in implementing more equitable measures.“A proportional and targeted response is the way forward,” he said. “Lockdown measures are unsustainable.”He suggested that the government refer to countries such as South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Laos and Vietnam which he said had been able to flatten their virus curves without imposing total lockdowns.“These measures would keep us all ahead,” he added. “We should not simply resort to total lockdowns. Recovery should not simply mean a return to the status quo.”Jomo also said the government should recognise the differences between the current lockdown and the one imposed last year, saying the direct risk and collateral damage inflicted by the pandemic must also be taken into consideration.“Governments must try to maintain family incomes, enabling them to spend to survive and thus keeping the economy ticking and businesses afloat.“With effective containment of contagion, such programmes enable the earlier resumption of economic activities and recovery.“Today, lockdown means a very different thing, it means a step-by-step escalation of proportionate, targeted and time-limited measures,” he said.Reiterating that another national lockdown would inflict “collateral damage” on the economy, he said the only way for Malaysia to move forward was to build a resilient community.He said community-based adherence to SOPs such as mask wearing and strict controls over social gatherings in both public and private spaces could help the government’s efforts to bring the pandemic under control.“Any further escalation of measures would be the result of the failure to comply with the preceding ones,” he said, adding that the pandemic had become endemic.“It is therefore up to us to accept them while they are still relatively easy to follow.”


Umno or Bersatu, PAS' GE15 dilemma

As momentum builds ahead of the 15th general election (GE15), to be held within the next two months, attention has turned to PAS and its unique position between the country's remaining major Malay parties, arch-enemies Bersatu and Umno.
Through the years, PAS, a veteran of Malaysia's political scene, has worked with parties of all stripes, from Parti Negara in 1959 to DAP and PKR under Barisan Alternatif and, later, Pakatan Rakyat.
Following the collapse of the Barisan Nasional (BN) government at the 2018 general election, PAS formed the Muafakat Nasional pact with Umno as part of efforts to unite the Muslim community.
However, it is also a founding member of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, led by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin who has frequently spoken out against the group of Umno leaders known as the court cluster.
While PN was established in February 2020 with the support of Umno, its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi later said that the party had never joined PN in any official capacity.
Now, with Bersatu and Umno eschewing any form of cooperation with the other ahead of GE15, the question is: on which side will PAS find itself come election day?
Veteran observer Chandra Muzaffar said it was still too early to predict PAS' direction in forming political cooperation.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said coalitions could be formed both before and after GE15.
He added that PAS itself could still be unclear about the position of BN and PN, both of whom appear to have internal problems of their own.
Chandra said it was no secret that BN was riddled with factions – a development that posed a major headache for the coalition.
"It's difficult to say which individual or group truly represents the voice of the party," he said.
"Is it Zahid, or someone else like Najib Razak? Or Khairy Jamaluddin or Hishammuddin Hussein?
"It's very unclear because of all of these factions," he added.
Zahid, who is among the court cluster leaders facing criminal charges, previously issued PAS an ultimatum, saying the Islamist party would have to fulfil three conditions if it wished to work with Umno in GE15.
He said PAS would have to leave PN, cut ties with Bersatu, and officially confirm that it had no further links with either the coalition or the party.
Umno vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin however said later that PAS had failed to meet these conditions.
PAS itself said that Zahid's conditions were unsuitable and did not reflect Umno's official stand.
BN versus PN
Political analyst Mujibu Abd Muis said that cooperation with Umno would benefit PAS more in terms of grassroots support, given the firm footing of the BN lynchpin.
He said this could carry PAS to victory in the seats it chose to contest.
However, Mujibu of Universiti Teknologi Mara said Umno would likely emerge as the "big brother" or dominant partner in this relationship.
PAS itself would occupy a lower position but would have an easier time forming the government, he said.
If, on the other hand, PAS chose to work with Bersatu, he said, it would have more clout.
He said it would also be viewed with more respect by other political parties as its position appeared to be stronger and more stable with PN.
"But its chances of winning seats in the election might be lower than if it were to work with Umno," he said.


Bersatu identifies candidate to replace Muhyiddin in Johor polls

Bersatu has identified a candidate to contest for the Gambir seat in the Johor state election, to replace Muhyiddin Yassin who has said that he might not defend the seat.Johor Bersatu information chief Mohd Solihan Badri, who is also Ledang Bersatu division chief, said Muhyiddin had requested that the party’s Ledang division leadership hand over a list of qualified candidates to him, as the seat was under the division.“As the Ledang Bersatu division chief, I have identified a suitable candidate to replace Muhyiddin to contest for the Gambir seat because the individual has the qualifications, besides having the support of the grassroots,” he said in a statement.Muhyiddin, who is also Bersatu president, had said that he might not defend the Gambir seat which he won in the 14th general election in the upcoming state polls.Muhyiddin, the Perikatan Nasional chairman, said the move would allow him to focus on more important issues at the parliamentary and central levels, as well as to handle party-related matters.


Najib calls for return of BN-era GST

Former prime minister Najib Razak today defended the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) during his administration in 2015, urging the government to bring back the consumption tax as quickly as possible once the country recovers from the Covid-19 crisis.Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, he said this was because the government needed to reduce the income gap, attract investors and strengthen the country’s fiscal position.He added that the GST, which had been aligned with aid packages for the people, had played an important role in reducing the income gap between the rich and the poor.“This is contrary to the propaganda that caused some people to fall for the claim that the GST victimised those in the low-income group and caused the price of goods to rise,” he said when debating the 12th Malaysia Plan.The GST was introduced by Barisan Nasional in 2015 to replace the sales and services tax (SST).It was scrapped after Pakatan Harapan came to power in the 2018 general election.Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Independent-Muar), interrupting Najib’s debate, raised three issues related to the implementation of the GST: expenditure leakage, slow tax refunds and high unemployment rates.Najib’s debate was also interrupted several times by RSN Rayer (PH-Jelutong).The former prime minister, defending his stand, said the GST had in fact helped to reduce leakage due to the contraction of the black economy worth RM300 billion a year.“The price of basic necessities rose significantly after the SST was brought back to replace the GST,” he said.“The GST is a consumption tax. The higher the expenditure, the higher the GST payment.”Najib, who is the Pekan MP, said the value of GST collections distributed to the needy was more than the amount of tax they needed to pay.His argument was supported by Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan, who said the inflation rate had also gone down once the GST was implemented.“GST collections amounted to RM44 billion compared to RM21 billion from the SST – an additional RM23 billion,” Ahmad said.He added that the people had been additionally burdened after the GST was scrapped in 2018 and replaced with six new taxes and three tax increases.


Fed-up expats begin drifting away from Singapore

Tom Meredith had just arrived in London after more than a year away when Singapore revoked his re-entry pass, which he needed to fly back to his wife and six-year-old twin daughters at home in Singapore.What should have been a short business trip to the UK in May suddenly had no return date, forcing Meredith to shuffle between family and friends’ homes for weeks.Meredith was just one of the many expats locked out of Singapore when the city-state imposed strict travel curbs as new clusters involving aggressive Covid-19 variants emerged, the Financial Times reports.Authorities said they reimposed restrictions in May to avoid large outbreaks.The ministry of trade and industry said it recognised “the impact of border measures on all, in particular those who need to travel for business or to reunite with family”, adding it would work with those affected to find solutions.For some foreign professionals the restriction proved to be a breaking point.Frustration over travel constraints, vaccines, and fears over jobs have prompted expats to abandon the island for their home countries or other financial hubs, such as Dubai.Expats younger than 40 were at the very end of the vaccination queue, with Singaporeans aged 12 to 39 given priority. Bookings were finally opened to non-Singaporeans last week.“It’s just one of many ways in which Singapore showed it’s not super friendly to expats, and that they will always prioritise their own citizens ahead of foreigners,” said a financial consultant who wished to remain anonymous.A struggle to find work has also stoked expat anxiety. “If you’re made redundant and you’re a senior director, it’s very difficult to find something for an EP [Employment Pass holder, who earns at least S$4,500 (US$3,340) per month],” said Richard Aldridge at Black Swan Group, a financial services recruiter.Josephine Teo, the then manpower minister, in March called on companies to “strengthen their Singaporean core”. Last year, Singapore raised the qualifying salary for employment passes twice.While EP holders accounted for a quarter of Black Swan’s placements in Singapore in 2019, the number in 2021 has dropped to zero. “EP is almost toxic. People with EPs are not being looked at,” said Aldridge.Official statistics about expats not renewing their visas are hard to obtain but Adam Sloan, a managing director at moving company Santa Fe Relocation, said people leaving Singapore far outnumber those arriving.“We are completely full operationally. We are trying our best to find additional slots and spaces to pack up,” Sloan said. The daily number of families Santa Fe moved out jumped from 20 last year to between 30 and 35 by June, he said.Some expats, however, are still moving to the city-state including from Hong Kong, which has been rattled by protests, school closures and China’s imposition of a tough national security law.One Hong Kong executive making the move said, “From a career perspective Singapore is far more attractive than Hong Kong. And obviously it’s safe, convenient, more affordable and is a more international city.”Another attraction is Singapore’s efforts to craft a coronavirus exit strategy.Once it fully vaccinates at least half of its 5.7 million population, Singapore may allow social gatherings to expand to eight people and inoculated residents to attend live performances and sporting contests with larger audiences.With more than 3.7 million people having received a first dose and 2.2 million a second shot, it also plans to take “progressive steps” to ease travel restrictions.Meredith finally returned to Singapore last week. But his family has considered whether they should “carry on” in the city-state. In the past few months, five friends and their families have left.For now, though, he is just “very, very glad to be home”.


Australia urged to ban online gambling ads to curb growing addiction

Australia should phase out advertising for online gambling in three years, a parliamentary committee of inquiry recommended on Wednesday as it looked to limit the "havoc" it caused in one of the world's biggest betting market.
The committee made 31 recommendations on how online gambling, which it said was changing the culture of sport, should be regulated and how Australians struggling with addiction should be supported.
Australians outspend the citizens of every other country on online gambling, Peta Murphy, chair of the committee said in the report titled "You win some, you lose more".
"This is wreaking havoc in our communities," Murphy said.
Murphy said online gambling companies advertise deliberately and strategically alongside sport, which has normalised it as fun and harmless and socialble activity.
A generation of young Australians views gambling and sport as inextricably linked, Murphy said, adding that it was changing the culture of sport.
"Australia would be diminished if sport was to be so captured by gambling revenue that providing an opportunity for betting came to be seen as its primary purpose," Murphy said.
A phased, comprehensive ban on all gambling advertising on all media, broadcast and online, that left no room for circumvention, was needed, the panel said.
It recommended the ban be phased in over three years so sporting bodies and broadcasters had enough time to find alternative sources of advertising revenue.
The ban would be a major setback for online gaming companies like London-listed Flutter Entertainment PLC-owner of the most popular betting app in Australia, Sportsbet, Entain PLC-owner of third-ranked app Ladbrokes, and Tabcorp Holdings.
Australia is the world's biggest gambling nation in terms of losses per person. Its gambling industry has been in the spotlight in recent years, with public inquiries criticising big casino operators over lapses in money laundering protections.
The gambling problem shifted online to a much greater extent when the Covid-19 pandemic forced the closure of public venues.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the government would consider the recommendations.
"We need to deal with online issues, we need to deal with social media issues, we need to deal with it comprehensively across the board," Albanese said on ABC Gold Coast radio.


Top US military brass quarantined after White House reception

The White House coronavirus cluster now includes one more victim and others could follow.It was revealed that top Pentagon officials are receiving frequent coronovirus tests after being at the White House on Sunday when a senior Coast Guard official tested positive for the coronavirus, the New York Times reports.The chairman of the joint chiefs of staff and other top military leaders are now under quarantine after they attended a White House reception to honour “gold star” families.The event, commemorating fallen soldiers, like many gatherings at the White House, did not feature masks or social distancing.President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump were both present.Officials said the affected military leaders are now working from home or in the “Tank”, a secure facility inside the Pentagon, and this has not reduced military readiness.


Rights group warns govt against deporting former Bangladesh diplomat

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has called for a halt to any plans by the government to deport a former Bangladesh high commissioner to his home country follow his arrest earlier this week, saying his status as a refugee precludes him from being repatriated regardless of why he was detained.LFL head coordinator Zaid Malek also said Mohammmed Khairuzzaman should be released from custody and accorded the protection to which he is entitled as a political refugee.“The government should be well aware that Malaysia is bound by the principle of non-refoulement, a key principle of international human rights law which prohibits the return of individuals to a country where they would face torture, cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment, or other irreparable harm,” he said.“As a political refugee, there is no doubt that Khairuzzaman would face severe consequences if he is sent back to Bangladesh.”Khairuzzaman was detained at his home in Ampang on Feb 9 and is reportedly expected to be sent back to Bangladesh.Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin, who yesterday confirmed that Khairuzzaman had been detained, said his arrest was made in accordance with legal procedures.“If there is a request from the country of origin that we feel has a basis, then we will make (arrest) and everything is done according to existing legal procedures,” he said.But Zaid said in a statement that “credible international organisations” had recorded unlawful killings, disappearances, arbitrary arrest and detention as well as political show trials ending in executions occurring on a regular basis in Bangladesh.“Irrespective of the reason of arrest, which the home minister suspiciously refuses to disclose, Khairuzzaman’s refugee status must preclude him from being repatriated,” he said.“Khairuzzaman must be released from custody immediately, and be accorded the protection he is entitled to as a political refugee.


UK police name Liverpool taxi blast suspect

British police have identified the suspect behind an explosion which engulfed a taxi in flames outside a hospital in Liverpool on Sunday, a blast the authorities have declared a terrorist incident.Police say 32-year-old Emad Al Swealmeen, who was killed in the blast, boarded the taxi in the northern English city and asked to be driven to the hospital, which was about 10 minutes away.The blast took place within the car as it approached the drop-off point in front of Liverpool Women’s Hospital. The taxi driver was treated for injuries and released after medical attention.The country has raised its national threat level to severe, with interior minister Priti Patel saying the blast was the second fatal incident in one month following the stabbing to death of lawmaker David Amess.Four men, who were arrested by the police in relation to the explosion, were released from custody, the police said late Monday.Three of them, aged 29, 26 and 21, were arrested on Sunday and on Monday Assistant Chief Constable Russ Jackson of Counter-Terrorism Policing Northwest said another man aged 20 had been arrested.The explosion occurred just before 11am on Sunday, when a Remembrance Day service to commemorate war dead was being held at nearby Liverpool Cathedral. Police are investigating whether the events are connected.Police are searching two places associated with Al Swealmeen and have recovered significant items, Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Meeks said in a statement released by Greater Manchester Police.“Now that we have released his name, any information that the public may have about Al Swealmeen, no matter how small, may be of great assistance to us,” he said.Police carried out a controlled explosion earlier on Monday as a precaution at Sefton Park.Jackson said it was unclear why the passenger had wanted to go to the hospital or what had caused the sudden explosion of the device.Police also said they have recovered important evidence from an address at Rutland Avenue, adding it is becoming central to the investigation. Al Swealmeen had been picked up by the taxi from the Rutland Avenue area, according to the BBC.Earlier, Liverpool Mayor Joanne Anderson described the actions of the taxi driver as heroic. The BBC said he had locked the passenger inside the vehicle.“It is important that the public remains alert to the threat from terrorism but not alarmed,” Patel said.


Many schoolchildren among 252 dead in Indonesia quake

Many children killed when their schools collapsed are among the 252 dead from an earthquake that devastated a town on Indonesia's main island of Java, officials said on Tuesday, as rescuers raced to reach people trapped in rubble.
Hundreds of people were injured in the Monday quake and officials warned the death toll was likely to rise.
The shallow 5.6-magnitude quake struck in mountains in Indonesia's most populous province of West Java, causing significant damage to the town of Cianjur and burying at least one village under a landslide.
Landslides and rough terrain were hampering rescue efforts, said Henri Alfiandi, head of National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas).
"The challenge is the affected area is spread out... On top of that, the roads in these villages are damaged," Alfiandi told a news conference, adding that more than 13,000 people had been evacuated.
"Most of the casualties are children, because at 1pm they were still at school," he said, referring to the time the quake hit.
Many of the fatalities resulted from people trapped under collapsed buildings, officials said.
President Joko Widodo flew in to Cianjur on Tuesday to encourage rescuers.
"My instruction is to prioritise evacuating victims that are still trapped under rubble," said the president, who is known as Jokowi.
He offered his condolences to the victims and pledged emergency government support. Reconstruction should include earthquake-proof housing, he said.
Survivors gathered overnight in a Cianjur hospital parking lot. Some of the injured were treated in tents, others were hooked up to intravenous drips on the pavement as medical workers stitched up patients under torch light.
"Everything collapsed beneath me and I was crushed beneath this child," Cucu, a 48-year-old resident, told Reuters.
"Two of my kids survived, I dug them up... Two others I brought here, and one is still missing," she said through tears.
"Many dead bodies are lying in the hospital grounds, it's very crowded," said her relative, Hesti.
Footage from Kompas TV showed people holding cardboard signs asking for food and shelter, with emergency supplies seemingly yet to reach them.
Hundreds of police officers were deployed to help the rescue effort, Dedi Prasetyo, national police spokesperson told the Antara state news agency.
"Today's main task order for personnel is to focus on evacuating victims," he said.
'Swept away'
The death toll from the earthquake had risen to 252, the district government said in a post on social media. The death toll from the national disaster agency (BNPB) stood at 103, with 31 missing.
Cianjur police chief told Metro TV that 20 people had been evacuated from the district of Cugenang, most of whom had died, with residents reporting missing family members.
The area was hit by a landslide triggered by the quake that had blocked access to the area.
"At least six of my relatives are still unaccounted for, three adults and three children," said Zainuddin, a resident of Cugenang.
"If it was just an earthquake only the houses would collapse, but this is worse because of the landslide. In this residential area there were eight houses, all of the which were buried and swept away."
Rescue efforts were complicated by electricity outages in some areas, and more than 100 aftershocks.
Straddling the so-called Ring of Fire, a highly seismically active zone where different plates on the earth's crust meet, Indonesia has a history of devastating earthquakes.
In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude quake off Sumatra island in northern Indonesia triggered a tsunami that struck 14 countries, killing 226,000 people.


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Hopes for Afghan peace fade as Moscow summit held with solo female delegate

As envoys gathered in Moscow to discuss the Afghan peace process, Afghan women were notable by their almost total absence.Just one woman, politician Habiba Sarabi, was in the 12-member delegation of Afghan government and political leaders attending Thursday’s summit, Reuters is reporting.The 10-member delegation sent by the Islamist Taliban had no women whatsoever.On Thursday, Sarabi addressed her male counterparts at a Moscow hotel, calling for a ceasefire.“Women have not been part of the war, we can certainly contribute to peace,” she said, according to a tweet from a fellow negotiator. “Why should I be the only woman in this room? Fifty-one percent of people should not be ignored.”Shaharazad Akbar, who leads Afghanistan’s Independent Human Rights Commission, said it was unacceptable that only one woman attended the meeting.“It’s setting the tone for things to come in terms of inclusivity,” she said.The Moscow summit marked the start of a series of international meetings as a May 1 deadline for the withdrawal of US and other foreign troops from Afghanistan nears.Negotiations between the government and Taliban in Doha, Qatar, have stalled.Diplomats say Washington wants support from regional powers to push Afghans to form a power-sharing government. At the talks, the US was joined by Russia, China and Pakistan in calling for an Afghan ceasefire.In many cases, those regional powers owe their influence in Afghanistan to ties with warlords who ruled throughout four decades of conflict, all of them men.“They are the same leaders who ruled Afghanistan 20 years ago,” said Fauzia Koofi, one of just four female negotiators among the 42 representing the Afghan sides in Doha.A spokesman for the US State Department said Washington wished there had been more than one woman in the Moscow delegation, adding that the US would advocate for “meaningful participation” by women in upcoming gatherings.“Women, girls, and minority groups in Afghanistan have made extraordinary gains, and preserving those gains is a high priority for the Biden administration,” the spokesman said.During their 1996-2001 rule, the Taliban enforced a strict interpretation of Islamic law that saw women required to fully cover their bodies and faces, and barred from education and work, and from leaving the house without a male relative.Since the Taliban were driven from power in 2001, the international community has poured billions into Afghanistan’s development and the Taliban say they have changed but many women remain sceptical.Gains for women and girls in access to education and public life are repeatedly touted as one of the major successes of two decades of foreign involvement.However, such gains are fragile and could easily be reversed once foreign forces are no longer in the country.


It’s halal, say religious leaders after debate over food donated by non-Muslims to flood victims

Religious leaders have put forth differing views on food cooked by non-Muslims as debate on the topic continues in the wake of the flood disaster that hit the Klang Valley last week.Former minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri, who was in charge of Islamic affairs under the Perikatan Nasional government, said there was nothing wrong with Muslims eating food prepared by non-Muslims who are not considered people of the book as long as it does not involve animals that have been slaughtered.The people of the book refers to adherents of Christianity and Judaism, whose food and slaughtered meat Muslims consider halal.His explanation followed an online debate over the distribution of food from the Sikh community to Muslim flood victims.Zulkifli, a former mufti for the federal territories, had then attempted to put a stop to the debate.“Sikhs are vegetarian,” he had tweeted. “This means they do not eat meat at all.”The Sikhs from the Sahib Gurdwara in Petaling Jaya, along with volunteers from a variety of backgrounds including Muslims, had been preparing hot food for flood victims throughout the Klang Valley since Dec 19.Their efforts came in the wake of the massive floods which hit eight states, causing the displacement of tens of thousands as well as losses in the hundreds of thousands.Several areas such as Taman Sri Muda in Shah Alam, Selangor – the worst-hit state – saw houses submerged to their roofs.Attempts to offer assistance in the form of cooked meals became the subject of heated debate after a small group of social media users began questioning the halal status of such food.Negeri Sembilan mufti Mohd Yusof Ahmad said Muslims are allowed by religious rules to consume food cooked by non-Muslims, but only during emergency situations when food supply is cut off.He said in such an emergency, even food cooked from the meat of slaughtered animals such as chickens is not prohibited.“In situations where there is no other choice and it is necessary to save a life, it is a must,” he said when contacted by MalaysiaNow.“If there are other options like bread or fruit, then take what is believed to be halal.”Yusof said concerns over the halal status of food cooked by non-Muslims stemmed from the possibility that non-permissible ingredients such as alcohol might have been added.Yet if an individual has other options, it would mean that he or she is not in an emergency situation and therefore cannot take food believed to be non-halal, he said.“Leave whatever which is doubtful (in the matter of what is halal) for that which is not doubtful,” he said, quoting from a hadith of Prophet Muhammad.


New groups to be included in Phase 2 of vaccination plan, says Khairy

Several new groups of recipients for the second phase of Covid-19 vaccination will be announced on Monday, says coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, Khairy JamaluddinKhairy, who is also science, technology and innovation minister, said several new groups categorised as economic frontliners and other groups would be added as vaccine recipients in the second phase after this was agreed on at the Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee level.He said the committee decided to give priority to those in other categories as well, as registration for the second phase had not hit its intended target.“But I wish to stress here that senior citizens and high-risk groups with chronic diseases and disabilities are still being given priority in the second phase,” he said at a press conference in Shah Alam.The second phase of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme will be carried out from April to August 2021.Khairy said the government would also be adding more vaccination centres in Phase Two and Three to expedite the process.“It also depends on the delivery of vaccine from abroad so that when we have received more vaccine doses, we will be able to step up vaccination which would need bigger vaccination centres,” he said.He said dispensing vaccines would also be extended to certain industrial areas especially in factories in Selangor which have many workers.“We will list the factories and will cooperate with the companies concerned to implement vaccination at the factories or worker hostels so that they do not need to come out to any vaccination centres involving members of the public,” he said.Khairy said Selangor currently has the highest registration for vaccination against Covid-19.“In terms of ratio of registration to the targeted population, the national level is at 26.9% while Selangor reached almost 40%. This shows the high level of awareness in the state,” he said.He said cooperation with the state government would continue to encourage more registration including making house visits and opening counters at public places.


PH ready for talks with BN on cooperation for Selangor polls

Pakatan Harapan (PH) is ready to hold talks with Barisan Nasional (BN) on the possibility of working together in the Selangor state election next year, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari says. Amirudin, who is Selangor PH chairman, said PH was not adverse to discussions with BN, to continue the same cooperation attained at the federal level which paved the way to the formation of a stable unity government.
"Although Selangor is now (politically) stable enough, we are not being big-headed or greedy. If there is room for discussion, we will discuss it. As state PH chairman, I am very hopeful we can retain Selangor.
"If we have to go at it alone, then so be it, but if we can cooperate with other friends (parties), maybe that will help us in several more seats.
"We are open to talks for cooperation in the upcoming state election," he told reporters in Shah Alam yesterday when asked about the possibility of a PH-BN pact in the state election. On the position of the Selangor legislative assembly opposition chief, currently held by Sungai Air Tawar assemblyman Rizam Ismail of BN, he said efforts must be more towards the state polls rather than the opposition’s role in the assembly.
He said the situation, including the direction to be taken by PH and BN, will be clearer as the election draws nearer.


'Behind the name of Ismail Sabri', a story of PM's efforts to restore the country

A new documentary titled "Di Sebalik Nama Ismail Sabri" or "Behind the name of Ismail Sabri", aired by Astro Awani last night, tells of Ismail Sabri Yaakob's efforts and initiatives after being appointed as prime minister in August 2021.
The Umno vice-president, who took over the country's administration from Muhyiddin Yassin, has had to navigate a number of tough issues including the continued threat of the Covid-19 pandemic to Malaysia's economic performance and the people's well-being.
He was also forced to deal with political instability, further complicating efforts to put the country back on firm footing.
Under his leadership, a temporary truce was declared with the opposition through the landmark memorandum of understanding signed with Pakatan Harapan in September 2021.
The agreement gave Ismail and his Cabinet space to concentrate on restoring the economy and ensuring the country's continued progress towards the endemic phase.
Other initiatives credited to Ismail include the Keluarga Malaysia concept, which aimed to put the focus not only on economic development but the people's well-being as well.
The concept was meant to help put aside the people's differences and unite them in the face of challenges, as well as to realise the Vision of Shared Prosperity 2030.
His initiative to dignify the Malay language also came into focus when he became the first Malaysian prime minister to speak in the national language at the United Nations General Conference (UN) in New York.
The documentary also showed his efforts to make Malay the second language of the region.
Ismail's administration also saw an increase in GDP growth from 5% in the first quarter to 8.9% in the second quarter and 14.2% in the third quarter – the highest achievement in Southeast Asia.
The documentary also summarised his administration's efforts to deal with the issue of inflation and reduce unemployment, initiatives which also contributed to the increase in GDP.


Overall recovery trajectory on track despite Omicron hurdles, says Bank Negara

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) maintained the overnight policy rate (OPR) at 1.75% at its second Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting of the year.In a statement today, the central bank said the overall recovery trajectory remained on track despite the recent moderation in economic activity due to the Omicron-driven Covid-19 resurgences.“Inflation in many economies remain elevated, due to both demand and supply factors. Going forward, more countries will transition to the endemic management of Covid-19, hence supporting global growth prospects,” it added.However, it noted that the unfolding developments surrounding the military conflict in Ukraine had emerged as a key risk to global growth and trade prospects, commodity prices and financial market conditions.“The global growth outlook will also continue to be affected by developments surrounding Covid-19, risks of prolonged global supply disruptions, and heightened financial market volatility amid adjustments in monetary policy in major economies,” the central bank said.It said Malaysia’s growth recovery would strengthen in 2022 after recording a 3.1% growth last year, driven by the expansion in global demand and higher private sector expenditure, amid improvements in the labour market and continued targeted policy support.The expected reopening of international borders will also provide further support to economic recovery, it said.BNM noted that the economic impact from the recent increase in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant was expected to be less severe than previous waves in the absence of stringent restrictions.“Risks to the growth outlook remain tilted to the downside due to external and domestic factors. These include a weaker-than-expected global growth, ongoing geopolitical conflicts, worsening supply chain disruptions, and developments surrounding Covid-19,” it added.Meanwhile, headline inflation in 2022 is projected to remain moderate as the base effect from fuel inflation continues to dissipate.BNM said the underlying inflation, as measured by core inflation, is expected to normalise to around its long-term average as economic activity continues to pick up amid the environment of high input costs.“Nevertheless, core inflation is expected to be modest, with the upside risk partly contained by the continued slack in the economy and labour market.“The inflation outlook continues to be subject to global commodity price developments amid risks from prolonged supply-related disruptions.“The MPC considers the current stance of monetary policy appropriate and accommodative. Fiscal and financial measures will continue to provide support to economic activity,” it added.Amid the prevailing uncertainties, it said the stance of monetary policy would continue to be determined by new data and its implications on the overall outlook for domestic inflation and growth.


Scores feared drowned after Nigerian river boat sinks

Over 100 people are missing feared drowned in north-western Nigeria after a boat carrying about 200 broke in half and sank, officials say.Most passengers were women and children travelling from Niger state to neighbouring Kebbi state.One survivor said about 40 people had been rescued but it is unlikely that many more survivors will be found.Local authorities told the BBC that 11 rescue boats and many divers were searching for about 138 missing passengers.One passenger rescued from the boat, Shehu Bello, said five children were with him when the boat sank and all of them were still missing.“Two of the children are mine, while the other three are the children of my brother,” he said.He told the AP that the boat broke apart suddenly and then started to sink.“Bodies are still being recovered. We can’t ascertain the number for now,” Yahaya Sarki, a spokesman for the governor of Kebbi, told Reuters news agency.Abdullahi Buhari Wara, administrative head of Ngaski district said he blamed the accident on overloading, as the boat was meant to carry no more than 80 passengers.The boat was also loaded with bags of sand from a gold mine, he said.It was unclear what caused the boat to break up as it was travelling on the Niger River to the town of Wara in Kebbi state.Qasimu Umar Wara, a resident of Wara town, said many of the passengers were returning from a newly discovered gold vein in Niger.“They usually go there in the evenings and return to Wara in the morning,” he said. “Most of them are petty traders, food vendors and local miners.”He said that five bodies had been recovered but many more are expected to wash up in the days ahead.“The boat was overloaded,” he said: “My brother is among those missing. This is the worst boat accident that has happened in this water.”Boat accidents along the River Niger are common with overloading a major cause, as well as collisions with tree trunks and other debris under the water.


Perak rep charged with drug use

Perak assemblyman Terence Naidu was charged in the Bukit Mertajam Magistrate’s Court today with drug use in an incident which allegedly took place in January this year.Terence, 54, pleaded not guilty to the charge under Section 15 (1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, read together with Section 39B and punishable under Section 15 (1) of the same law.If convicted, he faces a maximum fine of RM5,000 or imprisonment not exceeding two years, and must undergo supervision of not less than two years and not more than three years as ordered by the court.He is alleged to have self-administered the drug type “3,4 – methylenedioxymethamphetamine”, which is listed in Part III of the First Schedule of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.The Pasir Bedamar assemblyman was accused of committing the act at the Narcotics Crime Investigation Division office of the Seberang Perai Tengah police district headquarters at about 12.13am on Jan 14.State prosecution director Khairul Anuar Abdul Halim, who handled the prosecution, offered bail of RM5,000.Lawyers Ramkarpal Singh and RSN Rayer representing Terence however applied for a minimal bail as the accused had cooperated with the police throughout the investigation.Magistrate Nurul Rasyidah Mohd Akit allowed him bail of RM4,000 with one surety and set May 17 for case mention.On Jan 14 this year, Penang police arrested an assemblyman from Perak after he tested positive for drugs in a raid at an entertainment centre in Perai, Butterworth.


Sole Tun recipient joins 1,020 others on Agong’s birthday honours list

A total of 1,021 individuals will be conferred federal awards, honours and medals for 2022 in conjunction with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah’s official birthday today.Former Armed Forces chief Mohamed Hashim Mohd Ali heads the list of recipients and will be conferred the Seri Setia Mahkota (SSM), which carries the “Tun” title.A total of 18 individuals will be conferred the Darjah Panglima Setia Mahkota (PSM), which carries the “Tan Sri” title.Three senior civil service officers will receive the PSM: Education Service Commission chairman Mazlan Yusoff, Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh and Johor state secretary Azmi Rohani.Also to receive the PSM are Perak Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council president Mohd Annuar Zaini, Air Force Chief Mohd Asghar Khan Goriman Khan, Deputy Inspector-General of Police Razarudin Husain and former deputy inspector-general of police Mazlan Lazim.They will be joined by National Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia president Low Kian Chuan, Malayan Banking president and executive director Abdul Farid Alias, Bank Muamalat Malaysia chairman Tajuddin Atan and United U-Li Corporation executive director Lee Yoon Kong.MMC Corporation group managing director Che Khalib Mohamad Noh, TAG Marine founder and managing director Noormustafa Kamal Yahya, former land and cooperative development minister and former Sabah chief minister Osu Sukam, former health minister and former MIC president S Subramaniam, former international trade and industry minister and former MCA secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan, former education minister and Felda chairman Idris Jusoh, and Pahang Menteri Besar Adnan Yaakob round up the list of PSM recipients.Meanwhile, Armed Forces Family Welfare Body (Bakat) Supreme Council chairman Tengku Muhaini Sultan Ahmad Shah is among 23 who will receive the Darjah Kebesaran Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) which carries the “Datuk” title.Others include the Prime Minister’s Department Research Division director-general Rostam Affendi Salleh, Kuching High Court judge Azhahari Kamal Ramli, domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry secretary-general Azman Mohd Yusof, Malaysian ambassador to Thailand Jojie Samuel, Bank Negara deputy governor Chew Cheng Lian and former national shuttler Foo Kok Keong.The Prime Minister’s Department Development Division secretary Jazmanie Shafawi, head of protocol at the foreign ministry’s Protocol and Consular Department Wan Zaidi Wan Abdullah, and aide-de-camp (ADC) of the 14th Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Shahrum Shaim, will receive the Panglima Setia Diraja (PSD) which carries the “Datuk” title.A total of 48 individuals will receive the Johan Mangku Negara (JMN), including health ministry Planning Division director Dr Rozita Halina Tun Hussein.Another 67 individuals are to be conferred the Johan Setia Mahkota (JSM), including former prime minister’s ADC SAC Nik Ezanee Mohd Faisal, while Bukit Aman Internal Security and Public Order (General Operations Force) Department deputy director Muhammad Abdul Halim is the sole recipient of the Darjah Johan Setia Diraja (JSD).There are 183 recipients of the Bintang Kesatria Mangku Negara (KMN), including Uncle Kentang Malaysia charity founder Kuan Chee Heng, Puteri Umno exco Naszriah Ngasri and OKU Sentral adviser Mohd Radzi Wahab.There will also be seven Bintang Kesatria Setia Diraja (KSD) recipients, 250 Bintang Ahli Mangku Negara (AMN) recipients, including Bernama editor Mohamad Bakri Darus, 377 Pingat Pangkuan Negara (PPN) recipients and 43 Pingat Bentara Setia Diraja (BSD) recipients.


Anwar wins motion of confidence in Dewan Rakyat

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's motion of confidence was passed in the Dewan Rakyat today, winning vital backing for his leadership after the general election last month returned an unprecedented hung Parliament.
Anwar had convened Parliament to prove his majority, after rival and former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin cast doubt on his support.
The confidence motion was passed by a simple voice vote – with lawmakers voicing their support – after the opposition argued against it because Anwar has already been officially sworn in as prime minister by the king.
Anwar, 75, who is also serving as the finance minister, took steps to cement his support last week by signing a cooperation pact with smaller political parties. The parties agreed to ensure political stability, spur the economy, foster good governance, and uphold the rights of the majority Malay community and Islam as its official religion.
Anwar – who has spent more than two decades as an opposition figure – had previously been denied the premiership despite getting within striking distance over the years.
In between, he spent nearly a decade in jail for sodomy and corruption in what he says were politically motivated charges.
In the closely contested polls last month, Anwar's bloc did not win a simple majority. But he was appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and proceeded to form a coalition government with the help of other political blocs.
His new government includes the previous ruling coalition Barisan Nasional, which he spent much of his political career seeking to overthrow.


Encrypted phone service 'Encrochat' shutdown leads to 6,500 arrests

European policing agency Europol said on Tuesday that the takedown of Encrochat, an underground company that offered criminals supposedly secure encrypted communications, led to more than 6,500 arrests and US$980 million (about RM4.6 trillion) in seized assets.
The system had an estimated 60,000 users when it shut down abruptly in June 2020, and Europol revealed the following month that law enforcement officials had been intercepting users' communications for months.
In a statement on Tuesday, Europol offered its first overview of the results of the takedown, which it said had "sent shockwaves across organised crime groups in Europe and beyond".
Police have analysed more than 115 million "criminal conversations", Europol said, helping prevent "violent attacks, attempted murders, corruption and large scale drugs transports."
The agency said investigations spawned by the takedown have so far led to the seizure of 100 tonnes of cocaine, 30 million pills of "chemical drugs", nearly a thousand vehicles, hundreds of properties and dozens of boats and planes.
The police statement gave no details on whether the owners of Encrochat themselves had been arrested.
French and Dutch authorities were due to hold a press conference in Lille later on Tuesday.
Partial results of Encrochat-linked investigations have previously been announced by French, Dutch, and British police in 2020 and by German police in 2021.
Encrochat sold modified Android mobile devices for around 1,000 euros each and charged users hefty subscription fees with the promise their communications would remain encrypted and secret.
It shut down abruptly in June 2020 after its unidentified operators apparently realized they had been compromised.
Europol said the company had routed encrypted communications through servers in France.
"Eventually, it was possible to place a technical device to go beyond the encryption technique and obtain access to users’ correspondence," Europol said on Tuesday.


No good reason to raise key interest rate, says economist

An analyst says Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) had no strong reason to raise the overnight policy rate (OPR) to 2.0% as announced on Wednesday, as the move will not affect inflation, a matter of concern in other countries.Economist Geoffrey Williams said the central bank’s mandate was to maintain price stability, support sustainable economic growth, and support the stability of the financial system.“Price stability is normally taken as inflation of 2 to 3% which we currently have,” Williams, of Malaysia University of Science and Technology, told MalaysiaNow.“The economy is in the first stage of recovery but this is still tentative and the financial system is very stable.“So there is no real reason within the mandate to raise interest rates at this stage,” he said, adding that higher interest rates would have no effect on the prices of oil, food or utilities – the factors currently behind the inflation pressures.BNM raised its key interest rate yesterday for the first time since 2020, lifting its main rate 25 basis points to 2% despite most economists having predicted no change until later in the year.It was the first hike since July 2020, when rates were slashed to a historic low to combat the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.This comes as countries around the world struggle with inflation, including the US where the Biden administration is taking heat for the increase in prices of goods and services.Williams said the increase in OPR would make the cost of borrowing more expensive for corporate and consumer borrowers.This in turn might have an effect on holding back consumption, investment and growth, he said.“Since both companies and consumers have more debt due to the lockdowns, both corporate and consumer costs will rise,” he said.“There will be less investment and less consumption, which will damage growth. The only hope is that 25 basis points is too small to have an effect on the real economy, but we must wait and see.”Bank Islam chief economist Mohd Afzanizam Abdul Rashid however said the main context of BNM’s decision to raise the OPR was to gradually remove the monetary policy accommodation.He said the country had been severely affected by the pandemic throughout the past two years, during which time the monetary policy administered by BNM had been geared towards supporting the economy.“Such policy directives were manifested in the reduction of the OPR from 3% at the end of 2019 to 1.75% by July 2020.“This was the lowest OPR level in history,” he said, adding that BNM’s decision to raise it to 2.0% came amid signs of improving economic activities.The unemployment rate, for example, came down from 5.3% in May 2020 to 4.1% as of March this year.The Consumer Sentiment Index meanwhile rose to 108.9 points in the first quarter of 2022 – the highest level since the second quarter of 2018.Passenger traffic numbers at airports likewise increased to 8.32 million in the first three months of the year, compared to 1.67 million in the first quarter of 2021 – a jump of 399.6%.Banks in the country meanwhile have begun announcing an increase in base lending rate (BLR) – Maybank, for example, raised its rate to 2%.Williams said the only justification for higher rates was the growing interest rate differential effect, due to higher federal reserve and regional rates.“However, chasing exchange rates with interest rates is very bad policy and outside of the BNM mandate,” he said.“If higher interest rates damage growth and confidence, they will be counterproductive and the exchange rate will continue to weaken. It will not reduce inflation in the short term, but will make borrowing more expensive.”He said BNM should monitor the increase in BLR by local banks, adding that the central bank could be expected to continue raising the OPR in the near future.


New cases stay at 4 digits as death toll goes up by 3

Another 1,220 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 89,133.Selangor recorded 368 cases, of which 247 or 67.1% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Kuala Lumpur (297), Sabah (184), Melaka (98) and Penang (80).Johor recorded 67 cases, Perak 41, Negeri Sembilan 33, Labuan 16, Kelantan 10, Sarawak and Kedah nine each, Pahang four, and Terengganu and Putrajaya two each.Active cases stand at 14,671 with 106 in the ICU and 53 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 1,297 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 74,030.However, three more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 432.


Migration doesn’t threaten Christianity, says pope

Pope Francis, a strong advocate of the rights of refugees, said in a new book published Monday that migration does not pose a threat to Christianity.“To reject a struggling migrant, whatever his or her religious belief, out of fear of diluting a ‘Christian’ culture is grotesquely to mispresent both Christianity and culture,” he said.“Migration is not a threat to Christianity except in the minds of those who benefit from claiming it is.“To promote the Gospel and not welcome the strangers in need, nor affirm their humanity as children of God, is to seek to encourage a culture that is Christian in name only, emptied of all that makes it distinctive.”The pontiff made the comments in “Let Us Dream”, a new book written in conversation with British biographer Austen Ivereigh.The pope, the grandson of Italian emigrants who settled in Argentina, regularly expresses solidarity with migrants who cross the Mediterranean, mourning those who lose their lives and denouncing rich countries that fail to welcome them.“The dignity of our peoples demands safe corridors for migrants and refugees so they can move without fear from deadly areas to safer ones,” he said in the book.“It is unacceptable to deter immigration by letting hundreds of migrants die in perilous sea crossings or desert treks. The Lord will ask us to account for each one of those deaths.”He condemned leaders who “channel their resentments and hatreds against imagined enemies to distract from the real problems”, the 83-year-old pontiff wrote.“A fantasy of national-populism in countries with Christian majorities is its defence of ‘Christian civilisation’ from perceived enemies, whether Islam, Jews, the European Union or the United Nations,” he said.“The defence appeals to those who are often no longer religious but who regard their nation’s inheritance as a kind of identity.“Their fears and loss of identity have increased at the same time as attendance at churches has declined,” Francis said.


Russia test fires missiles as US warns Moscow ‘poised’ to invade Ukraine

Russia test fired nuclear-capable missiles on Saturday as President Vladimir Putin oversaw a dramatic military exercise and as the US again warned that it believes Moscow plans to invade Ukraine within days.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky meanwhile arrived in Germany to shore up support among Western allies, despite a significant increase in shelling in the country’s east in which a Ukrainian soldier was killed.The fierce US warnings and the evacuation of civilians from Russian-backed rebel regions in Ukraine have brought fears of a major conflict in Europe to their highest level after weeks of tensions.The Kremlin insists it has no plans to attack its neighbour, which has angered Moscow by seeking closer ties with Nato and the European Union.But Moscow is doing nothing to reduce fears, with state media accusing Kyiv of plotting an assault on the rebel-held pro-Russia enclave in eastern Ukraine.Russian television showed images of Putin and Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko sitting at a round table in the Kremlin situation room, in front of a bank of screens showing military commanders as they test-fired their latest hypersonic, cruise and nuclear-capable ballistic missiles.“All the missiles hit their targets, confirming their performance objectives,” the Kremlin said, adding that the drills included Tu-95 bombers and submarines.Earlier, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had made a reference to nuclear launch codes.“Such test launches, of course, are impossible without the head of state. You know about the famous black suitcase and the red button,” he said.‘Poised to strike’Russia’s defence ministry said the exercise involved nearly all branches of the armed forces, including its strategic rocket forces, as well the Northern and Black Sea fleets, which have nuclear-armed submarines.The US insists that, with some 150,000 Russian troops on Ukraine’s borders – as many as 190,000, when including the Russian-backed separatist forces in the east – Moscow has already made up its mind to invade.Some of the Russian forces, around 30,000 troops, are in Belarus for an exercise which is due to end on Sunday. Moscow has said that these forces will return to barracks, but US intelligence is concerned that they could take part in an invasion of Ukraine.US President Joe Biden said Friday that he was sure Putin had made the call to invade, regardless of warnings that it would trigger huge Western sanctions, and the attack could come in the next days with targets that would include the capital Kyiv.On Saturday, visiting Nato ally Lithuania, US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said Russian forces “are now poised to strike” and “moving into the right kinds of positions to be able to conduct an attack”.Russia has announced a series of withdrawals of its forces from near Ukraine in recent days, saying they were taking part in regular military exercises and accusing the West of “hysteria” with claims of an invasion plan.But Putin has also stepped up his rhetoric, demanding written guarantees that Ukraine will never be allowed to join Nato and that the US-led military alliance roll back deployments in eastern Europe to positions from decades ago.‘Dramatic increase’ in clashesThe volatile frontline between Ukraine’s army and separatists in the Moscow-backed breakaway regions of Donetsk and Lugansk has seen a “dramatic increase” in ceasefire violations, international monitors from the OSCE said.Hundreds of artillery and mortar attacks were reported in recent days, in a conflict that has rumbled on for eight years and claimed the lives of more than 14,000 people.Ukraine’s armed forces accused the rebels of a huge new wave of attacks on Saturday, saying there had been dozens of exchanges of fire by 7am (0400 GMT), with one soldier dying from shrapnel wounds.The soldier, a captain in an intelligence unit, was the fourth Ukrainian soldier to die in the first seven weeks of this year. At least 66 were killed in 2021, according to official sources.The rebels, who also accused Ukrainian forces of new attacks on Saturday, declared general mobilisations in the two regions, calling up men to fight even as they announced mass evacuations of women and children into Russia.The governor of the neighbouring Russian region of Rostov declared a state of emergency as the first busloads of several thousand crossed the border, followed by Russian state media camera crews.Moscow and the rebels have accused Kyiv of planning an assault to retake the regions, claims fiercely denied by Ukraine and dismissed by the West as part of Russian efforts to manufacture a pretext for war.Russia’s Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes, said it had opened an investigation into media reports that a shell fired by Ukrainian forces exploded about a kilometre across the border in Russia’s Rostov region.Russian news agencies earlier quoted anonymous sources as saying the shell had landed in the region but had not caused any injuries or damage.Despite the invasion warnings, Zelensky’s office said he would not change plans to personally attend Saturday’s Munich Security Conference.“Volodymyr Zelensky expects concrete agreements concerning the delivery to our country of additional military and financial support,” his office said, adding that he would return to Kyiv later Saturday.


Germans will be ‘vaccinated, cured or dead’, says minister

Most Germans will be “vaccinated, cured or dead” from Covid-19 in a few months, Health Minister Jens Spahn warned Monday as he urged more citizens to get jabbed.“Probably by the end of this winter, as is sometimes cynically said, pretty much everyone in Germany will be vaccinated, cured or dead,” Spahn said, blaming “the very contagious Delta variant”.“That is why we so urgently recommend vaccination,” he added.The stark warning comes as Germany is racing to contain a record rise in coronavirus infections in recent weeks, with hospitals sounding the alarm about overflowing intensive care units.Despite widespread access to free coronavirus vaccines, just 68% of the German population is fully vaccinated, a level experts say is too low to keep the pandemic under control.Germany, the EU’s most populous country, added another 30,643 cases on Monday, according to the Robert Koch Institute health agency, bringing the total since the start of the pandemic to just over 5.3 million.Almost 100,000 people have died so far, including 62 over the past 24 hours.“We have a very, very difficult situation in many hospitals,” Spahn said.Germany last week announced tougher coronavirus curbs to contain the ferocious fourth Covid wave.In regions with high hospitalisation rates, the unvaccinated will be barred from public spaces like cinemas, gyms and indoor dining.Employees are asked to return to working from home whenever possible, while anyone going into the workplace has to prove they are vaccinated, recovered or have recently tested negative – a system known as “3G”.The same rule applies on public transport in those areas.Several of Germany’s hardest hit regions, including Bavaria and Saxony, have gone even further by cancelling large events such as Christmas markets and effectively barring the unvaccinated from non-essential public life.All vaccinated adults have also been urged to get a booster shot to combat waning vaccine efficacy after six months.


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Umno dominates in PN govt, Shahidan tells Tok Mat

Perlis Umno strongman Shahidan Kassim today refuted a comment by the party’s deputy president Mohamad Hasan that Umno’s current position in the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) government is isolated and non-dominant.Speaking to reporters in Kuala Lumpur, he insisted that the Malay party plays a more significant role in the coalition than its other components.“That is the opinion of the deputy president, but our current position is that Umno has nine ministers and almost 20 deputy ministers.“This is more than Bersatu, PAS and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS). PAS has three ministers, GPS has three, Bersatu has eight and Barisan Nasional, including Umno, has 11.”He also said it would not be necessary for Umno to make a decision on its relationship with Bersatu tomorrow, during the ongoing general assembly, as the 15th general election was still far off.“The election is not going to happen any time soon, so why should this discussion happen as it it’s tomorrow?” he said.He added that views on whether Umno holds the dominant position in PN or otherwise should be further discussed.Previously, in an exclusive interview with MalaysiaNow, Shahidan said that Perlis Umno would maintain its relationship with PN.He also threatened to cut ties with the party’s central leadership if Umno leaders insisted during the general assembly on severing its relationship with Bersatu.He added that he would not be perturbed if action is 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 PN backbenchers club, said.In his opening speech this morning, Mohamad had stressed the issue of Umno’s cooperation with Bersatu, saying his party played an “isolated and non-dominant” role in the ruling government.“We would rather sit down than rise to be the dominant party,” he said, adding that Umno had made it clear from the beginning that it would not join PN.


46 landslide locations in Selangor, KL

A total of 46 landslide locations have been reported in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur to date, nine of which are categorised as critical, according to the Department of Minerals and Geosciences (JMG).In the Northeast Monsoon Landslide Incident report issued by JMG yesterday, nine landslide incidents occurred in two locations: Kampung Palimbayan in Sungai Penchala and Taman Duta in Seri Duta.Other areas affected in Selangor were Taman Nusa, Subang; Teratai Apartment, Selayang; Jalan Bunga Anggerik, Taman Melawati; Jalan Melati 7, Taman Seri Melati; Kampung Sepakat, Batu 16, Rawang; Jalan Saidina Hamzah, Kampung Bukit Sungai Puteh, Ampang; and Jalan Haji Abdul Latif, Kampung Bukit Kapar.The relevant local authorities have taken action at 36 locations, including all nine critical areas, and JMG has made assessments and is conducting continuous monitoring at the affected sites.Mitigation measures taken include covering the collapsed areas and tensioning cracks with tarpaulin sheets or canvas and visual monitoring against any soil movement. Homeowners of units located on the ground floor of affected buildings have been asked to vacate their residences.According to the report, these mitigation steps have also been taken in stages at 10 other landslide sites according to priority, among them areas in Taman Keramat and Jalan Kia Peng.Other areas affected are Zooview Park; Riverdale Park Apartment; Taman Melur Ampang; Kampung Sungai Kelambu, Banting; Jalan Wangsa 1, Ulu Klang; Jalan Selayang-Rawang; Jalan Banglo, Batu Arang, all in Selangor.


Indonesia to release alleged Bali bombings mastermind this week

Indonesia will release radical cleric and alleged mastermind of the 2002 Bali bombings Abu Bakar Bashir from prison later this week, Reuters reports.Bashir, 82, who was among Indonesia’s most notorious extremists, is considered the spiritual leader of the Al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah (JI) network. He was jailed in 2011 for his links to militant training camps in Aceh province.Rika Aprianti, spokesman of the corrections directorate general at the law and human rights ministry, said in a statement on Monday, “Bashir will be released on Friday in accordance with the expiration date and the end of his term.”JI’s stated aim is to build an Islamic caliphate in Southeast Asia. The group is accused of plotting several large-scale attacks in Indonesia and includes operatives trained in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the southern Philippines.Its members are accused of orchestrating the 2002 bombings of Bali nightclubs, which killed more than 200 people, among them scores of Australians. An attack on the Marriott hotel in Jakarta killed 12 people a year later.A senior JI operative believed to have made bombs for both attacks, Aris Sumarsono, also known as Zulkarnaen, was among 23 suspected militants arrested last month. He is one of the most senior members of the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group.Bashir has always denied any involvement in the Bali bombings. A member of his legal team did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment on his upcoming release.Security analyst Ridlwan Habib said that though Bashir’s stature has weakened, extremists may try to associate their activities with him to gain traction and boost their credibility. “Bashir is a senior figure in Indonesia’s jihadist movement, and it’s not impossible that his big name could be used,” he said.While seeking reelection, President Joko Widodo in January 2019 had considered an early release for Bashir on health grounds, but scrapped the plan after Bashir reportedly declined to pledge allegiance to the Indonesian state ideology.


Khairy tells Selangor to speed up vaccine utilisation, says state still lagging behind

Selangor has not fully utilised the vaccines supplied to the state by Putrajaya, Khairy Jamaluddin said today, responding to a claim that the federal government was withholding Covid-19 vaccine doses.Khairy, the minister in charge of the national vaccination programme, said Selangor is the only state whose utilisation of vaccines is below 80%.He denied a claim by Selangor health exco Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud that the state had not been receiving enough doses, saying vaccines had been supplied based on the state’s capacity to deliver the jabs and that Selangor still has stock remaining.He said yesterday, the state received 1.36 million doses of the Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines.He said of these, only 76% was administered, with a balance of 322,605 doses.“I urge Selangor to accelerate its rate of vaccination. The accusation that vaccines were not delivered is not true,” he told a press conference today, announcing the opening of a new vaccination centre in Tanjung Karang, Selangor.Khairy said he was informed by Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari that the state had a daily vaccine delivery rate of 40,000 for the month of June.“The health exco did not attend a meeting between me and the menteri besar, during which the state government had said that it could deliver up to 40,000 jabs a day.“So we supplied them based on that capacity,” said Khairy.He said during his meeting with Amirudin, it was agreed that the vaccine capacity for Selangor should exceed 100,000 jabs for the month of July.“We hope Selangor can deliver at least 100,000 jabs every day in July,” he said. “Our maximum target is 130,000 doses per day in Selangor alone.”He said Melaka had recorded the highest number of vaccine doses utilised at 94%, followed by Terengganu and Negeri Sembilan at 92%.He said the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force is pushing for every state to utilise at least 90% of their vaccines in the month to come.


KL restaurant owner, customers fined for dining in during lockdown

The owner of an eatery at a popular shopping mall in the capital was issued a RM10,000 compound during a movement control order (MCO) SOP compliance inspection yesterday.Kuala Lumpur Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department chief Azman Ayob said during the 12.45pm operation, five customers who were eating at the premises were also issued RM2,000 compounds each.“Police checks revealed the customers were eating at the premises and did not comply with the set SOPs, which state no dine-in,” he said in a statement.He added that police would intensify checks with stern action to be taken against those who fail to comply with the MCO SOPs to ensure that the Covid-19 infection chain is broken.The case is being investigated under Regulation 16 PU (A) 243/2021 PKP.


Wedding do sparks 62-case cluster in Sabah

A wedding ceremony at Kampung Lima, Nabawan, triggered the Lima cluster that had recorded 62 cases as of today, said Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Masidi Manjun.The Sabah Covid-19 spokesman said the index case of the community cluster was a 22-year-old man who tested positive for Covid-19 on Aug 20 after experiencing a fever, cough and joint pains.“Active tracing and screening conducted on 134 individuals, including family members, close contacts and casual contacts, detected 61 positive cases in addition to the index case, while 53 individuals tested negative and the rest are still waiting for their results,” he said in a statement tonight.He said another cluster recorded today was the Pin Supu cluster in Kinabatangan, a workplace cluster at an oil palm plantation in the Sukau sub-district involving 35 positive cases as of today.“The index case is a 40-year-old Indonesian woman plantation worker who was confirmed positive for Covid-19 on Aug 22 after showing symptoms.“Samples taken from 129 individuals revealed 34 positive cases in addition to the index case, from among social contacts, workers and dependants,” he said.Meanwhile, Masidi said Sabah had received over 1.41 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech, Sinovac and CanSino vaccines this month, including 515,150 doses that arrived throughout this week, while 99,400 Pfizer-BioNTech doses would arrive from Kuching, Sarawak, in the next two to three days.He said as of yesterday, 36.47% of the adult population eligible for vaccination had completed their Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinovac vaccine jabs, as well as the single-shot CanSino vaccine jab.Sabah recorded 2,834 Covid-19 cases today, bringing the state’s total caseload to 140,361. It also recorded 1,077 recoveries, bringing the number of people who had recovered from Covid-19 to 107,589, with 5,007 patients still being treated.


MCO in Kluang, Johor from May 11 to 24

The district of Kluang in Johor will be placed under movement control order (MCO) from May 11 to 24 following a surge in Covid-19 cases there, says Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob.He said the decision was made after the health ministry confirmed that 512 positive cases were recorded from 3,867 screening tests carried out from May 4.“The ministry also reported there were four active clusters in the district, besides the positivity rate being at 13%, while the rate of infection is also increasing in several villages and housing estates.“With the implementation of the MCO in this district, interstate and interdistrict travel are not permitted,” he said in a statement.Ismail said the implementation of the MCO was, among others, to prevent the movement of members of the public, especially during the festival season and school holidays, since the community clusters were the highest recorded so far.“At the same time, it is aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 within the community and preventing further infections due to group activities and social gatherings,” he said.Ismail also announced that the government had decided to implement enhanced MCO (EMCO) in Kampung Keramat in Semporna, Sabah from May 11 to 24.“So far, the ministry has recorded 10 Covid-19 positive cases from 101 screening tests conducted on residents in the locality. The implementation of EMCO will help the ministry carry out early case detection and curb the spread of the virus to other areas outside the locality,” he said.In another development, Ismai said patients who have an appointment with their doctors or scheduled medical treatment only need to show their appointment cards and do not require police permits.“The government has received complaints from members of the public about having to obtain police permits for treatment or appointments at hospitals and clinics. This has burdened them, especially patients who need scheduled treatment for cancer and kidney ailments,” he said.


37% of children given first vaccine jab, 66.4% of adults boosted

A total of 1,312,205 children or 37% of those aged five to 11 had received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, a total of 2,848,821 teenagers or 91.6% of those aged 12 to 17 have been fully vaccinated. Meanwhile, 2,946,103 or 94.7% have received at least one dose.A total of 15,632,112 individuals or 66.4% of the adult population have received a booster dose.A total of 22,948,963 or 97.5% have been fully vaccinated while 23,225,157 or 98.7% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 24,254 vaccine doses were administered, with 6,622 as first doses, 818 as second shots and 16,814 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses dispensed under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 68,701,958.


Blanket dismissal of political appointees to provide 'clean slate' for more, say analysts

The blanket dismissal of political appointees in government-linked companies (GLCs) earlier this month may see the vacancies filled by other individuals with similar connections, analysts say, indicating the challenges of completely eliminating the practice.
The decision to end the service of political appointees at statutory bodies, finance ministry companies and GLCs was made at a Cabinet meeting on Dec 14, with Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali saying in a circular brief to ministry chief secretaries that the directive should be implemented without delay.
Nevertheless, the extent to which such bodies can be helmed by individuals completely free of political influence remains in question.
Former Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub, for example, was reappointed as Felcra chairman in a move revealed just a day after the announcement on political appointees.
However, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said on Dec 21 that Jazlan's reappointment, initially announced by his deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, had been postponed.
He also said there had been confusion regarding political appointments at GLCs.
"I did not say that politicians cannot hold managerial positions, but they must be bound by certain conditions and must have qualifications in the field," he said.
He added that some politicians or MPs might be assigned but that the government would set the level of professional capabilities needed, and look into their past performance and compliance with regulatory and governance practices.
Analyst Oh Ei Sun from the Singapore Institute of International Affairs said many hoped that any political appointees under Anwar's administration would be more reformist in nature, given Pakatan Harapan's (PH) long fight for reforms.
"I frankly think that the blanket firing of previous GLC appointees was mainly meant to provide a clean slate, such that new, politically-related appointments can be made," he said.
"As PH has long advocated reforms and progressive policies, it can only be hoped that the PH political appointees will be more reform-minded and in general, less corrupt."  Concerns about corruption were renewed following the appointment of Umno president Zahid as one of two deputy prime ministers in Anwar's Cabinet.
Zahid, who is also chairman of Barisan Nasional, faces a string of corruption charges in court related to funds from charity outfit Yayasan Akalbudi.
His Cabinet appointment came despite previous disapproval by PH leaders of the inclusion of anyone from the so-called court cluster in government.
Oh said political appointees in general were "fine and to be expected".
"But they must have at least a minimal level of competence, professionalism and integrity," he added.
"If you look at 1MDB and some other GLCs, you tend to lose faith in the political appointments from previous administrations. It can only be hoped that the PH appointees can fulfil these main criteria."
Analyst Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya meanwhile said that the practice of appointing individuals with political influence to high-ranking positions would be difficult to end.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he noted the grey nature of these appointments which are technically legal and do not amount to an offence under either the law or the constitution.
"It's just that these appointments should be based on academic qualifications and integrity, whether the individuals are people-friendly and capable of performing and having a better impact on the agencies they are appointed to," he said.
He added that every party leader who joined the administration led by Anwar would want to contribute through participation at various levels of government agencies.
For example, he said, someone who is not appointed as a deputy minister might be chosen to hold a position such as the chairman of a GLC such as Sime Darby, Felcra or Fama.  He said these posts were also held by other political leaders during their time in the federal government.
"On one hand, it is considered a form of political reward. But on the other hand, it is to ensure that the parties in the government can contribute more closely in the context of policy formation and implementation, and the monitoring of these agencies," he said.


CIA future will be defined by US technology race with China, director says

The US Central Intelligence Agency’s future will be defined by America's ongoing technology race with China, agency director William Burns said on Wednesday during a Senate hearing.
Burns’ remarks followed the release of the Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, which pointed to China as the biggest national security threat facing America. The report cited China’s robust use of cyber tactics to surveille Americans, its success at stealing intellectual property, and ability to acquire foreign technologies.
"I think the revolution in technology is not only the main arena for competition with the People's Republic of China,” Burns testified. “It's also the main determinant of our future as an intelligence service as well.”
The CIA director was speaking during Congress’s so-called Worldwide Threats hearing, also featuring other heads of the US intelligence community, including National Security Agency Director General Paul Nakasone, National Intelligence Director Avril Haines, Defense Intelligence Agency director Lieutenant General Scott Berrier and Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray.
The intelligence directors said Beijing poses a variety of threats to US interests, including using hackers.
If Beijing feared that a major conflict with the US were imminent, it “almost certainly would consider undertaking aggressive cyber operations against US homeland critical infrastructure and military assets worldwide,” the report said. “Such a strike would be designed to deter US military action by impeding US decision making, inducing societal panic, and interfering with the deployment of US forces.”
The report pointed to China’s “expansion of technology-driven authoritarianism globally,” citing its aggressive efforts to control and manipulate the free flow of content globally. It also asserted that China is “almost certainly” capable of launching cyberattacks that could take out critical infrastructure services, including against oil and gas pipelines, and rail systems.
Mirroring how Beijing’s security apparatus collects a large amount of health data on its population, the US intelligence agencies wrote that China had gathered US health and genomic data through cyber breaches and the acquisition of US companies.
General Nakasone, the NSA director, testified China's cyber operations have grown more aggressive recently.
“With regards to China we see an increasing degree of risk taking that they've undergone with regards to stealing our intellectual property, even increasing their influence operations,” Nakasone said. “These are concerning efforts for us.”


San Francisco to become first US city to require vaccine proof for indoor venues

San Francisco is poised to become the first US city to demand proof of full vaccination against Covid-19 to access indoor dining and entertainment venues, officials announced Thursday.Bars, restaurants, night clubs, theatres, fitness centres and other establishments in this large Californian city will require visitors to present vaccination certificates to enter starting Aug 20. For staff, the measure will take effect in October.“Why are we doing this? It’s to protect the workers, it’s to protect kids, it’s to protect those who can’t get vaccinated,” Mayor London Breed said at a press conference.She added, “We know that for our city to bounce back from the pandemic and thrive, we need to use the best method we have to fight Covid-19 and that’s vaccines.”The rule will not affect children under 12 as they are not eligible for immunisation in the US.Currently 77% of San Francisco’s nearly 900,000 residents have received at least one dose of vaccine, and 71% are fully vaccinated.White House pandemic response coordinator Jeff Zients on Thursday spoke in favour of vaccination requirements, saying they are gaining momentum across the country.“They will help keep people and communities safe and help stop the spread of the virus,” Zients said at a press briefing at the White House.New York announced a similar vaccine mandate last week, requiring proof of at least one Covid shot for indoor dining and entertainment. The measure will take effect in September.New Orleans, a popular tourist city in the state of Louisiana, is also expected to announce a vaccine mandate for indoor dining and sports activities, according to NOLA.com, a local media outlet.