Despite bleak market, still no takers for ‘dirty’ jobs vacated by foreigners

Malaysians are unlikely to take up jobs in the 3D or dirty, dangerous and difficult category, even with tens of thousands out of a job this year as the social stigma surrounding such positions remains unchanged, experts say.While cleaning, collecting waste and constructing and guarding buildings are necessary to social and economic functions, these jobs are also associated with a lower social caste.For decades, foreigners have been the face of such sectors as locals steer clear, and according to economist Madeline Berma, it doesn’t look like this will change any time soon.“We are still reliant on foreign workers,” Madeline told MalaysiaNow.In a nutshell, there are jobs that most Malaysians would prefer not to do, even those with limited or no academic qualifications whatsoever.But lack of education is not really an issue in this case, Madeline says.According to her, the local workforce has actually become more educated over the last decade with many finding positions in skilled and semi-skilled jobs.There are jobs that most Malaysians would prefer not to do, even those with limited or no academic qualifications whatsoever.This leaves migrant workers to fill the gap left in the 3D category.With the current economic downturn and changes in foreign worker policy, though, this source of labour is beginning to deteriorate as well.Statistics from the Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) show a decline in the number of foreign workers in the country from two million in 2019 to roughly 1.68 million this year. What has remained constant, however, is their job description: dirty, dangerous and difficult.‘Locals don’t stick around’With many illegal immigrants rounded up and detained at immigration depots, some industries like glove manufacturing and oil palm plantations are facing a major shortage in labour.This means that more vacancies are available for low-skilled jobs.But still, many of these positions remain empty, even as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on businesses and the economy.Human Resources Minister M Saravanan recently said that nearly 100,000 workers had lost their jobs due to the conditional movement control order enforced in mid-October although roughly a third of job seekers also found work during the same period.“Some locals did not even last a week before quitting.”Earlier this year, foreign workers were banned from working at wet markets in Selangor. Traders were instead advised to hire locals to fill the vacancies.But MEF executive director Shamsuddin Bardan said while locals are slowly accepting jobs that were once considered unacceptable, they do not stay there for long.Giving the example of the Selayang wholesale market, he said some locals did not even last a week before quitting.Such a high turnover rate makes it difficult for employers to continue running their business, he told MalaysiaNow.This is despite the priority of employment which he said is always accorded to locals “especially now, since the hiring of foreign workers has been frozen for quite some time”.Jobs in sectors like plantations and construction sites have never really attracted Malaysians, he added.Shamsuddin said rebranding some jobs and giving them new names would help change this. For example, he said, security guards could be referred to as auxiliary police in order to create appeal and reduce social stigma.“There is also a need to introduce new technology to make existing jobs more interesting,” he said.For Madeline, it would also help to dangle a carrot.“In the short term, the government needs to provide incentives and high wages for low-skilled Malaysians to take up these 3D jobs,” she said.In the long run, though, these jobs might be taken over by automation and robots, she added.


No circular barring Kedah MB from events, says Zahid

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday denied that any circular had been issued barring Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor from attending federal government events.
"I have not heard of any written order to prevent him from attending official events organised by the federal government. But I would not know if he was personally told that he could not attend.
"Maybe the Kedah menteri besar can show a written order to prove his claim of being barred from attending federal government events," he told reporters in Muar.
Sanusi alleged in a Facebook post that he had been barred from attending official federal government events, including the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition 2023 scheduled to be held from May 23 to 27.


Race for US debt deal as talks go to the wire

Democrats and Republicans seemed within grasping distance Saturday of a deal to end the US debt ceiling standoff, with both sides playing hardball in the final race for an agreement to avert a potentially catastrophic default.
President Joe Biden gave the strongest sign yet on Friday night that the drama in Washington might be drawing to an end – saying an agreement was "very close."
And Republican congressional leader Kevin McCarthy sounded positive as negotiators reconvened Saturday morning, telling reporters on Capitol Hill: "I feel we can get there."
As the clock toward a calamitous national default ticked down, Biden spoke directly with McCarthy early Saturday evening, as well as with the top Democrats in both houses of Congress, according to a source familiar with the negotiations.
Democrats reportedly drew a red line at Republican demands for tougher work requirements in exchange for social aid that they say would kill party support for a deal.
In his morning briefing McCarthy acknowledged negotiators were "not there yet" – but said he was confident of meeting the critical June 5 deadline for a deal.
That is the day when, short of an accord allowing it to keep borrowing, the US government says it will run out of money to pay its bills – raising the prospect of a default that would likely trigger a recession and send shock waves through the global economy.
"I feel closer to an agreement now than I did a long time before," McCarthy said, adding: "Some things we just have to finish out."
McCarthy said once a deal is reached, he will give legislators 72 hours before bringing the bill to a vote. He added Saturday morning that the bill would not be lengthy, likely around 150 pages.
The dreaded June 5 deadline is four days later than a previous X-date, but still guarantees that – even with a deal this weekend – it will be a frantic race to get a bill through Congress in less than 10 days.
And winning bipartisan support for its adoption will test the skills of party whips, with grumblings already on both sides over the concessions being made.
The deal believed to be taking shape would include an agreement to extend the government's borrowing authority for two years, meaning there would be no repeat of the current drama before the 2024 presidential election.
But Democrats would have to offer some ground on Republican demands for sweeping spending limits on social safety and other domestic programmes – most controversially a demand that those applying for benefits such as food assistance work for them.
Hostage-taking accusation
The White House has pushed back hard, accusing Republicans of putting at risk "over eight million jobs unless they can take food out of the mouths of hungry Americans."
McCarthy earlier set the tone for the final-stretch negotiations by reposting a clip of himself telling reporters: "I do not think it's right that you borrow money from China to pay people to stay home that are able bodied with no dependents on the couch.
"That is not the American way. That is not what we believe."
Members of Congress left for a 10-day recess at the start of the long Memorial Day weekend – with Biden himself, to the consternation of some in his own party, spending the weekend at his Camp David retreat, then his home in Delaware.
Economists have spent months raising the prospect of economic catastrophe should the government default, but both the White House and Republican leadership insist they are negotiating in good faith and are confident a deal will be reached in time.
McCarthy has said lawmakers would get 24 hours' notice if they are required to return to Washington for a vote.
The debt ceiling raise is an annual accounting maneuver that usually passes with little notice. It simply allows the government to keep borrowing money to pay for bills already incurred through the budget.
This year, the increasingly hard-right Republican Party has decided to turn the debt ceiling into leverage to force Biden to roll back favorite Democratic spending priorities.
Republicans call this taking responsibility for the US$31 trillion (RM142.63 trillion) national debt. The White House accuses the opposition party, which controls the House of Representatives, of taking the economy hostage.
The Treasury Department said its cash balance fell on Thursday to US$38.8 billion – which observers noted was less than the net worth of several dozen of the world's wealthiest people, including Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Bill Gates.


Strong earthquake strikes China's southwestern Sichuan province

An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck a mountainous area in the west of China's Sichuan province after midday on Monday, the China Earthquake Networks Centre said.
The epicentre was located at the town of Luding at a depth of 16km, the centre said, about 180km southwest of Sichuan's capital Chengdu.
Netizens from as far away as Changsha and Xian said they had felt the quake in Sichuan.
Minutes later, a second quake with a magnitude of 4.2 struck the city of Yaan near Luding, according to the centre.
No casualties have been reported so far.
In 2013, Yaan was hit by a strong earthquake, killing more than 100 people and injuring thousands.


Biden says China still withholding ‘critical information’ on Covid origins

President Joe Biden said Friday that China was withholding “critical information” on the origins of Covid-19 after the US intelligence community said it did not believe the virus was a bioweapon – but remained split on whether it escaped from a lab.The US, however, does not believe Chinese officials had foreknowledge of the virus before the initial outbreak of the pandemic that has now claimed 4.5 million lives, according to an unclassified summary of an eagerly awaited intelligence report.“Critical information about the origins of this pandemic exists in the People’s Republic of China, yet from the beginning, government officials in China have worked to prevent international investigators and members of the global public health community from accessing it,” Biden said in a statement.“To this day, the PRC continues to reject calls for transparency and withhold information, even as the toll of this pandemic continues to rise.”US intelligence has ruled out that the coronavirus was developed as a weapon, and most agencies assess with “low confidence” it was not genetically engineered.But the community remains divided on the pathogen’s origins, with four agencies and the National Intelligence Council judging in favour of natural exposure to an animal as the likely explanation, and one agency favouring the lab leak theory.Analysts at three agencies were unable to reach a conclusion.“Variations in analytic views largely stem from differences in how agencies weigh intelligence reporting and scientific publications, and intelligence and scientific gaps,” the summary said.The intelligence community and global scientists lack clinical samples or epidemiological data from the earliest Covid-19 cases, it added.Biden said the US would continue to work with allies to press Beijing to share more information and cooperate with the World Health Organization.“We must have a full and transparent accounting of this global tragedy. Nothing less is acceptable,” he said.The office of the director of national intelligence said it was reviewing de-classifying parts of the report in the near future, in light of the historic nature of the pandemic and importance of informing the public, all the while protecting its sources and methods.Lab leak fadingBeijing has rejected calls from the US and other countries for a renewed origin probe after a heavily politicised visit by a World Health Organization team in January also proved inconclusive, and faced criticism for lacking transparency and access.At the outset of the pandemic, the natural origin hypothesis – that the virus emerged in bats and then passed to humans, likely via an intermediary species – was widely accepted.Then, as time wore on and scientists were unable to find a virus in either bats or another animal that matches the genetic signature of SARS-CoV-2, investigators said they were more open to considering a leak involving the Wuhan Institute of Virology, which carried out bat coronavirus research.Recent scientific papers, however, are tilting the debate back towards a zoonotic origin.Researchers in China and the University of Glasgow published a paper in the journal Science that found “animal-to-human transmission associated with infected live animals is the most likely cause of the Covid-19 pandemic”.Additionally, a paper by 21 top virologists in the journal Cell bluntly concluded: “There is currently no evidence that SARS-CoV-2 has a laboratory origin.”


Sri Lanka increases fuel prices as it seeks to rein in crisis

Sri Lanka increased fuel and transport prices on Tuesday, a long-flagged move to combat its debilitating economic crisis, but the hikes are bound to exacerbate galloping inflation, at least in the short-term.Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera said in a message on Twitter that petrol prices would increase by 20%-24% while diesel prices would rise by 35%-38% with immediate effect.“Cabinet also approved the revision of transportation and other service charges accordingly,” he said.Wijesekera said also that people would be encouraged to work from home “to minimise the use of fuel and to manage the energy crisis” and that public sector officials would work from office only when instructed by the head of the institution.Food and transport price increases will flow through to food and other goods, economists said.Annual inflation in the island nation rose to a record 33.8% in April compared to 21.5% in March, according to government data released on Monday.Sri Lanka is in the throes of its worst economic crisis since independence, as a dire shortage of foreign exchange has stalled imports and left the country short of fuel, medicines and hit by rolling power cuts.The financial trouble has come from the confluence of the Covid-19 pandemic battering the tourism-reliant economy, rising oil prices and populist tax cuts by the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his brother, Mahinda, who resigned as prime minister this month.Economists have said fuel and power price hikes will be necessary to plug a massive gap in government revenues, but agree that it will lead to short-term pain.Dhananath Fernando, an analyst for Colombo based think tank Advocata Institute, said prices of petrol have soared 259% since October last year and diesel by 231%. Prices of food and other essential goods have surged, he said.“Poor people will be the most effected by this. The solution is to establish a cash transfer system to support the poor and increase efficiency as much as possible.”Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, appointed in place of Mahinda Rajapaksa earlier this month after violence broke out between government protesters and protesters, said last week: “In the short term we will have to face an even more difficult time period. There is a possibility that inflation will increase further.”


Umno backs unity govt plan, but not with PN at the head

Umno supports the idea of being part of a unity government as proposed by Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, but one that is not led by Perikatan Nasional (PN), its secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said.
In a statement, he said this was decided in a special Umno Supreme Council meeting, chaired by party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in Kuala Lumpur last night.
He said the Supreme Council unanimously decided to support and uphold the proposal of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong for Barisan Nasional (BN) to consider participating in a unity government.
"… (this is) to ensure that a stable and prosperous government can be formed," he said in the statement issued after the three-hour meeting at the party headquarters in Menara Dato Onn.
However, that government must not be led by PN, he added.
Ahmad also said that the Supreme Council had agreed for all of its party representatives who won parliamentary seats in the 15th general election (GE15) to comply with and accept any form of unity government or any other form of government proposed by the king.
According to Ahmad, the Umno Supreme Council meeting also reinforced support for Zahid to remain as BN chairman and unanimously backed him as Umno president.
The council also took note of and reviewed in detail both discussions carried out by the BN negotiations committee with Pakatan Harapan (PH) and PN, he said.
He added that the 2022 Umno general assembly would be held from Dec 21 to 24.
At GE15, BN won only 30 parliamentary seats, its worst ever performance, while PH captured 82 seats, followed by PN (73), Gabungan Parti Sarawak (23), Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (six), Warisan (three), and independents (two). Parti Bangsa Malaysia and Parti Kesejahteraan Demokratik Masyarakat won one seat each.
The GE15 results meant that no one party or political bloc managed to win a majority, resulting in a hung parliament.
A special meeting of the Malay rulers will be held later today to discuss the formation of the new government.


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First tourists in over 4 months touch down as Langkawi throws open its doors

The first plane carrying tourists in more than four months touched down in Langkawi on Thursday and was greeted by a twin water cannon “salute”, in the launch of a programme to revive a travel sector frozen by the pandemic.The first batch of 159 travellers from Kuala Lumpur arrived eager for a vacation after a months-long, nationwide lockdown imposed to address one of Asia’s highest per-capital coronavirus infection rates.Known for its beaches, geoparks, bird life and impressive rock formations, Langkawi, a group of 99 islands, is the test case in a drive to allow vaccinated domestic travellers to take part in holiday activities under agreed health protocols.“My last holiday was last year… countless months already, I felt like I’ll go mental also soon,” said Beverly Tiew, 42, from Kuala Lumpur.“So I’m excited and super, super happy and I’m thankful that the government is open about it and we can come and travel.”The project is similar to Thailand, which has opened Phuket and Samui islands to vaccinated foreign tourists, while Indonesia’s Bali and Vietnam’s idyllic Phu Quoc island plan to follow suit. Malaysia, however, has yet to allow foreign tourists to return.Langkawi, in the Straits of Melaka, is not expecting huge visitor numbers initially, with a target of 400,000 people by the end of the year, and projections they will spend RM165 million.Malaysia has vaccinated more than half of its 32 million population against Covid-19. It has recorded over two million cases and more than 20,000 deaths.Visitor Hasan Kamil, 58, said the bubble was well-timed as it came during school holidays.“This is a good opportunity to bring my daughter for a short holiday because she has been staying home you know for almost two years now,” he said.


Melaka Umno chief rubbishes talk of rift over CM post

Melaka Umno chief Ab Rauf Yusoh has dismissed rumours about opposition from within Umno to the appointment of Sulaiman Md Ali as chief minister.He said all Umno division chiefs in Melaka are in full support of the appointment.“I would like to state that we have no problems, we have together secured a stable government. So I reject the notion that there is a rift among us over the post of chief minister.“All of us (Umno division chiefs), including myself as state Umno chairman, will fully support Sulaiman’s leadership as the Melaka chief minister,” he said at a press conference in Alor Gajah yesterday.He said the appointment reflected the trust of the Melaka people and that with the cooperation of all Umno division chiefs, they would prepare for the 15th general election (GE15).“The focus now is on the new government administration, and we have no issues as we have a stable government,” he said.Sulaiman was sworn in as the new chief minister early yesterday, after Barisan Nasional won 21 of the 28 seats contested in the state election.He told reporters that he was sworn in earlier than scheduled because he had urgent matters to attend to, including a meeting of the Conference of Rulers.


30.4% of children fully jabbed, 46.6% given first dose

A total of 1,079,745 children or 30.4% of those aged five to 11 had completed their vaccination under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, a total of 1,653,491 or 46.6% have received at least one dose of vaccine.For teenagers aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,906,702 or 93.4% have completed their vaccination while 3,003,996 or 96.5% have received at least one dose.A total of 16,071,981 individuals or 68.3% of adults have received a booster dose while 22,971,916 or 97.6% have completed two doses.A total of 23,247,755 or 98.8% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 10,981 vaccine doses were administered, with 3,254 as first doses, 5,266 as second shots and 2,461 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine shots administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 70,722,028.


Education ministry working to resolve Sabah’s ‘sekolah tumpang’ issue

The education ministry is doing all it can to solve the problem of sekolah tumpang or secondary schools which use the same space as primary schools – an issue involving 23 schools in Sabah, says Education Minister Radzi Jidin.He said 20 schools had received a RM706 million allocation for building construction, while efforts to find funds for three more schools continue.“Sabah has more sekolah tumpang than any other place. It is an infrastructure challenge for the ministry.“The ministry will focus on schools that are not finished on schedule. The most important thing is that our children get a first-rate learning facility,” he told reporters after officiating the new SMK Libaran building yesterday.Radzi said the school, which has 597 pupils and was one of the 23 sekolah tumpang, had co-existed with SK Sungai Padas, a primary school 3km away, for over 22 years.Located 25km from Sandakan, SMK Libaran will start welcoming students from Form One to Five to its new building on July 1.


Trump aide pleads not guilty in Mar-a-Lago documents case

Donald Trump aide Walt Nauta pleaded not guilty at a Miami federal courthouse on Thursday to charges he helped the former US president hide top secret documents that Trump took when he left the White House in 2021.
Attorney Stanley Woodward entered the plea for Nauta at an arraignment lasting a few minutes. Nauta's Florida-based lawyer, Sasha Dadan, was also present.
Nauta smiled at reporters but said nothing on arrival at the courthouse. He and the lawyers left without speaking to reporters as well.
Nauta, a former White House valet and now a Trump aide, faces six counts of conspiracy to obstruct justice, false statements, and withholding and concealing documents.
Prosecutors allege Nauta hid boxes of documents from Trump's lawyers who were searching Mar-a-Lago, Trump's Florida resort, for classified material sought by the US Justice Department.
Nauta also is accused of lying to investigators during a voluntary interview.
Nauta made his initial appearance alongside Trump on June 13 but was not arraigned for lack of a lawyer licensed to practice in Florida. His arraignment was postponed a second time in late June for the same reason.
Dadan, his Florida attorney, is a former public defender who ran unsuccessfully for the state's House of Representatives as a Republican in 2018.
Woodward, based in Washington, has represented others in Trump's circle including former aides Dan Scavino and Peter Navarro, as well as several defendants charged in the Jan 6, 2021, assault on the US Capitol by Trump supporters.
Trump, front-runner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, pleaded not guilty to 37 criminal counts for allegedly retaining national security documents without authorization and obstructing justice.
Prosecutors have asked US District Judge Aileen Cannon to delay the trial until Dec 11. She had set an initial trial date of Aug 14.
Trump is the first US president past or present to face criminal charges in both federal and state courts.
Special Counsel Jack Smith, in charge of the prosecution, accuses Trump of risking national secrets by taking thousands of sensitive papers with him when he left the White House in January 2021 and storing them in a haphazard manner at Mar-a-Lago in Florida and his New Jersey golf club.
In addition to the documents case, Trump is charged in New York with allegedly falsifying business records to cover up hush money payments to a porn star during his 2016 presidential campaign. He pleaded not guilty also in that case.
Trump denies wrongdoing and says the investigations are part of a political plot against him.
Cannon has set a July 14 hearing over how classified information in the case will be handled. Legal experts have said the complexities surrounding the use of highly classified documents as evidence are likely to delay Trump's trial.


US lawsuit casts spotlight on ‘disappeared’ Saudi royal

A US-based lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman centred on a Caribbean oil refinery, but unexpectedly highlighted something else – the disappearance of his main rival.Former crown prince Mohammed bin Nayef (MBN), unseated as heir to the throne by his cousin Prince Mohammed in 2017, has not been seen in public since his detention in March last year.MBN, long seen as the CIA’s most trusted Saudi ally, served as the kingdom’s interior minister from 2012 before becoming crown prince three years later.The lawsuit pointed to government efforts to keep a tight lid on his whereabouts, with documents showing the detained royal was represented by a US law firm that works for his rival.The man behind the lawsuit, Saudi businessman Nader Turki Aldossari, is barred from leaving the kingdom along with his family members, according to letters from his lawyer to President Joe Biden and other US officials.The story began in June last year, when Aldossari filed a lawsuit in Pennsylvania on behalf of his son Rakan, an American citizen, against MBN and other Saudi entities.He alleged they had failed to honour a decades-old contract related to a refinery project on the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia.But the case posed a peculiar conundrum: how to serve a summons to a prince whose whereabouts were unknown?The suit was amended to include Prince Mohammed, stating that he had placed MBN under house arrest and seized his assets, thus preventing him from meeting his contractual obligations.And when Aldossari said a summons could not be served against MBN, the court ordered Prince Mohammed’s lawyers to help ascertain his location.‘Effectively a prisoner’In March, Prince Mohammed’s counsel offered to provide MBN’s address on a “confidential basis”, saying in a court filing that he faced terrorism-related threats due to his previous role as the kingdom’s interior minister.There was no mention of him being detained.Aldossari’s counsel insisted that Prince Mohammed was “holding the former crown prince under house arrest”.“Nayef is effectively a prisoner of… Saudi Arabia,” he said in a filing.But last month, the judge threw out Aldossari’s breach-of-contract case, leaving the questions of MBN’s status and whereabouts unresolved.Aldossari’s lawyer James Tallman told AFP he plans to appeal – as well as fight his own clients’ travel ban, which he fears “could escalate to detention”.Saudi authorities have not publicly commented on the detention of MBN, which laid bare rivalries inside the royal family.Prince Mohammed has detained or sidelined multiple royal rivals in his rise to become the kingdom’s de facto ruler.But a particular target has been MBN, who enjoys “much more support within the royal family”, said Bruce Riedel, a former long-serving American CIA officer.MBN was abruptly removed from the royal line of succession in 2017 after King Salman appointed Prince Mohammed, his son, as crown prince.Since MBN’s detention, the government has been pursuing corruption and disloyalty charges against him, sources on both sides say.‘Incomprehensible’In a report last December, a British parliamentary fact-finding panel said MBN had “not been able to contest his detention before an independent and impartial judge (and) has no access to a lawyer to discuss his situation”.But just days before the Aldossari lawsuit was dismissed, multiple lawyers from Squire Patton Boggs, a Washington lobbying and law firm, registered to represent MBN in the case – while also working for his rival.Squire Patton Boggs did not respond to AFP when asked if they had been directly recruited by MBN, whether they had access to him in detention or how they could simultaneously represent him and the government.Squire Patton Boggs “have never represented MBN before”, a source in direct contact with MBN’s Europe-based legal team told AFP.“MBN has never met them, and it is unclear how they would get access to him… when he has been denied access to his long-standing lawyers, due process, or any kind of communication with the outside world.”The Saudi royal court did not respond to AFP’s request for comment on the law firm’s involvement in the case and on MBN’s detention.Since 2016, Squire Patton Boggs has represented the Center for Studies and Media Affairs at the Saudi royal court, receiving a total of around $2.7 million for the work, according to US justice department filings.A recent US intelligence report said officials associated with CSMARC were involved in Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi’s 2018 murder in Turkey.Squire Patton Boggs also represents Prince Mohammed’s co-defendants in a separate US lawsuit brought by former intelligence czar Saad Aljabri, a long-time adviser to MBN, according to US court filings.A US-based source close to Aljabri said it was “incomprehensible to see lawyers appearing on behalf of MBN in one lawsuit while representing Prince Mohammed’s co-defendants in another lawsuit”.


US takes aim at China over Latin America trade tactics and fentanyl role

Senior US policy makers took aim at China on Wednesday over its approach to Latin America, accusing Beijing of breaching economic norms and urging it to do more to help combat the illegal fentanyl trade.
Testifying before a House of Representatives subcommittee, Brian Nichols, assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere Affairs, reiterated the Biden administration’s view that China’s commercial inroads in the region have been marked by a “lack of transparency” in deals with “strings attached.”
Nichols said Latin American countries have grown tired of China’s investment tactics, feeling “buyer’s remorse,” and that the US needs to provide a viable alternative through diplomacy, foreign aid and private investment.
“It is vital that we answer their call,” he said.
The Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Focusing on the fentanyl crisis, Todd Robinson, assistant secretary of state for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, testified that most fentanyl seized in the US “is trafficked through Mexico using diverted precursor chemicals sourced from the People's Republic of China.”
“We recognise that disrupting the flow of precursor chemicals is crucial," he said.
China has denounced US sanctions on Chinese firms and individuals over their alleged involvement in the fentanyl trade and has accused Washington of trying to deflect blame instead of working to reduce demand for the deadly drug.
Nichols said the US has raised its concerns with China.
“Chinese private companies take the opportunity to sell... chemical precursors to illicit organisations in Mexico which are used to produce fentanyl," he said. “We know that there's more PRC can do in terms of being a better partner in the global community.”
Robinson said Washington has provided Mexican authorities with more than 500 drug-sniffing dogs to help detect fentanyl but he added, “We need to get the Mexicans to do more.”
Fentanyl is a potent opioid about 50 times stronger than heroin, and has increasingly been mixed with other illicit drugs often with lethal results.
In April, Mexico and the US agreed to ramp up the fight against fentanyl trafficking. Both countries have asked Beijing to help curb the shipment of precursors coming from China, in order to prevent production of the synthetic drug responsible for thousands of deaths in the US.


7.6% of children fully jabbed, 38.9% given first dose

A total of 270,282 children or 7.6% of those aged five to 11 had completed their vaccination under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme For Children (PICK) as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow website, 1,380,661 children or 38.9% have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of teenagers aged 12 to 17, a total of 2,867,600 or 92.2% have completed their vaccination while 2,969,812 or 95.5% have received at least one dose.A total of 15,959,507 adults or 67.8% have received a booster shot while 22,959,889 or 97.6% have been fully vaccinated.A total of 23,236,544 or 98.8% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, a total of 58,078 vaccine doses were dispensed, with 8,554 as first doses, 41,430 as second shots and 8,094 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 69,431,570.


Samsung heir gets parole, to be released ahead of Liberation Day

The South Korean justice ministry said on Monday it will release Samsung heir Lee Jae Yong on parole on Friday, just ahead of the country’s Aug 15 Liberation Day.Also known as Jay Y Lee, he was serving a two-and-a-half-year sentence for bribery, and was granted parole at a review meeting on Monday, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing South Korea’s justice ministry.“The decision to grant Samsung Electronics vice chairman Jay Y Lee parole was the result of a comprehensive review of various factors such as public sentiment and his attitude during detention,” Justice Minister Park Beom Kye said in a statement on Monday.Park added that economic concerns are rising amid the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and that was also a factor in the ministry’s decision.Lee has met the requirements for parole eligibility by completing 60% of his prison sentence, and business groups have expressed hope that he can get back to work helping steer the nation’s major conglomerate.Lee was Samsung’s vice chairman and had acted as the company’s de facto head since his father, Lee Kun Hee, suffered a heart attack in 2014.He faced up to 12 years in prison after being charged with bribery in 2017. The case was part of a corruption scandal that led to the impeachment of former South Korean president Park Geun Hye.Lee was originally sentenced to five years in prison in 2017, but that was later reduced to two and a half years before being suspended. The country’s Supreme Court ordered a retrial, and Lee was sentenced to 30 months in prison, which started in January.The verdict against Lee was thought likely to deal a severe blow to the reputation of the nation’s largest business group but Samsung seems to have weathered the storm well, say analysts.Lee is also facing a separate trial related to a controversial 2015 merger and alleged accounting fraud tied to his succession bid at the electronics giant.South Korea’s biggest conglomerates are generally still owned and controlled by their founding families, and there is little appetite for handing over the reins to non-family members even when a senior family member has been jailed.


The Glasgow climate test and humanity’s code red

The climate crisis is a code red for humanity.World leaders will soon be put to the test at the UN Climate Conference – known as COP26 – in Glasgow.Their actions – or inactions – will show their seriousness about addressing this planetary emergency.The warning signs are hard to miss: temperatures everywhere are reaching new highs; biodiversity is reaching new lows; oceans are warming, acidifying and choking with plastic waste. Increasing temperatures will make vast stretches of our planet dead zones for humanity by century’s end.And the respected medical journal The Lancet just described climate change as the “defining narrative of human health” in the years to come – a crisis defined by widespread hunger, respiratory illness, deadly disasters and infectious disease outbreaks that could be even worse than Covid-19.Despite these alarm bells ringing at fever pitch, we see new evidence in the latest UN reports that governments’ actions so far simply do not add up to what is so desperately needed.Recent new announcements for climate action are welcome and critical – but even so, our world is on track for calamitous global temperature rises well above 2 degrees Celsius.This is a far cry from the 1.5 degree Celsius target to which the world agreed under the Paris Agreement – a target that science tells us is the only sustainable pathway for our world.This target is entirely achievable.If we can reduce global emissions by 45% compared to 2010 levels this decade.If we can achieve global net-zero by 2050.And if world leaders arrive in Glasgow with bold, ambitious and verifiable 2030 targets, and new, concrete policies to reverse this disaster.G20 leaders – in particular – need to deliver.The time has passed for diplomatic niceties.If governments – especially G20 governments – do not stand up and lead this effort, we are headed for terrible human suffering.But all countries need to realise that the old, carbon-burning model of development is a death sentence for their economies and our planet.We need decarbonisation now, across every sector in every country. We need to shift subsidies from fossil fuels to renewable energy, and tax pollution, not people. We need to put a price on carbon, and channel that back towards resilient infrastructures and jobs.And we need to phase out coal – by 2030 in OECD countries and 2040 in all others. Increasing numbers of governments have pledged to stop financing coal – and private finance needs to do the same, urgently.People rightly expect their governments to lead. But we all have a responsibility to safeguard our collective future.Businesses need to reduce their climate impact, and fully and credibly align their operations and financial flows to a net-zero future. No more excuses; no more greenwashing.Investors – public and private alike – must do the same. They should join front runners like the net-zero asset owners alliance, and the UN’s own pension fund, which met its 2021 carbon reduction investment objectives ahead of time and above its target, with a 32% reduction this year.Individuals in every society need to make better, more responsible choices in what they eat, how they travel, and what they buy.And young people – and climate activists – need to keep doing what they’re doing: demanding action from their leaders and keeping them accountable.Throughout, we need global solidarity to help all countries make this shift. Developing countries are grappling with debt and liquidity crises. They need support.Public and multilateral development banks must significantly increase their climate portfolios and intensify their efforts to help countries transition to net-zero, resilient economies. The developed world must urgently meet its commitment of at least US$100 billion in annual climate finance for developing countries.Donors and multilateral development banks to allocate at least half their climate finance towards adaptation and resilience.The United Nations was founded 76 years ago to build consensus for action against the greatest threats facing humanity. But rarely have we faced a crisis like this one – a truly existential crisis that – if not addressed — threatens not only us, but future generations.There is one path forward. A 1.5 degree future is the only viable future for humanity.Leaders must get on with the job in Glasgow, before it’s too late.Antonio Guterres is secretary-general of the United Nations.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


New infections at 235 as death toll up by one

Another 235 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,044,439.
There were 216 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,998,219.
There are now 9,253 active cases, of which 8,916 or 96.4% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 330 (3.6%) have been hospitalised.
A total of seven are in ICU with one in need of respiratory assistance.
One more death was reported, taking total deaths to 36,967.


US warships sail through Taiwan Strait for second time this month

Two US warships sailed through the volatile Taiwan Strait on Thursday, the US Navy said, in the second such mission this month, coming almost two weeks after a Chinese aircraft carrier group used the same sensitive waterway, Reuters is reporting.China, which claims democratic Taiwan as its own territory, has been angered by increasing US support for the beleaguered island, which has included arms sales and sailing warships through the Taiwan Strait, further souring Beijing-Washington relations.The US Navy said the guided missile destroyers USS John S McCain and USS Curtis Wilbur had “conducted a routine Taiwan Strait transit on Dec 31 in accordance with international law”.The statement continued: “The ships’ transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the US commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The US military will continue to fly, sail and operate wherever international law allows.”This is the 13th sailing through the strait by the US Navy this year.China’s military said it had tailed the last US warship to pass through the Taiwan Strait on Dec 19 and denounced the mission while claiming to have chased the US destroyer out of the South China Sea.The day after that trip, Taiwan’s navy and air force deployed as a Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the country’s newest carrier, the Shandong, sailed through the Taiwan Strait.China said the group was on its way to routine drills in the disputed South China Sea.


Amber Heard’s defence rests in Johnny Depp defamation trial

Lawyers for Amber Heard, after six weeks of scathing claims and counterclaims of domestic violence, rested their defence on Tuesday in the defamation suit filed by her ex-husband Johnny Depp.Depp’s attorneys responded by asking that Heard’s countersuit against the “Pirates of the Caribbean” star be dismissed but the judge hearing the case in Virginia, near the US capital, declined to do so.Judge Penney Azcarate said enough evidence has been presented for the seven-person jury to weigh the merits of Depp’s defamation suit against Heard and her countersuit against him.The 58-year-old Depp filed suit against Heard over an op-ed she wrote for The Washington Post in December 2018 in which she described herself as a “public figure representing domestic abuse.”Heard, 36, who had a starring role in “Aquaman,” did not name Depp in the op-ed, but he sued her for implying he was a domestic abuser and is seeking US$50 million in damages.The Texas-born Heard countersued, asking for US$100 million and claiming she suffered “rampant physical violence and abuse” at his hands.Depp, during his four days on the witness stand, denied ever striking Heard or any other woman and claimed that she was the one who was frequently violent.Heard testified about a number of occasions during which she said she was assaulted by an intoxicated Depp.‘Chemistry’After the judge denied the dismissal motion by Depp’s attorneys, lawyers for the “Pirates” star called their first rebuttal witness.Walter Hamada, president of DC Comics-based film production at Warner Brothers, testified about Heard’s contract with the studio for the “Aquaman” series.Heard’s legal team has claimed her role and compensation for “Aquaman 2” was harmed by allegedly defamatory remarks made about her by Depp’s former attorney, Adam Waldman.Waldman’s statements form the basis of the counterclaim for defamation filed by Heard, who earned US$1 million for “Aquaman” and US$2 million for “Aquaman 2.”Hamada said Heard’s compensation for “Aquaman 2” was not affected by anything said by Waldman.He said it was not the practice of Warner Brothers to renegotiate contracts although he acknowledged that the studio did so for the other “Aquaman” star, Jason Momoa.Hamada said there had been “conversations” about recasting Heard’s role in “Aquaman 2” but that was because of a perceived lack of “chemistry” between her and co-star Momoa.“The reality is it’s not uncommon on movies for two leads to not have chemistry,” he said. “You know it when you see it.”‘Negative publicity’On Monday, a Hollywood expert called by Heard’s team, Kathryn Arnold, said Heard’s career was set for a “meteoric rise” after “Aquaman” but has been stymied by “negative publicity” surrounding her accusations against Depp.Arnold estimated that Heard has suffered US$45-US$50 million in lost film and TV roles and endorsements.Depp’s lawyers put experts on the stand who testified that he has lost millions because of the abuse accusations, including a US$22.5 million payday for a sixth installment of “Pirates.”Depp’s lawyers also called a psychiatrist, Richard Shaw, on Tuesday to rebut the testimony of a psychiatrist, David Spiegel, who took the stand on Monday on behalf of Heard.Spiegel told the jury that Depp displayed “narcissistic traits,” had possible cognitive issues and a substance use disorder.Shaw said Spiegel was not in a position to render such opinions because he had never personally evaluated Depp and was in violation of the American Psychiatric Association’s so-called Goldwater Rule.The Goldwater rule says it is “unethical for a psychiatrist to offer a professional opinion unless he or she has conducted an examination.”Depp filed the defamation complaint in the US after losing a libel case in London in November 2020 that he brought against The Sun for calling him a “wife-beater.”Depp, a three-time Oscar nominee, and Heard were married in February 2015 and divorced two years later.British model Kate Moss, 48, Depp’s former girlfriend, is scheduled to testify by video link on Wednesday.Azcarate, the judge, has scheduled closing arguments for Friday.


Dong Zong urges govt to stop Umno statements on funds for Chinese schools

Chinese education group Dong Zong has defended the RM15.7 million allocation given to Chinese independent schools throughout the country following comparisons by Umno Youth with the funds set aside for Islamic education centres, urging the government to put a stop to such statements.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Dong Zong deputy president Tan Yew Sing said the amount was nearly the same as that given by the previous government.
He also said that the total expenditure for the 63 Chinese independent schools amounted to some RM400 million.
"Our total fees collected is RM360 million," he said.
"With government subsidies of RM15 million, the community still needs to raise RM25 million in operation expenses. In addition, the development expenditure easily amounts to RM100 million yearly."
The RM15.7 million allocation was questioned by Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who said the amount received by each school was double what was allocated for religious institutions.
Akmal, the state assemblyman for Merlimau, also urged the government to absorb Chinese schools into the national education system if they were facing financial difficulties.
The allocation was announced by Transport Minister Anthony Loke after an application by Dong Zong for special funding.
Chua Kim Boon, the president of Dong Zong's Selangor and Kuala Lumpur chapter, accused Akmal of using the issue for political mileage.
"Escalating racial issues in competition by various political parties will bring no benefit to our people in general and our country in particular.
"The government of the day or the authorities concerned should take stern action to curb or stop all of these statements, whether they are for capturing votes or for inciting racial sentiments for political mileage," he said. Tan, meanwhile, said it was fair for the government to fully subsidise operational education expenses as the community was providing basic education on behalf of the government.
"We are not against the government offering more subsidies to religious institutions," he added.
"The government must have its own basis for the allocation of subsidies."


I saw Bella lying on the floor, burn marks on her neck, witness tells court

A witness told the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur that she saw a teenage girl with Down syndrome known as Bella lying on the floor of the laundry room at a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju without a blanket and mattress with burn marks on her neck.Suhana Zam, 40, a legal research officer at a law firm, said she was on her way to dispose of the rubbish in the laundry room at 4am when she saw Bella lying on the floor without a blanket, pillow or mattress, not covered with anything.“That night, I was doing office work until 4am. When I was about to dispose of the garbage, I did not turn on the lights. I stumbled upon Bella who was lying on the floor of the laundry room and I was shocked and at loss for words because that was the first time I saw Bella in that situation,” she said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Nor Azizah Mohamad at the trial of Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali who is accused of neglecting and abusing the 13-year-old girl.Nor Azizah then asked Suhana what she had done after stumbling upon Bella.“Bella was lying on her left side, I bumped into her and she wasn’t even surprised,” Suhana said.“I paused for about 10 to 15 seconds looking at her, I couldn’t believe what I saw. Then I closed and locked the door, turned off the lights and went into the room to sleep.“I tried to sleep but could not because I was thinking about Bella’s condition. At that time, Haiza was sleeping next to me and I said to her, ‘Do you know where Bella sleeps?’ But I did not tell her because at that time Syahirah was also with us,” said the eighth prosecution witness.Suhana said she saw the incident when she went to the condominium unit with her adopted sister, Haiza, for the Aidilfitri celebration with Siti Bainun and the occupants of the house on May 21, 2021.“I arrived in the afternoon and planned to stay for two days. When I entered the unit, I saw Bella standing by the wall facing the dining table, and there was an injury on Bella’s neck. Her skin was burnt and red,” she said.During the Raya feast, she added, she saw Bella standing by the refrigerator wearing only a T-shirt and trousers.“At that time, Siti Bainun told a resident of the house, known as Aida, to change Bella’s clothes, after Haiza called Bella to join others in the ‘bersalam’ (shaking hands) session in the living room of the condominium,” she said, adding that Bella had looked cheerful and smiled while participating in the session.Suhana, who has been friends with Siti Bainun for 10 years, said Bella was seen hugging Siti Bainun for the longest time and did not want to let go of the hug, but Siti Bainun only said, “Okay, okay.”Asked by Nor Azizah about Bella’s injuries, Suhana replied: “The main injuries were burn marks. I was shocked and asked Siti Bainun what happened to Bella and Siti Bainun said that Bella and her ‘siblings’ were playing with hot water.When asked who Bella’s siblings were, Suhana replied: “Aida and Balqis but not Yasmin, that’s all I know. I told Siti Bainun that she shouldn’t let the girls fight like that and Siti Bainun replied, ‘I can’t do anything because once Aida is angry, she loses her mind.'”Suhana said when she slept at the condominium in April last year, she saw Bella standing by the wall looking unhappy. She said Bella did not dare to look at her but that Suhana did not say anything, only watched television.Nor Azizah asked how long Bella had been standing there and Suhana replied: “I arrived at the condominium around 9pm and Bella was already there. When I went to bed at midnight, Bella was still there. I saw Bella looked sad, scared, not talking and just staring at the floor.”Nor Azizah: Did you ask Siti Bainun why Bella was like that?Suhana: Bella was punished but I did not ask her for what reason.Nor Azizah: How many nights did you sleep at the condo?Suhana: Just one night but Siti Bainun invited me to go over to Zurianty’s house because there was a birthday celebration for Jane, one of the children under her care. Bella was not included and was left alone in the condominium.Suhana said she had seen Bella at the same spot for more than 10 hours when she went to the condo to have breakfast with Siti Bainun at a restaurant in Chow Kit, adding that Siti Bainun gave Bella papers and pencils to draw with, and that Bella was seen sitting on the floor, drawing from morning to evening.“I could see that Bella was not feeling comfortable as she was falling asleep, and when Balqis shouted out to report that Bella was falling asleep, Siti Bainun would call out loudly to Bella from her room, telling her to continue drawing,” said the witness.Siti Bainun, 30, faces two counts of neglecting and abusing the girl, causing her to suffer physical and emotional injuries.She is charged with committing the offences at a condominium in Wangsa Maju between February and June 2021. The charge was framed under Section 31 (1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 and carries a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a fine of RM50,000 or both, upon conviction.The trial before judge Izralizam Sanusi continues on June 13.


Britain's Truss expected to be named Conservative leader, new PM

Liz Truss is expected to be named leader of the governing Conservative party and Britain's next prime minister on Monday, poised to take power at a time when the country faces a cost of living crisis, industrial unrest and a recession.
After weeks of an often bad-tempered and divisive party leadership contest that pitted Truss against Rishi Sunak, a former finance minister, Monday's announcement at 1130 GMT will trigger the beginning of a handover from Boris Johnson.
He was forced to announce his resignation in July after months of scandal and will travel to Scotland to meet Queen Elizabeth on Tuesday to officially tender his resignation. His successor will follow him and be asked to form a government.
Long the front runner in the race to replace Johnson, Truss, if appointed, will become the Conservatives' fourth prime minister since a 2015 election. Over that period the country has been buffeted from crisis to crisis, and now faces what is forecast to be a long recession triggered by sky-rocketing inflation which hit 10.1% in July.
Foreign minister under Boris Johnson, Truss, 47, has promised to act quickly to tackle Britain's cost of living crisis, saying that within a week she will come up with a plan to tackle rising energy bills and securing future fuel supplies.
Speaking in a TV interview on Sunday she declined to give details of the measures she says will reassure millions of people who fear they will be unable to pay their fuel bills as winter approaches.
She declined to comment on a report that her energy plan could exceed 100 billion pounds (US$115 billion), but the lawmaker tipped to be her finance minister, business minister Kwasi Kwarteng, wrote on Monday that the government could afford to borrow more to fund support for households and businesses.
Truss has signalled during her leadership campaign she would challenge convention by scrapping tax increases and cutting other levies that some economists say would fuel inflation.
That, plus a pledge to review the remit of the Bank of England while protecting its independence, has prompted some investors to dump the pound and government bonds.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies cast doubt last month on Britain's next prime minister having room to make large, permanent tax cuts.
Truss faces a long, costly and difficult to-do list, which opposition lawmakers say is the result of 12 years of poor Conservative government. Several have called for an early election – something Truss has said she will not allow.
Veteran Conservative lawmaker David Davis described the challenges she would take on as prime minister as "probably the second most difficult brief of post-war prime ministers" after Conservative Margaret Thatcher in 1979.
"I actually don't think any of the candidates, not one of them going through it, really knows quite how big this is going to be," he said, adding that costs could run into tens of billions of pounds.
Truss has said she will appoint a strong cabinet, dispensing with what one source close to her called a "presidential-style" of governing, and she will have to work hard to win over some lawmakers in her party who had backed Sunak in the race.
The Institute for Government said Truss would have a weaker starting point than any of her predecessors, because she was not the most popular choice among her party's lawmakers.
First, she will turn to the urgent issue of surging energy prices. Average annual household utility bills are set to jump by 80% in October to 3,549 pounds, before an expected rise to 6,000 pounds in 2023, decimating personal finances.
Britain has lagged other major European countries in its offer of support for consumer energy bills, which opposition lawmakers blame on a "zombie" government unable to act while the Conservatives ran their leadership contest.
In May, the government set out a 15-billion-pound support package to help households with energy bills as part of its 37-billion-pound cost-of-living support scheme.
Italy has budgeted over 52 billion euros (US$51.75 billion) so far this year to help its people. In France, increases in electricity bills are capped at 4% and Germany said on Sunday it would spend at least 65 billion euros shielding consumers and businesses from rising inflation.


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US seizes website selling malware that stole computer data

US authorities said on Thursday they seized an internet domain that was selling malicious software criminals used to steal data from and take control of victims' computers.
The seizure of the site, worldwiredlabs dot com, was conducted by federal authorities in Los Angeles as part of an international law enforcement effort, the US Department of Justice said in a statement.
The site sold NetWire, a type of malware called a 'remote access trojan' (Rat), which is "a sophisticated program capable of targeting and infecting every major computer operating system," the statement said.
It allows covert surveillance, creating a "'backdoor' for administrative control and unfettered and unauthorised remote access to a victim’s computer, without the victim’s knowledge or permission," according to court records filed in Los Angeles the statement cited.
It was unclear how many times the malware had been bought off the seized website. The digital rights watchdog Citizen Lab said in a report in 2017 that NetWire first appeared in 2012 and has been used in attacks ranging from credit card fraud to those targetting the healthcare and banking sectors.
"Criminals used NetWire on a global scale, and we have responded by dismantling the infrastructure that has caused untold harm to victims around the world," US Attorney Martin Estrada said in a statement.
A US spokesperson for the investigation did not immediately respond to a request for further comment.
A Croatian national who was the site's administrator was arrested in his country on Tuesday while Swiss law enforcement separately seized the computer server hosting the malware infrastructure, the DoJ statement added.
The seizure comes as UD authorities work on improving collaborations with other countries on investigating cybercrimes, which are often cross-border. A new cybersecurity strategy unveiled by the White House last week called for stronger coalitions with foreign governments.


Confusion and concern among the poor about govt's end-of-life policy for cars

The government's recent announcement that it is looking to implement an end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management policy by 2025 is troubling drivers in the rural and lower-income groups who say they do not understand the plan and fear that they may have to give up their old but still-running jalopies.
Through the ELV policy, vehicles that have reached the end of their useful life can be used for their components.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Adham Baba, in announcing the matter, said it would ensure that the components and usable material from old vehicles could be of use and not simply thrown away.
Similar policies are in place in countries like Singapore and Japan, and in Malaysia, the ELV management plan is currently under study by parties including Adham's ministry and a number of public universities.
A visit by MalaysiaNow to two villages in Sungai Buloh and Shah Alam however found that most drivers did not understand the concepts behind the ELV plan.
Rustam Shah, a restaurant assistant in Kampung Paya Jaras Hilir, said his car is over 20 years old and has been used by two generations of his family.
"What kind of car will they say needs to be dismantled and scrapped?" he asked.
"My car is more than 20 years old but it still works well for driving short distances.
"At any rate, it is the only car that I have," he added. "I have been using it since my father passed away in 2009."  Data from the transport ministry shows that as of May this year, 33 million vehicles were registered in the country, of which 19 million were 10 years old and above.
Part of the government's concern about old vehicles on the road is that they will contribute to environmental pollution and pose a danger to road users.
It also believes that some 70% of car parts can be exported to other countries, bringing returns of up to RM10 billion.
At the moment, though, even some continental vehicle collectors are confused by the plan for an ELV policy.
For them, too, the question is which vehicles will qualify for disposal.
"If they want to recycle vehicle components, they must be clear that it only applies to abandoned or worn-out cars," Ahmad Khalid, who is part of a Facebook group of Mercedes Benz W203 collectors, said.
"The ones left at the workshop or at the side of the road.
"But if vehicles are assessed based on age, what will happen to the cars in our collection? All of them are in good shape and are well taken care of."
He also questioned Adham's statement that old vehicles were being dumped to the point where they had become breeding grounds for dengue.
He said the government should instead focus on a disposal strategy that is environmentally friendly and does not burden the people.
"The cost of maintaining second-hand vehicles is very high," Khalid, a government retiree, said.
"When the government suddenly announces that it wants to do away with them, it makes us feel as if all of our work has been pointless.
"And what about families that only have one car? Do they need to dispose of their cars as well?"
In Singapore and Japan, ELV vehicles enter the used vehicle market in Malaysia where they are sold at cheaper prices.
In Western countries which are among the largest manufacturers of branded vehicles, meanwhile, ELV policies have long been a norm.
Their focus at the moment is on disposing for scrapping or recycling of electrical vehicles whose batteries have expired.
In Shah Alam, a security guard who asked to be known as Nilakantna asked what he would get in return if his 1997 Proton Saga is dismantled for parts.
"Will they pay me anything? If they will, they can take it," he said.
"Otherwise, I will continue driving my car, even though I am no longer allowed to pay for road tax. It's better for me to save my money."


Khalid admits backing developer’s bid for KL land

Amanah’s Khalid Samad has admitted backing a private property firm’s bid to overturn the revocation of approval for the transfer of a plot of land in Kuala Lumpur for a mixed development project in the city centre during his time as the federal territories minister under the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government.The Shah Alam MP made the admission despite a policy by the PH government against ministers flexing their muscle in favour of private companies.Khalid however justified his act, saying the project would benefit the urban poor as part of it was for affordable housing, adding that it was in line with the ministry’s goal of providing one million affordable homes in the capital city.“This was because those in the low- and middle-income groups in Kuala Lumpur needed affordable housing as the price of ordinary homes was beyond their reach,” he said.He said he gave instructions to his aide to follow up on the request by Saujana Beringin Sdn Bhd, a company whose web of ownership has been tracked to several individuals including the younger brother of a former prime minister, because he was not part of the land executive committee for Kuala Lumpur.“As such, it was appropriate that I give my view on this development proposal in writing,” he added.Revealed: Khalid’s personal touch in helping developer’s bid for KL landEx-FT minister Khalid backed private developer’s bid for KL landHis admission came on the back of a revelation by MalaysiaNow that Khalid had breached the policy of the PH government banning any act that could be seen as flexing ministerial muscle.This included issuing support letters as well as giving instructions that could be seen as influencing decisions.“The only thing that is permissible is the use of the words ‘for consideration’ or ‘please look into the matter’,” Khalid’s former Cabinet colleague from DAP, Anthony Loke Siew Fook had said last year.Copies of letters leaked to MalaysiaNow by a senior source in Amanah showed Khalid’s handwritten instructions to his political secretary Azli Yusof to follow up on a letter from Saujana Beringin.They also showed Khalid personally recommending that the request by the developer be approved.He likewise urged the Kuala Lumpur mayor and the chief secretary to the government to approve the transfer of some 26 acres of land for the purpose of mixed development.Khalid in his statement today said he could have erred in his choice of words, but maintained that it was not an instruction.“And it is not possible for a minister to direct the chief secretary who reports to the prime minister,” he added.It is understood that the Federal Territories Lands and Mines Office had approved the company’s application for the land in December 2017, but that this was revoked in November 2018.The company decided to appeal directly to Khalid in December 2018, just six months after his appointment as minister.“We also hope that you can give full support in reconsidering the decision to cancel the transfer of ownership for this land as the proposed development empowers Bumiputera entrepreneurs like us to make a significant contribution to the nation’s economy which at the moment is not encouraging,” the company said in its letter sighted by MalaysiaNow.


Clerk held over RM4 million CBT case

A clerk working at a construction company was detained by the police on Sept 6 in connection with a criminal breach of trust case involving RM4 million.Ampang Jaya district police chief ACP Mohamad Farouk Eshak said the 39-year-old suspect was detained when she came to the Ampang Jaya district police headquarters following a report lodged by a company director in November last year.“The suspect is believed to have made several transactions to her personal account in stages, totalling RM4 million.“She also had access to the company’s bank account because the complainant (company director) had been on sick leave from January 2018 to June 2020, and no other individual had access to the funds,” he said in a statement today.He said that preliminary investigations revealed that two of the woman’s bank accounts were used for transferring funds belonging to the company, adding that the suspect had been remanded for four days to facilitate investigations under Section 408 of the Penal Code.


England suffer reality check in 0-0 draw with US

England suffered a sobering reality check as they were outplayed for long periods by a youthful US side in a tense 0-0 draw in their second World Cup Group B game on Friday.
A 6-2 thrashing of Iran on Monday sent fans' hopes soaring but Gareth Southgate's side were fortunate not to suffer a repeat of their 1950 World Cup calamity against the Americans.
They will still qualify for the last 16 if they avoid a heavy defeat by Wales in their final group game, but they were greeted with boos at the final whistle and will need a vast improvement if they are to have a deep run.
The US produced a high-tempo display but may live to rue not putting away an England side stuck in second gear, although they will reach the last 16 for fifth time since 1994 if they beat Iran.
"A draw's not the worst thing but I felt for stretches of the game we showed dominance," Chelsea's Christian Pulisic, one of five England-based players in the US starting line-up, said.
He struck the crossbar in a first half his team dominated while the outstanding Weston McKennie tormented England and spurned a glorious first-half chance.
England captain Harry Kane sent a late header wide that would have given England a first World Cup win over the US at the third attempt but it would have been a travesty.
While the result, and performance, was desperately disappointing, England top the group on four points and remain in the box seat to reach the last 16.
Iran, who snatched a late win over Wales, have three points with the US on two points and Wales on one. All possibilities are still open in the group next Tuesday.
"Wasn't the best performance for sure," Kane, who remains two behind Wayne Rooney's England record 53 goals, said.
"Good spells with the ball, but we didn't quite have the final product. A draw isn't bad for us. We were playing a tough team and we move on."
For the first time in 54 games England manager Southgate named an unchanged starting line-up but they were unrecognisable to the free-flowing side that demolished Iran.
No impact
They lacked zip and the sight of teenaged midfielder Jude Bellingham, who earned rave reviews against Iran, making no impact and being replaced by veteran Jordan Henderson in the second half just about summed it up.
A day after Thanksgiving there was a carnival atmosphere in tent-like Al Bayt Stadium before kickoff.
The Americans took a while to settle and were fortunate when Kane's shot from Bukayo Saka's cross was blocked by Walker Zimmerman and flew just wide.
After that a nimble and smart US side took charge.
Haji Wright, the only change to Gregg Berhalter's line-up from the opening draw with Wales, headed wide and England had a huge let-off when McKennie half-volleyed over.
Juventus's McKennie, sporting a red, white and blue hairdo, then instigated another move with a surging run before the ball was worked across to Pulisic who crashed an angled left-foot drive against the bar in the 33rd minute.
The chances kept flowing for a slick American side before halftime with Sergino Dest threatening after a weaving run and Pulisic scuffing a header wide.
England finally awoke from their slumber just before the break with Bukayo Saka scooping a shot over before US keeper Matt Turner was forced into his first save of the match, pushing Mount's drilled low shot around the post.
Southgate resisted the temptation to make changes at halftime but the pattern quickly resumed with Pulisic having a shot deflected wide and from the corner England defender Harry Maguire made a crucial intervention with Tim Ream lurking.
He finally turned to his bench for inspiration and brought on Henderson and the mercurial Jack Grealish but to little effect as the game fizzled out into England's 12th goalless draws at the World Cup, the most of any nation in the history of the tournament.


Rosmah fails in bid to disqualify Sri Ram and nullify RM1.25 billion graft trial

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today dismissed Rosmah Mansor’s application to nullify her RM1.25 billion corruption trial over the Sarawak schools solar hybrid project and to disqualify Gopal Sri Ram as lead prosecutor in the case.Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan in his brief decision said the authorisation given by then attorney-general (AG) Tommy Thomas to Sri Ram to conduct the criminal prosecution in Rosmah’s case was without doubt validly done under Section 376 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) in his capacity as public prosecutor.“Thomas clearly stated that he had, after appointing Sri Ram to lead the prosecution in the 1MDB cases, subsequently authorised him (Sri Ram) to conduct the prosecution for the criminal cases against the applicant (Rosmah).“It is public knowledge that Sri Ram had been conducting the prosecution against the applicant from the onset at the High Court, and he did so with a team of prosecutors from the Attorney-General’s Chambers.“It defies belief that Sri Ram could do so without the knowledge and sanction of Thomas being the then AG and also the current AG,” said Zaini.The judge added that he was resolute this authorisation need not be evidenced in writing.“I therefore see no necessity to address the validity of the first written fiat (appointment letter) or Sri Ram’s appointment under it which are the essence of the applicant’s application as I have found his (Sri Ram) appointment by Thomas under Section 376 (3) of the CPC to be valid.“In my view, there is no necessity for the first nor the second written fiat to be issued. It follows that the applicant’s applications for a declaration on, among others, the validity of the first written fiat, Sri Ram’s appointment as a senior deputy public prosecutor (DPP) and for the trial to be declared a nullity must fail,” said the judge.Zaini also said he took cognisance of the fact that the respondent (the prosecution) had issued the second written fiat out of an abundance of caution.“As for the second written fiat which was issued out of abundant caution by the public prosecutor, it struck me that it was issued to allay the applicant’s complaint of Sri Ram’s appointment.“I am inclined to agree with the prosecution’s proposition that the public prosecutor, being an authority empowered to appoint a person to exercise a function, as spelt out under Section 50 of the Consolidated Interpretation Act 1948 and 1967, is entitled to make Sri Ram’s appointment with retrospective effect as set out under Section 50 (b) of this act.“The applicant’s applications are therefore dismissed,” he said.Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, filed two applications at the High Court on May 6 this year seeking to nullify her entire trial, in her bid to be acquitted of all three charges, as well as to remove Sri Ram as lead prosecutor.Rosmah filed the applications after the Court of Appeal on April 8 allowed her appeal to get a copy of Sri Ram’s appointment letter after the prosecution agreed to provide it to the defence team.She brought the matter up for appeal after the High Court dismissed her application over Sri Ram’s appointment letter on Aug 19 last year.Meanwhile, Zaini also dismissed Rosmah’s application for a stay of proceedings pending an appeal against today’s decision to the Court of Appeal on the grounds that nullity is not considered a special circumstance to stay a trial.“A stay of criminal proceedings will only be granted in the rarest of cases. The fact that the proceedings may be rendered a nullity is not a special circumstance. On that basis, I’m dismissing this application for a stay,” the judge added.During today’s proceeding, Rosmah was represented by Jagjit Singh, Akberdin Abdul Kader and Azrul Zulkifli Stork while DPPs Ahmad Akram Gharib and Mohamad Mustafa P Kunyalam appeared for the prosecution.Rosmah is scheduled to take the stand when the defence case begins on Oct 5 after Zaini ordered her to enter her defence on all three corruption charges related to the solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak, on Feb 18, 2021.


Jho Low was 'higher authority' behind 1MDB offshore investment, court told

A former Singaporean banker told the High Court yesterday that based on his observation, fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low was the higher authority who green-lighted the financial decision involving 1MDB offshore investment in Brazen Sky Limited.
Former BSI bank head of wealth management services, Kevin Micheal Swampillai, 59, agreed to a suggestion by Najib Razak’s counsel, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, that that situation made Jho Low seem more powerful, prevailing over 1MDB's two directors, Terence Geh and Azmi Tahir.
Previously, it was established in court that Brazen Sky is a company established on July 12, 2012, in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) as a transit or special purpose vehicle (SPV) to repatriate 1MDB investment funds.
The 44th prosecution witness said it was his impression that Azmi and Geh were not empowered to make any decisions involving the transaction and that they had to refer to a higher authority, which he observed pointing to Jho Low.
He said this during cross-examination by Shafee at Najib’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds. Shafee: Things at Brazen Sky cannot move unless Azmi and Geh say yes, but you said in your witness statement that Jho Low prevailed over them. The decision was in accordance with Jho Low’s decision?
Kevin: Yes.
Shafee: In your witness statement, you also stated that Najib is the higher authority, which you then clarified as a mere assumption, but right now it seems your answer conflicted with paragraph 48 (of the witness statement) regarding the transactions referring to "higher authority" as Jho Low, where Jho Low is prevailing over them (Azmi and Geh)?
Kevin: Yes.
Shafee: It’s not a situation where the then prime minister and finance minister (Najib) prevailed over them (Azmi and Geh)?
Kevin: Yes.
Kevin added he would never think that Najib would be involved in these transactions as these were operational matters that required micromanagement.
Earlier, the witness repeated that Jho Low had threatened to take 1MDB-related businesses elsewhere whenever BSI representatives pressed him for further clarifications or questions on the transactions.
He said, Yak Yew Chee, who at the time was the BSI relationship manager, was the primary person who dealt with Jho Low over the 1MDB-related issues.
“I have no idea where Yak is at the moment. I last met with Yak in Singapore at the start of this year,” said the witness.
The trial before justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.


Alcohol-related deaths in England soar 20% in pandemic

Deaths in England from liver disease linked to excessive drinking jumped by an unprecedented 21% last year, as bored consumers drank more alcohol at home during the pandemic, official data showed today.Pubs, clubs and restaurants were closed for most of the year, but the total volume of alcohol sold stayed the same, suggesting people switched to drinking at home instead, Public Health England (PHE) said.Consumer data showed a 24% increase in the amount of alcohol sold in shops and supermarkets during the year to the end of March 2021, compared with the previous 12 months, reports the BBC.“Our research suggests that lockdown has affected heavy drinkers the most and that they are drinking more,” Rosanna O’Connor, PHE’s director of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and justice, said in a statement.Liver disease was the second-biggest cause of premature death for British adults of working age, she added.The proportion of people who admitted drinking at what British health authorities consider dangerous levels – 50 UK units a week for men, and 35 for women – was nearly 60% higher in March 2021 than in March 2020, before the first lockdown.One UK unit of alcohol is equivalent to 10ml of pure alcohol, with around 10 units in a typical bottle of wine and two to three units in a pint of beer.The authors say the rate of alcohol-specific deaths was highest and rose most during 2020 among more deprived communities.The report reveals that sales of alcohol by volume in settings such as supermarkets increased by 25% in England between 2019 and 2020, equal to an extra 686 million litres, according to data from barcode scanning.O’Connor said that tackling harmful drinking must be an essential part of the Covid recovery plan, according to The Guardian.“Liver disease is currently the second leading cause of premature death in people of working age and this is only set to get worse if the Covid pandemic results in a long-term increase in drinking,” she said.Rajiv Jalan, a professor of hepatology at UCL Medical School, who was not involved in the report, said the rise in deaths from alcoholic liver disease was startling but not unexpected given that the burden of the disease in the UK is very high, and that the report suggests there has been a rise in drinking among those most likely to be affected.“They have now had this second hit from excessive binge drinking and this is on the background of existing liver disease which leads to the development of a condition called acute-on-chronic liver failure that is known to be associated with a high risk of death,” he said.More must be done to tackle alcohol-related liver disease, he said, suggesting England should follow Scotland’s example: “The simplest intervention would be to introduce a minimum price for alcohol.”


Aussie PM Morrison gets Covid-19 jab in ‘massive step’ toward normal

The first Covid-19 vaccine jab in Australia was given to Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Sunday, marking the start of the nation’s vaccination programme described by Morrison as a “massive step” that will enable it to return to normal.Up to four million Australians are expected to be inoculated by March.“This is the beginning of a big game change,” Morrison told reporters moments after getting injected with the Pfizer-BioNtech jab at a medical centre in Sydney. “Every day that goes past from here gets more normal. And that is what is exciting about today.”The Cabinet is to review how its five-stage vaccination programme will change the way the country manages the risk of coronavirus transmission in future, including at its state and international borders, Reuters reports.Australian states have introduced some of the strictest community mobility restrictions in the world to manage the spread of the virus, including intermittent city lockdowns, curfews and border closures.Reporting a second consecutive day with no coronavirus transmission in the community, the nation has had just under 29,000 infections and 909 deaths since March, ranking among the top 10 in a Covid-19 performance index.Morrison said the vaccine addresses his “greatest fear” as prime minister: “Serious disease and the sort of widespread fatalities that we saw overseas.”A small number of older Australians resident in western Sydney, aged-care staff, and frontline nurses and workers were also among the first inoculated, officials said.From Monday morning, a broader “phase 1-A” rollout is to begin among aged-care and disability staff, and border protection and quarantine workers at vaccine hubs nationwide.“Phase 1-B” vaccinations of immunocompromised people and those over 70 years old, as well as indigenous Australians over 55 years old and emergency service workers, are to follow.The vast majority of the population will be injected with the AstraZeneca vaccine, which can be produced locally, by the end of October.On Saturday, thousands of people attended anti-vaccine rallies in major Australian cities to protest what they incorrectly believed to be mandatory vaccinations.


Selangor’s SELangkah app riddled with bugs and data privacy concerns despite ‘re-launch’

A new updated version of the SELangkah application launched by authorities in Selangor recently has raised not only more questions on the quality of the contact tracing software to monitor Covid-19 infections, but also concerns over data privacy.Checks by MalaysiaNow show that the new version of the app offers few functions that are focused on tracing infections, unlike the nationwide MySejahtera app endorsed by federal health authorities.Despite this, the Selangor government has been insisting on the continued use of the app alongside MySejahtera.One additional feature is the inclusion of a login for users, something MySejahtera had already implemented.However, the SELangkah app does not make it compulsory to key in one’s MyKad number, only the name, phone number and a password.Another new feature allows users to scan the MySejahtera QR code as well, although it was found that this would not update the data in the user’s MySejahtera account.The app is also still riddled with bugs despite its “re-launch”, MalaysiaNow’s inhouse IT team has found.For example, tapping on the “screening” feature returns only a string of code.The map showing locations of infections is also not as detailed as the one offered by MySejahtera as the number of cases is not available.Covid-19 hotspots as shown on MySejahtera (left) and SELangkah (right).As of press time, only an Android version of the app was available on Google Play.It is believed that the app’s unresolved issues would mean that the developer has been unable to simultaneously roll out an iOS version as well.MalaysiaNow has contacted Dr Helmi Zakariah, who previously reacted angrily to MalaysiaNow over problems found on the app he developed, but has yet to get a response.Data privacyChecks have also revealed serious loopholes in terms of data privacy for SELangkah users.While the state Covid-19 task force chief Dzulkefly Ahmad has defended the app in the face of recent revelations by MalaysiaNow that it is inferior to MySejahtera, even questioning the federal government’s data privacy commitments, a careful reading of SELangkah’s terms and conditions reveals conflicting claims on data privacy.Selangor’s SELangkah found to be ‘inferior’ to MySejahtera, checks revealSelangor to relaunch SELangkah contact tracing appSelangor continues to fare worst in daily virus spikes despite SELangkah appOn its website, the app developer Selangkah Ventures Sdn Bhd denies that personal data will be used for commercial purposes, saying it is only to allow the state Covid-19 task force and state health authorities “to inform you directly if you have come into contact with a person infected with Covid-19 at the same business premise you visited”.However, terms in its privacy statement on both Google PlayStore and the SELangkah website state that personal data collected from users will be used to respond to their inquiries related to employment opportunities or other requests, as well as to send offers and promotional materials related to the company’s services and for other marketing purposes with the user’s consent.Another clause says the app can track users’ online activities including pages visited.“We may collect information about your online activities, over time and across third-party websites. Such information may be used to provide you with advertising about products and services tailored to your interest or to provide you with enhanced products and services,” according to the terms dated Jan 19, 2021.It also says the company can transfer personal information to third parties in the event of a potential or actual sale or transfer of all or a portion of its business or assets, or other business transactions.The revelation could spark a debate on the real reason for the state to insist on using SELangkah despite the availability of MySejahtera which is found to be more robust in its data interpretation and provides additional layers of security for users.A source who has worked closely with health authorities battling the pandemic told MalaysiaNow that a contact tracing application should not commercialise the data collected from its users.It also questioned the so-called e-commerce features that SELangkah would be dishing out, including to facilitate e-wallet transactions for small and micro businesses.“They cannot be having a contact tracing app and now an e-commerce platform through the app,” it said, adding that there are risks involved in such features.“Whatever scanning users do and their personal information transferred through the SELangkah QR codes could be used for commercial purposes.”


Kedah MB denies bias in nixing public holiday for Thaipusam

Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor today denied that the state’s decision not to observe a public holiday for Thaipusam, which falls on Jan 28, was in order to deny the rights of Hindus.He said worshippers could still celebrate the festival by adhering to the SOPs to prevent the spread of Covid-19.“Everyone has been asked to stay at home following the implementation of the movement control order (MCO).“All this while, Thaipusam has not been a public holiday in Kedah except for the last two years, it has been made as ‘cuti peristiwa’ (special holiday).“The decision has nothing to do with the intention to deny the rights of anyone in this state. Even before Thaipusam was made a cuti peristiwa, it was celebrated freely and merrily in Kedah,” he said in a statement today.The decision not to observe a public holiday for Thaipusam this year triggered criticism from several political leaders including Human Resources Minister and MIC deputy president M Saravanan, who described it as biased.Sanusi said the decision should not be politicised as the country was now facing a bigger issue, that is the Covid-19 pandemic.“With the MCO and emergency ordinance currently in force, any festival can be celebrated on a moderate scale and by strictly complying with the SOPs. Do not politicise everything. This is a matter of safety and the lives of all Malaysians.“If MIC wants Thaipusam to be observed as a public holiday, they can ask the federal government to announce it as a public holiday for the whole country. Kedah already has a decision on this matter,” he said.


Bar Council should condemn Israeli atrocities as well

We refer to the press statement by the president of the Bar Council on March 18. The president writes that the "Malaysian Bar is committed to preserving and protecting the international rule of law, and strongly supports the people of Ukraine in their brave defence of their country". Unfortunately, the Bar Council has taken a position without knowledge about the roots of the conflict. University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer, an international relations scholar, blames the West for provoking the conflict. He writes:
"… the US and its European allies share most of the responsibility for the crisis. The taproot of the trouble is Nato enlargement, the central element of a larger strategy to move Ukraine out of Russia’s orbit and integrate it into the West… Since the mid-1990s, Russian leaders have adamantly opposed Nato enlargement and in recent years, they have made it clear that they would not stand by while their strategically important neighbour turned into a Western bastion..." In a 1998 interview, shortly after the US Senate approved the first round of Nato expansion, US diplomat George Kennan warned, "I think the Russians will gradually react quite adversely and it will affect their policies. I think it is a tragic mistake. There was no reason for this whatsoever. No one was threatening anyone else." We agree with Bar Council’s position that upholding international law is important, and we ask the Council to extend this to the plight of the Palestinian people, too. The Zionist dream of a state exclusively for Jews in Palestine has morphed into a violent rogue apartheid state there. In 2017, the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for West Asia (ESCWA) published a report prepared by two eminent jurists which concluded that, on the basis of scholarly inquiry and overwhelming evidence, Israel is guilty of the crime of apartheid, which is second only to genocide in the in the hierarchy of criminality. Subsequently, Israeli and Western human rights organisations B’tselem, Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International published reports corroborating the finding of ESCWA B’tselem’s report is headlined "A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid".   In its 2022 report, Amnesty International concluded that "the totality of the regime of laws, policies and practices described in this report demonstrates that Israel has established and maintained an institutionalized regime of oppression and domination of the Palestinian population for the benefit of Jewish Israelis – a system of apartheid –wherever it has exercised control over Palestinians’ lives since 1948". The report accuses the international community of standing by as Israel has been given free rein to dispossess, segregate, control, oppress and dominate Palestinians. It warns that inaction in the face of these gross violations has contributed to undermining the international legal order and has emboldened Israel to continue perpetrating crimes with impunity. In fact, some states, particularly the US, have been providing diplomatic cover, including at the UN Security Council, to shield it from accountability. Michael Ben-Yair, a former attorney-general of Israel, wrote in 2022 that Israel’s ongoing domination over the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem is a gross injustice that must be urgently rectified. He said: "It is with great sadness that I must conclude that my country has sunk to such low political and moral depths that it is now an apartheid regime. It is time for the international community to recognise this reality as well." Early last year, the outgoing UN special rapporteur Michael Lynk submitted his report to the UN Human Rights Council on the human rights situation in the territories occupied by Israel since 1967. He concluded that "the political system of entrenched rule in the occupied Palestinian territory which endows one racial-national-ethnic group (Jews) with substantial rights, benefits and privileges while intentionally subjecting another group (Palestinians) to live behind walls, checkpoints and under a permanent military rule… satisfies the prevailing evidentiary standard for the existence of apartheid". He recommends that the international community accept and adopt the findings by Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights organizations that apartheid is being practised by Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory and beyond. Apartheid is among the most serious crimes under international law and all states have a duty to cooperate to end it. The Apartheid Convention empowers states parties to exercise universal jurisdiction over the crime against humanity of apartheid. Thus, Israeli leaders and top military officials can be prosecuted and punished for the crime against humanity of apartheid.    He calls on the United Nations to re-establish the Special Committee Against Apartheid to investigate any and all practices of systematic discrimination and oppression purportedly amounting to apartheid anywhere in the world, including the occupied Palestinian territory.    Since the Bar Council assets that it is committed to upholding to the rule of international law, we call on it to:  1. Issue a press statement condemning Israel for its practice of apartheid against Palestinians.
2. Support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) campaign launched by Palestinian civil society organisations.
3. Organise conferences, workshops and seminars to study the several reports’ findings that Israel practices Apartheid against the Palestinians and formulate a plan to contribute to the global action to dismantle Israeli apartheid. Mohideen Abdul Kader is a board member of Citizens International. The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.