Judge rules Agong’s decision in emergency proclamation cannot be challenged in court

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today ruled that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s proclamation and the ordinances enacted under the emergency law cannot be challenged in any court.Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid said this was provided for under Article 150(8) of the Federal Constitution which, among others, states that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s decision in any proclamation of emergency shall be final and conclusive and shall not be challenged or called into question in any court on any grounds.Kamal made the ruling after dismissing the leave application for a judicial review brought by three elected representatives to challenge Muhyiddin Yassin’s move to advise the Agong to suspend Parliament and state assembly sittings during the emergency.The trio were Simpang Jeram assemblyman and Pulai MP Salahuddin Ayub, Gurun assemblyman and Sungai Petani MP Johari Abdul and Tebing Tinggi assemblyman Abdul Aziz Bari.In their application, they named the prime minister and the government as the respondents.Kamal also held that the application to challenge the king’s decision in the proclamation of emergency was not amenable to judicial review.“It is reiterated that Article 150(8) of the Federal Constitution is valid and constitutional. More importantly, Article 150(8) of the Federal Constitution has shut the court’s doors to any challenge or application against the proclamation and the ordinances enacted under the emergency law,” the judge said.He also said that based on his findings on Article 150(8) of the Federal Constitution, no judicial review can be made to challenge the decision of the king under Article 150(1) and Article 150(2B) of the constitution.“In fact, this issue was decided by the Federal Court in Anwar Ibrahim v Public Prosecutor,” he said.Kamal added that there was nothing in the Federal Constitution that imposed a legal duty on the first respondent, Muhyiddin, to act in the manner dictated by the applicants.“Hence, in the absence of any legal duty imposed on the first respondent, the applicants’ pleaded reliefs are misconceived in law,” he said.He said therefore, the applicants failed to cross the hurdle of the judicial review test as the subject matter in the case had been settled by law.“It is clear that there is no arguable case for the applicants. Therefore, this application for leave is frivolous. In light of the above, the application for leave to commence judicial review proceedings is dismissed with no order as to costs,” he said.Senior federal counsels Suzana Atan and S Narkunavathy acted for the respondents while lawyers Gurdial Singh Nijar and Christopher Leong represented the applicants.The trio filed the leave application on Jan 26, seeking several reliefs from the court over the proclamation of emergency.The Attorney-General’s Chambers, on Feb 11, filed an objection to the application on grounds that the applicants did not have a case that could be argued to enable the court to grant permission for the judicial review.On Jan 12, Istana Negara in a statement announced that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had consented to a proclamation of emergency to be implemented nationwide until Aug 1, as a proactive measure to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the country.Muhyiddin, in a special address in conjunction with the proclamation of the emergency on the same day, said the Cabinet had advised the king to issue a proclamation of emergency for the whole country in accordance with Article 150(1) of the Federal Constitution, effective from Jan 11 to Aug 1.Article 150 (1), among others, provides that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong can declare a state of emergency if he is satisfied that a grave emergency is taking place causing a threat to security, economic life or public order in the federation.


MCMC to take legal action against FB parent Meta over 'harmful content'

Authorities said today they would take legal action against Facebook parent company Meta Platforms for failing to remove "undesirable" content on the social media platform.
Facebook has recently seen a significant volume of undesirable content relating to race, royalty, religion, defamation, impersonation, online gambling and scam advertisements, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission said in a statement.
It also said Meta had failed to take sufficient action despite its repeated requests and that legal action was necessary to promote "accountability for cybersecurity" and for "enhancing consumer protection".
Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The commission also did not immediately respond to a request for comment on what legal action might be taken.
Big social media firms such as Meta, Google's YouTube and TikTok are often under regulatory scrutiny over content posted on their platforms.
Some Southeast Asian governments have frequently requested that content be taken down.
In 2020, Vietnam threatened to shut down Facebook in the country if it did not bow to government pressure to censor more local political content on its platform. It said last year that social media platforms operating in Vietnam removed more than 3,200 posts and videos in the first quarter that contained false information and violated the country's law.
In Indonesia, Facebook in 2019 took down hundreds of local accounts, pages and groups linked to a fake news syndicate.


Drug gang warfare kills 8 in Rohingya refugee camp

At least eight Rohingya refugees have been killed and thousands forced to flee as growing violence engulfs the world’s largest refugee camp, housing more than a million people.The underlying cause of the lawlessness is methamphetamine, or shabu, manufactured across the border in Myanmar where most of the refugees originate.Profits from sales in the sprawling camp in southern Bangladesh are huge, and two rival gangs are battling to gain the lion’s share.Refugees speaking on condition of anonymity told Reuters that the two groups behind the mayhem are the “Munna” gang, named after a notorious local drug kingpin, and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (Arsa), an armed group that refugees have accused of carrying out kidnappings and attacks.It was attacks by Arsa on police posts in Myanmar in 2017 that triggered a deadly military crackdown that forced more than over 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh.Reports indicate that police struggling to control the violence arrested 12 people.The Bangladesh government have sent in troops to support the heavily outgunned police.Bangladeshi security forces killed more than 100 Rohingya between August 2017 and July this year, according to AFP.An Amnesty International report has accused Bangladesh authorities of extrajudicial killings, but police are insisting that most of those killed were involved in the drug trade or the trafficking of Rohingya in boats to Malaysia.


Conditional approval granted for import, distribution of Covid self-test kits

The health ministry’s Medical Device Authority (MDA) today agreed to grant conditional approval for the import and distribution of Covid-19 self-test kits in the country.MDA chief executive Ahmad Shariff Hambali said so far, two Covid-19 self-test kits had passed the prescribed technical evaluation and performance testing and would be given import and distribution approval in the near future, while another 15 were undergoing performance testing in laboratories before a decision is made.He said a special meeting of the MDA board today also agreed to finalise conditions for compliance by any company that obtains permission to import and distribute the test kits.“Among the important conditions that need to be complied with include clear and easy-to-understand instructions for use and disposal methods, a safety monitoring system and test kit performance, including test kit distribution records,” he said in a statement today.He said these conditions were important to provide a control mechanism to ensure the safety and performance of the test kit which would be distributed and used by the public as a Covid-19 infection screening test.Shariff said although the test kit can be used as a screening test for immediate results on infection status, it does not replace the real-time diagnostic function of reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR).“MDA advises the public to use the kit according to the instructions for use on the label to ensure that the kit is used properly and disposed of safely, and also for actions to be taken, including reporting the test results,” he said.He said any company intending to obtain conditional approval must have an establishment licence under the Medical Devices Act 2012 (Act 737), adding that a list of test kits that have been granted conditional approval will be posted on the MDA website.


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Questions over slope management after Batang Kali landslide

Malaysia lacks local authorities with the expertise needed to monitor and manage slopes, a geologist says in the wake of the tragic landslide near Genting Highlands about a week ago which has claimed the lives of 30 victims so far.
Nor Shahidah Mohd Nazer, a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, said there are very few experts capable of conducting comprehensive checks of hillsides and slopes
"Understanding slopes requires the combination of geological and engineering information, and some local authorities do not have the technical expertise to interpret the stability level of the slope in question," she told MalaysiaNow.
A total of 92 victims were involved in the Batang Kali landslide, which occurred at a campsite in Batang Kali.
In December last year, meanwhile, a landslide in Cameron Highlands claimed two lives.
Other major tragedies include the Highland Towers incident in 1993 and the Hulu Langat landslide in 2011.
Shahidah said the housing and local government ministry had issued a circular last year, stating several weaknesses on the part of local authorities or PBTs.
"Forty-nine percent lacked the governance structure and technical expertise to manage issues related to slopes or landslides.
"Seventy percent did not have a database for the collection of information, 81% did not carry out slope maintenance, and 41% were not aware of the existing guidelines related to slopes," she said.
And in terms of guidelines, she said, the circulation of more than one set had caused confusion, with the latest guidelines standardised only at the end of last year.
Mak Khuin Weng, formerly with the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), said local authorities only look at hillsides when an area is to be developed, or if there are activities such as agriculture to be carried out.
These situations would trigger the development plan clause under the Town and Country Planning Act, with experts sent to conduct a study.
"This geotechnical report will cover the possibility of landslides and prevention measures.
"This is normally done by private developers," Mak added.
In terms of the Batang Kali landslide, Mak said the road involved might have been owned by the government as the Public Works Department (JKR) had issued a statement in the wake of the incident.
"If it was JKR, they should have prepped a development plan along with the necessary reports on the possibility of land slope failure and prevention measures," he said.
"However, MBPJ had disputes with JKR over whether JKR needs to prepare these plans for the local government to approve when I was a councillor. This dispute was never resolved as MBPJ says JKR needs to apply while JKR says they don't need to.
"So, is Batang Kali under PBT? I don't know for sure. It depends on whether JKR submitted plans to PBT or not."
This however assumes that the landslide occurred from the top of a slope.
If it occurred from beneath, Mak said, the farm would have to obtain approval from the PBT and look at the probability of landslides.
Shahidah meanwhile said that a list of landslide hotspots could be obtained from JKR or the Department of Minerals and Geosciences, and landslide hazard maps from the Malaysian Space Agency.
Nevertheless, access to such data would require approval from the parties involved.
"Most researchers like us rely on landslide distribution maps, based on the history of recorded landslides," she said.
"These maps are publicly available in research journals."
Shahidah, who has studied the evolution of landslide geomorphology, said the presence of old dormant landslides meant that most slopes in the country are located in old landslides and could become active once more.
"We need to be prepared because the current climate variability greatly contributes to the reactivation of the slopes and exposes the country to the risk of extreme geo disasters."


NGOs obtain leave to proceed with legal action on deportation of Myanmar refugees

Two NGOs have obtained leave to proceed with a judicial review to challenge the government’s decision to repatriate 1,200 Myanmar refugees.This follows the decision by High Court judge Mariana Yahya in dismissing the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ (AGC) objection to the application for leave for judicial review by the NGOs, Asylum Access Berhad and Aimal Sdn Bhd.Lawyer Lim Wei Jet, who represented the NGOs, when contacted said the court rejected the AGC’s argument that the NGOs lacked locus standi to file the judicial review application.“It held that NGOs play an important role in today’s society to vindicate the rights of the vulnerable. The court acknowledged that we live today in a much more liberal society where concepts of accountability and transparency are part and parcel of our lives,” Lim said.He also said the court rejected the AGC’s argument that decisions of the respondents are immune from judicial review (except on procedural non-compliance) because of the ouster clause in Section 59A of the Immigration Act.The respondents in the application are the immigration director-general, the home minister and the Malaysian government.The provision states that the decisions of the immigration director-general or home minister are only subject to judicial review if they involve the issue of procedural compliance.“The court ruled that the judicial review application is not frivolous and vexatious, and thus needs to be subjected to a full hearing,” Lim said, adding that the court fixed March 23 for the next case management.He said the court also granted a stay against the immigration director-general and the home minister from deporting the remaining 114 Myanmar nationals until disposal of the entire judicial review.Mariana delivered her decision today through online proceedings, where she was joined by senior federal counsel S Narkunavathy, Ahmad Hanir Hambaly, Mohd Sabri Othman and M Kogilambigai.The applicants were represented by Ambiga Sreenevasan, Gurdial Singh, New Sin Yew and Gokul Radhakrishnan.On Feb 22, the two NGOs filed a judicial review for an order to overturn the government’s decision to deport the refugees, including children, who were being held in the country’s immigration detention centres. They were scheduled to be sent back onboard Myanmar navy ships.In their application, they claimed that if the refugees were sent back to Myanmar, their lives would be at risk.In a press statement on Feb 23, immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said a total of 1,086 illegal immigrants from Myanmar detained at immigration depots nationwide since last year had been deported from the navy base in Lumut.The repatriation programme was implemented by his department in collaboration with the armed forces, the National Task Force and the Myanmar embassy.


Blueprint planned for healthcare system reform

A blueprint for healthcare system reform will be introduced as a new way forward for national healthcare transformation, according to the 12th Malaysia Plan (2021-2025) document released by the Economic Planning Unit today.In designing this blueprint, it said a study will be undertaken to strengthen the healthcare sector including public healthcare sector transformation, private healthcare sector regulatory reform and sustainable health financing.The plan and study are part of efforts to introduce a healthcare policy under the strategy for redesigning the healthcare service to enhance healthcare service delivery which is one of the priorities of the 12MP tabled at the Dewan Rakyat today.The document said several policies targeting specific health needs will be introduced such as oral healthcare, mental health and immunisation policies while food safety policies will be reviewed to protect the public against health hazards and fraud in the food supply chain including in the preparation, sale and use of food.Five other measures under the strategy to redesign the healthcare service are combatting communicable diseases, combatting non-communicable diseases, strengthening healthcare programmes for older persons, increasing preparedness in handling health crises and ensuring the quality and accessibility of healthcare services.According to the document, the other two strategies in enhancing healthcare service delivery are strengthening health financing and public awareness as well as leveraging technology.To strengthen the health financing and public awareness strategy, financial sustainability for healthcare will be ensured, health protection will be strengthened and health literacy, as well as awareness, will be enhanced.“Social media platforms will be leveraged to invigorate health literacy and counter misleading information that exacerbates health issues,” it said.The third strategy to enhance healthcare service delivery is leveraging technology through digitalising healthcare services and improving research, development and innovation capacity.


UK to challenge China at UN, demanding fact-finding access to Xinjiang

Britain will on Monday call for the United Nations to be given “urgent and unfettered” access to Xinjiang to investigate reports of abuses in the Chinese region.British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab will also mark London’s return to the UN Human Rights Council as a voting member by condemning the rights record of fellow council members China and Russia and will raise concerns about Myanmar and Belarus, Reuters is reporting.On China, Raab will refer to reports of abuses in Xinjiang, including torture, forced labour and forced sterilisation of women which he will say “are taking place on an industrial scale”.“The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, or another independent fact-finding expert, must be given urgent and unfettered access to Xinjiang,” he will say.China has been widely condemned for setting up in Xinjiang what Beijing describes as “vocational training centres” to stamp out religious extremism and give people new skills.Beijing’s critics have called them concentration camps in which at least a million Uighurs and other Muslims have been detained.Raab will also raise the “disgraceful” treatment of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the crisis in Myanmar and the situation in Belarus. He will set out steps Britain has taken to address these issues, such as sanctions, and encourage others to follow.The UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, Switzerland, is tasked with promoting and protecting human rights around the world. The council has 47 member states, which are elected by the majority of members of the general assembly through direct and secret ballot.


Stay out of our war with Bersatu, Umno warns PAS

Umno today warned PAS not to interfere in the party’s problems with Bersatu, describing the Islamist party as a “small” entity, in remarks that are likely to further undermine the Muafakat Nasional pact between Umno and PAS.Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, Umno’s election chief, said his party’s decision not to cooperate with Bersatu was also final, rejecting an offer by PAS to play the role of peacemaker.“PAS is a small party, but Umno is big and we are not prepared to be treated as small,” Tajuddin told reporters today.His remarks followed an offer by PAS yesterday to mediate between Umno and Bersatu, in the wake of Umno’s decision not to cooperate with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin at the next polls.Several Umno leaders have been urging PAS to quit the Perikatan Nasional bloc led by Muhyiddin, saying the Islamist party should be bound by the Muafakat Nasional charter it signed in 2019.The charter formally ended a decades-long war between Umno and PAS, but the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government last year rendered it irrelevant.PAS has repeatedly stated its commitment to Muhyiddin’s government, and has welcomed Bersatu to become a third member of Muafakat Nasional.Tajuddin, the Pasir Salak MP, said Bersatu should be grateful to Umno for allowing it to hold top positions in the government.He added that Umno was well prepared to face the election either on its own or with PAS.“Umno will rise again after GE15. If we go it alone, Umno can win 120 seats but if we join with PAS, Umno will win 96 seats.”Tajuddin also said Umno had thoroughly considered the matter before deciding to cut ties with Bersatu, adding that PAS would not be able to understand the problem.


PH says no to bringing back GST

Opposition pact Pakatan Harapan (PH) today objected to the reintroduction of a goods and services tax (GST) as raised by the prime minister in a recent interview, saying any move to this effect would cause a drastic spike in the price of goods.In a statement, it said the people were already struggling with the rising cost of living and declining household incomes amid high inflation.“Bringing back the GST will cause a surge in the price of goods,” it added.“Add this to the supply chain problems and stagnant wages, and the people will be placed udner tremendous pressure.”Malaysia’s 6% GST was introduced in 2015 but scrapped three years later after PH, led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, took over Putrajaya.PH’s pledge to do away with the consumption tax was one of the key planks in its manifesto for the 2018 general election, which saw Barisan Nasional toppled after more than six decades in power.Ismail had said in an interview with Nikkei that the government was keen on reintroducing the tax despite its unpopularity.He said Putrajaya had limited options, and that it had lost RM20 billion in annual revenue after the tax was abolished.He also said that the government would target a GST rate that did not burden the people, but was not so low that it “defeats the purpose of expanding tax revenue”.PH, in the statement signed by its top leaders Anwar Ibrahim, Mohamad Sabu, Anthony Loke and Madius Tangau, said it made no sense for the government to suggest the collection of more tax without first proving the reforms and administrative improvements it had put in place.“There is no point collecting more tax if in the end, the people’s money is wasted because of corruption, leakage and cronyism,” it said.“The prime minister should also recall that the majority of Malaysians rejected the GST at the last general election.“PH is therefore against any suggestion to reintroduce the GST, as long as these issues continue to plague the people.”


53,571 industrial workers in Selangor positive for Covid since July

The Selangor state assembly was today told that 53,571 industrial workers have tested positive for Covid-19 since July through screening conducted at their respective workplaces.Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said the screenings were carried out through employers in preparation before entering the workplace, as well as for close contact with positive co-workers and self-screening by employees themselves at private health facilities.“Of the total, 62% or 33,214 people were from the manufacturing sector; 14.5% (7,768 people) were from the service sector; 13.5% (7,232 people) were from the construction sector and 10% (5,357 people) were from the trade sector.“Roughly, the number covers 17.1% of positive cases identified in Selangor who are workers from the industrial sector,” he said in his reply to a question from Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PAS-Sijangkang), who wanted to know the number of individuals suspected of being infected while working in the industrial sector.Meanwhile, Amirudin said a total of 79 factories in the manufacturing sector had been ordered to close under Section 18 (1)(f) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.These factories were found to have committed three or more offences that violated the SOPs of the act from July 13 until Aug 23.“The closure orders were issued for a period of seven days and the owners were also given work instructions as well as improvements that needed to be completed during the closure period,” he said.


US state seeks to block pornographic content on smartphones

The governor of Utah on Wednesday announced a new law requiring an anti-pornography filter on smartphones and tablets sold in the conservative Mormon-majority US state.The law, which Republican Spencer Cox said he had signed the night before, would penalise manufacturers failing to include the filter between US$10 and US$500 per violation.Backed by conservative lawmakers in the western state – where members of the Mormon Church make up two-thirds of the population – the measure would only take effect in the unlikely event that five other states pass similar laws.In practice, the reform could look like the reverse of parental controls on existing devices sold by tech companies such as Apple and Google, in which the filters are by default turned off.People who want to be able to access content seen as potentially harmful would have to ask for a code to unblock the automatic filter.Opponents such as the Utah branch of the American Civil Liberties Union say the constraints would encroach on the right to unrestricted internet access.


Guatemala suspends budget that sparked violent protests

Guatemala’s legislature on Monday backed away from approving a business-friendly 2021 budget after demonstrators in the Central American nation torched the Congress building and demanded the resignation of President Alejandro Giammattei in weekend protests.A lack of resources for battling the coronavirus pandemic as well as anger over the new spending plan has fuelled widespread indignation against Giammattei’s administration and Congress.“In order to maintain the governability of the country and social peace, we have agreed to suspend the processing of the budget,” said Congress president Allan Rodriguez.The suspension would create “space for discussion of the country’s governance”, he said.Guatemala’s only state-run university, the University of San Carlos, had earlier called for a national strike on Monday.Meanwhile, powerful farmers’ union Codeca appeared to back away from an earlier call for its members to block roads around the country.Congress, dominated by conservative pro-government parties, last week approved an almost US$13 billion budget, the largest in the country’s history.With the suspension, lawmakers now have until Nov 30 to approve a new budget, otherwise the government will continue to operate under the existing budget of US$10.4 billion.Torching CongressThousands of Guatemalans took part in a peaceful demonstration in the capital on Saturday, but hundreds broke away and partly burned the Congress building, setting fire to several offices after smashing windows to get inside.Hundreds of people returned to the streets on Sunday to demand Giammattei’s resignation.Rodriguez accused the protesters of using the budget as a pretext to commit “terrorist acts” aimed at “breaking the constitutional order and gaining access to power”.Attorney-General Consuelo Porras said he had launched an investigation of the attack on the Congress building, and the heavy handed police response, in which some 20 protesters were wounded, one of them losing an eye to a rubber bullet believed to have been fired by security forces.Amnesty International described the repression as “extremely serious” and accused the Guatemalan authorities of violating “international standards of use of force”, said the group’s director for the Americas, Erika Guevara, in a statement.The UN also called for the fundamental rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly to be respected, and said an impartial and independent investigation was needed to look into what had happened in the protests.The UN called on “all actors to work together to address the challenges facing Guatemala through peaceful means”, according to a statement.‘Feelings of the people’Giammattei, 64, issued a statement Sunday afternoon reproaching Saturday’s violent demonstrations, saying he considered the protesters to be “minority groups that seek to force a true coup d’etat”.The protesters are angry that most of the budget has been allocated to infrastructure tied to big business, while more than half of Guatemala’s 17 million residents live in poverty and half of all children under the age of five are malnourished.“The government started work in an arbitrary way and the demonstrations on Saturday show the feelings of the people, who are already tired of how the country is being run,” Edie Cux, country director of Transparency International, told AFP.He described the budget as “the last straw”.Meanwhile, the group of 13 donor countries and organisations – including the US, the UN, France, Germany and Britain – expressed concern over the crisis and called for dialogue to seek a solution.Giammattei’s vice-president Guillermo Castillo, with whom he has repeatedly clashed, said Friday night he had asked the president to resign with him “for the good of the country”.Castillo asked the public prosecutor’s office on Sunday to investigate the burning of the Congress building as well as police repression of the protests, in which dozens of people were injured in clashes.A former prisons chief, Giammattei took office in January but his management of the health crisis has been criticised by Castillo, the opposition and social sectors.All have denounced deficiencies in the hospital system as well as in taking care of groups affected by lockdowns aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.Congress approved US$3.8 billion to fight the pandemic, but less than 15% of those funds have been invested.Guatemala has recorded nearly 120,000 cases of the virus and more than 4,000 deaths.


Johor MP to face money laundering charges

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission today said it had obtained approval to bring charges against an MP at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court this week.In a statement, the anti-graft agency said the charges would be levelled at 8.30am on Aug 5.It is understood that they are related to the issue of money laundering, under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.


Johnson & Johnson vaccine ‘highly effective’ against severe Covid-19

The single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine is highly effective in preventing severe Covid-19, including the South African and Brazil variants, new documents released by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) showed Wednesday.In large clinical trials, the vaccine efficacy against severe disease was 85.9% in the US, 81.7% in South Africa, and 87.6% in Brazil.An independent panel of the FDA will meet to discuss its merits on Friday and an emergency use authorisation is likely to follow soon after.That would bring a third vaccine into the fight against the outbreak in the US, the world’s hardest-hit country where more than 500,000 people have lost their lives.Experts see the J&J vaccine as a vital tool, even though its efficacy against moderate Covid-19 is lower than that demonstrated by the Pfizer and Moderna shots that have already received authorisation.“The vaccine was effective in preventing Covid-19 using a less restrictive definition of the disease and for more severe disease, including Covid-19 requiring medical intervention, considering all cases starting 14 days after vaccination,” the new FDA summary said.“Although a lower efficacy overall was observed in South Africa, where there was a predominance of B.1.3.5 lineage during the time period of this study, vaccine efficacy against severe/critical COVID-19 was similarly high across the US, South Africa, and Brazil,” it added.The J&J vaccine uses a common-cold causing adenovirus, which has been modified so that it can’t replicate, to carry the gene for a key protein of the coronavirus into human cells.This makes those cells produce that protein, which in turn trains the human immune system.The fact that it requires only one dose, and that it can be stored at fridge temperature rather than in freezers like the Pfizer and Moderna shots, gives it an operational advantage.


Abandoned luxury units show pandemic’s impact in Malaysia’s Silicon Valley

Beneath the glitter of Malaysia’s IT city Cyberjaya, a slow decline appears to be taking place, perhaps most clearly seen in its real estate segment which has been struggling to stay afloat in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.While it once aspired to become the country’s Silicon Valley, throughout the city, a number of luxury condominium complexes are now falling into disrepair – abandoned, neglected and bleeding tenants.The Place, located less than 220m away from Limkokwing University of Creative Technology (LUCT), is one of them.Once the top choice for students from both within and outside of the country, its exclusivity meant that monthly rental for its residential units could run into the thousands.Its commercial units meanwhile were known for services rarely found at other condominium developments including a gym, clothing boutiques, bars and cafes.Today, fewer than 10 units are still in operation including two convenience stores, a stationery shop and a restaurant newly opened this year.Elsewhere, The [email protected], a serviced apartment complex completed in 2009, now stands mostly empty.Such condominiums were initially targeted at knowledge workers – professionals such as engineers, doctors, bankers, accountants, lawyers and scientists – in line with Cyberjaya’s role as a key part of the Multimedia Super Corridor, an ambitious project launched by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.But even before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Cyberjaya was far from the bustling, smart city metropolis envisioned at its establishment in 1997.Many buildings with their futuristic designs lacked the buzz needed for a thriving real estate market, but a host of university campuses provided a lifeline for home owners who could rent out their units to international students for a reasonable rate.That lifeline was taken away when the pandemic struck.Now, real estate analysts say the city has all but failed to achieve its goals.Neglect is evident at The Place, where facilities such as the swimming pool have fallen into disuse.Adzman Shah Mohd Ariffin said Cyberjaya was meant to be an organic city where knowledge workers would work and live, and where businesses like overseas bank branches, database services and customer service centres would thrive.“Cyberjaya’s growth should have been organic,” he told MalaysiaNow.“But it strayed from its goal and instead became a student town.”Adzman said the presence of so many students had caused working professionals to look elsewhere for accommodation.The city itself meanwhile morphed into an investment centre for residences to be rented out to college and university students.While students rented in large numbers, their tenancies were short-term and did not contribute towards increasing the value of property.Nevertheless, buyers began targeting students, and when business in the education sector began to decline due to Covid-19, the impact on the residential units was massive.“Residential units were dumped,” Adzman said.“In NeoCyber, most of the units have been sold but there are no tenants. When there are no tenants and the owners themselves do not live there, there is no money for maintenance.“This is why many of these places become dirty, damaged and abandoned.”Just about three years ago, The Place and The Domain were seen as dream homes for those who could afford the rent.But a property agent who spoke to MalaysiaNow said rental at The Place had dipped as low as RM1,200 a month, with many owners lowering this to RM900 or even RM800 since the onset of the pandemic.Foreign students, who made up half of the tenants there, had to cancel their agreements and return to their home countries.A large number of students also stopped studying at LUCT, which a source attributed to the university no longer offering several undergraduate degree programmes.Just three years ago, one would be lucky to find vacant units at The Place.Today, though, its grand lobby is silent and empty, a pale shadow of its former appearance. In the basement, many parking units are vacant and only one security guard stands watch at the far end. The pool meanwhile lies abandoned.“Some people came, thinking of renting a unit here because it used to be beautiful. But when they saw things like this, they left to look at other places,” said a maintenance worker.MalaysiaNow is attempting to contact the management for further clarification of the situation.The residential units – studio apartments and duplex units measuring less than 1,000 sq feet – are now mostly occupied by working singles.One of them is Ahmed, who has lived at The Place since 2018, when he completed his studies.“I work from home because of the pandemic, and I attend meetings online nearly every day. But it’s quiet, so I don’t worry.“The view is nice too, with lots of greenery. It makes me less stressed,” he said.Adzman, who has more than 30 years of experience in property research and analysis, said he used to make nearly RM2,000 a month renting out just one residential unit at NeoCyber.“But all that’s just a memory now,” he said. “Now there is too much dumping of unrented units. It’s an oversupply.”Adding that not enough was being said about the issue, he described Cyberjaya as “problematic”.“It’s too focused on the external. It looks grand and full of life, but it has problems.“It’s a pity – for a smart city, it’s not that smart.”


Israel’s Netanyahu claims ‘huge win’ for right-wing parties in election

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed a “huge win” for the right in Israel’s fourth election in two years, though exit polls suggest he may fail to secure a majority in parliament.Netanyahu’s Likud party and its allies are projected to get 53 or 54 seats in the 120-seat Knesset, according to the BBC.Parties opposed to the prime minister look set to win 59.It means the nationalist Yamina party led by former Netanyahu loyalist Naftali Bennett could act as kingmaker. It is forecast to win seven or eight seats and has not explicitly declared which side it will support.“I will do only what is good for the state of Israel,” Bennett said in a statement after the exit polls were released.He added that he had told Netanyahu that Yamina would await the final results before deciding on its next steps.Israel’s Central Elections Committee does not expect all of the votes to be counted before Wednesday afternoon due to coronavirus-related restrictions.“Israeli citizens – thank you,” Netanyahu tweeted late on Tuesday. “You gave a huge win to the right and Likud under my leadership. Likud is the biggest party by far. It’s clear most Israelis are right-wing, and want a strong, stable right-wing government.”Just over 67% of those eligible cast their ballots in the election, which was widely seen as a referendum on Netanyahu’s leadership.The 71-year-old prime minister has been in power continuously since 2009, having served an earlier three-year term in the late 1990s.His campaign focused on Israel’s world-leading Covid-19 vaccination programme and his diplomatic success in normalising ties with some Arab countries.But his opponents from across the political spectrum argued that he should not remain in office while standing trial on corruption charges. He denies any wrongdoing.After the previous three elections neither Netanyahu nor his rivals were able to form a stable governing coalition.The current national unity government, which was the result of a power-sharing deal with Defence Minister Benny Gantz, collapsed in December after just seven months.Gantz, whose Blue and White party is projected by the exit polls to win seven seats, said on Tuesday that he would “do everything I can to unite a pro-change bloc” – a reference to those wanting a new prime minister.


No cover-up in LRT collision probe, says transport minister

The transport ministry and its investigation committee, which conducted a probe into the collision between two LRT trains on May 24, never stated that no one is to blame for causing the incident to happen, said its minister Wee Ka Siong.He also denied a “cover-up” regarding the investigation into the incident as alleged by certain quarters.“The committee is an investigation committee, not an adjudicating body. Therefore, it has no authority to apportion blame or to pin liability on any party.“Whatever internal action to be taken against the personnel involved in the incident must be governed strictly by the employment contractual terms signed between the respective personnel and Prasarana,” he said in a statement yesterday.He added that the phrase “not for the purpose of apportioning blame or liability” did not mean no one could be blamed.On June 10, Wee was reported to have said that technical issues and communication failure between the operations control centre (OCC) and the hostler (driver) were among the causes of the collision between two LRT trains on the Kelana Jaya line on May 24.In the incident, 47 passengers suffered serious injuries while 166 escaped with minor injuries when a train carrying passengers and a faulty train which was being test-driven collided in a tunnel between the Kampung Baru and KLCC stations.Wee said in determining the blame and liability, due process of the law should take place to ensure that natural justice is equally accorded to those responsible for the collision.He said the investigation committee was not set up to be the judge and the jury, adding that the ministry had no power to prosecute any case.“When I ordered the formation of the committee to thoroughly examine the tragic LRT collision, the terms of reference for the committee were to be made clear in its mission. We also want to prevent something like this from happening again,” he said.Wee said the committee’s role was to determine the factors and causes leading up to the incident, which was the main function of the committee. He added that it had completed its task within the time given.“I have also personally visited and called the affected patients… we take what happened to them extremely gravely and seriously.“As I have informed in my media conference on June 10, the 23 recommendations approved by the Cabinet were all to bring broad changes to Rapid Rail Sdn Bhd’s safety and operative procedures and Prasarana Malaysia Bhd has promised to implement them within the timeline provided,” he said.On June 10, Wee was reported to have said that the proposals presented by the investigation committee regarding the collision comprised five recommendations that needed to be implemented within three months, 11 proposals between three months and six months and seven improvements within more than six months.


SOPs follow Covid situation, says PM

The movement control order (MCO) SOPs issued by the National Security Council (NSC) are not static but dynamic, and the decision to impose a lockdown or not is made according to the current Covid-19 pandemic situation, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said last night.Muhyiddin said he was aware of the grievances of the people upon seeing changes in the SOPs, but that these were due to changes in the situation of Covid-19 itself.“They are not static (in regard to the MCO SOP). They are dynamic. They follow the situation that requires us to make adjustments to deal with different situations. For example, (previously) restaurants were allowed to have dine-in customers. Then they were disallowed (from doing so).“I’m sorry if there are those who feel confused. The NSC determines the SOPs. They are not decided by any one person. They are decided via discussion. The NSC did not decide on the SOPs arbitrarily,” he said in a special discussion on the challenges of Covid-19 with the prime minister last night.He also stressed that the implementation of SOPs was decided in a meeting attended by the attorney-general with Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob, to study the SOPs, which would be gazetted before being enforced and announced, so that all parties would be made aware.“If you don’t understand, you can ask. We have asked the ministers to give an explanation as well as the officials to provide an explanation. Community leaders handling empowerment programmes have also been provided with the information so that they can help explain the situation and circumstances,” he said.Muhyiddin also said the state governments do not have the power to request changes to the SOPs as the power rests with the federal government, under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) under the health ministry; and the Workers’ Minimum Standards of Housing and Amenities Act 1990 (Act 446) under the human resources ministry.On non-compliance with SOPs, Muhyiddin said every action taken must be based on the law, and that if what had happened was the opposite, a person subject to SOP action could challenge it.“If someone commits an offence, we (the government) want to take action for the individual to be punished. Like the current cases. It could be a celebrity, could be anyone. I do not want to mention the name, the action must be based on the law.“The power to arrest or impose a compound of RM10,000? That is why the SOPs are based on the law and gazetted. If they are not gazetted, they are not valid. This is something that not many people are aware of. That is why if the government decides to formulate the SOPs, as long as they are not gazetted they cannot be enforced,” he said.“The government does not care who (the individuals are), from ministers to the prime minister, who violate (the SOPs). If there is clear evidence based on the law, they will not escape punishment, compound, charge (prosecution) and so on,” he added.However, he said that in Malaysia, which has a population of 30 million, the authorities would be unable to monitor everyone, and some would be seen as escaping punishment.He urged the people to refrain from violating the SOPs, saying they are not made to restrict people’s freedom, including human rights.He also urged the people to cooperate by complying with the SOPs in order to ensure the well-being of everyone.


6 people killed in apparent murder-suicide at US birthday party

Six people were killed at a birthday party in Colorado Springs, Colorado, early on Sunday when a man opened fire inside a trailer home before taking his own life, NBC News is reporting.The unidentified suspect drove to the party in a mobile home community, entered the trailer where people were gathered just after midnight and began shooting.He is believed to be the boyfriend of one of the victims, according to Colorado Springs Police.Children who were at the party were unharmed and are in the custody of family members, police said.Colorado Springs Police Chief Vince Niski said officers and investigators working on the case are “left incredibly shaken”.Authorities found six people dead at the scene and a man seriously injured when they arrived on scene. That man later died at a hospital. The victims have not been identified.“This is something you hope never happens in your own community, in the place that you call home,” Niski said. “When these types of unspeakable acts happen, there is nothing that can be done to fully rebuild what was lost or replace those who are no longer with us.”It was a “senseless act of violence” that has left the community mourning, Colorado Springs Mayor John Suthers said.Neighbour Yenifer Reyes told The Denver Post she woke to the sound of multiple gunshots.“I thought it was a thunderstorm,” she said. “Then I started hearing sirens.”It was Colorado’s worst mass shooting since a gunman killed 10 people at a Boulder supermarket on March 22.Colorado Springs, population 465,000, is Colorado’s second-biggest city after Denver.In 2015, a man shot three people to death at random before being killed in a shootout with police in Colorado Springs on Halloween. Less than a month later, a man killed three people, including a police officer, and injured eight others in a shooting at a Planned Parenthood clinic in the city.


In Australia, optimism mounts as infection numbers fall

Australia could be about to record its lowest daily coronavirus increase for three months.The state of Victoria, which has suffered the most cases of any state, recorded just 14 new infections to Sunday morning.Premier Daniel Andrews said the numbers were “cause for great optimism”.He has defended the state’s strict lockdown, pointing to steeply rising numbers in Europe in what many are calling a second wave.Victoria’s capital Melbourne is under tighter restrictions than other areas, with a curfew and stay-at-home orders.On Sunday, anti-lockdown protesters demonstrated in central Melbourne in what is becoming almost a daily act of defiance.Protests in a city park on Saturday were dispersed by police on horseback, according to local media.Melbourne has started to ease restrictions, saying it will lift the curfew on Oct 26 if there are fewer than five new cases per day.New South Wales and Queensland reported two new cases each.The remaining states have not reported yet, but rarely record any new cases.


Umno minister resigns, citing loyalty to party

Water, Land and Natural Resources Minister Shamsul Anuar Nasarah today announced his resignation from the Cabinet.“Taking into account the stand and decisions of the party, and as a loyal Umno member, I hereby resign as a federal minister,” he said in a statement.Shamsul, who is the MP for Lenggong in Perak, had earlier this year vowed to resign as minister ahead of the Umno general assembly in March which decided to cut ties with the Perikatan Nasional government.In his statement, Shamsul thanked Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for appointing him, adding that he would now focus on his constituency as well as on strengthening Umno “in facing the challenging political situation”.Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former leader Najib Razak have been at the forefront of a campaign to get Cabinet members from the party to vacate their posts, in an attempt to topple Muhyiddin.


Royal audiences with political leaders to discuss Covid-19 efforts, says palace

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s recent audiences with political leaders were to discuss concerns over efforts to fight the Covid-19 pandemic during the ongoing emergency period, the palace said today.In a statement issued by the Comptroller of the Royal Household, Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, it said Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had met with 18 political leaders face to face as well as in virtual sessions from June 9 until today.“Aside from meeting with political leaders, His Majesty also granted an audience to Arifin Zakaria, the chairman of the Special Independent Committee on Emergency, at Istana Negara today,” it said.The palace said the meetings had taken place on the king’s initiative, and that the views put forth by the political leaders would be presented at a special meeting of Malay rulers at 2.30pm tomorrow.Tomorrow’s meeting will be the second by the rulers to discuss the Covid-19 pandemic, after a similar discussion in October last year.The state of emergency was declared shortly after the second instalment of the movement control order was announced, amid a spike in Covid-19 cases in January.The emergency period will run until Aug 1 but could end earlier if the number of positive cases can be controlled and reduced.


New Delta wave being boosted by Euro football, WHO warns

Europe’s Covid-19 infections have risen by 10% in a week after two months in decline, and the risk of a new wave of cases is growing, says the World Health Organization.Regional director Hans Kluge said the risk has been heightened by slow vaccine rollouts, new variants and increased social mixing.There is also a danger that the Euro 2020 football tournament in which matches are played in different countries could be acting as a “super-spreader”. Hundreds of fans returning from games in London and St Petersburg have tested positive.WHO senior emergency officer Catherine Smallwood called on host cities to do more to monitor the movement of visiting fans.“We need to look at around the stadia,” she said. “What’s happening before and especially after the games? Are fans going into crowded bars and pubs?”The European Union’s disease control agency (ECDC) estimates that the Delta variant could account for 90% of cases by the end of August. And top health officials are also talking of a new Delta-plus variant.Russia has seen record numbers of Delta deaths for the past three days.Euro 2020 host city St Petersburg recorded 115 deaths in 24 hours on Thursday, on the eve of hosting its sixth and last tournament match between Spain and Switzerland.Health authorities in Finland appealed to the public to avoid travelling to Russia after 400 infections were linked to fans returning from St Petersburg.European football’s governing body, Uefa, was branded “irresponsible” by German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer, who said it was clear that supporters hugging each other would help spread the virus.He was particularly critical of the decision to allow 60,000 supporters into the stadiums in Budapest and at Wembley in London for the semi-finals and final.Uefa is adamant that decisions on the number of fans allowed inside a stadium “fall under the responsibility of the local authorities”.Portugal is imposing a night-time curfew on Lisbon, Porto and other municipalities from Friday because of the biggest increase in cases since February.Spain has reported a sharp rise among people in their 20s – up to 366 cases per 100,000 people.Germany expects the Delta variant to account for over 70% of cases this month so may relax quarantine measures on visitors from the UK and Portugal where the variant is already prevalent.


Public Service Commission received 1.28 million applications in 2022, over 20,000 vacancies filled

The Public Service Commission (PSC) received 1.28 million applications for permanent appointments for positions in the managerial, professional and implementer levels through its online employment registration system (SPA9) last year, its chairman Zainal Rahim Seman said.
Of the total, 20,762 applicants had been appointed to fill the vacancies according to their qualifications, he said when met at a media programme yesterday.
"The application for positions in the public service has been fully digitalised since 2017. So, there's no such thing as 'using a cable' anymore,” he said.
On March 16, Zainal reportedly said the transition to a fully digital application system was the best and most transparent method to refute the allegation of certain parties that only those with a "cable" or "connection" can fill the posts in the public service.
Since 2017, the application for positions in the public service has been done through the public service employment registration form (SPA8i) before being replaced by SPA9 in September 2020.
On contract-based appointment, Zainal Rahim said 27,163 applicants have been appointed to various posts on a contract basis, including medical officer grade UD41, dental officer grade UG41 and pharmacy officer grade UF41.


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Virus wave must be fought without vaccines, says WHO

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) emergencies director warned Wednesday that vaccines would not arrive in time to defeat the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic.WHO’s Michael Ryan said vaccines should not be seen as a “unicorn” magic solution – and countries battling a resurgence of the virus would once again have to “climb this mountain” without them.“I think it’s at least four to six months before we have significant levels of vaccination going on anywhere,” he said, during a public question and answer session live on social media.Despite recent promising announcements from final-phase candidate vaccine trials, “We’re not there with vaccines yet,” said Ryan.“Many countries are going through this wave, and they’re going to go through this wave, and continue through this wave, without vaccines.“We need to understand and internalise that, and realise: we have got to climb this mountain this time, without vaccines.”Pfizer said Wednesday that a completed study of its experimental vaccine showed it was 95% effective, while fellow US firm Moderna said this week that its own candidate was 94.5% effective. Russia claims its candidate is more than 90% effective.Ryan warned against slackening off individual vigilance against the virus in the mistaken belief that vaccines would now solve the problem instead.“Some people think a vaccine will be, in a sense, the solution: the unicorn we’ve all been chasing. It’s not,” the Irishman said.“If we add vaccines and forget the other things, Covid does not go to zero.”Grieving grandchildrenThe number of new Covid-19 cases in Europe declined last week for the first time in over three months, but deaths in the region continued to climb, WHO data showed Wednesday.While at least 55.6 million cases worldwide have been registered since the outbreak emerged in China last December, the novel coronavirus has killed more than 1.3 million people around the globe, according to a tally from official sources compiled by AFP.Ryan voiced concerns about how the pandemic has left many bereaved grandchildren who have been unable to go through the normal grieving process due to the restrictions imposed to combat the virus.“A lot of kids in this have lost grandparents,” he said.“There’s quite a bit of trauma out there among kids.“The grieving process for kids – it’s tough, because you don’t have all the natural things: the funeral situation, you don’t get to say goodbye, you don’t have the gatherings, so it’s grieving interrupted.“I am concerned if the child’s need to grieve the loss of a grandparent has been interrupted, because that has a lifelong impact.”


Move over Malibu Barbie, a real heroine is coming to town

Girls all around the world, from Mississippi to Malaysia, who grew up in the 70s will fondly remember Malibu Barbie, the quintessential, sun-loving California blonde.Now the same manufacturer, Mattel, is coming out with a Susan B Anthony Barbie and it expects the doll to be an inspiration to young girls as well as a hot seller.Unlike Malibu Barbie, Susan B Anthony was a real woman and a heroine in the fight for women’s rights.The Susan B Anthony doll is the first in a line of what the toy maker is calling Inspiring Women Barbies.She was an American who spoke out against slavery and was one of the first suffragettes, working tirelessly to get colleges to admit women.She voted in the 1872 presidential election, when it was illegal for women to do so. Her defiance got her arrested.Last month, US President Donald Trump posthumously pardoned her.The Susan B Anthony Barbie comes in a floor-length black dress with lace on the sleeves and collar. She wears round, wire-frame glasses and black boots – just like the real woman did.She’s the antithesis of Malibu Barbie, but will girls go for her?So confident is Mattel of her appeal that there’s a limit of two dolls per girl.The launch date is significant as 2020 marks her 200th birthday, as well as the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, which gave American women the right to vote.


Curbing graft in Malaysia’s notorious defence procurement

Last week, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) found fresh leads in its investigation of the littoral combat ships (LCS) project, leading to the arrest of three individuals. While it is too soon to determine what went wrong, there is little doubt about what needs to be done in the future.To recap, the procurement contract for LCS was awarded to Boustead Naval Shipyard Sdn Bhd (BNS) in 2011. Despite a whopping payment of RM6 billion since then, none of the ships has been delivered on schedule. KD Maharaja Lela, the first of six ships ordered by the Malaysian government, was scheduled for delivery in 2019, and yet, all there is to show now is an empty husk languishing in Lumut.These developments are not surprising given that Malaysia’s defence procurements have consistently been plagued by controversies, delayed deliveries, and ballooning costs. In the maritime sphere, a perfect example would be the procurement of Kedah-class offshore patrol vessels, a project which was ironically rescued by BNS’ parent company, Boustead Heavy Industries Corporation.Malaysia can no longer waste any more time. Unlike the Kedah-class OPV project, the LCS delays come at a time of great geopolitical uncertainty. If events in Ukraine have shown us anything, it is that Pax Americana – a period of relative peace and stability underpinned by American hegemony – is in decline. And going by past experience, there is a strong likelihood the transitional period after the US’ relative decline will bring about great instability and a considerable risk of conflict.It doesn’t help that Malaysia’s proximity to the South China Sea makes us even more vulnerable to geopolitical entanglements if there is an escalation between the rising dragon known as the People’s Republic of China and American-aligned forces.However, Malaysia is not a country bereft of well-considered policies and this is exemplified by the 15-to-5 Fleet Transformation Programme, a procurement plan underpinned by anticipative action at an optimal cost. The plan, spanning across seven Malaysia Plans between 2016 to 2050, seeks to transform the Royal Malaysian Navy armada into a needs-based force with enhanced naval capabilities. Once completed, operating costs will be reduced, ship days at sea will increase by 40% (from the current 5,000 days to 7,000 days) and Malaysians will be able to enjoy invaluable social, economic and security dividends.The LCS are the crown jewel of RMN’s future fleet. Decked with cutting-edge multipurpose combat capabilities, LCS will replace the ageing Lekiu-class frigates and Kasturi-class corvettes. To have the project in limbo, as it currently is, is an unforgivable aberration.Thus, in line with the project’s importance to national interests, a whole-of-government approach must be adopted through the establishment of a monitoring committee consisting of representatives from the RMN and the defence ministry, as well as the MACC, the finance ministry and the National Audit Department.Another common problem for these projects is cash flow. In response, the government must adopt measures to ensure that payments are progress-based and that all vendor-related transactions align with the agreed timeline.Most importantly though, Malaysia must eliminate the middleman. It is true that when it comes to the military-industrial complex, secrecy is a priority. However, citing “national security” as a convenient excuse for excessive secrecy, can lead to leakages. This can no longer be tolerated as taxpayers deserves transparency, accountability, and a fair deal.With RM1 billion of the total disbursed sum of RM6 billion for the LCS project unaccounted for, Malaysia is at a crossroads. If we do not stop these leakages, perhaps the only “future fleet” we should be talking about is an armada of self-funding fishing vessels.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Dangerous in-flight mistakes due to pandemic downtime, say airline pilots

Thousands of airline pilots are spending weeks or even months of the coronavirus pandemic idling at home instead of flying.When they do return to the flight deck, many are admitting that regaining flying skills is proving harder than anticipated.“This was my first flight in nearly three months,” one pilot wrote, explaining why he or she neglected to switch on a critical anti-icing system. “I was too confident it would all come back to me as second nature.”The report is one of many filed in a US federal system for tracking aviation mistakes in which all identifying information is stripped out. The idea is that coming clean about errors encourages analysis and improvements that make aviation safer.Problems pilots identified in the reports include landing without permission from air traffic controllers, drifting from assigned altitude, and aiming for the wrong runway.Several pilots reported incorrectly programming flight computers or radios. One dialled in the wrong frequency while approaching an airport. He or she “hadn’t flown for two months”. In the other seat was a colleague who “hadn’t flown for six weeks”.“I struggle to see a viable remedy for this problem besides just flying more,” that captain wrote. “We definitely need to be more aware of how much our proficiency decreases as we fly less.”Jim Thomas, head of American Airlines’ flight training, told CNN, “Where we would normally be training pilots to learn new aircraft, we’re now getting them requalified.”Curtis Joens is a captain who recently returned from a four-month leave of absence, the first of his three-decade career. He said that as a senior pilot, he took some time away from the job during the pandemic to give lower-ranked pilots an opportunity to keep flying and maintain their skills.US airlines are currently flying about 45% fewer flights than usual, according to the industry group Airlines For America and the hope is as more people receive coronavirus vaccines, so more pilots will be able to take to the air again.However, the US has a huge and functioning domestic commercial air network which many smaller countries do not.In those countries the number of pilots sitting out the pandemic at home instead of flying may be close to 100%.


Powers under emergency rule could benefit everyone, say analysts

Several analysts say the proclamation of a Covid-19 emergency this week is good news for more than just frontliners battling the pandemic, as it could help ease the economic hardships faced by the people if the wide-ranging powers in the hands of the authorities are put to good use.Haniff Khatri Abdulla said from a legal-economic standpoint, the state of emergency would allow the government to use its constitutional clout to enact laws compelling financial institutions to suspend loan repayments.He said this way, not only would banks and financial institutions have to suspend loan agreement terms to help borrowers facing the worst economic crisis in recent history, it would also prevent them from seeking bankruptcy proceedings against defaulters who have no means of repaying their loans following a loss of income.Haniff said this would be a form of “forced moratorium” to benefit the people.“To me, this will show the people the blessings of the emergency proclaimed by the Agong. It will make them happy about the declaration,” the senior lawyer, a critic of the government who frequently gives his opinion on legal matters, told MalaysiaNow.Under Article 150(7), laws enacted during an emergency cannot be challenged in court.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in detailing the state of emergency this week, assured that a civilian government would remain and daily activities would not disrupted. He also said the authorities could enact tough laws during the period running up to Aug 1, with the aim of battling the impact of the pandemic.Under Article 150(7), laws enacted during an emergency cannot be challenged in court.Haniff said such laws could be enacted without going through the parliamentary process.“So once the Covid-19 crisis is over, people will have some breathing space to earn a livelihood before they find jobs to stabilise their finances and resume their loan instalments,” he said.Economist Madeline Berma agreed with the suggestion.She said beyond compelling banks to grant moratoriums to borrowers, the government could also come up with other emergency enactments to put more cash in people’s hands, such as opening up the EPF’s i-Sinar programme to all contributors.The i-Sinar is a facility announced by the government last November which allows some eight million contributors to withdraw money from Account 1 of their EPF if they can prove a loss of income.Madeline said health and economy go hand in hand.“To flatten the Covid-19 curve, the economy must be strengthened. And as long as Covid-19 is not flattened, our economy will suffer.“So to the question of whether the emergency is good for the economy, my answer is yes,” Madeline told MalaysiaNow.Critics have attacked the government for resorting to emergency rule, saying it will damage Malaysia’s reputation among investors.Yesterday, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim launched a petition campaign to get MPs to write to the palace urging the Agong to revoke the emergency proclamation.“The government can give 100% attention to managing the pandemic now that the political pressure has eased a bit.”But analyst Azmi Hassan said using the wide powers to enact laws to benefit the people would reverse the negative connotations attached to emergency rule.He said the greatest benefit of emergency rule lies in the fact that it prevents snap polls.“The government can give 100% attention to managing the pandemic now that the political pressure has eased a bit,” Azmi told MalaysiaNow.Threats of a pandemic-season general election were removed, at least until Aug 1, with the emergency proclamation.Muhyiddin had assured that he would call for a general election as soon as the special bipartisan emergency committee was satisfied that the Covid-19 situation is under control.“At that time, it is up to the people to decide which government is qualified to govern this country and protect your welfare. This is a commitment that I shall fulfil,” the prime minister had said.


Change of lawyers midway backfired in Najib's appeal, apex court told

The Federal Court was today told that Najib Razak’s SRC International appeal went wrong when he "changed horses midway" last year.
Ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram was referring to the change of lawyers from Shafee & Co to a new legal team comprising Hisyam Teh Poh Teik as well as counsel from Messr Zaid Ibrahim Suflan TH Liew & Partners (ZIST).
He said Najib was represented by Muhammad Shafee Abdullah from the High Court level of the SRC International case in 2018 and only changed lawyers in 2022 prior to the hearing of the appeal before the Federal Court in August last year.
"If not for this changing of horses, I do not think this (review) would be before Your Lordship today.
"While it is the accused’s right to choose his counsel, the counsel must be ready to act and willing to act on the given day. The truth is, they did not want to go on with the case, that’s why they wanted the adjournment," he said.
On justice Mohd Nazlan Ghazali’s previous position in Maybank, the prosecutor said it was never a secret and Nazlan’s role in the bank was irrelevant to the SRC International case against Najib.
"It was certainly no subject of this review," he added.
Shafee however replied that the switch was the first time Najib's counsel had changed in the case, adding that it was done in good faith.
He said the change of counsel was due to the local courts not allowing Jonathan Laidlaw, the Queen’s Counsel from the UK, to be temporarily admitted to the Bar to represent Najib in his final appeal.
"There was no agenda to engineer an adjournment," he said.
The duo submitted this before Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli, who chaired a five-member panel comprising Federal Court judges Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Rhodzariah Bujang and Nordin Hassan and Court of Appeal judge Abu Bakar Jais.
Najib, in his review application, is seeking to overturn the decision made by a five-member bench of the Federal Court led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Aug 23 last year, upholding his conviction, 12-year jail sentence and fine.
The hearing continues tomorrow morning.


Taiwan residents largely calm in the face of Chinese anger

Many people on self-ruled Taiwan look upon China's unprecedented military exercises with calm resignation, doubting that war is imminent and if anything, feeling pride in their democratic island's determination to defend itself.
China, reacting to a visit to Taiwan last week by Nancy Pelosi, the US House speaker, has sent ships and aircraft across an unofficial buffer between Taiwan and China's coast and missiles over its capital, Taipei, and into waters surrounding the island since Thursday.
But Rosa Chang, proudly watching her son take part in Taiwan military exercises that included dozens of howitzers firing shells into the Taiwan Strait off Pingtung, in the island's far south, said China's behaviour was "childish".
"It's like a group of children threatening you and telling you what to do... China really doesn't have to do all this," Chang said.
Lou Wei-Chieh, a military director general of political warfare, told reporters the annual live-fire exercises aimed at beating back invaders intent on storming island beaches, were routine and "unrelated to the current situation".
China claims Taiwan as its own and has never ruled out taking it by force, if necessary.
Taiwan rejects China's sovereignty claims, says the island's people should decide its future and vows to defend its democracy and freedom. Taiwan says China was using Pelosi's trip as a pretext for intimidation it had long had in the works.
"We're just ordinary people, there's nothing we can do," said a man, who gave his name as Chen, also watching the Pingtung drills. "If anything happens, there's nothing we can do."
Many in Taiwan say they are accustomed to decades of sabre-rattling and see little cause for alarm.
Taiwan has lived under the threat of Chinese invasion since 1949 when the defeated Republic of China government fled to the island after defeat in a civil war to Mao Zedong's Communist Party.
'Not nervous'
An opinion poll published this week by Taiwan's Chinese Association of Public Opinion Research showed that 60% of respondents were either not that worried or not worried at all that there would be a war between Taiwan and China
"We're not feeling particularly nervous," said Jenny Cheng, a 23-year-old civil servant. "Nothing special is going to happen."
Others have rallied round to support the Taiwan government's defiance.
Robert Tsao, founder and former chairman of Taiwanese chip maker United Microelectronics Corp, last week pledged to donate NT$3 billion (US$100 million) to help Taiwan bolster its defences.
China said this week it would conduct more drills focusing on anti-submarine and sea assault operations - confirming the fears of some security analysts and diplomats that it would keep up the pressure on Taiwan's defences.
But on Liuqiu island, a picturesque tourist spot near one of the areas where the Chinese military was conducting exercises last week, people were largely indifferent.
"It feels very normal," said Chung Ping, 30, who owns a diving hostel.
He said no one had cancelled their holiday bookings.
"It's unlikely that conflict will happen."


Final UK plane carrying military leaves Kabul

The UK on Saturday flew out the last of its military from Afghanistan, concluding its pullout while leaving hundreds of Afghans eligible for resettlement behind.The defence ministry tweeted that the “final flight carrying UK Armed Forces personnel has left Kabul”, posting photos of drawn and tired-looking soldiers entering a plane.In a tribute to the troops, the ministry wrote: “To all those who served so bravely under enormous pressure and horrendous conditions to safely evacuate the most vulnerable of civilians: Thank you.”Earlier Saturday, the UK sent out a final plane carrying only civilian evacuees as it wound up its operation to airlift civilians, diplomats and troops ahead of the Aug 31 deadline agreed with the Taliban for US troop withdrawal.Prime Minister Boris Johnson thanked those behind the rescue operation, saying they had helped over 15,000 people in less than two weeks.“I want to thank everyone involved and the thousands of those who served over the last two decades. You can be proud of what you have achieved,” Johnson said in a message posted on social media.Defence Minister Ben Wallace said UK troops had “helped thousands to get to a better future and safety”.‘Heartbreaking’The head of the UK armed forces, General Nick Carter earlier Saturday told the BBC the evacuation operation had “gone as well as it could do” but admitted it was “heartbreaking” that “we haven’t been able to bring everybody out”.The armed forces chief estimated the number of eligible Afghans who had not been evacuated as “in the high hundreds”.He stressed that Britain would welcome them if they managed to leave after the deadline, through third countries or other ways.Defence Secretary Wallace earlier estimated that up to 1,100 Afghans eligible for relocation under the UK’s scheme “didn’t make it”.Several British nationals waiting outside the airport were among those killed in a bomb attack on Thursday, claimed by the regional Islamic State chapter.The BBC reported Saturday that a taxi driver from London, Mohammad Niazi, was killed while his wife and two of their children were missing.Foreign Meinister Dominic Raab said Friday that two British nationals and the child of another British citizen were killed. It was not clear whether this figure included Niazi.The last few days will be “a very demanding operation” for the US, Carter said.“I think our American allies who will effectively be the rearguard as this happens, are going to be very challenged”, he said, adding that the threat from Islamic State “has not gone away”.Controversial animal rescueOne of the last to leave Kabul was the British head of an animal charity, who flew out on a privately chartered plane along with some 200 cats and dogs from a Kabul shelter, completing a controversial mission that has angered many.Paul or “Pen” Farthing, founder of Nowzad, mounted a high-profile campaign to evacuate the animals, backed by celebrities including comedian Ricky Gervais.Nowzad wrote on Facebook: “We are relieved to confirm that Pen and the Nowzad animals left Afghanistan this afternoon and are now safe.”But Farthing’s insistence on taking out the animals was widely criticised as hundreds of Afghans eligible to travel to the UK remained behind.These included Farthing’s staff who were unable to reach the front of the line at the airport. The charity said it would “do its utmost to help them”.The Times quoted a UK defence source as saying: “Not only did [Farthing] abandon his Afghan staff but they loaded up their plane with dogs as the US were loading up their 13 dead” from the Thursday attack.The chair of the House of Commons’ Foreign Affairs Select Committee, Tom Tugendhat told LBC radio that an Afghan interpreter who had worked for the UK had asked him: “Why is my 5-year-old worth less than your dog?”


US to authorise Pfizer jab for kids 12 and up, report says

The US is expected to authorise the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children age 12 and up by early next week, US media reported Monday.Pfizer has applied for emergency use authorisation for its Covid vaccine for children and teenagers between ages 12 and 15, according to CNN, citing a government official.“The FDA will have to amend the emergency use authorisation for the vaccine, but the process should be straightforward,” CNN reported.The US Food and Drug Administration is expected to grant that approval by early next week. After the FDA decision, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advisory committee will meet to recommend how the vaccine should be used.A spokesman for the FDA declined to give details on the approval timeline, telling The Washington Post: “We are working to review this request as quickly and transparently as possible.”The Pfizer vaccine is currently authorised for people 16 and older in the US.The US pharmaceutical giant said in late March it had submitted data from a clinical trial of 2,260 12- to 15-year-olds that showed the vaccine was highly effective and well-tolerated.Further testing on younger children is ongoing.Moderna is conducting trials of its vaccine in teens, with results expected in the summer, as well as in younger children.Johnson & Johnson is also planning paediatric trials for its vaccine.Expanding vaccine authorisation to include adolescents could open up the US mass vaccination programme to millions more people.The national vaccination rate peaked around April 11, according to official data, and although 55% of US adults now have had one or more doses, there’s still a long way to go to achieve population immunity against Covid.The people most eager to get their shots have, for the most part, already rolled up their sleeves and done so.But vaccine hesitancy remains a major obstacle: a large percentage of US adults don’t plan to get the shot and could potentially refuse to get their children vaccinated.Among Republican voters, 29% say they will never take the vaccine, compared to 5% of Democrats and 9% of independents, according to a recent survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation.


Pentagon to form new group to investigate UFOs

The US Department of Defense late on Tuesday said it will establish a new group to investigate reports on the presence of UFOs in restricted airspace.The formation of the group comes after the government released a report in June, encompassing 144 observations, which said there was a lack of sufficient data to determine the nature of mysterious flying objects.The new group, Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group, will be overseen by the Under Secretary Of Defense for Intelligence, the director of the Joint Staff and officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks said in a separate statement the presence of unidentified aerial phenomenon (UAP) in restricted airspace poses a potential safety of flight risk to aircrews and raises potential national security concerns.The new group which will succeed the US Navy’s Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force, will work to detect, identify and attribute objects, assess and mitigate any associated threats, the Pentagon said.The US military have spent decades deflecting, debunking and discrediting observations of unidentified flying objects and “flying saucers” dating back to the 1940s.


Maskless Thai PM fined as Covid-19 cases spike

Thailand’s prime minister was fined for not wearing a mask Monday after new Covid-19 restrictions came into force to try to halt the country’s spiralling outbreak.Wearing masks is now compulsory in public spaces in 49 provinces and the capital, Bangkok – where the latest outbreak has been traced back to a nightlife district.Some locations are backing up that requirement with a 20,000 baht (US$640) fine.After a picture of a maskless Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha attending a meeting emerged on social media Monday, the Bangkok governor said the premier had been fined 6,000 baht (US$190).“As Bangkok governor, I filed a complaint against the prime minister who accepted the fine,” Governor Aswin Kwanmuang wrote on Facebook.Some 2,048 new cases were announced in Thailand on Monday. The day before, the country recorded its highest single-day death toll of the pandemic, with 11 fatalities.Until the latest outbreak, Thailand had managed to keep infections down thanks to strict travel restrictions and swift action to isolate confirmed cases.But there have been complaints about the slow rollout of vaccines, with the kingdom lagging behind other countries in the region.“It’s a failure in management from the health ministry,” said 61-year-old restaurant manager Pracha, who only gave his first name.Prayut said on Facebook the government was trying to source more doses and ramp up the programme to inoculate 300,000 people a day.In addition to the mask requirement, authorities in the capital have closed a raft of venues including cinemas, parks, gyms, swimming pools, spas and nurseries.The new restrictions come a week after bars and nightclubs were ordered closed and restaurants banned from serving alcohol.Pranee Namrat, a 48-year-old seafood vendor, told AFP she was frightened the situation would get worse.“If I got infected… I’m scared of not having a place for treatment,” she said.Outbreaks in Cambodia, LaosIn neighbouring Cambodia, also in the grip of a new coronavirus wave, the World Health Organization (WHO) urged factory owners in the key garment sector to help protect workers.“The current outbreaks in factories and markets serve as a painful reminder of the importance of investing in mitigation measures before cases occur,” Li Ailan, the WHO representative in Cambodia, said in a statement.Li urged factory owners to do more temperature screening and rearrange workshops to allow social distancing.The capital Phnom Penh has been under lockdown for 12 days – and the measure has now been extended until May 5, authorities announced late Monday.Officials had also previously ordered all wet markets in the city to close for a two-week period.Around 1.3 million Cambodians have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The country, which has a population of 16 million, is using China’s Sinopharm and Sinovac vaccines as well as AstraZeneca.On Monday, Prime Minister Hun Sen appealed to countries “not to hoard the vaccine more than needed as well as not to use the vaccine as a political tool”.Cambodia has reported 10,555 cases in total and 79 deaths including 10 on Saturday – a single-day record for the country.Laos – which appeared to escape the brunt of the pandemic last year – is also undergoing a surge, jumping from 58 cases to 436 in less than a week.Its capital Vientiane was placed under a snap lockdown last week, with authorities prohibiting residents from leaving their homes except for groceries and going to the hospital.


In US, experts make case for vaccine mandates

Neither the threat of dying from Covid nor an array of inducements from lottery tickets to guns and marijuana have been enough to sway America’s staunchest vaccine holdouts.As the divide between the country’s pro- and anti-immunisation regions widens, and the dangerous Delta variant keeps gaining ground, experts are calling for more mandates in jurisdictions, colleges and businesses so Americans are protected where they live and work.The idea has sparked controversy in a nation that cherishes individual liberty, but these concerns need to be weighed against collective wellbeing, Gregory Poland, a professor of medicine and infectious diseases at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, told AFP.“What happens when the world’s on fire? Do you allow people to stand there with matches and gasoline? What happens with the disease where the decision you make not only affects you, but affects people around you, or that you’ve come into contact with?” he said.The administration of President Joe Biden stated at the end of March it would not create a federal vaccination database and there would be no federal mandate.The decision might have been calculated to avoid dissuading people on the fence – but it ultimately means that the question has been delegated from the national to state level, and to the private sector.Private sector pushThe national vaccination campaign has stalled since hitting a highwater mark in mid-April. Barely 600,000 a day are now rolling up their sleeves, down from a peak of more than four million, despite widened eligibility to everyone over the age of 12.A clear divide has emerged across the country, with cases rising rapidly in communities that have low rates of vaccination.Springfield, Missouri is recording more than 38 new cases per 100,000 and just 35% have had one or more vaccine doses – well below the national average of 54% – and the picture is similar in other parts of the country that are politically conservative.While they pose the greatest risk to themselves – around 99% of the 27,000 deaths since May have been among the unvaccinated – the threat to the vaccinated is not zero.“In the US, we have 10 to 20 million people who are immunosuppressed,” said Poland. “Do we allow them to remain at risk?”The answer for Georgetown global health law professor Lawrence Gostin is a resounding “no.”Gostin anticipates that businesses and universities enacting mandates would face a flood of lawsuits but would ultimately win, because of a favourable legal landscape.More than 500 colleges and universities have already taken the step, according to the Chronicle of Higher Education.So too has the city of San Francisco for its municipal employees, financial firms including Morgan Stanley, and a Houston hospital which won a lawsuit against employees opposed to the measure.Professional sports venues and musical performances are likewise asking patrons for proof of vaccination.Political headwindsFor Gostin, the major ethical argument against vaccine mandates was equity.Since ethnic minorities and people of lower income found it more difficult to access vaccines earlier on, it would have been unfair to impose penalties on them.That’s no longer the case, with walk-up vaccination sites located every few miles and open until late across the country.Technology poses another challenge for vaccination passes, according to I Glenn Cohen, a Harvard law professor specialising in bioethics and law.“All of our data collected on these little paper cards, and that makes tracking much more difficult,” he told AFP, predicting multiple fragmented digital systems users will need to navigate.Experts agree certain exemptions should be included – for example for people with a history of anaphylactic shock to vaccine ingredients, or who recently had myocarditis.And full regulatory approval for the vaccines, currently authorised for emergency use, would go a long way to assuaging people’s doubts.But they stress that vaccine mandates have a long history in the US stretching back all the way to smallpox mass inoculation of George Washington’s forces in 1777.Poland said it was particularly critical for key positions.“If you want to join the military, if you want the privilege of taking care of patients… then I think it’s quite fair as a number of organisations have said, ‘you don’t get the vaccine, we’re not going to hire you, or we’ll fire you.'”Ultimately, the biggest challenge will be political: 17 states, most with low vaccination rates, have now banned proof-of-vaccination requirements.While these measures are “extraordinarily reckless and unwise,” those that passed their laws by statute will probably withstand legal challenge, said Gostin.


Over 40,000 still at Johor flood relief centres

A total of 27,774 flood victims remained at evacuation centres (PPS) in Batu Pahat, Johor, this morning, while the situation in other districts is said to be improving with fine weather forecast for today.
As of 8am, there were 40,141 flood victims at 202 PPS in eight districts in Johor, compared to 40,008 people yesterday.
According to the state disaster management committee (SDMC), Batu Pahat is the worst affected district with 27,774 evacuees, followed by Muar (4,080) and Tangkak (2,536).
The water level at 10 rivers meanwhile has exceeded the danger level, including Sungai Batu Pahat at Bekok Dam (Batu Pahat), Sungai Muar at Bukit Kepong (Muar) and Sungai Muar at Buloh Kasap (Segamat).
In Melaka, the number of flood victims in Jasin decreased to 598 this morning compared to 606 at 8pm yesterday.
In Pahang, the SDMC secretariat reported that the number of flood victims remained at 2,268, housed at 16 PPS.


MCO in 7 states extended to Feb 4

The movement control order (MCO) in Penang, Selangor, Sabah, Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Labuan, Johor, Melaka and Kelantan will be extended a week until Feb 4, Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob says.The MCO in these states was originally scheduled to end on Jan 26.In his daily update on the Covid-19 situation today, Ismail said the decision was made based on the risk assessment and advice of the health ministry, in light of the continuing increase in cases throughout these states.The MCO was initially implemented in six states: Penang, Selangor, the federal territories (Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan), Melaka, Johor and Sabah.Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan were placed under conditional MCO while Perlis and Sarawak were put under recovery MCO.Kelantan came under MCO on Jan 16, while Pahang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah and Terengganu will come under MCO tomorrow.The MCO in all these states will end simultaneously on Feb 4.


Looming stagflation spurs calls for govt to speed up projects, trade deals

As countries around the world struggle with rising inflation and supply chain issues, concerns are growing among some about recession and stagflation amid predictions of a slowdown in global economic growth before the end of the year.
Stagflation refers to a situation in which persistent high inflation combines with high unemployment and stagnant demand.
According to World Bank estimates, global growth may decline from 5.7% in 2021 to 2.9% this year.
Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz has brushed off fears of a recession in Malaysia, acknowledging however the impact of the risks from the war in Ukraine, rising commodity prices and a tightening in global monetary policies.
He said Malaysia would need to reduce its fiscal deficit from 6.4% last year to 6% this year, in addition to reviewing the provision of bulk subsidies.
Both the government and Bank Negara Malaysia are maintaining their expectation of a growth in GDP.
Economist Ahmed Razman Abd Latiff said Malaysia's strength is in its strong economic fundamentals.
Citing the increase in export volumes each month, he said this contributed to the country's positive current account and trade balance, as well as a declining employment rate of 3.9% and a similarly low inflation rate of 2.8%.
"The industrial production index which increased 4.1% in May has also seen the production of electrical and electronic products rise by 15.5%," Razman, of Putra Business School, told MalaysiaNow.
However, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) spoke of operational challenges due to the rising cost of imported goods.
"Exporters have been left to scramble to secure containers from whichever shipping services are available at premium rates," federation president Soh Thian Lai said.
"They face difficult decisions on a daily basis on whether to ship and incur high export costs, or not to ship and to lose their export markets."
He said manufacturers were also losing out on export revenue as the high freight rates were forcing foreign buyers to delay their orders in the hope of a drop in shipment costs in the months to come.
To reduce recession-linked pressure, FMM suggested that the government stimulate the economy by accelerating development and infrastructure projects, and boost consumption through the promotion of "Made in Malaysia" goods.
Soh said such a campaign could begin with government procurement.
He also proposed that the government provide incentives for the replacement of imported goods, and push the use of automation and technology for value-added products.
"Expediting free-trade agreements to expand export opportunities should be another major focus of the government, in order to boost market expansion for industries," he said.
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) meanwhile said that the slowdown in global GDP growth had taken its toll on the country, in addition to the conflict in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, and the risk of further Covid-19 infections.
MEF president Syed Hussain Syed Husman said Malaysian companies could no longer rely on traditional business models and capital allocations.
He said government intervention should focus on short-term challenges and support short-term liquidity and the availability of funds, especially for SMEs, in addition to providing an ecosystem that would allow companies to bear their own weight.
"Attracting higher value-added and quality FDIs is critical to spurring Malaysia's GDP growth and creating better employment opportunities," he said.
"Malaysia has recorded a decline in FDIs for three years in a row now. Investors are deciding to put their money in neighbouring countries, which has negatively affected economic growth and the creation of new job opportunities."
Syed Hussain agreed on the need for a boost in digitalisation and the use of new technologies in the business process.
He said the government should study and facilitate the provision of financial assistance to the country's 650,000 micro-enterprises, citing the relatively strict conditions that are currently in place.
Going by Malaysia's GDP rate, he does not see stagflation akin to that of the 1970s as a problem for the country any time soon.
Razman meanwhile said it was unlikely that the unemployment rate would continue to rise, as many industries were still struggling to find workers.
Nevertheless, he said the vulnerable groups and those in the lower-income bracket would continue to need assistance.
"All of this should be continued in the budget for 2023," he said.
"Likewise, continue to explore new economic resources, expand the markets, empower human capital and provide infrastructure and facilities for those in need."