PBS, STAR call truce in 4 seats

PBS has decided to withdraw from the contest for the Tambunan and Bingkor seats and throw its support behind the Perikatan Nasional (PN) candidates from STAR to prevent clashes among Gabungan Rakyat Sabah allies.PN secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin said in return, PN-STAR would mobilise its machinery to support PBS candidates in Bengkoka and Api-Api.“There are no more clashes between STAR and PBS in these areas. This will boost our chances of winning – no threats whatsoever, as they are doing this voluntarily and it is a big sacrifice,” he said at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu today.Hamzah, who is home minister, said PN and PBS would also talk to their supporters to ensure that this cooperation would last until polling day on Saturday.Tambunan is seeing a six-cornered fight with PN-STAR represented by Jeffrey Kitingan and PBS fielding Silverius Bruno. Bingkor is also witnessing a six-way battle which includes Robert Tawik of PN-STAR and Peter Jino Allion of PBS.Samuil Mopun and Yee Moh Chai are the PBS candidates in Bengkoka and Api-Api respectively.Previous reports said STAR was backing independent candidates in Bengkoka and Api-Api.GRS members PN, Barisan Nasional and PBS are involved in clashes in 17 of the 73 seats up for grabs in the state election.Hamzah said GRS members were discussing how to neutralise such clashes to avoid splitting votes for the coalition.“In our bid to take over the (Sabah) government, we want to win big, so we hope there will be no clashes.“We want to show solidarity to recapture Sabah,” said Hamzah, who is also Bersatu secretary-general.Kitingan said his party accepted the arrangement and hoped that it would strengthen the coalition and help topple Warisan.PBS secretary-general Jahid Jahim meanwhile said he had been told by PBS president Maximus Ongkili to cease campaigning in Tambunan and Bingkor and to help the PN-STAR candidates in these areas.


Anger among Philippine victims’ families as ICC suspends war on drugs probe

Relatives of people killed in the Philippines’ war on drugs have accused the government of attempting to evade accountability by asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) to defer its investigation.The ICC, which in September approved an investigation into President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs in which thousands of people have died, on Saturday temporarily suspended the probe at Manila’s request.“I am gripped by anger. I almost threw my cellphone when I read the news,” said Normita Lopez, 57, whose son died in the anti-drugs campaign, her voice cracking with emotion.“They are obviously scared of being investigated,” she said.The government, which previously refused to cooperate with the ICC, told the court on Nov 10, that its legal system was more than capable of addressing suspected rights abuses.“The court may only exercise jurisdiction where national legal systems fail to do so, which is certainly not the case in the Philippines,” its letter to the ICC said.Governments can ask the ICC to defer a case if they are implementing their own investigations. A few weeks after ICC judges approved its probe, the Philippines said it had reviewed 50 cases that indicated foul play.Still, Kristina Conti, who represents Lopez and other relatives of victims, expects the ICC to resume its probe.“Our bet is that the ICC will determine the investigation is not genuine,” Conti told Reuters.Philippine Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said he had encouraged the victims’ families to file complaints directly with the ministry and make use of a witness protection programme.The release of details of the 50 drug war deaths marked a rare admission by the state that abuses may have taken place.“Why is the government only doing this now? Is it because they were rattled by the ICC?,” asked Llore Pasco, 67, whose two sons were killed in the crackdown. “They should have started investigating soon as the killings began in 2016.”Since Duterte unleashed his drugs war, security forces say more than 6,000 suspected drug dealers have been killed because they fought back violently. Rights groups say authorities summarily executed them.Among those killed was high school student Kian delos Santos, whose death in 2017 led to the first convictions of police officers in the drug war, and featured in a report by a former ICC prosecutor.“The families look at the ICC as a source of hope,” said delos Santos’ uncle, Randy.


Sorry.


More evacuations due to floods in Sarawak

The number of victims evacuated to relief centres (PPS) due to floods in Sarawak has increased to 38 with the evacuation of 22 more people from three villages in the Subis district last night.
The Civil Defence Force, in a statement today, said four victims from two families in Kampung Dagang Sepupok Niah, were evacuated to the PPS at the Sepupok Niah community hall.
The remaining 18 victims, from four families, are from Kampung Jenggalas and Kampung Dagang in Bekenu. They were evacuated to the PPS at Bekenu community hall.
Meanwhile, 16 people from three families from Kapit, who were the first group to be evacuated due to the floods in Sarawak, are still at the PPS at the social development and urbanisation ministry hostel in Kapit.


Body of last landslide victim recovered

Rescue teams yesterday recovered the body of the last person unaccounted for after a landslide that flattened a campsite last week, bringing what is thought to be the final death toll to 31.
The landslide occurred in the early hours of Dec 15 at Batang Kali, a popular hilly area about 50km north of Kuala Lumpur, while campers were asleep in their tents, tearing down a hillside and into an organic farm that officials said was not licensed to operate as a campsite.
Among the victims were 11 children and 14 women, according to the fire and rescue department. Of the 92 people initially trapped in the landslide, 61 people were found safe.
Rescue workers, in their ninth day of search operations, found the body of a boy in a sleeping bag while digging through mud and debris, Hulu Selangor police chief Suffian Abdullah said. The boy was estimated to be around seven years old.
Suffian said they believe all victims have now been found, but search operations will continue to assist in investigations.
Initial investigations found that the earth fell from an estimated height of 30m (100 feet) and covered an area of about eight acres.
Landslides are common in Malaysia but typically only after heavy rains. Flooding occurs often, with more than 72,000 people displaced so far this year by torrential rains nationwide.


12.3% fully vaccinated as daily jabs hit new high

A total of 434,828 doses of Covid-19 vaccine were administered yesterday, the highest daily number registered so far, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.He said 279,938 individuals had received a first dose and 154,890 received the second dose.This brings the total number of vaccine shots dispensed nationwide since the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme was implemented on Feb 24 to 12,647,558 doses.“With this development, the total number of individuals who have completed both doses of vaccine stands at 4,003,266 or 12.3% of the Malaysian population,” Adham said.


Anwar slammed for 'flirtatious' joke on Form 6 student

Anwar Ibrahim has come under criticism over a "flirtatious" joke he made to an 18-year-old female student during one of his public dialogues with varsity students, where he said that he would have asked for her number if he were much younger.
"It was a classic and stunning display of discriminatory, bigoted and sexist language by the 75-year-old prime minister to the 18-year-old Adriana," said Bersatu lawyer Sasha Lyna Abdul Latif.
"What sort of example is the country's PM setting for the youth of the nation? That it is fine to ignore the intelligence and capacity of women, and instead treat them as an object of flirtation?" asked Sasha, who is the deputy chair of Bersatu's Legal and Constitution Bureau.
Anwar had made the joke at a dialogue session at Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia in Negeri Sembilan, when replying to questions on the economy and performance of the ringgit by a Form 6 student who introduced herself as Adriana.
Anwar began his answer by praising her on how clearly she relayed her questions, before saying: "Kalau saya muda, saya dah minta nombor telefon dah (If I were younger, I would have asked your number)."
The young moderator then followed up by saying, "Dato' Seri dah dapat, bagi dekat saya (When you get it, pass it to me)."
Sasha said Adriana had posed "serious, well-thought-out questions and deserved a proper answer", but Anwar's response was "inappropriate, discriminatory and sexist".
"Surely the same question would not have been asked if the questions were posed by a boy or a man. To sum up, it is never okay for a leader, and a leader of a nation at that, to utter such words to a student in the guise of being humorous. Anwar should have known better, and the episode reflects ill upon him," she added.
Sasha said Anwar's behaviour was the opposite of the "Madani" and other slogans that he has been promoting "from every forum and pulpit".
She urged women leaders in Anwar's Pakatan Harapan coalition as well as from the federal government to speak up against "this manifest example of sexism by their own leader".
"They must speak up for girls and women or be branded hypocrites," she said, adding that Anwar must publicly apologise to the student and those who attended the event.
On social media, Anwar was criticised for the joke.
"It is a joke. But is it fitting for a nation-state leader?" asked Hazar on Twitter.
"He has done this before with Amelia. Now, with a Form 6 student. This is not okay. It is wrong on so many levels," said Fatihah.
Another user said what was uttered by Anwar clearly falls under the offence of sexual harassment.
"If it happened in an office, the HR would have slapped a sexual harassment warning letter... all the time, and we keep letting him meet our youngsters," said a Twitter post from tsaji_peah.
Another said the scenario would have been different had it been a PAS leader who uttered such comments to the female student.
"If it were a PAS man who said that, there will be droves condemning him for flirting. But it is alright with our Bang Non, we will accept even sexual harassment as long as he gets to become the PM," said Mohammad Faris.


Govt firm on making stalking a crime, says deputy law minister

The government remains determined to criminalise stalking this year, deputy law minister Mas Ermieyati Samsudin said today.In a statement, she said a meeting had been held yesterday with representatives of government agencies including the women, family and community development ministry, the police, Attorney-General’s Chambers and the Malaysian Bar Council, as well as academics and NGOs including the Women’s Aid Organisation.“Efforts to make stalking a crime have been in place since 2019, when an anti-stalking committee was formed,” she said.“Since early 2020, draft amendments to the Penal Code and Criminal Procedure Code have been prepared by the committee, led by the Legal Affairs Division with the involvement of other government agencies and NGos,” she added.“The government is committed to making stalking a crime in Malaysia.”Until the matter is presented to the Cabinet, she added, meetings would continue to be held with MPs, government agencies and NGOs to explain to the public and raise awareness about the effects of such an act on society.She added that a policy paper, along with the proposed amendments to the law, is expected to be tabled to the Cabinet in December.Once they obtain Cabinet approval, she said, the amendments will be tabled in Parliament.


RM5 billion from trust fund for vaccines, immunisation-related expenses, says Khairy

The use of RM5 billion from the National Trust Fund (KWAN) is for vaccine procurement and expenses related to the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme, minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.Khairy, who is in charge of the country’s vaccination programme, said the amount includes vaccine procurement involving an allocation of RM3 billion, and RM2 billion for the implementation of the immunisation programme.“In terms of the use of KWAN funds, the matter will be answered by the finance ministry. I am a user (of the funds), not a provider. The provider of the funds will answer where it took the money from.“I will answer in detail later (on its use) in a press statement… but to look at in a simple way, it is RM5 billion, (that is) RM3 billion for the purchase of vaccines and RM2 billion for the implementation of the immunisation programme,” he said at a press conference in Alor Setar today.He had been asked to comment on the government’s recent move to gazette the Emergency (National Trust Fund) (Amendment) Ordinance 2021, which allows the government to use the funds for vaccine procurement and expenses related to the immunisation programme.Khairy said the total expenditure related to the immunisation programme, including the provision of facilities such as renting halls, utility payments and food preparation, as well as the payment of allowances to staff involved.“For example, today I came to Kedah, the menteri besar of Kedah asked money from me (for the implementation of the immunisation programme) – where do we get the money from? After RM3 billion has been used to buy vaccines, the implementation of the programme will be carried out for free?”He added that RM5 billion is the limit decided by the finance ministry for this purpose so far.


Foreigners with expired social visit passes must leave Malaysia by April 21

The immigration department confirmed yesterday that all foreigners with expired social visit passes would need to leave the country before or on April 21.Referring to news reports about the matter, immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said enforcement action would be taken against those who fail to do so.He added that those who face difficulties returning to their country of origin can request for a special pass to extend their stay in the country but said this would need to be supported by their embassies.“Documentation proving their financial means and residential address while in the country must be attached,” he said in a statement.According to news reports, foreigners from several countries had received emails from their embassies in Malaysia informing them that they have until April 21 to leave the country failing which they could face fines or be detained.The reports said the date was based on the deferment period provided by the government for foreigners possessing expired social visit passes last year after they were stranded due to the movement control order.Referring to the report, Khairul said the department understood that foreigners would face difficulties returning to their own countries because of the lack of flights and the Covid-19 pandemic situation.But he said the department had discovered several cases during enforcement operations in which passes were abused by foreigners, including by working in entertainment outlets, massage centres and being involved in prostitution, scams and other violations of the law.As of last year, 291 enforcement operations had been conducted targeting entertainment premises and massage centres with 1,281 foreigners and 83 employers detained, he said.“Foreigners who have been allowed to stay in the country based on social visit passes must comply with the rules and regulations set under the Immigration Act,” he added.


Trump hints he may run for president again in 2024

Former US president Donald Trump says he has no plans to launch a new political party, telling a conservative conference in Florida that it would split the Republican vote.In his first speech since Democrat Joe Biden became president, he also hinted that he might run for office again in 2024, the BBC reports.Trump strongly criticised his successor, saying US policy had gone from “America first to America last”.His appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on Sunday showed his continuing influence over the Republican party.The mood of the conference has been extremely pro-Trump and the 74-year-old former president was loudly cheered when he appeared on stage.“I stand before you today to declare that the incredible journey we began together four years ago is far from over,” he said. “We are gathered this afternoon to talk about the future – the future of our movement, the future of our party, and the future of our beloved country.”He dismissed any idea that he might start a new political party, describing rumours he would do so as “fake news”.“Wouldn’t that be brilliant? Let’s start a new party so we can divide our vote and never win,” he joked.“We have the Republican party. It’s going to unite and be stronger than ever before.”Despite losing November’s presidential election and being deeply criticised over the January riot, reports suggest Trump remains extremely popular.Last week one US poll suggested 46% of surveyed Trump voters would vote for him if he left the Republicans and started his own party.He hinted at another presidential run in 2024, with a swipe that showed he still believes he won in November, saying: “Who knows? I may even decide to beat them for a third time, OK?”He denounced the new administration, criticising Biden for reversing his hard line on immigration and border security.“We all knew that the Biden administration was going to be bad but none of us even imagined just how bad they would be and how far left they would go,” he told the cheering crowd.The conference is seen as the most influential gathering of US conservatives and a barometer of the Republican party’s political direction.


France counts cost after rare earthquake hits west

Residents of a region in western France on Saturday counted the cost after being stunned by a rare earthquake that has left dozens of homes damaged.
Cracks appeared in several homes in the Charente-Maritime department just north of the major city of Bordeaux, while churches were damaged and inhabitants left in urgent need of resettlement.
There were no fatalities, even though the earthquake was felt as far as Rennes in Brittany in the north and two aftershocks were recorded on Saturday morning.
In the town of La Laigne, many homes were left cracked with stones and tiles on the ground and chimneys looking as though they could tumble at any moment.
The fire service declared dozens of houses uninhabitable.
In La Laigne, "135 buildings were affected by the earthquake overall" and "170 people need to be relocated", said local fire service chief Didier Marcaillou.
"Most of the houses in the centre of the town have been affected to varying degrees. The church is completely unusable. The school will have to be closed as a precaution," added prefect Nicolas Basselier, the top government-appointed regional official in Charente-Maritime.
A baker in La Laigne for 33 years, Cecile Apperce was at her counter on Friday when the earthquake struck. "I thought it was a plane crash, I went outside, everyone was screaming."
"The crockery, the cups, the wine, everything crashed down," said Patricia Chardonne, who was in her 200-year-old house at the time.
Her husband Pascal added: "All the walls have shifted. We have to relocate but don't know where to go."
A queue of 50 people had already formed outside the town hall seeking help.
Deputy mayor Bruno Asperti said: "Stone and two-storey houses were the worst affected. One-storey and recently-built houses less so."
'Unusual earthquake'
The quake was also felt in other areas, including the nearby department of Deux-Sevres where two people were lightly wounded, the emergency services said.
"It is an unusual earthquake on our territory, so I would like to express all my solidarity with the populations who may have been worried," Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne said on a visit to northern France.
"We will obviously ensure that everyone has access to rehousing," she added.
The national network for seismic surveillance Renass recorded the quake at 5.3, while the French Central Seismological Bureau put it at 5.8.
Seismologists said the quake was the most significant in the region since 1972.
Earthquakes at or above five magnitude are unusual in France, with the last such event taking place in November 2019 in the remote southern Drome and Ardeche departments.


BN claims Johor after winning election with just 55% turnout

Barisan Nasional (BN) scored yet another resounding victory at the state level today, winning 40 of the 56 seats in the Johor legislative assembly in an election which saw a voter turnout of just under 55%.Its closest competitors Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional won 11 and three seats respectively while Muda and PKR won one each.The Election Commission said 1,426,573 or 54.92% of voters had gone to cast their ballots.This is BN’s second victory in a state election after Melaka, and seen as part of efforts by convicted former prime minister Najib Razak and his ex-deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to consolidate Umno’s position ahead of the 15th general election.In a press conference at the BN office in Johor, chairman Zahid said a request would be made for Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s consent to the coalition’s candidate for menteri besar.He also named former menteri besar Hasni Mohamad as BN’s candidate for the post once more.He said the formation of a new government would be the start of measures to protect the welfare of the people, beginning with the tabling of the state budget.“We see this victory as a gift to the entire state of Johor which has returned the mandate to BN,” he said.


Govt, opposition MPs unite over flood aid

MPs from the government and opposition blocs today united in a call for special allocations to be channelled directly to representatives in flood-hit areas.
In an emergency motion brought by Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang), they said there was great need of such allocations in addition to the aid given to state governments and agencies.
Many of the calls came from MPs in Johor, which took the brunt of the flood damage with five deaths and over 50,000 evacuated to temporary relief centres last week.
In her motion, Wong questioned the decision to release water from the dams, which was said to have exacerbated the flood situation.
Jalaluddin Alias (BN-Jelebu) meanwhile said that the government should give MPs special allocations so that they could tackle the situation on the ground.
He gave the example of obtaining food supplies for the evacuees, saying this was often repetitive or redundant.
"The welfare department has to ask for a quote. Meanwhile, the victims are sinking and need to eat.
"So let us assign this task to the MPs as they are the ones who need to answer to the people," he said in his debate on the emergency motion.
R Yuneswaran (PH-Segamat) meanwhile said the government should give special allocations to all MPs in Johor.
"From what we can see, the management is not very good," he said.
"The fire department only has three boats when there are 12,000 victims.
"Some officials are left stranded in a tree for eight hours because the boat overturns. These are some of the complaints from the agencies involved."
Yuneswaran added that the people had little understanding of bureaucracy but would ask their MPs about aid and post-flood assistance.
Others asked about allowances for volunteers and NGOs which help in times of such disasters.
Abdul Khalib Abdullah (PN-Rompin) said flood victims had also asked for donations from MPs during their visits to temporary relief centres.
Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar) meanwhile said that the change of government had brought a stop to flood-related projects.
"I suggest we do not put them off for so long that another big flood occurs," he said.


Dr M on money and corruption

The public generally believes that all those who are in a position of power must be corrupt. You can do your best to reject corruption but no one will believe you.Throughout my career I had rejected corruption. I did my best to show that I was not corrupt when I was the prime minister.I did not live a lavish life. Yes, I built two houses but they were built with government loans to which I was entitled and through borrowing from a bank. They were not expensive and I was able to pay the loans with my salary and allowance as prime minister. I don’t owe anything to anyone since then.Actually my pay was more than sufficient to support me and my family. It was sufficient because the government provided me with housing, paid my electricity and water bills, made available to me several motor vehicles, even airplanes for my use.I got paid allowances for moving around the country to do my work or even when taking holidays abroad.The only thing I had to pay for was the food I and my family consumed and my clothing. Even this was not much as I got invited to functions where food was served.I did not ask for scholarships for my children. I could afford to pay for their education. As prime minister, I earned more than 10 times what I earned as a private medical practitioner.I bought no shares except for 200 British American Tobacco shares which I bought before I became an MP. The only shares I bought after I joined the government were those in Permodalan Nasional and other official funds when I launched those funds. But usually not more than 1,000 shares. The return was not big. I did not sell or buy these shares. They remained with the funds and they grow as I did not take dividends. I did not buy shares in the stock market.My children were not allowed to do business with the government. They were not even allowed to be involved in politics. Certainly not to join Umno. Most of the business they did when I was prime minister were in foreign countries. I did not want to be accused of nepotism.As president of Umno I was often offered donations for the party. All those donations were given to Umno. I kept nothing. In fact, I paid for all the campaigning for my own elections. In those days payments for party workers were small and affordable. The normal party allocation for the constituency during elections went to the division and was spent for its management and the conduct of the election. I paid for the cigarettes and nasi lemak occasionally.As prime minister I received a lot of gifts. I did not regard them as given to me personally. I regarded them as gifts to the Office of Prime Minister. Accordingly, I registered them as properties of the government, especially the motor cars. All these gifts are in the Galleria in Langkawi and in my old (prime minister’s official) residence in Kuala Lumpur.All these things I did and more to avoid being accused of corruption. But still, I am accused of being corrupt. In fact, many people believe that I have huge amounts of money stashed abroad. No evidence has been revealed that I have this great wealth. But that does not mean that it is not true that I did not have this wealth. It is just that I am said to be clever at hiding my great wealth.This refusal to admit that I am not corrupt affects my efforts to clean up the country of corruption. When I try to campaign against corruption people became cynical. They just cannot believe I am sincere because apparently, I myself am so corrupt.Yet this anti-corruption campaign is very important as I see how corruption is destroying the country. It has come to the stage when governments can be bought through corruption. And when such a government is installed, government funds would be stolen and the country just cannot develop. It will become poorer and poorer and would fail as a nation.The people will suffer as the cost of dealing with the government would become prohibitive and service would deteriorate. Investments would decline and job creation would not meet the demand of the unemployed workers.So what, some would say. Many countries would be like us.Well, if we are ready and willing to become a failed country it is okay.But we would be looked down upon and would be begging from the rich. We cannot stand tall and be respected.Because of this, I think it is important to elect governments that are not corrupt.Generally the people do not trust politicians. They believe all of them are corrupt. So, many people have decided not to vote in elections.If people do not vote in elections, the corrupt politicians will win as they would bribe their corrupt supporters to vote for them. Then the government of Malaysia would continue to be led by corrupt politicians.But I believe most people do not want corruption to cause us to become a failed nation. We want to become a successful nation. For this to happen we have to fight against corruption.How do we fight corruption? We can campaign to instil in the minds of people the rejection of corruption. We can explain the harm that corruption can do to us, to our society, and to our nation. We must make people aware that corruption is not only about civil servants accepting bribes for the service they are expected to give, but corruption can result in crooks bribing to win elections and form governments or MPs being bribed to bring down an elected government and replacing it with a corrupt government.In Malaysia we have reached the stage where crooks can buy members of elected governments so as to bring down the government and replace it with corrupt members.By this time the whole population will become corrupt as the corrupt government will use government funds to give citizens money to buy support. The cost of doing business would be high, few will invest and businesses will make little profits. With that taxes will not yield enough revenue for the government. Pay for government employees would be reduced. Their purchases would decrease. Retail businesses would suffer, lose profit, pay less tax and government funds would be unable to sustain the services for the people.The country will become poorer and poorer and will be forced to borrow money or beg for aid. The decline of the country would be continuous and all the people would suffer.Clearly, if we do not want these to happen, if we do not want to become beggars, we must reject and rid our country of corruption.For this we must reject corrupt people from winning elections and forming governments.We must monitor closely the performance of governments. There will be false accusation. These will only be accepted if materially proven. It is common for the corrupt to deflect accusations against them by accusing their accusers of being equally corrupt.The struggle against corruption is a holy struggle. In this struggle, we must all be willing to make sacrifices.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Daily cases top 23,500 in new high

Another 23,564 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,513,024.Selangor recorded 6,974 cases, Sabah 2,738, Sarawak 2,548, Kedah 1,932, Kuala Lumpur 1,652, Penang 1,523, Johor 1,323, Kelantan 1,281 and Perak 1,248.Melaka recorded 610 cases, Negeri Sembilan 608, Terengganu 521 and Pahang 517.Perlis recorded 64 cases, Putrajaya 24 and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 257,417 with 1,062 in the ICU and 518 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 21,448 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,241,894.However, 233 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 13,713.


451 reports on vaccine side effects assessed, no deaths linked to Covid jabs

Investigations and evaluations by the Covid-19 Vaccine Pharmacovigilance Special Committee (JFK) of 451 reports on adverse events following immunisation (AEFI) have found that none of the reported deaths were directly linked to the vaccine received.National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) director Dr Roshayati Mohamad Sani said the findings were part of 607 serious AEFI reports received involving deaths among Covid-19 vaccine recipients.The remaining 156 reports are still under investigation pending assessment by the JFK.“All serious AEFI reports require a complete investigation and detailed evaluation before the relationship of the reported effects and the vaccines received can be determined,” she said at a virtual media briefing on Covid-19 vaccine side effects today.She said the NPRA had received a total of 25,746 AEFI reports due to Covid-19 vaccines, including 1,411 reports involving booster dose recipients and 182 reports involving children aged 5 to 11.She said 93% or 23,957 of the AEFIs were non-serious and frequently reported effects such as fever, pain at the injection site, headache and muscle aches which go away within one to two days.Six serious cases of AEFI among children aged five to 11 were recorded as of March 6.Five of the cases required hospitalisation while one case, a seven-year-old girl who had an underlying health condition, was classified as brought-in-dead.“A complete report on this case has not been received as it is still under investigation,” Roshayati said.To date, 1.09 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been given to children aged five to 11 under the Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) which began on Feb 3.


Foreign-born US workers reach pre-pandemic level, census shows

The number of foreign-born workers in the US neared pre-pandemic levels last year, reaching 17.4%, according to government data released Wednesday.The foreign-born labour force increased by 671,000 compared to 2020, rising to 27.9 million, the Labor Department said.However, it remains below the pre-pandemic level of 28.4 million.The unemployment rate for that group fell to 5.6% in 2021 from 9.2% the prior year.The size of the native-born labour force was essentially unchanged last year, though the jobless rate also fell sharply, dropping to 5.3% from 7.8%, the report said.The shortage of workers has become an increasing problem in the US economy, fuelling inflation as companies struggle to fill open positions and bid up wages.Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday repeated the concern, noting that “if you have a slower growing labour market, you’re going to have a smaller economy.”US unemployment in April was 3.6%, only a hair above the pre-pandemic level, but labour force participation has not fully recovered.Hispanics continued to account for nearly half of the foreign-born labour force in 2021, and Asians accounted for one quarter.


Anwar calls for 'meaningful' talks with Singapore on Batu Puteh claim

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wants the claim on Batu Puteh (Pedra Branca) to be reviewed through immediate and more "meaningful" negotiations with Singapore, without jeopardising bilateral relations.
"I have asked the attorney-general (Idrus Harun) for an explanation on the controversial Batu Puteh claim which, as it stands, has been awarded to Singapore by the ICJ (International Court of Justice), and also any other arising implications.
"I asked that (the matter) be looked into so that there can be more meaningful negotiations with Singapore," he said at a media conference after chairing a Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya today.
On Oct 13, former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in a statement, said the Cabinet had agreed for Malaysia to proceed with legal action at the ICJ on the dispute involving the sovereignty over Batu Puteh, Batuan Tengah (Middle Rocks) and Tubir Selatan (the South Ledge).
Ismail said the matter was agreed upon after hearing the presentation and proposals by the special task force to review laws relating to sovereignty over the disputed islets on Oct 7. Separately, Anwar said the Cabinet meeting today discussed several other pending matters, including the royal commission of inquiry (RCI) reports on issues faced by Tabung Haji.
He said the RCI chairman, former chief justice Md Raus Sharif, had given a briefing with discussions to continue in January on the issues concerned as well as proposals on how to improve the management of the Islamic financial institution.
The RCI was set up early this year in accordance with the Commission of Inquiry Act 1950 (Act 119) to investigate management and operation issues faced by Tabung Haji.
It was formed to enable further investigations into arising issues and for recommendations to be submitted to the government to restore the image and confidence of the people in Tabung Haji.


Refer smoking bill to parliamentary select committee, says Anwar

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has suggested that the Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022 be referred to a parliamentary select committee (PSC).
Anwar, who is Port Dickson MP, said the suggestion was forwarded in a letter to Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the leader of the Dewan Rakyat yesterday afternoon.
"I have also sent a motion under Standing Order 54(1) and 54(2) to the Dewan Rakyat speaker (Azhar Harun) about the matter," he said in a Facebook post.
In his motion to Azhar, Anwar said the bill should be referred to the committee so that it can scrutinise and review issues regarding constitutional enforcement as well as matters related to the implementation of the control of tobacco products and smoking.
"The committee should comprise a number of MPs representing all parties, led by the health minister.  "For the purposes stated above, the committee can invite any party, including MPs, legal and constitutional experts, NGOs and civil society, as well as other individuals to attend the sitting," he said.
Meanwhile, during the debate session, two MPs agreed with Anwar’s suggestion that the bill be referred to the committee.
Dr Kelvin Yii (PH-Bandar Kuching), who is also the health, science and innovation special select committee chairman, said they agreed in principle with the bill but felt that the bill should be reviewed from angles other than public safety.
Nazri Aziz (BN-Padang Rengas) meanwhile said he agreed with the suggestion to refer the bill to the committee to fine-tune and consider other aspects before being passed.
The Control of Tobacco Products and Smoking Bill 2022 was tabled for a second reading by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He is expected to wind up the debate for voting when the debate session continues today.


Israel ratifies law limiting conditions for a Netanyahu ouster

Israel ratified a law on Thursday limiting the circumstances in which a prime minister can be removed, despite worries voiced by a government jurist that it may be meant to shield the incumbent Benjamin Netanyahu from any fallout from his corruption trials.
The amended definition for the "incapacity" of national leaders is among legislative measures by the religious-nationalist coalition that have tipped Israel into crisis, with the opposition arguing that judicial independence is in peril.
The coalition says the overhaul is aimed at pushing back against what it calls Supreme Court over-reach and restoring balance among branches of government.
By a 61-to-47 final vote, the Knesset approved the bill under which prime ministers can be deemed unfit – and compelled to step aside – either if they or three-quarters of cabinet ministers declare them so on physical or psychological grounds.
The stipulations fleshed out a quasi-constitutional "basic law" that provides the government with guidance in the event of a non-functioning prime minister – but which previously lacked details on circumstances that may give rise to such situations.
According to the Israel Democracy Institute think tank, the rule had earlier left Netanyahu vulnerable to a possible assertion of his incapacity by Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, should she perceive an attempt by him to halt his three court cases.
The new law precludes this, IDI senior researcher Amir Fuchs said – while adding that he had considered such a finding by Bararav-Miara to be an unlikely "extreme case".
Netanyahu denies all charges against him, and has cast the trials as a politicised bid to force him out of office.
Baharav-Miara – who was appointed by the former, centrist Israeli government – said last month that Netanyahu must stay out of his coalition's push for a judicial overhaul because of what she deemed a conflict of interest arising from his trials.
Baharav-Miara's deputy, Gil Limon, voiced misgivings over the incapacity bill during a Knesset review session on Tuesday.
"What we see before our eyes is a cluster of legislation elements that are most troubling and are being advanced at great speed," Limon said, according to an official transcript.
"They have the potential to serve the personal interests of a man regarding the outcomes of legal proceedings he is facing."
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel filed a Supreme Court appeal against the new law. Should the court rule to overturn the law, that would in itself fuel the feud.
"Netanyahu and his coalition of corrupt men are trying every possible maneuver in their attempts to escape the threat of justice," a statement from the watchdog group said.


More men declared bankrupt than women over past 5 years, says minister

More men have been declared bankrupt than women over the past five years, at 35,856 versus 13,254, says Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Azalina Othman Said.
In an oral response at the Dewan Rakyat today, she said the data, collected by the insolvency department from 2018 to 2022, was worrying as those declared bankrupt would need government assistance to begin afresh.
She said the women and family development ministry would need to look for ways to tackle the situation as soon as possible.
The insolvency department said at the beginning of February that personal and business loan debts were the main factors for bankruptcy in the country.
It estimated a total of 49,133 bankruptcy cases reported since 2018, of which 42.24% or 20,754 were due to personal loan debts.
Last year, a total of 5,695 bankruptcy cases were administered by the department, a slight decrease from the 6,554 cases recorded in 2021.
In 2021, the department processed 8,351 cases. It processed 12,051 cases in 2019 and 16,482 in 2018.
The highest frequency of bankruptcy cases came from the 35 to 44 age bracket (37.5% or 18,454 individuals) followed by the 45-54 age bracket (25.95% or 12,752 individuals) and 25-34 age group (20.97% or 10,302 individuals).
Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan meanwhile questioned the department's strategy for handling the issue, saying it was overly harsh against those who fail to pay off their debts, especially the youth.  "Those who commit corruption on a grand scale are imprisoned for 10 years or more, and then released," he said.
"But those who take small loans of tens or hundreds of thousands are declared bankrupt for life.
"According to the records, 270,300 were declared bankrupt as of 2020 – about 1,000 people a month when the OPR was raised."
Azalina acknowledged that there were those who became bankrupt as victims of circumstance.
She said such individuals were unable to pay their credit card bills, vehicle loans and personal loans.
She added that the insolvency department was looking for ways to grant automatic relief to such people under more compassionate circumstances.
"For example, those aged 70 and above who have health problems or who are physically challenged," she said.
"They need to be considered for automatic relief, such as is granted in other countries."
She said the matter was however complicated as creditors such as banks could still object to the process of releasing those who are declared bankrupt.
"That's why the insolvency department is looking at a more automated way to release them, in line with the changing times," she said.
From 2018 to 2022, she said, a total of 87,427 individuals had been released from their bankruptcy status by way of a release certificate from the director-general of insolvency.


Sorry.


Myanmar junta says failing to halt surge in drug trafficking

Myanmar junta authorities said they torched almost half a billion dollars worth of illegal drugs on Monday, but warned they were failing to stop a surge in production and trafficking of narcotics.
Head-high piles of heroin, cannabis, meth and opium were burned in commercial hub Yangon, AFP reporters said, in an annual spectacle to mark International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking.
Televised torchings also took place elsewhere in the country, with a total of US$446 million (about RM2 trillion) of narcotics going up in smoke according to junta officials.
But in a rare admission, the head of Myanmar's Central Committee for Drug Abuse Control said its efforts to crush the multibillion-dollar trade were having no impact.
"Even though countless drug abusers, producers, traffickers and cartels were arrested and prosecuted, the production and trafficking of drugs have not declined at all," Soe Htut told the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
The "Golden Triangle" border region between Myanmar, Laos and Thailand has long been a hotbed of illegal drug production and trafficking, particularly of meth and opium.
This includes Myanmar's Shan state – Southeast Asia's primary source of meth, according to the UN – home to a patchwork of ethnic rebel groups and militias aligned with the country's army.
Analysts say the military – which ousted an elected government and seized power in 2021 – is not serious about ending the lucrative trade.
The army is "actually the ultimate protection cartel of the trade, and have been for many years", independent analyst David Mathieson told AFP.
The burning comes as the United Nations reported record seizures of crystal meth last year in Myanmar and said opium poppy farming had seen a revival in the chaos unleashed by the coup.
More than 23 tons of crystal meth was seized in Myanmar in 2022, the UN's Office on Drugs and Crime said earlier this month.
Wholesale and street prices for meth across Southeast Asia were falling or at record lows, it added.
"The most powerful regional trafficking networks are able to operate with a high degree of certainty they can and will not be stopped," it said.
Opium poppy production in Myanmar also ramped up dramatically following the coup, the office said in January, as political and economic turmoil drove farmers to cultivate the crop.
The area of land used for opium poppy is now at just over 40,000 hectares, the UN said – around half the size of New York City.


Malay rulers to meet as search for PM continues

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has called a meeting of the Malay rulers at Istana Negara tomorrow, as the search for the country's next prime minister continues.
The palace said in a statement today that the meeting would allow Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to obtain the views of the Malay rulers in making a decision for the interests and well-being of the country as well as the people.
"His Majesty urges the people and all parties to remain calm and to wait patiently until the process of forming the new government is complete," it said.
"The people have made their decision in choosing their representatives. It is now up to these representatives to find a solution to the troubles shackling the people."
The Istana's statement followed a series of audiences this morning, with Barisan Nasional leaders Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Mohamad Hasan, Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali and Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun among those seen entering the palace compound.
Several Gabungan Parti Sarawak leaders were also called for an audience, including Fadillah Yusof and Alexander Nanta Linggi.


Is there room for the office in the post-pandemic world?

With work from home orders now the norm for many industries operating in the shadow of Covid-19, the future of the traditional office space appears up in the air with some organisations saying a return to the physical workplace is unlikely.The arrival of Covid-19 in the country early last year saw the beginning of a shift away from brick-and-mortar buildings as businesses and companies scrambled to find ways to continue operating under the government’s movement control order (MCO) which shut down all but essential services for three months until June.While businesses were allowed to resume normal operations under the conditional and then recovery phases of the MCO, some appear more than happy to keep things online as they have been for the better part of a year.“We’ve been working from home since last year and we don’t really plan on going back any time soon,” the CEO of a start-up in Kuala Lumpur told MalaysiaNow.“Our office is rented in Mid Valley so we have decided to forgo it since it’s just been sitting there collecting dust for the past year.”According to a study by JLL Property Services, 81% of millennials feel that they are technologically ready to work from home while 52% said they are comfortable with such an arrangement.“We’ve been working from home since last year and we don’t really plan on going back any time soon.”At the start-up in Kuala Lumpur, all 12 employees have been working from home for more than a year.And with hashtags like #WorkFromHome and #WFH trending across the world, the arrangement looks here to stay.“A lot can be done with good communication,” the CEO said. “That’s why we are choosing to work from home even for the rest of this year.”For this company as well as many others, technology has helped bridge any gaps in communication left by the pandemic. Discussions are held on Slack and and daily briefs are conducted through Google Meet.“We even have one of our employees in Syria and we adjusted to suit his time zone as well,” the CEO added.“They don’t want to pay for nothing.”At a nearby office building, an administrator told MalaysiaNow that several tenants had pulled out from their rental deals for the next six months as they are unsure of how long the uncertain situation will last.“They don’t want to pay for nothing. When the MCO started again, they just went with the easiest option of operating from home,” she said.But while millennials and those able to adapt to remote working may be moving away from the office, the JLL Property Services study adds that these spaces will likely never completely disappear.Offices have a reputation for being the “optimal working environment for socialising and providing an irreplicable culture”, it said.It also spoke of a post-pandemic push for “re-purposed or re-designed work areas” to provide “infrastructure and collaboration among the teams of remote and on-site staff”.For now, though, companies such as the Kuala Lumpur start-up are ready to go remote for the long haul.“We did this for so long and it works, so why change?”


MCO to continue, says PM

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today said that the movement control order (MCO) will not end as scheduled on June 28.He said the first phase of the National Recovery Plan would continue until the threshold value hits below 4,000 Covid-19 cases per day, adding that the MCO will remain in force until all three indicators for transition from Phase One are achieved.Speaking to reporters after visiting the vaccination centre at the Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, he also said the government would announce more comprehensive assistance for all segments of society early next week.“Now they say the MCO is about to end. I want to say that from now on we don’t call it MCO, but we say we are in a particular phase and now we are in Phase One (of the National Recovery Plan) until July, maybe the middle of the month or so.“It is wrong to say June 28 is the end of the MCO,” he added.“I want to say we are still in the first phase of the National Recovery Plan, and this will continue until the threshold value of below 4,000 cases is reached, cases in the ICU have dropped from the critical level and vaccinations have increased.”Health Minister Dr Adham Baba previously said the country could move into Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan if the daily average number of Covid-19 cases drops below 4,000 for seven consecutive days.He said ICU bed utilisation should also be below 75% with 10% of the population vaccinated.Muhyiddin today said the assistance to come would include aid for SMEs.“We are aware that everyone is waiting to see how the government is going to help those affected during this phase (of the National Recovery Plan) and subsequent phases until the end of the year.“Of course, there will be assistance for the B40, M40 and loan moratoriums for the T20 (eligible) group.“We have taken into account the needs of all these groups more comprehensively than before. I will announce the details tomorrow or the day after, so that everyone knows where we stand.“But what’s important is that support is given to all groups in society. There may be an increase in the form of assistance to be extended,” he said.He also said the government was paying special attention to Selangor as it was still recording daily infections of over 2,000.He said if an area in the state is placed under enhanced MCO, the lockdown order will be more strictly enforced.“There are many cases in Selangor whether at work, in residential areas or communities. If you want to reduce the rate, attention should be paid to these areas (under EMCO).“Maybe we will take another follow-up step so that overall case numbers across the country continue to go down, but what is important is the cooperation of all. The public needs to adhere to SOPs,” he said.


Tajuddin fined RM1,500 for going maskless at PC

Former Prasarana Malaysia Bhd chairman Tajuddin Abdul Rahman has been issued a RM1,500 compound for failing to wear a face mask during a press conference on May 25.Dang Wangi police chief ACP Mohamad Zainal Abdullah, in a statement today, said the compound notice was issued under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Measures within Infected Local Areas) Regulations 2021 as required under the movement control order.The RM1,500 compound will be issued in the near future, he said.Zainal also advised the public to continue adhering to the SOPs set by the National Security Council to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.The police had opened an investigation paper after videos of Tajuddin wearing a face shield but not a face mask at the press conference went viral on social media.Individuals called to give their statements pertaining to the case at the Dang Wangi police headquarters included Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman who had posted a tweet on Tajuddin’s action.


Measures to help Malaysians in job scams to be discussed at Dewan Rakyat

Measures to assist Malaysians who have been cheated and kidnapped in employment scam syndicates, especially in Southeast Asia, are expected to be the focus at the Dewan Rakyat today.
According to the order paper on Parliament’s website, questions on preventive action by ministries as well as Malaysian embassies to eradicate employment fraud will be raised by Mohd Fasiah Mohd Fakeh (Bersatu-Sabak Bernam) to the foreign minister during Minister’s Question Time.
Also listed is a question by Wong Hon Wai (PH-Bukit Bendera) who will ask the finance minister whether a financial crisis is taking place given the fall in ringgit value compared to the US dollar, the rising inflation, as well as the worsening government debts.
During question time, Wan Hassan Mohd Ramli (PAS-Dungun) will ask the transport minister about the control of domestic flight ticket prices, said to be unreasonably expensive.
Anwar Ibrahim (PH-Port Dickson) meanwhile will ask the domestic trade and consumer affairs minister to comment on the performance of the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation in combating overall inflation, which has risen to 4.4%. The Dewan Rakyat is also expected to focus on the tabling of the Trade Union (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Environmental Quality (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2022, the Commercial Vehicles Licensing Board (Amendment) Bill 2022, and the Land Public Transport (Amendment) Bill 2022 for second reading.
Also listed for second reading are the Control of Tobacco Product and Smoking (Amendment) Bill 2022 (under consideration by the special select committee) and the Food (Amendment) Bill 2022, as well as the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases (Amendment) Bill 2021.
The Dewan Rakyat is scheduled to sit for 32 days from Oct 3 to Nov 29.


Former deputy minister Lajim Ukin dies of Covid-19

Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia executive chairman Lajim Ukin died of Covid-19 at the KPJ Specialist Hospital in Kota Kinabalu this morning.His death was confirmed by his wife Normilah Siong when contacted by Bernama. She said that Lajim, 66, died at 6.23am.His special officer, Ismail Norazman, said the remains of Lajim, who was also the former Sabah deputy chief minister, will be brought to his hometown in Kampung Kebatu, Beaufort for burial.“Thank you for all your prayers. May Allah place him among His pious servants, all his sins are forgiven and all his good deeds are accepted,” he said in a statement today.At 2pm on Aug 24, Lajim, who was a member of the Bersatu Supreme Council, was placed in an induced coma at the same hospital for follow-up treatment due to Covid-19 infection.Ismail said the hospital had previously informed them that Lajim’s oxygen reading showed good progress during the treatment period. However, his condition deteriorated early this morning before he passed away.Lajim previously served as deputy chief minister of Sabah for three terms from 1999.He was also the deputy minister of transport from 2008 to 2009, and the deputy minister of housing and local government from 2009 to 2012.Lajim joined Umno in 1994 and was appointed as the Beaufort Umno division chief before joining PKR in 2016. He then joined Bersatu before being appointed as a Bersatu Supreme Council member for the term 2019 to 2022.


Whither Amanah? After power comes survival

The move by an Amanah trio to switch allegiance to PKR has raised many questions, including about the future of Amanah itself, a party which was catapulted to federal power just three years after its inception.Once part of the government, Amanah now faces an erosion of trust among its own members who have chosen to leave.The latest episode of party-hopping within Pakatan Harapan (PH) has led to angry public exchanges between Amanah and PKR leaders, while social media channels have turned into battlegrounds.It also shows how PH and its chairman, Anwar Ibrahim, have not been at the forefront to douse the flames.At the time of writing, there has yet to be an official statement from PKR justifying its acceptance of the Amanah assemblymen. As partners in PH, it would seem only proper that PKR consult Amanah before accepting defecting members, in the spirit of camaraderie and friendship.Once part of the government, Amanah now faces an erosion of trust among its own members who have chosen to leave.But how does the entire episode affect Amanah?Amanah was established by a group of former PAS leaders, known as G18, who lost the party elections in June 2015.They quickly mobilised themselves, launching a new movement called “Gerakan Harapan Baharu” (Movement for New Hope) at the Bakri PAS division in Johor.The plan was to ultimately form a new political party, to provide a platform for a “progressive” and “inclusive” Islamic party. These elements form the basis of the party, apart from the theme of “Rahmatan Lil ‘Alamin” (Mercy to the Worlds).The movement soon took over an inactive party, the Malaysia Workers’ Party, rebranding it as Parti Amanah Negara which was launched Sept 16, 2015, on Malaysia Day.A week later, it joined PKR and DAP to form PH. Bersatu later became a fourth component to face Barisan Nasional (BN) and PAS in the 2018 election.Starting with a bangIn the two years after its inception, Amanah was to play a significant role in PH.It won 11 federal seats and 33 state seats, a huge achievement for a new party. Amanah was also allocated three senatorships in the Dewan Negara.During its time in government, Amanah failed to make use of opportunities that would have strengthened its political position.The influx of new members led to a diversity of ideas in Amanah. But this was a new environment never before managed by those in positions of leadership. Before it could digest its new membership composition, it was time to hold elections.The ensuing polls of 2019 which saw a scramble for top positions served as a turning point in the understanding of issues facing Amanah today.The party polls saw a collision of groups at the division and state levels as well as its youth and women’s wings, although the national leadership was spared a similar battle. As a result, those who were defeated decided to take a recess. Some even left the party.The scars from those elections remain fresh even today, inhibiting to some extent Amanah’s strength as a party. Pioneer activists who had been there from the start were no longer active following their defeat.Although it spent 22 months in power, its leaders were busy adjusting to their roles in the government at the cost of the party’s own strength.From its position as a ruling party, Amanah is now back in the opposition. It can no longer ride on the strength of its place in the government, and its support has waned alongside its resources.Mahathir or Anwar?The Sheraton Move which precipitated the downfall of the PH government had a profound impact on Amanah as it did on other parties.The political turmoil brought its leaders face to face with two sets of dilemma in choosing their political stance, ultimately causing members to lose confidence in the party’s leadership.The first dilemma was choosing between Mahathir and Anwar. This poser saw the rise of two main groups.Those who felt that Mahathir should lead the effort to restore the people’s mandate pointed to his influence, saying it should not be dismissed. There were efforts to return Mahathir as prime minister again based on this argument.Mahathir’s supporters were convinced of his ability as well as his organisational strength and discipline. After all, he had made several difficult decisions as head of PH, some with a heavy heart.The Sheraton Move which precipitated the downfall of the PH government had a profound impact on Amanah.But in its bid to outweigh the combined strength of BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN), PH could not find a majority even with MPs from Mahathir’s Pejuang bloc or Warisan in Sabah. This led to the idea of a “grand coalition”, which received a cool response from PKR.But there were also those in Amanah who admired Anwar and who accused Mahathir of not fulfilling his promise to transfer power to the PKR leader. They questioned those who continued rallying behind Mahathir, attributing their stand to their indebtedness to the former prime minister for their Cabinet positions.This second group viewed Mahathir as one who no longer commanded influence and who had become a liability to PH. They felt that PH should emerge from Mahathir’s shadow and focus on Anwar if the coalition was to see its power restored.It is these opposing groups in Amanah that have been on a collision course.While mixed seats can ensure victory, most of those contested by Amanah are predominantly Malay areas.This scenario has yet to take into account the 52 seats contested by Bersatu in the general election. Which party from PH would contest these seats? Even if they are distributed among Amanah and PKR, the question remains whether they can deliver these seats to PH when the polls are held.This leads back to the matter of Amanah’s strategy to retain its 11 federal and 33 state seats in the next election. Failure to defend these seats would reflect the party’s inability to manage the issues discussed above. The next general election will pose a huge challenge for Amanah to draw up a winning formula.What future for Amanah?Its declining popularity points to a gloomy future for Amanah, which must arrest this trend immediately.The party’s eroding support and the trust between members and leaders must be nurtured again, failing which it must prepare to face an exodus similar to that seen in Selangor and Johor.Seen from another perspective, it shows the weakness of Amanah’s leadership in dealing with internal crises.For instance, Mohamad Sabu, the Amanah president, has failed to calm long-drawn tensions. He has not been at the forefront to play the role of peacemaker between opposing groups in his party.Likewise, the recent Amanah convention showed no initiative by the president to chart a fresh party direction.Amanah is sinking in a pile of issues. Its leaders are not at the front line to champion the people’s grievances.Najib Razak and Umno leaders seem to be more vocal in highlighting these topics despite being part of the government.It would come as no surprise if Amanah’s brand lacks prominence in the minds of voters. It will be a challenge, therefore, for Amanah to survive after the next polls.GE15 may not be contested with the same vigour as the previous election. Kleptocrats, thieves, bandits and GST are no longer the issues.Instead, the Covid-19 pandemic and other frustrations will affect the voting pattern.Is Amanah ready to face the fluid political dynamics?Beyond coalitions, Amanah must be able to survive on its own. Its internal strength and unity need to be rebuilt.In short, can Amanah survive?Hisommudin Bakar has closely followed Amanah since its inception in 2015. He is executive director of Ilham Centre, a research firm that has been studying Malaysian elections and politics since 2006. This article is written exclusively for MalaysiaNow.


Scammers, dodgy fundraisers and cancel culture thrive as politicians milk social media post-floods

Scam fundraisers, dodgy NGOs and money laundering activities are threatening to cloud the good work done by genuine groups and individuals as politically linked social media users indulge in cancel culture using slogans and hashtags to form public opinion in the aftermath of the floods that have ravaged several areas in the Klang Valley.Checks by MalaysiaNow revealed that while politicians partied online by attacking their enemies over the perceived failure to manage the floods, several of them were also behind donation drives that fuelled suspicion of acts in contravention of the Anti-Money Laundering and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.“They would usually announce their success in collecting huge amounts of money from the public, but there is almost nothing to back this claim,” said a veteran NGO activist who has experience mobilising help for flood victims in the past.Speaking on condition of anonymity due to what he said was a rampant display of “cancel culture” in Malaysian cyberspace, the activist warned that natural disasters and public hardships are fertile ground for businessmen and rogue politicians to launder money.“They give cold hard cash in the millions to their NGO setups or their political friends, who will then announce the amount collected from the public.“It is not only a modus operandi during natural disasters. This tactic was used in the past by a certain think tank which conducted opinion polls backed by hundreds of volunteers and so-called donations from the public,” he added.Ruling politicians at both the federal and state levels have come under public criticism for their perceived failure to mobilise evacuation and rescue efforts in Selangor, which bore the brunt of the floods.Heavy rain on Dec 18 inundated major parts of Shah Alam and Klang, as well as Hulu Langat, with areas such as Klang, Batu Tiga and Taman Sri Muda being the worst hit, causing the loss of lives and the displacement of thousands.A blame game soon ensued with Selangor’s ruling politicians pointing the finger at the National Disaster Management Agency for its response to the floods.This was followed by cybertroopers taking potshots at their intended targets while praising their political masters by flooding social media pages with pictures of them wading through knee-deep waters.Checks showed that a form of cancel culture, ostracising individuals from the public, has been rife over the past week, fuelled by cybertroopers and supporters of politicians.Many of the posts are littered with vulgar language and images, and are retweeted by users through accounts which appear to have been only recently set up.A quick check also revealed that many of the accounts using hashtags such as #kerajaanbangsat, which was trending on Twitter last week, could have been fake or shell accounts, using questionable profile pictures with a handful of followers whose identities are equally suspicious.“What is worse is, they use hashtags such as #kitajagakita or #rakyatjagarakyat in the most dishonest ways, especially after collecting public funds and posing for pictures,” said the activist.One Amanah politician who was scorned for disappearing to an overseas ski resort returned to lambast the authorities in an interview he gave outside a relief centre run by aid workers. But a viral video later showed aid workers at the centre distancing themselves from Hasanuddin Yunus, saying the Hulu Langat MP was not connected to them, and accusing him of riding on the works of others.Yet another politician, Rina Harun, found herself at the receiving end of social media’s cancel culture, including from prominent politicians who resorted to questioning her marital status.Absence of audit, transparencyBut beyond the online emotions and anger over the management of the floods is a much bigger concern over the transparency of groups and individuals who claim to have collected millions of ringgit from the public to help flood victims.MalaysiaNow can confirm that some of the groups collecting funds from the public have suspicious backgrounds, with many of them linked to prominent politicians as well as a new political party trying to use the natural disaster as a catalyst to boost its membership.One such group is led by an individual who had been spearheading a campaign against the government’s Covid-19 vaccination drive.Checks showed that the anti-vaxxer had collected more than RM70,000 in donations for flood victims through a mobile app to collect funds from the public as well as communicate with volunteers.“But there is no way of finding out how the money is managed. There is a huge financial black hole, where questionable characters have been cleverly evading proper audits and authorities,” said an aid worker.


'Pineapple Express' storm wallops California

Dozens of evacuation orders were in place Friday as a powerful atmospheric river, known as a "Pineapple Express," surged into an already-sodden California, sparking warnings of widespread flash flooding.
Up to 23cm of rain were expected in some parts of the state, with several feet of heavy, wet snow falling over mountains where a huge snowpack has built up over months of near-record storms.
Forecasters said the Pineapple Express – so called because it is bringing warm, sub-tropical moisture from Hawaii – could cause some of that monster snowpack to melt, overwhelming river systems.
"Rainfall totals of 4-9 inches, atop areas with saturated soil and deep snowpack will cause widespread and severe flooding impacts," the National Weather Service (NWS) warned.
"Higher elevations in northern California and the Sierras will receive a heavy, wet snow leading to difficult travel."
US President Joe Biden on Friday approved an emergency declaration for the state, clearing the way for federal assistance to help local agencies.
The move came after a request from California governor Gavin Newsom, who said he was mobilising resources to help anyone in need.
"California is deploying every tool we have to protect communities from the relentless and deadly storms battering our state," Newsom said.
The bulk of evacuation orders affect northern California, with seven rivers expected to burst their banks.
Many of them flooded at the start of the year as a daisy chain of atmospheric rivers dumped trillions of gallons (liters) of rain on the state.
More than 20 people died as back-to-back storms washed out communities, bringing down trees and causing landslides – and emergency services now are worried the fresh storms could cause more problems.
'Stay at home'
San Mateo County Sheriff said two people whose car was crushed by a falling tree in Redwood City were expected to be okay.
"Stay home tonight if you can, folks," the sheriff's office tweeted, alongside a photo of the mangled car.
"If you must drive in the storm, deputies are here for you, day or night."
The Sierra Nevada mountain range has been buried in unusually heavy snow for weeks.
As more moved in on Friday, a number of ski resorts shut their gates, citing weather worries.
In South Lake Tahoe, the weight of the accumulated snow brought down the roof of a gas station, sparking a fire, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
Local fire marshal Kim George said crews had responded to similar calls over the last few days.
"No one has been hurt in any of these incidents, which is remarkable," the Chronicle quoted her as saying.
In the San Bernardino Mountains, in the south of the state, most communities have dug out after days or even weeks of being cut off.
But local sheriffs said one man appeared to have taken things a bit far when he stole a municipal snowplough.
The suspect, named by law enforcement in Big Bear as Jonathan Hernandez, allegedly drove off with the vehicle on March 4.
He didn't manage to cover his tracks all that well though – the plough had a GPS device and when officers followed the signal they found the stolen vehicle with Hernandez still sitting inside.


PM improves rating as economy, not politics, remains people’s greatest concern, survey finds

A survey of voters in Peninsula Malaysia shows a 67% approval rating for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, an improvement from three months earlier, with the strongest support coming from the Malays followed by the Indian and Chinese communities.The findings come on the back of indications that the authorities are in for a longer battle against the Covid-19 pandemic, with cases on the rise since the easing of lockdowns under the movement control order (MCO).The survey, involving 2,111 people aged 21 and above, carried out between March 31 and April 12 by pollster Merdeka Center, also found that more people (41%) felt the country was headed in the right direction, compared to 32% who felt that way in January.Just over half (51%) said they were satisfied with the government’s management of the economy while 43% were dissatisfied.On the management of the pandemic, 70% said they were happy with how the government was handling the problem, a marked increase from the earlier survey in January when daily cases spiralled to 4,000 with only 53% saying they were satisfied with Covid-fighting measures.Meanwhile, some 46% of those surveyed said the country was “headed in the wrong direction”, a drop from 54%.“Those who expressed the view that the country was headed in the right direction cited positive feelings towards the administration as well as recognition that the public’s welfare was being taken care of,” Merdeka Center said.“Those who felt the country was headed in the wrong direction cited concerns over political stability and unfavourable economic conditions.”A chart by Merdeka Center showing how Muhyiddin Yassin has fared with voters since May 2020.The economy remained at the top of participants’ concerns (57%), followed by the Covid-19 pandemic (16%).Interesting, only 2.4% cited politics as a concern despite an increase in political overtones from both sides of the divide on Muhyiddin’s fragile majority.The poll found that economic concerns were due to voters’ personal financial conditions, with 57% saying they were “worse off” compared to their situation a year earlier.A majority of respondents (68%) felt that Malaysia’s economic conditions were negative compared to a year ago, when the full brunt of the lockdowns related to Covid-19 was yet to play out.Merdeka Center said the improvement in rating for Muhyiddin could be linked to the reopening of the economy as well as the vaccination programme.“This is manifested in the still strong approval for the prime minister and reasonable confidence in the handling of the pandemic and economy – despite the still stressed conditions voters report for their own personal financial conditions and their perception of the economy,” it added.It said financial assistance for households and businesses, and the easing of conditions for people to withdraw from the Employees Provident Fund, had “buoyed public perceptions of the government and its leader”.


Putrajaya prepares to jump-start domestic tourism as pandemic stubbornly lingers

Fearing a complete wipe-out of the country’s tourism industry as the Covid-19 crisis appears set to continue well into next year, government leaders are considering jump-starting the industry by allowing more Malaysians to travel to domestic destinations.MalaysiaNow understands that high-level talks in recent days on tourism, which bore the brunt of the various pandemic-related lockdowns throughout the country, discussed easing restrictions on travelling to these sites for those in green zones without need for clearance from the local police.It is believed that the tourism, arts and culture ministry has also come up with a set of SOPs for such a plan, which would open travel for those residing in green zones to other parts of the country.“However, the easing of restrictions would only apply for those travelling under tour agencies,” a government source told MalaysiaNow.“Essentially, the plan is to allow travel not only within green zones, but also to states where the conditional movement control order (CMCO) has been declared.”MalaysiaNow also understands that the Cabinet and senior health officials were briefed on the plan by Nancy Shukri, the tourism minister.Travellers are split into three categories: those in green zone states travelling within the same state, those travelling to other green zone states, and those heading to destinations where some form of MCO is in place.The majority of states are under CMCO, which restricts non-essential cross-border and outstation travel.While tourist attractions are spread evenly across the nation, some of the most popular destinations are located in the rural parts of the peninsula, with beaches and coastal areas a natural choice.The tourism and hospitality industries were among the first to be ravaged by the pandemic following the grounding of flights into the country, and were further impacted when the MCO was declared in March.A window of hope was seen in the middle of the year when the lockdown was eased, with many hotels and tourist destinations reporting capacity crowds of local travellers.But the respite was short-lived, with a fierce spike in new cases since September seeing authorities report four-digit figures on a daily basis.Last week, the Malaysia Budget Hotel Association warned that a continuation of the CMCO could force at least 40 hotels in major cities to close, and leave some 2,000 people jobless.“There is no other way. Hotel operators cannot afford the expenses including employee salaries. Just imagine, even to get a one-night booking (for a room) is difficult. How can we survive in a month or two?” the association’s president Emmy Suraya Hussein was quoted as saying by Bernama.The same source told MalaysiaNow that all zones labelled as yellow, orange and red would remain off-limits to travellers.It is believed that the proposal to ease restrictions on tourism has been well received by the police and other enforcement authorities.Under the proposal, tourists must produce personal identification documents, proof of accommodation bookings, as well as registration with MySejahtera, Putrajaya’s app to track people’s movements to prevent the spread of Covid-19.


Najib arrives at court from Kajang Prison

Najib Razak arrived at the Kuala Lumpur court complex this morning for his 1MDB trial at the High Court.
Najib, wearing a dark blue suit, arrived at the complex at 8.26am in a black SUV escorted by police vehicles.
Najib faces 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.
On Tuesday, he was sent to Kajang Prison after the Federal Court upheld his 12-year jail sentence and RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million in SRC International funds.
A five-member bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat dismissed Najib’s appeal to set aside the conviction and sentence imposed by the Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28, 2020.
Najib on Dec 8, 2021, failed to overturn the ruling after the Court of Appeal upheld the High Court's decision.


Employers question longer quarantine, fortnightly Covid tests for workers under new SOPs

The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) today questioned the SOPs for quarantine and testing under the government’s National Recovery Plan (NRP), saying the latest rules appear at odds with Putrajaya’s stated goal of easing movement restrictions for the fully vaccinated and addressing the balance between lives and livelihoods.MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the organisation had received many complaints from its members about the SOPs which state among others that the quarantine period including for fully vaccinated workers is 14 days.“During MCO 1.0 when vaccines were not fully rolled out, the quarantine period for staff to work offsite was only three days,” he said.He also questioned the need to test all employees in the manufacturing, construction, mining and quarrying sectors in areas under the first three phases of the NRP on a fortnightly basis.“Given the cost of RTK Antigen test kits at RM40 each, a manufacturer with 1,000 employees would have to pay RM80,000 to test all employees every two weeks.“In a month, the cost would amount to RM160,000 just for test kits.”In a statement, he cited a loss of productivity due to such disruptions, the stress to logistics operators and the anxiety levels of staff who would have to provide samples for testing every two weeks.“We are also perplexed by the requirement to test all employees contrary to the policy to test symptomatic employees only and to exclude asymptomatic individuals.“Businesses are just opening up with no jobs yet in hand while having to deal with collection and cash flow issues,” he added.“The latest SOPs will just kill more businesses.”Adding that extra costs and stress to businesses at a time when they could not even manage salaries and overheads was “too much”, he said: “This is not right.”


2021 tax files open for submissions

Online submissions of tax returns for 2021 will be accepted beginning March 1, the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) said today.In a statement, it said the submission of tax return forms through e-filing for Forms E, BE, B, M, BT, MT, P, TF and TP can be made through the official HASiL portal.“Taxpayers are advised to submit their return forms and to pay their income tax within the stipulated period,” it said.“Return Form submission status, refund process, e-Ledger and monthly tax deducations can be checked through MyTax.”LHDN also advised taxpayers to keep all necessary documents including income statements, receipts and invoices for at least seven years as stipulated under Sections 82 and 82A of the Income Tax Act 1967.“This is to facilitate the e-filing process as well as future compliance checks by HASiL,” it said.Inquiries and feedback can be channelled to HASiL through its careline (03-8911 1000), live chat or through feedback forms at LHDN’s official portal.


Shamsul who? Voters in Anwar loyalist’s seat don’t know their MP, survey finds

A survey of voters in a constituency held by a loyalist of Anwar Ibrahim shows the PKR president receiving only 4% endorsement as prime minister, far behind Muhyiddin Yassin who had 50% support for the top job.The survey in Hang Tuah Jaya, a Melaka federal seat held by PKR’s Shamsul Iskandar Akin, involving 500 eligible voters, was carried out by Invoke, a data analytics firm headed by another loyalist of Anwar, former Pandan MP Rafizi Ramli.In the survey commissioned by news outlet Malay Mail, it was found that most constituents (89%) did not recognise Shamsul while 74% said they never received any assistance from him.The survey, conducted over a one-month period between Aug 26 and Oct 2 last year, is part of a wider survey “to gauge voter sentiment six months after the formation of the unelected Perikatan Nasional government”, the Malay Mail said.It involves 6,000 voters spread over six constituencies represented by senior politicians. Apart from Hang Tuah Jaya, the five other constituencies surveyed are Gombak, represented by former PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali, Johor Baru (Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir of PKR), Seremban (Loke Siew Fook of DAP), Tanjong Malim (Chang Lih Kang of PKR) and Wangsa Maju (Tan Yee Kew of PKR).Invoke concluded that the findings on Shamsul brought into question his ability to retain the seat at the next general election.It said the low rating for Anwar showed that voters were not only unconvinced of the PKR leader, but “have moved on from the previous prime minister”.“The lack of confidence in its leader in addition to the low visibility of Shamsul Iskandar as the MP could mean that PKR will lose its hold on the Hang Tuah Jaya seat,” Invoke said as reported by Malay Mail.Earlier, the same survey carried out among constituents of Gombak, a stronghold of Azmin, also showed Muhyiddin trumping others for the top job.One of its findings showed Azmin, who broke ranks with PKR to form the Perikatan Nasional coalition with Muhyiddin following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government last year, as a highly recognised MP, with 50% of voters able to name him.Those surveyed in Gombak also placed Muhyiddin far ahead for the prime minister’s job (46%), compared to Anwar (8%) and Najib (3%).


Bill to abolish mandatory death penalty tabled for first reading

The Abolition of Mandatory Death Penalty Bill 2023 was tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat today.
It was tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said.
Azalina said when tabling the bill that it would be presented for second reading during the current sitting.
According to the blue copy of the bill circulated in Parliament today, it aims to abolish the mandatory death penalty, change the punishment to life imprisonment and whipping, as well as provide for matters related to it through the amendment of seven related acts.
The acts are the Penal Code (Act 574), Firearms (Increased Penalties) Act 1971 (Act 37), Arms Act 1960 (Act 206), Kidnapping Act 1961 (Act 365), Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 (Act 234), Strategic Trade Act 2010 (Act 708), and Criminal Procedure Code (Act 593). The amendments to the acts are in line with the government's policy to abolish the mandatory death penalty in all legislation.
In addition, the amendment to Act 574 is being made to replace the mandatory death penalty with a discretionary death penalty, including for offences under Sections 121A, 130C, 302 and 374A of the Penal Code.
With the amendment, the courts will have discretion on whether to impose a death sentence or prison sentence for a period not exceeding 40 years.
The government previously agreed to abolish the mandatory death penalty by imposing an alternative sentence subject to the courts' discretion.
The decision was reached following the presentation of a report by the Special Committee to Review Alternative Sentences to the Mandatory Death Penalty at the Cabinet meeting on June 8, 2022.


Free tickets abound as supporters seek to fill up cinemas for Anwar film

Free tickets have been offered on social media to fill up cinemas nationwide for screenings of the recently released movie on Anwar Ibrahim, in a move seen as ramping up support for the prime minister's six-month-old government ahead of elections in a number of critical states this year.
Supporters have taken to their social media pages to dangle free tickets for the public to watch "Anwar: The Untold Story", with one pro-Anwar political writer making no secret of the political undertones in his offer.
"First come, first served. Those aged 25 and below are encouraged," said Mohd Sayuti Omar in a Facebook post believed to be aimed at young and first-time voters whose support at the upcoming state elections would be critical to stopping a repeat of the trend at the general election last year where younger voters were thought to have embraced Perikatan Nasional (PN) in most Malay-majority constituencies.
Checks on social media revealed that similar offers had been put up, telling the public to snap up "a limited number" of free tickets to watch the Indonesian-made movie.
Government leaders have also been promoting the movie, with Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil urging the public to watch the film which captures the years before Anwar's dramatic exit in 1998 from then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad's government.
"Reliving the twists and turns of Anwar's journey in the movie made us all teary-eyed, especially so for his family members who watched it.
"I would recommend to my friends to go catch the movie’s first screening in the cinemas on May 18," Fahmi had said.
The film's executive producer, Zulkiflee Anwar Haque, had cited surveys in saying that people had been flocking to watch it at major cinemas in the Klang Valley, adding that some cinemas were "fully booked and reserved in advance" for screenings.
While government supporters gave rave reviews of the movie, critics have dismissed it as Anwar's propaganda, with vocal former Umno man Khairuddin Abu Hassan describing it as "useless" and "nauseating".
Another critic said the film was filled with with bad script and acting.
"Cringey, bad dialogue. Actors were in dire need of a dialect coach," said Neddo Khan on Twitter, referring to the Indonesian cast who dominate the film.
He also mocked repeated instances in the depicting Anwar as a politician who consistently fought against corruption.
"That 'consistent fight against corruption' in this film is 'mentioned so consistently' to the point of making us disgusted. It's a movie – you can illustrate it without shoving it in our faces through cringey dialogue," Neddo said.
He also said there was a need for a film that "truly reflects the Anwar-Mahathir relationship".
Anwar was finance minister and deputy prime minister before Mahathir sacked him on grounds of immorality in 1998.
After leading anti-Mahathir street protests, Anwar was charged with sodomy and jailed for six years before his release in 2004.
In 2015, he was again sent to prison for a similar offence before being granted a royal pardon in 2018 during Mahathir's second stint as prime minister.


Results of govt study on ivermectin as Covid treatment to be tabled soon

The results of the ivermectin treatment effectiveness test on high-risk Covid-19 patients (I-TECH Study) are expected to be presented to stakeholders of the health ministry by end of this week, the Dewan Negara was told today.Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali said the I-TECH Study, which recruited 500 patients, was now in the final stage of the study analysis.“So far, the evidence to support the use of ivermectin to treat or prevent Covid-19 infection is very limited. On July 28, the Cochrane Library issued a statement not supporting the use of ivermectin to prevent or treat Covid-19 based on a systemic analysis of 14 clinical studies involving 1,678 participants.“The Cochrane Library summarised the need for better quality research data to be published for analysis,” he said during a question-and-answer session.The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases that contain different types of high quality, independent evidence to inform healthcare decision-making.Noor Azmi was answering a question from Bashir Alias who wanted to know the status of the I-TECH Study carried out by the health ministry and about scientific evidence at the international level as well as measures taken to overcome the problem of ivermectin use at present.Noor Azmi said there had also been large-scale clinical studies recently involving Covid-19 patients who were not hospitalised and had mild symptoms, such as the testing of ivermectin to prevent the hospitalisation of patients with Covid-19 in Argentina and a joint trial in Brazil which found ivermectin to be ineffective in preventing hospitalisation.On steps taken to overcome the use of ivermectin, he said the ministry’s Pharmacy Enforcement Division was always monitoring and ensuring health products and medicines marketed are registered with the Drug Control Authority before being sold to the public.According to him, the Pharmacy Enforcement Division received 175 complaints on ivermectin throughout last year until September 2021.“Based on verification carried out, a total of 17 premises were raided in 2020 with a total seizure of RM7,193. This year, 43 premises were raided and 17 inspections were carried out, with total seizures amounting to RM124,815,” he said.He also said that from last year until now, educational efforts had been carried out through the uploading of 128 posters and information on Facebook or social media as well as 10 posters that were specifically related to Covid-19.


Fire kills 5 at world’s largest vaccine producer

Five people have been killed in a fire at the world’s largest vaccine producer in western India, the BBC is reporting.The blaze started on Thursday afternoon in a building which was still under construction at the Serum Institute of India (SII). The cause of the fire has not yet been identified.Video and pictures from Reuters partner ANI showed thick plumes of black smoke billowing from a multi-storey building in SII’s massive headquarters complex in the city of Pune in Maharashtra state.The city’s mayor confirmed that five people had died at the facility producing the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine, known locally as Covishield.The Serum Institute’s CEO, Adar Poonawalla, tweeted: “We have learnt that there has unfortunately been some loss of life at the incident. We are deeply saddened.”Poonawalla, whose family owns SII, was quoted by broadcaster CNBC-TV18 as saying that the fire would mean delays in launching new products as equipment worth millions of dollars has been damaged.“However, I would like to reassure all governments and the public that there would be no loss of Covishield production due to multiple production buildings kept in reserve to deal with such contingencies,” he said.Covishield is one of two vaccines approved by the Indian government for use in its inoculation programme, which began last week and is the largest in the world, aiming to vaccinate 300 million people by early August.Many other low and middle-income countries are also depending on the Serum Institute for production of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine.The vaccine is already being shipped to countries such as Bangladesh, Nepal, the Maldives and Bhutan.


Sorry.


New cases back over 2,000 but recoveries still ahead

Another 2,063 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 307,943.Selangor recorded 630 cases followed by Sarawak (361), Penang (337), Johor (255), Kuala Lumpur (120) and Perak (101).Negeri Sembilan recorded 91 cases, Sabah 78, Kelantan 44, Pahang 13, Kedah 12, Terengganu 10, Putrajaya seven, Melaka three and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 23,161 with 193 in the ICU and 99 in need of respiratory assistance.Fourteen more clusters were detected:1. Industri Subang (Petaling, Klang and Kuala Selangor in Selangor; 171 screened, 47 positive)2. Lagenda Suria (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 63 screened, 31 positive)3. Jalan Bukit Tiga (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 140 screened, 14 positive)4. Jasmnie Empat (Hulu Selangor in Selangor; 351 screened, 17 positive)5. Jalan Damansara (Petaling in Selangor; 70 screened, 11 positive)6. Tapak Bina Queens Waterfront (Barat Daya and Timur Laut in Penang; 709 screened, 145 positive)7. Jalan Distripark B6 (Johor Bahru in Johor; 63 screened, 25 positive)8. Batu 21 (Kulai and Johor Bahru in Johor; 91 screened, 15 positive)9. Persiaran Kempas Baru (Johor Bahru in Johor; 150 screened, 27 positive)10. Jalan Kabel Gemilang (Johor Bahru in Johor; 22 screened, 12 positive)11. Jalan Maju Satu (Johor Bahru in Johor; 90 screened, 10 positive)12. Jalan Limau Manis (Kluang and Johor Bahru in Johor; 49 screened, 13 positive)13. Jalan Kebun Nenas (Seberang Perai Tengah and Seberang Perai Selatan in Penang; 326 screened, 94 positive)14. Tapak Bina Nilam Sari (Seremban in Negeri Sembilan; 84 screened, 30 positive)Eleven others ended, leaving 490 active clusters across the country.Another 2,922 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 283,629.However, five more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,153.


Fishermen to submit memo against Penang reclamation project to Agong

Over 4,000 people, including fishermen, held a peaceful protest against the Penang South Island (PSI) reclamation project at Pantai Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar in Bayan Lepas yesterday.
Penang State Fishermen Association (PenMutiara) chairman Ibrahim Che Ros said they would hand over a memorandum objecting to the project to Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to urge him to understand their plight.
"We are currently completing the memorandum and will hand it to the King soon so that he can understand what will happen to us if the PSI project continues.
"We are also planning to hold a protest against the PSI project in Parliament soon and we will hand a second memorandum to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and we hope he will listen to the voice of the fishermen," he told reporters after the peaceful protest today.
Meanwhile, South Penang Fishermen Association chairman Arshad Omar said PenMutiara members were not forced to join the protest as they have to follow the regulations of the association.
Over 80% of 1,500 fishermen showed up at the protest today and allegations that the association could block their living allowance and diesel subsidy were untrue as it was approved by the fisheries development authority of Malaysia.
The protest began at 10.30am and ended an hour later without any incident, and was attended by locals, and members of non-governmental organisations including Penang Forum, Sahabat Alam Malaysia, Lestari Khazanah Alam Pulau Pinang and the Consumers' Association of Penang.