Socso to amend act to allocate childcare grants

The Social Security Organisation (Socso) will amend the Employment Insurance System Act 2017 this year to provide the allocation of childcare grants to women who are returning to work, said Women, Family and Community Development Minister Nancy Shukri.
She said this one-month grant, equalling 80% of the insured monthly salary, will be provided to approximately 136,800 women who return to work after long maternity leave, amounting to RM290 million.
“Therefore, continuous efforts are being taken by the government to close the gender gap, starting with protection and benefits for women in the workforce,” she said in her opening address at the 2023 World Women Economic and Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur today.
In addition, Nancy said the Employment Act (Amendment) 2022 introduced several significant changes to the previous act that aimed at benefiting both employees and employers in Malaysia, which includes increasing women's participation in the workforce.
The amended act increased the length of paid maternity leave from 60 days to 98 days.
The act also introduced a new section that prohibits an employer from terminating the service of an employee who is pregnant or is suffering from an illness arising out of her pregnancy.
"The ongoing legislative reforms, policies and plans reflect the government's commitment to supporting women such as childcare or return to work policies by building a society of equal opportunities," she said.
In the 12th Malaysia plan, Nancy noted that the government aspires to increase female labour participation to 59% by 2025.
"This is important as it sends a signal that women can make it to the top, challenging stereotypes such as only women need to balance career and family commitments, the deep-rooted bias that men should have more power and privilege than women, and the belief that women are more emotional and thus hindering the promotion of women," she said.


Covid cases rise again in Europe with Delta variant

Covid-19 infections are rising again in Europe after falling for two and a half months, mainly because of the Delta variant in the UK and Russia, according to a tally Tuesday by AFP.The two countries have experienced not only the most new cases in Europe, but also the most rapid spread among those that have recorded more than 1,000 cases per day.Russia has recorded 20,400 daily cases for the last seven days, or a 25% increase in a week, while the UK has registered 16,400 daily infections, up 70%, according to the tally based on official sources.Russian and UK officials blame the Delta strain first identified in India for the vast majority of new cases.Driven by the situation in both countries, infections in Europe are rising again, now at the rate of 56,800 new cases per day – 21% more than a week ago.Between June 12 and 18, this measure had hit its lowest point across the continent since mid-September, when there were around 46,000 daily cases.On the other hand the virus continues its retreat in several other countries among the worst hit since the pandemic reached Europe in January 2020.Some 1,820 new daily cases have been recorded in France in the last seven days, or 23% fewer than the preceding week, 714 in Italy (35% fewer) and 650 in Germany (31%).The number of people dying is starting to rise again across Europe, although more slowly, with nearly 1,100 deaths recorded daily, around 8% higher over the previous week.But these numbers are still well below those reached at the height of the pandemic when more than 5,700 were dying daily in January.Russia accounts for more than half of the new deaths recorded in Europe, with nearly 600 deaths daily on average for the last seven days – or 33% higher than the previous week.In the UK, there has been a near-doubling of new deaths in two weeks, from around ten daily to 17 last week.But the number is still far below levels during the peak in January when nearly 1,250 people died every day.


No more quarantine for fully vaxxed entering Sarawak

Those who have completed their vaccination will no longer be required to quarantine upon arrival in Sarawak, the state disaster management committee announced today.In a statement, it said beginning Sept 16, fully vaccinated individuals only need to apply through EnterSarawak and provide the necessary details including proof of complete vaccination and a negative RT-PCR test, the results of which are considered valid for three days.Children and teenagers below 18 who enter the state with fully vaccinated parents or guardians will also be exempted from quarantine but should be monitored for symptoms for 10 days.The committee said the decision was made in light of Sarawak’s high vaccination rate.The 10-day quarantine period will remain in force for those who are partially vaccinated or have yet to receive a jab.


China, Russia launch joint air patrol amid Asia-Pacific tensions

China and Russia conducted a joint air patrol on Tuesday over the Sea of Japan and East China Sea for a sixth time since 2019, coinciding with an increase in military manoeuvres and drills by the US and its allies in the Asia-Pacific.
The patrol is part of the two militaries' annual cooperation plan, China's defence ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.
In China's last joint aerial patrol with Russia in November, South Korea scrambled fighter jets after Chinese H-6K bombers and Russian TU-95 bombers and SU-35 fighter jets entered its Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ).
Japan also scrambled jets after Chinese bombers and two Russian drones flew into the Sea of Japan.
An air defence zone is an area where countries demand that foreign aircraft take special steps to identify themselves. Unlike a country's airspace - the air above its territory and territorial waters - there are no international rules governing air defence zones.
In the May 2022 patrols, Chinese and Russian warplanes neared Japan's airspace as Tokyo hosted a Quad summit with the leaders of the US, India and Australia, alarming Japan even though China said the flights were not directed at third parties.
China's increasing military assertiveness in the region has raised concern among its neighbours as well as their Western allies such as the US. Since last week, the coast guard of the US, Japan and the Philippines have held their first trilateral naval exercise in the South China Sea.
Over the weekend, a Chinese warship came within 137 metres of a US destroyer while the US and Canadian navies were conducting a joint exercise in the sensitive Taiwan Strait, prompting complaints about the safety of the manoeuvre.
Shortly before that, a video showed a Chinese fighter jet passing in front of a US plane's nose with the cockpit of the RC-135 shaking in the turbulence caused by the flight.


Russia insists will not use biological weapons

Russia will not use biological weapons, a senior Russian diplomat said on Friday, amid concerns that Moscow's invasion of Ukraine is increasing the risk of weapons of mass destruction being used.
Konstantin Vorontsov, the deputy head of the Russian foreign ministry's Department for Non-Proliferation and Arms Control, insisted Russia unleashing biological weapons was "not an issue at all".
Moscow, he told reporters, was "fully and totally committed to its obligations" under international treaties banning the use of biological and chemical weapons and bacteriological agents.
"We do not have any programmes in the military sphere related to biological weapons," he said.
"All our activities in the biological sphere are totally for peaceful purposes and not more than that."
Vorontsov was speaking on the sidelines of the three-week Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) review conference in Geneva, which was due to wrap up later on Friday.
He said questions raised about the threat of such weapons from Russia were merely aimed at shifting the focus away from what he claimed was "the real problem" – allegedly nefarious US activity in Ukraine.
Since Russia's full-scale war in Ukraine began in late February, Moscow has repeatedly accused Washington of being involved in the alleged development of biological weapons in Ukraine.
In October, it called in vain on the United Nations Security Council to investigate its accusations.
The allegations, flatly rejected by Washington and Kyiv, resurfaced during the BWC review conference, and Russian ambassador Gennady Gatilov told reporters Moscow had no plans to drop the issue.
"We view it as a threat to our national security," he said, charging that the US was militarily involved in "secret laboratories... not only in Ukraine but in many, many other countries... along the borders of the Russian federation".
Asked about what evidence Russia had, Gatilov said that "in the context of the Russian special military operation in Ukraine... thousands of documents were taken (that) very openly show that there was secret... military activities in these laboratories".
"We are not just talking about this. We know facts."
He said Russia had presented the documents and asked specific questions, but "we never heard relevant answers on the part of the US or Ukraine to our questions".
During the review conference, Gatilov said Russia had again pushed for the establishment of "an effective verification mechanism" to be added to the BWC.
Moscow maintains this would make it possible to determine if state parties were violating the convention.
Gatilov lamented at the opening of the conference last month that the measure had been "unjustifiably blocked" since 2001 by the US.
There were low expectations of concrete decisions at the conference but Gatilov voiced hope the parties would agree to set up a working group on strengthening the BWC.


Lima's streets tense as Peru leader hints at early elections

Peru's new president Dina Boluarte has said she will form a new government Saturday, even as demonstrators pressed on Lima streets for ex-president Pedro Castillo to be freed after an alleged failed coup bid.
Boluarte told journalists that if the situation "warrants it," the government will consult with Congress on holding an early presidential vote.
She urged those "who are coming out in protest... to calm down."
Demonstrations continued on Friday, with protesters blocking roads with rocks, logs, and burning tires as they called for early elections.
The roadblocks interrupted traffic along the southern Pan-American Highway that links Peru and Chile.
Two days after the failure of his coup attempt, Castillo is sharing a detention centre with former president Alberto Fujimori at a police base in Lima.
The prosecution accuses this left-wing rural teacher of rebellion and conspiracy, and a high court ordered him into seven days in preliminary detention.
On the streets, meanwhile, the demonstrations continue for the second day and fuel uncertainty about the possibility that Boluarte can conclude her term in 2026, as she herself announced upon taking office.
Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the colonial center of the capital, demanding Castillo's release.
"I voted for Castillo, this Congress does not represent us, we want Castillo freed," Maribel Quispe told AFP, in the march that left the central Plaza San Martin, and included the Prosecutor's Office on its route to Congress.
"We want them to close this corrupt Congress and free Castillo. He made the decision to close Congress because they wouldn't let him work," marcher Sara Medina said.
Several dozen riot police officers closed the avenues that lead to the legislature to prevent the protest from passing through.
The demonstrators burned banners with the image of President Boluarte, shouting "coup leader!"
Earlier Friday, Castillo's former chief of staff said that the Peruvian ex-president "could have been induced" by drugs to dissolve Congress and does not remember delivering the national address that led to his downfall.
Congress was supposed to debate Castillo's impeachment on Wednesday on corruption charges, but the president preempted them by announcing in a televised speech that he was dissolving the assembly and would rule by decree.
"There are indications that the president was forced to read the message of dissolution, and whoever wrote the text did so in order to provide an argument for his removal," ex-aide Guido Bellido said on Twitter.
Bellido, who visited his former boss at the Lima police base where he is held while under investigation for rebellion and conspiracy, also questioned Castillo's mental condition.
"The psychological state of P Castillo when reading the message to the nation shows that he was not in control of his faculties. This suggests that he could have been induced. A toxicological test is urgently needed," he said.
The former rural schoolteacher won a shock electoral victory over Peru's traditional elites in June 2021.
The charges against him carry a jail term of between 10 and 20 years.
Boluarte, who served as vice president under Castillo, was hastily sworn in as Peru's first woman president just hours after the impeachment.
However, doubt is mounting over her ability to hold onto the job until the end of her mandate in 2026 in a country prone to political instability that is now on its sixth president in six years.


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Hong Kong to see 3 rounds of compulsory virus tests

Hong Kong’s population must undergo three rounds of compulsory coronavirus testing, the city’s leader said Tuesday, as she confirmed that mainland Chinese officials were now coordinating the response to the financial hub’s worst outbreak.The densely populated metropolis is in the throes of a record virus surge with thousands of confirmed cases every day as hospitals and isolation units run out of space.On Tuesday, chief executive Carrie Lam revealed a doubling down of the city’s strict zero-Covid approach to bring the response much closer to mainland China’s as she admitted that local authorities had failed to stamp out the current surge.“This quickly worsening epidemic has far exceeded the Hong Kong government’s ability to tackle it, so there is great need for the central government’s support in fighting the virus,” she told reporters.The head of Beijing’s Liaison Office Xi Baolong was coordinating the mainland’s response from the border city of Shenzhen, she added.Under the new rules, all 7.4 million residents will have to go through three rounds of compulsory testing in March, although Lam did not give a start date.The tests will be spread out over a number of days with residents also having to take multiple rapid antigen tests every day at home in between.“Those who do not take the universal test will be held liable,” Lam warned.Schools and multiple businesses such as gyms, bars and beauty salons will remain closed into late April with education facilities turned into local testing centres.Flights from nine countries including Britain and the United States will remain banned.Lam also confirmed that Hong Kong will continue to aim for isolating all coronavirus patients, including asymptomatic patients, in temporary facilities which are being built with the help of Chinese authorities.“We reiterate that isolation is still our policy objective,” she said.


Top cop urged to speed up assault probe into Anwar’s aide

The man who accused Anwar Ibrahim of sexually assaulting him two years ago is questioning the status of a criminal complaint he lodged against the PKR chief’s political secretary, more than a year after the investigation was revived in early 2020.Mohamed Yusoff Rawther also voiced hope that recently appointed Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani could speed up investigations into his report that Farhash Wafa Salvador had assaulted him at Anwar’s office in Petaling Jaya in May 2019.Yusoff, who has separately accused Anwar of sexual assault, has filed civil suits against Farhash seeking compensation for injuries, as well as against Anwar’s press secretary Tunku Nashrul Tunku Abaidah over remarks he had made.All parties are currently involved in a mediation.Yusoff, 28, confirmed the mediation process to MalaysiaNow but insisted he would not compromise on the justice due to him.“It is coming to more than two years since my assault report was lodged. I have furnished all evidence needed including a medical report of my injuries,” Yusoff told MalaysiaNow.“They must tell me whether the case has been cold-storaged, as the last thing I want to suspect is political interference.”Yusoff said Farhash had physically assaulted him at Anwar’s office, causing injuries to his shoulder.A medical report from Pantai Hospital said he suffered injuries and a tear to his shoulder, and that surgery would cost RM40,000.Farhash has denied the accusations.Yusoff said he still trusts the police “to do the right thing”, but added that there were bad apples who could undermine the probe.In February 2020, Yusoff was summoned by the police after the investigation into Farhash was revived on the instruction of the Attorney-General’s Office.The investigation is being conducted under Section 506 and Section 323 of the Penal Code, related to criminal intimidation and causing hurt.


Communities in Sarawak interior celebrate small steps in vaccination drive

In the interior of the Ulu Baram area in Sarawak, the Kenyah community has been busy preparing for the arrival of Covid-19 vaccine supplies and the eagerly anticipated rollout of the vaccination drive there.Many pitched in to help clean up the clinic ahead of the arrival of the Flying Doctor medical vaccination team which was due to land on Saturday.Ngerong Sigau and his two cousins, Ukeng Lian and Merang Eban, were among those waiting in line with their sleeves rolled up.They had double checked to make sure they had all the necessary documents before volunteering to receive the Sinovac vaccine.After the jab was administered, it was as though a weight had been lifted from their shoulders.“It’s like being born a second time,” 50-year-old Ngerong told MalaysiaNow.“We woke up before sunrise because we were so eager to be vaccinated.”The small clinic in Ulu Baram, Sarawak, where villagers go to be vaccinated.His primary emotion now is that of relief.“We are very thankful to receive the vaccine because we’ve been waiting for our turn.”But he is also anxious for the rest of the village to be inoculated against the virus which has so far claimed nearly 5,500 lives in the country.“I want my people here in Long Moh to also volunteer to be vaccinated. That is why we need to be in the line,” he said.So far, the response has been encouraging. But Ngerong’s cousin William, in Miri, said some were still reluctant to get jabbed.“The older ones are worried about the side effects of the vaccine because of the misinformation going around,” he said.But he is hopeful that this will change. “I believe they will change their minds soon.”Telung Usan statesman Dennis Ngau agreed, saying the increase in the number of people getting vaccinated had sparked the excitement of many to get inoculated against the virus.“This is especially so among three communities: the Kenyah, the Kayan and the Kelabit,” he told MalaysiaNow.In Baram, nearly 90% of these communities have received a first dose of vaccine, he said.He said vaccine hesitancy seems to be the highest among the Penans, only 10% of whom have been willing to be jabbed so far.“The Penans have remained the most resistant to the vaccine, I think because of their fear of the injection needle,” he said.In the meantime, though, the community in Ulu Baram continues to celebrate each step forward in the vaccination journey.On Saturday, Ukeng Lian brought his son, who has speaking disabilities, to the clinic to be vaccinated. On Sunday, he brought his daughter who is also a special needs person.As the vaccination programme continues, he and his family hope that more and more will come forward with their sleeves rolled to receive their jabs.


Public advised against taking antibody tests, says Khairy

The public is advised against going for Covid-19 antibody tests as there are no clinical guidelines yet on the matter, says coordinating minister for the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) Khairy Jamaluddin.He said based on guidelines issued by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Food and Drug Administration, as well as in other countries, the tests were not recommended.“There are still no clinical guidelines for which antibody test produces accurate results,” he told a press conference after visiting the Persada PLUS Integration vaccination centre today.A statement on the matter will be issued by the health ministry soon, he said, adding that a study on the effects of taking the Covid-19 vaccine on the immune system is being conducted by the Institute for Medical Research, with the outcome of the study to be announced to the public.Meanwhile, on the surge in vaccination rate with 98% of the adult population in the Klang Valley having received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine as of Aug 1, Khairy said the focus was now on states which showed an increasing trend in daily cases.The science, technology and innovation minister also said he would have an audience with the sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar, tomorrow and brief the Johor government on plans to curb the increase in cases in the state through various vaccination strategies.On the daily vaccination rate, he said Malaysia now topped the list worldwide but with the limited vaccine supply, it would be difficult for the country to surpass the current rate of 400,000 to 500,000 doses a day.“Not all of our vaccine supply has arrived. When we buy, the vaccine supply will arrive from week to week, weekly deliveries. So it’s very difficult to go beyond that,” he added.


WhatsApp tests breaking free from smartphones

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has announced the launch of a trial aimed at freeing its users from smartphones.In a blog post on Wednesday, Facebook engineers said the new feature would allow for the hugely popular service be used on multiple “non-phone” devices without needing to connect to the smartphone app.“With this new capability, you can now use WhatsApp on your phone and up to four other non-phone devices simultaneously – even if your phone battery is dead,” the blog post said.Since its launch in 2009 as a smartphone messaging app, WhatsApp has amassed more than two billion users around the world and been acquired by Facebook.WhatsApp can already be used on “companion devices”, such as computers, but exchanges are routed in such a way that if a person’s smartphone is offline or has zero battery, it won’t work.Other issues can arise as well, such as frequent disconnection.“The new WhatsApp multi-device architecture removes these hurdles” by no longer requiring a smartphone to perform every operation, the company said.The new capability will be expanded more broadly as it is refined, Facebook added.It also made assurances that WhatsApp’s security measures will still work under the new system.“Each companion device will connect to your WhatsApp independently while maintaining the same level of privacy and security through end-to-end encryption that people who use WhatsApp have come to expect.”


India hits 4,000 virus deaths in a day

India recorded more than 4,000 coronavirus deaths in a day for the first time and more states imposed lockdowns Saturday in a desperate bid to halt the devastating new surge.The 4,187 new deaths took India’s overall toll to 238,270 since the pandemic started. It added another 401,078 new cases in 24 hours taking its caseload to nearly 21.9 million – second only to the US.Experts, who have expressed doubts about the official death toll, say the new wave may not hit a peak until the end of May and there have been mounting calls for tough nationwide measures.Rahul Gandhi, leader of the opposition Congress party, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order a national lockdown or the spread could be “devastating” for India and other countries.Britain has already declared a new variant found in India to be of “concern”.The government, stung by criticism of its handling of the new crisis, has largely left individual state administrations to handle pandemic clampdowns.While major cities such as New Delhi and Mumbai have been boosted by extra supplies of oxygen – much of it from abroad – and new hospital beds opened up, the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala have all ordered lockdowns to counter an explosion in cases.Karnataka, which includes the major IT hub of Bangalore, has ordered a statewide two-week lockdown from Monday in a bid to halt the spread of the virus.The state added more than 48,000 cases in a day with Bangalore, home to many Indian and global information technology giants, bearing the brunt.The city of nine million people, which saw 1,907 coronavirus deaths in April, has recorded more than 950 just in the first seven days of May.A lack of oxygen and critical care beds is being blamed for the dramatic rise in the death rate.Neighbouring Kerala, which is adding about 40,000 cases a day, started a nine-day lockdown from Saturday. Tamil Nadu, which includes the major city of Chennai, will start a 10-day lockdown from Monday.Coronavirus cases and deaths have also shot up in West Bengal state since its election, which was marked by huge rallies organised by Modi and his arch-rival, state chief minister Mamata Banerjee.The main city, Kolkata, also has a critical shortage of oxygen and beds.The Hindu nationalist government imposed a three month nationwide lockdown last year which helped halt the spread of the first major wave, but also caused huge economic damage.There are fears that the new surge could undermine the recovery in Asia’s third biggest economy.The growing death toll has added to pressure for the government to act however.Gandhi said in his letter to the prime minister that “your government’s lack of a clear and coherent Covid and vaccination strategy… has placed India in a highly dangerous position.”Modi had “to understand India’s responsibility in a globalised and interconnected world” as “home to one out of every six human beings on the planet”.“Allowing the uncontrollable spread of this virus in our country will be devastating, not only for our people, but for the rest of the world.”The government did not immediately respond.


MCMC warns of civil action against parody accounts

Agencies or individuals affected by parody or fake accounts can take civil action against the account holders, says Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) chairman Fadhlullah Suhaimi Abdul Malek.He said it was the right of the individuals or agencies concerned to take legal action, adding that there are also other laws in the country that can be applied against those who misuse technology, although these are not under MCMC’s jurisdiction.“Parody accounts are not only a problem in Malaysia. These parody accounts are widespread both locally and abroad. Everything is the same.“A parody account is a social media account, especially Twitter, with a name/brand or logo that is almost similar to a well-known body or organisation or dignitaries. It is a new trend in delivering false news, to mock or insult.“A parody account is often uploaded through a global platform, namely Twitter or Facebook, that is based abroad. So the laws, whether in Malaysia or any other country, have their limitations.“Those abroad are difficult to eliminate, but for individuals in the country, we are trying to use the approach of making our citizens morally conscious, that is, they can say what they like, but do not cheat. Freedom of speech, but not freedom to lie,” he said when met by Bernama recently.Fadhlullah cited some examples of parody accounts in Malaysia such as “BERMANA”, which many mistake for Bernama, and Jakim @ MyJAKIM which uses the same logo with the letter L instead of J and the caption “Just Kidding”.“As followers, they are not aware because when you look at the content, it is not only in the form of jokes but also confusing the public,” he said.The BERMANA Twitter parody account @bermanadotcon, with 24.6 thousand followers delivering fake news, and Jakim’s fake Twitter account, which manipulates Quranic verses and hadiths, had caused problems for the owners of the real Twitter account owners, Bernama and Jakim, he said.He said investigations had also taken some time and that MCMC had been in touch with Twitter and Facebook.The public has to understand that the global platform company is not in Malaysia, he added.On Oct 5, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Religious Affairs) Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri called on Jakim to take appropriate action regarding a parody Twitter account using the department’s name and logo.MCMC, through its official website on Oct 6, updated the status of the Twitter account @MyJAKIM and urged the public to be more cautious of parody accounts.“MCMC would like to express its appreciation to Twitter for its cooperation in suspending the Twitter (parody) account of JAKIM @ MyJAKIM which was found to be attempting to spread messages that insult the religion.“The public is advised to be cautious with the existence of such fake accounts and report it to the authorities for further action,” it said.


Home ministry sets up committee to look into citizenship issues

The home ministry has set up a special committee to look into citizenship issues from all aspects in a comprehensive manner.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said issues to be given focus include delayed cases, children born abroad and local women married to foreign men.
"I will ensure that the citizenship application process is made easier in a comprehensive manner without compromising aspects involving national security," he told reporters after a working visit to the National Registration Department headquarters in Putrajaya today.
Saifuddin was responding to questions on a recent statement by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said that the government would begin the process of amending the Federal Constitution to resolve the citizenship status issue of children born abroad to Malaysian women with foreign spouses.
Amendments to Part II of the Second Schedule of the Federal Constitution would allow these children to be given the right to Malaysian citizenship similar to those born abroad to Malaysian men. "I can confirm Azalina’s announcement, and the special committee will be fully focused on citizenship issues," Saifuddin said.
He said the working paper prepared by the special committee will be presented to the Cabinet next month at the latest.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin said the leave granted by the Federal Court to family rights group Family Support and Welfare Selangor and Kuala Lumpur (Family Frontiers) and six women to proceed with their appeal against the Court of Appeal decision that their children could not obtain Malaysian citizenship would not interfere with the government’s commitment to proceed with the proposed amendments.
He said the case would move ahead through the proper legal process but that it would not stop the government from looking into the proposed amendments.
On Dec 14 last year, Family Frontiers and six Malaysian mothers obtained leave to proceed with their appeal against a Court of Appeal ruling denying automatic citizenship to children born overseas to Malaysian women with foreign spouses. A three-member Federal Court panel led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim also granted leave to appeal to India-born Mahisha Sulaiha Abdul Majeed, who is likewise seeking to be recognised as a Malaysian citizen.
On Aug 5 last year, the Court of Appeal in a 2-1 majority decision overturned a High Court ruling that children born overseas to Malaysian women with foreign spouses are entitled to automatic citizenship.


Singapore now probing Nagaenthran’s counsel as criticism mounts over intimidation of lawyers

A prominent Singapore lawyer who had actively represented prisoners on death row including Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam is now under investigation by authorities, amid what critics say is a crackdown on lawyers who challenge the city-state’s narrative on capital punishment.Singapore police said they launched an investigation after receiving a report on April 27 against the woman, whom The Straits Times identified as Violet Netto.Netto was accused of acting as an advocate and solicitor without a valid certificate on at least three occasions, the report said.Violet, 78, has declined to comment, citing ongoing investigations.Lawyers convicted of acting without a certificate face fines of up to S$25,000, a maximum jail term of one year, or both.This comes as critics hit out at a number of disciplinary and contempt of court actions against another prominent lawyer, M Ravi, who has been a vocal critic of Singapore’s capital punishment and represented convicts on death row.Ravi faces seven separate professional disciplinary inquiries which could result in him being fined, suspended or struck off as a lawyer, in addition to three contempt proceedings as well as a number of police investigations. Authorities have also banned him from travelling to Malaysia despite repeated appeals.Violet was part of the team of lawyers who represented Nagaenthran in his efforts to halt the death sentence handed down to him in 2010 for trafficking a small amount of heroin into Singapore.Lawyers and rights groups had said that Nagaenthran’s case was part of a pattern where those from poor families forced to transport drugs are executed while the kingpins who hire them have largely escaped Singapore’s draconian laws on drug trafficking.Nagaenthran’s plight received international attention including from British aviation magnate Richard Branson, given his IQ of 69 – a level recognised as a disability – which would render his execution illegal under Singapore laws as well as a violation of international treaties.He was hanged on April 27 despite a last-ditch attempt by his mother who appeared in court herself after failing to find a lawyer willing to represent him.Violet had also represented Singaporean Roslan Bakar and Malaysian Pausi Jefridin, two mentally disabled prisoners likewise on death row in the city-state.Roslan and Pausi lost their appeals on March 16, with the High Court judge saying no new arguments had been raised that were different from earlier pleas, and accusing them of abusing the court process.


Umno Supreme Council to decide on negotiations with PAS, says Tok Mat

A decision on whether or not Umno will negotiate with PAS in facing the 15th general election (GE15) will be made by the Umno Supreme Council, deputy president Mohamad Hasan said today.
He said the pros and cons of negotiating with PAS would be discussed only if the matter was raised at the Supreme Council meeting slated to take place later this month.
"Umno is not me, Umno is a party. So the party has to decide. My view is not important. What’s important is how the party views it. It will be decided through a discussion involving the party’s Supreme Council," he told reporters when met in Seremban.
Mohamad was responding to PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan’s remarks that PAS would continue to consider Umno and all parties under the umbrella of ummah unity as ta'awun partners (partners in cooperation), especially in building a righteous country blessed by God as decided in the PAS central committee meeting on Sept 11.
Mohamad also reiterated that Barisan Nasional (BN) had so far decided to go solo in GE15, but had yet to discuss potential candidates and seat allocations.
"We have not looked into that area (candidates and seats). Preparedness is the most important factor that will decide whether we win or lose the election. There’s no use talking about candidates if we have not prepared the (election) machinery," he added.


Just under 60% of population fully vaccinated

Nearly 60% of the total population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday, with 19,599,346 people or 59.2% completing their vaccination regimen.Meanwhile 69.2% or 22,599,346 have received at least one jab, including of the single-dose CanSino vaccine.In terms of adult population, 82.5% are now fully inoculated while 93.6% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 273,373 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, taking the cumulative number of shots given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 41,847,256.


Najib himself gave Shahrir RM1 million cheque, MACC officer tells court

An investigating officer from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today her investigation revealed that Najib Razak himself had given a cheque worth RM1 million to Shahrir Ab Samad in 2013.
MACC assistant superintendent Nurzahidah Yacop, 35, said the former prime minister was also the one who wrote and signed the AmIslamic Bank cheque before giving it to Shahrir when they were at the Prime Minister’s Office in Putrajaya on Nov 27, 2013.
Nurzahidah said the following day, there was a deposit of RM1 million in Shahrir’s Public Bank account and that several withdrawals were made from that account involving RM997,285 between Dec 2, 2013, and March 31, 2014.
"Of the total withdrawals, RM543,800 was used to implement the Puri Langkasuka housing rehabilitation (Seri Anugerah) project in Larkin, Johor Bahru, and RM10,000 was for the Taman Kebuh Teh Umno branch.
"Apart from that, a total of RM443,485 was believed to have been withdrawn for his (Shahrir's) personal use, including RM200,000 which was transferred into Public Bank fixed deposit accounts belonging to his wife Shahrizan Abdullah and daughter Marisa Diyana. RM115,000 was transferred into Shahrir’s fixed deposit account at Maybank and another RM118,485 into the Sutera Auto Sdn Bhd account," she said.
Nurzahidah said this when reading her witness statement at the trial of the former Johor Bahru MP, who has been charged with failing to declare RM1 million received from Najib to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).
On Aug 8, the seventh prosecution witness, Sutera Auto Sdn Bhd account executive Rozana Khalid, 43, told the court that Shahrir had bought a Honda Civic Hybrid car worth RM118,485, and completed the payment in just one cheque, on Dec 21, 2013.
Nurzahidah said the investigation also found that Shahrir had never declared receiving the funds, even if it was deemed as his income.
She said this was confirmed by Shahrir’s tax information for the years 2013 to 2018 showing no declaration of income exceeding RM1 million in the Form BE submitted by the former Felda chairman.
Shahrir, 72, was charged with laundering money by failing to state his real income in the income tax return form for the assessment year of 2013, a violation of Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, regarding the RM1 million, believed to be from unlawful activities, which he received from Najib through a cheque. He was charged with committing the offence at LHDN, Duta branch, Government Office Complex, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim on April 25, 2014.
The charge, framed under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, provides for a maximum fine of RM5 million, imprisonment of up to five years, or both upon conviction.
The trial before judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin continues tomorrow.


US condemns ‘escalatory’ Chinese military flights off Malaysia, Taiwan

The US Air Force’s Pacific commander condemned Chinese military flights off Malaysia and Taiwan, describing them on Friday as “escalatory” and “destabilising”.This week, 16 Chinese military aircraft flew over hotly contested waters off of Borneo prompting the air force to scramble its jets.General Kenneth Wilsbach said these activities and an increased number of incursions into Taiwan’s air defence zone “adds to the list” of Chinese “destabilising activities and also escalatory activities” in the region.“We set ourselves up for miscalculations around the region when we have some of these activities when we’re getting into people’s airspace that we shouldn’t,” said Wilsbach.Beijing claims Taiwan as part of China and has said the aircraft that appeared off Borneo over the South China Sea were on routine training and did not enter Malaysia’s territorial airspace.Beijing has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that declared its historical claim over nearly all of the South China Sea to be without basis.There is growing concern in the West that China’s ever-more-powerful military may try to retake Taiwan by force.In recent months, the tempo of Chinese flights across the strait has increased dramatically, straining Taiwan’s air defence capabilities.“I believe this is a strategy by China to invoke cost for the Taiwan airforce,” Wilsbach said, by forcing the Taiwanese airforce to react each time an incursion occurs.Faced with dramatically improved Chinese military capabilities, Wilsbach also said the US Air Force was looking to cycle assets around the region and away from large bases, to make them more difficult to target.“We’ve pretty much looked at every piece of concrete in the region and we’ve analysed it and assessed it for possible use as a place to operate to and a place to operate from,” he said.“We have a significant database of information about every single airfield, a lot of them are not suitable for our needs, but a lot of them are.”


US, Britain forge pact to counter new threats

The US and Britain on Thursday announced a new strategic pact as their leaders rededicated the "special relationship" to counter Russia, China and economic instability.
In a White House summit, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak presented a united front on Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the lightning-fast evolution of artificial intelligence.
But Sunak came away empty-handed on Britain's ambitions for a post-Brexit free-trade agreement with Washington, settling instead to tack along with Biden's plan to craft a new green economy through vast industrial subsidies.
An "Atlantic Declaration" adopted by the leaders aims to boost industry ties on defense and renewable energy, in the face of growing competition from authoritarian states.
"Countries like China and Russia are willing to manipulate and exploit or steal our intellectual property, use technology for authoritarian ends, or withdraw crucial resources like energy," Sunak told a news conference alongside Biden.
"They will not succeed," the prime minister added.
Under the declaration, the two sides agreed to open talks on US treatment of critical minerals used in electric batteries in Britain.
Biden also agreed to ask Congress to designate Britain as a domestic source for defense procurement, to speed up development of next-generation weapons such as hypersonic missiles.
'Never been stronger'
Despite the lack of a trade deal, Sunak said "the economic relationship has never been stronger," describing the "special relationship" as in fact the "indispensable alliance."
Sunak's first White House summit was equally about reforging personal relationships after Britain went through three prime ministers last year, and after Biden, proud of his Irish roots, made clear his displeasure about Boris Johnson's handling of Northern Ireland.
Biden agreed that for the US, "there's no country that comes close" in importance as Britain – words he was unlikely to say in the post-Brexit discord seen under Johnson.
Both leaders concurred that the world economy was undergoing the biggest changes since the Industrial Revolution, in part driven by AI, which is prompting doomsday warnings that sentient machines could wipe out humanity unless governments coordinate a response.
Biden backed Sunak's plan to convene "like-minded" countries for the world's first AI summit in Britain later this year – while the prime minister also wants the UK to host a future AI regulatory body.
"The potential of AI is staggering," the president said, saying it had "the potential to do great damage if it's not controlled."
"We are looking to Great Britain to help lead a way through this. There is no country we have greater faith in to help negotiate our way through this," Biden added.
Yet there are headwinds for Sunak's ambitions, with the United States and European Union already engaged in their own dialogue on an AI code of conduct as industry figures plead for regulation.
Nato leadership
Biden and Sunak promised to keep spearheading global support for Ukraine, after committing billions of dollars in military aid to help Kyiv fight Russian invaders.
Biden said that they discussed their "unwavering support for the people of Ukraine who are defending themselves against most brutal aggression we have seen in a long time."
"I want to thank the prime minister for his strong, strong leadership," he said, also voicing confidence that the US, despite hesitation from some of his Republican rivals, will provide "funding necessary to support Ukraine as long as it takes."
Sunak and Biden discussed the leadership of Nato, with British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace among the contenders as the alliance prepares a summit in Vilnius next month.
"They have a candidate who's a very qualified individual," Biden said of Wallace's candidacy, responding "maybe" when asked if it was time for another British secretary-general of Nato.
Current Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who has won high marks from allies for his leadership in the war, is scheduled to leave in October.
He already extended his tenure once, postponing his appointment as central bank chief in his native Norway.
But Biden said that Nato needed a "consensus." The prime ministers of Denmark and Estonia are also seen as contenders.


AirAsia passenger from Switzerland seeing red over credit repayment

An AirAsia passenger from Zurich, Switzerland, has voiced disappointment at being forced to accept compensation in credit form despite stressing multiple times his wish to be refunded in cash.
Civil engineer Uwe Guenther said his struggle with the low-cost airline began when he was planning a family vacation in Indonesia.
The trip was supposed to have taken place in 2020, but they were forced to postpone it due to the onset of Covid-19 and the subsequent restrictions on travel.
But Guenther had already booked domestic flight tickets with AirAsia, forking out US$186 (RM754).
"At that point, I accepted compensation in credit form because I knew I would be going back to Indonesia for trips after the pandemic subsided," he said.
He later booked six more domestic flight tickets with AirAsia in March, using the credit he was given and topping up another US$51.72 (RM230.15) and US$109 (RM485.05) for his choice of seat.
The ticket reservation schedule which he showed MalaysiaNow indicated that the flight had been scheduled to depart on Aug 18, 2022 from Bali to Labuan Bajo-Komodo Island.
However, Guenther then discovered that the flight would not be taking off as scheduled. He reached out to AirAsia, asking to be allowed to re-book a flight with other airlines using the same online platform.
"I was assured that the flight would depart according to schedule, and no permanent re-booking was made," he said.
"But I still went ahead and bought flight tickets with another airline, Batik Air, as I was afraid that AirAsia would go back on its word."
Guenther's fears came true when AirAsia informed him in an email this month that the flight had been cancelled.
He tried to apply for a refund through the AVA system but his attempts ended in frustration when he was told that the flight cancellation was not due to AirAsia.
"I emailed several times informing them that I want to be refunded in cash, not credit which is of no use to me since I live in Europe," he said, adding however that he never received any response to his emails.
What he did receive was an email telling him that his application for credit had succeeded.
"I never applied for credit," he said. "To make matters worse, the amount they gave me was only part of what I paid for the tickets."
According to his account on the AirAsia app, Guenther was given credit worth US$163.53 (RM727.71) – less than half of the US$346.72 (RM1,542.90) he had paid.
Describing this as a crime, Guenther asked why there had been no intervention by the government which had allowed the airline to continue operating.
He said he had used AirAsia's services some 10 years ago in Thailand without encountering any problems.
"I often travel and have flown with many airline companies," he said.
"What AirAsia is doing is a crime."
When asked if he would fly with AirAsia again in the future, Guenther said he would prefer to use other airlines even if it meant paying more for tickets.
Meanwhile, his trip to Indonesia in August will continue as planned although he and his family will depart from Zurich using Singapore Airlines before transiting to a domestic flight on Batik Air.
"AirAsia used to be a respectable airline," he said. "Now, I refuse to use their services anymore.
"I would prefer to pay more, as I did when I bought six more tickets with another airline because of AirAsia's actions."
MalaysiaNow has contacted AirAsia but has yet to receive a response.


Anwar claims opposition has numbers, PN govt has fallen

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim today said Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had lost his majority, adding he had been informed that ministers had applied to switch their support.“Muhyiddin as prime minister has fallen today,” the PKR leader told MPs from his Pakatan Harapan coalition as well as other opposition parties gathered at Dataran Merdeka.“Together with the 107 MPs here, the government has been toppled,” Anwar said.Anwar had made similar claims in September last year, when he declared that he had a “formidable” majority.The MPs decided to hold a protest at Dataran Merdeka today following the health directive that the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat be suspended due to the detection of Covid-19 cases in the Parliament vicinity.Party chiefs took turns to speak with the main theme of urging Muhyiddin to step down.PKR president Anwar Ibrahim with Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and Lim Guan Eng speak with police officers after being blocked from entering the Parliament building by personnel from the Federal Reserve Unit at Jalan Tangsi in Kuala Lumpur.Also present was Dr Mahathir Mohamad who spoke after Anwar, the first time the pair had made a joint public appearance since their falling out last year.Others included Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.The DAP leader also led the MPs in shouts of “Daulat Tuanku”.The MPs later marched to Parliament, led by top PH leaders holding a banner calling for Muhyiddin’s resignation while singing the patriotic song “Inilah Barisan Kita”. They also shouted “Reformasi”, “Daulat Tuanku” and “Undur Muhyiddin”.


World’s oceans at most acidic level in 26,000 years, climate report warns

The world’s oceans grew to their warmest and most acidic levels on record last year, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said on Wednesday, as United Nations officials warned that war in Ukraine threatened global climate commitments.Oceans saw the most striking extremes as the WMO detailed a range of turmoil wrought by climate change in its annual “State of the Global Climate” report. It said melting ice sheets had helped push sea levels to new heights in 2021.“Our climate is changing before our eyes. The heat trapped by human-induced greenhouse gases will warm the planet for many generations to come,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas in a statement.The report follows the latest UN climate assessment, which warned that humanity must drastically cut its greenhouse gas emissions or face increasingly catastrophic changes to the world’s climate.Taalas told reporters there was scant airtime for climate challenges as other crises, such as the Covid-19 pandemic and war in Ukraine, grabbed headlines.Selwin Hart, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’s special adviser on climate action, criticised countries reneging on climate commitments due to the conflict, which has pushed up energy prices and prompted European nations to seek to replace Russia as an energy supplier.Dangerous increase“We are… seeing many choices being made by many major economies which, quite frankly, have the potential to lock in a high-carbon, high-polluting future and will place our climate goals at risk,” Hart told reporters.On Tuesday, global equity index giant MSCI warned that the world faces a dangerous increase in greenhouse gases if Russian gas is replaced with coal. Read full storyThe WMO report said levels of climate-warming carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere in 2021 surpassed previous records.Globally, the average temperature last year was 1.11 degrees Celsius above the preindustrial average – as the world edges closer to the 1.5C threshold beyond which the effects of warming are expected to become drastic.“It is just a matter of time before we see another warmest year on record,” Taalas said.Oceans bear much of the brunt of the warming and emissions. The bodies of water absorb around 90% of the Earth’s accumulated heat and 23% of the carbon dioxide emissions from human activity.The ocean has warmed markedly faster in the last 20 years, hitting a new high in 2021, and is expected to become even warmer, the report said. That change would likely take centuries or millennia to reverse, it noted.The ocean is also now its most acidic in at least 26,000 years as it absorbs and reacts with more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.Sea level has risen 4.5cm (1.8 inches) in the last decade, with the annual increase from 2013 to 2021 more than double what it was from 1993 to 2002.The WMO also listed individual extreme heatwaves, wildfires, floods and other climate-linked disasters around the world, noting reports of more than US$100 billion in damages.


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AGC again rejects letter of representation from Sarawak Report editor on defamation charge

The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has again rejected the letter of representation from Sarawak Report editor Clare Rewcastle-Brown to drop the criminal defamation charge against her over alleged statements against the Sultanah of Terengganu, Sultanah Nur Zahirah, in the book "The Sarawak Report - The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose".
The AGC said this in a letter submitted to Messrs Guok Partnership, representing Rewcastle-Brown, via email today.
Based on a copy of the letter obtained by the media, the AGC said there was sufficient evidence to retain the existing charge against the accused.
The AGC also said that the decision was final and that any further letters of representation from the accused would not be entertained unless new developments warranted a review.
Both deputy public prosecutor Noor Haslinda Che Seman and Rewcastle-Brown’s counsel Guok Ngek Seong confirmed the matter when contacted.
On Jan 25, the AGC rejected Rewcastle-Brown's letter of representation before a second letter was filed on March 8.
The letter was filed following the decision of the Kuala Lumpur High Court on Oct 31 last year rejecting the defamation suit filed by Sultanah Nur Zahirah against the British journalist over the alleged defamation involving the Terengganu Investment Authority in the book.
In her letter of representation, Rewcastle-Brown said the High Court had ruled that the paragraph in the book was not defamatory, and that the prosecution would have difficulty proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt in the criminal case.
On Sept 23, 2021, Rewcastle-Brown was charged in absentia at the Kuala Terengganu Magistrate's Court under Section 500 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum jail sentence of two years, a fine, or both upon conviction.
Rewcastle-Brown's application to transfer the case to the Kuala Lumpur High Court will be heard before judge K Muniandy on May 15.


Azmin confident PN can take Gombak

Gombak MP Mohamed Azmin Ali today expressed confidence that Perikatan Nasional (PN) would be able to win the seat at the 15th general election (GE15).
The international trade and industry minister said the voters in his constituency were capable of casting their ballots wisely, to choose the candidate best able to represent them.
He also said that the new voters, especially the youth, had benefited greatly under the administration of PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin during his tenure as prime minister.
“We will try our best to provide job opportunities for them, and I am confident in the involvement of the youth,” he said at an event in Taman Melawati in Selangor.
Azmin won the Gombak parliamentary seat on a PKR ticket at GE14, beating the other candidates from Umno and PAS.
At the time, Gombak had 141,112 registered voters, 85.4% of whom turned out to vote.
The majority — 75.8% — were Malays while Indians represented 10.77% and the Chinese, 10.67%.
Gombak has been described as a hot seat ahead of GE15, with speculation swirling that PKR president Anwar Ibrahim might choose to take on his former party member there.
When asked if he would defend his seat, Azmin said he would leave the matter to Muhyiddin, who is the Bersatu president.
He also expressed confidence in his track record as the MP for Gombak.
“I leave it to the people of Gombak, but I am confident that they have known me for a long time,” he said.
“They have seen how I handle matters when I am given big responsibilities.”
Azmin also said that PN was ready to face any eventuality at the polls.
“This is a democratic process, any party can enter an election,” he said.
“In the end, it is the people who will decide who wins. The power lies in their hands.”


GPS accuses PH, DAP of bringing ‘race-religion instigation tactics’ from peninsula

The collaboration between Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and the federal government is aimed at bringing political stability to the country and development to Sarawak, and to safeguard its rights, says GPS chief whip Fadillah Yusof.These were the areas in which Pakatan Harapan (PH) had failed during its 22 months in Putrajaya, he said.“In every election, DAP and Pakatan Harapan would bring their race-religion incitement politics from Semenanjung (Peninsular Malaysia) to Sarawak. And it is no different this time around.“Their propaganda this time is that GPS is undermining the multicultural, multi-religious harmony of Sarawak by being in the federal government with Barisan Nasional and PAS,” he said in a statement today.The opposition’s propaganda, according to Fadillah, completely ignored the stellar track record that GPS had in maintaining racial and religious harmony in Sarawak for decades, so much so that Sarawak is widely acknowledged as the most harmonious and tolerant territory in Malaysia.Fadillah, who is also works minister, added that the Sarawak people would never forget how the PH government had sought to delay the development of the Pan Borneo Highway, including cancelling the Phase 2 development of the highway and denying the state the budgeted RM1 billion in funds to repair schools.The PH government had also broken its promise of returning the 20% oil royalty to Sarawak, which forced the GPS state government to impose sales tax on Petronas, he said.He said other than development and progress, GPS’ involvement in the federal government had also safeguarded harmony and religious tolerance in Sarawak.“I am confident that Sarawakians have become tired and can see through the same old, same old race-religion instigation tactics that PH and DAP bring from Semenanjung in every Sarawak election and will reject them in the upcoming polls.“GPS trusts that the people will not be influenced by the tactic of casting doubt and aspersion on the government’s stance, but will continue to stand firm to protect race and religious unity in Sarawak,” he said.Sarawak goes to the polls on Dec 18 with early voting set for Dec 14.


Govt still saddled with over RM14 billion debts inherited from Najib era

Putrajaya remains saddled with some RM14.6 billion in various debts inherited from the Najib Razak administration, even as the former leader joins opposition MPs in criticising the government’s latest budget as insufficient to help the people weather the Covid-19 pandemic.The debts include RM1.5 billion for SRC International, a former subsidiary of scandal-ridden 1MDB, as well as RM1.7 billion in interest on debts owed by 1MDB, according to a scrutiny of available financial records by MalaysiaNow.Najib was convicted in July of seven charges of abuse of power, criminal breach of trust, and money laundering involving RM42 million belonging to SRC International.The funds were part of two loans from Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) to SRC International worth a total of RM4 billion.Former prime minister Najib Razak speaks to reporters at the Kuala Lumpur court complex after being found guilty of corruption on July 28, 2020. Photo: AFPOther inherited debts include loans for the Mass Rapid Transit and Pan Borneo projects amounting to RM3.7 billion, and RM1.5 billion in interest on the Light Rail Transit project.The government is also burdened with refinancing its debt-ridden special purpose vehicle Pembinaan PFI Sdn Bhd, which will take RM2.66 billion.Felda’s purchase of stakes in Indonesian plantation giant Eagle High Plantations, meanwhile, leaves the government with debts of RM1.7 billion.The government will also need to fork out for its restructuring of Tabung Haji and Felda.It was reported that the finance ministry-owned Urusharta Jamaah would have to spend some RM20 billion to rehabilitate Tabung Haji, the government’s pilgrims’ fund.Yesterday Najib, in debating the 2021 budget, echoed PKR president Anwar Ibrahim in demanding at least two amendments allowing a one-off withdrawal of RM10,000 from the EPF and a six-month extension of the loan moratorium.


Covid-19 reaches the last continent

Coronavirus has reached the Antarctic, which had so far been the only continent free of the disease. The news means that cases have now been recorded on all seven continents.The Chilean army has reported at least 36 cases at its Bernardo O’Higgins research station on the Antarctic Peninsula. Twenty-six of the cases are military personnel and 10 maintenance workers.Chilean health and army officials scrambled to quarantine staff from the remote research station, reports the BBC. All have now been evacuated to Chile but the Magallanes region, one of the closest populated areas to Antarctica and take-off point for many boats and planes headed to the continent, is among the hardest-hit in Chile.Chile is the sixth worst-affected country in Latin America with more than 585,000 confirmed coronavirus cases.The news comes just days after Chile’s navy confirmed three cases on a ship which had taken supplies and personnel to the research station. Chile’s navy said all of those who had embarked on the trip to the Antarctic had now been given PCR tests and all the results had been negative.Research and military stations in Antarctica – among the most remote in the world – have gone to great lengths in recent months to keep the virus out, cancelling tourism, reducing activities and locking down facilities, says Reuters.The British Antarctic Survey announced in August that it was scaling back its research in the polar south because of the threat of coronavirus.Researchers with the Survey estimate about 1,000 people at 38 stations across the frozen continent had safely navigated the southern hemisphere winter without incident. But an uptick in travel to and from the region this spring and early summer have heightened infection risk.Much of the area, blasted by cold winds off the ocean, mountains and glaciers, has been under quarantine restrictions for months.


RM5.9 million for purchase of bungalow lots came from donations, Zahid’s lawyer tells court

The money used to purchase two bungalow lots in Country Heights, Kajang, Selangor worth RM5.9 million by Yayasan Akalbudi, owned by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, came from two donors and were not proceeds from illegal activities, the High Court heard today.Lead counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik, who represented Zahid, said the money came from textile wholesaler Junaith Asharab Md Shariff and jeweller Mubarak Hussain Akhtar Husin, who were the prosecution witnesses.“The witnesses appeared before his lordship and gave evidence. They said there was no element of corruption. We submit that the prosecution has failed to prove that the RM5.9 million is proceeds from illegal activities,” he said in his submission at the end of the prosecution’s case before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.Hisyam said Mubarak had also donated for the building of a school in Melaka while Junaith made donations for a mosque and a tahfiz school in Bagan Datuk, Perak.The lawyer also submitted that the defence had conceded that the instruction for the purchase of the bungalow lots came from the accused and that the two lots were transferred to Yayasan Al-Falah.“It is the defence’s case that the lots were a donation to Yayasan Al-Falah as both foundations share similar objectives,” he said.The two bungalows were turned into a religious centre for Yayasan Al-Falah, which belongs to Zahid’s family and is run by his younger brother, Mohamad Nasaee Ahmad Tarmizi.Zahid, 68, is facing 47 charges – 12 for criminal breach of trust, eight for corruption and 27 for money laundering – involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.As for the 26th money laundering charge, Zahid is accused of having committed the offence by allegedly being engaged directly in a transaction involving proceeds from a lawful activity by giving instruction for the purchase of the two property lots using a RM5.9 million cheque issued by law firm Messrs Lewis & Co.The defence will continue its submission tomorrow.


New infections dip below 2,300 as 8 more deaths reported

Another 2,226 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,799,663.
There were 1,894 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,735,993.
There are now 27,400 active cases, of which 26,045 or 95.1% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 14 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,277 (4.7%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 64 are in ICU with 38 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.3%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 17.3%.
Another eight deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,270.


Nora Anne’s mum criticises police at inquest

The mother of a teenager whose body was found in the jungle in Seremban told an inquest Wednesday the police response to her disappearance while on holiday had been slow and ineffective.The body of Nora Anne Quoirin, a French-Irish 15-year-old with learning difficulties, was discovered unclothed last year after a massive hunt through the rainforest.Authorities insist there was no foul play but her parents believe she was abducted, saying the teen would not have wandered off alone.Testifying at the inquest into her death, Meabh Quoirin said she “immediately panicked” after realising her daughter was missing from the resort where their family were staying near Malaysia’s border with Thailand.“I became increasingly stressed. The first thought that ran through my mind was that Nora had been taken,” she said via video-link.Staff at the Dusun Resort began hunting for the teen – who was discovered missing from a chalet the day after arriving at the resort – and informed the police.In the afternoon, a police officer arrived at the resort but the teen’s mother, who is unable to attend the inquest in person due to the coronavirus, said he “didn’t spend very much time there”.“He had a dog with him and we were initially hopeful – and then absolutely distraught because it was very obvious that this dog was not fit for purpose… really old, really tired.”Meabh said a police officer sent to interview her had a poor command of English and authorities did not want to continue searching after dark on the first day of the hunt, although they eventually agreed.As the hunt dragged on for days, the search and rescue team expanded to include hundreds of personnel.But Meabh said she became worried the police were not taking the family’s concerns about criminal involvement in the case seriously, noting that officials did not take fingerprints from their chalet for days.Police, however, say they conducted a thorough probe and insisted at the start of the inquest in August there was no indication the teen was kidnapped.The schoolgirl’s body was eventually found 10 days after she disappeared, not far from the resort.An autopsy found that she had probably starved and died of internal bleeding after spending about a week in the rainforest – but her family pushed for the inquest, which is expected to continue into December.


Sweden scraps relaxed approach to pandemic on fears of third wave

Fearing a potential third wave of the pandemic, Sweden on Wednesday said it was tightening pandemic restrictions and warned of further curbs if people did not stick to the new rules.As the number of new cases rises in the country, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said cafes, bars and restaurants would close by mid evening from March 1 and the number of people allowed in shops and gyms would be restricted, the Medical Express is reporting.On Tuesday, Stockholm authorities recommended the use of face masks on public transport at all times, as well as indoors where social distancing cannot be maintained. Previously, masks had only been recommended on public transport during rush hour. Earlier, face masks became mandatory in parliament, except for speakers addressing the assembly.Sweden has never imposed the type of lockdown seen elsewhere in Europe, and until now prioritised social distancing over the use of face masks.But it has recently begun tightening its rules, banning the sale of alcohol after 8pm, outlawing public and private gatherings of more than eight people and restricting the number of customers in shops, swimming pools and sports centres.The education minister said the tighter restrictions would help keep schools open for as long as possible. “Schools should be the last thing we close and the first we open,” she told reporters.The head of the Public Health Agency said on Wednesday that even stricter limits could be imposed.The prime minister sounded an even more ominous note. “There is a considerable risk of a so-called third wave. It’s your and my, our collective, actions that determine whether this will happen.”He warned that should the situation worsen, the government is prepared to shut down parts of society.


US blacklists Cambodian officials over alleged corruption related to navy base

The US stepped up its campaign against corruption in Cambodia on Wednesday, issuing an advisory to US businesses and blacklisting two government officials accused of scheming to profit from construction work at Cambodia’s biggest naval base.The US State Department, Treasury and Commerce Department jointly issued the advisory for firms doing business in Cambodia “to be mindful of interactions with entities in corrupt business practices, criminal activities and human rights abuses.”Such risks include dealings in the financial, real estate, casino and infrastructure sectors, as well as with entities involved in trafficking people, wildlife and narcotics and related risks in timber and manufacturing, State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a statement.The US Trade Representative’s office would review Cambodia’s trade benefits under the Generalized System of Preferences for developing countries once Congress reauthorised that program, which expired in 2020, he added.Earlier on Wednesday, the Treasury slapped sanctions on Cambodia’s navy commander, Tea Vinh, and on Chau Phirun, the director-general of the Defense Ministry’s Material and Technical Services Department, accusing the two of planning to share funds skimmed from the Ream naval base project.The base in the Gulf of Thailand has drawn concern from Washington over China’s growing military presence there.The sanctions freeze their US assets and generally bar Americans from dealing with them. The US State Department on Wednesday also barred the officials and several of their family members from traveling to the United States.“The US will not stand by while corrupt officials personally benefit at the expense of the Cambodian people,” Andrea Gacki, director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, said in the statement.Cambodia’s foreign and defense ministries did not immediately respond to a request for comment.A year ago, Cambodia said it had razed a US-funded facility at the Ream naval base to allow for further expansion. The US said Cambodia had a year earlier turned down its offer to repair the base.The US last month accused Cambodia of lacking transparency about Chinese construction activities at the base, and urged the government to disclose to its people the full scope of Beijing’s military involvement.The Treasury and State Department statements on Wednesday did not mention China’s involvement with the base.Cambodia has moved closer to China to become one of its most important allies in Southeast Asia, at a time when Washington is seeking to counter Beijing’s growing influence in the region.


Despite green light, Delta keeps Sarawak eateries uneasy over dine-ins

Like other restaurants and food outlets across the country, eateries in Sarawak have been operating as a pale shadow of their former selves, opening only for drive-thru, takeaway and delivery as the struggle to rein in Covid-19 infections rages on.Last week, the state was given the green light to transition to Phase Two of the National Recovery Plan, with the option for dine-in activities allowed from Friday onwards.But while permission has been given, some restaurant owners are hanging back.With the dreaded Delta strain already detected in the state, they are of two minds about whether to risk letting customers back in.At Swee Kang Ais Kacang, a popular dessert cafe in the Kuching city centre, a decision has been made: only takeaways allowed for now.Chang, who has been working there for 30 years, said the call was made to ensure the safety of employees and customers alike.Chang, a worker at Swee Kang Ais Kacang, holds up a local dessert known as the White Lady.While he is disappointed, he said the restaurant could not afford to take risks given the threat posed by the Delta variant.“Business is very slow nowadays, but we do not want to cause a new outbreak,” he told MalaysiaNow.“We will only resume dine-in activities when the majority of our people have been vaccinated.”This is also one of the conditions set for eateries that wish to reopen for dine-ins: only those whose employees have received at least one dose of vaccine will be able to seat customers again.Winnie, who runs a stall selling Sarawak laksa, agreed that safety comes first.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said she was not convinced if the current situation is safe enough to permit dine-in activities.Winnie prepares a takeaway order of Sarawak laksa at her stall.At the heart of the city in Jalan Padungan, meanwhile, Nur Fadillah said her eatery was unable to accept dine-in customers yet as not all of the workers had received a vaccine jab.“Food businesses will only be able to resume dine-ins if all of the workers have been vaccinated,” she said.“At this shop, there are a few still waiting for their turn for the first jab.”But while some are hesitant or unable to receive dine-in customers again, others have welcomed them with open – and socially distant – arms.Fauziah Family Cafe, an outdoor food business located in Metrocity along Jalan Matang, some 5km away from the city, is one of them.Its owner Naz Ismail said he was able to reopen to dine-in customers as most of his employees and stall operators had received a first jab.A scattering of customers enjoy a meal at Fauziah Family Cafe in Metrocity.He said allowing diners back in was necessary as business had plunged during the recent lockdown. While revenue still came in from takeaway orders, this was not enough to cover all of his financial commitments.During the lockdown, he said, sales dropped up to 90%.“Usually we can generate about RM1,000 per day, but because of the lockdown daily sales fell to RM100.“I had no choice but to use my own savings to keep my workers by helping them pay their accommodation rent to ease their burden,” he said.Sapiah Mat Nor, a worker at one of the stalls there, agreed that the business could not survive on takeaways alone.“We do have online delivery services like FoodPanda and Grab,” she said.“But customers prefer to dine in.”


I wasn’t cursing the PM, vendor at Ramadan bazaar insists

A drinks vendor at the Ramadan bazaar in Precint 3, Putrajaya, today denied allegations by Selangor Barisan Nasional information chief Isham Jalil that he had cursed at Muhyiddin Yassin while the prime minister was visiting the bazaar yesterday.Faisal Zaini, who sells mango juice, said his shout had been only a “trademark” call.“I had no intention of saying anything about Tan Sri,” Faisal, a former member of the military, said, referring to Muhyiddin. “In fact, I enjoyed it when Tan Sri passed by because it had been a long time since I greeted him.“My trademark is like this because since I was a soldier until I was a civilian worker, I still continued with life.”Isham, who was also Najib Razak’s special officer during his time as prime minister, had uploaded a video showing Muhyiddin visiting the Ramadan bazaar in Putrajaya.Faisal ZainiIn the video, Faisal is heard calling out to attract more customers to his stall. However, Isham had interpreted his shouts as an insult to the prime minister.“People complained at the Ramadan bazaar in Presint 3, Putrajaya, yesterday when the prime minister walked past.“Perhaps the prime minister and the government should pay attention to really listen to what the person was shouting,” he said in a post on Facebook. “Listen to the voices and the groans of the people.”Zulfazli, a worker at Faisal’s stall, insisted that Isham’s post was slander.“What has gone viral on social media is all slander,” he added. “We were not referring to the prime minister.”


Top Chinese intelligence official visits Myanmar for 'cooperation' talks

A top Chinese intelligence official has visited Myanmar to discuss military "cooperation" with the junta, Myanmar state media reported Wednesday, the latest high-profile delegation sent by Beijing to its internationally isolated ally.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 coup that sparked renewed clashes with ethnic rebels and the formation of dozens of "People's Defence Forces" now battling the junta.
It is the first publicly reported visit by a military official from China, a major ally and arms supplier of the junta, since the coup.
Major-General Yang Yang, acting director-general of the Intelligence Bureau of the Joint Staff Department of China's Central Military Commission, met the junta's number two official, Soe Win, for talks on "cooperation between the two armies", state media said.
The two also discussed "cooperation in peace, tranquillity and development programmes for border areas" at the Tuesday meeting, according to state-run newspaper Global New Light of Myanmar.
China's defence attache was also present at the meeting, the report said.
The junta has been shunned by many in the international community over its bloody crackdown on dissent, but China has maintained ties with the regime.
Myanmar's military has imported US$267 million (RM1.23 billion) in arms and equipment from China since it seized power, including from state-owned entities, the United Nations' special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar Tom Andrews said earlier this month.
Several projects in Beijing's sprawling Belt and Road infrastructure initiative are slated to run through northern Myanmar, linking China's landlocked Yunnan province with the Indian Ocean.
Beijing also backs and arms several ethnic rebel groups along its border with Myanmar, analysts say.
Some of these groups have clashed repeatedly with the Myanmar military in the aftermath of the coup, and an alliance of China-backed rebels in March called for Beijing's help to defuse the crisis.
Earlier this month, China's foreign minister travelled to Myanmar to meet junta chief Min Aung Hlaing, becoming the highest-ranking Chinese official to meet the top general since the coup.
At the meeting, Qin Gang called on the international community to "respect Myanmar's sovereignty", according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.
Beijing's diplomats are also mediating between Myanmar and Bangladesh on a pilot programme to repatriate Rohingya refugees who fled a 2017 military crackdown that is currently the subject of a UN genocide investigation.
More than 3,500 people have been killed in the Myanmar military's crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.


Immediate summonses for those caught attempting interstate travel for Ramadan, cops warn

Summonses will be imposed on those caught attempting to travel interstate to return to their villages to celebrate Ramadan, says Bukit Aman Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department director Zainal Abidin Kasim.As such, he said more stringent checks will be conducted at all roadblocks at state borders and only those authorised to travel interstate will be allowed to do so.“I foresee that the roads and highways will be busy this weekend as many will be travelling to celebrate Ramadan in their hometowns as they could not do so last year because of the movement control order.“They will try all possible means to travel interstate so if they are caught this time, no more advice will be given… the police will take action straight away,” he told reporters after an event today.Abidin also said more roadblocks would be mounted from time to time, depending on the number of daily Covid-19 cases reported.So far, he said 30 to 35 roadblocks were being mounted at every exit and entry point as well as at state borders nationwide as and when necessary.


Iran planning new round of talks with Saudi Arabia, says envoy

Iran plans to hold a fourth round of talks with regional rival Saudi Arabia in Iraq after the new Iranian government is set up, the Iranian ambassador in Baghdad was quoted on Tuesday as saying.Iran and Saudi Arabia, leading Shiite and Sunni Muslim powers in the Middle East, have been rivals for years, backing allies fighting proxy wars in Yemen, Syria and elsewhere. They cut diplomatic ties in 2016.Iran confirmed publicly for the first time in May that it was in talks with Saudi Arabia, saying it would do what it could to resolve issues between them. Since then, it has elected a new president, hardliner Ebrahim Raisi, who was sworn in on Aug 5.The announcement of plans for new talks, carried by the semi-official Iranian news agency Isna, came days after a regional summit held in Baghdad to help ease tensions among Iraq’s neighbours.“We have had three rounds of negotiations with the Saudi side, and the fourth round is to be held after the formation of a new Iranian government,” said Iraj Masjedi, Iran’s ambassador to Iraq, according to Isna.Iran’s parliament last Wednesday approved all but one of the nominees for a cabinet of hardliners presented by Raisi.Separately, Iran’s foreign minister said he had discussed ways of improving ties during a meeting with Vice-President Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on the sidelines of the Baghdad summit.“In this conversation, we talked about the positive intentions and will of the two countries’ leaders to strengthen relations… Working with neighbours is the (new Iranian) government’s priority,” Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said on Twitter.Tensions rose in Iran’s relations with the UAE after the US-allied Gulf Arab state agreed last year to normalise ties with Tehran’s arch-foe Israel.


Muhyiddin summoned to MACC

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin has been summoned to appear at the anti-graft agency today, following allegations of abuse in stimulus programmes launched under his leadership.
In a Facebook post, Muhyiddin, who was prime minister for 17 months between 2020 and 2021, said he has been called into the headquarters of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) at 11am. He did not say why.
He also denied a news report that he was arrested yesterday.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim last year ordered a review of government projects worth billions of dollars approved by Muhyiddin, including Covid-19 relief programmes, alleging they did not follow proper procedures.
Muhyiddin, who is now in the opposition, has denied the accusations, describing them as political vendetta.
Anwar's office and MACC did not immediately reply to requests for comment.
Anwar and Muhyiddin went head-to-head in a tightly contested election in November that resulted in a hung parliament as neither candidate won a parliamentary majority.
Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah then appointed Anwar as prime minister after he formed a coalition with other political parties.
Since the election, Muhyiddin and his party have been subject to graft investigations.
Two leaders belonging to Muhyiddin's party have been charged by the MACC with bribery over an economic recovery project launched by his government.
Muhyiddin was questioned by the MACC last month regarding the same project.
The MACC has also frozen bank accounts belonging to Muhyiddin's party.


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Tinder lets users run background checks before dates

Dating app Tinder will give US users a way to check if potential dates have been convicted of a violent crime, a check that experts warn has limitations.The app’s parent firm Match Group announced on Wednesday it would begin offering access to Garbo, a new US online background check platform that can show if someone has a history of violence.After navigating to Garbo through the Tinder app, users then enter the name, phone number or other details about a potential date to check for arrests, convictions and sex offender registry information.Dating apps, including Tinder, have been pressured to take action after women have reported they were sexually assaulted by men they connected with via the platforms.“This is just the first step in delivering on our mission to help proactively prevent harm in the digital age,” Garbo founder Kathryn Kosmides said in a statement.Match said up to 500,000 free Garbo searches would be made available, and thereafter a check would cost US$2.50 plus a processing fee.Search results exclude certain offenses like drug possession, loitering or vagrancy, and do not provide personal details like home addresses and phone numbers, Garbo said.The firm, in a blog post, said the service is intended to prevent violence by offering information, but noted its limitations.“Most violent individuals never interact with the criminal justice system and Garbo does not have access to all records across the US due to jurisdictional challenges,” the post said.Sexual violence researcher Nicole Bedera told AFP sexual assault is frequently not reported to authorities, and documented cases face barriers in the justice system.“It’s a very under prosecuted crime. And even when cases do move through the criminal justice system – regardless of what country you’re in – you’re going to see a low conviction rate,” she added.Sarah Lageson, an associate professor at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice, pointed to the incompleteness of criminal record information as well as their racial bias.“Many white sexual predators do not have a criminal record and many Black people have a misleading or unfair one,” she noted.Garbo, for its part, pointed to the reality and risks of the current time.“In today’s digital age, we’re connecting with more strangers than ever before — yet we increasingly know less and less about who we’re meeting,” the company noted.“What if we could proactively prevent some of the harm against ourselves and our communities?” it asked.


Now, PH leaders urge MPs to gather in Parliament

Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim and his fellow coalition leaders from Amanah and DAP have urged MPs to gather in Parliament if they do not hear any announcement from the prime minister by July 5.Anwar, DAP’s Lim Guan Eng and Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu also accused Muhyiddin Yassin of committing treachery towards the Agong by not reconvening Parliament before Aug 1.“If the prime minister and his ministers remain stubborn and commit treason against His Majesty and the Malay rulers, they will be responsible for triggering a constitutional crisis,” the trio said in their latest statement calling for parliamentary proceedings.They urged both ruling and opposition MPs “who uphold the command of His Majesty and the spirit of the constitution” to gather at Parliament on July 19.The statement followed an earlier move by the opposition coalition calling for Attorney-General Idrus Harun to be sacked, after the latter explained that the Agong was still bound by the advice of the Cabinet in summoning a Dewan Rakyat sitting.Anwar had also accused the office of the Dewan Rakyat speaker of being compromised, triggering a sharp response from Azhar Harun who described the opposition leader as being in a “self-induced nightmare”.Earlier this week, Azhar and his counterpart in the Dewan Negara, Rais Yatim, attended an audience with the Agong at which the ruler expressed his view that a Parliament sitting should be held before Aug 1.They said they and their deputies, who were also present at the June 29 audience, had stated the commitment and full readiness of Parliament to hold a sitting as decreed by the king.They also said the prime minister had been informed of the decree, and that a proposal had been submitted to him for such a sitting to be held.The Agong’s first statement on the matter was made in the wake of a special meeting of the Malay rulers on June 16. It was followed by a separate statement by the rulers themselves, voicing support for the king’s stand.They also said they saw no need for the emergency period to extend beyond its scheduled deadline of Aug 1.The state of emergency was declared in January amid a spike in Covid-19 infections which also saw the enforcement of the second movement control order across large parts of the country.Under the emergency declaration, Parliament and state assembly sittings have been suspended.


Tackle absentee voting for Sarawakians in peninsula, EC told ahead of polling day

Civil society groups in Sarawak have urged the Election Commission (EC) to address the issue of absentee voting for some 250,000 Sarawakians residing in the peninsula and Sabah ahead of the state election to be held on Dec 18.The Sarawak Civil Society Organisations (CSO) said the EC should provide special voting arrangements for such individuals.“The EC has a constitutional responsibility to make special voting arrangements for Sarawakians to vote towards the future of the state,” it said in a statement following the announcement of the polling date for the Sarawak election today.While welcoming the EC’s decision to allow all Sarawakians abroad the right to vote by post in the state election, including those living in Singapore, Brunei, Kalimantan and southern Thailand, the CSO urged tbe EC to also come up with initiatives to allow postal voting for voters residing in states other than Sarawak.It suggested that at least one special polling centre be set up in each state on early voting day.“If voters who live and work in Singapore and Brunei are allowd by the EC to vote via postal voting as per Melaka, then voters residing in the peninsula and Sabah should be accorded the same access by expanding the existing absentee voting for them,” it said.“After all, Singapore and Brunei are not part of the nation.”The pandemic situation has made it even more important for the EC to extend such arrangements, the CSO added.“It bears repeating that many Sarawakians migrate temporarily to the peninsula to earn a living or get an education,” it said.“It is unfair for them if they have to spend money on expensive air fare just to fly across the sea to exercise their right to vote.”


Questions mount over Trump’s treatment of presidential documents

Documents ripped up, stuffed down the toilet or carted off to Florida – the list of former US leader Donald Trump’s alleged flouting of laws on preserving presidential papers grew longer and more bizarre Thursday.Trump’s shredding of many previously accepted norms of presidential decorum was part of his populist attraction to Republican supporters. But now the National Archives, which is in charge of preserving presidential records, reportedly wants Trump investigated over, among other things, his habit of literally tearing up White House papers while in office.According to The Washington Post, the Archives requested the Justice Department open a probe into Trump’s practices.This came after the government records office confirmed Monday that it had recovered 15 boxes of documents from Trump’s Florida estate, taken with him when he left Washington following his reelection defeat.According to a report in The Washington Post on Thursday, citing anonymous sources, these documents included highly classified documents marked top secret and meant only for a small number of people with the necessary clearance.Also reportedly in the pile of White House materials taken to the Mar-a-Lago complex was official correspondence with North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un – “love letters,” as Trump described them at the time. Similarly included in the Florida stash was a letter outgoing president Barack Obama had left for Trump in the Oval Office.Last week, the Archives confirmed reports that Trump had torn up documents, some of which have since been taped back together.Under the 1978 Presidential Records Act (PRA), which was passed in the wake of the Watergate scandal, US presidents are required to transfer all emails, letters and other work documents to the National Archives.Trump denies any wrongdoing. In a statement Thursday, he characterised his dealings with the Archives as “without conflict and on a very friendly basis.”“The media’s characterisation of my relationship with Nara (National Archives) is fake news. It was exactly the opposite! It was a great honour to work with Nara to help formally preserve the Trump legacy.”Down the toiletBut on Thursday, a new twist developed.A new book on Trump’s time in office claims that a White House toilet would jam after attempts to flush away office papers, Axios reported.The upcoming book “Confidence Man,” by New York Times journalist Maggie Haberman, says that “staff in the White House residence periodically discovered wads of printed paper clogging a toilet – and believed the president had flushed pieces of paper,” according to an exclusive preview by Axios.The book, based in part on Haberman’s post-presidential interviews with Trump, reports that the Republican has told people he remains in touch with North Korea’s Kim.Trump likewise denied the toilet story.“Also, another fake story, that I flushed papers and documents down a White House toilet, is categorically untrue and simply made up by a reporter in order to get publicity for a mostly fictitious book,” he wrote.Haberman’s book is set to be published Oct 4. The veteran Times journalist has been on the Trump beat for a decade and long had unrivaled access among journalists to the property tycoon-turned-politician’s inner circle.The controversy is gaining traction in the Democratic-controlled Congress, where a special committee investigating the Jan 6, 2020 assault on the Capitol by Trump supporters is struggling to obtain the ex-president’s records.On Thursday, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform in Congress announced it was opening its own investigation into the wandering records.“I am deeply concerned,” committee chairman, Carolyn Maloney, said. “I am also concerned by recent reports that while in office, President Trump repeatedly attempted to destroy presidential records, which could constitute additional serious violations.”


Najib applies to cite more evidence in bid to nullify SRC trial

Former prime minister Najib Razak has filed an application to adduce further evidence in the Federal Court to nullify his entire trial on the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds which had found him guilty of seven charges.Najib’s lead counsel Muhammed Shafee Abdullah said the evidence they sought to reduce related to the recent discovery that the trial judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali was in 2006 the general counsel and company secretary for Maybank Group with the ultimate overall responsibility for the management and administration of all legal departments within the entire group.“The further evidence sought to be adduced taken cumulatively credibly confirms that justice Nazlan was involved and/or had knowledge of Maybank Investment’s role in advising the setting up of SRC in his role as the general counsel and company secretary to Maybank.“Justice Nazlan, by virtue of his position and assignment of functions, would have to be responsible in the overall handling of all legal matters within the group. Maybank Group would include Maybank Investment and Bina Fikir Sdn Bhd.“In any case, justice Nazlan would have actual knowledge of the relevant advisory work vis-à-vis SRC matters or, at the minimum, is imputed with constructive knowledge by virtue of his said position,” he said in a press conference in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.Shafee said documents recently brought to their attention divulged that Maybank Investment Bank Bhd was the body responsible for proposing the establishment of SRC International and that Maybank Investment, through its wholly-owned strategic advisory division, Bina Fikir, was tasked with research and advisory matters pertaining to the establishment of SRC.“The involvement of Maybank through Maybank Investment and Bina Fikir in the setting up of SRC was never brought up by the prosecution at any point of the SRC trial and no witness from Maybank, Maybank Investment and Bina Fikir Sdn Bhd was called or offered by the prosecution,” he said.On April 29, the Federal Court fixed 10 days in August to hear Najib’s final bid against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.On Dec 8, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld Najib’s conviction and 12-year jail sentence as well as his RM210 million fine for misappropriating the funds.Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who presided with Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, unanimously dismissed Najib’s appeal against the High Court’s decision on July 28, 2020.The Federal Court is the final avenue for the Pekan MP to appeal against his sentence and conviction.