Malaysia to receive Pfizer vaccine on Feb 26, says DG

Malaysia is expected to receive the first batch of Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Feb 26, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.He said once the shipments arrive, the vaccine will be distributed in stages to the states within a week or two.Noor Hisham said this after participating in the Covid-19 Emergency Management Technical Committee meeting at the Menteri Besar’s Office at Wisma Darul Iman today.Malaysia was previously reported to have purchased 12.8 million doses of Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine with a subsequent commitment to purchase an additional 12.2 million doses of the same vaccine.Noor Hisham said to date, 141 volunteers have received injections in Phase 3 clinical trials for the Covid-19 vaccine developed and sponsored by China’s Institute of Medical Biology Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences.They were among the 3,000 volunteers aged 18 and above selected based on set criteria.“We only want 3,000 volunteers but the number of applicants is more than that number, so we will make a selection,” he said.He also voiced hope that the late reporting of cases to the National Crisis Preparedness and Emergency Response Centre (CPRC), including from private facilities, would be resolved within a week.He said registered private facilities such as clinics and hospitals should report positive cases as soon as possible or before 12 noon every day to the CPRC in their respective states.“What we see is that private laboratories, when they get the results, they have to include the results in the public health information system, so if there is a delay in entering the data then we will receive the data late,” he said.Yesterday, Noor Hisham in a statement said that the sharp increase in number of daily cases, exceeding 5,000 for three consecutive days, was due to the late reporting of cases to the national CPRC, including cases detected in 2020.The increase in cases is due to targeted workplace screening, close contact screening and high-risk group screening conducted on a large scale in several states.


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Upgrade computer system at govt hospitals, doctors' group says

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has called for improvements to public health information technology (IT) systems, following MalaysiaNow's report on problems caused by the use of computer software over 20 years old at government hospitals and clinics.
MMA, which brings together more than 10,000 doctors of different backgrounds and specialties, said Malaysia should be equipped with the latest software in line with the rapid advances in technology.
"We need to be up to date, especially if there are plans to implement electronic medical records and incorporate more digital conveniences in healthcare," the association's president Dr Muruga Raj told MalaysiaNow.
MalaysiaNow previously reported that some computers at government hospitals were still running on Windows 2000 and software with expired licences, resulting in delays and lag time for doctors in their work.
Doctors also spoke of difficulty accessing patient data due to slow servers which they said only compounded their workloads.
Even health records were said to be inaccessible due to a lack of standardisation under a uniform system, with hospitals forced to prioritise busier departments in the provision of computers with the latest software.
Dr Muruga Raj said the digitisation of the public sector was key to making decisions based on data.
"By capturing each touchpoint of a patient's journey, there can be better sustainable objective planning," he said.
He added that the expenditure for upgrading the digitisation infrastructure for the public health sector should not come from the health budget, saying it should instead receive a separate allocation as part of the country's digitalisation agenda.
He likewise urged the government to consider private financing initiatives in its pursuit of technological change.
"Regular upgrades are needed," he said.
Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni recently said that the government intended to make the MySejahtera application, developed during the Covid-19 pandemic, a "super application" for public healthcare.


PSM ends electoral pact with PH after getting no seats

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) yesterday called off its electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan (PH) after its request to contest Sungai Siput in the 15th general election (GE15) was rejected.
PSM deputy chairman S Arutchelvan said PH informed the party through an official letter dated Oct 30 that its request for an electoral pact had been rejected.
In the two meetings held between the party and PH, he said PSM had requested that its chairman Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj, a former two-term Sungai Siput MP, be allowed to stand in that parliamentary constituency.
"Without a single seat given, we understand that PH does not desire an electoral pact with PSM. We regret the matter being informed to us so late in spite of (PKR deputy president) Rafizi Ramli’s statement on Friday that certain seats were allocated for PSM and the Malaysian United Democratic Alliance (Muda)," he said in a statement.
Arutchelvan also said PSM wanted to contest two other alternate non-incumbent Parliament seats held by Barisan Nasional (BN) if their Sungai Siput seat request was turned down, as a worst-case scenario, and to contest three non-incumbent state seats held by BN.
He said PSM would hold an emergency central committee meeting as well as a national committee meeting to decide if the party would be contesting GE15.


Driving schools with too many traffic offenders among ex-students to lose permits

The Road Transport Department (JPJ) will suspend or revoke the permit of driving institutes if many of their former students are found to have committed traffic offences and been involved in road accidents.JPJ director-general Zailani Hashim said this be done by placing a code on the driving licence to detect which institute the traffic offenders received their training from.However, he said the method was still at the planning stage and was expected to be listed under the e-Testing system which will be implemented nationwide in April this year.He said this to reporters at Akademi Memandu Anda Sdn Bhd, Melor, with Malaysia Road Transport Academy director Muhammad Kifli Ma Hassan also present.Zailani said based on existing records, there were 10,569 driving instructors in Malaysia certified in line with Rule 11(4) of the Motor Vehicles (Driving Schools) Rules 1992.“However, there is a backlog of 1,779 applications due to restrictions on activities such as courses, seminars and workshops previously enforced by the government,” he said.He added that based on statistics from the police Traffic Investigation and Enforcement Department and JPJ, 80% of road accidents were due to human negligence.


Zelensky hails 'brave' Ukraine on 500th day of war

President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed "brave" Ukraine on the 500th day of Russia's invasion on Saturday, as the war's toll mounted with eight deaths reported in Russian rocket fire.
Zelensky published on social media an undated video clip of a visit to Snake Island in the Black Sea – a symbol of Ukraine's defiance against Russia.
"Today we are on Snake Island, which will never be conquered by the occupiers, like the whole of Ukraine, because we are the country of the brave," he said.
"I want to thank from here, from this place of victory, each of our soldiers for these 500 days," he said in the video, which showed him arriving on the island by boat and leaving flowers.
The UN has documented 9,000 civilian deaths since the start of the war on Feb 24, 2022, including 500 children, although it estimates the real toll could be significantly higher.
That toll went up again on Saturday as Ukraine's interior ministry said eight people were killed and 13 injured by Russian rocket fire in the eastern town of Lyman.
Russian news agencies reported that two civilians were killed by Ukrainian shelling overnight in the Russian-held town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine.
Noel Calhoun, deputy head of the UN's Human Rights Monitoring Mission in Ukraine, said the 500th day of the conflict marked "another grim milestone in the war that continues to exact a horrific toll on Ukraine's civilians".
'Act of desperation'
Zelensky on Saturday completed a visit to Turkey in which he secured backing for his country's Nato aspirations after winning a US pledge for cluster munitions that could inflict significant damage on Russian forces on the battlefield.
The US decision to deliver the weapons – banned across a large part of the world – dramatically ups the stakes in the war.
US President Joe Biden admitted that supplying Ukraine with weapons that are capable of covering several football fields with hundreds of multiple small explosives was "a difficult decision".
Humanitarian groups strongly condemned the decision to supply cluster munitions, which can go undetonated and potentially endanger civilians for years to come.
Russia, which itself uses cluster munitions in Ukraine, also criticised the decision on Saturday saying it was an "act of desperation" that would have "no effect" on the conflict.
Russian foreign ministry spokesman Maria Zakharova also said Ukraine's assurances it would use the ammunition responsibly "are not worth anything".
'Contact is possible'
Various international efforts to mediate in the conflict have so far failed.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has tried to portray himself as a neutral mediator, substantially boosting wartime trade with Russia while supplying Ukraine with drones and other weapons.
But while reaffirming his longstanding call for both sides to enter peace talks, Erdogan risked drawing Russia's ire by delivering unequivocal support for Ukraine's Nato aspiration.
"There is no doubt that Ukraine deserves membership of Nato," Erdogan told reporters in Istanbul.
Erdogan also said he would meet Russian President Vladimir Putin next month on what would be the Kremlin chief's first visit to Turkey since the invasion.
Asked about a possible meeting with Erdogan, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted by Russian news agencies on Saturday as saying: "Contact is possible. There are no fixed dates yet."


Israel rescinds 200 Gaza work permits, citing bomb worries

Israel has cancelled 200 out of some 15,500 permits issued to Palestinians from the Gaza Strip to work in its territory after a labourer was accused of planning to carry out a bombing, the Shin Bet security agency said on Thursday.
The suspect, arrested on Oct 30, told interrogators he had been recruited by relatives in the militant group Islamic Jihad to plant a bomb on a bus in southern Israel, the Shin Bet said.
It said the suspect had been indicted in an Israeli court. It was not immediately clear if he had been assigned a lawyer or how he might plead to the charges.
The Shin Bet said that among Israel's responses was the voiding of around 200 permits of workers who have militant family members.
"The attempt by terror groups to exploit the jobs of workers in Israel in order to carry out attacks endangers the livelihood of hundreds of thousands of residents of the Gaza Strip," Defence Minister Benny Gantz tweeted.
Islamic Jihad had no immediate comment
Gantz, part of the Israel's centrist outgoing government, had championed expanding the allotment of entry permits in order ease Gaza's grinding poverty and stave off conflict.
A double bombing in Jerusalem on Wednesday, for which there was no immediate claim of responsibility, killed a teenaged Israeli-Canadian and wounded at least 14 other people.


Settlement terms for Apandi's suit against Mahathir sealed under OSA

The terms of settlement of the lawsuit filed by former attorney-general Mohamed Apandi Ali against former prime minister Dr Mahathir and the government on the termination of his contract as AG are classified as confidential under the Official Secrets Act 1972.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said said that the civil case was settled out of court with the consent of the government without any admission of liability.
"During the settlement negotiations, the parties to this lawsuit, particularly the plaintiff (Apandi) represented by Messrs Shukor Baljit and Partners, and the Attorney-General's Chambers, agreed that the terms of the settlement should be kept confidential and not disclosed to the public," she said in a written reply on the Parliament website yesterday.
Azalina was responding to a question from M Kulasegaran (PH-Ipoh Barat), who asked the prime minister to state the amount of compensation the government paid to Apandi when it settled the suit.
On April 13, 2022, the Kuala Lumpur High Court quashed the suit after the government agreed to settle the case without any admission of liability.
Apandi filed the suit on Oct 13, 2020, naming Mahathir and the government as the first and second defendants. He sought, among others, a declaration that the termination of his contract as attorney-general by the former prime minister in 2018 was invalid.
Apandi, who was a Federal Court judge before his appointment as attorney-general in 2015, had sought special damages of RM2,233,599.36, general and exemplary damages, costs and other reliefs deemed fit by the court.


Iran has dropped some demands for nuclear deal, US official says

Iran has dropped some of its main demands on resurrecting a deal to rein in Tehran's nuclear program, including its insistence that international inspectors close some probes of its atomic program, bringing the possibility of an agreement closer, a senior US official told Reuters on Monday.
The US aims to respond soon to a draft agreement proposed by the European Union that would bring back the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran that former President Donald Trump abandoned and current President Joe Biden has sought to revive.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said that although Tehran has been saying Washington has made concessions, Iran has dropped some of its key demands.
"They came back last week and basically dropped the main hang-ups to a deal," the official said.
"We think they have finally crossed the Rubicon and moved toward possibly getting back into the deal on terms that President Biden can accept," the official added. "If we are closer today, it's because Iran has moved. They conceded on issues that they have been holding onto from the beginning."
Iran's foreign ministry had no immediate comment.
Iran had already largely relented on its demand that the US lift its designation of the Iran Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist organisation (FTO) entity, the official said.
"We said under no circumstances would we do that. They continued to push it. A month ago they started to soften that core demand and said you can keep the (FTO) designation but we would like lift it from a number of companies affiliated with the IRGC. We said 'no we're not going to do that,'" he added.
Iran also wanted a guarantee that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would close investigations involving unexplained traces of uranium.
"Iran wants guarantees that the IAEA would close all of them. We said we would never accept that," the official said.
The IAEA board of governors in June overwhelmingly passed a resolution criticising Iran for failing to explain the presence of uranium traces at three undeclared sites.
The official said that gaps remain between the US and Iran and that "it could take a little longer" to come to a final agreement, if one is possible.
"We’re studying Iran’s response now and we'll get back to them soon," the official said.
Earlier, State Department spokesman Ned Price said there was no guarantee a deal can be struck, saying "the outcome of these ongoing discussions still remains uncertain as gaps do remain."
Washington would have to lift some sanctions under the terms of the agreement, but US officials say returning to the deal is crucial to preventing a nuclear crisis in the Middle East.
"If we get this deal, yes, we do lift some sanctions, but Iran has to dismantle its nuclear program," the official said.
All this comes at a time when Iran is thought to have enough enriched uranium to - if further purified - build multiple weapons, and is closer than ever to being able to produce them, the official said.
The nuclear deal between Iran and world powers appeared near revival in March after 11 months of indirect US-Iran talks in Vienna.
But negotiations broke down over obstacles such as Iran's desire to remove the Revolutionary Guards from the FTO list.
Iran has also demanded the United States guarantee that no future US president would abandon the deal. Biden cannot provide such ironclad assurances because the deal is a political understanding rather than a legally binding treaty.
A second official said that under full implementation of the deal, the IAEA would be able to resume a comprehensive inspections regime that could detect any Iranian effort to pursue a nuclear weapon covertly. Much of this monitoring would remain in place indefinitely.
This official also said Iran would be prohibited from enriching and stockpiling uranium above very limited levels, denying it the material required for a bomb.
In addition, the official said, Iran would not be permitted to have any of the 20% and 60% enriched uranium that it is stockpiling today; advanced centrifuges Iran is operating would be stopped and removed, including all of the centrifuges at its fortified underground facility at Fordow.
"Strict limits on Iranian enrichment would mean that even if Iran left the deal to pursue a nuclear weapon, it would take at least six months to do so," the official said.


Economy ministry formulating law to curb rent-seeking culture, says Rafizi

The economy ministry is studying several components to draft a specific law to curb the rent-seeking culture in the country's business and economic structure, says its minister, Rafizi Ramli.
He said the "Ali Baba" concept of businesses owned by locals but rented out to foreigners had been occurring for a long time without any specific laws to curb the matter, creating a sense of injustice and dissatisfaction in the community.
"We need to solve (the issue) of how foreigners can go on conducting business in the hawker areas, for example. When they are arrested, it is found that most of them are operating using the licence of local citizens, and technically, it is not wrong.
"When arrested, they say they are employees of local traders. So our people (citizens) are also the ones who are working together (with the foreigners) and allowing this to happen because there is no specific law on business ownership and rent," he said during the economy ministry’s engagement session with the Federal Territories Department in Putrajaya today.
The rent-seeking issue was brought up by one of the participants during the engagement session, who urged the government to intervene and deal with the matter seriously.
Rafizi said at present, law enforcement with regard to the matter was only subject to the Penal Code and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
In a press conference after the engagement session, Rafizi said the economy ministry was developing preliminary proposals related to the legislation before being presented at the National Economic Action Council meeting in July.
"This 'Ali Baba' exists from the bottom right to the top level. It has been a problem in the economy all this time, but there has been no specific discussion towards the drafting of laws (to curb the matter)," he said, adding that the matter required serious attention.
Kuala Lumpur Bumiputera Traders and Hawkers Association president Rosli Ibrahim suggested that the law include enforcement against foreigners as well if they were found to be breaking the rules.
Rosli, who is also president of the Malaysian Federation of Hawkers and Petty Traders Association, said the "Ali Baba" concept had resulted in unhealthy competition, and therefore, it was difficult for the hawkers among the B40 group to revive their businesses.


Ismail to sit out Melaka polls?

Umno’s impending clash with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition at the upcoming Melaka polls has posed possibly the biggest political dilemma for Ismail Sabri Yaakob since being sworn into power in August, forcing the prime minister to consider whether to even get involved in the election campaign, MalaysiaNow has learnt.The situation becomes more difficult as Ismail has come under pressure from Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to make a trip to Melaka to join the campaign.“If Ismail goes to campaign for Umno in Melaka, it would be a suicide mission,” a Pahang Umno insider close to the inner circle of the prime minister told MalaysiaNow.Ismail came to power in August with the backing of some 50 MPs from PN and its allies, a decision for which he was grateful to Muhyiddin, the Bersatu president.But he is now in an awkward position of having to adhere to his party boss who has dismissed any form of cooperation with Bersatu, which together with the other main PN party PAS will be clashing with Umno candidates in the Nov 20 polls.Despite facing stiff resistance from Melaka Umno, Zahid, who led a campaign to topple Muhyiddin’s government after failing to get the Bersatu leader’s help in dozens of criminal cases, is adamant that Umno and Bersatu will not cooperate in the state polls.Both Muhyiddin and Zahid have openly indicated that their candidates will clash despite MPs from their coalitions making up the current federal government led by Ismail.“So as an Umno member, Ismail has no choice but to comply with Zahid. But at what cost? Unless Zahid can replace PN’s 50-strong support for the government with support from other MPs, it would be a feat for Ismail to survive his prime ministership until the next election,” said the Umno source.The pressure from Zahid also comes amid a fallout between the Umno president and Najib Razak, the former prime minister who has reportedly decided to cooperate with Ismail.MalaysiaNow recently reported that the duo split soon after joining hands to topple Muhyiddin, with Najib now banking on Ismail’s incumbency at the top post for gestures from the government.It is understood that Najib decided to cut himself off completely from Zahid due to the latter’s trust deficit among Umno leaders.At the same time, Ismail has been silently working towards support and influence for the party’s top post, something that could only strengthen his position in Putrajaya.Ismail has the rare reputation of becoming prime minister even though he is only one of three vice-presidents of Umno, in a break from past tradition when the party was in power.In the quest for Umno presidency, Ismail found an ally in Najib, resulting in a win-win situation for both.It is learnt that Najib met with Ismail yesterday to discuss the Melaka state election, following similar meetings held separately between Ismail and those aligned with Zahid.A source said during the meeting with Najib, Ismail had said he should be exempted from the Umno election campaign in Melaka.“Najib is also asking all ministers to join Umno’s campaign in Melaka, but he has been more lenient when it comes to telling Ismail to make a trip to Melaka,” said the source.“He is out to ensure that Ismail does not have to add that to his problems. That is also why Najib set aside all other personal chores, including his first trip out of the country to visit his daughter, to focus on Melaka and spare Ismail the misfortune,” said the Umno source.Najib, who is appealing against a corruption conviction incurred last year in addition to facing multiple other criminal charges related to the 1MDB scandal, was recently granted permission to travel to Singapore to visit his daughter, who is due deliver her second child.On Monday, however, he was able to postpone the trip to a day after the Melaka state election.Najib must now prove that his presence in Melaka will work in Umno’s favour.The small but crucial tourism-driven state was among those which fell to Pakatan Harapan in the last general election, on the back of public anger against Najib which led to his fall from power in 2018.


Sabah polls to proceed as court throws out appeal over dissolution

The Court of Appeal today dismissed the appeal by 33 assemblymen against a High Court ruling on the Sabah governor’s move to dissolve the state legislative assembly in July.Justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who led a three-member bench with justices Abu Bakar Jais and Supang Lian, also rejected the assemblymen’s bid for a stay of today’s ruling pending an appeal to the Federal Court.This means that the state election will proceed as scheduled, with Sept 12 as nomination day and Sept 26 for polling.Karim ruled that Sabah Governor Juhar Mahiruddin had correctly exercised his discretion according to the Sabah constitution in dissolving the state legislative assembly.The 33 assemblymen, led by former chief minister Musa Aman, had appealed against the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s dismissal of their application for leave for judicial review to challenge Juhar’s decision on July 30.The court made the ruling after hearing submissions for two days beginning yesterday by counsel Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin, who represented the assemblymen; Sabah Attorney-General Brenndon Keith Soh, who acted for Juhar; counsel Cyrus Das, who appeared for Chief Minister Shafie Apdal and the state government; and senior federal counsel Suzana Atan, who acted for the Election Commission.Musa and several of the other assemblymen were present in court.


Singapore egg-freezing ban forces women to head overseas

With a busy job that left little time to think about starting a family, Erica decided to sidestep Singapore’s ban on egg freezing for a chance to have children later in life.The advertising executive is among a growing number of women travelling overseas to get their eggs frozen, as people in the work-obsessed city-state increasingly delay having children.Now calls are growing for authorities to loosen the rules in a bid to help boost one of the world’s lowest birth rates.“It’s quite unfair to women here,” Erica, who used a pseudonym, said of the current policy on egg freezing.“It doesn’t give women in Singapore the chance to have an opportunity to give birth in their 40s, and therefore they feel like they would have to settle in their 30s because time is not on their side,” the 40-year-old added.Singapore’s fertility rate reached a historic low of 1.1 babies per woman last year, compared to a global average of 2.4.This is despite decades of official encouragement to boost births, ranging from cash bonuses for having a baby to subsidised fertility treatments for married couples.But while advocates say egg freezing could help lift birth rates, authorities still only allow it for certain medical conditions, such as if a woman is undergoing cancer treatment.Many other countries permit the procedure, even without medical reasons.But in socially conservative Singapore, the government and religious groups have expressed concern that egg freezing may encourage women to delay getting married and having children.‘Lifestyles are different’The procedure involves collecting eggs from a woman’s ovaries, freezing them unfertilised and storing them for later use.When a woman wants to try to get pregnant, the egg is thawed and combined with sperm before being transferred to the uterus.Women’s fertility typically begins declining from the mid-30s but freezing eggs can give them a chance to have children later.Erica, who is not originally from Singapore but holds permanent resident status, decided to have the procedure at the age of 36 after breaking up with her boyfriend of six years.She flew to Kuala Lumpur about five times for consultations, to refill hormone jabs, then finally for the egg extraction at the KL Fertility Centre.The clinic has seen a growing number of Singaporeans coming for the procedure and, before the coronavirus closed borders, was freezing eggs of three to six women a year from the city-state.“There is actually a huge demand because of changing social dynamics,” said Helena Lim, a doctor at the centre.“Women have more opportunity to get higher education, lifestyles are different.”This isn’t just an issue in Singapore. In many developed countries, women are delaying childbearing for several reasons, including financial considerations and career pressure.There are no official figures on how many in Singapore have gone overseas to freeze their eggs, but anecdotal evidence suggests numbers have been rising.Sunfert International, which has several fertility clinics across Malaysia, told AFP that enquiries and patients from Singapore were increasing by about 15% each year before the pandemic.Singaporeans are also heading to countries like Thailand and Australia for the procedure.‘Profoundly selfish act’Pressure has been growing on Singapore to lift its ban for some time, but there is little sign an overhaul is imminent.The social and family development ministry said last year there were “ethical and social concerns” over such a move, which could cause more women “to delay marriage or parenthood”.The ministry declined requests for further comment.The National Council of Churches of Singapore has also spoken out against elective egg freezing, calling it a “profoundly selfish act” and saying that women should instead be encouraged to have children earlier in life.Erica is now in a relationship and hopes to have children soon – the couple will try to conceive naturally first and have the frozen eggs as a backup.“Having this as an option just gives women more opportunity to really settle with the person that you want to be happy with,” she said of freezing her eggs.“I feel that it’s a great decision.”


FT ministry restructured into FT department

The federal territories ministry has been administratively restructured and is now known as the Federal Territories Department under Prime Minister’s Department (JPM).
Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali said he and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim were briefed on the administrative structure of the department by its director-general Rosida Jaafar.
"After the briefing, the prime minister and I attended the Majlis Interaksi Wilayah Persekutuan.
"This meeting is a platform for the top management of the department and MPs in the federal territories to discuss critical issues and the proposed implementation of development policies for the well-being of the people," he said in a post on Facebook.
Also present at the meeting were JPM senior deputy secretary-general Solehuddin Alyubi, Kuala Lumpur mayor Mahadi Che Ngah, Putrajaya Corporation president Fadlun Mak Ujud and Labuan Corporation CEO Rithuan Mohd Ismail.


Biden waives solar panel tariffs for Malaysia, 3 others

President Joe Biden waived tariffs on solar panels from four Southeast Asian nations for two years and invoked the Defense Production Act to spur solar panel manufacturing at home, the White House said on Monday, confirming a Reuters report.The tariff exemption applies to panels from Cambodia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam and will serve as a “bridge” while US manufacturing ramps up, the White House said.Shares in US solar companies including SunPower Corp, Enphase Energy Inc and Sunrun Inc climbed after Reuters earlier reported that Biden would issue a proclamation that ensured panels accounting for some 80% of US imports would not face tariffs, which could have been levied retroactively as part of a Commerce Department probe.The move comes in response to concerns about a freezing of solar projects nationwide and the resulting impact on the administration’s plans to fight climate change. The investigation, announced in March, is considering whether solar panel imports from the four countries were circumventing tariffs on goods made in China.The probe had prompted the largest solar trade group to cut its installation forecasts for this year and next by 46% as developers including NextEra Energy Inc, Southern Co warned of major project delays.The White House said the Defense Production Act would also be used to expand manufacturing of building insulation, heat pumps, transformers, and equipment for “clean electricity-generated fuels” such as electrolysers and fuel cells.“With a stronger clean energy arsenal, the US can be an even stronger partner to our allies, especially in the face of (Russian President Vladimir) Putin’s war in Ukraine,” the White House said in a statement.Manufacturing makes up a small portion of the US solar industry, with most of the jobs concentrated in project development, installation and construction. Proposed legislation that would encourage domestic solar manufacturing is currently stalled in Congress.Heather Zichal, chief executive of the American Clean Power Association, said Biden’s announcement would “rejuvenate the construction and domestic manufacturing of solar power by restoring predictability and business certainty.”The Commerce Department investigation – kicked off in response to a complaint from a small solar panel provider, Auxin – essentially halted the flow of solar panels that make up more than half of US supplies and 80% of imports.Auxin’s CEO, Mamun Rashid, criticised the White House move as having “opened the door wide for Chinese-funded special interests to defeat the fair application of US trade law.”Top US panel manufacturer First Solar said the administration’s move “undermines American solar manufacturing.” Its shares were down more than 2% in midday trade on the Nasdaq.


New cases drop below 19,000

Another 18,815 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,049,750.Sarawak recorded 3,660 cases, Selangor 2,718, Johor 2,206, Sabah 1,982, Penang 1,777, Perak 1,446, Kedah 1,233 and Kelantan 1,222.Terengganu recorded 814 cases, Pahang 712, Kuala Lumpur 493, Melaka 269 and Negeri Sembilan 170.Perlis recorded 80 cases, Putrajaya 22 and Labuan 11.


New EPF member registration up by 57% to 146,000 in Q1 2022

The registration of new Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members increased by 57% to 146,000 in the first quarter of 2022, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said today.
He said this was in line with the EPF’s efforts to embark on a long-term strategy to expand the social protection coverage of Malaysians in an attempt to strengthen the government-linked companies (GLC) support ecosystem.
"Currently, although various social protection initiatives have been introduced and some have received government funding, the average awareness of the importance of social protection and preparing for old age is still too low among a large number of Malaysians," he said at the EPF Insurance and Takaful i-Lindung facility launch ceremony in Kuala Lumpur.
Tengku Zafrul said one of the most important aspects was the strengthening of social protection, a responsibility given to the EPF when the government started implementing the GLC Transformation Programme.
He said the programme was to drive the recovery and reconstruction of the country's post-pandemic economy through the GLC and government-linked investment companies ecosystem.
On the i-Lindung platform, he said it could help EPF members receive protection in the face of unforeseen situations that could happen to anyone at any time.
"This is an important starting point to protect Malaysians and their families from the risk of death, total disability and chronic diseases," he said.
Meanwhile, EPF chairman Ahmad Badri Mohd Zahir said he was confident that the i-Lindung facility would help realise the country’s aspiration to achieve an insurance penetration rate of more than 70%, in addition to helping members obtain insurance and takaful coverage.
"The i-Lindung facility is available at a minimum rate of RM30 per year with protection of RM10,000 and can be deducted from the second account," he said.
He also said the EPF was targeting 300,000 individuals for the i-Lindung platform for the first year. The i-Lindung platform is under the Members Protection Plan to facilitate the purchase of insurance and takaful products including life and critical illness coverage at an affordable premium from Account 2.
The offer of protection for EPF members is effective immediately.


US denies authorisation to many vaping products

The US drug regulator on Thursday denied market authorisation to a number of vaping products after finding they failed to show that smoking cessation benefits to adults outweigh risks posed to youth.The products included flavours such as “Apple Crumble”, “Dr Cola” and “Cinnamon Toast Cereal” by companies JD Nova Group, Great American Vapes, and Vapor Salon.It comes as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is nearing a court-ordered Sept 9 deadline for submission of applications to remain on the market under new stricter rules that are reshaping the industry.“Congress gave the FDA the authority to regulate tobacco products to protect the public from the harmful effects of tobacco use through science-based regulation,” said acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock.“We know that flavoured tobacco products are very appealing to young people, therefore assessing the impact of potential or actual youth use is a critical factor in our decision-making about which products may be marketed.”The products denied authorisation may not be delivered to the market, or have to be removed if they have already reached shelves.In all, the FDA has received applications from over 500 companies.No decisions have so far been announced about the companies with the leading market share, Juul Labs and Reynolds American which makes Vuse e-cigarettes.E-cigarettes entered the US market in 2007 and have been the most commonly used tobacco product among American youths since 2014.To curb youth vaping, the FDA last year barred flavours from smaller e-cigarettes that use pods, such as those made by market leader Juul.Tank-based rechargeable vaping devices, primarily sold in vape shops, were left exempt.US lawmakers also raised the federal minimum age for tobacco and e-cigarette sales from 18 to 21 in December 2019.About 3.6 million young people in the US were current (in the past 30 days) e-cigarette users in 2020, down from 5.4 million in 2019, according to the National Youth Tobacco Survey.


Tightening Covid net, Beijing deals out punishments, stark warnings

China’s Covid-hit capital Beijing further tightened its dragnet on the virus with zero community transmission the target, punishing workplaces that flout rules or circumvent curbs and imploring residents to police their own movements.Since late April, the city of 22 million has wrestled with dozens of new cases a day. While these have been mostly in quarantine areas, a handful have been found in the community at large, illustrating the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant and the challenges that poses to the world’s most stringent of pandemic containment policies.With Shanghai, China’s business and commercial hub, and numerous other giant cities also shackled by partial lockdowns or other curbs, the zero-Covid approach remains the government’s focus despite the damage it has done to the world’s second-biggest economy and global supply chains.This week, the city has stepped up quarantine efforts and clamped down on workplace attendance, with more districts issuing work-from-home requirements or guidance. That followed an inspection tour on Monday by Vice Premier Sun Chunlan – in charge of China’s Covid response – during which she called for more thorough measures to sever transmission chains.Some workplaces have ignored Covid prevention policies, state-run Xinhua News agency wrote in a commentary, and failed to check the health profiles of their staff, opening a gap for the spread of the epidemic.“A big wind can enter even through the smallest of gaps,” according to the commentary published on Wednesday.In one example of disciplinary action, some employees at the state-run Beijing postal service were either dismissed or given a stern warning after a cluster of cases hit a private logistics company within its jurisdiction, the municipal anti-corruption watchdog said late on Tuesday. The regulator said the firm failed to organise Covid tests for its employees and did not follow strict vaccination rules.In another instance, a handful of employees in Beijing at a branch of the state railway company concealed their travel histories and have been put under police investigation, the watchdog said in a separate statement.Meanwhile some operations at a big real estate agency in Beijing have been suspended after one employee violated a district-wide requirement to work from home, the municipality’s housing development authority said on Wednesday.‘Dare not travel’Throughout the week, Beijing health authorities have been sending out text messages to people’s mobile phones urging them to monitor the travel histories of Covid cases and report themselves to local officials if their own movements overlap with those of the infected.One Beijing resident surnamed Shi, whose residential building recently exited from a lockdown, said she tried to avoid venturing too far from her home, concerned that she might accidentally enter areas with cases, tainting her Covid health credentials recorded by an app on her phone.“I basically just walk in areas around my residential compounds, go to the supermarket, and dare not travel too far,” she said.Elsewhere in the country, a series of heavily populated cities were also launching new rounds of mass testing despite caseloads that remain very small by international comparisons.The northern port city of Tianjin initiated a fresh round of citywide testing on Wednesday after more than a dozen daily new infections emerged this week following two such rounds of testing last weekend. Tianjin requires its 14 million residents to keep their movements largely close to where they live and adhere to a “relatively static” mode during the testing.The northwestern city of Xian advanced a routine mass testing campaign previously scheduled on Friday to Wednesday as the city of 13 million raced to reduce transmission risks after five local infections were found over the past 10 days.In Shanghai, which is aiming for a June 1 complete exit from a stringent city-wide lockdown, is gradually and cautiously unwinding Covid curbs and allowing more of its population of 25 million to venture out. Still, the vast majority of shops, restaurants and businesses remain shut and a work-from-home regime is still in place.After nearly two months of lockdown, that highly anticipated exit is expected to reignite the engines of its economy.Exports from Shanghai, the world’s largest container port, dived 44% last month from a year earlier and imports fell by a third, the local statistics bureau said on Tuesday – the steepest declines since at least 2011.


PAS president Hadi tests positive for Covid

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has tested positive for Covid-19, his son Muhammad Khalil announced today.Khalil, who is assemblyman for Batu Buruk, said Hadi, the Marang MP, was only experiencing mild symptoms.“He is undergoing home quarantine. Let us all pray for Tuan Guru’s health,” he added in a Facebook post.


Putrajaya to give another boost to Covid rescue plan

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is expected to announce today a further boost to the government’s rescue packages under Penjana to cushion the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on businesses.MalaysiaNow has learnt that the amount this time will be a “little more than one-third” of the RM35 billion announced in June to boost the package, a short-term economic recovery plan tailored for those affected by the pandemic.Muhyiddin’s speech today comes amid rumours on social media that he might be announcing the dissolution of Parliament to pave the way for a general election.“It is not true, and is as fake as the many other speculations you will find today,” a reliable source told MalaysiaNow.According to the source, the focus of the financial injection this time will be on the B40 and M40 groups.Putrajaya had in March and April announced a RM260 billion economic stimulus package during the height of Covid-19 pandemic, when businesses nationwide were forced to shut down.


Complaint lodged against Shahidan over speech, Bersatu flag at Umno meet

The Umno Youth division in Arau has lodged a complaint against Shahidan Kassim, accusing him of breaching party discipline at a recent event by making a speech contrary to Umno’s stand and flying the Bersatu flag alongside the Malay party’s, among others.In a letter to Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan dated Oct 18, Arau Umno Youth chief Syed Atif Syed Abu Bakar said Shahidan had also distributed a draft proposal that went against the decision communicated to division and wing leaders at the group opening ceremony for the Arau Umno division the day before.“This complaint is lodged to prevent the continuing confusion among members and leaders at all levels, especially in the Arau division in Perlis,” he said.“For the sake of the good name and image of the party, and to prevent more serious splits in the future, it is my hope that this complaint receives the appropriate attention so that action can be taken,” he said.MalaysiaNow reported earlier today that Shahidan was calling for cooperation between Umno-Barisan Nasional and Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the Melaka state election next month, in yet another sign of open rebellion against party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.He also said the Arau Umno division had unanimously agreed to work with Bersatu and PAS, which are in PN, in order to ensure victory in the Nov 20 polls.Shahidan, who was sacked by Zahid as Perlis Umno chairman, said the party’s chances of winning the state polls would be slim if it decides to contest alone.Zahid had earlier ruled out any cooperation with PAS or Bersatu in next month’s polls.PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin meanwhile said political cooperation with Umno would be forged in the near future.The Melaka state assembly was dissolved after Chief Minister Sulaiman Md Ali lost his majority backing following the move by four assemblymen to withdraw their support for him: Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor), Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu) and Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas).


Pressure grows on Zahid, report lodged over claim of misleading Agong

A police report has been made against Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi over the possibility that he had misled the Yang di-Pertuan Agong during a recent audience at Istana Negara.According to Utusan Malaysia, the Umno member who lodged the report also mentioned Zahid’s admission that it had been his voice in a recording of a phone conversation that exposed his cooperation with PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim.“A police report was made at about 11am,” the Umno member was quoted as saying.“It was in relation to the Umno president’s admission about the viral audio clip as well as the disclosure of his conversation with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.”The Malay daily said the report was made to ask the police to investigate Zahid’s statement in which he had denied any involvement in the audio clip.“The statement caused confusion among Umno members such as myself, and caused me to feel tricked by him.“This police report was also made to ask the police to investigate whether Zahid had lied to the Agong and committed wrongdoing through the involvement in a conspiracy to topple the Malaysian government which has disturbed the people’s peace.”Both Zahid and Anwar had previously denied speaking to each other in the aftermath of the Umno general assembly, which was when the recording was made.However, Anwar at a dialogue on April 10 asked what the issue would be if the recording was real, while stopping short of denying that it was his voice in the clip.When it was first reported by MalaysiaNow in April, Zahid had denied that it was him in the recording, saying that he would lodge a police report on the matter.Anwar meanwhile described the audio recording as part of “sophisticated attempts” to defame him, and said he would let the police investigate.


Sarawak, Kelantan to move to Phase 4 at long last

The government has agreed that Sarawak and Kelantan be allowed to transition to Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) on Monday, said Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.He said the decision was made based on the current risk assessments undertaken by the health ministry and National Security Council.The exit of these states from Phase Three means that all states in the country will be in Phase Four, the final phase of the NRP.“I would like to express my deepest appreciation and congratulations to all parties especially state governments for working hard to manage the pandemic situation in their respective states to achieve the threshold values set under the NRP,” he said in a statement today.Nevertheless, Hishammuddin urged people not to be complacent, saying Covid-19 was still a threat to their safety and health, especially with the emergence of the Omicron variant.


NZ to stay closed to foreigners for another five months

New Zealand said Wednesday it will not reopen to foreign travellers for at least another five months, as it slowly relaxes some of the world’s toughest pandemic border restrictions.The Pacific nation’s Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said New Zealanders stranded in Australia could return home from mid-January and Kiwis travelling from elsewhere would be allowed in a month later.But foreign nationals must wait until the end of April under the blueprint for a phased reopening unveiled Wednesday.“We acknowledge it’s been tough, but the end of heavily restricted travel is now in sight,” Hipkins told reporters.New Zealand closed its borders in March last year, requiring all international arrivals to undergo two weeks of hotel quarantine, a period that was recently cut to seven days.Hipkins said under the new regime, travellers would self isolate for seven days provided they were fully vaccinated and passed a series of Covid-19 tests.The move comes amid mounting pressure from overseas-based New Zealanders frustrated at being unable to book spots in the overstretched hotel quarantine system.Local media regularly carry reports of Kiwis unable to return home to see visit dying relatives because there are no available quarantine rooms.The border announcement comes as New Zealand prepares to revamp its domestic Covid-19 response to scrap lockdowns in recognition that the highly contagious Delta variant is now firmly embedded in the community.Its previous strategy of eliminating the virus completely has resulted in just 40 deaths in a population of five million but officials have admitted Delta means the goal is no longer achievable.Hipkins acknowledged many New Zealanders wanted the border open for Christmas but said it was not a realistic expectation.“There continues to be a global pandemic, with case numbers surging in Europe and other parts of the world,” he said.“So we need to be careful about reopening our border, that’s what we’re doing and what we’ve always done.”Hipkins said from next month India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Fiji and Brazil would no longer be classified as very-high risk countries, making their nationals eligible to travel to New Zealand from April 30.He said there was a possibility “bespoke” arrangements would allow international students and Australians to travel before April 30 but could offer no guarantees.


41.6% of adults given booster dose

A total of 127,066 adults received a booster dose of Covid-19 vaccine yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of booster jabs administered so far to 9,744,147 or 41.6%.According to the CovidNow portal, a total of 22,909,192 or 97.9% of adults have completed their vaccination, while 23,188,245 individuals or 99.1% have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.In terms of adolescents, 2,774,961 individuals or 88.2% have completed their vaccination, while 2,861,715 individuals or 91% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 129,597 vaccine doses were administered yesterday – 1,043 as first doses and 1,488 as second shots – bringing the cumulative number of vaccine doses given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 61,275,453.Meanwhile, according to the health ministry’s Github portal, nine Covid-19 deaths were reported yesterday with Selangor, Pahang, and Melaka recording two cases each, and one case each in Terengganu, Sabah, and Kelantan.


Don’t arrest protesters, Zuraida says

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin today voiced concern over an ongoing police investigation into a recent protest over the delay in lowering the voting age from 21 to 18, calling for a review of the Peaceful Assembly Act to better facilitate gatherings of a non-violent nature.“I do understand that in this case the police in investigating the protest were carrying out their duties under the provisions of the Peaceful Assembly Act.“That law needs to be reviewed to better facilitate peaceful public assemblies,” she said in a statement today. “I do not believe it is their intention to oppress anyone.”A group of some 100 protesters had marched to the Parliament building last week where they sat for 18 minutes in front of the entrance to protest the delay in implementing the lower voting age, also known as Undi 18.Undi 18, which was passed in Parliament in July 2019, was originally expected to take effect in July this year. However, the Election Commission (EC) recently said that any move to lower the voting age would likely be implemented only after Sept 1, 2022.EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said that while preparations are on track, current developments and the fact that the country remains under movement restrictions due to Covid-19 had affected its plans.This sparked a backlash from members of the public as well as lawmakers and ministers including Khairy Jamaluddin and Saifuddin Abdullah.Zuraida expressed confidence that the EC was doing “everything possible” to ensure that Undi 18 is implemented as soon as possible.“This government is categorically and unreservedly in support of Undi 18,” she added.However, she said freedom of assembly as enshrined in the Federal Constitution must be upheld.“Wholly peaceful public assemblies should not be subjected to any police investigation; they should be facilitated by the police, while taking into account legitimate public order concerns.“The right of the protesters to peacefully gather and express their views must be defended, provided Covid-19 SOPs are adhered to,” she said, adding that she would raise the matter with the Cabinet.


Frustrated users, no answers: Selangor’s SELangkah contrasts with MySejahtera amid low ratings, downloads

Selangor’s SELangkah app, which the state government relaunched on the back of controversy over its ability to carry out the same functions as Putrajaya’s MySejahtera, appears to be dogged with problems as users of its Android version highlight bugs and weaknesses without any reply from its developers.Checks by MalaysiaNow on Google Play, the official app store for devices running on the Android operating system, showed that SELangkah is listed under the “Lifestyle” category, with fewer than 6,000 downloads since it was relaunched by Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari with a special appearance by a television personality two weeks ago.At press time, there were about 60 reviews from users, most of whom complained about incomplete features, cumbersome form-filling and an absence of critical contact tracing needs such as registering on behalf of dependents.The complaints had received no response from SELangkah, other than one self-review by the app’s developer Dr Helmi Zakariah who hailed his software as an effort to “bring an integrated, holistic pandemic response in Malaysia”, adding that “we thought this will help tremendously”.Checks also found that some users who gave the app a good rating had also noted problems they faced when using SELangkah.“The longer you delay the feature to add dependents into this app, not many people will be using this to scan the qr code. Update 22/2/21: No response from app developer. Like not bothered,” said one user, referring to the absence of interaction from the app’s developer.Another user, who gave a four-star rating, complained that users are forced to fill up forms each time they use SELangkah’s newly added feature to scan MySejahtera as well.“You should not release a section if the section is not ready. The home tab has so many ads and buttons which are not ready. Plus I think as of now, we do not need the first bottom tab as it just says coming soon when we click on it. I think this is messy,” said a user.“Not as much useful functions as MySejahtera despite the re-launch,” said Lyn Chan, who added that unlike Putrajaya’s app, SELangkah would not allow users to register a disabled family.“This is very important as the person under my care is of a high risk classification. Please look into improving the app for its core intended purpose. Prove it in the application!” she wrote.In contrast, checks found that MySejahtera has been constantly interacting with users on Google Play, attending to their complaints.Replies to feedback are given by “Government of Malaysia”, with frequent apologies for any inconvenience caused to users and a promise of a solution to come.Unlike SELangkah, MySejahtera is grouped under the “Health and Fitness” category, and in the number one spot for free apps in the same genre.With more than 420,000 reviews, MySejahtera has a rating of 4.6 stars compared to SELangkah’s 3.8 stars despite only a little more than 60 reviews.MalaysiaNow had earlier reported that the app lacked basic functionalities needed for any Covid-19 contact tracing, and was found to be inferior compared to MySejahtera.This was followed by a discovery that SELangkah permits the use of personal data for uses other than contact tracing, despite assurances of data safety from the state’s Covid-19 task force chief Dzulkefly Ahmad.Dzulkefly had angrily scoffed at suggestions that the SELangkah app is inferior, and even claimed that Putrajaya had lagged behind the state in automatic contact tracing.SELangkah came under scrutiny following a spike in Covid-19 cases in the state, proportionately much higher than neighbouring Kuala Lumpur which dwarfs Selangor in terms of population density.Repeated attempts in the past by MalaysiaNow to obtain a response about problems encountered in the app from its developer Helmi had fallen on deaf ears.When MalaysiaNow turned to Dzulkefly for answers, he said he had instructed that all queries on SELangkah should be directed to Helmi.


Ronaldo tests positive for Covid-19

Portuguese national team captain Cristiano Ronaldo has tested positive for Covid-19 and will miss Wednesday’s meeting with League of Nations Sweden, reports Xinhua news agency.“Cristiano Ronaldo was released from the work of the national team after a positive test for Covid-19, so he will not face Sweden.“The Portuguese international is doing well, without symptoms and in isolation,” said a note published on the official website of the Portuguese Football Federation on Tuesday.Ronaldo is the third player in Portugal to be infected with the novel coronavirus, after Jose Fonte and Anthony Lopes.


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Umno now a political beggar, says Khairy

One-time Umno man Khairy Jamaluddin says his former party has become a "political beggar", with its future in doubt after losing the support of the Malays.
"Although Umno will continue to survive with its current leadership, it will be too embarrassed to live and unwilling to die.
"It will be a life without dignity," he said in an interview with Singapore-based Mediacorp's Malay-language news channel.
He also said that Umno was now forced to rely on the goodwill of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim in order to stay alive.
"They won't die, but they have become a party that is very weak and which might remain as the third choice of the Malays," he added.
Khairy, who once held the Cabinet portfolios of health and youth and sports, said Umno was also a liability to Anwar's Pakatan Harapan (PH), adding that their cooperation might further jeopardise the support of the Malays.
He said this situation would benefit Perikatan Nasional (PN), as many Umno supporters would shift their support to the opposition pact instead.
"The big question is whether Umno voters want to give their support to Umno-PH or PN," the former Rembau MP added.
"I think 50% of them will turn their support to PN. They won't be willing to support Umno or PH."
On the elections to be held in six states this year, Khairy said Umno and PH would find it difficult to rally support in the states current administered by PAS-PN.
He said the main focus at the polls would be the extent to which PN's influence would spread in the states under PH rule.
"This is the wave in question – not a green wave, but a PN wave.
"It will be interesting to see how far the PN wave can continue in Selangor. If they succeed in spreading their influence and support in Selangor, it will mean that they are no longer just parties in Malay strongholds."


Walk-in vaccinations in Klang Valley to end after Sept 15

The Covid-19 walk-in vaccination programme in the Klang Valley will end after Sept 15, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Adham Baba said today.He said the decision was made after taking into account the small percentage of eligible vaccine recipients who have yet to get their Covid-19 jabs as well as the low presence reported at vaccination centres.He said starting Sept 16, Klang Valley residents who have yet to be vaccinated can get their Covid-19 jabs at selected health clinics which will be announced later.“The walk-in vaccination programme will still continue in the states. The public is advised to follow the latest updates from their state health departments regarding the walk-in programme,” he said at a press conference at the handover ceremony between him and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.Adham said as of yesterday, 69.9% of the adult population in the country had completed their Covid-19 vaccination.The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme aims to inoculate 80% of the country’s adult population by the end of the year.“Alhamdulillah, now we are on the right track and vaccination has reached a commendable rate,” he said, adding that on Sept 2, Malaysia’s Covid-19 coverage had surpassed that of the US for at least one dose.He said as many more Malaysians had received their Covid-19 jabs, the vaccination rate had also declined, which was a good sign.“We need to expect a decrease in the country’s vaccination rate in the coming weeks,” he added.


Delhi shuts schools as govt considers ‘pollution lockdown’

New Delhi authorities announced Saturday a one-week closure of schools and said they would consider a “pollution lockdown” to protect citizens from toxic smog.“Schools will be shut so that children don’t have to breathe polluted air,” Delhi’s chief minister Arvind Kejriwal told reporters.Delhi is ranked one of the world’s most polluted cities, with a hazardous melange of factory and vehicle emissions, and smoke from agricultural fires, settling in the skies over its 20 million people each winter.On Saturday, the Supreme Court suggested imposing a lockdown on Delhi to combat the air quality crisis.“How will we live otherwise?” chief justice NV Ramana said.Kejriwal said his government would consider the court’s suggestion after consulting with stakeholders.“Pollution lockdown has never happened before. It will be an extreme step,” he said.Kejriwal said that construction activity would be halted for four days to cut down dust from vast, open sites.Government offices were asked to operate from home and private businesses advised to stick to work-from-home options as much as possible.The Central Pollution Control Board on Friday advised authorities to prepare “for implementation of measures under ’emergency’ category”.It added the poor air quality would likely run until at least Nov 18 due to “low winds with calm conditions during the night”.On Saturday, levels of PM 2.5 particles – the smallest and most harmful, which can enter the bloodstream – topped 300 on the air quality index.That is 20 times the maximum daily limit recommended by the World Health Organization.Hospitals were reporting a sharp rise in patients complaining of breathing difficulties, the Times of India reported.“We are getting 12-14 patients daily in the emergency, mostly at night, when the symptoms cause disturbed sleep and panic,” Dr Suranjit Chatterjee from Apollo Hospitals told the paper.Stubble smogDelhi’s government has been vowing for years to clean up the city’s air.The burning of agricultural waste in Delhi’s neighbouring states – a major contributor to the city’s pollution levels every winter – has continued despite a Supreme Court ban.Tens of thousands of farmers around the capital burn their stubble – or crop residue – at the start of every winter, clearing fields from recently harvested paddies to make way for wheat.The number of farm fires this season has been the highest in the past four years, according to government data.Earlier this year, the Delhi government opened its first “smog tower” containing 40 giant fans that pump 1,000 cubic metres of air per second through filters.The US$2 million installation halves the amount of harmful particulates in the air but only within a radius of one square kilometre, according to engineers.A 2020 report by Swiss organisation IQAir found that 22 of the world’s 30 most polluted cities were in India, with Delhi ranked the most polluted capital globally.The same year, the Lancet said 1.67 million deaths were attributable to air pollution in India in 2019, including almost 17,500 in the capital.In recent days the river flowing through Delhi, the Yamuna, was also choked with sickly white foam.The city government has blamed the blight on “heavy sewage and industrial waste” discharged into the river from further upstream.


Up to state leaderships to begin talks on seats, Anwar says ahead of polls

The preparation by parties within the coalition government to face the upcoming elections in six states such as seat negotiations and candidacy as well as campaign strategies will be decided on soon, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
However, he said for states that are dominated by certain coalitions such as Pakatan Harapan (PH) in Selangor and Penang, negotiations on the distribution of seats should be initiated by the state leaderships before being brought to the central leadership.
"We discussed earlier that there is no problem (with regard to the distribution of seats in states that are fully controlled by a certain party). Like some states led by Umno, we accept that, and other states led by PH component parties, we also accept.
"I think there is no dispute here, but I leave it to the wisdom of the respective state leaderships who should begin the negotiations in a proper manner, and then present (the results) to the central leadership," he said at a press conference after chairing a Unity Government Leadership Consultative Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur last night.
The almost two-hour meeting was also attended by several key government leaders, among them Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Gabungan Parti Sarawak chief whip Fadillah Yusof and DAP secretary-general Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
Six states – Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kelantan, Kedah, and Terengganu – previously agreed to dissolve their respective state assemblies in the last two weeks of June to make way for elections.
Anwar, who is also PH chairman, said although the preparations for the state polls this time mainly involved BN and PH, parties that had branches or movements in peninsular Malaysia were also involved in the discussion as a reflection of the unity and cooperation in the government.
Meanwhile, Anwar said the Unity Government National Convention to be held on May 14 was part of his administration’s efforts to continue fostering a spirit of consensus among the races and regions in this country.
"Our message to the whole country is that this is a unique attempt in our history that is repeating the efforts to create racial and regional consensus which began in the early stages of independence, then in the days of Tunku Abdul Rahman and by Tun Abdul Razak.
"We hope that this attempt will be effective and successful to ensure continuity, and most importantly, the people's agenda can be implemented effectively," he said.


Kramaric double fires Croatia as Canada crash out of World Cup

Croatia got their World Cup campaign back on track as Andrej Kramaric's double inspired a 4-1 win that eliminated Canada in Sunday's Group F grudge match in Doha.
Zlatko Dalic's side were stunned by Alphonso Davies's second-minute opener at the Khalifa International Stadium.
But Hoffenheim forward Kramaric equalised and Marko Livaja put the 2018 World Cup runners-up ahead just before half-time.
Second-half goals from Kramaric and Lovro Majer ensured Croatia could celebrate their first win of the tournament after a goalless draw with Morocco in their first match.
Croatia sit top of Group F, above Morocco on goal difference, and a draw in their final game against Belgium on Thursday would guarantee they reach the last 16.
It was an especially sweet success for Croatia after Canada boss John Herdman irked Dalic's men with his profane attempt to inspire his players after a 1-0 defeat against Belgium in their group opener.
In a television interview, Herdman told his players: "They belong here. And we're going to go and eff Croatia."
Dalic had taken exception to Herdman's rant, insisting on Saturday that his team deserved "respect" from their opponents.
Croatia's 24 Sata tabloid ran a full-page photo of a naked man below Herdman's superimposed head, with maple leaf flags over his mouth and private parts and a headline that translated as "You have the mouth, but do you have the balls as well?"
The Croatians let their football do the talking on Sunday, allowing them to seize control of a group blown wide open by Morocco's shock 2-0 win against Belgium earlier.
Continuing the feud, Dalic claimed Herdman ignored him after the match when the coaches appeared to avoid the traditional handshake at the final whistle.
"I went on the pitch to see my players. I did not see the other head coach after the match. He was not there. That is his way of doing things," Dalic said.
"He is a quality professional but it will take some time for him to learn some things."
Asked if he made a mistake with his rant, Herdman was initially defiant, telling reporters: "Not in the first 20 minutes (of the Croatia game), no."
But he eventually conceded he would learn from the controversy, saying: "I could have been a little more composed coming out of the huddle. That is my learning. I will take that on the chin."
Canada competed gamely but have now lost all five matches in their World Cup history, with their only previous appearance in 1986 also ending in group-stage elimination.
Lethal Kramaric
Herdman's team took just 68 seconds to rock Croatia when Tajon Buchanan crossed into the Croatia area and Davies timed his run perfectly to power a header past Dominik Livakovic from 10 yards.
Canada's first ever World Cup goal was welcome redemption for Davies after the Bayern Munich star's penalty was saved by Thibaut Courtois in the Belgium defeat.
But the fastest goal so far in this World Cup served as a wake-up call for Croatia.
With Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic pulling the strings, Croatia's clever passing and movement gradually took a toll on Canada and they drew level in the 36th minute.
Kramaric was picked out by Ivan Perisic's deft reverse pass into the Canada area and he took a touch before drilling a fine finish into the far corner from an acute angle.
Croatia were hitting their stride and Hajduk Split forward Livaja, selected in place of Nikola Vlasic, repaid Dalic's faith in the 44th minute.
Josip Juranovic's run was halted just outside the Canada area, but Livaja pounced on the loose ball, nimbly shifting it out of his feet before sending a superb low strike past Milan Borjan.
The predatory Kramaric delivered the knockout blow in the 70th minute.
Perisic's cross reached Kramaric in the Canada area and he worked space for a left-foot finish that arrowed through Atiba Hutchinson's legs into the bottom corner.
Majer's tap-in completed the rout from Mislav Orsic's pass in stoppage time.


Agong calls for continued discipline in following SOPs

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah today expressed hope that the people will continue to practise self-control and adhere to the SOPs set by the government as the country faces the Covid-19 pandemic.Comptroller of the Royal Household of Istana Negara, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, said the king also advised the people to remain calm, strong and resilient in facing the movement control order (MCO) and the state of emergency, implemented for the safety of the people and country.“With the implementation of the MCO, His Majesty understands the challenges faced, particularly the people’s daily economic activities which have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said in statement in conjunction with Federal Territories Day tomorrow.“Sultan Abdullah also expresses appreciation to the people, particularly the frontliners who have shown a high spirit of solidarity, togetherness and resilience in combating the Covid-19 pandemic,” he added.Fadil said the Covid-19 pandemic had provided a meaningful lesson to Malaysians, and that His Majesty was grateful that all parties could handle and fight the crisis through their caring attitude.According to the king, the caring spirit was visible through the efforts of the frontliners who toiled day and night to contain the pandemic.“It is also clear through the noble efforts of the government and volunteers in assisting the needy and through compliance with the SOPs by the general public.“His Majesty stresses that Prihatin is not just a slogan, but encompasses all the thought that went into the drawing up of the government policy, up to the stage of implementation and delivery.“Although the government is in a difficult situation, the people’s welfare is not neglected,” said Fadil.In conjunction with the theme of this year’s Federal Territories Day, “Federal Territory, Caring Territory”, His Majesty also called on the people to remain patriotic and to love their federal territory by always having a caring attitude towards one another.


Umno's 'politics of charity', still relevant after election defeat?

The poor performance of Umno and its umbrella group Barisan Nasional (BN) in states traditionally dominated by the Malay party has brought with it questions about the survival of the so-called politics of charity long associated with the coalition, especially in rural areas.
Such charity normally comes in the form of assistance, cash or otherwise, with the hope of eliciting the support of the people in return.
It is also associated with a warlord culture where individual politicians maintain their wealth in order to ensure a loyal support base.
But in the wake of BN's record poor performance which saw it winning just 30 seats across the entire country, calls have arisen from some grassroots groups for a stop to the practice.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, political observer Azizi Safar said Umno's welfare politics might no longer have a place in the hearts of voters.
"Not many see it as an act of kindness or benevolence, as reciprocation is needed during times of election," he said.
"Nevertheless, it cannot be said that Umno does not need to help the people, regardless of political alignment, or that it must only help its own members."
Azizi, a former executive secretary of Penang BN, also said that a complete stop to Umno's acts of political charity would have a negative impact on the party.
"The rest of the people who still support Umno will withdraw their support for its candidates," he said.
Mansor Mohd Noor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) meanwhile said that welfare politics would always be relevant in identifying social imbalances.
Mansor, of UKM's Institute of Ethnic Studies, said what the people were rejecting was instead the culture of bribes for influence and votes.
He said the political landscape had changed, as the people were now more concerned about integrity and good governance.
"GE14 and GE15 proved that Umno has failed to grasp the fact that the political landscape, including Malay politics, has changed," he said.
"The Malay voters are now more cosmopolitan and progressive, and can no longer accept the culture of world-crazy leadership."
His UKM colleague Kartini Aboo Talib said those who lose elections can still offer help sincerely if they so wish.
"The giving of rice, diapers and hampers in appreciation of voters has become the norm, not only in Malaysia but in many countries that practise a capitalist democracy," she said, adding that the aid given should be appropriate to the needs of the people.
Azizi however said parties that oppose Umno possess strong support even without giving handouts like diapers and hampers.
"Maybe the voters themselves have double standards in this matter," he added.


US virus death toll passes 250,000, Europe clamps down

US coronavirus deaths passed a quarter of a million people Wednesday as New York announced it would close schools to battle a rise in infections and protests in Europe against restrictions turned violent.America has now registered 250,029 fatalities, according to a running tally by Johns Hopkins University, by far the highest national death toll.US states and cities are imposing a raft of new restrictions, including home confinement, the closure of indoor dining and a limit on gatherings as cases soar across the country.New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city’s 1,800 public schools would revert to remote learning beginning Thursday after the Big Apple recorded a seven-day average positivity rate of 3%.“We must fight back the second wave of Covid-19,” he said.The toughened measures in America’s most-populous city came despite pharma giant Pfizer boosting hopes of a possible end to the pandemic by announcing improved results for its vaccine.Europe remains the hardest-hit region, accounting for 46% of new global cases and 49% of deaths last week, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).Its figures additionally showed the only region where cases and deaths declined last week was Southeast Asia.Worldwide, more than 1.3 million people have died of Covid-19 and over 55 million have been infected with the virus since it first surfaced in China late last year, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.In Switzerland, one of the worst-hit countries in Europe, the Swiss Society for Intensive Care Medicine warned that intensive care units “are practically all full”.More beds have been added, and the Swiss military has been called in to support efforts in several areas.Water cannon fired in BerlinMany European countries are extending heavy restrictions on daily life in attempts to curb the spread of the virus.A French government spokesman said authorities are unlikely to lift a partial lockdown any time soon while Portugal’s government was preparing to extend measures for two more weeks.In Hungary, a state of emergency that enables partial lockdown measures has now been extended until February.In Berlin, police fired water cannon to disperse thousands of unmasked protesters demonstrating against tightened restrictions.The protesters, who have equated the restrictions to Nazi-era rules, responded by chanting “Shame! Shame!”The protest came a day after clashes with police at a similar demonstration in the Slovak capital Bratislava attended by thousands of far-right supporters.In Russia, President Vladimir Putin voiced alarm at his country’s rising fatality rate but stopped short of introducing strict measures seen in many European countries.Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said he would impose “severe restrictions” in many areas of his country from Saturday.‘Going in the right direction’There was more encouraging news out of Belgium, which has had one of the highest death rates in Europe since the start of the pandemic, where authorities said a month-long semi-lockdown was beginning to work.“For the first time in weeks, or even for several months, all indicators are going in the right direction, meaning they are all going down: The number of infections, hospitalisations and – for the first time – the number of deaths,” said Covid-19 Crisis Centre spokesman Yves Van Laethem.While less affected, other parts of the world have continued to feel the impact of the virus.South Australia announced a six-day “circuit-breaker” lockdown for its population of nearly two million people Wednesday to contain an outbreak that ended a months-long streak of no infections.Schools, shops, pubs, factories and even takeaway restaurants were told to close and stay-at-home orders were issued for residents.Vaccine racePfizer offered some relief by saying a completed study of its experimental vaccine showed it was 95% effective.The announcement came after another US firm involved in the vaccine race, Moderna, said this week that its own candidate was 94.5% effective.Russia has also announced a vaccine it claims is more than 90% effective.Stock markets mostly rose after the news from Pfizer but optimism was tempered by the EU struggling to adopt its 1.8-trillion-euro budget and coronavirus recovery plan, with Poland and Hungary vetoing approval ahead of a summit on Thursday.


Young families flying back to grandma for Thanksgiving, despite official pleas not to

Today is Thanksgiving in the US and Covid-19 is tightening its grip on the nation as infections and deaths spike.More than 2,100 Covid-19-related deaths were reported on Tuesday, the highest number for a single day number since May. Nearly 90,000 patients are hospitalised, the highest number since the pandemic began, according to the Covid Tracking Project.Despite these skyrocketing statistics, millions of Americans are travelling home for a traditional Thanksgiving with family and friends, just as they always do.The chance for grandparents to cuddle rarely seen grandkids and for the family generations to gather around a laden table to feast on a giant roast turkey is just too much for faraway young families to resist.They are packing onto planes at every airport in the nation, ignoring guidance from the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, which is pleading with Americans not to go home this year.The US could see an explosion of Covid-19 infections in the weeks following Thanksgiving, Dr Jonathan Reiner, a former White House medical team adviser, told CNN. “It’s potentially the mother of all superspreader events.”Americans have been clamouring for Covid-19 tests before they travel, but Assistant Secretary for Health Brett Giroir said during a press conference on Tuesday, “Don’t bother, because a test isn’t necessarily a good way to gauge whether you are fine to travel, unless you test positive, which means stay home.”Giroir told CNN, “What I want people to understand is that a test that’s negative today doesn’t mean you’re going to be negative tomorrow or the next day. That negative test is not a free pass to do risky behaviour.”However, plenty of other Americans are heeding the advice to stay home, resulting in demand for small turkeys hitting the roof.The Pentagon has sent over 23,000kg of roast turkey to American troops stationed on US military installations around the world so all personnel will be able to have a taste of Thanksgiving.“The holidays will look quite different this year for everyone,” Brigadier General Gavin Lawrence told NBC. “We are doing everything possible to make sure our warfighters get a proper holiday meal since many of us will not be able to be with our family and friends. We want to make sure they get that taste of home no matter where they are in the world.”


Tax exemptions allowed for Covid-19 treatment, vaccine

Covid-19 treatment and vaccine costs for parents of taxpayers can be tax deducted under expenses for medical, special needs and parental care, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.Deputy Finance Minister II Mohd Shahar Abdullah said income tax relief for individuals could be claimed up to RM8,000.He said the tax relief of RM1,000 for vaccination including for Covid-19 also applies to taxpayers, their spouses and children.“If the parents are confirmed positive and need to undergo treatment including taking the vaccine, the expenses can be claimed under parents’ medical expenses,” he said when winding up the debate on the Finance Bill 2020, which was later passed by a majority voice vote.The Finance Bill 2020 sought to amend the Income Tax Act 1967, Real Property Gains Tax Act 1976, Stamp Act 1949, Petroleum (Income Tax) Act 1967, Labuan Business Activity Tax Act 1990, Finance Act 2012 and Finance Act 2018.During the debate session, Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) asked whether the Covid-19 vaccine cost for parents could be used to claim tax relief of RM1,000, as children and adolescents aged 18 and below would not be given the vaccine.Through the 2021 budget, the government intends to expand the scope of tax relief for medical treatment including vaccination expenses incurred by taxpayers for themselves, their spouses and children up to RM1,000.These also cover vaccines for pneumococcal, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza, rotavirus, varicella, meningococcal, diphtheria-tetanus-acellular-pertussis and Covid-19, when they are available.


China overtakes US to become Europe’s biggest trading partner in a lacklustre 2020

China is now the EU’s number one trading partner, having overtaken the US in 2020.Trade with most of Europe’s major partners declined due to the Covid-19 pandemic but China was able to defy that trend.Trade between China and the EU was worth over US$700 billion last year, compared with US$670 billion worth of imports and exports from the US.Although China’s economy went through a bad patch in the first quarter due to the pandemic, its economic recovery later in the year fuelled demand for EU goods.China was the only major global economy to see growth in 2020, stoking demand for European cars and luxury goods.Meanwhile, China’s exports to Europe benefited from strong demand for medical equipment and electronics.Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, said, “In the year 2020, China was the main partner for the EU. This result was due to imports increasing by 5.6% and exports by 2.2%.The figures were similar to China’s official data published in January, which showed trade with the EU grew by 5.3% in 2020.The EU’s trade deficit with China also grew from US$199 billion to US$219 billion according to Eurostat figures released on Monday.Although the US and the UK remain the EU’s largest export markets, trade with both countries dropped significantly, the statistics showed.Analysts say trade with the UK is going through post-Brexit teething problems as new bureaucratic regulations are worked through but trade is expected to pick up significantly this year.Transatlantic trade has been hit by a series of tit-for-tat disputes that have resulted in tariffs on steel and products such as French Cognac or American Harley-Davidson motorcycles.In 2020, the US had a trade volume of US$671 billion with the EU, down from US$746 billion the previous year.It’s not year clear if new US President Joe Biden will re-evaluate the US approach to trade with Europe.The EU and China, however, are trying to deepen their economic ties, with both sides seeking to ratify an investment deal that would give European companies better access to the Chinese market.Analysts are tipping global trade to turn around in 2021 after a lacklustre 2020.


Thailand says 1 million Chinese tourists visited from January to mid-May

Thailand received one million Chinese tourists between January and May 18, a government official said on Sunday, after China's border reopening.
The government expects the number of Chinese visitors to meet its target of 5 million this year, with spending of US$13.18 billion (about RM60.6 billion), government spokesperson Anucha Burapachaisri said in a statement.
Last year, about 274,000 Chinese tourists visited the Southeast Asian country, compared with 11 million in pre-pandemic 2019, or about 28% of the total.
Overall foreign tourist arrivals were 9.47 million from January to mid-May, the government earlier said, compared with the 11.15 million visitors in the whole of 2022.
Southeast Asia's second-largest economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, driven by the continued pickup in the crucial tourism sector, a key source of jobs that was decimated by the Covid-19 pandemic.


Rotating presence at school, work limits Covid spread, study shows

The best way to keep Covid cases out of businesses and schools while maintaining some in-person presence is to create two rotating groups, a French study showed Thursday.Several research institutions including the CNRS and the University of Paris mapped real-world contact networks using data from a high school, a primary school and a business in France.They then used the networks to simulate the spread of coronavirus from a single case, testing what method of partial teleworking would most efficiently mitigate an outbreak.They looked at scenarios in which an entire population would alternate its presence daily or weekly, as well as scenarios in which populations would be divided into two groups rotating daily or weekly.For all three settings, two groups rotating weekly work best to slow transmission of an infection, the study published in the journal PLOS Computational Biology concluded.The second most effective method is to have two groups rotate daily, it found.Alternating the presence of a whole population of students or workers on a weekly or daily basis, however, was found to be least effective for social cohesion.Researchers used information on real-world interactions between individuals and simulated the spread of coronavirus using known information about the virus’s behaviour.They accounted for the fact that Covid can be contagious before symptoms appear and included random “super-spreader” events in their models.In a baseline scenario – a primary school with normal attendance – there was a 27% chance that a positive case will lead to an outbreak, which is defined as one person infecting at least five others.But that likelihood falls to just 12% if the population is divided into groups that rotate weekly. The risk is only slightly higher for groups that rotate daily, 12.3%.The weekly rotation model is also the most efficient at delaying an outbreak and at limiting the overall number of infections.But these strategies only work if the amount of virus circulating in the local population remains limited.If the average number of persons infected by a single case is more than 1.7, “then none of these strategies, except for the full-time telecommuting, suffices to prevent the onset of an outbreak”, the study says.But if the virus is spreading at a rate of 1.4 new cases for each infected person, “all four of these strategies are satisfactory and manage to curb the epidemic”, the study shows.An in-person return to school is planned for all students in France next week.A system of weekly rotating groups applied to some middle- and high-schools across the country could return if cases start to rise again, officials have said.


American LGBT woman to be deported after viral tweets on Bali

An American woman looks set to be deported from Bali after her Twitter thread promoting the island as a cheap and LGBT-friendly option for foreigners during the pandemic went viral.Kristen Gray sparked official backlash for her lack of cultural awareness following the tweets about her “elevated lifestyle”.Indonesian authorities have since accused her of spreading information that could “unsettle” the public.But Gray says she is being targeted because she spoke out about being LGBT.Even though the Balinese are mostly Hindu, Indonesia is the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation where its LGBT community has faced discrimination.Gray is being held at an immigration detention facility and will be deported as soon as a flight is available, Reuters news agency reports.The Los Angeles, California, native moved to the Indonesian island with her girlfriend a year ago, describing it as “the perfect medicine”.In a Twitter thread, she raved about Bali being LGBT-friendly, and enthused about the “lower cost of living” there.In her tweets, Gray – a self-described “digital nomad” – promoted the sale of her e-book titled “Our Bali Life Is Yours”, which is said to have links to visa agents and tips on how foreigners could get into the country.“It’s a guide breaking down how we did it and how you can do it too,” said one of the now-deleted tweets, in what many interpret as a guide to how to get around pandemic border closures.Gray had tweeted: “The island has been amazing because of our elevated lifestyle at a much lower cost of living. I was paying US$1,300 for my LA studio. Now I have a treehouse for US$400.”The tweets, which initially caused a backlash online, soon caught the attention of immigration officials.Authorities now say she may have violated a number of immigration laws, including spreading the idea that Bali was “queer” friendly, and that foreigners could easily get past borders amid the pandemic.She is also accused of working without a business visa.Indonesia has temporarily restricted foreign arrivals since Jan 1 to stem the spread of the coronavirus.In response to the deportation announcement, Gray told reporters that she is “not guilty”.“I have not overstayed my visa. I am not making money in Indonesian rupiah. I put out a statement about LGBT and I am being deported because I am LGBT.”


US to drop Covid tests for incoming air travel

The US announced Friday that Covid-19 tests would no longer be required for international travellers arriving by air, a major step in the country’s gradual lifting of pandemic restrictions.White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz confirmed the news on Twitter, with US media saying the measure would end this weekend after strong lobbying from the travel industry.All passengers had needed to show a negative Covid viral test taken shortly before travel – or proof of having recovered from the virus in the past 90 days – before boarding a flight.Munoz said President Joe Biden’s work on vaccines and treatments had been “critical” to easing the travel restrictions, and added that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would continue to evaluate Covid data amid a recent rise in cases.Last month, the US crossed the threshold of one million Covid deaths, with Biden acknowledging the “unrelenting” pain of bereaved families, and urging Americans to remain vigilant.America recorded its first Covid death in early February 2020 on the West Coast.Welcome move“We believe we have made the progress that we need to make in having protocols in place around Covid that we can lift this requirement,” presidential economics adviser Brian Deese told CNBC.“I think that will be good news for business travel, good news for American commerce and companies as well.”Many mask mandates across the US have been lifted, but the country has recently seen an uptick in the number of daily virus cases, largely due to new Omicron subvariants.About 300 people die every day in the country from Covid, down from the latest surge in February, when the daily average jumped to 2,700.Vaccines have been free and widely available, but take-up rates vary widely between states.Nationwide, 66.7% of the population is fully vaccinated, rising to 91.2% in those aged 65 and over.With the US economy hit by rocketing inflation, the travel sector welcomed the move.“The airline industry appreciates the administration’s decision to lift the pre-departure testing requirement in accordance with the current epidemiological environment,” the Airlines 4 America industry federation said in a statement.“Lifting this policy will help encourage and restore air travel to the US… We are eager to welcome the millions of travellers who are ready to come to the US for vacation, business and reunions with loved ones.”


101 deaths push virus toll past 4,000 as over 5,000 new cases logged

Another 5,419 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 667,876.Selangor recorded 1,996 cases, Sarawak 718, Kuala Lumpur 650, Negeri Sembilan 396, Johor 366, Kedah 252, Kelantan 245, Sabah 230, Melaka 155, Labuan 138 and Penang 124.Perak recorded 68 cases, Terengganu 43, Pahang 32, Putrajaya five and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 70,112 with 922 in the ICU and 450 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 6,831 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 593,695.However, 101 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 4,069.