Harsh winter looms as Russian attacks hobble Ukraine's power capacity

Ukraine's government on Tuesday urged people to conserve energy amid relentless Russian strikes that have halved the country's power capacity, as the United Nations health body warned of a humanitarian disaster in Ukraine this winter.
Authorities said millions of Ukrainians, including in the capital Kyiv, could face power cuts at least until the end of March due to the missile attacks, which Ukraine's national grid operator Ukrenergo said had wreaked "colossal" damage.
Temperatures have been unseasonably mild in Ukraine this autumn, but are starting to dip below zero and are expected to drop to -20 Celsius (-4 Fahrenheit) or even lower in some areas during the winter months.
Russia's attacks on Ukrainian energy facilities follow a series of battlefield setbacks that have included a pullout of Russian forces from the southern city of Kherson to the east bank of the mighty Dnipro River that bisects the country.
"Saving electricity remains critically important," Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Telegram on Tuesday.
Planned power shutdowns are happening in all regions, and emergency shutdowns are possible in some situations as frosts have started and electricity consumption is rising, he said.
Ukrenergo's chief Volodymyr Kudrytskyi said on Tuesday that practically no thermal or hydroelectric stations had been left unscathed, though he dismissed the need to evacuate civilians.
"We cannot generate as much energy as consumers can use," Kudrytskyi told a briefing, adding that after a brief cold snap on Wednesday temperatures were expected to rise again, providing an opportunity to stabilise the power generating system.
'Darkest days'
The World Health Organization (WHO) said hundreds of Ukrainian hospitals and healthcare facilities lacked fuel, water and electricity.
"Ukraine's health system is facing its darkest days in the war so far. Having endured more than 700 attacks, it is now also a victim of the energy crisis," Hans Kluge, WHO's regional director for Europe, said in a statement after visiting Ukraine.
Workers are racing to repair damaged power infrastructure, according to Sergey Kovalenko, the head of Yasno, which provides energy for Kyiv.
"Stock up on warm clothes, blankets, think about options that will help you get through a long outage," Kovalenko said.
President Volodymyr Zelensky's Deputy Chief of staff, Kyrylo Tymoshenko, told a briefing cited by Ukrainian media that gas supplies had been restored in 1,300 settlements recaptured from Russia in a Ukrainian counter-offensive.
Water supplies had been restored in 1,400 settlements and mobile communications in 1,200 settlements.
In a Telegram message for Kherson residents, Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk posted a number of ways residents can express interest in leaving. "You can be evacuated for the winter period to safer regions of the country," she wrote.
Russia's strikes on energy infrastructure are a consequence of Kyiv being unwilling to negotiate, the state news agency Tass quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying last week.
Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said Russia was bombarding Kherson from across the Dnipro River now that its troops had fled. "There is no military logic: they just want to take revenge on the locals," he tweeted late on Monday.
Moscow denies deliberately attacking civilians in what it calls a "special military operation" to rid Ukraine of nationalists and protect Russian-speaking communities.
Kyiv and the West describe Russia's actions as an unprovoked, imperialist land grab in the neighbouring state it once dominated within the former Soviet Union.
The nine-month-old war has killed tens of thousands, uprooted millions and pummelled the global economy. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development said the world's worst energy crisis since the 1970s would trigger a sharp slowdown, with Europe hit hardest.
Battles continued to rage in the east, where Russia is pressing an offensive along a stretch of frontline west of the city of Donetsk held by its proxies since 2014.
"Attacks continue to damage critical infrastructure and civilian homes," Ukraine's General Staff said.
Four people were killed and four wounded in Ukraine-held areas of the Donetsk region over the past 24 hours, regional governor Pavlo Kyryleno said on the Telegram messaging app.
Russian shelling also hit a humanitarian aid distribution centre in Orihiv in southeastern Ukraine on Tuesday, killing a volunteer and wounding two women, the regional governor said.
Orihiv is about 110km (70 miles) east of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station which has been shelled again in the past few days, with Russia and Ukraine trading blame for the blasts.
In Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014, Russian air defences were activated and two drones were shot down over the city of Sevastopol on Tuesday, the regional governor said, urging people to keep calm.
Sevastopol is the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea fleet.
Aid and raid
Meanwhile Ukraine on Tuesday received a new 2.5 billion euro (about RM11.7 billion) tranche of financial support from the European Union, Finance Minister Serhiy Marchenko said.
In Washington, US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said disbursement of US$4.5 billion in US aid for Ukraine would begin in the coming weeks to bolster its economic stability.
Ukraine's SBU security service and police raided a 1,000-year-old Orthodox Christian monastery in Kyiv early on Tuesday as part of operations to counter suspected "subversive activities by Russian special services", the SBU said.
The sprawling Kyiv Pechersk Lavra complex - or Monastery of the Caves - is a Ukrainian cultural treasure and the headquarters of the Russian-backed wing of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church that falls under the Moscow Patriarchate.
Russia's Orthodox Church condemned the raid as an "act of intimidation".


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Zahid concedes defeat as BN grapples with bigger loss than in 2018

Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today said he accepted the results of the general election which have so far witnessed the coalition staring at its worst defeat in history, despite going to the polls on a note of confidence following victories in two state elections.
"BN views the results of GE15 as a big signal from the people towards us," Zahid said in a short statement, as results poured in showing BN losing its traditional seats to Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Zahid, the Umno president, had been at the forefront of pressure on Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to call for snap elections, and was instrumental in breaking his party's ties with Bersatu and PN.
The results of the election which began gathering pace after midnight showed PN and Pakatan Harapan bagging most of the seats.
PN won not only in Putrajaya, but also in seats that had always been Umno bastions, such as Padang Rengas, Pasir Salak and Kepala Batas.
Zahid said despite the losses, BN was committed to ensuring a stable government.
"We are ready to set aside our previous differences in our sentiments," he said, adding that the BN coalition would focus on "understanding the needs of the new generation".


Monsoon season to begin earlier than expected, says MetMalaysia

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) today said that the northeast monsoon period will begin this week, earlier than expected, and continue until March next year, as the country heads to the polls amid fears that the election will clash with the annual floods that ravaged several states last year.
In a statement, it said the monsoon season which will begin on Nov 7 would likely see four to six episodes of continous heavy rain.
"As in previous seasons, continuous heavy rain over a course of several days might result in flooding in low-lying areas and near rivers," it said.
"If continuous heavy rain occurs at the same time as a high tide event, the risk of flooding might increase."
It added that high tide events are expected from Nov 6 to 11, and 22 to 27; Dec 7 to 12, and 22 to 26; and Jan 6 to 10, and 21 to 25.
"During the northeast monsoon, strong and continuous northeasterly winds may also cause rough seas and large waves in the waters of the South China Sea," it said.
"The public is advised to prepare for the monsoon season and to remain alert to the information, advice and weather warnings issued by MetMalaysia."


Japan lands asteroid samples safely on Earth

A small container with a payload of asteroid rock and dust landed safely in Australia on Saturday night.The metal cannister with material from an asteroid called Ryugu parachuted down near Woomera in South Australia after being fired through the Earth’s atmosphere by its “mother ship” Hayabusa-2.Satoru Nakazawa, from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (Jaxa), who was part of the operation at Woomera, said the recovery team found the container lying on sandy ground, with its parachute draped over a tree.The samples were collected by Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa-2 which spent more than a year investigating Ryugu before returning to a brief Earth orbit.As it neared Earth, Hayabusa-2 released the capsule with the samples and then blasted itself off in another direction, on its next mission. It will now travel to a much smaller, 30m-wide asteroid, reaching it in 2031.When the recovery team found the capsule, it was taken to a “quick-look facility” for inspection and declared to be in “perfect” shape.Dr Yuichi Tsuda, project manager for the mission, said at a press conference on Sunday in Sagamihara, Japan. “We collected the treasure box. There was no damage to the container.”The 16kg capsule will now be airlifted to Japan, where it will be transported to a curation chamber at Jaxa in Sagamihara for analysis and storage.Dr Hitoshi Kuninaka, director general of Japan’s Institute for Space and Astronautical Science said, “Regarding Hayabusa-2, we did everything according to the schedule – 100%. And we succeeded in sample return as planned. I think the dream has come true. As a result, we can move on to the next stage in space development.”The next stage includes a mission called MMX, which will aim to bring back samples from Mars’ largest moon Phobos.


Youth urged to 'get mad' and vote

In a dining hall at the International Islamic University Malaysia, 22-year-old undergraduate Hajar Wahab stood next to a makeshift polling booth, as she showed a fellow student how to mark and cast an election ballot.
Hajar is part of an army of student leaders across Malaysia aiming to battle political apathy and educate first-time voters on the voting process ahead of a tight election race on Nov 19.
At stake is government stability: since the previous election in 2018, Malaysia has had three prime ministers and seen the collapse of two administrations, while two major opposing coalitions have splintered.
The infighting has exhausted voters, with two local elections held in the past year seeing lower than average turnout. Both state polls saw decisive wins for Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's ruling coalition, as disillusioned voters stayed away from the ballot box.
Student leader Hajar said while the fatigue was understandable, it was important for young people to voice their frustrations in the national arena.
"It should further drive you to vote," she told Reuters. "Get mad!"
Young voters form a sizeable portion of the six million people newly eligible to cast a ballot, following reforms that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and allowed automatic registration. Voters under 40 now make up about half of the 21 million electorate.
The students' efforts appear to be bearing out, with more recent polling data indicating turnout will improve amid the influx of new voters and as campaigning ramps up towards election day.
"Young voters feel that it's an important election that they should not miss, particularly young people who are voting for the first time," said Ibrahim Suffian, the director of independent pollster Merdeka Centre.
"They do want to go out and make their mark."
The concerns over government stability and leadership come at a time of rising inflation and a cloudy economic outlook, which will also drive turnout, Ibrahim said.
Incumbent prime minister Ismail's alliance Barisan Nasional (BN) is seeking a stronger mandate, and distance itself from the multibillion-dollar 1MDB corruption scandal that erupted when Najib Razak, the now jailed former leader of BN, held office.
BN faces two major coalitions in the election – one led by the anti-establishment opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, and another by former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was forced out of BN after confronting Najib over 1MDB.
Several other smaller parties are also contesting in an election that will see a record 945 candidates vying for 222 parliamentary seats, a factor that could split the vote several ways.
Rival blocs will likely need to form alliances, as no single party or coalition will be able to win enough seats to form a government on their own, polling data has shown.
Digital marketer and first-time voter Muhammad Imran Hazem Ashari, 22, said he would "vote for any party that could give us stability."
Some voters, however, remain turned off by the constant political wrangling, believing that their choices will have little impact.
Eddie Putera Noordin, a 55-year-old artist, said he felt it was "a crime to vote", as he had no confidence in any of the candidates or parties contesting.
"I'm scared to vote because whoever you choose will be part of a weak coalition," Eddie said.
"They have to form alliances with parties who were rejected in the elections, and will end up forming the same type of government."


WHO officially declares China malaria-free after 70-year battle

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday officially granted China a malaria-free certification marking the country’s successful elimination of the disease after a 70-year battle, Xinhua is reporting.From 30 million malaria cases per year in the 1940s, China brought down that number over the last few decades, to finally achieve no cases in the last four years, WHO said.“Today we congratulate the people of China on ridding the country of malaria,” said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Their success was hard-earned and came only after decades of targeted and sustained action.”China’s efforts against malaria started in the 1950s, as the disease was rampant in the southern part of the country, close to other hotspots in Southeast Asia.The “523 Project”, a research program launched in 1967, enabled Chinese Nobel Prize winner Tu Youyou to discover artemisinin, one of the most effective antimalarial drugs in use nowadays, according to WHO.Over the last two decades, China has ramped up its efforts and reduced the number of cases in the 1990s from 117,000 to fewer than 5,000 annually by providing staff training, laboratory equipment, antimalarial medicines and new methods to control mosquito propagation.Mosquito-breeding areas have been systematically reduced, and insect repellents and treated protective nets have become standard.The “1-3-7” strategy – one day to report a case, three days to confirm it and seven days to prevent further spread of the disease – was also a tool of success and is still used nowadays for travellers coming from malaria-infected countries.No cases were reported in China in the last four years, warranting the malaria-free credential by WHO.“Over many decades, China’s ability to think outside the box served the country well in its own response to malaria, and also had a significant ripple effect globally,” said Pedro Alonso, director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme.To be declared free of the mosquito-borne disease, countries can apply for WHO certification after three years of no indigenous cases. This is followed by presenting evidence, and demonstrating the capacity to prevent an outbreak.China applied for WHO certification in 2020, after four consecutive years of zero indigenous cases. Experts travelled to the country in May this year to verify the malaria-free status, as well as the country’s preparedness to prevent future outbreaks.China has become the 40th country to be declared malaria-free.Other countries to gain the status recently are El Salvador, Algeria, Argentina, Paraguay, and Uzbekistan.


We chose PH because no conditions attached, says Pahang MB

Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail says Barisan Nasional’s (BN) decision to work with Pakatan Harapan (PH) to form the state government was because the political bloc was ready to cooperate without placing any conditions so that the state government could be established immediately for the sake of stability.
He said Pahang PH chairman Amirudin Shari, who is also the Selangor menteri besar, had contacted him after the results of the 15th general election (GE15) which ended in a hung state assembly in Pahang.
Wan Rosdy, who is also Pahang BN chairman, said he was also contacted by Perikatan Nasional (PN) to discuss the formation of a state government.
However, he said the coalition which was represented by PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had named several conditions.
These included for Wan Rosdy to be made a federal minister as a senator, while the position of menteri besar and state assembly speaker, an equal proportion of state executive council members, and three appointed state assemblymen would be from PN.
Wan Rosdy said PN later offered the position of menteri besar to BN after being informed that PH had not placed any conditions on the formation of the state government. "I thought about it and saw that this was not a discussion. It had been decided and determined (by PN)... if I agreed to their request, in the Pahang state assembly there are 42 seats. If I agreed, they would have 22 votes in the state assembly which could cause me to fall (as the menteri besar) at any time.
"So what would happen to the state government? We want to establish a state government as we want to continue our agenda to work, continue the stability and prosperity. There are many agendas to be achieved, not just politicking," he said at a talk during the campaign for the Tioman state seat.
For the first time in Pahang, BN and PH shared the stage as Amirudin and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu also joined the programme.
"The decision to be with PH was not my decision alone. I brought it up in discussions with my fellow assemblymen, in the Umno liaison body... I told them what happened, and we assemblymen and Pahang BN unanimously agreed to be with PH," he said.
Meanwhile, Mohamad in his speech reminded electors in the Tioman state constituency to vote for BN candidate Mohd Johari Hussain as PH had decided that its candidate Mohd Fadzli Mohd Ramly would give way to him, taking into account the cooperation between BN and PH at the state and federal levels. He also said that at the beginning of the collaboration, he was asked by BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan how he would campaign with Umno after 44 years of "bashing" them.
"I don't know how to begin. We in politics can change friends, but we will not change the goals and policies we hold. We will take the opposition's criticism, the people's criticism to build a better country by upholding the constitution," he said.
On the decision to give way to the BN candidate in the election, Mohamad said he had received no resistance from the state leadership regarding the decision.
"So far there is no (opposition to the decision). Complaints are normal. God willing, we can manage it, this is the party's decision. When the decision is made, everyone has to obey. If anyone is not satisfied, I think that is only temporary," he said.
When asked if such cooperation would continue in the state elections to be held in several other states after this, Mohamad said this would be decided when the time came.
The Tioman state seat election will be held on Dec 7, after being postponed following the death of PN candidate Md Yunus Ramli, 61, early on GE15 polling day.
The other candidates in the contest next week are Nor Idayu Hashim of PN, Osman A Bakar (Pejuang) and Sulaiman Bakar (independent).


Ministers must announce 100-day report card to the public, says PM

All ministers have been instructed to announce their respective Report Cards on the 100-Day Achievement of Keluarga Malaysia Aspirations to the public.Prime Minister Sabri Yaakob said this was to allow the people to assess the performance of ministers and their ministries in ensuring the well-being of Keluarga Malaysia or the Malaysian Family.He said the government had placed the achievement of Keluarga Malaysia aspirations as the utmost priority for each minister in giving their best service to the people.According to the prime minister, the Cabinet meeting on Sept 10 had decided that the 100 days would begin on Sept 1, the day they had their first meeting.“On Sept 24 and 29, I held sessions with all 31 Cabinet ministers to finalise their lists of proposed aspirations,” he said in a statement today.The implementation of initiatives for each aspiration is based on six key thrusts, namely restructuring the economy, assuring national security and public order, enhancing social well-being, improving overall infrastructure, strengthening unity based on the Keluarga Malaysia model, and empowering service delivery.Ismail said the Office of the Chief Secretary to the Government, the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Planning Unit and the Shared Prosperity Delivery Unit would act as joint-coordinators to ensure the success of the planning, implementation, monitoring and improvement of each aspiration proposed by the ministers.He said the performance of each minister would be assessed based on three key elements, namely the ministry/department performance assessment, leadership assessment based on the effectiveness of the initiative and public perception assessment of Cabinet ministers and the ministries/departments under their purview.


Now, Najib seeks to postpone Singapore trip to help Umno in Melaka polls

Najib Razak has applied to amend the dates of the temporary release and return of his impounded passport for him to visit his daughter in Singapore, saying that he is needed to help the Umno election machinery in the Melaka election slated for next month.Najib said he was entrusted with the responsibility as Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi would be in Germany to seek treatment for his spine injuries during the state election period.“Therefore, I have to postpone my trip to Singapore until after the Melaka state election on Nov 20,” he said in his supporting affidavit filed together with the application.Najib, 68, filed the application at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.He applied for the dates of the temporary release and return of his impounded passport to be amended from Oct 20 and Nov 22 respectively to Oct 25 and Dec 6 for him to visit his daughter Nooryana Najwa in Singapore, as she is expected to give birth to her second child in early November.In his supporting affidavit, Najib said the Court of Appeal had on Oct 18 granted him temporary custody of his passport from Oct 20 to Nov 22 for him to visit his daughter in Singapore.However, with the Melaka election to be held on Nov 20 and nomination on Nov 8, and with the tasks given to him, Najib said he had to change his plans and would leave for Singapore on Nov 21 and return to Malaysia on Dec 5 or earlier, and return his passport to the court on Dec 6 at the latest.“I have to let my wife Rosmah Mansor leave for Singapore first to look after Nooryana while I complete my tasks and responsibilities here,” he said.Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan set Oct 26 to hear the application.Najib is being tried before Zaini for using his position to order amendments to the final 1MDB audit report before it was presented to the Public Accounts Committee to avoid any action being taken against him.Last Friday, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed the application of Rosmah, who is on trial for graft, for the temporary release of her passport for the same purpose.


Zahid positive for Covid, 3 others negative

Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa, Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Rashid Hasnon and Bachok MP Nik Mohamad Abduh Nik Abdul Aziz have all tested negative for Covid-19, although Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is said to have tested positive for the virus and is undergoing quarantine at home.A source close to Zahid, when contacted by Bernama, said the Bagan Datuk MP was in Category One of the disease and asymptomatic.Meanwhile, Annuar and Nik Mohamad Abduh confirmed that they had tested negative.Annuar when contacted by Bernama said: “I’m fine, with clean bill of health,” while Nik Mohamad Abduh said: “Alhamdulillah negative.”Rashid’s strategic communications officer Muhammad Afiq Mohd Hanif said besides the Batu Pahat MP, all of his aides also tested negative for Covid-19 after undergoing screening in Parliament on Friday.He said Rashid was also not a close contact with any individuals who were reported to have tested positive.Meanwhile, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the health ministry had yet to receive the full report of the screenings done in Parliament on Thursday and Friday.There were reports earlier that 35 individuals, including several MPs, had tested positive for Covid-19.The Covid-19 screening was carried out as a safety measure and to prevent the spread of the virus ahead of the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat on Monday.


97.6% of adults, 87.4% of teens fully vaccinated

A total of 22,846,708 individuals or 97.6% of adults had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, 23,142,519 individuals or 98.9% have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of the adolescent population, a total of 2,749,975 individuals or 87.4% have completed their vaccination, while 2,843,040 or 90.4% have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.A total of 153,228 vaccine doses were administered yesterday, of which 145,179 were booster shots, 4,653 second doses and 3,396 first jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 57,112,144, including 5,727,151 booster doses.


Online learning the best bet for now, expert says as pandemic continues havoc for schools

The education system experienced an upheaval with the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic last year which saw schools shut down and teachers, students and parents forced to adapt to a new environment through home-based teaching and learning (PdPR).Along with the changes to the venue and method of education came multiple adjustments to the school calendar itself, as the various lockdowns and movement control orders enforced to curb the spread of Covid-19 disrupted plans for a return to the physical classroom.Former education director-general Alimuddin Mohd Dom said determining school sessions would depend on two major factors.“Firstly, exams,” he told MalaysiaNow. “Before this, all exams were held at the end of the year during the school break.“This was because the school administrations needed a venue to hold the exams. When students were on holiday, there was space for exams to be held.”He said the second factor was the local weather. Malaysia normally experiences heavy rain and floods towards the end of the year due to the monsoon period, which also explains the decision for school holidays to be held at this time.Alimuddin however added that the weather had begun to change of late, with floods often occurring at unpredictable times.“This is a big change as we have been following the old system since before independence,” he said.“Certainly there are many things to think about, especially in terms of exams.”He said the views of the Malaysian Examinations Council, NGOs, the public and teachers themselves should be gathered before a decision is made on the advantages or disadvantages of changing the calendar.Normally, the academic year begins in January and ends in November.Due to the pandemic, the Form Five SPM examination last year was conducted in stages with the oral examinations held in 2020 and the written papers held in February and March this year.Meanwhile, the plan to reopen schools in stages from Sept 1 this year according to the phases of the National Recovery Plan was put on hold due to the continued spike in Covid-19 infections.According to data from Unicef, as of March this year, 168 million children across the world had been affected by the year-long closure of schools due to movement restrictions.The situation has forced a return to the drawing board for the people and authorities alike to rethink the best strategy for determining the annual school calendar.One of the concerns is the possible delay in the start of the academic year. If the Covid-19 situation forces schools to open later than the usual point in January, the academic year will also end later, possibly crossing over to the next year.Pupils who begin Standard One in March 2022, for example, might only complete the year in 2023.According to data from Unicef, as of March this year, 168 million children across the world had been affected by the year-long closure of schools due to movement restrictions.As many as 214 million children meanwhile missed out on three quarters of face-to-face classes.Azlin Norhaini Mansor, an educationist from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), discouraged any present move to change the school calendar.“Too many changes and uncertainties that are out of the people’s control have forced them to make adjustments in their lives, like the political unrest, economic instability and the pandemic,” she told MalaysiaNow.“It would be best for us to keep any other changes to a minimum.”She advised that the school calendar be kept in its present form, urging students, teachers and parents to embrace PdPR as the best and safest method for now.She recommended that this strategy continue until the pandemic can be brought under control.“The education ministry should prioritise Form Five and Six students as soon as the situation allows for the resumption of face-to-face classes,” she said.“If necessary, shift the dates for SPM as was done in 2020, but take into account any weaknesses and improve the implementation of this first.”Azlin also urged all quarters to pay heed to the so-called “lost generation” of students at schools and institutions of higher learning.“Teachers, employers and the community should think of ways to help them, perhaps by giving them extra classes, exercises and guidance.”In the future, she suggested the introduction of a semester system in schools where each term runs for five months with a break in between.“Plans for a change to the semester system must be done well and in detail,” she added.“Perhaps the content and type of subject offered could be rearranged according to the suitability and readiness of students.”Azlin, who chairs the Centre of Education Leadership and Policy at UKM, said a semester system would allow students to be assessed at the end of each term, not just at the end of the year as is now the case.“This is important for effective intervention to take place,” she added.“Meanwhile the SPM exam could be taken in stages where a portion of the subjects are taken in Form Four and another portion in Form Five.”She said the semester system also provides more flexibility in the event of disasters such as the pandemic, floods or haze which would require schools to be closed for a prolonged period of time.


SRC obtains court order freezing Najib’s assets

SRC International and one of its subsidiaries have obtained a Mareva injunction from the Kuala Lumpur High Court preventing former prime minister Najib Razak from transferring or dissipating of any his assets amounting to RM42 million.The decision was made by judicial commissioner Mohd Arief Emran Arifin in an online proceeding yesterday after allowing the application by SRC International and Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd, the first and second plaintiffs in SRC International’s suit against Najib.A Mareva injunction is a temporary order which restrains the defendant from disposing of assets until the determination of the case between the plaintiff and the defendant.The court directed that Najib, 69, must not remove, dispose of, deal with or diminish the value of any of his assets in or outside of Malaysia up to the value of RM42 million, pending the final determination of the suit.The court also directed that the Pekan MP disclose to SRC International’s solicitors (the plaintiff) in writing their assets, in or outside of Malaysia, up to the value of RM42 million, within 30 days after the order has been served on Najib who is also former Umno president. The former prime minister will be entitled to draw and expend from a bank account or other sources a sum not exceeding RM100,000 per month for his ordinary living and legal expenses, which the court said is inclusive of the ad interim Mareva injunction order obtained by 1MDB.Arief also fixed the next case management on May 13.A lawyer from Messrs Rosli Dahalan Saravana Partnership, representing SRC International, confirmed the court’s decision.SRC International and Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd were represented by counsels M Nagarajah, Syafinaz Vani, Clament Tay and Lisa Yong from Messrs Rosli Dahlan Saravana Partnership while Muhammad Farhan Shafee and Thilagan Mehanathan from Messrs Shafee & Co appeared for Najib.On Feb 8, 1MDB and its subsidiaries, Global Diversified Investment Company Limited (formerly known as 1MDB Global Investments Limited) obtained a Mareva injunction from the Kuala Lumpur High Court to stop Najib from disposing of or reducing the value of any of his assets in Malaysia up to a sum of US$681 million. However, on Feb 18, Najib filed an application to set aside the Mareva injunction. The hearing was fixed on May 6.On July 28, 2020, the High Court sentenced Najib to 12 years in prison and a fine of RM210 million after finding him guilty of misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds. The case is at the appeal stage in the Federal Court following the Court of Appeal’s decision upholding the High Court’s conviction and sentence.


Sydney broadens Covid lockdown as Delta variant cases sweep city

Sydney streets were nearly deserted on Saturday at the start of a beefed-up two-week lockdown to contain the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant sweeping Australia’s largest city.More than 80 Covid-19 cases have been reported so far in an infection surge linked to an international flight crew transported to a quarantine hotel from the airport.The flare-up was a shock for a city that had returned to relative normality after months with very few local cases.More than five million people across Sydney are subject to the movement restrictions, in addition to hundreds of thousands of others living in nearby coastal communities and the Blue Mountains towns that divide the city from Australia’s farming hinterland.The lockdown had originally only applied to Sydney’s business district and affluent eastern suburbs, but the spread of the outbreak elsewhere pushed authorities to take a more drastic step.“When you have a contagious variant, like the Delta virus, a three day lockdown doesn’t work – if we’re going to do this we need to do it properly,” said Gladys Berejiklian, the premier of New South Wales state.“Transmissibility is at least double what previous variants have been so we do need to brace ourselves for a potentially large number of cases in the following days,” she added.Health officials across the world have been alarmed by the rapid spread of the Delta variant first seen in India, noting instances of people passing on the virus during fleeting encounters in shops and then quickly infecting close family contacts.‘Very formidable foe’The current restrictions require people to stay home for at least two weeks, only venturing out to purchase essential goods, obtain medical care, exercise, go to school or if they are unable to work from home.Authorities in Sydney had earlier Saturday flagged a string of new possible virus exposure sites, including a popular city bar, in addition to the scores of businesses and public places already identified as risks.Restrictions for the entire state outside of the lockdown have been announced, including mandatory mask-wearing indoors and limits on gatherings.“The Delta variant is proving to be a very formidable foe,” state health minister Brad Hazzard told reporters.“No matter what defensive steps we’re taking at the moment, the virus seems to understand how to counter-attack.”Anyone outside of the lockdown who had visited Sydney since Monday was also instructed to self-isolate for 14 days.The city is experiencing the latest in a string of snap “circuit-breaker” lockdowns across major population centres around Australia, with most cases linked to returning travellers held in hotel quarantine.Australia has been among the world’s most successful countries in containing Covid-19, with just over 30,000 cases and 910 deaths in a population of about 25 million.


GPS launches manifesto for stability, progress and prosperity in Sarawak

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) launched its manifesto for the 15th general election (GE15) last night, themed "Ensuring Sarawak’s Stability, Progress and Prosperity".
Sarawak Premier Abang Johari Openg, who is also GPS chairman, launched the document to serve as GPS' direction in GE15, based on five main pillars.
The first pillar was stable and resilient politics, socio-economy and finances, led by farsighted leaders who prioritise Sarawak’s future, while the second was the development of urban and rural infrastructure and facilities for people’s well-being.
The manifesto also placed economic transformation and diversified revenue generation to drive Sarawak's development as the third pillar, with human capital training and upholding social justice and religious beliefs as the fourth pillar.
Efficient government administration with high integrity as a catalyst of development in Sarawak was the fifth pillar of the manifesto, which also outlined 25 thrusts and 215 commitments towards achieving developed status by 2030.
In his speech, Abang Johari said the GPS manifesto for GE15 was comprehensive and inclusive, and focused on the interests of the people while prioritising the future of the country.
"When we promise, we (will keep) the promise. We in GPS describe this manifesto as our commitment to the people, even though some say it is not a bible or holy book.
"The GPS manifesto is not an empty promise, unlike the manifesto made by Pakatan Harapan (PH) (in GE14)," he said. He said despite facing uncertainties throughout the past five years, including almost two years of being sidelined by the PH government, GPS was still able to lead Sarawak, allowing the state to generate more than RM10 billion in revenue.
GPS consists of four local parties in Sarawak, namely Parti Pesaka Bersatu Bumiputera (PBB), the Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).
It will be contesting a parliamentary election for the first time since its establishment in 2018, after PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP made a unanimous decision to quit Barisan Nasional (BN).
In a press conference after the launch, Abang Johari said GPS needed a stable federal government, even though the coalition had proven itself capable of moving independently, especially in the face of economic uncertainties in 2023 and 2024.
He said with the formation of such a government, effective policies could be created to deal with the economic recession expected to occur in the next two years.
"For the past four years, we (GPS) have succeeded in strengthening our financial position, and we are implementing the projects that have been planned.
"What we want now is to collaborate with the federal government. We need to focus on development for the people," he said.


Apple supplier Foxconn unveils electric vehicles

Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn unveiled three electric vehicles on Monday, boosting its bid to be a major player in the rapidly expanding EV market as it seeks companies to partner with.The world’s largest contract electronics maker, Foxconn already plays a lynchpin role in assembling Apple’s iPhones as well as gadgets for a myriad of top international brands.But it has been moving fast to diversify beyond electronics assembly and has ploughed money into electric vehicles, including a joint venture with local automaker Yulon Motor and purchasing a struggling auto plant in Ohio.The models unveiled on Monday – a sedan, an SUV and a bus – are concept vehicles that Foxconn hopes it could build with other manufacturers.“Foxconn is no longer a new kid in town,” chairman Young Liu declared at the unveiling ceremony in Taipei.Foxconn’s founder Terry Gou drove their “Model E” sedan to the presentation and said the company’s EVs “demonstrate Taiwan’s overall industrial strength”.A white sports utility vehicle – “Model C” – is expected to hit the market in Taiwan in 2023 with a price tag of under T$1 million (US$357,000), the firm said.Its “Model T” electric bus could start operating in southern Kaohsiung city as early as next year if it passes the transport ministry’s review, vice premier Shen Jong-chin said.Foxconn has funnelled about T$10 billion (US$355 million) into electric car development in 2020 and the company says its investment will rise over the next two years.Liu said the company “has gradually built an electric vehicle supply chain and distribution network”, with one new partnership announced almost every month this year.Among its recent partners is Fisker, one of a host of US-based electronic car startups hoping to one day challenge Tesla’s supremacy.The two companies announced plans to jointly develop electric cars sold under the Fisker brand with a goal to start producing vehicles in late 2023.It has been widely reported for years that Apple has a secret electronic car project, something Foxconn could be in an ideal place to partner on given its existing relationship with the Californian giant.The unveiling of Foxconn’s models comes as car makers suffer from a global shortage of semiconductors after the coronavirus pandemic caused purchases of electronics and computer parts to sky-rocket.Taiwanese high-tech chip foundries are some of the world’s biggest and most advanced and have been ramping up production to meet the demand.


Where i-Sinar went wrong

It was reported in the media that i-Sinar withdrawals from the Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) accounts have a “positive immediate impact on the real economy as it supported domestic consumptions”. The economy should be stimulated through investments in areas that have been neglected, eg. agriculture, healthcare, elderly care, and not through using EPF savings in wasteful consumption.We wish to state our stand that since i-Sinar has been allowed to be withdrawn by the government, the reasons must be specific: 1) for the sustenance of the EPF contributor’s livelihood during periods of pay cuts or being jobless; 2) for business start-ups; and 3) to service loans to avoid accumulating compound interest.It was reported that as of March 14, 5.94 million applicants for the i-Sinar scheme had been approved involving a total of RM52.48 billion. This figure is alarming because there are an estimated 6.4 million active EPF contributors, meaning that 93% of these contributors have withdrawn from their savings.However, as we expected, many Malaysians lacking financial literacy and discipline have treated the money from i-Sinar as a windfall. With the money they bought cars, splurged on shopping (particularly for the coming Raya and Ramadan), and invested in stocks, gold and cryptocurrencies. These people may not have any more savings to fall back on should there be another outbreak, let alone when they retire.The i-Sinar applicants ignored the fact that:· Cars instantly depreciate in price upon purchase regardless of the value of the car.· Stocks are very risky as the market can be volatile and uncertain.· Bank Negara Malaysia specifically stated that the bitcoin is not recognised as legal tender and warned the public of the risks associated with the use of such cryptocurrency.· Gold is considered “a very low-yield investment because its price does not increase very fast under normal circumstances”. The price of gold jewellery includes labour charges depending on the design of the item but when it is re-sold to the goldsmith or taken to a pawnshop, the item will only be assessed basing on the pure gold content. Hence, when gold jewellery is sold or pawned, the person is certainly going to make a loss at least from the labour charges which constitutes a large portion of the purchase price unless gold prices go up significantly.· Splurging on shopping using i-Sinar withdrawals is financial suicide because most, if not all, of consumer items have a limited lifespan or shelf life and with very little or no resale value. However, according to a report quoting the Malaysia Retail Association, there was an 80% increase in business at shopping malls compared to pre-pandemic levels.These people who spend their retirement funds from i-Sinar may not have any savings to fall back on if there is ever another outbreak, let alone when they retire. Moreover, Malaysia is still far from bringing down new Covid-19 infections to one digit.In reality the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines are experiencing a new wave of infections after a significant drop in the number of cases for the past few months. Europe recently experienced a third wave.Malaysia is expected to have almost 500,000 people vaccinated by mid-April. However, this would constitute a mere 2% of the estimated 25 million people (80% of the total population) who would be vaccinated. It is not known when we are going to achieve the desired herd immunity as the World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed concern that achieving herd immunity could be difficult for developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.Money from i-Sinar is not meant to be used to save the domestic economy through wasteful spending but for retirement. That is the time when people have minimal or no income to sustain themselves or for the treatment of diseases associated with old age.CAP is shocked that it is from EPF Account 1 which holds 70% of the EPF contributor’s savings that people are withdrawing and whose primary objective is for retirement savings. Account 2, on the other hand, comprises the remaining 30% of contribution. It allows the contributor to withdraw for either housing, education, medical, or for haj. Otherwise, the contributor can make a partial or full withdrawal of savings in Account 2 upon reaching the age of 50. i-Sinar allows the contributor to have access to 10% of Account 1 savings as long as there is a minimum balance of RM100.People who made withdrawals from Account 1 are blissfully disregarding the fact that their future EPF contributions will be deposited entirely into their Account 1 instead of being split 70:30 into Accounts 1 and 2 respectively. In other words, these people will have less in their Account 2 which will negatively impact their withdrawals for any of the five of the specific needs.The government should not even for a moment consider EPF contributors as “white knights” rescuing the domestic economy because they will unwittingly be turned into sacrificial lambs instead.Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers Association of Penang.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Thai woman jailed for record 43 years for reposting critical podcasts on social media

A Thai woman has been jailed for 43 years for reposting audio podcasts criticising the royal family.The sentence is the country’s longest ever under Thailand’s harsh lese-majeste law.The 63-year-old was initially sentenced to 87 years, but this was reduced because of her guilty plea.The former civil servant, known only as Anchan, was accused of posting audio clips on social media.The trial was held behind closed doors and the evidence against the defendant kept secret for reasons of national security.Thailand’s controversial lese-majeste law, which forbids any insult to the monarchy, is among the strictest in the world.Thailand revived the law late last year after a three-year break, in an attempt to halt months of anti-government protests by demonstrators demanding changes to the monarchy.Anchan pleaded guilty to 29 violations of sharing and posting clips on YouTube and Facebook between 2014 and 2015, her lawyer told the Reuters news agency.The author of the podcasts served only two years in prison and has already been released.Anchan is among a group of 14 people charged with lese-majeste shortly after a military junta seized power in 2014, vowing to stamp out criticism of the monarchy. The group remains accused of uploading podcasts, popular in dissident circles, which questioned official accounts of the monarchy.That someone accused only of uploading these clips to social media should be given such a harsh sentence, so long after the original arrests, suggests the authorities want to send a warning to other dissidents to stop talking about the monarchy, says the BBC.More than 40 mainly young activists have been charged with lese-majeste over the past few weeks, some multiple times.Until the end of last year the law, which has been condemned by UN human rights officials as excessively severe, had been suspended for a three-year period, at the king’s request.That leniency has clearly come to an end.


China sentences Uighur ex-govt officials to death for ‘separatism’

Two Uighur former government officials in China’s Xinjiang have been handed death sentences for carrying out “separatist activities”, a court said, as Beijing comes under increasing fire for its actions towards minority groups in the region.Shirzat Bawudun, a former head of the Xinjiang department of justice, has been sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on the charge of “splitting the country”, according to a statement released Tuesday on the Xinjiang government website.Bawudun had conspired with a terrorist organisation, taken bribes, and carried out separatist activities, Wang Langtao, vice-president of the Xinjiang Higher People’s Court, said at a press conference.Bawudun was found guilty of colluding with the East Turkestan Islamic Movement (ETIM) – listed as a “terrorist” group by the United Nations – after meeting a key member of the group in 2003, according to state news agency Xinhua.The US removed the group from its list of terror groups last November, saying there was “no credible evidence that ETIM continues to exist”.Bawudun also illegally proved “information to foreign forces” as well as carrying out “illegal religious activities at his daughter’s wedding”, Xinhua said.The court statement said Sattar Sawut – former director of the Xinjiang education department – was also sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve after being found guilty of crimes of separatism and taking bribes.Sawut was found guilty of incorporating ethnic separatism, violence, terrorism, and religious extremism content into textbooks in the Uighur language, officials said.The court said the textbooks had influenced several people to participate in attacks in the capital Urumqi including riots that resulted in at least 200 deaths in 2009.Others became “key members of a separatist group” headed by former college teacher Ilham Tohti – a Uighur economist jailed for life on separatism charges in 2014.Rights groups believe at least one million Uighurs and other mostly Muslim minorities have been incarcerated in camps across Xinjiang.The US says “genocide” has been inflicted on the Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in the region, while Beijing has denied all allegations of abuses and has insisted its policies in Xinjiang are necessary to counter violent extremism.China keeps data on its use of the death penalty secret, although rights group Amnesty International estimates the country is the top executioner globally – with thousands executed and sentenced to death each year.A death sentence with a reprieve is usually commuted to a life sentence.


Negeri Sembilan MB denies floods linked to logging activities

Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun today denied that logging activities in the state were linked to the recent floods in several districts.He said the logs found drifting at a housing area in Pantai, Seremban due to the floods last month were actually rotten wood, and that work to clean the area took only two days.“I invite everyone, instead of us just talking about it, come and see for yourself what happened in Gunung Berembun. Take pictures and assess for yourself if the area is a logging area or what occurred was a natural phenomenon.“Sometimes, reports do not tell the whole story about the state but pictures (in the report) are here. Everyone knows what happened in the state, the whole thing makes me look bad. I hope it doesn’t happen again,” he told reporters after the state executive council meeting in Seremban today.Meanwhile, he said rehabilitation work at Taman Eko Rimba Jeram Toi in Jelebu would take a long time as the area was badly hit by heavy rain and floods last month.He said almost all of the areas areas as well as the facilities at the recreational centre were damaged due to the floods and would be repaired in stages, with preliminary allocations reaching RM3 million.


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From 'Happy Malaysia' to 'Malaysia Madani', how well do govt slogans work?

For Malaysians throughout the country, government slogans are part and parcel of daily life, from the very first slogan of "Happy Malaysia", introduced by Tunku Abdul Rahman, to the latest of "Malaysia Madani", launched by Anwar Ibrahim.
Such slogans are introduced by each prime minister in turn, as a branding mechanism for their administrations.
How effective these slogans are, experts say, depends on a multitude of factors.
"It's all abstract," public relations expert Syed Arabi Syed Abdullah Idid told MalaysiaNow.
"One indicator might be how well the slogan is accepted by the people. In Malaysia, people normally just take whatever slogans come their way."
Another factor would be the extent to which the slogan is discussed in academic circles and among NGOs, Syed Arabi, of the International Islamic University Malaysia, said.
"The more discussions there are, the more publicity it gets, and the more it might be received by the public."
But while some slogans might become integrated in public life, he added, this was no guarantee of continuity for the government in question.
"Take 1Malaysia for example," he said, referring to the slogan introduced by the sixth prime minister, Najib Razak.
"It became well known, but it did not bring victory for Najib and Barisan Nasional."
Tunku Abdul Rahman's "Happy Malaysia" was followed by Abdul Razak Hussein's "Malaysia Terus Membangun", while Dr Mahathir Mohamad introduced the "Bangsa Malaysia" motto and Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, "Islam Hadhari".
Political analyst Jeniri Amir meanwhile said that each prime minister introduces his own slogan in order to make a clean break with his predecessor.
"If they keep the slogans or ideas of previous prime ministers, it looks like they have no legacy or are out of ideas," Jeniri, of Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, said.
"They want to create their own legacy and branding, and their own identity."
Jeniri, too, agreed that many factors come into play in determining the success of a particular slogan.
"Mahathir had 22 years to promote the Bangsa Malaysia slogan, far longer than, say, Ismail Sabri Yaakob or Muhyiddin Yassin," he said.
"It was also accompanied by programmes and initiatives – Wawasan 2020, the Look East policy, and the New Industrialisation."
1Malaysia meanwhile became ingrained partly due to its logo and use in the various 1Malaysia initiatives.
"Abdullah meanwhile never converted his 'Islam Hadhari' slogan into anything concrete, and Ismail had no time to develop his 'Keluarga Malaysia'," Jeniri said.
Ismail was the shortest serving prime minister, spending just a year and three months in Putrajaya.
And with every change in leadership, Jeniri said, the slogans would change as well.
Anwar, Malaysia's 10th prime minister, introduced the "Malaysia Madani" concept after taking office late last year.
Under "Malaysia Madani", the government's cash aid programme was rebranded as Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah, and Menu Rakyat 1Malaysia was converted to Menu Rahmah.


Ex-director to be charged over RM1 billion project in first corporate graft case

A company providing ship rental services in Kuala Lumpur will become the first commercial organisation to be charged under Section 17A of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 since the law came into force on June 1 last year.MACC in a statement said the director of the company had been called to assist in the investigation.The suspect, representing the company, will be charged at the Shah Alam Sessions Court.According to Section 17A of the MACC Act 2009 (Amendment 2018), commercial organisations are liable and can be punished if their employees or associates are involved in corruption crimes.The statement said a former director of the same company was also detained for allegedly giving bribes of RM312,350 as a reward for being awarded a sub-contract for ship rental in oil exploration works.The 64-year-old man was detained at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya.He will be charged at the same court under Section 16 b(A) of the MACC Act 2009 for giving bribes to secure contracts for ship rental.The offence was allegedly committed between June 29 and Oct 14 last year, involving a RM1 billion project.


Fahmi urged to explain after singer Dayangku Intan axed from RTM's Hari Raya show

Popular 1980s singer Tengku Intan Tengku Abdul Hamid, better known as Dayangku Intan, today said that she had been axed from the Raya Glam Concert scheduled to be broadcast on Radio Television Malaysia (RTM) in conjunction with the Aidilfitri celebration.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said she did not know why the decision was made.
She said she was only told that every individual participating in RTM programmes would have to undergo a background check.
She said the decision was only confirmed after the latest poster for the programme, slated for April 22, was released without her picture.
"They already told me before this, but I was only sure after the poster was released," she said.
"My picture was not there, so it's official: I have been axed from the programme."

Two different posters for the Raya Glam Concert, with Dayangku Intan's picture removed from the one on the right.

Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil did not respond to queries from MalaysiaNow but later tweeted that no instructions were made for a ban on  Dayangku.
Dayangku, who is best known for the popular Hari Raya song "Senandung Hari Raya Untukmu", said everything from the recording to the rehearsals had been finished.
"My fans from Perak, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor were also there. But they were scrubbed from the recording, which means that they were edited out at a later point."
She declined to speculate on whether the move was related to her decision to join PAS last December.
However, she voiced hope that Fahmi would be able to shed light on the matter, adding that she had yet to receive a convincing explanation.
"I want to know why I was removed from this programme. Why was I blocked on RTM?
"There is no black and white here, I was only told that I would be excluded, and the explanation they gave me was that they needed to run a background check."
Dayangku said she was also told that her songs might not be broadcast on the radio given that her television performance had been scrapped.
"I was told that maybe only the private radio stations would play my songs," she said.


Tok Mat wants to be PM, says Nazri Aziz on calls for early polls

Umno veteran Mohamed Nazri Aziz today said that deputy president Mohamad Hasan had called for the 15th general election (GE15) to be held this year as he wished to contest a parliamentary seat and go on to become the prime minister.The Padang Rengas MP said the move could be expected as Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi could not be named as prime ministerial candidate given his court cases.“If we do things like that,” he said, referring to the dissolution of Parliament, “we will be seen as putting the party over the people.“It is clear that right now, he (Mohamad) is only thinking of himself. He wants to contest for Parliament and if he wins, he wants to be prime minister – that is where his interests lie.”Mohamad, also known as Tok Mat, last night urged for GE15 to be held this year, saying the time was right as Umno’s political enemies were at their weakest point.In his speech to officiate the Youth, Wanita and Puteri Umno assemblies in Kuala Lumpur, he said Umno could not depend on the memorandum of understanding with the opposition in order to remain in power.But Nazri said this argument had no merit.He said the opposition bloc was capable of learning from its weaknesses throughout the recent string of state elections.“They already know that divided, they will lose. So after this, they will sit down and talk, and allocate seats properly as they did for GE14.“If we meet them one-on-one, Barisan Nasional will lose,” he said.He was referring to the elections in Sabah, Melaka, Sarawak and Johor which saw poor performances by Pakatan Harapan (PH) at all four.Nazri also described Mohamad’s call for the dissolution of Parliament as juvenile, saying it could be seen as ignoring the authority of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.“Tok Mat doesn’t understand the constitution,” he said. “The power to dissolve Parliament lies with the Agong. Even if he is so advised by the prime minister, if he feels that there are still outstanding issues, he will not agree.”Adding that talks should be held with the palace, he said no prime minister had ever revealed if Parliament would be dissolved.“Everyone could only speculate,” he said. “Dr Mahathir Mohamad never announced when Parliament would be dissolved. He understands the constitution – it cannot be announced if no discussions have been held with the palace.The 2021 Umno general assembly began yesterday and will continue until March 19, with the attendance of over 5,000 delegates.Some of the issues expected to take centre stage include the dissolution of Parliament, Umno’s cooperation with PAS, and the leadership crisis in Johor.Nazri urged the representatives from Umno to prioritise the correction of the country’s biggest Malay party.“They need to ask for party elections to be held,” he said. “The current Umno leadership is only a caretaker.“If Tok Mat says an election will cause divisions in Umno, he is the one who is actually splitting the party.”MalaysiaNow previously reported that Zahid would use the general assembly to pressure Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob into dissolving Parliament, to pave the way for GE15.Holding GE15 before the Umno elections is likely to benefit Zahid, who is facing 47 charges of corruption and abuse of power related to charity outfit Yayasan Akal Budi during his time as deputy prime minister under the administration of Najib Razak.


Third pandemic wave hits as Brazil surpasses half a million Covid deaths

Brazil on Saturday became the second country after the US to surpass 500,000 Covid-19 deaths as the South American giant grapples with a third wave of the pandemic.“500,000 lives lost due to the pandemic that affects our Brazil and the world,” Health Minister Marcelo Queiroga tweeted.The Health Ministry reported 500,800 deaths, including 2,301 in the last 24 hours, a toll that many epidemiologists say is an undercount.This week the average number of daily deaths surpassed 2,000 for the first time since May 10.“The third wave is arriving, there’s already in a change in the case and death curves,” Ethel Maciel, an epidemiologist from Espirito Santo University, told AFP.“Our vaccination (programme), which could make a difference, is slow and there are no signs of restrictive measures, quite the contrary.”In large cities, life seems almost back to normal with restaurants, bars and shops open and many people in the streets not wearing face masks.And yet the situation is critical in 19 of Brazil’s 27 states with more than 80% occupancy of intensive care beds – in nine of those states it’s over 90%.‘Marathon runner’The “second wave”, from January to April this year, was particularly deadly.The number of deaths increased exponentially with the arrival of the Gamma virus variant that originated in Manaus, in the north of Brazil.It gradually began to fall in May thanks in part to the closure of businesses when the pandemic was at its worst.But many epidemiologists believe the lockdown restrictions were lifted too soon at a time when daily deaths were still up around the 2,000 mark.Contrary to what has been seen in Europe, there’s been no real trough between the different waves in Brazil.“I don’t know if it’s a third wave… it seems we never got out of the first one,” said Alexandre da Silva, a specialist in public health at the University of Sao Paulo.“It seems the pandemic has now turned into a marathon runner who is pacing his race. It’s not a sprinter who does his sprint but then loses power.”Brazil has recently received several batches of vaccines, including from US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer, but the country has only managed to fully vaccinate 11% of the population, with 29% receiving one dose.The vaccination drive began late in mid-January using the AstraZeneca and Coronavac jabs.Far-right President Jair Bolsonaro, who previously hit out at vaccines, has promised to immunize the entire population by the end of the year – something specialists consider unlikely.Bolsonaro has been criticised for downplaying the pandemic from the outset, opposing lockdown measures and plugging unproven medical treatments for Covid, and on Saturday thousands of Brazilians again took to the streets in protest against him.In rallies in Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and elsewhere, people carried banners with slogans like “Bolsonaro must go.”“His position on Covid and his denialism are absurd. He has abandoned reality and common sense. There is no explaining this, it is surreal,” said Robert Almeida, a 50-year-old photographer marching in Rio.Copa CovidIt was all the more surprising, then, that Brazil agreed at the 11th hour to host the Copa America football tournament, seeing global stars such as Argentina’s Lionel Messia, Luis Suarez of Uruguay and the hosts’ own Neymar arrive from their European clubs.The matches are being played behind closed doors but Bolsonaro has come under fire for giving his blessing to host the tournament in the midst of a pandemic when both Argentina and Colombia had to pull out.Many Brazilians have voiced their opposition to the tournament.“It doesn’t make any sense, it defies logic, for the same reason Argentina didn’t want to host the Copa America, since the number of cases are increasing,” said Maciel.“It makes no sense for Brazil, in a worse situation than Argentina, to be hosts.”Beyond the football tournament, Maciel says the government’s pandemic management is responsible for thousands of extra deaths.“If we had acted in a different and coordinated way, giving concrete information to the people on public health measures… none of this would have happened,” she said.She accused the government of “confusing the people” by advising against health measures backed by science, such as social distancing and the use of face masks.Bolsonaro shows no signs of changing tack, though, and last week announced he would ask the health minister to lift the requirement to wear masks outdoors.He has already been hit with several fines by local authorities for holding rallies without wearing a mask.And Bolsonaro is also under investigation by the Senate over his chaotic pandemic management.


Israel green-lights vaccinations for kids 5-11

Israel gave the green light Sunday to start vaccinating children aged between five and 11 against Covid-19 using Pfizer-BioNTech jabs, following the example of the US.“The director-general of the ministry of health… authorised the vaccination of children aged five to 11 years,” the health ministry said in a statement.Israel was one of the first countries to launch a vaccination campaign last year using the jabs thanks to a deal with Pfizer that gave it access to millions of doses in exchange for data on the vaccine’s efficacy.The vaccination campaign allowed the health authorities to fully vaccinate 5.7 million of the country’s nine million population.The authorities had already begun vaccinating minors aged 12 to 17 but decided to lower the age threshold in the wake of trials by Pfizer and recommendations from a panel of Israeli scientists.The latest announcement came as health authorities reported 220 new infections over the previous day.It marked a plunge from daily cases that topped 10,000 in late August and early September, driven by the Delta variant of the coronavirus.A campaign for a third, booster vaccine appeared key to driving down infections.According to the results of clinical trials using the Pfizer jab on children, the vaccine was shown to be 90.7% effective in preventing symptoms of the illness.“The majority of experts believe that the benefits of vaccinating children outweigh the risks,” the ministry said.Israel joins other countries offering vaccines to young children, including the US, also using Pfizer, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Colombia and Cuba.The ministry will announce the date for the start of inoculations for young children in coming days.


India stops Mastercard issuing cards over data storage row

India’s central bank has barred Mastercard indefinitely from issuing new debit or credit cards to domestic customers.The Reserve Bank of India is accusing the US company of violating data storage laws.It said Mastercard has not complied with rules requiring foreign card networks to store data relating to Indian payments exclusively in India.Mastercard will be prohibited from issuing debit, credit or prepaid cards to customers in India from July 22.The Reserve Bank’s decision will not have any impact on Mastercard’s existing customers.The bank said the payments service provider had violated a 2018 order directing payments data to be stored in India. This would allow the regulator “unfettered supervisory access” to payment details.“Notwithstanding the lapse of considerable time and adequate opportunities being given, the entity [Mastercard] has been found to be non-compliant with the directions of Storage Payment System Data,” the RBI said in a notification.Last year, Mastercard accounted for 33% of all card payments in India, according to London-based payments watchdog PPRO.In 2019, Mastercard announced an investment of a billion dollars over the next five years as part of its expansion plans in India.Earlier this year, American Express and Diners Club were blocked from issuing new cards due to similar violations.US-based payment service providers have lobbied aggressively against the 2018 directive, saying such a move would increase their costs of doing business in India.But India’s central bank has not relented.Mastercard has said it is “disappointed” with the RBI’s decision and that it has provided regular updates on its compliance with the rules since 2018.“We will continue to work with them to provide any additional details required to resolve their concerns,” it said in a statement.


Venezuela president offers oil for vaccines as Covid-19 bites

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday offered “oil for vaccines” as his country, which is under economic sanctions affecting the oil sector in particular, faces a second wave of coronavirus.“Venezuela has the oil tankers, it has customers ready to buy oil from us. It would devote part of its production to obtain the vaccines it needs. Oil for vaccines!” said Maduro during an appearance on public television.Venezuela has so far only authorised the use of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine and the one produced by Chinese company Sinopharm.On March 15, Venezuela informed the Pan American Health Organization that it would not accept the AstraZeneca vaccine, despite having ordered between 1.4 and 2.4 million doses of it through Covax, the initiative aimed at ensuring an equitable distribution of coronavirus vaccines.None of those vaccines have yet been delivered to Venezuela due to outstanding debts it has with the World Health Organization.Venezuela began vaccinating health workers in February but has released few details about its immunisation programme.According to official figures, strongly questioned by the opposition and NGOs, Venezuela has registered around 150,000 coronavirus cases and a little under 1,500 deaths.Authorities, though, have become concerned recently about a rise in infections and the appearance of the highly contagious Brazilian strain of the virus.


Another 63 deaths as new cases dip to 6,045

Another 6,045 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 778,652.Selangor recorded 2,262 cases, Kuala Lumpur 616, Negeri Sembilan 531, Johor 500, Perak 384, Sarawak 365, Kedah 332, Melaka 290, Sabah 228, Penang 173 and Kelantan 124.Pahang recorded 95 cases, Labuan 75, Terengganu 54 and Putrajaya 16.Active cases stand at 67,669 with 917 in the ICU and 443 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 5,271 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 705,486.However, 63 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 5,497.


Behind Shah Alam’s perennial floods

As the country continues to reel from the recent torrents which flooded areas in eight states and claimed the lives of 48 people so far, the question remains why Shah Alam, the capital of Malaysia’s richest state Selangor, appears perennially afflicted with this watery problem.Experts who spoke to MalaysiaNow said much of the problem is related to the city’s topography.Nik Abdullah Muaz Nik Mohd Kamel, a hydraulics engineer, said the Klang River – a major watercourse – flows through Shah Alam along with several smaller rivers such as Sungai Damansara, Sungai Kayu Ara, Sungai Rumpur and Sungai Payong.“About 70% of flow rate of the Klang River basin joins at its confluence with Sungai Damansara,” Nik Abdullah said.“This is where the flood-prone spots of Taman Sri Muda, Stadium Shah Alam and Taman Batu 3 are located.”Heavy rainfall such as the deluge that came dumping down last weekend would cause the water levels to rise above the rivers’ capacities, he said, adding that these locations also lie in lowland areas.Shah Alam was named the capital of Selangor in 1978, four years after the separation of Kuala Lumpur to become a federal territory.Formerly known as Sungai Renggam, the following years saw Shah Alam transformed from oil palm plantations to a rapidly developing city.Yet its topography and location downstream of the Klang River are against it during flood season.The level of the river is also influenced by tidal conditions.In the case of the recent floods, Nik Abdullah said, the physical landscape coupled with the month’s worth of rain that came pouring down in a single day on Dec 18 had resulted in large-scale floods throughout the area.Just a few months earlier in September, flash floods brought on by heavy rain also caused damage to vehicles and houses in several areas including the vicinity of Stadium Shah Alam and Sections 4, 9 and 10.Many have said that the floods should have been a warning to the authorities to take mitigation measures, especially in light of the increased frequency of such incidents.Wardah Tahir, from the flood research group of UiTM’s engineer faculty, said rainfall aside, floods also occur in low-lying areas with a high percentage of impervious surfaces such as stadiums, parking lots, pavements made of cement or bitumen, and buildings.She said such surfaces prevent run-off from infiltrating the soil or flowing into drainage systems at high speeds.“Analyses show that the total area of the Sungai Damansara basin is 141 sq km. The developed area is 116.4 sq km and the forest area only measures 24.6 sq km,” she told MalaysiaNow.“The higher the urbanisation rate, the more rain water turns into run-off.”According to Nik Abdullah, Shah Alam’s structural and non-structural measures are based on the integrated river basin development and integrated flood management process.Here, flood management efforts include the widening and deepening of rivers and the construction of tiers, flood walls, flood reservoir ponds, water pumps, water control gates and other means of disaster management.However, he said this needs to be improved in line with the progress of development.“Each structure is designed to accommodate certain flow rates,” he said.“They are unable to accommodate floods that occur beyond the design rate.”Wardah meanwhile said the drainage system was not working well, while the six existing flood reservoirs around the flooded areas could not accommodate the torrents.Nikmatul Adha Nordin from Universiti Malaya’s town and regional planning department said the authorities should review the existing drainage system and its ability to accommodate run-off.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said the opening of new housing areas must take this factor into account.“Generally, new areas that are opened up are in higher locations. If floods occur, the new area is not affected but it increases the risk to surrounding areas,” she added.Nikmatul said areas known as flood hotspots should be identified, and that new development should be prohibited in these locations.“Open spaces need to be gazetted as green cover and bio-retention to filter and absorb surface run-off,” she said.


Ombudsman bill at final stage, says Azalina

The Ombudsman Malaysia bill is now at its final stage and is expected to be tabled at the Parliament in October, according to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.
Speaking at a press conference after the engagement session on the legislation for the establishment of Ombudsman Malaysia in Putrajaya today, Azalina said Ombudsman Malaysia’s policies would be based on the ombudsman policies and laws in other countries such as the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
“The bill will provide clearer functions and power of Ombudsman Malaysia, which also include management of public complaints against government departments or agencies,” she said.
On Jan 17, Azalina was reported as saying that the government is mulling the establishment of Ombudsman Malaysia, an independent body to address the wide range of public complaints against government departments or agencies in line with the coalition's government’s agenda which emphasises transparency and integrity.
An ombudsman is normally appointed by and acts on behalf of Parliament with powers to investigate complaints against the administration, make recommendations concerning those complaints and try to have its recommendations adopted by the administration. Azalina said the ombudsman will not be a civil servant and the appointment is for a term of six years.
“There will be no extension. We want a direct appointment and not someone on loan,” she said.
She said among the matters discussed at the engagement session was the need for the ombudsman Malaysia to produce an annual report to be tabled and debated in parliament, in addition to types of complaints and elements of investigation and enforcement against complaints of mismanagement of the public service delivery system.
Azalina said, so far, the public complaints bureau has received 20,000 complaints, 85% of which were complaints against local authorities (PBT).
“This shows that members of the public are dissatisfied with the PBT, especially at service counters. With the establishment of the ombudsman, we want these complaints to be resolved quickly. I also proposed that we give a deadline for each complaint to be resolved,” she said.


DAP trying to be ‘big brother’ for the Chinese, Zuraida says

Zuraida Kamaruddin today accused DAP of trying to be the dominant party for the Chinese community, after Johor DAP chairman Liew Chin Tong urged Umno to co-exist with other parties without seeking to play the role of a “big brother”.In a Facebook post, Liew had said that the country’s politics would stablise once Umno accepts the fact that there is no longer a dominant party or “big brother” and becomes willing to co-exist with others whether in the government or opposition.“When Umno became the opposition, it should have given way to the new government to rule,” he said.“The Sheraton Move happened because many Umno leaders still had the old mindset and were unwilling to accept their loss in GE14. Ultimately, the strategy backfired on them.”Zuraida, who is a member of Bersatu’s Supreme Council, said DAP should self-reflect, adding that its time in the 22-month Pakatan Harapan government had shown its “true colours” in trying to be dominant within the Chinese community in the country.“Beginning from the allocation of seats which followed racial lines, DAP strongly urged the government and other component parties to follow its lead, especially concerning the affairs of the Chinese community.“This was proven, among others, by the move to channel the allocation of special funds to a private college directly from the finance ministry at the time and not through the education ministry.“In this way, DAP attempted to strengthen its grip on the Chinese community,” she said. “So, was not DAP trying to act as a ‘big brother’ to the Chinese community in the country?”In order to prosper, she said, Malaysia should be governed by leaders who care about all people.“There are no longer ‘big brothers’ who have the right to claim that they alone represent a particular race.”


Citing talk of files piling up, Khairy says Anwar should appoint second finance minister

Former Umno man Khairy Jamaluddin today suggested that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim appoint a second finance minister to help smoothen the administrative process, saying things at the finance ministry have been described as "slow".
The former Rembau MP said while Anwar was seen as a talented politician, this did not mean that the Pakatan Harapan (PH) leader was capable of functioning as both prime minister and finance minister at the same time.
He said this resulted in a bottleneck of files as the government could not make decisions quickly enough.
"From the conversations I have had with the treasury, many decisions and files have started piling up, and things are slow," he said in his "Keluar Sekejap" podcast.
Anwar's announcement that he would be taking on the finance portfolio in addition to the top post took many by surprise given PH's previous stand against the prime minister holding both positions due to concerns raised during the administration of Najib Razak.
Khairy, the former health minister, suggested that Anwar appoint Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani as second finance minister given his background in economics and finance.
He said Johari was previously offered the portfolio of natural resources, environment and climate change, but that the Umno vice-president had rejected the proposal.
"But he (Johari) rejected it right before the announcement was made because he believed he would be more effective as a backbencher.
"Perhaps he wanted to be in line with his background in economics and finance.
"Since he has been considered for appointment as a minister, I suggest that if the prime minister wants someone from the outside with a professional background as finance minister, Johari would be the right choice," he said.


Over 1 million may flee Sudan conflict, UN refugee agency says

The UN refugee agency warned on Tuesday that an earlier projection that conflict in Sudan would prompt 1 million people to flee across its borders is likely to be surpassed.
So far, the conflict between warring military factions that began in mid-April has caused nearly 600,000 people to escape into neighbouring countries including Egypt, Chad, South Sudan and Central African Republic.
"Unfortunately, looking at the trends, looking at the situation in Darfur, we're likely to go beyond 1 million," Raouf Mazou, UNHCR Assistant High Commissioner for Operations, said in response to a question about its estimate in April for the coming six months.
He was referring to ethnically motivated attacks and clashes in the Darfur region, which suffered a major conflict in the early 2000s killing some 300,000 people.
He did not give details on how far above 1 million he expected refugee numbers fleeing abroad to reach. The United Nations estimates more than 2.5 million people have been uprooted since April, most within Sudan.
The latest wave of violence in Darfur has been driven by militias from Arab nomadic tribes along with members of the Rapid Support Forces, a military faction engaged in a power struggle with Sudan's army in the capital, Khartoum, witnesses and activists said.
Witnesses told Reuters this month an increasing number of Sudanese civilians fleeing El Geneina, a city in Darfur hit by repeated attacks, have been killed or shot at as they tried to escape by foot to Chad.
"Lots of women and children are now arriving with injuries. It's very concerning," Mazou said.
He described access to refugees in Chad as "extraordinarily difficult" because the start of the rainy season was making it harder to reach refugees and move them away from the border into safer camps.
The UNHCR has already had to revise its forecast for people fleeing into Chad from Sudan to 245,000 from 100,000 people, he said.
"There's been less and less people wanting to stay at the border as the situation deteriorates in Darfur," he said.


China, Russia foreign ministers meet in show of unity against West

Russia and China have jointly condemned Western sanctions, a day after the EU, UK, US and Canada blacklisted some senior Chinese officials for human rights abuses against ethnic Uighurs in Xinjiang.That is the first time the EU has imposed new sanctions on China over human rights abuses since the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.The joint attack came during a visit by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to Guilin in southern China, the BBC is reporting.He said EU “unilateral decisions” had “destroyed” ties with Russia.His Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, said the era of interfering in China’s internal affairs had “gone forever”.The Western allies have imposed sanctions on Russian officials close to President Vladimir Putin over several matters including: Russia’s 2014 annexation of Ukraine’s Crimea peninsula; alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election; the nerve agent attacks on ex-spy Sergei Skripal and anti-Putin campaigner Alexei Navalny.The Kremlin denies all the Western allegations.Visiting Nato in Brussels on Tuesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken stressed his government’s strong opposition to the Russian Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, which will run under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany.Germany risks US sanctions over the nearly completed pipeline, as the US government sees it as a Russian tool to further divide Europe. The pipeline bypasses Ukraine and Poland – who also strongly oppose it.Lavrov said he and Wang agreed that sanctions were “unacceptable” as a way to conduct international relations.Wang said powerful countries “should not wantonly meddle in others’ internal affairs according to their own standards, or use the banner of democracy and human rights to build their power”.Russia under Putin has forged extensive economic, military and scientific ties with China. In the last century they were Cold War communist rivals.Lavrov and Wang rejected claims by some in the West that Russia and China were using “vaccine diplomacy” in the Covid-19 pandemic to gain global advantage.Many countries have received doses of the Chinese Sinopharm vaccine and Russian Sputnik V vaccine, often faster and more cheaply than Western vaccines. In some cases, China – where the pandemic started – has distributed its vaccine for free.Lavrov said the export of Sputnik V was guided by principles of “humanity” and “saving lives”, not by geopolitical or commercial interests.Wang said China’s goal from the start was “to let more people receive the vaccine as soon as possible” and “help the whole world”.


The accident that changed a family’s life

It was a sunny Saturday afternoon in February when Mohd Sobrin Salleh returned to his home in Penang, brimming with hope for the future.He had just been offered a position in his home town of Sitiawan in Perak which would pay him more than his previous job as a labourer.Eager to share the good news with his family and to see his son who was born just a month earlier, he hopped onto his motorcycle and set off for Sitiawan.But while he was still some distance away, in Segari, he collided with a dog which happened to be on the road.Instead of reuniting with his family, the 28-year-old wound up being shuttled from hospital to hospital in Manjung and Ipoh. It was several weeks before he was discharged and allowed to return to his father’s house in Sitiawan.Today, he is still recovering from the accident which forced the doctors to remove half of his skull.Mohd Sobrin Salleh touches his head where the doctors were forced to remove half of his skull as a result of his accident.He also suffered from temporary amnesia and was unable to recognise even his family members for a while.“I couldn’t remember anything after the accident,” he said when met by MalaysiaNow in Sitiawan.“I only began remembering things after I was allowed to come home.”It was his wife who helped him remember, he said. She also devoted herself to helping him regain his power of movement.This was no easy task for Nur Azlin Che Yob who had just finished her confinement period.“After Sobrin was discharged, I sent the baby to stay with some other family members so that I could take care of him,” the 26-year-old said.At first, she said, her husband had been delirious and had often raved.Even after he began to recover, he found it difficult to sleep at night as he would often experience headaches.“He is waiting for an appointment at the hospital to reattach his skull,” Azlin said.Determined to get back on his feet as quickly as possible, Mohd Sobrin Salleh takes a walk every evening, helped by his wife.The operation alone without taking into account the necessary medication will cost the family about RM1,000.For now, Sobrin has been prescribed anti-seizure medication which he must take twice a day.Every morning and evening, Azlin helps him take a walk around the neighbourhood to prevent his muscles from wasting away.But she herself is unemployed. With no money coming in, they are dependent on the support they receive from their family members.For now, they are staying with Sobrin’s father although they continue to pay the rent for their own house.The future seems bleak and uncertain but encouraged by the thought of his baby son, Sobrin refuses to give up.“After I recover, I intend to go back to work,” he said.“The company has said that they will hold the position for me until I am well enough to return.”Nevertheless, Aidilfitri celebrations this year will be quiet.“He used to be the most energetic of us all, doing the shopping and going about from place to place,” Azlin said.“But this year, he is too weak to do any of that, so we will just make do with what we have.”


New Year’s Eve celebrations on TV only for most of the world

Thanks to Covid-19, New Year’s Eve celebrations will be just as different as the rest of 2020 has been.If ever a year’s end seemed like cause for celebration, 2020 is probably it.Yet the coronavirus scourge that dominated the year is also skulking over New Year’s festivities and forcing officials worldwide to tell crowds to stay home.New Year’s Eve will look different around the world after a year in which the virus killed an estimated 1.8 million people, says the AP.From New York’s Times Square to Sydney Harbour, big public blowouts are being turned into TV-only shows and digital events. Fireworks displays have been cancelled from the Las Vegas Strip to the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.Germany banned the sale of fireworks, which residents usually set off in on the streets, and a pyrotechnics show at Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate is off.So, too, are the fireworks over the River Thames in locked-down London, where New Year’s Eve also marks Britain’s final divorce from the European Union. However, Big Ben, which has been largely silent since 2017 while its clock tower is restored, will sound 12 bongs at midnight.The Netherlands moved the national countdown from an Amsterdam park to a soccer stadium, where spectators won’t be admitted and pyrotechnics will be replaced with “electric fireworks”.In Rome, the fireworks are still on, but customary concerts in public plazas have been scrapped in favour of livestreamed performances and art installations. Pope Francis will skip his typical Dec 31 visit to the Vatican’s life-sized Nativity scene in St Peter’s Square and plans to deliver his New Year’s Day blessing indoors, to prevent crowds from gathering.Rio de Janeiro has nixed the fireworks, and open-air concerts and rooftop parties that normally draw crowds of white-clad revellers in Copacabana will this year only allow residents in.Turkey has declared a four-day lockdown starting on New Year’s Eve, and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan warned that security forces will inspect hotels for illicit parties.South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa suggested a new way of observing the holiday by lighting candles to honour Covid-19 victims and front-line workers and to hope for a healthy 2021.


Indian Muslim groups urge followers to shun protests over anti-Islam comments

Leaders of prominent Islamic groups and mosques in India appealed to fellow Muslims on Monday to suspend plans for protests against derogatory remarks about the Prophet Muhammad made by two members of the ruling Hindu-nationalist party.The message to avoid big gatherings was circulated after demonstrations took a violent turn last week, leading to the death of two Muslim teenagers and the wounding of more than 30 people, including police.“It is the duty of every Muslim to stand together when anyone belittles Islam but at the same time it is critical to maintain peace,” said Malik Aslam, a senior member of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind, a Muslim organisation that operates in several Indian states.Early this month, two senior members of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made remarks that offended Muslims. A party spokesman made the offending comment in a television debate and another party spokesman on social media.The party suspended both of them and said its denounced any insult towards any religion, and police have also filed cases against the two, but that did not stop enraged Muslims taking to the streets in protest.Police arrested at least 400 suspected rioters during unrest in several states and curfews were imposed and internet services were suspended in some places.Many Muslims in India have been questioning their place in society since Modi came to power in 2014, playing down his roots in a powerful Hindu-nationalist group to which his party is affiliated.Critics say his BJP has pursued a confrontational line, promoting the idea that India is a Hindu nation and rounded on “anti-national” opponents, which many Muslims see as an attempt to marginalise them, a community that makes up 13% of India’s billion plus population.Authorities in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday demolished the home of a Muslim man linked to the riots, drawing condemnation of the state government, led by the BJP, from constitutional experts and rights groups.Muslims and rights groups interpreted the destruction of the house as punishment for the riots but state authorities said it was because it was illegally built on public land.“We are not demolishing houses to stop Muslims from protesting as they have all the right to take to the streets,” an aide to the state’s hardline Hindu leader told Reuters.Modi has not commented on the anti-Islam remarks that sparked the protests even as condemnation grew abroad.Countries including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman and Iran, important trade partners for India, have lodged diplomatic protests.


Nearly 6,000 evacuated as Johor floods worsen

The flood situation in Johor has worsened with the number of evacuees rising to 5,878 as of noon today compared to 1,591 this morning.
The state disaster management committee said in a statement that a total of 1,575 families had been placed at 54 temporary evacuation centres (PPS).
"Kluang is the worst affected district with 1,952 people placed at 10 PPS, followed by Segamat with 1,431 people moved to 16 PPS.
"In Kota Tinggi, 1,156 victims have been evacuated, followed by Johor Bahru (1,004 people), Kulai (320) and Pontian (15)," it said.
In Segamat, several rivers have breached the danger level: Sungai Segamat Kecil which recorded a reading of 38.32m; Sungai Bandar Segamat (9.2m); Sungai Labis (41.31m) and Sungai Lenik, Ladang Chaah (8.11m). Sungai Kahang, Kampung Contoh (Kluang) also breached the danger level at 16.95m; together with Sungai Siku, Kampung Murni Jaya (Kulai) at 21.51m; Sungai Skudai, Kampung Separa (Kulai) at 18.66m; Sungai Siam, Kampung Sungai Siam at 21.51m and Sungai Pontian Besar, Kampung Melayu Bukit Batu at 12.86m.
The water level at Sungai Pulai, Kampung Ulu Pulai (Pontian) also exceeded the danger level of 2.81m while the level of Sungai Skudai, Kampung Laut (Johor Bahru) stood at 5.79m.
Rain is forecast for all 10 districts in Johor until this evening.