Non-medical face masks don’t need Sirim approval, say health experts

Health experts have questioned the government’s decision to require manufacturers and importers of non-medical face masks to apply for MS Sirim certification before the products are sold on the local market.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they queried the purpose of mandating approval from Sirim, an agency under the purview of the science, technology and innovation ministry, after more than two years of dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.They also said that non-medical face masks do not require Sirim certification, voicing doubt over whether there is any recognised industry standard for masks in that category to begin with.Dr Sanjey Rampal of Universiti Malaya said so far, there had only been guidance on how to wear face masks more effectively, adding that even this was not consistent.He also said there was still no strong evidence on the effectiveness of face masks in general in reducing the current spread of Covid-19.“We don’t need Sirim certification for non-medical face masks,” he said, adding that face masks were not a cost effective option during the pandemic phase.The domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry said on April 7 that effective Jan 1 next year, non-medical face masks would require Sirim certification before they can be sold in the market.It said companies that fail to comply with the directive could be fined up to RM200,000 for a first offence, and up to RM500,000 for subsequent offences.Manufacturers and importers meanwhile can be fined up to RM100,000, jailed up to three years or both for a first offence.Many had questioned the decision, asking if it would result in certain quarters having a monopoly over the sale of non-medical face masks.M Mohan, director of healthcare provider Click2Health, said this was a legitimate concern given that the issue of industry monopolies was becoming more serious.For the sale of face masks, he said, it was the large number of manufacturers that made it difficult for one or two companies to monopolise the market.“The production cost is not high, which allows the continued survival of many entrepreneurs and companies,” he added.He theorised that the government had made the decision as no one had expected the pandemic to continue until today.“It looks like the pandemic will be around for a long time more, and the sale of face masks has become a big business,” he said.“More and more people are becoming involved in the production of face masks. Sirim certification could ensure that consumers do not end up buying face masks of poor quality.”The Federation of Private Medical Practitioners’ Associations Malaysia however questioned the move as well, pointing out that imported medication and surgical supplies do not require approval by Sirim.“If someone in Malaysia can produce, market and sell their own products without needing Sirim approval, and buyers can accept these in terms of face value, why the need for a Sirim certificate?” its president Dr Steven Chow asked.Sanjey meanwhile said that the increasing evidence showing the airborne spread of Covid-19 should encourage a change in strategy towards better ventilation.He said authorities should also recommend the use of face masks with higher filtration rates in high-risk areas.“But more filtration layers will make it difficult to breathe, so these should be used only for short periods of time,” he said.


Artwork depicting MPs as monkeys catches Selangor ruler’s eye

Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah appears to have taken a liking to a piece of art depicting a parliamentary session in Malaysia with MPs portrayed as monkeys and frogs.Pictures of Sultan Sharafuddin standing beside the painting were shared on the Selangor palace’s Instagram and Facebook accounts.“A painting had attracted the attention of the Selangor ruler,” the accompanying caption read.“As soon as he saw it, the sultan consented to buy it to be hung in his private study room,” it added.The painting, reminiscent of a 2009 illustration by British street artist Banksy, comes as the country follows the progress of a long awaited law that would ban MPs from switching camps.The bill, which is being drafted by a special committee, would see such MPs – labelled colloquially as frogs – losing their seats in Parliament.Many social media users said the picture appeared to be a commentary on the country’s political situation as well as the frequent commotions that occur during Dewan Rakyat sittings.The 2009 artwork by Banksy was sold in 2019 for nearly 9.9 million pounds or RM50 million.When contacted by MalaysiaNow, the palace confirmed the post but declined to provide further details such as the name of the artist and where the purchase was made.“One day, the sultan intends to auction off the painting with the proceeds to be donated for charity,” it said in its Instagram post.


Military parade kicks off queen’s historic jubilee celebrations

Huge crowds converged on central London in bright sunshine on Thursday for the start of four days of public events to mark Queen Elizabeth II’s historic Platinum Jubilee, in what could be the last major public event of her long reign.From early morning, a steady stream of people, many clutching Union flags and picnic baskets, headed to The Mall near Buckingham Palace, where the 96-year-old monarch will make two appearances later.But as well as seeing the pomp and pageantry of the Trooping the Colour military parade, many sensed the coming end of an era.Ambulance service worker Gilbert Falconer, 65, travelled from Scotland to witness the event, which is held to mark the queen’s official birthday.“We know it’s a special occasion because it might be the last day we’ll see Her Majesty in a public event,” he told AFP.“This is very significant,” added another spectator Daniel Marmah.“It’s the first time we’ve had a monarch who’s lasted for so many years.”AppearancesThe extent of the queen’s involvement in the celebrations for her record-breaking 70 years on the throne has been a source of speculation for months.She has had to cut back drastically her public appearances since last year because of difficulties standing and walking – and a bout of Covid.But royal officials confirmed that she would take the salute of mounted troops from the balcony.The centuries-old ceremony has previously seen the queen take the salute on horseback herself.Her 73-year-old son and heir Prince Charles will step in this year, supported by his sister Princess Anne, 71, and his eldest son, Prince William, 39.Joining senior royals watching the display of military precision will be Charles’ younger son, Prince Harry, and his wife Meghan, on a rare visit from California, Buckingham Palace confirmed.But the queen’s disgraced second son, Prince Andrew, 62, is not expected to join them.She will return to the balcony later to watch a fly-past of military aircraft, including iconic models from World War II, the palace said.At nightfall, the queen will be at Windsor Castle, west of London, to take part in a ceremony to light more than 3,000 beacons across the country and the Commonwealth of 54 nations that she heads.Thank youElizabeth was a 25-year-old princess when she succeeded her father king George VI in 1952, bringing a rare touch of glamour to a battered nation still enduring food rations after World War II.Seventy years on, she is now the only monarch most Britons have ever known, becoming an enduring figurehead through often troubled times.Britain’s first and very likely only Platinum Jubilee will see street parties, pop concerts and parades until Sunday.It has not yet been confirmed if she will attend a thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday, while her planned attendance at horseracing showcase The Derby on Saturday is off.She could yet put in a final appearance – again from the palace balcony – on Sunday, at the climax of a huge public pageant involving 6,000 performers.The queen on Wednesday thanked everyone involved in organising community events in Britain and around the world.“I know that many happy memories will be created at these festive occasions,” she said.“I continue to be inspired by the goodwill shown to me, and hope that the coming days will provide an opportunity to reflect on all that has been achieved during the last 70, as we look to the future with confidence and enthusiasm.”RespiteThe jubilee, held against a backdrop of rising inflation that has left many Britons struggling, is being seen not just as respite for the public after two years hit by Covid but also for the royals.Harry, 37, and Meghan, 40, caused shockwaves in early 2020 by moving to North America, from where they have publicly criticised royal life.In April last year, she lost her husband of 73 years, Prince Philip, and was forced to sit alone at his funeral due to coronavirus restrictions.Since then, she has struggled with her health, and also the fallout from Andrew’s links to the convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.Andrew, who in February settled a US civil claim for sexual assault, has effectively been fired from his royal duties.Attention is increasingly turning to the succession, and the monarchy’s future at home and in the 14 other Commonwealth countries where the queen is also head of state.


Court told of lobbyist's failed bid to arrange Trump-Najib golf game

A US political lobbyist has detailed his efforts in 2017 to get the Donald Trump administration to stop a federal investigation into the 1MDB scandal, including a failed bid to arrange a round of golf between the then US president and jailed former prime minister Najib Razak.
Elliott Broidy, who is a prosecution witness in the money laundering trial of hip hop star Prakazrel "Pras" Michél, an associate of fugitive Malaysian businessman Low Taek Jho, said he was hired to convince top US officials that the Department of Justice's (DoJ) pursuit of those involved in the scandal would be detrimental to bilateral ties.
Broidy told the court earlier this month that he also met Low in Thailand in 2017, a year after the DoJ filed lawsuits to seize properties tied to 1MDB after investigators uncovered the misappropriation of some US$4.5 billion from the Malaysian state company.
The Washington Post quoted him as telling the court that he was paid a retainer fee of US$8 million and a US$1 million "appearance fee" for travelling to Thailand to secretly meet Low, adding that he could have earned US$75 million if his efforts had succeeded.
In 2017, Broidy, a former top Republican fundraiser, was named as deputy finance chairman of the Republican National Committee following Trump's election victory.
He quit the position the following year in the wake of revelations that he had paid a former Playboy model US$1.6 million in return for her silence about a sexual affair.
In 2020, he pleaded guilty to illegal lobbying, but was later given a presidential pardon by Trump.
He then struck a deal with the FBI to cooperate with the DoJ in cases involving Low and his associates.
Najib, who eventually met Trump in September 2017 at the height of the storm created by the 1MDB scandal, is currently serving a 12-year jail sentence over the SRC International case involving the misappropriation of RM42 million.


Vital US fuel pipeline shut down in ransom cyber-attack

The US government issued emergency legislation on Sunday after the largest fuel pipeline in the US was hit by a ransomware cyber-attack.The Colonial Pipeline carries more than 100 million gallons of gasoline and other fuel daily from Houston, Texas, to the New York Harbor. That’s 45% of the East Coast’s supply of diesel, gasoline and jet fuel.It was completely knocked offline by a cyber-criminal gang on Friday and is still working to restore service.A total of 18 states have been granted a temporary waiver for transporting refined petroleum products. The emergency status enables fuel to be transported by road, but this will not be anywhere near enough to match the pipeline’s capacity, independent oil market analyst Gaurav Sharma told the BBC.He warned that there is a lot of fuel now stranded at refineries in Texas.“Unless they sort it out by Tuesday, they’re in big trouble,” he said, adding that demand for vehicular fuels is on the rise as consumers return to the roads and the US economy attempts to shake off the effects of the pandemic.Multiple sources have confirmed that the ransomware attack was caused by a cyber-criminal gang called DarkSide, who infiltrated Colonial’s network on Thursday and took almost 100GB of data hostage.After seizing the data, the hackers demanded a ransom and threatened to leak the data onto the internet.Colonial said it is working with law enforcement, cyber-security experts and the Department of Energy to restore service.The incident highlights the increasing risk ransomware is posing to critical industrial infrastructure, not just businesses.In addition to a notice on their computer screens, victims of a DarkSide attack receive an information pack informing them that their computers and servers are encrypted.The gang lists all the types of data it has stolen and sends victims the URL of a “personal leak page” where the data is already loaded, waiting to be automatically published, should the company or organisation not pay before the deadline is up.DarkSide also tells victims it will provide proof of the data it has obtained and is prepared to delete all of it from the victim’s network.According to Digital Shadows, a London-based cyber-security firm that tracks global cyber-criminal groups to help enterprises limit their exposure online, DarkSide operates like a business.The gang develops the software used to encrypt and steal data, then trains “affiliates”, who receive a toolkit containing the software, a template ransomware demand email, and training on how to carry out attacks.The affiliate cyber-criminals then pay DarkSide a percentage of their earnings from any successful ransomware attacks.Digital Shadows thinks the Colonial Pipeline cyber-attack has come about due to the coronavirus pandemic – the rise of engineers remotely accessing control systems for the pipeline from home.James Chappell, co-founder and chief innovation officer at Digital Shadows, said, “We’re seeing a lot of victims now, this is seriously a big problem.”He added that Digital Shadows’ research showed the cyber-criminal gang is likely based in a Russian-speaking country, as it seems to avoid attacking companies in Moscow’s orbit of influence.


Flood evacuees still on the rise in Terengganu, Pahang

The number of flood victims at relief centres (PPS) in Terengganu and Pahang continued to rise as of 8am today, while dropping in Kelantan and remaining stable in Johor and Terengganu.
In Terengganu, the secretariat for the state disaster management committee (JPBN) said the number of flood victims continued to increase from 36,009 at midnight to 36,231 this morning.
A total of 9,739 families are still sheltering at 256 PPS in eight flood-affected districts, namely Kemaman, Besut, Dungun, Hulu Terengganu, Setiu, Kuala Nerus, Kuala Terengganu and Marang.
In Pahang, the JPBN secretariat said the number of flood victims showed a slight increase to 35 people at the SK Sungai Ular PPS in Kuantan, from 30 people yesterday.
In Kelantan, the JPBN secretariat said the number of flood victims dropped to 30,115 people this morning, from 30,551 last night. They are being accommodated at 119 PPS in nine districts: Pasir Mas, Tanah Merah, Kuala Krai, Pasir Puteh, Jeli, Kota Bharu, Bachok, Tumpat and Machang. In Johor, the JPBN secretariat said the number of flood victims remained at 48 people this morning, at two PPS in Segamat. Thirty-four of them are at the Balai Raya Kampung Batu Badak PPS and 14 others at the Kampung Tasek community hall.
According to the Drainage and Irrigation Department, the water level of four rivers in the state is still at the alert level: Sungai Muar, Buloh Kasap in Segamat at 8.49m, Sungai Sembrong at Empangan Sembrong (10.02m); Sungai Ayer Hitam at Kampung Paya Embun (4.77m) and Sungai Endau, Kampung Labong in Mersing (1.12m).
In Perak, the number of flood victims this morning remained at 26 people from 12 families at the PPS at SK Sungai Tiang Darat in Bagan Datuk.


Russia replaces Black Sea fleet chief after Crimea setbacks

Russia has replaced the commander of its Crimea-based Black Sea Fleet, a state news agency reported on Wednesday, after a series of explosions rocked the peninsula it annexed in 2014 and had previously seen as a secure rear base for its war in Ukraine.
Moscow blamed saboteurs for blasts that engulfed an ammunition depot in northern Crimea on Tuesday. Plumes of smoke were later seen rising at a second Russian military base in central Crimea, Russia's Kommersant newspaper said.
Ukraine has not officially taken responsibility but has hinted at it. The apparent Ukrainian capability to strike deeper into Russian-occupied territory, either with some form of weapon or with sabotage, indicates a shift in the conflict. Blasts destroyed warplanes at a Russian naval airbase in Crimea last week.
On Wednesday, Russia's RIA news agency cited sources as saying the commander of its Black Sea fleet, Igor Osipov, had been replaced with a new chief, Viktor Sokolov.
If confirmed, the move would mark one of the most prominent sackings of a military official so far in a war in which Russia has suffered heavy losses in men and equipment.
State-owned RIA cited the sources as saying the new chief was introduced to members of the fleet's military council in the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
The Black Sea Fleet, which has a revered history in Russia, has suffered several humiliations since President Vladimir Putin launched the invasion of Ukraine - which Moscow terms a "special military operation" - on Feb 24.
In April, Ukraine struck its flagship, the Moskva, a huge cruiser, with Neptune missiles. It became the biggest warship to be sunk in combat for 40 years.
Crucial supply route
Crimea, which Russia seized from Ukraine in 2014 and has extensively fortified since then, provides the main supply route for Russian forces in southern Ukraine, where Kyiv is planning a counter-offensive in coming weeks.
Ukrainian military intelligence said in a statement that after the recent explosions in Crimea, Russian forces had urgently moved their some of their planes and helicopters deeper into the peninsula and to airfields inside Russia. Reuters could not independently verify the information.
President Volodymyr Zelensky urged Ukrainians to steer clear of Russian military bases and ammunition stores and said the explosions could have various causes, including incompetence.
"But they all mean the same thing - the destruction of the occupiers' logistics, their ammunition, military and other equipment, and command posts, saves the lives of our people," he said in an evening address on Tuesday.
On Wednesday Russia's FSB security service said it had detained six members of what it called an Islamist terrorist cell in Crimea, though it did not say if they were suspected of involvement in the explosions.
The Black Sea fleet has also blockaded Ukraine's ports since the start of the war, trapping vital grain exports, which are only now starting to move again under an agreement brokered by Turkey and the United Nations.
Another three ships left Ukraine on Wednesday, the infrastructure ministry said on its Facebook page.
"This morning, three ships with Ukrainian food products left the ports of Chornomorsk and Odesa... More than 33,000 tons of agricultural products are on board," it said.
'Where should we go'
The war has caused millions to flee, killed thousands and deepened a geopolitical rift between the West and Russia, which says the aim of its operation is to demilitarise its neighbour and protect Russian-speaking communities.
Ukraine, which broke free of Moscow's rule when the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, accuses Russia of waging an imperial-style war of conquest.
Pavlo Kyrylenko, the governor of the eastern Donetsk region, which has seen some of the fiercest fighting, said early on Wednesday that two civilians were killed and seven wounded in shelling by Russian forces in the past 24 hours.
The Ukrainian government has ordered mass evacuations in Donetsk, but for one couple on a small farm near the city of Kramatorsk leaving was not an option.
"Grandmother cannot be transported – she is almost 100 years old," Nataliia Ataiantz, 47, said as she checked on the elderly woman. For her husband, Oleksandr, the idea of leaving was "scary".
"Our parents are buried here. And this is our land too... where should we go, to foreign country?" he said.


Israel offers Covid booster jab to ages 12 and up

Israel Sunday widened access to a third coronavirus vaccine jab to anyone aged 12 and up, with Prime Minister Naftali Bennett insisting it was an effective way to contain an infection surge.Moves by several nations to offer third jabs have faced criticism including from the World Health Organization, which insists poorer countries should gain wider access to vaccines before wealthy ones offer booster shots.But with Israel, a country of 9.3 million, approaching daily infection tallies that regularly exceed 8,000 and serious Covid cases, Bennett has pressed ahead with the booster scheme.“The third dose of the vaccine works,” he said in a statement, announcing that it was now “available from age 12 and up”.He said that with two million Israelis having received a third shot, the results are clear as “the increase in severe morbidity has begun to slow”.Health Minister Nitzan Horowitz said there was no doubt that a booster shot was “effective in preventing infection, and it significantly reduces the risk of serious and fatal illnesses”.Israel, which registered 7,000 new cases on Sunday, this week passed the one million cases threshold since the pandemic began.The latest surge has largely been blamed on the highly transmissible Delta variant.More than 6,950 people have died from the virus in Israel.


Hong Kong police raid top university in security law probe

Hong Kong’s national security police on Friday raided buildings at the city’s top university after its student leaders paid tribute to a man who stabbed a policeman.Anti-police sentiment has been running high in Hong Kong, a deeply polarised city since huge, often violent pro-democracy protests that took place in 2019.On July 1, a lone attacker knifed a police officer in a busy shopping district before taking his own life in what authorities labelled an act of “domestic terrorism”.Officials warned people against mourning the attacker, saying any memorials amounted to “advocating violence, inciting hatred and beautifying attacks”.But the student union council at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) expressed “deep sadness” at the man’s death in a statement, which prompted officials to call for action against the body.Dozens of police officers with suitcases and boxes arrived at the university on Friday afternoon and searched buildings housing the student union, campus TV station and undergraduate office.Police later said in a statement their national security department “conducted investigations and collected evidence at HKU today under a search warrant issued by the court”.“The police are investigating a case related to advocating terrorism and searched our studio,” Kong Chak-ho, chairman of the campus TV station, told reporters.A spokesman for HKU said the university was “obliged to act in compliance” with the probe.The student union council last Friday withdrew its motion expressing sympathy for the attacker and apologised, but the backlash has been unrelenting.Hong Kong’s leader Carrie Lam, who is also the university’s chancellor, on Tuesday called on HKU’s management as well as police to look into the motion for any violation of the law.She called the resolution by the student union council “infuriating” and said she was “ashamed”.HKU has severed ties with its own student union while the chairman of the university’s governing council said he would welcome any investigation by national security authorities.It is not the first time police have entered a university campus in Hong Kong as part of an investigation under the city’s national security law.Last November, officers arrested at least nine people on suspicion of threatening national security after an on-campus demonstration featuring slogans that authorities have declared illegal.China imposed the sweeping security law on Hong Kong last year to wipe out dissent after the financial hub was rocked by huge and often violent democracy protests.More than 100 people, including many of the city’s best known democracy advocates, have been arrested under the law.


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Rosmah denies committing criminal offence, says charges against her are ‘slander’

Rosmah Mansor told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that she did not commit any criminal offence in the solar hybrid project but should be the prosecution witness against her former assistant, Rizal Mansor.Rosmah, 69, said Rizal, as the 21st prosecution witness (21PW) in his sworn statement in court, openly admitted to asking for RM25 million – RM5 million a year for five years – from Saidi Abang Samsuddin, the then managing director of Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd. She said 21PW also admitted to receiving RM500,000 in bribes from Saidi.“Rizal also admitted to receiving graft amounting to RM30,000 from Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah (16PW) to be paid to Ahmed Farriq Zainul Abidin (PW9) and admitted to receiving bribes of at least RM50,000 each time for six to seven times from Saidi as well as bribes from Saidi through Rayyan for the umrah trip with his family.“Meanwhile I did not ask for or receive any corruption money from Saidi or Rayyan, directly or through Rayyan, and I have never made or admitted to committing the acts.“I wish to record that I did not plead guilty to the three charges, Your Honour, I swear that I am speaking the truth here as I did not commit any crime and the charges against me are slander,” she said.Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, said this when reading her witness statement on the first day of the defence proceeding against three corruption charges involving the solar hybrid project costing RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.Rosmah said she also denied asking for RM187.5 million from Saidi when questioned by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and had never heard about the money from Rizal, Saidi or Rayyan.“Rizal’s action to link me here is aimed at tarnishing my good name and credibility as the wife of the former prime minister through an inter alia deal made by the prosecution by reciprocating to withdraw charges against him, and he was made the crown witness for the prosecution,” said Rosmah.On June 8, 2020, Rizal was acquitted by the High Court of four charges of soliciting and receiving bribes for himself and Rosmah amounting to RM6.5 million for the supply and installation of solar energy for rural schools in Sarawak.Meanwhile, Rosmah who remained calm while giving her statement from the witness stand said Rizal was an assistant officer with special functions on contract in the Prime Minister’s Department and not as special officer to her.“He (Rizal) carried out the duties of a media officer in the First Lady of Malaysia (FLOM) division under the Prime Minister’s Department during his service in the department. I wish to stress here that I did not have a special officer at all,” she said.Rosmah also said Rizal was not an efficient or responsible worker as he was unable to write her speeches properly.“Rizal had discipline problems in his job and he was frequently missing during office hours. I was not happy with the quality of his work and he had to be monitored and checked to ensure that he completed his duties.“I often heard complaints by Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod (FLOM special officer) and other officers about Rizal’s lazy attitude. I am not close with Rizal.“Communications between me and Rizal were only on work matters and for most of it, I dealt directly with Siti Azizah,” she said.Rosmah also said her husband Najib had reminded her not to meet with any contractors and not to interfere in his dealings as the prime minister at the time.She said she did not want to entertain Rizal’s request to meet Saidi and Rayyan as she had never assisted any contractors in obtaining government contracts and did not interfere in such matters.She also stressed that she had never called Rizal to discuss or obtain political donations from Saidi and Rayyan or any individuals when she knew Rizal.On Feb 18, the High Court order Rosmah to enter her defence on the three charges after finding the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.Rosmah faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million in bribes and two charges of receiving RM6.5 million from Saidi through Rizal as gratification to assist Jepak Holdings in securing the integrated hybrid solar photovoltaic system project as well as the genset/diesel maintenance and operation for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiations from the education ministry.The trial continues before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan.


Brazil and Indonesia testing Chinese vaccines

An experimental Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac Biotech, appears to be safe, preliminary results of a late stage clinical trial conducted in Brazil showed on Monday.Sinovac is the first drug maker to disclose late stage trial results, putting China ahead in attempts to develop a vaccine, according to the South China Morning Post.Sao Paulo’s Butantan Institute, one of Brazil’s leading biomedical research centres, said the vaccine, called Coronavac, proved to be safe after two doses were given to 9,000 volunteers. But Butantan director Dimas Covas said full data will not be released until it has been tested on all 15,000 volunteers.Brazil has reported more than 5.2 million Covid-19 cases since the pandemic began and is the world’s third most affected country after the US and India.Sao Paulo state health secretary Jean Gorinchteyn said the state is hoping to start inoculating its population early in 2021.Meanwhile, Indonesia President Joko Widodo warned Indonesians on Monday against any rushed rollout of coronavirus vaccines, warning they may not be halal and therefore forbidden for Muslims to use, Reuters reports.“I ask that this vaccine is not rushed because it’s so complex,” Jokowi said. “I want to ensure there is good preparation, especially in relation to halal and haram, the price, and quality.”Indonesia has promised to vaccinate more than 100 million people next year, but Widodo said that scale of inoculation across the island nation of 270 million would be uniquely challenging.The use of vaccines is a matter of constant debate around the world, and controversy over whether vaccines adhere to Islamic principles is not unknown in Indonesia. In 2018, the Indonesian Ulema Council issued a fatwa declaring a measles vaccine was haram.In Surabaya, Indonesia, some doctors have even been attacked as they sought to slow the spread of Covid-19.The city authorities organised Chinese vaccine testing for residents of a local apartment complex in September. The results of the swab tests “included a possible coronavirus infection for an unnamed male resident who suffers from underlying health conditions”, according to an Indonesian news outlet.The following day, city healthcare workers visited the apartment complex but met with resistance from his family. “They smeared excrement on a healthcare worker’s hazmat suit,” Surabaya city spokesman Febriadhitya Prajatara told reporters.As Indonesia debates the permissibility of vaccine use, confirmed cases of coronavirus are surging across the planet and have now passed 40 million, according to data released this week by Johns Hopkins University.


2023 budget to be presented again before year-end, says Ismail

The 2023 budget will be presented again before the end of the year, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.
He said Budget 2023 must be debated and approved in the Dewan Rakyat so that the essence of the federal budget can be implemented.
"We have announced the budget. We want to give the people several goodies but the budget has yet to be approved," he said in his speech at a meet and greet programme with Risda and Felcra smallholders at Arena Merdeka in Tapah today.
Ismail voiced his commitment to implement all of the initiatives in the 2023 Budget if he continues to be given the mandate as prime minister in the 15th general election.
"If someone else takes over, I can't guarantee what has been promised. There is a difference between the budget presented not approved and the manifesto which is a promise.
"When the budget is presented, it means funds are available. That's the difference. The money is already there, just waiting for approval to be implemented," he said.
On Oct 7, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz presented the 2023 Budget which involved an allocation of RM372.3 billion.
However, it was not approved or debated in the Dewan Rakyat following the dissolution of Parliament on Oct 10 after Ismail received the consent of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.


Decision on trio accused of murdering Cradle Fund CEO to be made tomorrow

A decision on whether Samirah Muzaffar and the two teenagers charged with murdering Cradle Fund CEO Nazrin Hassan will be freed or ordered to defend themselves will be made known tomorrow.High Court judge Ab Karim Ab Rahman is expected to announce the verdict at the end of the prosecution’s case at 9am tomorrow.On April 22, Karim fixed May 30 to deliver his decision after hearing submissions from both parties at the end of the prosecution’s case. However, the date was later postponed to June 21.The prosecution team comprised deputy public prosecutors Mohd Asnawi Abu Hanipah, Tengku Intan Suraya Tengku Ismail and Nur Sabrina Abu Bakar, while the defence team consisted of lawyers Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and Rahmat Hazlan.The prosecution closed its case on Feb 14 after calling 57 witnesses, including the deceased’s older siblings, brothers Dr Abdul Aziz and Dr Malek Reedzwan and sister Che Elainee; Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director Edwin Galan Anak Teruki; Hospital Kuala Lumpur pathology forensic officer Dr Siew Sheue Feng; and a security guard at the deceased’s residence, Raju Kumar Pandit.The hearing of the case began on Sept 6, 2019.On March 12, 2019, Samirah, 47, and the two teenagers now aged 19 and 16, as well as an Indonesian woman, Eka Wahyu Lestari, who is still at large, were charged with murdering Nazrin at his house in Mutiara Damansara, between 11.30pm on June 13, 2018, and 4am the following day.


China bankers told to shun flashy clothes, 5-star hotels in austerity drive

From cutting salaries and bonuses and asking staff not to wear expensive clothes and watches at work, to reining in travel and entertainment expenses, Chinese financial firms have jumped on an austerity drive as Beijing pushes to bridge the wealth gap.
The steps come as authorities vow to clamp down on corruption in the country's US$57 trillion (RM263.06 trillion) financial sector and as growth in the world's second-largest economy weakens, with youth unemployment hitting a record high.
Financial professionals are among the highest-paid workers in communist China and their wealth and flashy lifestyles have often come under criticism from the public on social media as the economy slows, drawing Beijing's ire as well.
China's top graft-busting watchdog earlier this year vowed to eliminate ideas of a Western-style "financial elite" and rectify the hedonism of excessive pursuit of "high-end taste".
That has prompted a slew of financial firms, both by state-owned and private-sector, to take proactive measures to ensure they don't fall foul of the authorities, even as official rhetoric on President Xi Jinping's "common prosperity" drive has ebbed.
Among those measures, staff at a large Chinese state-owned mutual fund and a mid-sized bank have instructed staff not to show off high-end lifestyles, said employees at the firms, declining to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter.
The mutual fund has also asked staff to refrain from posting pictures of expensive meals, clothes or bags on social media, said an employee, to avoid attracting regulatory glare or public criticism.
The mid-sized bank's employees have been asked to not wear luxury brands or carry luxury bags at workplace, said a person at the lender, adding staff have also been told they can't stay at five-star hotels when travelling for work.
Senior executives at a state-owned insurance company have also been told to not wear expensive clothes to work, said another person with knowledge of the matter, also declining to be named as those instructions are confidential.
Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and China Construction Bank Corp (CCB) plan to cut some allowances of employees at the banks' headquarters from this year, two sources familiar with the matter said.
Allowances to be impacted include one-time summer allowances of about 1,500 yuan (US$210, RM970) to 2,000 yuan a month, which will be abolished from this month, said the sources, who also declined to be named.
ICBC and CCB did not respond to Reuters request for comment.
Salary, bonus cuts
CITIC Securities is cutting pay across its investment banking division, lowering base salaries by up to 15%, Reuters reported earlier this month, in a rare move as Beijing pushes to bridge income disparity.
Domestic rival China International Capital Corp (CICC) last month cut this year's bonuses for investment bankers by 30% to 50% from a year earlier, Reuters has reported, citing sources with knowledge of the matter.
Besides anti-corruption crackdown and "common prosperity" drive, financial firms are also reining in the flashy lifestyle of their staff to make sure they are not violating the Communist Party's ideology, said industry officials.
To strengthen the ideological and political role of the party in China's overall financial system, Beijing is setting up a new financial watchdog as part of a broad reorganisation of government bodies in Xi's third term as president.
China's securities regulator and the central bank cut the budget allocation for employee salaries in 2023, following reforms ordered as part of a broader drive to reduce income disparity, Reuters reported last month.
Analysts have said staff at the central bank and securities regulator had faced possible pay cuts as a result of the reforms to financial regulatory bodies announced in March that called for their staff's pay to be put on par with public servants.
"At a time when economic growth momentum has been sluggish and the overall budget of the government is not growing as fast as before, how to distribute resources and benefits within the regime is a key political priority of the party and most important driver behind the current austerity push," said Xin Sun, who teaches Chinese and East Asian business at King's College London.
"Inequality in China has reached a high level for a long time," Sun said, adding what the party now does by cutting the benefits of "financial elites" is aimed to quell inequality within the regime for political stability.


Over half of ‘golden passports’ were illegal, Cyprus inquiry reveals

Cyprus’ tarnished passports-for-cash scheme to attract investors operated with minimal oversight and thousands of passports were issued illegally, the head of an inquiry said Monday.Former supreme court judge Myron Nikolatos said there was “criminal and political” responsibility because rules had been broken.An attorney general-appointed commission of inquiry was set up last September to investigate the so-called “golden passports” issued between 2007 and August 2020, before the scheme was scrapped in November.“It is obvious the Cyprus Investment Programme was operating between 2007 and 2020 with gaps and deficiencies, an inadequate legislative framework and almost no regulatory framework,” Nikolatos told reporters.The inquiry’s damning report said 53% of the 6,779 passports issued were granted illegally, because of a due diligence vacuum or insufficient background checks.The cabinet had the final say on approving each passport application by a wealthy investor.Later Monday, government spokesman Kyriacos Koushous said the administration was determined to “punish” those responsible.The completion of the report “closes, or should close, a prolonged cycle of political tension and toxic climate, which primarily targeted the president (Nicos Anastasiades) and his government”, he said.The Mediterranean island dropped the passport scheme after Al Jazeera aired a documentary showing reporters posing as fixers for a Chinese businessman seeking a Cyprus passport despite having a criminal record.Parliament speaker Demetris Syllouris and an opposition MP were secretly filmed allegedly trying to facilitate a passport for the fugitive investor.They later resigned, although both insisted they were innocent of any wrongdoing.Al Jazeera said dozens of those who applied were under criminal investigation, international sanctions or even serving prison sentences.Nicosia had long faced pressure from Brussels to reform the scheme over concerns it may have helped organised crime gangs infiltrate the European Union.EU member Cyprus had argued it needed the investment following the island’s 2013 economic meltdown.Nicosia allowed investors to acquire a passport in exchange for an investment of €2.5 million (US$3 million), netting a total of over €7 billion for the state.Money laundering allegations also dogged the programme.


Man gets 12 days’ jail, RM10,000 fine for obstructing VIP convoy, reckless driving

A maintenance worker was jailed for 12 days and fined RM10,000 by two separate Magistrate’s Courts in Kuala Lumpur today for obstructing a VIP convoy and driving recklessly along the Sultan Iskandar Highway last Friday.Magistrate Aina Azahra Arifin sentenced Erdy Errwan Hamdan, 36, to seven days in jail and a fine of RM3,000 in default of three months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to obstructing Lance Corporal Mohd Azwar Iqbal Chinang from carrying out his duty while escorting the Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak and his convoy on May 6 at 11.30pm.In another court, Magistrate Amanina Mohamad Anuar slapped the accused with five days’ jail and an RM7,000 fine in default of five month’s jail, after he pleaded guilty to driving in a reckless manner on the same date and at the same location at about 10pm.His driving licence was also suspended for a maximum of five years.He was ordered to serve the seven-day jail sentence from the date of arrest on May 7, while the five-day jail sentence will run from today.According to the facts of the case, on the day of the incident, when the convoy was passing through the Sultan Iskandar Highway towards the Jalan Tunku Abdul Halim exit, a Honda Civic car overtook it from the left lane and grazed another vehicle.Footage from a dashboard camera showed the Honda Civic speeding as it overtook the convoy through the emergency lane and ignored the signal given by the police outrider to get out of the convoy’s way.


New prison riot in Ecuador leaves 68 dead

Prison inmates from rival gangs in Ecuador fought each other with guns, explosives and blades in a bloodbath that left at least 68 dead in the same prison where a riot in September claimed 119 lives, officials said Saturday.Inmates at the prison in Guayaquil, Ecuador’s biggest city, fought with “savagery,” said Pablo Arosemena, governor of the province of Guayas where the prison is located. He said there was an intense gun battle near the gates of the prison.The riot began around 7pm Friday (0001 GMT) when prisoners tried to enter Block 2 of the jail where their rivals were held, firing gunshots, detonating explosives and swinging machetes, and prompting police to move in.“These events are the result of a territorial dispute between criminal gangs inside the penitentiary,” police commander General Tannya Varela said.Some 68 prisoners were killed and another 25 were wounded in the fighting, according a statement which the Ecuador Prosecutor’s Office posted on Twitter.An intervention by police to try to restore order “saved lives,” Arosemena said.Authorities said it took police hours to intervene because the violence inside was so intense that they feared for the officers’ lives.One of the gangs inside the prison, the Tiguerones, was left without their leader because he was released after serving part of his sentence for stealing auto parts. Other groups, sensing weakness in the Tiguerones with that man gone, went on the attack to try to crush that gang, Arosemena said.He said their goal was “to go in and carry out a total massacre.”On Saturday, police officers in riot gear were seen climbing up the blood-stained prison walls, while the body of an inmate in an orange prison jumpsuit lay on the roof of the jail encircled by barbed wire.Images posted on social networks, whose authenticity has not been confirmed by the authorities, showed a pile of bodies in a night-time prison courtyard being consumed by flames while inmates standing nearby beat the bodies with sticks.In another video, a prisoner from the block that was being attacked says, “We are locked in our pavilion. They want to kill us all.”“Please share this video. Please help us!” the inmate implores, as repeated bangs are heard the background.Dozens of people gathered outside the prison gates Saturday morning, fainting or weeping as they tried to learn the fate of their loved ones inside.“They are human beings, help them”, read a banner held by one of the families, held back by a deployment of police and soldiers supported by a tank.A group of women with one cell phone shouted prisoners’ names to an inmate who was inside the prison and on the line, hoping to know if those men were still alive.“Here there are relatives from block two and they need to know about the boys,” the woman holding the phone said.A crackly voice was heard from the phone but the signal was spotty and then there was just silence.At a coroner’s office in the city, Felix Gonzalez showed up holding his imprisoned son’s ID card and asked if his body was there. “It is not fair for him to die for stealing a cell phone,” Gonzalez told AFP.More than 300 prisoners have been killed this year in Ecuador’s criminal detention system, where thousands of inmates tied to drug gangs square off in violent clashes that often turn into riots.September’s unrest was one of the worst prison massacres in Latin American history, and the latest deadly violence in Guayaquil only reaffirmed the broken state of Ecuador’s jails.Rival drug gangs have been waging a bloody feud in the Guayas 1 prison in Guayaquil, a facility that was designed for 5,300 inmates, but houses 8,500.But even after a crackdown in the wake of the Sept 28 tragedy that killed 119, the unrest has persisted, with at least 15 more inmates dying prior to Friday’s deadly burst of violence.Two weeks after the September disaster, President Guillermo Lasso declared a 60-day state of emergency in a bid to tame Ecuador’s surging drug-related unrest.Violence has spiked dramatically in recent months in Ecuador, where the economy is ailing.Between January and October this year, the country registered almost 1,900 homicides, compared to about 1,400 in all of 2020, according to the government.


Excitement and joy as students return to school

The third term of the 2021/2022 school session for the 12 states in Group B kicked off today with students generally excited to attend face-to-face classes for the first time in months.Parents said unlike online classes, face-to-face schooling allowed students to interact with their friends and teachers and offered a more conducive environment for learning and the development of students.The schools in Group B are from all three federal territories, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang, Perak, Perlis, Penang, Sabah, Sarawak and Selangor.A Bernama check at SMK Maxwell in Kuala Lumpur found that many parents were thankful for seeing their children attend school in person after going through a tough period of studying from home online due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Mathibathanan Ramakrishnan, 57, said it was far more beneficial for students to attend classes in person, especially in terms of their mental health.“In school, my son can socialise with his friends and teachers. The learning process is also more efficient because it’s easier to ask questions. To me, online classes still have many problems,” he said.In Selangor, Education Minister Radzi Jidin spent more than an hour inspecting operations at SK Meru in Kapar, Klang.Zainal Sadari, 38, said his twin daughters, Ariana Nur Iman Tihani and Althia Nur Iman Tihani, were very excited to attend pre-school at SK Meru this morning as they had not met their friends for a long time.In Perak, parents were seen sending their children to SK Seri Ampang in Ipoh using the drive-through concept introduced by the school as part of the SOPs to curb the spread of Covid-19.Most of the students from Standard One, Two and Six arrived as early as 6.50am, where they underwent temperature checks and were given hand sanitiser before entering their classrooms.In Perlis, students were also in high spirits about clocking in for the new term.A Standard Five student at SRJK Tamil Kangar, K Jeyshrini, said she was glad to be able to return to school for in-person classes and to meet with her friends.Noor Damia Mahamad Noor, a Standard One pupil at SK Putra, Kangar, meanwhile said she did not sleep well last night because she couldn’t wait to come to school this morning.In Melaka, state education and technology committee chairman Rais Yasin said 85,136 pupils from primary schools and 65,219 students from secondary schools began the new term today.He said there were 71 students from primary and secondary schools still taking shelter at three flood relief centres (PPS) in Jasin.“No teachers were affected by the floods and all of them reported for duty this morning. Students with damaged textbooks and equipment should contact the school authorities for help,” he told reporters after presenting face masks to students and teachers at SK Tanjung Minyak.In Negeri Sembilan, a student of SMK Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Gemas, Puteri Nur Hidayatul Akma Mohd Khairi, 16, said she was eager to go back to school although she was not dressed in her school uniform.Instead, she wore a long-sleeved T-shirt, sports pants and slippers because her uniform and other school equipment had been damaged in the floods which hit Taman Sungai Gemas.“This is the first time I’m attending school in home clothing because my uniform and other school things were damaged and washed away by floodwater. But this did not dampen my spirits to attend school,” she added.


Ship carrying Malaysian clay capsizes, 15 sailors missing

A ship carrying clay from Malaysia to Hong Kong capsized off Vietnam on Thursday and at least 15 sailors are missing, feared drowned.Vietnamese state media said the cargo ship got into difficulties in rough seas off the central province of Binh Thuan.The Panama-flagged Xin Hong had a crew of 11 Chinese and four Vietnamese sailors onboard and a cargo of 7,800 tonnes of Malaysian clay, the Nhan Dan newspaper reported.The ship’s crew had contacted Vietnam maritime authorities for help earlier on Thursday when the cargo vessel began to list in rough seas, the report said.Vietnam has sent a rescue team, including a coast guard cutter, to search for the missing sailors, the report said.Reuters is reporting that the rescuers located the vessel and found an empty inflatable life raft nearby.


Another 129 deaths as new cases continue to hover over 10,000

Another 10,972 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 927,533.Selangor recorded 4,404 cases, Negeri Sembilan 1,340, Johor 876, Kedah 705, Sabah 651, Kuala Lumpur 609, Pahang 475, Melaka 474, Penang 426, Perak 324, Sarawak 301, Kelantan 170 and Terengganu 144.Putrajaya recorded 48 cases, Labuan 24 and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 128,997 with 915 in the ICU and 435 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 6,439 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 791,388.However, 129 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 7,148.


The futility of an anti-hopping law

A Malay proverb once stated, “Galas habis senggulung tandas, laman dihitung rugi jua” (meaning: embarking on a futile effort). That is the portrayal of enacting an anti-hopping law. The push is futile since it fails to address the main issue: the collapse of governments.Politicians opine that an anti-hopping law is the antidote for political and economic precariousness. It is supposed to prevent the fall of governments due to political crossovers among MPs and assemblymen. In reality, an anti-hopping law is not the solution.Party-hopping is a political phenomenon which only indicates the symptom, not the illness. If the proposed law is meant to address the symptom instead of the illness, then it is destined to fail. The real issue is the loss of majority support in legislative bodies (i.e. in Dewan Rakyat or state assemblies).In Malaysia, there are two ways of legally establishing (and unseating) a government. Firstly, via elections. Secondly, via the appointment of the prime minister under Article 43 (2)(a) of the Federal Constitution without going through an election. However, the first method depends on the second method, i.e. commanding the majority support of members of the Dewan Rakyat.Article 43 (2)(a) consists of two parts.Firstly, it provides that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall appoint the prime minister from among the MPs in the Dewan Rakyat. Secondly, it states that the Agong shall appoint a prime minister who in his opinion commands the majority support among MPs. This part is the “thorn in the flesh”. Without the majority support of MPs, the aspiring MP cannot be legally appointed as prime minister. As a result, his political coalition cannot form the Cabinet.Upon close examination, the second part of Article 43 (2)(a) does not refer to any political party and/or political coalition. This leads to the inference that the majority support from MPs is an “individual” decision, not a “party-led” decision. Impliedly, by virtue of Article 43 (2)(a), the constitution allows political crossovers.What proponents fail to realise is that an anti-hopping law cannot prevent the loss of majority support in two different scenarios, i.e. political defections and non-political defections. Such a phenomenon occurred in 2020 whereby a change of government at both the federal level and in several states such as Kedah, Melaka, Johor and Perak took place.For instance, the appointment of the Pagoh MP as the eighth prime minister by the Agong was a combination of these two scenarios. There were MPs who had defected from their political parties to support the Pagoh MP such as the Gombak MP, Ampang MP and Indera Mahkota MP. At the same time, no Umno MPs defected to make up the total majority support of MPs towards the Pagoh MP. Consequently, the Agong appointed him as prime minister upon the fulfilment of Article 43 (2)(a).Non-political defections also occurred in the collapse of the Perak government in 2020 under the leadership of the Chenderiang assemblyman. He was defeated in a motion for a vote of confidence in the Perak assembly. The defeat was a collective effort from the majority of representatives in Perak (including those from Umno and DAP) without a single assemblyman from DAP defecting.And recently, the eighth prime minister had to resign after 14 Umno MPs withdrew their support. Did any of those Umno MPs defect? No. Did the federal government collapse? Yes.The above examples prove that governments can/will collapse, even without political crossovers. Needless to say, any government in Malaysia can be toppled without the need for party-hopping. If such is the case, what is the need to legislate an anti-hopping law? All that is needed is for MPs to withdraw their majority support.Some would argue that the formation of governments via political crossovers is undemocratic since it circumvents elections. The answer is simple. There are situations in which the stakeholders cannot afford to wait until the current mandate expires and an election takes place (e.g. during a political crisis). Covid-19, for instance, renders elections unsafe. As such, Article 43 (2)(a) provides the solution without the need for the Agong to dissolve the Parliament and hold an election. It is still democratic because it is allowed by the law.Further, prior to the passing of an anti-hopping law, Article 43 (2)(a) has to be amended with 2/3 majority in the Parliament. In fact, other relevant articles such as 10 (1)(c) (freedom of association) and 48 (1) (disqualification for membership of MPs) will need to be amended as well. Amending Article 48 (1) for example would introduce a new clause that disqualifies politicians of their status as MPs for party-hopping. If all or any of these constitutional amendments are approved, politicians will be affected as they will be rooted out from the centre of political power. Is this not contrary to the ends of politicking?Admittedly, political crossovers have gradually eroded public confidence in democratic institutions such as election. However, what is the solution for politicians once their parties deviate from the political struggle? Is it plausible for these politicians to remain as “political prisoners” in their party? Is it justifiable to demand the vacancy of their respective seats once they cross the floor? Such a notion is against the decision of the then-Supreme Court (now Federal Court) in Dewan Undangan Negeri Kelantan vs Nordin bin Salleh which underscored that the freedom of association in Article 10 (1)(c) entails the right to defect and to form a new association.Parliament’s priority should be directed to legislating a political funding law instead of an anti-hopping law. While the latter is an exercise in futility, the former will prevent the recurrence of infamous bribery cases such as 1MDB. It will ensure that the flow of money funding political activities is legitimate. This will prevent politicians from being implicated in money laundering. In fact, the passing of a political funding law will ensure that cases related to “political donations” will be adjudicated transparently in court. Party-hopping does not cause governments to collapse. Bribery among politicians does.Political stability can only be achieved via political maturity. Politicians ought to think carefully about the implication of an anti-hopping law. Its success in other countries is not a guarantee that it will be doable in Malaysia. Lest they regret, as per another Malay proverb, “Takutkan tuma dibuangkan kain, takutkan hantu terpeluk bangkai” (meaning: for the fear of smaller misfortune, a bigger setback befalls instead).The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Australia Covid measures to have ‘profound’ long-term impact

Australia faces stalled population growth and budget deficits until at least 2060 as a result of emergency Covid-19 measures, the government warned Monday.The decision to slam shut its borders at the start of the pandemic, combined with lower fertility rates, mean slow population growth that will weigh on the economy, according to the 2021 Intergenerational Report.A vast stimulus spending programme launched last year – which saw the government pump billions into the economy to avert a full-blown depression – will help keep the budget in deficit until at least 2060.“This outlook has been profoundly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused the most severe global economic shock since the Great Depression,” the report says.“While Australia’s economic recovery is well advanced, some effects from this shock will persist for years to come.”Australia’s population growth has plummeted to its lowest levels in more than a century after it effectively sealed itself off from the rest of the world at the start of the pandemic.The nation’s economic growth has been built on mining and agriculture and fuelled by several waves of mass migration from Europe, Asia and beyond.But with migration not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024-2025, the report predicts Australia’s population of 25.7 million will not grow to 38.8 million until 2060 – six years later than previously forecast.In a pattern repeated across the globe last year, economic shutdowns to curb the spread of the virus sent Australia tumbling into recession as whole industries ground to a halt.Huge government borrowing to fund economic stimulus plunged the national budget into deficit, where it is now predicted to stay for decades, exacerbated by the pressures of an ageing population.Opposition Treasury spokesman Jim Chalmers said in a tweet that the report revealed “an economy smaller than expected, growing slower, saddled with 40+ years of debt and deficits. Generational debt without a generational dividend”.Treasurer Josh Frydenberg, who launched the report in Melbourne, said it showed Australia would need to boost productivity to maintain living standards.“With lower population growth and falling participation, economic growth will continue to be highly dependent on productivity gains,” he said.Australia’s economy and unemployment rates have both rebounded to pre-pandemic levels after a better-than-expected recovery this year.The country has been largely successful in containing Covid-19, with just over 30,000 cases recorded to date, but is now battling several localised outbreaks that have prompted the imposition of new restrictions.


Russia ‘likely’ behind SolarWinds hack, says US intelligence

US intelligence and law enforcement agencies said Tuesday that Russia was probably behind the massive SolarWinds hack that has shaken government and corporate security, contradicting President Donald Trump, who had suggested China could be to blame.A joint statement by the FBI, Directorate of National Intelligence, the National Security Agency and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency outlined their findings in what experts have called the most devastating break in US computer security in years.Their investigation “indicates that an advanced persistent threat (APT) actor, likely Russian in origin, is responsible for most or all of the recently discovered, ongoing cyber compromises of both government and non-governmental networks,” they said.Trump, who over four years has steadfastly avoided criticising Moscow, has refused to finger Russia in the hacking case.“Russia, Russia, Russia is the priority chant when anything happens,” he tweeted about the hack in December, adding that the media were, “for mostly financial reasons, petrified of discussing the possibility that it may be China (it may!).”Both Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and then-attorney general Bill Barr have also previously pointed to Moscow as the culprits.According to Cisa, the hack is focused on the Orion security software produced by the US firm SolarWinds, widely found in government and private sector computers across the globe.Some 18,000 public and private customers of SolarWinds would be vulnerable to the hack, the statement said.But it said that out of that number, “a much smaller number have been compromised by follow-on activity on their systems.”So far investigators have found less than 10 US government agencies whose systems were compromised, the statement said.The statement did not identify which agencies. But some have admitted they were targets, including the State Department, Commerce Department, Treasury, Homeland Security Department, Defense Department, and the National Institutes of Health.The intrusion, which began earlier this year, only became public in December, revealed by private security consultants.It sparked concerns that those behind it may have been able to access highly classified government secrets.The three agencies said that they believe the hack “was, and continues to be, an intelligence gathering effort,” rather than an effort to steal corporate secrets or wreak damage on IT systems.“This is a serious compromise that will require a sustained and dedicated effort to remediate,” they said.The wording in the attribution, that it was “likely” a breach by Russians, came under fire from a senior lawmaker who had already been briefed by US intelligence in December on it.“It’s unfortunate that it has taken over three weeks after the revelation of an intrusion this significant for this Administration to finally issue a tentative attribution,” said Senator Mark Warner, vice-chairman of the Senate Intelligence committee.“I would hope that we will begin to see something more definitive,” he said.“We need to make clear to Russia that any misuse of compromised networks to produce destructive or harmful effects is unacceptable and will prompt an appropriately strong response.”


Mexico to suspend import duties on food staples to tackle inflation

Mexico will waive import duties for one year on a range of household staples, most of them foodstuffs, in a bid to curb inflation, the government said on Monday.The government unveiled the plan in its official gazette after earlier this month agreeing with businesses to increase production of staples such as corn, rice and beans to control inflation, which is at an over two-decade high.The products on the government import list included corn oil, rice, tuna, pork, chicken, beef, onions, jalapeño peppers, beans, corn flour, wheat flour, eggs, tomatoes, milk, lemons, white corn, apples, oranges, wheat and carrots.Bread, potatoes, pasta for soup, sardines, sorghum and hand soap were also listed in the government decree. Duties would also be suspended on imports of live cattle, pigs, sheep, goats and chickens, it said.Banco Base economist Gabriela Siller said the impact of the measures on inflation would likely be modest, because the items exempted amounted to about 11.4% of the consumer price index. It would, however, increase pressure on public finances, she said.Combined with fiscal support from the government to keep fuel prices down, Siller estimated the measures amounted to a sum roughly equivalent to 2% of gross domestic product.The government said the waiver on the household staples would take effect from Tuesday and be in force for a year. The waiver on livestock would enter force pending the approval of Mexico’s foreign trade commission, it added.The measures could be extended for another year, it added.


Students in limbo as uni applications held up over Muet

A large number of students applying to public universities are having trouble fulfilling entrance requirements as they have been unable to sit for the Malaysian University English Test (Muet), postponed several times due to disruptions by the various movement control orders (MCOs) imposed since March this year.Schools around the country were closed yet again this week following the most recent spike in Covid-19 cases which plunged almost the entire country under conditional MCO until December.This has put paid to efforts to reschedule the Muet paper yet again.The Malaysian Examinations Council (MPM) said it had no choice as the lives of candidates and the staff managing the exam sessions would be at stake.“MPM will try its best to hold the Muet paper this year,” its chief executive Mohd Fauzi Mohd Kassim told MalaysiaNow.“Our last option will be the final slot in December before the school holidays begin.”He said MPM would ask the higher education ministry to consider using new entrance requirements allowing those who have registered to take Muet to proceed with their applications at the universities of their choice.He said MPM would provide the ministry with a full list of such candidates, which would allow students to enrol without any obstacles.“The ministry has used this condition before for university enrolments, so it is not out of the question for it to be used again if the second Muet session for 2020 cannot be held even in December.“The ministry has done it before, so it should not be a problem.”There have been calls for Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad to exempt students from providing Muet certificates as part of university entrance requirements for the time being.The father of a student whose application for the September intake to Universiti Teknologi Mara was rejected due to failure to take Muet had written a letter to the minister explaining his son’s predicament.In the letter sighted by MalaysiaNow, he said his son’s original application was denied and that his subsequent application for the March 2021 intake might be rejected as well, as the deadline is Dec 2.“Given that the dates for Muet have been postponed again, he will not succeed in his application for the coming intake,” he wrote.The ministry has made no official announcement on the matter yet.However, a corporate communications official at a well-known public university in Selangor said there had been top level discussions for an exemption of the Muet requirement although no decision could be made without close discussions with the ministry.“It has been months, but the university and students have not received a final decision from the ministry,” the official told MalaysiaNow on condition of annonimity.“We cannot make our own decision without discussing it with others first. For the issue of tuition fees, for example, there have already been calls for an announcement.“It will not be a problem if the Muet requirement is set aside as students who are accepted into the university must pass the English language component as a precondition for graduation. So they would have three to four years to take the Muet paper or the language exam set by the university.”MalaysiaNow’s attempts to obtain comments from the higher education ministry have so far failed.


Dr M, Ku Li offer to ‘bring back the tiger in us’

Two of the nation’s oldest politicians today announced that they would join hands to contribute to the nation, but offered few details of their plan.Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, 95, and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, 83, in a joint press conference, said they were making the announcement ahead of the third reading of the 2021 budget tomorrow, where any defeat for the ruling bloc would lead to the collapse of the Perikatan Nasional government.The pair, who fought a bitter battle for the Umno top post in 1987 leading to a split in the party, said they would like to contribute to the nation again to restore Malaysia’s status as an “Asian tiger”.Mahathir said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government could be toppled tomorrow but stopped short of offering himself as a prime ministerial candidate.He also denied that Warisan president Shafie Apdal’s announcement of extending his Sabah-based party to the peninsula was linked to today’s announcement.“If the government falls, there will be a need for a new government. Unless we have a general election, the only way to form a new government is for the 222 MPs to choose the government and to form a government that is dedicated to serving the people.“I hope there are enough MPs who want to see this country recover and be developed as before,” said Mahathir.Razaleigh meanwhile said he had decided to join Mahathir despite being part of Umno.“I am sharing a platform with Tun (Mahathir) because I want to make sure we have a legitimate government. The government today is not a legitimate government and the prime minister in office today is not a legitimate prime minister,” said Razaleigh, who served as finance minister during Mahathir’s first term.Razaleigh also dismissed suggestions that he could be submitted to disciplinary action by his party.“What disciplinary action? Everybody can support whoever they want to support,” said Razaleigh, better known as Ku Li.He said while the government had done well in the initial stage, the economic situation was taking a turn for the worse.He said people have “no food on the table”, while the poor are getting poorer.He added that the youth have “lost confidence” in the government.“As such, we hope we can improve the situation. This is not empty talk. I believe Malaysians will come forth to help, we the elders can guide them.“This is the world of the young, and the tomorrow of theirs, not ours. Bring back the tiger in us.”Mahathir, who leads three other MPs under his Pejuang opposition bloc, also accused the government of being more interested in politics and without any strategy to address the Covid-19 crisis.The former prime minister had last month criticised Pakatan Harapan MPs for not forcing a bloc vote on the 2021 budget, which saw the budget easily passed by voice vote.He said today that he had not discussed with PKR president Anwar Ibrahim his plan in the event that the government loses the third reading of the budget tomorrow.He said he was not answerable to Anwar although the latter is the parliamentary opposition leader.“We are not under him. He is named the opposition leader but he does not control us. We can do what we like, that is a given where the Parliament is concerned,” Mahathir said.“I have no need to place support or loyalty to an opposition leader.”


Japan’s Covid-19 surge shows signs of peaking as curbs extended

Japan’s biggest wave of Covid-19 cases to date is showing signs of peaking though authorities are extending virus curbs into next month to try to bring down the rate of hospitalisations.Top medical adviser Shigeru Omi said on Thursday that health centres would shift towards focusing on care for the elderly and those at risk of developing serious illness.“While infections are still increasing, there’s a relative slowing trend among working people in their 20s and 30s,” he told reporters after a health task-force meeting.Japan will on Friday begin a long weekend that have in the past coincided with increases in cases.Virus curbs in Tokyo and 12 prefectures that had been due to expire on Sunday will be extended until March 6, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday.A expert panel said that while the rate of infections was slowing, the medical system remained under pressure and hospitalisations may continue to rise.Tokyo reported 18,287 new infections on Wednesday, down from a record 21,576 on Feb 2 in the first week-on-week decline in almost two months.Nationwide data show the same flattening trend, while cases in the southern prefecture of Okinawa, where this latest wave first gained momentum, continue to ebb.


Saifuddin urged to explain exemption for Umno in no-contest motion

Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail was today urged to explain the criteria considered in granting Umno an exemption from a clause in the Societies Act in its decision to prohibit contest for the top two posts in its ongoing party election.
Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief whip Takiyuddin Hassan also referred to a letter from the Registrar of Societies (RoS) dated March 2, stating that the additional motion, passed at Umno's 2022 general assembly in January, was irregular and in conflict with the party's constitution.
"This is a matter of public interest," Takiyuddin said in his debate on the Supply Bill 2023 in the Dewan Rakyat.
"If this is the current practice, can other bodies also follow this example? Is this a binding precedent for all parties?
"This is an important matter which must be explained by the government."
Saifuddin said earlier today that he had used his ministerial power to exempt Umno from a clause in the Societies Act, allowing the party to forego elections for its top two posts.
The PKR secretary-general said that based on the powers vested in him under Section 70 of the Societies Act, he was exempting Umno from abiding by a provision under Section 13 of the same act.
Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob, who objected to the motion, had urged party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to make public the letter from the RoS reportedly approving the no-contest motion for the positions held by himself and his deputy Mohamad Hasan.
This followed conflicting reports over the contents of the letter.


Myanmar’s Suu Kyi issued pre-emptive call to reject coup, party says

Myanmar’s de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi issued a pre-emptive call for people to reject any coup, before she was detained by the military on Monday, her party said.Suu Kyi called on people “not to accept a coup”, according to a post on the official Facebook page of the chair of the National League for Democracy.Myanmar’s military has put the country under a state of emergency for a year.Suu Kyi’s message reiterated the National League for Democracy’s landslide victory in the November 2020 election.The Facebook post noted the military’s actions could jeopardise the country’s efforts to fight a coronavirus outbreak.Myanmar has registered more than 140,000 cases and more than 3,000 deaths.The post said she had not accepted a controversial army-scripted 2008 constitution, but had abided by it since entering parliament.The constitution carved out a powerful ongoing political role for the military, giving them control of the key interior, border and defence ministries and a bloc of parliamentary seats.Suu Kyi and her government had been trying to amend the charter since winning the 2015 election, with little success.During the last term, she circumvented a constitutional clause that prevented her from assuming the presidency by taking the de facto leadership role of “state counsellor”.


Sabahan, teenager win battle for citizenship

The legal battle by a Sabah-born man and a 16-year-old girl to be given citizenship ended in victory today with their recognition as Malaysian citizens.
This followed a decision by a three-man Federal Court panel dismissing the government's application for leave to pursue its appeals to prevent the two from receiving Malaysian citizenship.
In the case of the Sabah-born man, Wong Kueng Hui, the panel led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim found that the application for leave to appeal by the director-general of the National Registration Department (JPN), the home ministry and the government of Malaysia did not fulfil the threshold requirement under Section 96 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1964.
Abang Iskandar, who sat with Federal Court judges Rhodzariah Bujang and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd Diah, said even if leave was granted, it would have little chance of success on the merits.
Wong was born in 1995 at Hospital Keningau, Sabah, to a Sarawakian man and a woman believed to be a foreigner. His father died when he was 10 years old, and his mother, seven years later. In his judicial review application, Wong said he did not have any documents on his mother’s identification except that she was of Indonesian descent.
He had sought information from the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, but there was no record of his mother having been registered as an Indonesian citizen.
He also checked with the Philippine embassy in Kuala Lumpur but found no record of his mother being a citizen of that country, either.
Wong, 27, won his bid for citizenship at the High Court in 2019 after the court held that he was a stateless person.
The Court of Appeal, in a majority ruling, upheld the High Court's decision, prompting the JPN director-general, home minister and government to file leave for appeal. Meanwhile, the same panel of judges dismissed a similar application by the home ministry secretary-general, the JPN director-general and the government to proceed with their appeal in the case of a 16-year-old girl who was born in Perak to a Malaysian father and a Filipino mother.
Her application to obtain citizenship was rejected as she was considered illegitimate because her parents' marriage was registered after her birth. Her father subsequently obtained a declaration of legitimacy from the High Court in 2018 to declare his daughter the legitimate child of him and his wife.
Both the High Court and Court of Appeal ruled in her favour in her application to be declared a Malaysian citizen.
Meanwhile, Azimah Hamzah, a 35-year-old woman born to a Muslim couple from Cambodia in a refugee camp in Cherating, Pahang, succeeded in obtaining leave to appeal at the Federal Court to be given Malaysian citizenship, following her failed attempts at the High Court and Court of Appeal.
Azimah, who argued that she was a stateless person with no Cambodian citizenship who had been living in Malaysia, is seeking automatic citizenship under Article 14 (1) (b) of the Federal Constitution.
She claimed that both of her parents and her four siblings had obtained Malaysian citizenship.
Abang Iskandar granted Azimah leave to appeal on one question of law on whether a child born of refugee parents who have acquired Malaysian citizenship is entitled to be registered as a Malaysian citizen as provided under Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution.
The panel heard all three appeals separately in online proceedings today.
A team of lawyers led by Haijan Omar represented Wong while Annou Xavier and Larissa Ann Louis were counsel for the teenager and a team of lawyers led by Gopal Sri Ram acted for Azimah.
Senior federal counsel Liew Horng Bin represented the government in the cases of Wong and the teenager, while senior federal counsel Nik Mohd Noor Nik Kar appeared for the government in Azimah's case.


3-year fight for AirAsia X refund ends in disappointment

For three years, Aiman Md Uslim fought for a ticket refund from budget airline AirAsia X, a struggle which ended in frustration and disappointment.
Aiman, from Shah Alam, Selangor, bought six tickets for RM4,149 on Nov 3, 2019.
The tickets were for a flight to South Korea, scheduled to depart on Oct 17, 2020.
After the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, however, Aiman decided to cancel the trip on March 12, 2020, just before Putrajaya imposed the movement control order which closed the borders and brought travel to a halt.
He was offered a refund in the form of credit in an email sent by AirAsia X on April 8.
"But I didn't want credit, so I told them that I wanted to be refunded in the form of the original payment," he said.
On May 19, AirAsia X told him that his refund was still being processed as the airline was dealing with a flood of similar requests from other passengers.
After waiting for more than two years, Aiman lodged a complaint with the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom) on June 6, 2022.
Ten days later, he was credited with a refund in the form of travel vouchers.
Frustrated with the development, Aiman filed a claim at the Small Claims Court on March 17, 2023.
The hearing was held at the Sepang Magistrate's Court on April 17.
"AirAsia X had no representative, so I submitted all of the details and an immediate decision was made in my favour," Aiman said.
But his joy was short-lived as AirAsia X then filed an application to set aside the decision under the company's restructuring restrictions.
AirAsia X previously said it had received approval from 99% of its creditors for its debt restructuring process on Nov 12, 2021, before the proposal was approved by the High Court on Dec 16, 2021.
The next hearing of Aiman's case was held at the Sepang Magistrate's Court on June 8.
There, the court accepted AirAsia X's application to set aside the initial decision, leaving Aiman with his refund in the form of travel vouchers.
Fed up, Aiman gave up on pursuing his case, vowing never to use AirAsia X's services again.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said he had had high hopes of recovering his money after reading about Nagendran, a fellow AirAsia passenger who succeeded in getting a cash refund through the same procedure in 2021.
"The most frustrating thing is that AirAsia X did not discuss with its passengers before implementing the restructuring process which allows it to decide not to return our money," he said.
"This is unfair. They can take my money just like that. But the travel vouchers can only be used for flights with AirAsia X.
"What if I want to use the services of another airline? Of course I won't be able to."


The tiny enclave where life is almost back to normal

Maskless people greet each other in the streets, friends gather for meals inside restaurants and sports fans once again attend live events.Gibraltar, a tiny British territory on Spain’s southern tip, has become one of the first places in the world to vaccinate the bulk of its adult population against Covid-19, allowing virus restrictions to be lifted and life to almost return to normal.For Cristine Parody it meant celebrating Easter “as it should be” with her daughters and grandchildren after spending Christmas and her 65th birthday alone.“It was wonderful to have this contact again,” she told AFP on Gibraltar’s pedestrianised Main Street, which was packed with shoppers, the vast majority not wearing face masks.Since the end of March, masks are only required in enclosed public spaces, shops and on public transport.And a curfew between midnight and 5am was also lifted, boosting business at bars and restaurants which only reopened on March 1 after months of restrictions.Popular spots such as Ocean Village Marina and Irish Town are once again buzzing with people enjoying a meal or a drink.Gino Jimenez, chairman of the Gibraltar Catering Association who also runs a popular eatery, said it was “especially gratifying” to see vulnerable seniors finally “out of their homes and safe”.Gibraltar Chief Minister Fabian Picardo announced Thursday that rules restricting gatherings to no more than 16 people will be eliminated as of April 16.And as of Monday there will no longer be any limit on the numbers who can sit together at a bar or restaurant.‘Huge relief’In Gibraltar, with a population of 34,000, the pandemic claimed 94 lives, most this January and February, and infected nearly 4,300 residents.But thanks to the vaccine drive, there have been no virus-related hospitalisations for more than two weeks in the territory of just 6.8 sq km overshadowed by a massive limestone promontory dubbed “the Rock”.Since “Operation Freedom” began in January, Gibraltar has fully inoculated 85% of the population.And over half of the 15,000 or so commuters who come from Spain to work in Gibraltar have received at least one jab.“It is a huge relief,” Health Minister Samantha Sacramento told AFP at her office atop the only hospital which offers sweeping views over the harbour.She credits the enclave’s small size and a steady supply of vaccines – Pfizer and AstraZeneca – for the swift rollout.“During the first weeks, we were vaccinating seven days a week. It was literally a conveyer belt,” said Sacramento, the only woman in Gibraltar’s cabinet.Frontline hospital staff and elderly care home residents and workers were the first in line.Then a vaccination centre was set up above a shopping arcade at the start of Main Street to innoculate the general public.On a recent weekday morning, a steady stream of people could be seen filing in for their vaccine appointments.After having their temperatures checked at the entrance and signing in, they were swiftly steered to one of 14 stations, with the whole process taking about 20 minutes.“It was all so fast,” said 22-year-old Alejandro Campoy after getting his first jab.He crosses into Gibraltar every day to work as a delivery man, walking across the airport runway that separates the territory from Spain’s La Linea de la Concepcion where he lives.‘Oasis’Those who receive both doses of the jab are issued with a vaccination card that can be used to attend mass events or to travel.Last week Gibraltar’s Victoria Stadium welcomed 600 fully-vaccinated people for the territory’s World Cup football qualifier against the Netherlands.And on March 27, 500 spectators watched a top heavyweight boxing match at Gibraltar’s Europa Sports Complex.In both cases, fans also had to test negative on the day of the event.Gibraltar’s reopening comes as most of the rest of Europe is stepping up restrictions and struggling to manage vaccine rollouts.Rafael Cordon, a 63-year-old chef who commutes daily to work in the British territory from the Spanish town of San Roque said he was grateful to Gibraltar for being able to get fully vaccinated so quickly.He said there was now a big contrast between both places.Being in Spain, where mask-wearing in public is compulsory and night curfews are in place, is “like being inside a fishbowl where your movements are limited,” he said.“Then you cross over to this side and it is like going from one world to another. This is an oasis right now.”


Minister condemns racist jibe against national sprinter who wore hijab at Olympics

A minister has come to the defence of national sprinter Azreen Nabila Alias after a social media comment drew scorn for questioning her decision to wear a hijab at the Tokyo Olympics.Zuraida Kamaruddin, the housing and local government minister, said no one had the right to question the athlete’s choice of dress whether it was based on comfort or religious beliefs.“Her dressing has nothing to do with her performance as an athlete. All national athletes in fact should be able to perform in their respective competitions with the peace of mind that their country is behind them,” Zuraida said.On Friday, a social media user attacked Azreen for donning a hijab when taking part in the women’s 100m event.“I do not mind of her being last in the 100 meters heats but I cannot tolerate is she dressed differently from the others. She was fully covered as if she was running during winter,” said Hugh Lawrence Zehnder, in a posting which was criticised by netizens.“If her religion prohibits her from dressing like the others it would be wise for her to drop the sport and concentrate on winning the Koran recital competition and let the non-Malay represent the nation in the sport.”


Celeb Neelofa and family slapped with RM60,000 compounds for breaching Covid SOPs

Celebrity businesswoman Noor Neelofa Mohd Noor and 20 of her family members have been slapped with a total of RM60,000 in compounds for violating Covid-19 SOPs, police said today.Neelofa was compounded RM20,000 for failing to abide by health SOPs during a wedding event she had organised, as well as for breaching the terms of an interstate travel permit issued by the police.Neelofa’s husband Muhammad Haris Ismail was meanwhile issued a RM10,000 compound for a similar offence of breaching the travel permit.Dang Wangi police chief Mohamad Zainal Abdullah said the other family members were issued compounds of RM1,500 each for failing to abide by social distancing rules.Zainal said neither Neelofa nor her husband were allowed a discount on their compounds.“Police advise the public to continue complying with the conditional movement control order. Failure to comply allows action to be taken under the provisions of the law still in force,” he said.Under the government’s guidelines, Covid-19 offences are categorised as serious, moderate and normal with compound amounts corresponding to the severity of the offence.A serious offence is one that causes large-scale community transmission and has a high impact on the community; a moderate offence is one that causes high virus transmission but does not have a significant impact on the community; while a normal offence involves low-risk transmission and has no impact on the community.High-profile individuals who have been issued compounds so far include former prime minister Najib Razak, who was fined for failing to check in with the MySejahtera app when visiting a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur.


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Better safe than sorry, Khairy says on move to endemic phase

Malaysia is taking prudent steps before it decides to declare the country’s transition from the Covid-19 pandemic to the endemic phase, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.He said this careful approach includes ensuring that Covid-19 cases in Malaysia, especially those involving hospital admissions, do not continue to surge.“We are monitoring other countries like Sweden and Denmark. In my opinion, they might have declared an end to the Covid-19 pandemic too early. For example, in Denmark they declared that Covid-19 was not a threat to public health but hospitalisation cases increased rapidly.“That’s why for the health director-general (Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah) and I, we prefer to be cautious. Some say our approach is conservative and others say too conservative, but for us it is better to be safe than sorry,” he said at a press conference after launching an event at Hospital Selayang today.If, in the next two to three weeks, the Omicron wave shows little effect on hospital admission rates with most cases showing mild symptoms, the government might be more confident about moving to the endemic phase, he added.


Guan Eng admitted to IJN, judge allows trial to proceed

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today proceeded with the corruption trial of former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng in connection with the Penang undersea tunnel project, although the accused was not in court.Lim’s counsel, Gobind Singh Deo, informed the court that his client could not appear in court today as he had been admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN) since Sunday.“The accused is currently at IJN for a medical procedure which was conducted yesterday and he has been given a sick leave certificate from Sunday until tomorrow, but we have three formal witnesses today, and I request for the hearing to proceed without his presence,” said the lawyer.Deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin then asked the court to record the prosecution’s regret on the presence of the witnesses, who are from Penang.“What is regrettable is that the accused chose to be admitted to IJN on Dec 12 knowing that (the trial of) his case is on Dec 13.“I hope this will not happen again. I do not want to make it a big issue and request the accused to be more responsible,” he said.Hearing of the case was fixed for yesterday, but was postponed to today.Judge Azura Alwi allowed the trial to continue today and tomorrow without Lim’s presence by applying Section 264 of the Criminal Procedure Code.At today’s proceedings, three prosecution witnesses were called to testify: Ng Wee Kok and S Vijayalakchimi, who are Lim’s former senior private secretaries, and former Penang state executive council secretary M Maheswari.In their testimonies, all three confirmed several minutes of a meeting on the undersea tunnel project.Lim is charged with using his position as then Penang chief minister to obtain a bribe of RM3.3 million for helping a company owned by Zarul Ahmad to secure the construction project worth RM6,341,383,702.The offence was allegedly committed between January 2011 and August 2017 at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office.On the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting bribes amounting to 10% of the profits from Zarul to be earned by the company as gratification for helping Zarul’s company secure the project.The offence was allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City, between 12.30am and 2am in March 2011.Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, also faces two charges of causing two plots of land, worth RM208.8 million, belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the state’s undersea tunnel project.The offence was allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.The hearing continues tomorrow.


French court to decide on appeals in Scorpene submarine case

The Paris Court of Appeal will deliver its decision on April 11 on the appeals brought by two French defence groups in the investigation into alleged bribes in connection with the sale of submarines to Malaysia in 2002, AFP has learnt from a judicial source.
In a hearing on Feb 14, the investigating chamber addressed several motions for nullity brought by Thales, its subsidiaries and DCNI, contesting in particular the validity of searches carried out as part of this investigation.
After a first hearing on April 19, 2022, the Court of Appeal had postponed its decision for several months, requesting additional information aimed at clarifying certain contentious points of the investigation.
According to elements known to AFP, the public prosecutor's office requested confirmation of the procedure in writing after reading the new documents submitted to the investigation.
At the heart of the matter are consultancy contracts concluded on the sidelines of the sale to Malaysia in 2002 of two Scorpene submarines and an Agosta submarine by DCNI, allied with Thales, for nearly €1 billion.
French judges suspect some of these contracts of being used as a front to pay bribes to former prime minister Najib Razak.
Najib was defence minister when the deal was signed to buy two Scorpene-class submarines and one Agosta submarine from French naval dockyards unit DCN, now part of Thales, in a deal worth US$1.2 billion.
Najib’s associate Abdul Razak Baginda acted as an adviser on the deal. He is accused of disguising the kickback of more than €114 million as “consulting work” by a firm in which he was the largest shareholder.
The money was then allegedly given to Najib, who has faced a series of graft cases since his Barisan Nasional coalition was voted out in 2018.
Razak was charged in France in 2017, while Najib has been questioned by anti-graft investigators.