The teachers giving their all, wherever they are

For 16 years, Muhammad Sany Kasmori has been clocking in for work each day as a teacher at SMK Section 18 in Shah Alam, Selangor.Now 41, he has been doing the same thing for almost a third of his life but he never gets tired of the job. In fact, working at a school in a rapidly developing city always keeps him on his toes.“It’s very subjective,” he said in a recent interview with MalaysiaNow. “Every teacher has his or her own challenges.”For Sany, who teaches physical education, the challenge lies in keeping up with the demands of technology. These days, it is not enough to rely on the techniques and practices of the past — he and his fellow teachers need to equip themselves with new skill sets in order to stay one step ahead of their students.There is also a big difference between dealing with students in urban areas and those in rural villages and, of course, the problem of ensuring that schools are set up with proper internet facilities — a must in this day and age.“If people knew half of what teachers have to do, they would be surprised,” he said.DedicationThe 2018 Cambridge International Global Education Census found that Malaysian teachers were among the most dedicated in the world when it came to ensuring the academic success of their students.The study conducted by Cambridge Assessment International Education, under the University of Cambridge, also found that 70% of Malaysian teachers saw teaching as a rewarding career.For Norjilawati Mohd Amin, who teaches moral studies at SMK Setia Alam in Shah Alam, academic achievements are important. But she also believes that character, knowledge and professional skills are of equal importance.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said the real challenge was in fact how to “humanise humans”, in an era of turmoil which more often than not sees the destruction of moral values, ethics and manners.“Teachers don’t always get the chance to impart values like these,” she said.“They have to focus on finishing the syllabus because they are worried that their students won’t be able to answer the questions that come out in their exams.”InternetIdi Johan Mohd Zohdi teaches mathematics at a school in Sekinchan, Selangor.He believes that a good relationship between teachers and parents helps solve most problems, even those that occur outside of school hours.“Most parents here are farmers, fishermen, traders and labourers,” he said. “A handful of them are civil servants.”They do not earn much in way of salary, and this in turn affects their children and their studies.Many of the children also work alongside their parents in fields and plantations and get left behind in their schoolwork.Then, there is the problem of internet access.For the two years during which the pandemic forced the closure of schools and moved classes online, Johan and his students struggled together to keep things going.“I had to go to the main road to get internet that was good enough to hold my classes online,” he recalled.“Some of my students, I couldn’t reach at all. I had to go to their houses to pass them their worksheets.”But despite the challenges and hardships, Sany said teachers find new energy in the face of their students.“The hope of all who are teachers is for society to be more aware about issues and not just blame us,” he said.“Work together with us to ensure that this future generation is not left adrift without any guidance at all.”


China construction firm to build Covid facilities in virus-hit Hong Kong

Hong Kong has contracted mainland firm China State Construction International Holdings Ltd 3311.HK to build eight isolation and treatment facilities to help the global financial hub fight a worsening Covid-19 outbreak, the government said.The temporary facilities, with a combined capacity of 50,000 beds, will be spread across Hong Kong, including on private land lent for free by developers.The move follows promises of “staunch support” from mainland Chinese authorities, with city leader Carrie Lam doubling down on the official goal of bringing infections down to zero.Authorities are expected to report a new record of about 10,000 confirmed infections over the past 24 hours, up from Thursday’s 8,798, broadcaster TVB reported, citing an unidentified source. University of Hong Kong researchers predict new infections could peak at 180,000 a day next month.“The target is to maximise the site utilisation and complete the relevant works as soon as possible, equipping Hong Kong for the fight against the epidemic,” the government said in a statement late on Thursday.Sun Hung Kai Properties 0016.HK, New World Development 0017.HK and Henderson Land Development 0012.HK are among the developers that contributed to the scheme.Reuters reported in September that Beijing had given a new mandate to the Chinese-ruled city’s powerful property tycoons, telling them to pour resources and influence into backing Beijing’s interests.Hong Kong is following mainland China’s “dynamic zero-Covid” strategy, aiming to eradicate all outbreaks at all costs, but the spread of infections with the highly-transmissible Omicron variant this year has overwhelmed the city’s health system.This week, Lam used emergency powers granted under British colonial-era laws to exempt mainland Chinese staff and projects from any licensing or other legal requirements.As Covid rages across Hong Kong at the start of a sensitive political year for Chinese President Xi Jinping, Beijing is deeply invested in the city’s response to the crisis.In the past week, since Xi told the city its “overriding mission” was to control the worsening crisis, Hong Kong has stepped up anti-Covid measures, including plans for mass testing buttressed by equipment, testing vehicles and personnel from the mainland.


Chinese port city battles growing Covid-19 cluster

A growing Covid-19 cluster in China’s Dalian has spurred the northeastern port city to limit outbound travel, cut offline school classes and close a few cultural venues after being told by national authorities to contain the outbreak more quickly.Dalian reported 52 locally transmitted infections with confirmed symptoms on Thursday, a daily count higher than any other Chinese city affected in an ongoing nationwide outbreak since mid-October, and more than doubling from 21 cases a day earlier, official data showed on Friday.A total of 1,149 local cases were found in China between Oct 17 and Nov 11. While the number is tiny compared with many outbreaks outside the country, local authorities have exerted resources to put out the flare-up with Beijing not expected to change its zero-tolerance policy any time soon.“Various measures should be quickened and their quality should be improved, in order to get the outbreak under control in a shorter amount of time and to minimise the outbreak’s impact on manufacturing and life of the general public,” the National Health Commission said on Thursday, citing a meeting chaired by the commission’s director in Dalian.The number of people travelling out of Dalian has dropped by 96.5% to 918 per day on average, a local transportation official said late on Thursday, after the city of 7.5 million people imposed curbs on public transport and warned residents against leaving Dalian for unnecessary reasons.The city has demanded kindergartens and primary and high schools halt offline lessons, closed a number of libraries and museums, and started a second round of city-wide mass testing campaign.On Friday, Dalian called on its residents not to leave their home unless it is necessary.Dalian, a leading port for seafood shipments as well as fruit and some meats, has also ordered all businesses handling imported chilled and frozen foods to suspend operations, according to the state-backed newspaper Global Times.As of Nov 11, mainland China had reported 98,099 confirmed symptomatic Covid-19 patients, including both local cases and those arriving from abroad. The total death number remained at 4,636.


Man arrested for selling 130 women in Afghanistan

The Taliban have arrested a man for allegedly selling dozens of women in northern Afghanistan after duping them into believing they would be marrying into money, officials said Tuesday.The man was arrested in northern Jawzjan province late on Monday, Damullah Seraj, the Taliban provincial police chief, told reporters.“We are still in our initial stages of the investigation. We hope to find out more about this case later,” he said.Mohammad Sardar Mubariz, a district police chief in Jawzjan, told AFP the man would target poor women desperate to improve their circumstances.After saying he would find them a wealthy husband, he would move them to a different province where they were instead sold into servitude.He allegedly trafficked around 130 women this way.Crime, nepotism and corruption are not new in Afghanistan but rising poverty is undermining the Taliban government’s claim to legitimacy.Since their return to power about three months ago, the Taliban are trying to contain a spate of crimes such as robberies and kidnappings in the big cities.On Tuesday, the Taliban interior ministry said 60 people – including members of the passport department – were arrested for forging documents to obtain passports.The ministry said it was temporarily closing the passport office in Kabul for maintenance.


Company handling 'not to land' notices at KLIA not appointed by us, says MAHB

The independent company appointed to handle "not to land" (NTL) passengers at KLIA was not appointed by Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB).
In a statement today to clarify a news report published by a news portal, MAHB said the independent company to handle NTL passengers at KLIA was appointed by the KLIA Airline Operators Committee, a committee consisting of 40 airline operators and 26 associates.
The appointment was agreed to and endorsed by the immigration department, it said.
"As the airport operator, MAHB provided a suitable space to facilitate the handling of NTL passengers while awaiting their return flights," it said.
A news report titled "Chinese national involved in KLIA has returned, says Azam" published yesterday reported Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief commissioner Azam Baki as saying that the two Chinese nationals linked to a VIP who was at the centre of a commotion at the arrival hall of KLIA Terminal 1 last week had returned home. Azam was quoted as saying that an agent who allegedly solicited a fee to help one of the women after she was reportedly prohibited entry to Malaysia was linked to a company based at KLIA.
He also said the company had been given a contract by MAHB to manage travellers slapped with the immigration department's NTL notices since 2017.
MAHB said the handling of NTL passengers due to various reasons including passport validity, visa issue, criminal history and security concerns, falls under the purview of respective airlines and the Immigration Department as specified under International Civil Aviation Organisation's Annexe 9 and Malaysia's Immigration Act (Act 155).


Daily cases fall to 5,800

Another 5,809 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,541,147.Another 4,712 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,446,197.Meanwhile 527 are in the ICU, including 484 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 277 are in need of respiratory assistance including 193 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,809 cases reported today, 102 (1.8%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,707 (98.2%) are in Category One and Two.


Rosmah-Najib’s ‘Can I advise you something?’ phone call admitted as evidence

An audio recording of Rosmah Mansor in a telephone conversation revealed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) early last year can be admitted as evidence in her corruption trial, the High Court ruled today.The decision by judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan reversed his earlier ruling on the recordings of conversations involving Rosmah, her husband Najib Razak and several other individuals, revealed by then-MACC chief commissioner Latheefa Koya in January last year.The audio files included a heated conversation between a man and a woman whom MACC identified as Rosmah and Najib, in what has come to be known as the “Can I advise you something?” phone call.In the recording, Rosmah was heard telling her husband to take charge in managing the 1MDB scandal.“Can I advise you something?” she was heard saying.“I don’t like this. Darling, you are the prime minister, you should take charge and not anybody else okay? You got goons around you to advise you.”The audio file was one of nine recordings released by MACC involving Najib and others implicated in the 1MDB saga, including Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohamed Zayed Al-Nahyan, former MACC chief Dzulkifli Ahmad and Baling MP Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim.The anti-graft body had said they pointed to “abuse of power and fabrication of false evidence”.“There are various serious issues that have arisen including abuse of power, criminal conspiracy, obstruction of justice, compromising national security, fabrication of false evidence through foreign assistance, and connivance,” Latheefa had said at a press conference where all the tapes were played.She had said the audio clips were handed to the agency anonymously and that they were authentic.The High Court today ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on three graft charges in relation to a solar hybrid project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.Rosmah faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from former Jepak Holdings managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.Zaini had allowed a few seconds of the recording to be played during the case hearing last year, despite objections from the defence.Former education minister Mahdzir Khalid, a witness in the trial, had then identified the voices as those of Rosmah and Najib.


Toe the line or lose it all, health experts warn on park ‘loophole’ in SOPs

Health experts say outdoor activities may soon be banned altogether in a warning for those who use the leeway given for exercise as a loophole to meet up with others despite the Covid-19 SOPs in place across the country.They also urged the public to take a serious view of the matter and adhere to the SOPs to avoid the enforcement of stricter measures if violations continue to occur.Under the current movement control order, known as MCO 3.0, people are allowed to carry out individual outdoor activities like walking, jogging and cycling in a departure from the initial move to completely ban such pursuits.Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah, who heads the Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia, said the government had not been keen on allowing any form of outdoor activity until medical organisations and doctors pleaded for some elbow room in the interest of the people’s physical and mental well-being.“The government has given this leeway for only one reason: so that people who are stuck at home can also get some exercise.”“That’s why the government allowed jogging and cycling to be carried out,” he said.However, checks showed that many have been using this as a means of meeting up and hanging out with friends or family members.Dr Kuljit Singh, president of the Association of Private Hospitals Malaysia, cautioned against misusing the freedom given for individual activities.“The government has given this leeway for only one reason: so that people who are stuck at home can also get some exercise.“But there’s a very strict condition: you must have social distancing,” he said, adding that this should be the case even for members of the same household.He said although Covid-19 transmission in the open air is lower than in an enclosed space, there is still a risk of contracting the virus if people are close to each other.He said it was possible that the government would consider implementing SOPs similar to those put in place during the first MCO last year, imposing a blanket ban on all outdoor activities if SOPs are violated.“People have to follow the SOPs and not abuse them, because then the government will tell you to stop and stay home,” he said.Raj agreed that gathering in groups at parks and lakesides increases the risk of community transmission.“There’s a strong possibility that somebody could be a close contact or carrier of the virus, and eventually spread it to others,” he said.He said part of the problem is that many Malaysians feel that their health and well-being are the responsibility of the government and doctors.He said such happy-go-lucky attitudes play a major role in why many are not following the SOPs.“This is why they choose to hang out in parks with friends or family members, even at a time when they shouldn’t.”


Armed forces, Rela to assist if floods hit during polls

The government will mobilise the armed forces, the People’s Volunteer Corps (Rela) and other agencies to assist the police if floods hit during the 15th general election (GE15).
Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said assistance would be needed as the majority of the police force had been assigned to GE15.
"At the home ministry level, we have committed to GE15, with 80,000 personnel for assignments in the election. But if we face floods, we will need more than that.
"So we have instructed Rela to assist but if they are not enough, I will also ask for assistance from the military and other agencies to help out if floods hit," he told reporters in Tasek Gelugor last night.
Hamzah, who is contesting the Larut seat in Perak, was commenting on flood preparations following the recent floods in several areas.
"Our problem now is flooding because of the monsoon season… it will trouble voters from voting, and they will be upset if they face floods and need to vote.
"The police must really be responsible in ensuring the safety of the public, especially voters," he added.


China’s consumers keep their wallets in lockdown as Covid curbs ease

China’s sputtering economy has a lot riding on its consumers, who are just now emerging from lockdowns in Shanghai and other big cities. But those hopes are running up against the likes of Wu Lei, a football coach in Beijing who has put off buying a new mobile phone.“I’ve lost the lion’s share of my income since Beijing called a stop to after-school sports clubs in April,” said Wu, a 37-year-old with two daughters. The five-week-long near-shutdown of the Chinese capital under China’s stringent Covid-19 measures was eased on Monday.“We have no spare money even in normal months, so now we feel really under financial pressure,” he said.China is moving to spur spending that was depressed by Covid curbs in some of its biggest cities, but piecemeal measures such as vouchers, subsidies for car buyers and digital yuan payments have been modest compared with other big global economies. Policymakers have instead stuck to their preferred approach to stimulus, which focuses on businesses and infrastructure.Those measures, analysts said, will not be enough to drive a recovery in consumer spending, which accounted for more than two-thirds of first-quarter growth in China’s economy, as it rebalances away from a heavy dependence on exports and investments. That will, in turn, impede the strength of recovery in the world’s second-largest economy, a crucial engine of global growth.“Consumers are rattled,” said Mark Tanner, managing director at Shanghai-based research and marketing consultancy China Skinny.“They are lacking confidence that they had before, partly due to the uncertainty around the highly transmissible Omicron being contained for long, but also as they are not feeling as good relative to other countries,” he said.Constraining the rebound, analysts said, are not just income losses during the lockdowns, but lingering fears about job security and Covid-related curbs, as well as authorities’ reticence towards policies that would get more money quickly into consumers’ pockets.China’s retail sales shrank 11.1% in April from a year earlier, the biggest fall since the height of China’s first Covid outbreak two years ago that ravaged the city of Wuhan.The rebound that followed then was robust for upmarket brands such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci, but wider consumption struggled. Retails sales for 2020 fell 3.9% from the previous year, the first contraction since 1968.But the overall economy grew 2.2% in 2020, roaring back from a record slump in the first quarter and making China the only major world economy to expand.This time, analysts said, the picture is murkier. China’s once high-flying property and tech sectors are wobbling and persistent job stresses have undercut the “revenge consumption” that typically follows when lockdowns ease up, and shoppers flock back to stores with a vengeance.China’s urban jobless rate rose to 6.1% in April, the highest since February 2020 and well above the government’s target ceiling of 5.5%. Some economists expect employment to worsen before it gets better, with graduates entering the workforce in record numbers.Fear of lockdownsFears of fresh lockdowns also loom large, especially in Shanghai, where some of the upscale, tree-lined neighbourhoods of the former French Concession were fenced in over the weekend and residents taken away after new Covid cases were discovered.In Shenzhen, which went through a week-long lockdown in March, residents must be tested every 72 hours to use subways and taxis or enter malls and parks. Employees of restaurants and hairdressers noted fewer customers since the system was implemented. Similar rules apply in Beijing and Shanghai.Chinese authorities, however, have been reluctant to spur consumption with cash handouts similar to those in developed countries.They face fiscal constraints, and fear that handouts would end up favouring China’s wealthiest regions, which were hardest hit by the lockdowns, at a time when the government has pledged to address economic inequality. Authorities also worry that any government cash given to China’s typically thrifty consumers would end up in savings accounts rather than getting spent.Instead, China’s cabinet has unveiled a package of policy measures to help Covid-hit businesses and spur investment, with only limited steps to encourage purchases of cars and home appliances.Shenzhen has allotted 500 million yuan (US$75 million) for consumption vouchers and 100 million yuan in subsidies for consumer electronics, which combined are equivalent to roughly US$5 per resident.Shanghai is offering subsidies of 10,000 yuan for residents who switch to electric cars. Most of its measures to reboot an economy shattered by two months of lockdown have focused on supporting businesses.Such support for consumers hard-pressed by the pandemic is dwarfed by the US$3,200 in stimulus checks received by millions of Americans since early 2020.“The authorities are rolling out policies to stimulate consumption, but it would be hard to see a sharp rebound,” said Zhang Yiping, economist at China Merchants Securities in Shenzhen.“People’s incomes are diminished and there’s very heavy pressure on employment.”The consumption slump has stoked debate among economists and policy advisers on whether China should take more direct stimulus steps to support consumers.Lin Yifu, a Peking University professor and former World Bank chief economist, recommends giving 1,000 yuan to families in areas under lockdown. His colleague Yao Yang goes further, suggesting that China give 1,000 yuan to each resident, preferably in digital currency.But Chinese policymakers show no signs of budging from their preference for supporting businesses and infrastructure projects, policy insiders said.“We should focus on boosting effective investment. Without investment, consumption will falter soon,” Jia Kang, the former head of the finance ministry’s think tank who now runs the China Academy of New Supply-side Economics, told Reuters.


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19 schools in Selangor closed over Covid-19

A total of 19 schools in Selangor have been ordered to close from today due to the emergence of Covid-19 clusters, the Petaling district health office says.The schools involved are SMK Bukit Jelutong, SMK Bandar Sri Damansara 2, SMK Damansara Jaya, SMK Seksyen 7, SMK USJ 23, SMK Puchong; SMK Puchong Utama 1, SMK Seksyen 4 Bandar Kinrara, SMK Bandar Puncak Jalil, SMK Seksyen 20 and SMK Puchong Perdana.Also ordered to close were SK Puchong Perdana, SK Bandar Baru Sri Damansara 2, SK Bukit Kuchai, SK Bandar Sri Damansara 3, SK Bukit Jelutong and SK USJ 20.Sekolah Agama Menengah Bestari Subang and SJKC Yuk Chai were also ordered to close, a statement from the office said.It said the closures were to allow disinfection work at the schools and screening activities for close contacts.“All close contacts must be present to undergo swab tests or to be given a quarantine letter,” it said.Announcement on the reopening of the schools would be made two days ahead of time, it said, adding that each school must ensure that all close contacts of positive cases are quarantined.


Authorities acknowledge water problem in Kedah villages

The National Water Service Commission (SPAN) today acknowledged an issue with the water supply in rural Kedah which has seen villagers in several locations forced to rely on alternative sources in order to have enough water to meet their daily needs.SPAN spokesman Mohd Fazil Ismail said in general, the water supply is under control except in areas in Baling located at the end of the pipes and those at higher elevations.“When the dry season arrives, there is an increase in areas which face water disruptions,” he said in a statement to MalaysiaNow.“The problem is that ‘community water’ users are affected during the dry season, where there is less water from nearby hills.”According to Fazil, there are 1,200 accounts registered among villages in the eastern part of Baling. Of these, 130 face problems of low pressure or water supply disruption.“It is estimated that up to 700 houses in this area have to use ‘community water’ which is water sourced from nearby hills,” he said.MalaysiaNow previously reported that villagers in Kampung Bukit Sebelah and Kampung Iboi faced daily disruptions to their water supply, to the point that they had to seek permission to use a nearby hydraulic pump station to supply their homes with running water.Kampung Bukit Sebelah and several other villages in the vicinity receive their water supply from a source known as Pond R12, which in turn receives its supply from the Baling Lama and Baling Baru water treatment plants.Fazil said the long-term plan is to upgrade the Sungai Limau water treatment plant, which would include the installation of a dedicated pipeline to pump water to ponds with inadequate supply.“According to the plan, the project will start in 2021 and is expected to be completed in 2023,” he said.SPAN along with the environment and water ministry suggested that villagers facing water supply disruptions make use of the Malaysian Water Endowment Fund or Wakaf Air to ease their troubles.Fazil said the fund could be used to upgrade the makeshift pipelines set up by the villagers to carry water to their homes.“The endowment has already been used to tackle water disruptions in Johor, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Selangor.“It has sufficient funds to assist the people of Baling, Kedah, in upgrading their water pipes,” he said, adding that SPAN had taken notice of their situation and would raise the matter with Wakaf Air.Wakaf Air was launched on Dec 17 last year as an alternative source of financing. As of March 31, the endowment had received RM2.4 million in donations.It is an initiative of the environment and water ministry, in collaboration with Yayasan Waqaf Malaysia.


Public prosecutor files leave to intervene in King's Counsel appeal

The public prosecutor has filed an application for leave to intervene in an appeal by UK-based King's Counsel Jonathan Laidlaw, who wants to be admitted as an advocate and solicitor to represent Najib Razak in his SRC International criminal case.
In the notice of motion filed yesterday, the public prosecutor also sought to strike out Laidlaw's appeal on grounds that the appeal was academic, an abuse of process and unsustainable.
The application was supported by an affidavit filed by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul.
The public prosecutor, who was not named as a respondent in the King's Counsel's appeal, wants to be included as a fourth respondent.
The public prosecutor said it was a party in the proceedings at the High Court but was unilaterally dropped as a party in the appeal. The other respondents in the proceedings were the attorney-general, the Malaysian Bar and the Kuala Lumpur Bar Committee. The public prosecutor also said that Laidlaw's appeal was incompetent as the notice of appeal was served out of time.
Laidlaw filed an appeal to the Federal Court after the High Court rejected his application to be admitted as an advocate and solicitor on July 21 this year.
Laidlaw had, in May this year, filed a notice of originating motion through Messrs Shafee & Co at the High Court for his admission as a lawyer in Malaysia to represent Najib in his appeal at the Federal Court.
On Oct 12, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, who is representing Najib, said Laidlaw would represent the former prime minister in the re-hearing of his appeal if his review application was allowed by the Federal Court.
Najib is serving a 12-year jail sentence at Kajang Prison after losing his appeal in the Federal Court to set aside his conviction on seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position involving RM42 million in SRC International funds. In 2020, the High Court sentenced Najib to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million. His appeal against his conviction and sentence was dismissed by the Court of Appeal last year.
Najib's review application has been fixed for hearing in the Federal Court over three days beginning Jan 19, next year.
The Malaysian Bar has also filed an application to strike out Laidlaw's appeal, saying it is academic as the Federal Court already decided on Najib's appeal on Aug 23.
In the notice of motion filed yesterday, the Bar Council said the appeal was frivolous, vexatious and an abuse of the court process.


Syed Saddiq wanted RM1 million distributed after MACC house search, court told

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was today told that Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had instructed that the RM1 million withdrawn from the Bersatu Youth wing account be distributed among the wing's exco members, a day after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigated and searched his residence in Petaling Jaya in March 2020.
MACC investigating officer Mohd Syahmeizy Sulong, 37, said the money withdrawn on March 6, 2020 was under the control of Rafiq Hakim Razali, the assistant treasurer of the youth wing, and that no transactions were made during that period before the amount was distributed on April 1, 2020.
"The money was kept at Rafiq Hakim’s house before it was distributed to Federal Territory Bersatu Youth information chief Muhammad Daniel Kusari and then party member Muhammad Naqib Ab Rahim," he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Muhammad Asyraf Mohamed Tahir at the trial of the Muar MP, who faces four charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.
Asked why the RM1 million was distributed all of a sudden to Daniel and Naqib, the witness replied: "The money was distributed after MACC started investigating and searching Syed Saddiq's house on March 31, 2020."
Syahmeizy, who investigated the case, said based on witness statements, the money was withdrawn by two youth wing trustees – Rafiq Hakim and Ahmad Redzuan Mohamed Shafi, who was the wing's assistant secretary – on Syed Saddiq's instructions.
According to the MACC senior superintendent, the cheques were signed by Rafiq Hakim and Redzuan as Syed Saddiq had no time to visit the bank, in addition to the fact that his signature changed frequently.
The 25th prosecution witness said investigations also revealed that on March 31, 2020, the accused contacted Rafiq Hakim and instructed him to "clear" the money kept in his Rafiq Hakim's house as he (Syed Saddiq) was worried that the cash would be seized by MACC.
To another question, Syahmeizy said MACC had searched Syed Saddiq’s house on the same day (March 31) following investigations by another investigating officer, Muhamad Khairi Muhamad Rodi, who had been investigating the case of the missing RM250,000 at the politician’s house.
According to Syahmeizy, of the RM1 million, some RM650,000 was distributed to Daniel while RM250,000 went to Naqib.
However, he added, MACC only found RM425,537 on Daniel, and went on to confiscate the money.
Asked about the rest of the money, Syahmeizy replied: "From Daniel's statement, the balance of the money was distributed to division heads and youth wing members."
Earlier, Syahmeizy said there were discussions involving Syed Saddiq, Rafiq Hakim and Redzuan in early March 2020 and that, according to statements by witnesses, Syed Saddiq was extremely worried about the political turmoil in the country following the "Sheraton Move".
"As such, Syed Saddiq asked Rafiq Hakim how much money was in the wing's central committee account. Syed Saddiq said that the money was the result of hard work during his tenure as youth chief. Rafiq Hakim then told Syed Saddiq that the current account balance was more than RM1 million," he said.
He also said the withdrawals were made after Syed Saddiq's position in Pakatan Harapan became shaky, and that this fact was supported by the statements of several other witnesses, namely Redzuan, Rafiq Hakim and former youth wing exco member, Abdul Hannaan Khairy.
When asked by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin why Syed Saddiq was charged for the first time on July 22, 2021 when the consent to prosecute was issued on Jan 4 the same year, the witness replied: "For the investigation against Syed Saddiq, the MACC had opened five investigation papers of different complaints and information.
"Therefore, the charge against him took too long because I needed the statements given by witnesses to synchronise with other investigation papers because at that time there was an incomplete investigation paper on Syed Saddiq."
The trial before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid continues.


US holiday air passenger travel tops 2019 pre-Covid levels

US holiday air passenger travel topped 2019 pre-Covid levels over the Memorial Day weekend, which typically marks the start of the busy US summer air travel season, figures from the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) showed on Tuesday.
The TSA said nearly 9.8 million passengers were screened or passed though security checks over the four-day weekend, about 300,000 more than over the same holiday period in 2019, the agency said on Tuesday.
The agency said it screened 2.74 million passengers on Friday alone, the highest number in a single day since November 2019. Friday's traffic topped the recent high that had been set on Thursday and the entire weekend topped pre-Covid traffic levels.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said Thursday was the nation's highest post-Covid daily traffic, with 54,684 flights.
The FAA, airlines and flight tracking websites reported smooth travel over the Memorial Day period and significant improvements over 2022 performance, including cancellation rates far below recent years.
American Airlines said on Sunday it canceled only 13 regional flights, or 0.2% of total scheduled departures, after four consecutive days of American not canceling any flights.


As courts test AI sentencing, some lawyers fear for justice

Few cases ruffle Hamid Ismail after nearly two decades as a lawyer, but he was taken aback when a man he defended was sentenced with the help of an artificial intelligence tool in Sabah.Ismail knew courts in Sabah and neighbouring Sarawak were testing the AI tool for sentencing recommendations as part of a nationwide pilot, but was uneasy that the technology was being used before lawyers, judges and the public fully understood it.There was no proper consultation on the technology’s use, and it is not contemplated in the country’s penal code, he said.“Our Criminal Procedure Code does not provide for use of AI in the courts… I think it’s unconstitutional,” said Ismail, adding that the AI-recommended sentence for his client for a minor drug possession charge was too harsh.The courts of Sabah and Sarawak piloted software developed by Sarawak Information Systems, a state government firm, which said at the time that it had held consultations during the process, and taken steps to address some of the concerns raised.World over, the use of AI in the criminal justice system is growing quickly, from the popular DoNotPay chatbot lawyer mobile app to robot judges in Estonia adjudicating small claims, to robot mediators in Canada and AI judges in Chinese courts.Authorities say AI-based systems make sentencing more consistent and can clear case backlogs quickly and cheaply, helping all parties in legal proceedings to avoid lengthy, expensive and stressful litigation.More than a third of government respondents in a global survey last year by research firm Gartner indicated that they planned to increase investments in AI-powered systems including chatbots, facial recognition and data mining across sectors.This month, federal authorities aim to conclude their nationwide trial of the AI sentencing tools, which they have said “can improve the quality of judgment”, though it is not entirely clear how they will be used in courts.A spokesman for the chief justice said the use of AI in courts was “still in the trial stage”, declining further comment.Bias, mitigating factorsCritics warn AI risks entrenching and amplifying bias against minorities and marginalised groups, saying the technology lacks a judge’s ability to weigh up individual circumstances, or adapt to changing social mores.“In sentencing, judges don’t just look at the facts of the case – they also consider mitigating factors, and use their discretion. But AI cannot use discretion,” Ismail told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.Considering aggravating and mitigating factors “requires a human mind”, said Charles Hector Fernandez, a human rights lawyer.“Sentences also vary with changing times and changing public opinion. We need more judges and prosecutors to handle increasing caseloads; AI cannot replace human judges,” he added.Seeking to address concerns that its AI software might lead to bias in sentencing, Sarawak Information Systems said it had removed the “race” variable from the algorithm.But while “such mitigating measures are valuable, they do not make the system perfect”, said a 2020 report on the tool from the Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), a policy think tank.It also noted that the company had only used a dataset of five years from 2014-19 to train the algorithm, “which seems somewhat limited in comparison with the extensive databases used in global efforts”.Sarawak Information Systems could not be reached for comment on whether it had since expanded its database.An analysis by KRI of cases in Sabah and Sarawak showed that judges followed the AI sentencing recommendation in a third of the cases, all of which involved rape or drug possession under the terms of the two states’ pilot.Some of the judges reduced the suggested sentences in light of mitigating factors. Others were toughened on the basis that they would not serve as a “strong enough deterrent”.‘Opaque algorithm’Technology does have the potential to improve efficiency in the criminal justice system, said Simon Chesterman, a professor of law at the National University of Singapore.But its legitimacy depends not only on the accuracy of the decisions made, but also the manner in which they are made, he added.“Many decisions might properly be handed over to the machines. (But) a judge should not outsource discretion to an opaque algorithm,” said Chesterman, a senior director at AI Singapore, a government programme.The Bar Council, which represents lawyers, has also voiced concern about the AI pilot.When courts in Kuala Lumpur started using it in mid-2021 for sentencing in 20 types of crimes, the council said it was “not given guidelines at all, and we had no opportunity to get feedback from criminal law practitioners”.In Sabah, Ismail appealed his client’s sentence recommendation by the AI tool, which the judge followed.But he said many lawyers would not mount a challenge – potentially condemning their clients to overly harsh sentences.“The AI acts like a senior judge,” Ismail said.“Young magistrates may think it’s the best decision, and accept it without question.”


Canada extends manhunt for suspect in stabbing spree that killed 10

Canada's largest manhunt extended into its third day on Tuesday with hundreds of officers searching for the lone surviving suspect in a stabbing spree that killed 10 people on Sunday, roiling a country where mass violence is rare.
Myles Sanderson, 30, remained on the loose and possibly injured, police said, after they found his brother Damien Sanderson, 31, dead in a grassy area of the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan on Monday.
The brothers are suspected of murdering 10 people and wounding 18 more in a stabbing rampage that devastated an indigenous community in one of the deadliest attacks in Canada's modern history.
Police said some of the victims appeared to have been targeted, while others were apparently random.
Hundreds of police officers were searching for Myles Sanderson, who was considered armed and dangerous, said Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who has been briefing reporters.
Sanderson had previous run-ins with the law, and has been wanted since May when he stopped meeting his parole officer after serving a sentence for assault, robbery, mischief and uttering threats, CBC News reported.
Police said they were investigating whether Sanderson may also have killed his brother, and could have sustained injuries that might cause him to seek medical attention.
Police had yet to offer details about the victims except they were men and women spanning a wide range of ages.
People from the area said a mother of two, a 77-year-old widower and a first responder were among the victims. Read full story
Some First Nation leaders connected the killings with drug use, though police have yet to identify drugs or alcohol as a factor.
In an unrelated incident that has further rattled the province, police in Saskatchewan said on Monday they were investigating reports of a shooting on Witchekan Lake First Nation and warned the public that several armed suspects were at large.


UN chief backs idea of global AI watchdog like nuclear agency

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday backed a proposal by some artificial intelligence executives for the creation of an international AI watchdog body like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Generative AI technology that can spin authoritative prose from text prompts has captivated the public since ChatGPT launched six months ago and became the fastest growing app of all time. AI has also become a focus of concern over its ability to create deepfake pictures and other misinformation.
"Alarm bells over the latest form of artificial intelligence – generative AI – are deafening. And they are loudest from the developers who designed it," Guterres told reporters. "We must take those warnings seriously."
He has announced plans to start work by the end of the year on a high-level AI advisory body to regularly review AI governance arrangements and offer recommendations on how they can align with human rights, the rule of law and common good.
But on Monday he added: "I would be favorable to the idea that we could have an artificial intelligence agency... inspired by what the international agency of atomic energy is today."
Guterres said such a model could be "very interesting" but noted that "only member states can create it, not the Secretariat of the United Nations". The Vienna-based IAEA was created in 1957 and promotes the safe, secure and peaceful use of nuclear technologies while watching for possible violations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It has 176 member states.
ChatGPT's creator OpenAI said last month that a body like the IAEA could place restrictions on deployment, vet compliance with safety standards and track usage of computing power.
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has also supported the idea and said he wants Britain to be home to global AI safety regulation. Britain is due to host a summit later this year on how coordinated international action can tackle the risks of AI.
Guterres said he supported the plan for a summit in Britain, but said it should be preceded by "serious work". He said he plans to appoint in the coming days a scientific advisory board of AI experts and chief scientists from UN agencies.


North Korea to skip Tokyo Olympics

North Korea will not attend this year’s Tokyo Olympics because of the coronavirus pandemic, Pyongyang’s sports ministry said, putting an end to Seoul’s hopes of using the Games to restart talks with its nuclear-armed neighbour.The isolated North’s participation in the last Winter Games, in Pyeongchang in the neighbouring South, was a key catalyst in the diplomatic rapprochement of 2018.Leader Kim Jong Un’s sister Kim Yo Jong attended as his envoy, in a blaze of publicity, and the South’s President Moon Jae-in seized the opportunity to broker talks between Pyongyang and Washington that led to a series of high-profile meetings between Kim and US President Donald Trump.But Pyongyang’s announcement puts an end to Seoul’s hopes of using the postponed Tokyo Games, due to begin in July, to trigger a reset in the now deadlocked talks process.At a meeting, North Korea’s Olympic Committee “decided not to participate in the 32nd Olympic Games in order to protect players from the world public health crisis caused by Covid-19”, said the Sports in the DPR Korea website run by the North’s sports ministry.The announcement – dated Monday – reported a meeting of the national Olympic committee on March 25.The North’s official KCNA news agency had previously carried a dispatch on the committee meeting, without mentioning the Olympic decision.Pyongyang is subject to multiple international sanctions over its banned weapons programmes and is more isolated that ever after imposing a strict border lockdown more than a year ago in an effort to protect itself from the virus that first emerged in neighbouring China and went on to sweep the world.It insists it has had no coronavirus cases, although experts doubt the assertion.Relations standstillThe new US administration of Joe Biden is in the final stages of a review of North Korea policy, with officials widely expected to support a resumption of lower-level talks rather than high-stakes, high-drama summits.On the campaign trail Biden characterised Kim as a “thug” and has sharply criticised Trump’s meetings, saying he legitimised one of the world’s most ruthless leaders, but has also said he is open to diplomacy.Biden has also warned North Korea of consequences for violations of UN Security Council resolutions after Pyongyang recently tested what US officials judged to be ballistic missiles.Inter-Korean relations are also at a standstill, with the North repeatedly saying it has no interest in talking to Seoul, and last year blowing up a liaison office on its side of the border.Even so Moon in his Independence Day speech on March 1 said: “This year’s Tokyo Olympics could be an opportunity for dialogues between South Korea and Japan, the North and the South, North Korea and Japan, and North Korea and the US.”The day commemorates mass protests that took place in 1919 across the Korean peninsula against Tokyo’s colonial rule.The North regularly excoriates Olympic host nation Japan over its brutal 20th-century annexation, with KCNA carrying a report Sunday condemning new Japanese history textbooks as “persistent and shameless distortion of history”.


Troubling questions over Muhyiddin's graft charges

We have done it again. After Najib Razak, another former prime minister has been hauled to court on corruption charges. This morning, Muhyiddin Yassin was charged at the Sessions Court with corruption.
But unlike Najib, who is tainted by the 1MDB scandal that has gained global notoriety, there are troubling questions over the charges against Muhyiddin.
First, let's look at the charges. Muhyiddin was accused of receiving illegal funds. They could be over the JanaWibawa programme when he was the prime minister. Muhyiddin had said that the approval of the projects was never under his purview but under that of the finance ministry.
Another charge was over his government's decision to grant tax exemption to a charitable foundation run by a tycoon. Again, Muhyiddin said that the approval was made at the finance ministry, not by him.
These logic-defying decisions bring to mind the second, and more troubling question: Is Muhyiddin a victim of selective prosecution? Supporters of the Bersatu president think so and it's not hard to see why. Muhyiddin was hauled to court merely days after PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang warned the prime minister that the latter's brittle coalition could fall at any time.
The Marang MP's warning is not without basis. Perikatan Nasional (PN) has 74 seats in the Dewan Rakyat to 82 from Pakatan Harapan (PH). The Anwar Ibrahim administration is only held together with the backing of BN (30 MPs), GPS (23), GRS (six) and a few other smaller parties.
Many of the parties in the federal ruling coalition have been at loggerheads for decades, such as left-leaning Chinese-dominated DAP and right-wing Malay nationalist Umno. It would not be a stretch to say that the alliance is only glued together by myopic self-preservation.
On the ground, voters are already put off by the political acrobatics that have become more and more outrageous by the day. For example, Umno voters are stumped that the party's leaders are now as thick as thieves with DAP top guns who were villified before this. The reverse is also true.
The voters are no longer ingesting the drivel by the PH-BN apologists to justify propping up this alliance of strange bedfellows. Many are seething with anger, and their stomachs are churning with disgust over such shameless and callous political expediency.
On top of that, Anwar's performance in his first 100 days is, at best, dismal. Appointing corruption-tainted Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as a deputy prime minister and the short-lived appointment of his daughter as an economic adviser are among the decisions that have tarnished the prime minister's so-called reformist credentials.
This is why the PH-BN alliance is at risk of a brutal rout when elections are held in six states, expected from June this year.
It is not hard to see why many buy the narrative about Anwar wanting to stem the tide of PN's rise ahead of the state polls. An embarrassing defeat for PH-BN could herald the break-up of the alliance as component parties jettison their political liabilities and seek new realignments to secure their future.
Anwar would not only go down in history as the longest prime minister-in-waiting but possibly the prime minister with the shortest tenure.
The argument about Anwar wanting to clip the wings of PN is corroborated by how his administration, even from the start of his tenure, threw shade at PN about alleged corruption during Muhyiddin's time. Initially, the allegation about lapses in government funds was to the tune of RM600 billion, before shrinking to RM530 billion, then to RM92.5 billion and finally to RM300 million which allegedly went into Bersatu's accounts. Why couldn't the PH-BN government get its figures straight?
Before Muhyiddin, Bersatu's information chief, Bukit Gelugor MP Wan Saiful Wan Jan, was charged with corruption. Subsequently, its treasurer Mohd Salleh Bajuri was detained by the MACC. The optics reek of political intimidation.
On top of that, Bersatu's accounts were frozen – an act that could derail its preparations for the state elections, which are possibly only weeks away.
The prosecution against Muhyiddin reminds one of MACC's investigations into Court of Appeal judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali, who setenced Najib to 12 years in prison and a fine of RM210 million for corruption and abuse of power.
The Federal Court found that the MACC probe against Nazlan was improper. The subtext of the investigations is to smear the judge. Is the same MO being applied in Muhyiddin and Bersatu's case?
For someone who has for decades cried foul about selective prosecution, the voters hope Anwar is not resorting to the same, despite the jarring optics to the contrary. If this is so, the voters in the six states will waste no time teaching PH-BN a harsher lesson than they otherwise would have.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


4 including child shot dead in US state

Four people, including a child, were shot and killed Wednesday evening at an office building in Southern California, police said.The shooter, whose motivations are so far unknown, was shot by an officer and taken to hospital, police said, adding that the suspect’s condition was not known.Police did not release any more information about the victims, but said that a fifth individual was hospitalised.The incident began around 5.30pm local time on the upper floor of a small office building in the city of Orange.Police and the suspect exchanged fire, according to the Los Angeles Times.“The situation has been stabilised and there is no threat to the public,” the Orange Police Department said in a post to their Facebook page.California governor Gavin Newsom posted on Twitter: “Horrifying and heartbreaking. Our hearts are with the families impacted by this terrible tragedy tonight.”“I’m deeply saddened by reports of a mass shooting in Orange County, and I’m continuing to keep victims and their loved ones in my thoughts as we continue to learn more,” US representative Katie Porter from California also tweeted.It comes after two other high-profile mass shootings in March, which set off a renewed debate about gun control measures in the US.On March 22, 10 people were killed in a shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colorado, less than a week after a man shot and killed eight people, including six women of Asian descent, at spas in Atlanta, Georgia.


Southeast Asian leaders face rights questions, flying shoe on Washington debut

The Biden administration hopes a first-ever Asean summit hosted in Washington this week will demonstrate US commitment to a region where it is vying with Beijing for influence, but the region’s leaders faced questions, and at least one awkward moment, over human rights and democracy.Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has ruled Cambodia since 1985 but was not until now invited to the White House, was the target of a shoe-throwing protester in Washington on Wednesday, photos and video posted on the Khmer-language website monoroom.info showed.The shoe did not appear to hit Hun Sen, who has faced criticism from activists and US administrations for suppressing dissent. Other people greeted and took selfies with the prime minister, the images showed.Eight Asean leaders, including Hun Sen, began their two-day visit on Capitol Hill for a lunch with congressional leaders on Thursday.House speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman Robert Menendez and House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Gregory Meeks “all raised the need to protect human rights and work to confront democratic decline in the region,” according to a person with knowledge of the lunch.They then met US business leaders ahead of a dinner with President Joe Biden at the White House.Alongside a 2021 military coup in Myanmar, over which the country’s military rulers have been disinvited from Asean meetings, democracy has been deteriorating in members Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and the Philippines, while Vietnam, Laos, Brunei and Cambodia are “not democratic at all,” said Human Rights Watch Asia advocacy director John Sifton.Sifton urged the Biden administration to raise these issues “directly, not in general terms.”“Failing to publicly raise specific human rights concerns during the summit sends the message that human rights abuses are largely going be tolerated in the name of forging alliances to counter China,” he said.A senior administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, said as well as economic and strategic goals, the US would “focus on efforts to promote respect for human rights, the rule of law, and good governance” during the summit.


Brazil’s Covid-19 death toll tops 400,000

Brazil’s death toll in the coronavirus pandemic surpassed 400,000 Thursday, as the country struggled to secure enough vaccines and the Senate investigated whether President Jair Bolsonaro’s government has exacerbated the crisis.The health ministry reported 3,001 Covid-19 deaths in the past 24 hours, bringing Brazil’s overall toll to 401,186 – second only to the US.With 212 million people, the South American giant also has one of the highest mortality rates in the pandemic, at 189 deaths per 100,000 inhabitants – the worst in the Americas and one of the top 15 worldwide.Brazil has been devastated by a surge in cases since the start of the year that pushed hospitals to the brink of collapse in many areas.Although it appears to have passed the peak of the new wave, the number of daily deaths remains staggeringly high, at an average of 2,526 over the past week, behind only India.Experts blame the latest surge partly on the “Brazil variant” of the virus, a mutation that emerged in or around the Amazon rainforest city of Manaus in December.Known as P1, it can reinfect people who have had the original strain of the virus, and may be more contagious.“P1 has had a very big impact. Nothing was done to contain the variant when there was a spike in January in Manaus. It was only a matter of time before it swept across Brazil,” said epidemiologist Ethel Maciel of Espirito Santo Federal University.P1 is now circulating in 54 countries, according to the World Health Organization, which labels it a “variant of concern”, along with the so-called British and South African strains.‘Crimes against humanity’The country is meanwhile struggling with vaccine shortages.Around 28 million people in Brazil have received a first Covid-19 vaccine dose, just over 13 percent of the population.About 12.7 million have received a second.But cities in 14 of Brazil’s 27 states have had to suspend second doses because of shortages, according to TV Globo.In a bit of good news, the first million doses of the Pfizer vaccine were due to arrive Thursday evening, adding to Brazil’s two current options, the AstraZeneca vaccine and Chinese-developed CoronaVac.On Tuesday, the Senate opened an investigation into whether there was criminal neglect in the Bolsonaro administration’s handling of the pandemic.The far-right president has controversially downplayed the virus, fought stay-at-home measures to contain it and rejected offers of various vaccines – including, initially, Pfizer’s.Bolsonaro defended his handling of the pandemic as the commission opened, telling supporters: “I was wrong about nothing.”The president argues the economic damage of measures such as a national lockdown would cause more suffering than the virus itself.But the commission’s rapporteur vowed to hold officials accountable for mishandling the crisis.Senators will be investigating, among other things, horrific scenes such as those that unfolded earlier this year in Manaus, where dozens of Covid-19 patients suffocated to death due to oxygen shortages.“The country has the right to know who contributed to these thousands of deaths, and they must be punished immediately,” said the rapporteur, Senator Renan Calheiros.“There is no statute of limitations on crimes against humanity… We will wage a crusade against this agenda of death.”Next wave?Maciel, the epidemiologist, said authorities were still mishandling the response.“There is zero national coordination in Brazil to fight the pandemic,” she told AFP.And stay-at-home measures imposed by individual states to contain the latest surge are being lifted too soon, she added.“They should have been maintained for several weeks, until there was a real flattening of the curves,” she said.“Until we have mass vaccination, we’ll still be at the mercy of each new wave.”


‘Non-president’ Ismail as PM candidate a good development, says GPS

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has welcomed Umno’s decision to nominate its vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the party’s candidate for prime minister if Barisan Nasional (BN) wins the general election to come, describing it as a break from the tradition of choosing a candidate from among the Umno chiefs.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the lynchpin party of GPS, described Umno’s decision as a step in the right direction.“It indicates new and healthy developments within the party,” PBB vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said.He said it also put to rest the speculation swirling over other names, including Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan who had previously voiced interest in contesting a seat in Parliament.“Umno’s decision to retain Ismail as prime minister if it wins the next general election shows that the party is ready to face the polls,” he added.“My hope is that it will bring stability to the situation.”The Umno Supreme Council agreed last week to put forward Ismail as the party’s candidate for prime minister, a move which analysts said could be part of a ploy by the court cluster to get Ismail’s consent for the dissolution of Parliament, to pave the way for early polls.Karim however said that GPS would not take sides in Umno’s internal conflicts.“What happens to the leaders who are involved in court cases could cause some instability,” he said.“Previously, those who had a majority in Parliament would automatically become the president and prime minister.“But this changed after Perikatan Nasional took over. The prime minister is from the party and does not hold the post of president.”GPS secretary-general Alexander Nanta Linggi meanwhile said that any attempt to topple the government and drag the people through a political crisis while the country is still recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic would only trigger public anxiety.“GPS has no strong views on Umno’s stance not to extend its support for the memorandum between Pakatan Harapan and the federal government,” he said.“But we always want the federal government to be stable, and to be able to focus on running the country, especially in ensuring economic recovery.”Karim meanwhile called for MPs from Sabah and Sarawak to be included in the Cabinet, regardless of who wins the general election.He also suggested that the post of deputy prime minister be given to an MP from either Sabah or Sarawak.“If Sarawak is not given an important role to play in the Cabinet, it’s not going to help,” he said.“If not the prime minister’s post, then perhaps there could be two deputy prime ministers, or they could hold the post in turns.”


Apex court begins hearing of Najib's final SRC appeal

The Federal Court today began hearing former prime minister Najib Razak's final appeal to quash his conviction and sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million belonging to SRC International.
Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat chaired a five-member panel on the first day of Najib’s appeal which started at 9.56am.
The others judges are Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judges Nallini Pathmanathan, Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd.
Ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram appeared for the respondent (public prosecutor) while counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, Liew Teck Huat and M Rueben represented Najib as the appellant.
Najib, 69, was accompanied by his two sons and daughter, Norashman, Nizar and Nooryana Najwa.
The apex court previously fixed Aug 15 to 19 and Aug 23 to 26 to hear the appeal.
On Tuesday, it dismissed Najib’s application to postpone his appeal hearing and directed that the proceedings continue today.
The court also denied the Pekan MP's bid to adduce new evidence as part of his attempt to nullify the trial.
On July 28, 2020, then High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, sentenced Najib to 10 years' jail for each of his three counts of criminal breach of trust and each of his three counts of money laundering, and 12 years' jail and a RM210 million fine in default of five years' jail, in the case of abuse of position.
The High Court's decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal which dismissed Najib’s bid to set aside his conviction and jail sentence as well as his fine.
More than 100 individuals in white shirts believed to be supporters of Najib have gathered outside the Palace of Justice where the proceedings are taking place.


Anwar confident coalition govt will survive next polls

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is confident that the current coalition government will survive the general election and continue to govern the country.
"Insha Allah, we, the unity government, will serve a full term until the next general election. I'm very confident or else I wouldn't say this," he said in response to claims that opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin has enough statutory declarations (SDs) from MPs backing him to become the new prime minister.
Anwar said if the Larut MP really had the support as claimed, he could bring the motion to Parliament.
"If he (Hamzah) has (SDs), wait for the Parliament session, bring the SDs and propose the motion in Parliament. No problem.
"It's like a weekly delirium for him (to make such claims)… before the fasting month, before Raya (Aidilfitri), before Raya Haji (Aidiladha), before Thaipusam, Chinese New Year... Let's just wait and see," he said after launching the Malaysian Red Crescent Society’s 75th anniversary and officiating its national headquarters at Jalan Wisma Putra today.


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Husband of slain Kenyan Olympian charged with murder

The husband of Kenyan distance running star Agnes Tirop was on Tuesday charged with her murder, a day after he was found fit to stand trial.Ibrahim Rotich, who is commonly known as Emmanuel, denied the charges when he appeared before the high court in the Rift Valley town of Eldoret.Tirop’s body was found with stab wounds at her home in the nearby town of Iten, a training hub in western Kenya for top runners, on Oct 13.The 25-year-old double world championships bronze medallist was considered a rising star in Kenyan athletics.She came fourth in the 5,000m at the Tokyo Olympics this year and broke the world women-only record in the 10km in September.


Court to summon Zahid’s doctor as judge seeks to avoid further delays in graft trial

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today said it would call Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s doctor to explain his condition after his lawyer confirmed that he would be unable to attend his corruption trial as he had been admitted to hospital.Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah said the doctor would be subpoenaed to explain the procedures Zahid would require as well as to provide an estimate of his recovery time.“The court cannot allow further delays,” he said as reported by Utusan Malaysia.Zahid is facing 40 corruption charges in connection with the foreign visa system.His trial, postponed twice due to the movement control order, was to resume tomorrow at the Shah Alam High Court.He had been due in court in Kuala Lumpur today for final submissions at the end of the prosecution’s case against him.His lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik earlier confirmed to MalaysiaNow that Zahid would not be attending court tomorrow.According to Utusan, he said Zahid would be undergoing a spinal procedure after suffering a fall.Meanwhile, Zahid’s daughter in a video post on Facebook hit out at those whom she said were spreading rumours that he was in hospital to avoid his court case.Nurulhidayah said she had recorded Zahid being wheeled to the operating theatre as she knew it would provide proof to the public when needed.“My guess was correct,” she said. “My father wasn’t even done in the OT when slanderous news began spreading that he is ‘resting’ in hospital to avoid his court case!“It doesn’t make sense,” she added. “You can’t fake pain like this.”


The food security issues haunting Malaysia

While the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) welcomes the ban on chicken exports from June 1, we regret that our past warnings to the authorities about food insecurity dangers fell on deaf ears. The failure to revamp the entire agricultural policy including a total review of the food production and distribution chain is responsible for the current crisis.In 2018, we echoed the concerns of agricultural scientist Mohd Peter Davis who warned that Malaysia risked starvation if it experienced a massive economic meltdown.Malaysia, unlike food-producing countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, does not have self-sustainable food production. About 60% of our food is imported. In times of crisis, food-producing countries will prioritise feeding their hungry populations before selling food to other countries like ours.There have been claims about the existence of cartels and middlemen who profit more than the farmers or the retailers. The government has been giving assurances that the issue is under investigation but there has been no outcome of the investigation, at least to the public.If there is evidence that food cartels are responsible for the current shortage, those involved should be severely punished because it is a gross violation of the people’s basic right to food.In the meantime, the government should step in to control chicken prices because chicken and eggs are a common source of protein, particularly for the lower-income group. The government should not heed the call of some poultry breeders to allow chicken prices to be dictated by the free market.On the other hand, we would advise people to try and stay away from chicken and eggs during this period so as to ease the supply crisis. It was reported that about 3.6 million chickens are exported every month. Once the ban is in effect, there will be about 116,000 extra chickens for daily domestic consumption.We want to know if government agencies monitor the food situation in the country and if farmers’ associations are required to alert the government of any anticipated problems.Food issues have been plaguing Malaysia since the 1980s when the country started to sideline agriculture in favour of industrialisation and the service sectors. Hence, we urge the government not to address the issue of food security on a piecemeal basis but to first have an overview, identify all the problems in all sectors and formulate long-term solutions.With escalating food prices, the dietary intake of those in the lower-middle and B40 income families has been badly affected. MIDF Research warned that Malaysia’s food inflation will be on an upward path in the coming months, given the rising global commodity prices, domestic supply chain disruptions and depreciation of the ringgit.The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 25, states: “Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and his family, including food.”CAP is reiterating its call to revamp the existing agro-food strategies with firm government policies such as:· Helping smallholding farmers to market their produce by providing them with links to a comprehensive marketing system.· Emphasising on research that helps increase production.· In the short-term, legalising foreign workers who turned “illegal” because of technicalities such as their employers failing to apply for their working permit. This will help elevate the existing shortage of farm workers as well as those in other sectors.· Encouraging farmers to switch to more efficient and sustainable agricultural methods to reduce their dependence on foreign labour and to free their time for other work.· The government working with banks to provide low-interest loans to farmers.· Setting up food safety and quality centres for produce to ensure that both imported and local produce meet established standards and are safe for consumption.· Converting idle land to farmland, either for food crops or for animal feed.· Encouraging farmers to produce value-added products.We therefore urge the government to emphasise food security which calls for a robust agricultural policy. However, this pandemic has shown us that a good agricultural policy should include animal feed and the production of other agricultural needs. These will help to reduce the impact of food supply chain disruption or a weak ringgit.Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers Association of Penang.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


‘The UN’s eyes’: French Navy enforces North Korea sanctions

Flying above the Yellow Sea between Korea and China, a French naval crew scans the ocean surface for signs of contraband headed for North Korea.The team is part of an international mission enforcing UN sanctions on Pyongyang, flying surveillance trips from the US Futenma base in Japan’s Okinawa.“The UN sends us information on vessels suspected of illicit behaviour,” and then a flight plan is drawn up, explained Guillaume, the lieutenant commander who leads the team and can only be identified by his first name.On board their Falcon 200 aircraft, the team of six uses radar as well as ships’ AIS – the automatic identification system that transmits information including a vessel’s identity and its route.But their best tool remains visual observation: two crew members sit next to the plane’s windows, scanning the ocean surface with binoculars and taking photographs.“We’re the eyes of the UN in the area,” said Guillaume.Suddenly, the team is on alert: a ship has been spotted with its AIS deactivated, a move considered suspect behaviour.The pilots reroute the plane, making two passes at an altitude of less than 150m, looking for the boat’s name on its stern and trying to establish radio contact with its crew.Briefing the team before the flight, Guillaume stressed the importance of a “cordial and professional response” in instances of suspicious behaviour.“In the context of the international tensions in the area, the goal is to avoid poisoning the situation. We have to be firm but courteous.”‘France’s credibility’A little farther away, the team spots two stationary ships, hull to hull.A first pass reinforces suspicions: pumping pipes connect the larger of the ships, whose waterline indicates it is fully loaded, to the smaller one, a merchant ship.The latter is “ideal for carrying contraband, but could also simply be refuelling fishermen”, a team member explains.When contact is established with the larger boat, the crew claims no knowledge of why the smaller vessel is attached.The French team gathers as much information as possible on the vessels to send to the UN, which will investigate for violations of Resolutions 2375 and 2397 limiting the sale, supply and transfer of natural gas and petroleum to North Korea.If a violation is found, a case could move forward against the ships and their owners.The team arrived in Japan from their base in French Polynesia in mid-October.French forces have participated in the surveillance missions regularly since 2018, alongside eight other countries and under the supervision of the Enforcement Coordination Cell responsible for implementing UN resolutions.For France, the missions are also a way to increase its profile in the region, after the 2019 unveiling of its Indo-Pacific defence strategy.France has 1.6 million citizens and a vast exclusive economic zone of nine million square kilometres in the region, which has particular strategic value given Beijing’s growing territorial ambitions and US-China tensions.And its mission under the UN aegis also illustrates “its interest in the region beyond its Indo-Pacific priorities,” said Hugo Decis, a research analyst at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London.


Economy up 8.9% in Q2 2022

Malaysia’s economy posted a sterling growth of 8.9% in the second quarter (Q2) of 2022 as domestic demand continued to strengthen, underpinned by the steady recovery in labour market conditions and ongoing policy support.
In a statement today, Bank Negara Malaysia said the higher growth was also reflective of normalising economic activity as the country moved towards endemicity and reopened international borders.
"Exports remain supported by strong demand for electrical and electronics products. By sector, the services and manufacturing sectors continued to drive growth," it said.
While GDP was lifted to some extent by the low base from the movement control order in June 2021, the central bank said growth in April and May 2022 was particularly robust.
On a quarter-on-quarter seasonally adjusted basis, it said the economy increased by 3.5% as compared to 3.8% in Q1 2022.


Stunning Spain join World Cup 100 club with 7-0 Costa Rica rout

Former champions Spain got their World Cup off to a pulsating start with a record 7-0 rout of Costa Rica on Wednesday as a Ferran Torres brace and a sumptuous strike from Gavi sent them past the 100-goal mark in football's showpiece event.
The European giants put their stamp on a Group E stunned by Japan's 2-1 victory over Germany, with Spain relentlessly on the attack against a shambolic Costa Rican side who gave Luis Enrique's team time and space to carve out chance after chance.
It was a night of records at Doha's iconic Al Thumama Stadium for a Spain side who have struggled at World Cups since winning the title in 2010, with Barcelona 18-year-old Gavi becoming the country's youngest World Cup player, and the youngest to score since Brazil great Pele in 1958.
Although Costa Rica's clumsy defending may have flattered Spain, La Furia Roja were seamless in their attacks, with Pedri the enabler at the heart of seemingly every move in a game where Dani Olmo, Gavi and Marco Asensio and Torres all dazzled.
They each found the net as Spain joined the 100 club of World Cup goals, and late strikes from Carlos Soler and Alvaro Morata sealed their biggest victory margin in a World Cup finals match.
"I don't think it was Costa Rica being bad, I think the win was our merit. We deserved to win, taking the game to them," Olmo said.
"Our team is strong and that is the path we need to follow. It was a boost of motivation, for sure."
Early onslaught
Spain were in control from the first kick, with Costa Rica dizzied by their early onslaught and unable to find any rhythm.
Spain could have gone ahead twice from chances to Olmo and Asensio, with Pedri the provider.
They went ahead 11 minutes in when man of the match Gavi put the ball into the path of Olmo, who turned and deftly lifted it over advancing keeper Keylor Navas.
Spain got a second on 21 minutes when Jordi Alba's neat pass across the box found Asensio who fired low past Navas.
Spain were awarded a penalty around the half hour mark when Alba was brought down, with Torres running full-pelt towards the spot before pausing to coolly stroke the ball down the middle.
Costa Rica returned from the break all at sea and failed to record a single attempt on goal in the match.
Torres gave Spain a fourth and on 53 minutes, finding Gavi on the right, who gave it back to his Barcelona team mate to turn and fire home his second.
Gavi found the net himself 16 minutes from time with a superb running volley with the outside of his foot that clipped in off the post before Soler and Morata completed the demolition with goals in the dying minutes.
Gavi said he was thrilled to become Spain's youngest World Cup player and score a goal at a similar age as Pele.
"I didn't know, I'm really proud of that, to be on that list, I'm really happy" he said. "Today we all had a great game."
Costa Rica, the last team to reach the World Cup via an intercontinental playoff, could struggle to win any points in their last two games against Japan and Germany.
Defender Kendall Waston said the team would need to come together and fight back.
"We feel hurt and ashamed, it's a result that nobody wants to experience, to lose 7-0 in a World Cup," he said.
His coach Luis Fernando Suarez said his team was outplayed by a far superior side.
"They kept the ball throughout the match. We did the exact opposite, we didn't have possession, we didn't really attack," he said. "They played an amazing game and we didn't."


Lawyer urges immediate response to rulers' call on PM's appointment of judges

A senior lawyer has welcomed the proposal by the Malay rulers for the prime minister to steer clear of the appointment of judges, saying the government should act on it instead of allowing it to remain only a suggestion.
Haniff Khatri Abdulla said that a mature government should provide an immediate response to the call, especially given Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's pledge to take into account the views of all parties.
"As he is a reformist, he too wants to restore the country to what it once was.
"If this is what was announced, then this positive and comprehensive proposal coming from the head of the country as well as the states should be well received by whoever becomes the prime minister, what more Anwar Ibrahim," he told MalaysiaNow.
On Nov 30, the Conference of Rulers suggested the removal of the prime minister's power to appoint five representatives to the nine-member Judicial Appointments Commission (JAC), the body which proposes candidates to be made judges in the superior courts.
Presently, four of the nine JAC members are made up of senior judges, while the remaining five are appointees of the prime minister.
Haniff said the rulers' proposal was on the mark, given the history of Malaysian judicial appointments from the 80s to the early 2000s which, under the constitution, allows the prime minister to appoint individuals "according to his pleasure".
At that point, he said, a committee was established whereby the prime minister's authority to advise the Agong on the appointment of judges was subject to the JAC's recommendations.
JAC itself was set up in 2009 to ensure an unbiased selection of judges for the consideration of the prime minister.
"So the question is whether the commission was established to determine a reduction in the prime minister's chances of interfering in matters of judicial independence," Haniff added.
"But how can this be properly implemented if the prime minister is also the one who recommends five of the commission's members?"
This, he said, was why the Conference of Rulers had made the suggestion.
"It doesn't have anything to do with Anwar, Muhyiddin Yassin, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, or anyone else for that matter."
Restoring public perception
Haniff said the rulers' proposal to the government newly formed by Anwar appeared in order to restore the interests of the country and the well-being of the people.
In particular, he said, it could eradicate the perception that the prime minister can interfere in the judiciary.
"I don't really agree with this because it is not easy for the prime minister to do so even if he is the one who suggests the appointment of judges," he said.
"It's in fact quite difficult for him to interfere. But the public perception is as such. How do we change this? As long as this perception is not addressed, any confidence in the government would be flawed. That is why this recommendation was made."
But he said the rulers' suggestion would remain only an idea if action is not taken to amend the existing laws.
"Who should replace the prime minister to make these appointments?" he added. "That is a matter for research and study, so that no loopholes remain."
For starters, he said, a neutral committee could be formed comprising former judges and lawyers, executors at the Attorney-General's Chambers, and respected legal practitioners to discuss what kind of amendments can be made.
"This all needs to be carefully studied," he said. "Don't try and patch up a hole with a plaster – when floods come, the plaster floats away and things become worse."


DAP must accept working with Umno, says Anwar loyalist

A loyalist of Anwar Ibrahim says DAP must be able to accept that only a merger with Umno can defeat the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in the next election, just days after the PKR leader urged party members to be open-minded in forging political cooperation.Abdullah Sani, the Kapar MP who is part of the PKR Central Leadership Council, said any merger with Umno would be in the interest of the people, whom he said were the victims of “a government that failed to manage the Covid-19 issue”.“Of course it hasn’t been discussed, but DAP has to accept it,” Abdullah told Utusan Malaysia in its weekend edition.“If we consider what happened in Perak, when we could cooperate with Umno, why can’t we continue the cooperation to win the general election?” he asked.Abdullah was responding to DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, who said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition had never discussed political cooperation between PKR and Umno.PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had earlier said that PH could work with Umno on a number of issues.He said PH had agreed to adopt the so-called “big tent” concept, under which PH was willing to “accommodate elements outside” the coalition if it comes to power.Saifuddin said that at the last general election, the three parties in PH – PKR, DAP and Amanah – had won 101 seats including two independent seats, 11 seats short of forming a simple majority.But Lim said PKR’s stand did not represent that of PH. He said the “big tent” concept was to bring together all opposition parties and ruling MPs to oppose Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and end the state of emergency, not for the purpose of contesting the election.Since falling from power, PKR leaders have been promoting the idea of working with Umno, in the wake of efforts by its president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak to topple Muhyiddin.In October, MalaysiaNow revealed a joint letter by Zahid and Najib to the palace, in support of Anwar’s bid for the top post.And just after the Umno general assembly this year, Zahid was embroiled in controversy following the revelation of a telephone conversation he had with Anwar, where he was heard being congratulated by the PKR leader for getting Umno delegates to support a motion to revoke support for PN.Abdullah said while there had yet to be any discussion on a new political alignment, there was already an idea of what needs to be done from now on.“That is actually the strength of the new alignment that we want. We welcome anyone who wants to work with us, not only Umno, but other parties as well,” he said.


Netizens question use of official media to defend Zahid's Cabinet appointment

Social media users have hit out at the government's use of official media outlets like Bernama to defend the appointment of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister despite his string of corruption charges in court.
The information department, through the official Twitter account of Bernama TV, had uploaded a post answering some of the questions raised by the public, including on Zahid's appointment.
"According to the concept of justice, every person charged with a criminal offence is considered innocent until proven guilty, according to the rule of law in Malaysia," it said.
"Therefore, it violates no ethics and does not undermine the integrity of this unity government."
It also explained the time taken by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to appoint the members of his Cabinet, his decision to appoint individuals who lost the election race on Nov 19, and his move to take on the portfolio of finance minister.
Nevertheless, some social media users appeared to remain sceptical and dissatisfied with the moves.
They also questioned the use of the term "unity government" given that Parliament would also see the presence of the opposition bench.
"If other parties did something like this, the Pakatan Harapan minions would call it an abuse of the government media," said Twitter user Saifulnizam Hamdan @saifulnh.
"Even if Zahid is innocent until proven guilty, it doesn't look good, having the court cluster in the Cabinet," added Danny @dnnyrziq.
"Can't you just appoint someone with no court cases at all as deputy prime minister?" asked Sic @sicfallacy.
"Wouldn't that be easier? The talent pool in Malaysia can't be so small that we have to depend on those who have cases pending in court."
Internet users also asked why official media had been used to explain the matter on behalf of the government.
"Why make an infographic like this?" said user Y.A @yuyuaziz, who also tagged Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil in his post.
"Or were they told to do this? Why the need to explain things like this? I thought when the people chose change, the media would be more independent. Looks like I was wrong."
"Since when has Bernama been a propaganda tool for the government?" asked another user, Tun Faisal @tunfaisal.


Average price of US petrol tops US$5 per gallon in historic first

The price of US gasoline averaged more than US$5 a gallon for the first time on Saturday, data from the AAA showed, extending a surge in fuel costs that is driving rising inflation.The national average price for regular unleaded gas rose to US$5.004 a gallon on June 11 from US$4.986 a day earlier, AAA data showed.High gasoline prices are a headache for President Joe Biden and congressional Democrats as they struggle to maintain their slim control of Congress with midterm elections coming up in November.Biden has pulled on numerous levers to try to lower prices, including a record release of barrels from US strategic reserves, waivers on rules for producing summer gasoline, and leaning on major OPEC countries to boost output.Yet fuel prices have been surging around the world due to a combination of rebounding demand, sanctions on oil producer Russia after its invasion of Ukraine and a squeeze on refining capacity.US road travel, however, has remained relatively strong, just a couple of percentage points below pre-pandemic levels, even as prices have risen.Still, economists expect demand may start to decline if prices remain above US$5 a barrel for a sustained period.“The US$5 level is where we could see very heavy amounts of gasoline demand destruction,” said Reid L’Anson, senior economist at Kpler.Adjusting for inflation, the US gasoline average is still approximately 8% below June 2008 highs around US$5.41 a gallon, according to US Energy Department figures.Consumer spending has so far remained resilient even with inflation running at its highest level in more than four decades, with household balance sheets shored up by pandemic relief programmes and a tight job market that has fueled strong wage gains, especially for lower-income workers.Gasoline product supplied, a proxy for demand, was 9.2 million barrels per day last week, according to the US Energy Information Administration, broadly in line with five-year seasonal averages.The high prices for drivers come as major oil-and-gas companies post bumper profits. Shell reported a record quarter in May and Chevron Corp and BP have posted their best numbers in a decade.Other majors, including Exxon Mobil and TotalEnergies, as well as US independent shale operators, reported strong figures that have spurred share repurchases and dividend investments.Numerous companies have said they will avoid excessive investment to boost output due to investors’ desires to hold the line on spending, rather than respond to US$100-plus barrel prices that have persisted for months.Refiners have been struggling to rebuild inventories which have dwindled, especially on the US East Coast, reflecting exports to Europe where buyers are weaning themselves off of Russian oil.Currently, refiners are utilising about 94% of their capacity, but overall US refining capacity has fallen, with at least five oil-processing plants shutting during the pandemic.That has left the US structurally short of refining capacity for the first time in decades, analysts said.


Don’t panic, Agong tells people

Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has urged the people to stay calm as he consults with fellow rulers on recommendations by the government on the next phase of fighting Covid-19.“The people are advised not to make speculations that could create confusion and anxiety and disrupt the harmony that we have cherished together,” Comptroller of the Royal Family and Household Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said in a statement this morning.He added that the Agong was aware of the need for continuity of administration in the battle against Covid-19.This follows an audience granted to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and key ministers with the Agong yesterday, after a special Cabinet meeting.It is learnt that the meeting had discussed the imposition of a state of emergency which could see a suspension of Parliament, with daily activities allowed to continue.This comes amid speculation that any move to derail the passing of the budget next month could lead to snap polls, which health officials warn could further increase the spread of Covid-19.Yesterday, the death toll rose to 214, with one-third of the fatalities reported in the first three weeks of this month.


Ukraine accuses Russia of using nuclear plant for deadly rocket attack

Ukraine accused Russia on Wednesday of firing rockets from around a captured nuclear power plant, killing at least 13 people and wounding 10, in the knowledge it would be risky for Ukraine to return fire.
The town Ukraine says Russia targeted - Marhanets - is one Moscow says its foes have used in the past to shell Russian soldiers at the Zaporizhzhia plant, which they seized in March.
President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukrainian forces would respond to the shelling of Marhanets. Ukraine's military said Russia also bombarded several other areas in the Zaporizhzhia region including the coal-mining town of Vuhledar.
Calling on foreign allies to send more powerful weapons, Zelensky said in a late-night video address that Kyiv "will not leave today's Russian shelling of the Dnipropetrovsk region unanswered."
Ukrainians and the country's allies must think about "how to inflict the greatest possible losses on the occupiers in order to shorten the war," he said.
Ukraine and Russia have accused each other of imperilling the plant, Europe's largest nuclear complex, with attacks nearby.
After the United Nations atomic energy watchdog sounded the alarm over a potential nuclear disaster, the Group of Seven leading industrialised countries on Wednesday told Russia to hand back the plant to Ukraine.
There were no indications that their demand will sway Moscow, which on Wednesday received powerful endorsement from China of its rationale for the Feb 24 invasion of Ukraine.
Beijing's ambassador to Moscow, Zhang Hanhui, accused Washington of backing Russia into a corner with repeated expansions of the western-led Nato military alliance and support for Ukraine's alignment with the European Union.
Washington's "ultimate goal is to exhaust and crush Russia with a protracted war and the cudgel of sanctions," Zhang was quoted as saying.
Beijing is also involved in a standoff with the US over Taiwan: Since the visit of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, China has been conducting extensive military drills around the self-ruled island it claims as its own.
Russia has not commented on the Ukrainian allegations of an attack on Marhanets and Reuters could not independently verify Kyiv's version. Moscow says it does not deliberately target civilians in what it calls its "special military operation" aimed at safeguarding its security against Nato expansion.
Ukraine and the West accuse Moscow of waging an unprovoked imperial-style war of aggression.
New Russian ground force?
Andriy Yermak, Zelensky's chief of staff, said Russia was launching attacks with impunity from Zaporizhzhia knowing it was risky for Ukraine to fight back.
"The cowardly Russians can't do anything more so they strike towns ignobly hiding at the Zaporizhzhia atomic power station," he said on social media
Ukraine says around 500 Russian troops with heavy vehicles and weapons are at the plant, where Ukrainian technicians continue to work.
Ukraine's state nuclear power firm has warned that containers with radioactive material might be shelled and said it is vital Kyiv retake the plant by winter. It accuses Russia of wanting to connect the facility to its power grid.
Russia says its forces are behaving responsibly and ensuring the complex's safety.
Valentyn Reznychenko, governor of Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region, said more than 20 buildings had been damaged in the town on the other side of the Dnipro river from the power plant.
Images supplied by Ukrainian officials showed the rubble-strewn corridor of a school with its windows blown out and a residential building pierced by a rocket.
Moscow pressed its campaign on multiple fronts on Wednesday. Ukraine's military reported Russian forces shelled some 28 towns in the northeast, southwest and south including the Kharkiv, Donetsk and Kherson regions. Ukraine's general staff said in an unverified statement that Ukrainian counterattacks forced Russian troops to retreat in most of them.
Boost for economy
The war has crushed Ukraine's economy, but there was some relief on Wednesday when overseas creditors backed Kyiv's request for a two-year freeze on payments on almost US$20 billion in international bonds. That should avert a messy default.
As Kyiv hailed the move as a sign of solidarity by private investors abroad, Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said the deal would save his country almost US$6 billion.
"These funds will help us maintain macrofinancial stability, strengthen the sustainability of the Ukrainian economy and improve the power of our army," he said.
In another rare positive for Ukraine, the United Nations said it expects to see a big uptick in applications for ships to export its grain under a mediated deal intended to unblock exports and ease global shortages and price hikes.
Britain, which is helping Ukraine with arms, intelligence and training, said on Wednesday it believed Russia had "almost certainly" established a major new ground force to back its war.
The new 3rd Army Corps was based in the city of Mulino, east of Moscow, the British Defence Ministry said in an intelligence bulletin. However, Russia would struggle to build up the numbers needed and the new force is unlikely to sway the war, it added.