Najib intended to shut down 1MDB in 2015, Edge Media boss tells court

The chairman of The Edge Media Group told the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday that Najib Razak had intended to shut down 1MDB due to its serious financial debts.
Tong Kooi Ong, 63, said the former prime minister told him this during a meeting at Najib’s residence in Langgak Duta, Kuala Lumpur, on March 6, 2015.
The 43rd prosecution witness said this when questioned by lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah at Najib’s trial on the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB.
"After I explained to him the hand-written notes and the problem arising (in 1MDB), he told me he would close 1MDB. I then proceeded to say that someone should be held (accountable).
"From my briefing note, I clearly showed that US$700 million was diverted to Good Star Ltd, a company owned by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low and he (Jho Low) should be prosecuted," said Tong.
Tong said Najib was quiet when he mentioned Jho Low, and that he then stood up and opened the door for him.
Shafee: Did he (Najib) ask you, "Tong, get out"?
Tong: No, he did not ask me to leave. He never said a word.
When asked if the former prime minister had walked him to the door every time he was at Najib's house, Tong said that as far as he recalled, that meeting was the first time the duo were alone in the house.
Shafee: I'm just a mere lawyer. Whenever, (I meet with him) he walks me to the door. Maybe you were sensitive to the fact that your briefing didn't have the kind of expectation, you think he was showing you the door?  Tong: In my mind, the gesture was not what you would have described it. I was surprised that he just stood up, walked to the door and opened it... after I said it (issues in 1MDB) he didn't say anything, he stood up and opened the door, that was the totality of it.
However, he described Najib as a polite man and claimed he had never been rude to him.
Last week, Tong testified that Najib had stood up, gone to the door and opened it for him to leave when he told him that Jho Low had done something wrong and should be investigated and prosecuted.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today.


823 new cases, 8 more deaths

A total of 823 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections to 26,565.Of these, 533 or 64.8% were recorded in Sabah. This was followed by Penang (97), Selangor (88), Labuan (26), Negeri Sembilan (22), Sarawak (16), Johor (15), Kuala Lumpur (10), Terengganu (seven), Perak (six), Kedah (one), Kelantan (one) and Putrajaya (one).Active cases stand at 9,202 with 99 in the ICU and 30 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 579 patients were discharged from hospital, taking total recoveries to 17,134 or 64.5%.However, eight more deaths were also recorded, all in Sabah, pushing the virus toll to 229.


Ukraine has lost between 10,000 and 13,000 soldiers in war, official says

Ukraine's armed forces have lost somewhere between 10,000 and 13,000 soldiers so far in the war against Russia, presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak told a Ukrainian television network on Thursday.
The remarks appeared to be the first estimate of dead since late August, when the head of the armed forces said nearly 9,000 military personnel had been killed.
"We have official figures from the general staff, we have official figures from the top command, and they amount to (between) 10,000 and 12,500 to 13,000 killed," Podolyak told the Kanal 24 channel.
"We are open in talking about the number of dead," he added, saying more soldiers had been wounded than had died.
Last month America's top general estimated that Russia's military had seen more than 100,000 of its soldiers killed and wounded in Ukraine, and added Kyiv's armed forces "probably" suffered a similar level of casualties.
Zelensky advisor Oleksiy Arestovych, speaking in a video interview on Wednesday, said the Russian death toll was around seven times that of Ukraine's.


Top cop denies telling Anwar be ready to form govt

Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani today denied calling PKR president Anwar Ibrahim and telling him to be prepared to form the government after the general election.
Anwar had said in a video of a speech at a campaign last night that Pakatan Harapan (PH) was expected to win more than 112 seats in Parliament.
He also said that Acryl had called him, asking him to stand by.
Speaking at a press conference in Gombak today, the top cop said this was not true.
However, he said he did not plan to take any action against the opposition leader.
"It's possible that he was caught up in the heat of the moment when campaigning," he added.
Anwar is contesting the Tambun parliamentary seat in Perak.
Most analysts have agreed that the race for support will be too tight to call, with no single coalition expected to win enough seats to form a government on its own.


85.7% of adults, 61.5% of population fully vaccinated

A total of 85.7% of adults or 20,093,678 people had been fully inoculated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.Meanwhile 23,369,913 people 94.1% of adults have received at least one jab, including of the single-dose CanSino vaccine.In terms of total population, 61.5% are fully vaccinated and 71.6% have received at least one dose.Another 338,661 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, taking the total number of vaccine jabs given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 43,367,580.


Sivarasa given eleventh-hour axe after differing with Anwar over speech problem

Sungai Buloh incumbent R Sivarasa today revealed that PKR had maintained his name for candidacy in the constituency but removed it on the same day that the party unveiled its list of 72 parliamentary candidates for the Nov 19 polls.
Sivarasa, who is not seen as part of the faction that remained loyal to Anwar Ibrahim during the party's split in 2020, said he had explained to the party boss that he was fit to campaign to defend the constituency which he won in 2018.
He said Anwar had raised concerns over his problems with his vocal cords, for which he used the aid of a speech amplifier.
"I had a differing view and explained how I would manage the campaign differently, taking into account the state of my voice," he said in a statement.
He said his name was retained for Sungai Buloh "right up to last Friday morning", on Oct 28.
"About 5pm that day, I received a text message from DSAI (Anwar) saying that after further discussions, he had decided that I would not be the candidate.
"DSAI tried to call shortly before the text but I could not take the call then," he added.
PKR is fielding former MIC man Ramanan Ramakrishnan in Sungai Buloh. He will take on Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin, who was sent there by Umno after being told to vacate his Rembau seat for his party deputy president Mohamad Hasan.
Sivarasa, who said he accepted the decision to remove him, added that Umno's decision to field Khairy had already been known to the party.
Party insiders told MalaysiaNow that they had been hoping for a battle of "two former Oxford scholars" in Sungai Buloh.
Khairy studied political philosophy at Oxford while Sivarasa studied law there under a Rhodes scholarship after getting his first degree at Universiti Malaya.
Since PKR announced Ramanan for Sungai Buloh, there has been pressure on its election director Rafizi Ramli to replace him with "a more suitable" name to take on Khairy.
During the 2020 party polls, Ramanan lost to Sivarasa for the post of Sungai Buloh division head.
"After all, Ramanan only joined PKR in 2020, while Sivarasa has loyally stayed with PKR for the past two decades," a PKR candidate who will be retaining his seat at the coming polls told MalaysiaNow.
On Wednesday, Rafizi said he would discuss with Anwar whether to name another candidate in Sungai Buloh.


NY Times pulls ‘Singapore curry’ video after backlash

The New York Times pulled a video Friday showing a Taiwan-based writer making a “Singaporean chicken curry” after furious critics in the city-state said it resembled sewage rather than a local dish.Singaporeans are fiercely proud of their culinary traditions, which fuse influences from the country’s multi-ethnic population, and are sensitive to botched attempts by outsiders to portray their cherished dishes.The controversy began when the Times posted a video this month on its “nytcooking” Instagram account showing Clarissa Wei, a Taipei-based American freelance journalist, demonstrating how to make a “Singaporean chicken curry”.Social media in the city-state lit up with anger, with critics saying the end product looked like filthy drain water rather than an authentic local curry.“I’m sorry but what even is this? As a Singaporean, I’ve never seen any version of chicken curry that looks like this from any of the major ethnic groups,” one comment on social media said.Dubbed “Currygate” by the local media, the saga received non-stop critical coverage for days before the US outlet finally bowed to pressure and pulled the video.“After hearing your feedback, we’ve removed the video,” said a message on the “nytcooking” account, which has 3.4 million followers.The video accompanied an article that Wei had written for the Times about the varied food enjoyed by Singaporeans during Lunar New Year celebrations.Singaporean Shila Das contributed a recipe for chicken biryani for the piece, but the article split the recipe into two parts – one called “Nasi Biryani” and the other “Singaporean Chicken Curry”.It was the curry recipe that Wei cooked in the video.The Times conceded on Instagram that “the video demonstration didn’t faithfully follow the recipe” contributed by Das.Das, who received hate mail after the video was uploaded, welcomed the decision to remove it.“It is long overdue,” she was quoted as saying in Singapore’s Straits Times newspaper.


Business class bat on Air India flight causes a flap

A jetliner flying from India to Newark, New York, had to abandon the flight when a live bat made its presence felt flying over passengers’ heads shortly after take-off.According to reports, the nocturnal creature flapped around the business class section of the plane, alarming passengers around 30 minutes into the 16-hour flight.The incident occurred on an Air India flight from New Delhi last week, the New York Post reports. Airline officials made the decision to turn the flight around and return to New Delhi to deplane the stowaway.The plane circled for over two hours before it landed back at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport.According to the New York Post, the plane was met by wildlife staff who retrieved the bat’s carcass.The aircraft then underwent a deep clean and complete fumigation.The passengers were boarded on another plane and Air India flight AI-105 later landed in Newark without incident or further wildlife stowaways discovered aboard.An official for Air India reportedly speculated that the bat may have entered the aircraft when it was being loaded with in-flight catering.Airline officials told local media it’s not uncommon for flying and scurrying animals to be attracted to the food as it’s being loaded onto the plane and then find themselves trapped inside among the less-than-delighted passengers.Flights between India and the US are currently restricted to US citizens, as well as permanent US residents and their family members. Some non-US citizens, including students, are also permitted.


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Selangor records highest rainfall ever as floods continue

The floods in Selangor are due to the continuous downpour since 10am yesterday which caused the highest rainfall ever recorded, Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari says.He said the Selangor Department of Irrigation and Drainage had informed him that the rainfall has exceeded 380mm.“This is more than twice the highest recorded rainfall for Selangor, which is around 180mm. The average rainfall is only around 60mm.“In addition, high tides in affected areas exceeded 4.5m,” he said in a statement after chairing the latest Selangor state disaster management unit meeting today.Several measures are being taken, especially regarding the safety of flood victims in the most affected areas, he added.“As of 5pm, 45 relief centres are in operation in the districts of Klang, Petaling, Sepang, Kuala Langat, and Kuala Selangor, housing 3,582 flood evacuees after their residences were flooded.“All the centres are equipped with necessities, including clothes, food, hand sanitiser, face masks and cubicles for the privacy of affected families,” he said.In addition, all evacuees will undergo free Covid-19 screenings periodically to avoid any outbreaks, and special isolation centres will cater for evacuees who test positive for the virus.Amirudin said state government assets, including the Fire and Rescue Department, the police and the armed forces will be mobilised, especially those with vehicles capable of travelling through flood waters, for flood evacuation and the distribution of necessities.Air Selangor has been ordered to prepare mobile water tankers to be stationed at operating relief centres for the use of evacuees.“All these efforts will be coordinated by Smart Selangor Operations Centre (SSOC), which will operate around the clock, and headquartered at the State Government Secretariat Office in Shah Alam. Also, Team Selangor and SERVE volunteers will be mobilised to assist in housing evacuees at centres, distributing initial aid and for the clean up process after the floodwaters recede,” he said.He said a total of 134 water locks had to be closed due to high tides, and could not be reopened safely as it might inundate nearby residential areas.“A total of 93 pumps are in operation to speed up the flow of water to river drainage systems to mitigate the flooding that is occurring in five districts in Selangor,” he added.Amirudin said those in need of assistance can contact the Selangor state disaster management unit at 03-50350920.


Myanmar shadow govt welcomes Asean call to end violence

Myanmar’s shadow government of ousted lawmakers has welcomed a call by Southeast Asian leaders for an end to “military violence” after their crisis talks in Jakarta with junta leader Min Aung Hlaing.The general attended a high-level summit Saturday with leaders from the 10-country Asean to discuss Myanmar’s mounting crisis.Since the military ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a Feb 1 coup, Myanmar has been in an uproar – with near-daily protests and a nationwide boycott of work in all sectors of society staged to demand a return to democracy.Security forces have deployed live ammunition to quell the uprising, killing more than 740 people in brutal crackdowns, according to local monitoring group Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).But the Asean meeting produced a consensus that there would be “an immediate cessation of violence in Myanmar”, said a statement released by the bloc Saturday night.Asean will also have a special envoy to “facilitate mediation” between all parties, and this representative will be able to travel to Myanmar.A spokesman from a shadow government of ousted lawmakers – many of whom are from Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy party – on Saturday welcomed the call for an end to violence in Myanmar as “encouraging news”.“This is what the National Unity Government has been calling for,” said the NUG’s minister of international cooperation known as Dr Sasa, who is currently in hiding with the rest of his fellow lawmakers.“We eagerly await the engagement by the (Asean) secretary general… we look forward to firm action by Asean to follow up its decisions and restore our democracy and freedom for our people and for the region.”The lawmakers of the NUG are currently wanted for high treason by the junta.‘Will the killing stop?’As Myanmar nears three months under the military regime, escalating violence by its security forces – especially in urban centres – has pushed protesters and prominent activists into hiding.The junta has also throttled communications across the country, imposing a nightly internet shutdown for 70 consecutive days and restricting mobile data to a mere trickle – shunting the nation into an information blackout.On Saturday, as Min Aung Hlaing attended the meeting with Asean leaders and foreign ministers in Jakarta, soldiers and police fired on protesters near Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw.One 50-year-old protester was held by the police and shot dead by a soldier, an eyewitness told AFP.The number of detainees climbed to 3,389 on Saturday, according to AAPP.While Asean leaders said they “heard calls for the release of all political prisoners”, a commitment to free them was not included in their consensus statement.UN Special Rapporteur on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, said it remains to be seen how effective the bloc’s engagement will be.“The result of the Asean Summit will be found in Myanmar, not (in) a document,” Andrews tweeted Sunday.“Will the killing stop? Will the terrorising of neighborhoods end? Will the thousands abducted be released? Will impunity persist?”Andrews added that he was “anxious” to work with Asean’s special envoy.The junta has justified its power seizure as a means to protect democracy, alleging electoral fraud in November elections which Suu Kyi’s party had won in a landslide.


Govt should have let law take its course in 'Allah' case, says Muhyiddin

Former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin today said the government should have allowed the court to solve the dispute over the use of the term "Allah", following Putrajaya's announcement this week that it was dropping its appeal to challenge a High Court decision in 2021 allowing Christians to use the term in their religious publications.
"If the court still does not favour the government after the appeal process is completed, then the government may amend the law in order to ensure that the purpose of the law is enforced, which is to guarantee harmony among multi-religious communities and maintain public order in this country," Muhyiddin said in a statement.
On March 10, 2021, the High Court ruled in favour of an application filed by a Sarawakian Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill.
She had sought a court declaration that her constitutional rights were violated when the home ministry in 2008 seized Christian religious CDs and books using the term "Allah" under Section 9(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
The court decision was followed by an appeal filed by Putrajaya, then under the Perikatan Nasional government headed by Muhyiddin.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail however confirmed that the government was not going ahead with the appeal, sparking criticism from Muslim groups including the former minister in charge of Islam, Zulkifli Mohamad al-Bakri, who said the appeal against the High Court decision was based on the stand by a committee in charge of issuing national-level fatwas, as well as decrees from the sultans of Johor and Selangor.
Muhyiddin, who was home minister during the first term of the Pakatan Harapan government led by Dr Mahathir Mohamad, also revealed that a minister from DAP had approached his ministry requesting Putrajaya to settle Jill's case out of court.
"I did not agree with this request because by out-of-court settlement, it meant the home ministry should withdraw the confiscation order of the CDs containing Christian religious material using the word 'Allah'.
"The home ministry's position at that time was that the case must be decided in court according to the legal process. One of the main arguments of the ministry was that the spread of Christian material containing the word 'Allah' could cause anxiety among Muslims and was likely to threaten public order and national security," said Muhyiddin.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim defended the decision to drop the appeal, saying the prohibition on non-Muslims using the term "Allah" in their religious materials remained.
"This is in the case of Sarawak only. The ruling is not applicable elsewhere like in Melaka, Penang or Selangor," he said.
Saifuddin meanwhile said the Jill Ireland case had to do with the confiscation of her materials, and urged the public to report any unlawful publications that could threaten public order.


US jury begins deliberations in ex-Goldman banker’s 1MDB graft trial

A US jury began deliberations on Tuesday in the trial of a former Goldman Sachs banker accused of helping loot billions of dollars from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund.Prosecutors say Roger Ng, Goldman’s former top investment banker for Malaysia, helped his former boss Tim Leissner embezzle money from 1MDB, launder the proceeds and bribe officials to win business for Goldman.The sovereign fund had been founded to pursue development projects in the country.Ng, 49, has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to launder money and violating an anti-corruption law.His lawyers said Leissner, who pleaded guilty to similar charges in 2018 and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors, falsely implicated Ng in the hope of receiving a lenient sentence.The charges stemmed from one of the biggest financial scandals in history.According to US prosecutors, Goldman helped 1MDB raise US$6.5 billion through three bond sales, but US$4.5 billion was diverted to government officials, bankers and their associates through bribes and kickbacks.In a nearly two-month trial in Brooklyn federal court, jurors heard nine days of testimony from Leissner, who said he sent Ng US$35 million in kickbacks.Leissner said the men agreed to tell banks a “cover story” that the money was from a legitimate business venture between their wives.Ng’s wife, Lim Hwee Bin, later testified for the defence that the business venture was, in fact, legitimate.She said she invested US$6 million in the mid-2000s in a Chinese company owned by the family of Leissner’s wife at the time, and the US$35 million was her return on that investment.Ng’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, emphasised to jurors in his Monday closing argument that Leissner could not be trusted.Alixandra Smith, a prosecutor, said in her closing argument that other evidence backed up Leissner’s testimony.Ng will likely be the only person to face a US trial over 1MDB.Goldman in 2020 paid a nearly US$3 billion fine and its Malaysian unit agreed to plead guilty.The scheme’s suspected mastermind, businessman Low Taek Jho, was indicted alongside Ng in 2018 and remains at large.


Rafizi greeted with more questions after defending jump in personal wealth

PKR's Rafizi Ramli has found himself facing more questions over his recent declaration of assets which showed a leap in his personal wealth due to his controversial inclusion of shares from a company linked to his party.
The PKR deputy president had attacked critics who questioned the inclusion of shares from Invoke Solutions, a company he set up, calling them "trivial" and "shallow".
But Bersatu's Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said Rafizi had yet to answer regarding Invoke's nature as a non-profit body, a description given by the latter himself in 2017, as well as a promise to distribute the shares to some 80 staff members as a reward for their contributions.
"Instead, Rafizi holds 73% of the shares. A business tycoon named Lee Boo Choo owns the second largest bloc of shares and PKR’s Wong Chen, the third biggest share.
"What about the poor 80 employees of Invoke who were promised shares in the wealth of Invoke?" Latiff said in the latest of a series of statements following Rafizi's asset declaration last week.
"Why is Rafizi avoiding answering these questions and instead trying to divert the matter by hurling abuse at us?"
Rafizi said yesterday that he had already made RM2 million by the time he was 30, through his work in the oil and gas industry.
Detailing his salary progression over seven years at national oil company Petronas, he said: "That's why I had savings that reached RM2 million by the age of 30 and these savings were used to start a company."
He also claimed that Invoke had begun making profits in its second year, unlike most start-ups.
Rafizi was previously questioned by Perikatan Nasional leader Rashid Hasnon, after his asset declaration showed a jump of RM17 million compared to just seven years ago.
Rashid also questioned the inclusion of RM16.7 million in shares from Rafizi's Invoke Solutions, saying the latter himself had stated that the company was set up in the name of public interest.
Rafizi had included the RM16.7 million in shares as part of a total of RM19.67 million in assets owned.
Besides the RM16.7 million declared as "investments", Rafizi listed RM1.1 million in his Employees Provident Fund account as of Oct 31, as well as RM1.6 million in two properties under his name including a three-storey house in Bukit Antarabangsa, Kuala Lumpur.
Latiff said that having published his asset declaration, Rafizi should not complain about questions asked "in the spirit of transparency and accountability".
"There is increasing public outrage over Invoke, which was meant to be a vehicle for a public interest cause.
"Will the 16 Million Dollar Man Rafizi Ramli provide answers to the public, including those who generously donated to Invoke?" he said.


Restaurant bosses urge govt to allow dining in, longer opening hours

A restaurant owners association today urged the government to put in place measures to help operators stay afloat during the lockdown period, including relaxing constraints on dining in and providing an automatic loan moratorium for a minimum of six months.The Malaysian Indian Restaurants Association (Primas) said the restaurant industry had been hard hit by the Covid-19 crisis.In a statement, it asked the government to allow an extension of opening hours from 6am to 10pm instead of the current 8am to 8pm.It added that customers should be able to dine in, with a maximum of two people per table.Saying the automatic moratorium on bank loans should be given without any impact on credit score, it said the government should also give rental relief assistance in the form of a grant and provide a 25% levy discount on work permits for foreign employees.“We need not explain further about the overhead costs and commitments of restaurant operators,” Primas president J Suresh said.“If the lockdown continues for a longer period of time, more than 50% of the operators will be closing down their businesses.”He also cited a survey involving 1,000 restaurant operators which he said showed that 80% would only be able to continue operating for two months with their savings and current resources.“Only 20% of them managed to get financial assistance from SME Corp Malaysia, banks and other financial schemes,” he added.He said only 25% were given rental discounts by their landlords while 80% had struggled to pay for the cost of utilities accumulated since the first movement control order declared in March last year.“70% of them are not able to pay their staff salaries on time and 80% feel it is unfair to allow unlicensed food vendors to operate all over the country, especially in front of licensed F&B operators,” he added.“The government has to look into ways and means to support the services industry in every little way possible.”


Majority of Melaka Umno leaders snub Zahid’s solo move at coming polls

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is having a hard time convincing party leaders in Melaka to go solo in next month’s election, in what is seen as a repeat of the rebellion he faced during past state elections in Sarawak and Sabah, MalaysiaNow has learnt.At least 70% of the party’s state committee members have spoken out against Zahid’s recent announcement that Umno would contest the election singlehandedly without PAS and Perikatan Nasional (PN).Umno’s charter of cooperation inked with PAS in 2019 had collapsed following the refusal of the Islamist party to ditch PN, the coalition under Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin whom Zahid and former leader Najib Razak had worked hard to overthrow.At a recent state committee meeting, several division leaders openly questioned Zahid’s announcement that his party would go solo in the election, saying it was a sure recipe for a comeback by Pakatan Harapan (PH).Private conversations with Umno leaders also saw many asking whether Zahid’s decision was deliberately designed to “hand over Melaka on a platter to his teacher”, a now familiar reference to the Umno president’s relationship with PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim, based on a leaked phone conversation between the two politicians early this year.“For Umno to go solo is effectively to repeat the folly of the last general election when PH gained from three-way fights,” one Melaka division leader told MalaysiaNow.On Oct 12, Zahid said Umno would contest the Melaka polls under Barisan Nasional (BN), and suggested that its cooperation with PAS was also no longer relevant.The move would mean three-way fights involving PH, PN and BN.The three-way fights in the 2018 general election were due to the failure by Umno and PAS to form an electoral pact despite the leaders of the two parties patching up their differences on several occasions.But the break-up of the votes resulted in PH candidates winning enough seats to dethrone BN for the first time in many state assemblies, including Melaka.In 2018, PH won 15 of the 28 seats in Melaka. At least five seats won by the opposition coalition were however due to the presence of PAS, which, although emerging third, had obtained more votes than the majorities won by PH.These include seats such as Gadek, Durian Tunggal, Klebang, Telok Mas and Bemban, where BN could arguably have won had it combined forces with PAS.“The fact is, the votes from Bersatu supporters went to PH in the 2018 election. It is unlikely that these votes will still go to PH in the coming polls,” said an Umno leader in Bukit Katil.Many see the state polls on Nov 20 as a litmus test not only for Umno, but also for the party’s decision to cut ties with its offshoot Bersatu and PN.Several Umno divisional leaders in Melaka have expressed concern that the party had not learnt its lesson from the Sabah election last year, where it failed to obtain the numbers needed for Umno to bag the chief minister’s post.In that election, Umno won fewer seats than its allies in Gabungan Rakyat Sabah, an electoral alliance which also included PN.But Zahid is no stranger to rebellion from state leaders. In late 2018, an exodus of MPs, assemblymen and state leaders crippled Sabah Umno barely six months after Zahid won the party presidency.Zahid also came under criticism when he was accused of flexing his muscles in the selection of BN candidates for the 2016 Sarawak state election.This time, Zahid will have a hard time convincing party leaders in Melaka to continue the policy of viewing Bersatu as an adversary.“The fact is that Bersatu was the vehicle used by PH to draw the support of the Malays who were disenchanted with Umno in the 2018 election. That small swing of Malay support to PH led to Umno’s downfall.“Now with PAS and Bersatu in the same camp, it could lead to a larger Malay swing,” said an Umno branch leader from the Hang Tuah Jaya constituency.


More pragmatism, less ego needed for opposition comeback in GE15

When DAP’s Lim Guan Eng during the party’s recent congress came out with guns blazing about outright rejecting any cooperation with Perikatan Nasional (PN) ahead of the 15th general election, I was stumped.Has Lim forgotten that the Melaka and Johor elections have shown that it was the Bersatu-led PN that has emerged as a formidable force? In Melaka, Bersatu won two seats and 24.3% of the popular vote. In Johor, PN bagged the highest number of votes among the anti-BN bloc.By contrast, PKR, the dominant party in PH to which DAP is playing second fiddle, won zero seats in Melaka and only one seat in Johor. In Johor, had there been straight fights in all 56 seats and if all the votes that went to parties opposed to BN had gone to a single party, BN would only have won 21 seats – eight short of the minimum to form the state government.Plain and simple, politics is a numbers game and going by the Sarawak, Melaka and Johor elections, it’s not doom-and-gloom for the opposition. They just need to get their act together and come together as a united front and there’s a chance that BN will be shown the door again in Putrajaya come the 15th general election.I can understand why Lim is adamant about rejecting any cooperation with Bersatu, owing to the latter’s role in the Sheraton Move. But as a nation, we are at the brink of a political precipice. Despite the opposition’s recent electoral setbacks, there’s a chance for redemption at the ballot box.But if opposition leaders allow their egos to get the better of them, we lose the golden opportunity to stop BN’s revival. And should the coalition regain its traditional two-thirds majority, there will be nothing to stop the new government from entrenching its position, whether by gerrymandering, looting the country dry or interfering in criminal proceedings.Sure, principles are important in politics. History has shown that those who sacrifice their principles are swiftly punished at the ballot boxes. But is the newly appointed DAP chairman talking about principles like justice and the fight against corruption? Or was he hurt by how the principle of political cooperation was undermined and cost him his job as finance minister?Many fringe parties in Malaysia are also known for being steadfast in their principles. But if these are not tempered with reality, they will not make any headway and will remain outside the corridors of power where the only thing they can do is sloganeer. Just look at Parti Sosialis Malaysia or Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia.Do DAP and the opposition want to stay outside the government forever? Isn’t that a dereliction of duties which include weeding out corruption? Are they happy with the opposition being helpless as BN rides roughshod over government machinery?If people like Lim remain hard-headed and overcome by historical baggage, not only will DAP’s political strength diminish over time, the opposition as a whole will be made worse off at the expense of the nation’s well-being as the Umno-led BN continue to misrule this country. For the sake of this nation, it’s time for pragmatism to prevail.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Umno crowd stands up for Najib's freedom as Zahid attacks PN, praises Anwar

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi spent a large part of his address to delegates attending the party assembly today condemning PAS and Bersatu as traitors to the Malays and Islam, lacing his speech with praise of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and examples of institutions which he said showed Umno's commitment to raising the stature of Islam.
But it was his mention of jailed former president Najib Razak that drew loud applause and cheers from an otherwise sombre audience attending the Umno general assembly at the World Trade Centre.
When Zahid dedicated several lines of his speech to Najib, it was met with a standing ovation, with some delegates lifting posters of the former prime minister urging for his release.
"Umno's stand has not changed in calling for justice for Najib," he said, urging Najib's wife Rosmah Mansor to be patient.
"Allah is with those who are patient. Hopefully, Allah will answer all of our prayers."

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (centre) waves an Umno flag with party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi at the Umno general assembly in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: Bernama

Much of Zahid's speech was dedicated to praising Anwar as well as emphasising Umno's commitment to helping the Malays.
"It was in this Dewan Merdeka that the idea to establish the International Islamic University was born. This man who wears clothes that are a bit different from ours was the first president of the university at that time," Zahid said, referring to Anwar who was among top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders present at the Umno general assembly.
Zahid also thanked Anwar for agreeing to appoint Umno members to lead critical agencies related to Malay economic development.
"PM, thank you so much for your trust in Umno people," he said, giving a list of government agencies tasked with empowering the Malays and developing rural areas.
"To those who ride on race and religion, we ask them, where are the Malays and the Islam that they say have been sidelined by the Madani government?"
Zahid also lashed out at critics who questioned the Umno leadership's move to welcome its former political enemies.

Pakatan Harapan leaders during the singing of Umno's anthem at the Umno general assembly today.

"Even the portraits (of Umno leaders) in the hall being arranged to suit the event has been made into an issue. That is the difference between those who have small minds and us," he said in apparent jibe at former vice-president Hishammuddin Hussein, who recently questioned the removal of the portraits of Umno founders and past presidents during an event attended by PH leaders.
Acknowledging the loss of support from younger voters, Zahid nonetheless urged them to support the parties in the current federal government at the coming state elections.
"The time has come for the children of Kelantan, Kedah and Terengganu outstation to think about the fate of their parents who live in these states.
"Don't let it be that for the sake of one vote, we abandon our parents to face the troubles of life.
"This is the time to stand together with the unity government," Zahid said, voicing confidence in wresting back these three states from Perikatan Nasional.


Vaccination for kids below 12 to begin next year

The administration of Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine to children under the age of 12 will begin in 2022, according to the health ministry.The ministry said that currently, only the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine is available for use on children below 12 and that it is awaiting regulatory approval from the European Union and the US.“Pfizer is also expected to submit data related to the vaccine registration for use in children below 12 by the end of this year to the NPRA (National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency) for evaluation and approval,” the ministry said in a written reply posted on the Parliament website today.The ministry was responding to a question from Wong Chen (PH-Subang) who wanted to know whether it intends to vaccinate children aged five to 12 years against Covid-19, and the implementation period for this.According to the ministry, the government is currently in the process of procuring the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for the group as it has a different formulation than those used for the adult population, subject to approval from NPRA and the Drug Control Authority.“A total of 5.9 million children are expected to be inoculated against Covid-19 involving an estimated 11.8 million doses of vaccine,” said the ministry.


US passes 25 million Covid-19 cases

More than 25 million Covid-19 cases have been recorded in the US since the pandemic began, Johns Hopkins University said Sunday, just days after President Joe Biden’s inauguration.The milestone was reached only five days after the US, the world’s wealthiest and hardest-hit nation, recorded 400,000 deaths from the disease.Biden has made fighting the coronavirus a priority and is pushing for Congress to approve a US$1.9 trillion relief package that would include billions of dollars to boost vaccination rates.Biden has said he wants 100 million people vaccinated within his first 100 days in office, and he has called for Americans to wear masks for 100 days.Countries around the world are in a race against time to get their populations inoculated before the coronavirus mutates into a strain that could resist newly approved vaccinations.Vivek Murthy, Biden’s nominee for surgeon-general, told ABC News on Sunday that 100 million doses in 100 days was “a floor, not a ceiling” and cautioned about new strains.“The variants are very concerning,” Murthy told the network.“It’s up to us to adapt and stay ahead,” he added.White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain said Biden’s administration would “take responsibility” for the trajectory. Former president Donald Trump came under frequent criticism for perceived federal inaction in combating the virus.“We’re going to set up these federal vaccination centers to make sure that in states that don’t have enough… we fill those gaps,” Klain told the NBC News show “Meet the Press”.“We need more vaccine, we need more vaccinators and we need more vaccine sites.”The US caseload remains by far the world’s highest in absolute terms.India, where the population is about four times larger than in the US, has the second-highest caseload with about 10.6 million cases, according to Johns Hopkins.After the first Covid-19 case was reported in the US in January 2020 it took until late April for the figure to pass one million. The overall number of cases has followed an almost exponential curve upwards since then.Xavier Becerra, Biden’s secretary of health and human services nominee, likened the Covid-19 trajectory under Trump to a plane about to crash.“We’ve got to pull it up and you aren’t going to do that overnight, but we’ll pull it up – we have to pull it up,” he told CNN.“Failure is not an option here.”Last week, Johns Hopkins announced more than 400,000 people in the US had died from Covid-19, a grim marker that came one day before Biden’s inauguration.The US has now recorded 25,003,695 million cases, according to the Baltimore-based university’s coronavirus tracking website – though with testing shaky at the start of the pandemic, the real toll is believed to be much higher.


Hearing of 1MDB suit against Riza Aziz to begin in October 2024

The hearing of a lawsuit filed by 1MDB and three of its subsidiaries against Riza Aziz, the stepson of former prime minister Najib Razak, for the alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to US$250 million for film production and the purchase of the real estate, will begin on Oct 16 next year at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
The three 1MDB subsidiaries are 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited and 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited.
Lawyer Desmond Low Zhi Jie, representing Riza and his two companies, Red Granite Pictures Incorporated and Red Granite Capital Limited, said the trial had been set for Oct 16 to 18, 21 to 25, Oct 28 to Nov 1 and Nov 4, 2024.
"The hearing will be before judicial commissioner Raja Ahmad Mohzanuddin Shah Raja Mohzan," he said when contacted today.
According to Low, case management will be held tomorrow.  On May 7, 2021, 1MDB and its three subsidiaries sued Riza and his two companies for allegedly receiving around US$248 million in funds that they misused for their personal gain, including financing a film and purchasing various properties.
The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that Riza is responsible for the misappropriated funds and demanding repayment.
Riza and his two companies, in their statement of defence filed on Oct 25, 2021, claimed to have obtained a loan from the Saudi royal family or the International Petroleum Investment Company to produce several films in the US.
He said that it was difficult for an unknown film producer to obtain bank loans and that this had compelled him to seek funds from individuals or companies.


Missing Pakistani rights activist found dead in Canada

The body of Karima Baloch, a Pakistani human rights activist, has been found in Toronto, Canada, where she had been living in exile for five years.Baloch, 37, a campaigner from the restive region of Balochistan in western Pakistan, was a vocal critic of the Pakistani military and state.The BBC is reporting that Toronto police issued an appeal after she went missing on Sunday and later confirmed that her body had been found.In 2016, Baloch was named in the BBC’s annual list of 100 inspirational and influential women for her work as a campaigner.She fled Pakistan in 2015, after being charged with terrorism.While in exile, she continued to campaign on social media and in person for the rights of people in Balochistan.She lived under constant threat, according to Lateef Johar Baloch, a close friend and fellow activist who also lives in Toronto.He told the BBC that she had recently received anonymous threats warning that someone would send her a “Christmas gift” and “teach her a lesson”.Several members of Baloch’s extended family have been linked to the Baloch resistance movement, and the bodies of two of her uncles were found after they had disappeared.Earlier this year, another former Baloch resident living in exile in Sweden, journalist Sajid Hussain Baloch, went missing and was later found dead.Swedish police ruled out any “visible wrongdoing” and the cause of death was judged to be drowning.The Pakistani military denies accusations that it is brutally suppressing the region’s aspirations for autonomy but activists in Balochistan say thousands of campaigners have gone missing in recent years.In the case of Karima Baloch, Toronto police say there were “not believed to be any suspicious circumstances”.


Zaid blasts lawyer Shafee in tit-for-tat over Najib case

Lawyer Zaid Ibrahim has fought back against suggestions that he was incompetent in handling the case of Najib Razak, after remarks by the former prime minister's defence counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah.
Zaid, whose firm was appointed to replace Shafee ahead of Najib's final appeal at the Federal Court last year, said it was the latter's incompetencies that led to a string of legal setbacks for his client in the SRC International case.
"When a lawyer talks nonsense like this and lies, I don't think he can do a good job. For you to get justice for your client, you must have some respect for truth," said Zaid.
Yesterday, Shafee who represented Najib for a judicial review application over his conviction in the SRC International case, gave scathing criticism of Zaid's team in its handling of the case.
He also claimed that Zaid's firm was appointed despite having no experience in handling criminal law.
In his response, Zaid said there had been a sense of desperation in Najib's camp amid a series of court setbacks, and that he had then suggested that the former leader ditch Shafee.
"Shafee is a showman, he is not a good lawyer. But of course in the kingdom of the blind, he is king," Zaid said in a Facebook video.
Zaid also said he disagreed with the defence's tactic to attack judge Nazlan Ghazali over a "conflict of interest", saying the High Court judge who convicted Najib in 2020 was a person known for his integrity.
Zaid said his team had done a good job throughout the Federal Court appeal.
"We did our best in those five weeks. So it is very sad if the accusation by Shafee yesterday was supported by Najib.
"If that's the case, it's very unfortunate because we did everything for him."


More than 250,000 travellers recorded entering, leaving Malaysia since April 1

A total of 252,730 travellers were recorded entering and leaving Malaysia through the main entry points over a four-day period since the country’s borders reopened on April 1.Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said there were 126,392 arrivals and 28,301 departures by Malaysians and 55,121 arrivals and 42,916 departures by foreigners.He said the gateway at the Sultan Iskandar Building in Johor recorded the most movements by foreigners at 160,818, followed by KLIA (38,407), Sultan Abu Bakar Complex, Johor (53,113), klia2 (11,712) and Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah (6,980).The highest number of travellers were from Singapore (65,165), Thailand (7,841), Indonesia (5,173), India (2,477) and the UK (1,485), he said in a statement today.On March 8, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that borders would reopen on April 1 in line with the country’s plan to begin the transition to endemic phase.Khairul also said the immigration department had issued 12,923 passports during the same period.“The number is expected to continue increasing as more people are taking advantage of the border reopening to travel abroad as well to perform the umrah,” he said.Khairul said the movement of foreign travellers into the country increased by 76.4% while the issuance of passports increased by 38.2%.


At least 288 dead, hundreds hurt in India triple train crash

At least 288 people were killed and hundreds more injured in a horrific three-train collision in India, officials said Saturday, the country's deadliest rail accident in more than 20 years.
Debris was piled high at the crash site near Balasore, in the eastern state of Odisha, where some carriages had been tossed far from the tracks and others flipped over entirely.
Smashed train compartments were torn open in the impact late on Friday, leaving the wreckage stained with blood.
Researcher Anubhav Das was in the last carriage of one of the trains when he heard "screeching, horrifying sounds coming from a distance".
His coach stayed upright and he jumped out unhurt after it ground to a halt.
"I saw bloodied scenes, mangled bodies and one man with a severed arm being desperately helped by his injured son," the 27-year-old told AFP.
"I lost count of the bodies before leaving the site. Now I feel almost guilty."
There was confusion about the exact sequence of events, but reports cited railway officials as saying that a signalling error sent the Coromandal Express running south from Kolkata to Chennai onto a side track.
It slammed into a stationary goods train and the wreckage derailed an express running north from India's tech hub Bengaluru to Kolkata that was passing the site.
Residents nearby rushed to help the victims even before emergency services arrived.
"There were severed arms, legs, and even some partially severed heads – while the unluckier ones died in pain, too much pain," said Hiranmay Rath.
Over the next few hours the 20-year-old saw "more death and grief" than he could have "ever imagined", he told AFP.
The rescue effort was declared over on Saturday evening after emergency personnel had combed the mangled wreckage for survivors and laid scores of bodies out under white sheets beside the tracks.
"All the dead bodies and injured passengers have been removed from the accident site," said an official from the Balasore emergency control room.
Sudhanshu Sarangi, director general of Odisha Fire Services, said the death toll stood at 288 but was expected to go higher, potentially approaching 380.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site and injured passengers being treated in hospital and said "no one responsible" for the train crash would be spared.
"It's a sad moment," he told state broadcaster Doordarshan. "I pray that we get out of this sad moment as soon as possible."
Third worst ever
India has one of the world's largest rail networks and has seen several disasters over the years, the worst of them in 1981 when a train derailed while crossing a bridge in Bihar and plunged into the river below, killing between 800 and 1,000 people.
Friday's crash ranks as its third-worst, and the deadliest since 1995, when two express trains collided in Firozabad, near Agra, killing more than 300 people.
Odisha state's chief secretary Pradeep Jena confirmed that about 900 injured people had been hospitalised.
Rescue teams including from the National Disaster Response Force and the military were deployed, while the railways ministry announced an investigation.
Authorities said every hospital between the crash site and the state capital Bhubaneswar around 200km away was receiving victims, with 200 ambulances – and even buses – deployed to transport them.
At Bhadrak District Hospital, bloodied and shocked survivors were receiving treatment in crowded wards.
The disaster comes despite new investments and upgrades in technology that have significantly improved railway safety in recent years.
Condolences came in from around the world.
Pope Francis said he was "deeply saddened" by the "immense loss of life" and offered prayers for the "many injured", while UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres extended "his deep condolences to the families of the victims," in a statement by his spokesman.
French President Emmanuel Macron sent his condolences to India's president and prime minister, saying in a tweet that his "thoughts are with the families of the victims".
And US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said that Americans' hearts were going "out to those who have lost their loved ones and the many who suffered injuries."


Abu Dhabi to ban unvaccinated people from most public places

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) capital Abu Dhabi said it will allow only vaccinated people in many public places, including schools, malls and restaurants, from Aug 20 in an effort to combat the coronavirus pandemic.The city announced a colour-coded system on its health app which details testing and vaccination history earlier this month.Those with “green” status are allowed more freedom of movement in Abu Dhabi, with a list of restricted places such as public beaches already announced earlier this month.“The Abu Dhabi Emergency, Crisis and Disasters Committee has approved allowing entry into a number of public places for only those vaccinated, effective from Friday, Aug 20,” it said Monday.Unvaccinated people will be kept out of shopping malls, restaurants, retail stores, gyms, recreational facilities and sporting activities, hotel resorts, museums and parks, as well as universities, schools and nurseries.But they will still be allowed into smaller supermarkets and pharmacies.“The decision is in line with the emirate’s strategy to combat the Covid-19 pandemic,” the committee said, adding new measures do not apply to children under 15 and those exempt from vaccination – including pregnant women and individuals with medical conditions.The UAE – which has mounted an intensive Covid vaccination campaign that has produced some of the highest inoculation rates globally – warned in April that those who remained unvaccinated would face restrictions on their movement.It has so far recorded more than 631,000 cases, including 1,807 deaths.The latest rules come as Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, move towards more stringent restrictions on those who have not been inoculated.Kuwait has said it will only allow fully vaccinated foreigners to enter the country and only its inoculated citizens to travel abroad from Aug 1.And since last Sunday, only vaccinated people are allowed in to large Kuwaiti shopping malls, gyms and restaurants.Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, has said vaccination against Covid-19 will be mandatory from Aug 1 to enter any government and private establishments as well as to use public transport.It will also be required to enter any education institutions.


Takeaway prices bite but there’s nothing for it, say restaurant groups

Restaurants struggling to pay the bills through phase after phase of movement restrictions and SOPs have tried nearly every trick in the book to revive an industry staggering under the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.Some turned themselves into drive-thru establishments offering customers a quick and easy way to grab a bite without leaving themselves open to the risks of eating together with dozens of others in a close and confined space.Many others resorted to sending food directly to the doorstep of customers through delivery services like FoodPanda and Grab.But nearly every option apart from dining in comes with the inherent problem of paying that little extra for packaging.Many now depend solely on takeaway orders, especially given the nationwide movement control order which prohibits dine-in activities.This, they say, is impossible to get around.C Krishnan, deputy president of the Malaysian Indian Restaurant Owners Association which represents thousands of eateries across the country, said restaurants are already struggling to cope with expenses such as the increase in price of raw ingredients, rental, utility bills, salaries and other operational costs.Many now depend solely on takeaway orders, especially given the nationwide movement control order which prohibits dine-in activities.For them, deducting from the price of such orders could be the proverbial straw that breaks the camel’s back.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Krishnan said many restaurant owners would find it impossible to absorb the cost of packaging.He said foldable plastic packaging costs 20 sen at most restaurants while plastic bags cost about nine sen each. Meanwhile, paper cups with lids and containers for food could run up to 70 sen and 45 sen respectively.“It’s very tough for us to reduce the price of takeaway orders,” he said. “Takeaway costs more than dine-in because now the packaging material is not cheap.“With dine-in, we can reuse the plates and cutlery so the food is cheaper.”Other expenses include the cost of raw ingredients which he said have gone up especially during the festive season.Rent, meanwhile, could leave owners anywhere from RM3,000 to RM10,000 out of pocket each month, perhaps even more.“Some people may want to do this of their own accord, maybe because their business is small,” Krishnan said.“It’s very tough for us to reduce the price of takeaway orders.”“But this is not suitable for bigger restaurants. It’s very hard for them to do this.”Jawahar Ali Taib Khan, president of the Malaysian Muslim Restaurant Owners Association, said restaurant owners had been advised by associations against raising the price of their food despite the increase in cost of ingredients which he said had shot up by “about 50 to 80%” during the pandemic.Adding that food at their outlets is “already cheap enough”, he suggested that food delivery companies consider giving discounts for their services instead.Muhammad Zakaria, who runs a mamak restaurant in Shah Alam, said if owners were to consider the suggestion, they would make zero profit from takeaway orders.“Packaging for takeaway can cost 15 to 20 sen each,” he told MalaysiaNow. “There would be no profit for us if we were to reduce the price of food even more.”He added that the commission paid to food delivery services eats away at their profit as well.“The commission for food delivery services is about 35%. So if I sell fried rice with chicken for RM10 using these platforms, I would only be getting RM6.50 after paying the commission even though the original price of the item at our restaurant is higher.”Zakaria also said many restaurant owners in the country do not receive discounts on rental from their landlords, meaning that they have to pay the full amount every month even though business is bad.“I used to have seven outlets but now I only have two. Throughout the MCO periods, I have had to close down four outlets.”During the first lockdown, he said, he lost close to RM80,000.“Now, my savings are all depleted but I still have bills, workers’ salaries, and other expenses to pay.”


Marriages down, divorces up in 2019

The number of marriages in 2019 decreased by 1.2% to 203,821 compared to 206,352 in 2018, the Marriage and Divorce Statistics, Malaysia report for 2020 revealed today.The report, which presents the statistics on marriage and divorce for 2018 and 2019 by demographic characteristics at the national, state and administrative district levels, also revealed that the number of divorces increased by 12% to 56,975 last year from 50,862 in 2018.Chief Statistician Mohd Uzir Mahidin said in tandem with the decline in the number of marriages, the general marriage rate for grooms declined from 50.7 to 50.1 per thousand population of unmarried males aged 18 years and above.A similar trend was also recorded for brides, where a decline from 47.0 to 46.2 per thousand population of unmarried females aged 16 years and over was observed.In a statement, Uzir said the general divorce rate for males increased to 7.2 per thousand population from 6.5 of married males aged 18 years and over, with a similar trend reported for females, from 7.0 to 7.7 per thousand population of married females aged 16 years and above.“The median age of grooms remained at 28. The median age for brides increased from 26 (2018) to 27 (2019),” he said.Uzir said the increase in median age of brides was also linked to the average age of mothers at first births which rose 0.1 years from 27.8 in 2018 to 27.9 years in 2019.“The current scenario shows that the tendency for late marriages is among those who are educated and working towards strengthening their economic stability, especially those living in urban areas,” he said, adding that this was in line with the increase in urbanisation rate in Malaysia from 70.9% in 2010 to 76.2% in 2019.Uzir said statistics also showed that the oldest groom and bride were recorded at 93 and 86 years old last year.“Approximately 0.3% of grooms aged 65 years and over have married younger brides at the age group of 24 years and below, while 0.2% of brides aged 65 years and over have married younger grooms at the age group of 24 and below,” he said.


42 cases involving Delta, Beta variants recorded in Terengganu since June

Authorities in Terengganu have urged the people to adhere to the SOPs as 42 Covid-19 cases involving variants of concern (VoC) were reported in the state from late June to yesterday.Terengganu health department director Dr Kasemani Embong said of the total, 33 were of the Delta variant (B.1.617.2) and the remaining nine were of the Beta variant (B.1.351).“Kemaman recorded the highest number of infections with 10 cases, followed by Kuala Terengganu (nine cases), Besut (six cases), Dungun (six cases), Hulu Terengganu (four cases), Marang (three cases), Setiu (two cases) and Kuala Nerus (two cases).“The cases also recorded a higher infectivity rate, therefore people should avoid going to crowded places, always wear face masks and practise good personal hygiene such as by using hand sanitiser,” she said in a statement on Facebook.Yesterday, Terengganu recorded an increase of 356 cases, taking the total number of active cases to 8,477. The cumulative number of infections in the state stands at 58,981.


Russian Sputnik V jab developer to sue Brazilian regulator

The Russian developer of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine said on Thursday it would sue the Brazilian health regulator Anvisa for defamation, reports Reuters.Anvisa’s board on Monday denied requests by Brazilian states to approve Sputnik V for import. The board’s manager for medicines and biological products, Gustavo Mendes, said there was evidence an adenovirus used in the vaccine could reproduce. He called this a “serious” defect.Adenoviruses can cause a range of illnesses like the common cold but are sometimes repurposed as viral vectors for vaccines to transport genetic material for a protein – in this case, from the novel coronavirus – to elicit an immune response from vaccinated individuals.However, global health guidelines warn against “replication-competent adenoviruses” (RCA) that could multiply inside a patient’s body, possibly creating a negative reaction.Denis Logunov, who developed Sputnik V at Russia’s Gamaleya Institute, denied on Tuesday that the two adenoviruses used to produce the vaccine could replicate.Sputnik V’s official Twitter account on Thursday quoted Mendes, who cited Gamaleya Institute’s own test results at a public hearing on Monday as the basis to deny an import license.“Following the admission of Brazilian regulator Anvisa that it did not test Sputnik V vaccine, Sputnik V is undertaking a legal defamation proceeding in Brazil against Anvisa for knowingly spreading false and inaccurate information,” the Sputnik V tweet said.“Anvisa made incorrect and misleading statements without having tested the actual Sputnik V vaccine.”In a press conference on Thursday, Anvisa officials rejected the “grave accusation” and insisted the Gamaleya Institute’s own paperwork flagged potentially risky levels of RCA in the finished vaccine.“The data presented by the Gamaleya Institute show the presence and acceptance of the replicating virus in the finished product,” said Anvisa’s Mendes in a Thursday briefing. “That specification is 300 times higher than the highest regulatory threshold we could find.”


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Bersatu to field Rina Harun in Sepang

Bersatu today announced that its women's chief Rina Harun would contest the Sepang parliamentary seat at the Nov 19 polls.
The announcement was made by Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin at an event in Sepang tonight.
Rina is the incumbent for the Titiwangsa seat, which she won at the 2018 general election on a Pakatan Harapan ticket, defeating Barisan Nasional candidate Johari Abdul Ghani and PAS candidate Mohamad Nor Mohamad.
"With this, I announce Rina as PN's candidate in Sepang," Muhyiddin said.
"Confirmed. This is the president himself announcing it."
Rina will face Pakatan Harapan's Aiman Athirah and Che Asmah Ibrahim of Gerakan Tanah Air.
Barisan Nasional has yet to announce its candidate for the seat.


Fitbit recalls 1.7 million smartwatches due to burn risk

Fitbit on Wednesday recalled 1.7 million of its Ionic smartwatches used for tracking steps and other activity due to the risk of batteries overheating and burning wearers.The US Consumer Product Safety Commission said in a recall notice that it received slightly more than 100 reports of Ionic wearers being burned by the smartwatches.A handful of those burns were reported to be second-degree or third-degree.“Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled Ionic smartwatches,” the commission urged.About a million Ionic smartwatches have been sold in the US and another 693,000 or so outside the country, according to the notice.Fitbit is offering refunds of US$299 each for the recalled smartwatches, which the company had manufactured in Taiwan but stopped producing in 2020.Google completed its buy of Fitbit early last year in a deal valued at US$2.1 billion and is expected to soon release a Pixel smartwatch designed to sync with Android-powered smartphones.Fitbit was a pioneer in the market for “wearable” devices used to keep track of activities from sleep to running but quickly faced rivals including an Apple Watch with sophisticated health-focused features.


Agong declares emergency in Batu Sapi

The Yang di-Pertuan Agong has declared a state of emergency in Batu Sapi, Sabah to prevent a by-election in the constituency.A statement from Istana Negara said the by-election, following the death of its incumbent Liew Vui Keong early last month, would be postponed to prevent any new wave of Covid-19 infections.This follows an audience granted by Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to Muhyiddin Yassin this morning, where the prime minister presented the Cabinet’s recommendation on implementing an emergency in Batu Sapi.“With this declaration, all proceedings geared towards the Batu Sapi by-election will be discontinued in order to stop and prevent a fourth wave of Covid-19 infections, and a new date will be fixed for the by-election,” said a statement issued by Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin, the Comptroller of the Royal Household.The statement said the Agong invoked his powers under Article 150 of the Federal Constitution in calling off the by-election, adding that he also consulted Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali, Attorney-General Idrus Harun, Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah and Election Commission chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh.Apart from Batu Sapi, the federal seat of Gerik in Perak and the state seat of Bugaya in Sabah have also been made vacant by the deaths of their incumbents.The by-election in Batu Sapi had been fixed for Dec 5, with nomination day next week.In its statement, Istana Negara said the Agong’s decision also took into account the spike in Covid-19 cases in the aftermath of the Sabah election in September.It said with 3,170 voters in Batu Sapi residing outside the constituency including in Peninsula Malaysia, there were worries of outstation travel which could further complicate efforts to contain the pandemic.


Curfew imposed in Afghanistan as Taliban threaten cities

The Afghan government imposed a month-long curfew across almost all of the country at the weekend in a bid to stop the Taliban from taking over major cities.The curfew bans all movement from 10pm to 4am.The interior ministry said the new curfew was “to curb violence and limit the Taliban movements”, adding that Kabul, Panjshir and Nangarhar were exempt.Fighting between the Taliban and Afghan government forces has increased over the past two months as international troops pull out of the country.The militant group is thought to have captured up to half of the country, predominantly rural areas.As US forces have withdrawn, the Taliban has made rapid gains, retaking border crossings and rural areas.There are concerns that with peace talks in Doha moving slowly, the focus of the fighting will increasingly turn to more heavily populated urban centres.Taliban fighters have been closing in on a number of major cities, but have not yet been able to capture one. That has prompted a top American commander to say the US will continue carrying out airstrikes in support of Afghan troops.General Kenneth MacKenzie said a Taliban victory is not inevitable but he did not say if the strikes would continue beyond the end of the US military mission on Aug 31.The Taliban – a fundamentalist Islamist militia who were pushed out of power by the US invasion nearly 20 years ago – has also seized key roads as it seeks to cut off supply routes.As the Taliban continues to advance, fierce clashes have taken place outside the city of Kandahar.In response, the US launched airstrikes against militants in the area on Thursday. But with US operations in Afghanistan officially ending on Aug 31, there are concerns about the months ahead.US-led forces ousted the Taliban from power in Afghanistan in October 2001. The group had been harbouring Osama Bin Laden and other figures linked to the Sept 11 attacks on the US.President Joe Biden has said the American pull-out is justified as US forces have made sure Afghanistan cannot again become a base for foreign jihadists to plot against the West.Earlier this month, American troops quietly departed from Bagram airfield, a sprawling base that was the centre of US operations in Afghanistan and once held tens of thousands of international troops.Some US analysts fear the Taliban could take control of the country within six months.However, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said the security forces could make progress, and their priority should be to slow the momentum of the Taliban advance before trying to take territory from them.


8.9% increase in weekly dengue cases

The total number of dengue fever cases reported during the 47th epidemiological week (ME 47) rose by 8.9% or 1,734 cases compared to 1,593 in the previous week, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
However, he said no deaths from complications due to dengue fever were reported during the week.
He said the cumulative number of dengue fever cases reported to date was 56,304 compared to 23,547 cases during the corresponding period last year – an increase of 139.1% – while the total number of deaths reported due to dengue fever during the period this year was 37, from 18 in 2021.
"There were also 54 hotspot locations identified this week, compared to 61 the week before, with 25 hotspots in Selangor, 19 in Sabah, seven in the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, two in Perak and one in Sarawak," he said in a statement today.
Noor Hisham said surveillance of chikungunya meanwhile found 18 cases in ME 47 with 11 cases in Penang, four in Selangor, and one each in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka.
"The cumulative number of chikungunya cases to date is 710. For zika surveillance,  1,939 blood samples and 17 urine samples were taken for zika screening and the results were all negative," he said.


Housewife, tutor first to be charged over fake news under emergency ordinance

A housewife and a tutor were the first individuals in the country to be charged in court under the emergency ordinance for spreading fake news related to Covid-19 infections and vaccines for the virus.In Perlis, Norjannah Rusli, 28, was fined RM5,000 in default of five months’ jail by the Kangar Sessions Court after pleading guilty to spreading fake news pertaining to the pandemic on WhatsApp, with the intention of creating fear and concern among the public.The offence was committed at a house in Jalan Pauh, Kampung Belukar, Arau at 10.31am on April 18.The charge was framed under Section 4(1) of the Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) (No.2) 2021 which carries a maximum fine of RM100,000, a jail term of up to three years or both.Judge Musyiri Peet advised the mother of two to be more responsible as the country was still dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic.On April 20, Bernama reported that the Perlis state education department had lodged a police report over claims that nine students from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Guar Nangka had tested positive for Covid-19, which caused panic among parents and school students in the state.Meanwhile, in Johor, tutor Mohd Nazaruddin Yusoff, 50, pleaded not guilty at the Johor Bahru Sessions Court to a charge of posting fake news on Facebook regarding deaths due to Covid-19 vaccine.He was charged with committing the offence with the same intention, under the same ordinance.The offence was allegedly committed at the Pontian district police headquarters at 11.50am on April 21.Judge Ahmad Fuad Othman fixed bail at RM8,000 with one surety and set July 7 for mention.The Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) (No.2) 2021 defines fake news as news or information that is wholly or partially false relating to Covid-19 or the proclamation of emergency.The ordinance came into effect on March 12.


Govt screenings find over 43,000 secondary school students smoke

Screenings conducted on 1.3 million secondary school students through the Oral Health Tobacco-Free programme last year found that a total of 43,019 students were involved in the smoking habit.
Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Sauni said during the same period, screenings conducted on two million primary school pupils found 341 were also into the habit.
"Those identified as smokers were given intervention for smoking cigarettes, while those who do not smoke were given continuous health education to ensure they remain smoke-free," he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Negara today.
He was responding to N Balasubramaniam, who asked about the health ministry's latest developments with regards to the Anti-Smoking Generational End Game 18 Plan (Gegar-18) and how successful it had been.
Lukanisman said the health ministry would continue to strengthen and expand the Gegar-18 programme, which aims to provide legal knowledge and continuous education to create a smoke-free environment. "The Gegar-18 campaign was also organised at nine higher learning institutions in collaboration with the Volunteer Foundation and the higher education ministry.
"In line with the Gegar-18 campaign, 19 university campuses implemented the University Quit Smoking Services programme and conducted screenings and intervention to stop the smoking habit among undergraduates," he said.
He said the health ministry would also extend the gegar-18 campaign to youths who are not at higher learning institutions through the Malaysian Youth Council and other related organisations.


Khashoggi’s Saudi killers ‘received training in the US’

Saudi Arabian operatives allegedly murdered Jamal Khashoggi in Saudi’s consulate in Istanbul last year, sparking an angry response from many lawmakers in the US.However, in a potentially embarrassing turn, some of the agents were US-trained, according to a report in The Washington Post on Saturday.The Post reporter said US and Saudi sources have told him that the training occurred “as part of ongoing liaison” between the US and Saudi Arabia, but that it has been halted since the killing.The leader of the team that killed Khashoggi was allegedly Maher Mutreb, a colonel in the Saudi intelligence service who comes from a “wealthy and respected Saudi family”.Mutreb allegedly received training in the US and then developed a “friendly” relationship with Khashoggi while they were both working in London.The report said other members of the 15-person team allegedly also had US training, without giving details.The scandal allegedly prompted the US to suspend several security programmes, including wide-reaching efforts to modernise Riyadh’s intelligence agencies.The US State Department and Congress also placed obstacles for US contractors trying to sell technology to the oil-rich kingdom, according to the report.US officials are worried that the powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has “become a Saudi version of Saddam Hussein, an authoritarian moderniser”, the report added.The report also claims to reveal new details on Khashoggi’s final minutes inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul and the team behind the killing.It points to the prince’s former aide, Saud al-Qahtani, who until recently coordinated Riyadh’s covert operations, as the mastermind.Turkish prosecutors asked for an arrest warrant on Qahtani in December due to a “strong suspicion” that he was among those who planned the murder, but Saudi Arabia would not extradite him.Khashoggi, a Saudi national, was recorded entering the Istanbul consulate on Oct 2 to complete paperwork needed for his wedding plans.His final moments were apparently captured by a bug planted inside in the building by Turkish intelligence.A Saudi source who read the transcript of the recording said it indicated that the team was originally dispatched to kidnap Khashoggi and take him back to Saudi Arabia to be detained and interrogated.According to the transcript, Khashoggi entered the consulate and told Mutreb that he would not return to Saudi Arabia with him. He then screamed, likely while being restrained.A note in the transcript says that Khashoggi was given an injection, apparently a powerful sedative, by forensic doctor Salah Tubaigy from the Saudi Interior Ministry.The operatives then placed a bag over Khashoggi’s head, while he yelled: “I can’t breathe. I have asthma. Don’t do this.” He died soon after.The cause could have been a sedative overdose, choking or asphyxiation, but it remains unclear. The audio transcript refers to a buzzing noise, possibly from an electric saw used to dismember the body, being heard shortly after.In the days following Khashoggi’s disappearance, Saudi Arabia denied any knowledge of his whereabouts, but then said he had died following a “fistfight” on the consulate premises.Eventually, under international pressure, Riyadh admitted that Khashoggi had been killed, but dubbed it a rogue operation. Saudi prosecutors later charged 11 people for the murder but did not give their names.Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman still refuses to admit involvement in the grisly killing.The strategic partnership between the US and Saudi Arabia in military and intelligence issues is likely to remain in limbo until the prince “provides some real answers”, according to the Washington Post.The reasons Khashoggi was killed are still disputed.He was a journalist, dissident, and columnist for the Washington Post. He interviewed Osama bin Laden several times.He fled Saudi Arabia in September 2017 and went into self-imposed exile after writing newspaper articles critical of the Saudi rulers, King Salman and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.


Housing development sector allowed to operate under Phase One and Two of recovery plan

The housing development sector is allowed to operate under Phase One and Two of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) effective immediately, the housing and local government ministry said today.It said the permission to operate is applicable to housing developers which are still active with a valid advertising permit and developer’s licence (APDL) under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1996 (Act 118).In a statement today, it said the decision was made at the Pandemic Management Technical Working Committee meeting on July 23.Under Phase One of the NRP, housing developer’s management offices are allowed to open, and the handing over of vacant possession notices and house keys is permitted.Other activities allowed are critical damage repairs during the defect liability period and construction works for Rumah Mesra Rakyat under Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd for G1 to G4 contractors.Under Phase Two, the additional activities allowed are sales and marketing at the developer’s office, and activities involving sales agents, sales galleries, show units and subsale property units.The ministry said the permission for the housing development sector to operate is subject to compliance with the latest SOPs available at https://www.kpkt.gov.my.The construction SOPs issued by the public works ministry can be found at www.cidb.gov.my and the general SOPs of the National Security Council and health ministry are at www.mkn.gov.my.Further inquiries can be directed to the National Housing Department hotline at 03-8891 4493/4494.


The law doesn’t work that way, ex-CJ tells those calling for AG to be sacked

Former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad has questioned claims that the attorney-general disobeyed the Agong in stating that the king is bound by the advice of the prime minister in carrying out official duties.Hamid, who retired as chief justice in 2008 after more than 50 years of service in the judiciary, noted that successive opposition leaders including PKR president Anwar Ibrahim had called for Idrus Harun to be sacked and accused the AG of belittling and disobeying the Agong in giving his view on the debate surrounding the reopening of Parliament.“It seems that words such as insulting, belittling, disrespectful and disobedience have taken on a very broad definition to the extent that the AG, who issued official views on the legal and constitutional provisions that limit the power of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, can now be considered as insulting, belittling, disrespecting and disobeying His Majesty.“So, to avoid it, every time the AG gives advice or is sought by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong on an issue of law, the AG must give a view that extends the powers of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, in other words, to side with him,” Hamid said, in response to recent condemnations of Idrus by top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders.Hamid added that the palace had reflected the AG’s view, citing a media statement by Istana Negara in February which said that the Agong could call for a parliamentary sitting during the emergency period “on a date deemed appropriate by His Majesty on the advice of the prime minister”.“So how can it be said that it was transgressing, insulting and belittling the Yang di-Pertuan Agong; that it was a form of disobedience against the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and that he must be sacked immediately; that it violates norms, disrespects the Yang di-Pertuan Agong; and ‘trivialises’ the power of Yang di-Pertuan Agong?” asked Hamid.He said critics of the AG appeared to suggest that any counsel offered to the Agong must be favourable, or risk being branded as disobedient.He recalled a special court he had presided over in 2008 which ruled against then-Negeri Sembilan ruler Tuanku Ja’afar Tuanku Abdul Rahman in a dispute involving a commercial bank.Hamid questioned if the judges in the case were also guilty of disobeying the rulers.“The law does not work that way,” he added.Hamid and academic Shamrahayu Abdul Aziz, who holds the Institution of the Malay Rulers Chair at Universiti Teknologi Mara, had previously penned an article explaining the rights and responsibilities of the Agong, in the wake of a debate sparked by the Malay rulers’ call to reconvene parliamentary sittings.He said the article was meant as an academic piece and not to pander to political sentiments.He also said the argument that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin does not enjoy a majority is not an excuse to ignore constitutional provisions.“It could be a political argument that attracts voters, but not a legal argument on whether the Yang di-Pertuan Agong should act on the advice of the AG or not.“As long as a person holds the post of prime minister, all provisions of the constitution and the relevant laws shall apply,” he added.“Only when he voluntarily resigns or is disqualified according to the constitution, or the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, regardless of whether there was a general election, appoints another person who in his opinion has the support of the majority of MPs – only then will he no longer be the prime minister, and the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall no longer heed his advice.”


EU pushes to boost Covid vaccinations in poorer nations with low usage rate

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday the EU would increase spending to boost vaccinations in African states which are lagging behind despite having received Covid-19 vaccine supplies.African nations have begun their vaccine rollouts much later than wealthier states which secured the limited doses initially available from late 2020.But in recent months supplies have increased exponentially, and many states are facing difficulties in absorbing them, with some countries, such as Congo and Burundi, having used less than 20% of available doses, according to figures from Gavi, a nonprofit global vaccine alliance.“We have to make efforts to accelerate vaccinations, especially in African countries where vaccination rates are the lowest,” von der Leyen said at a conference in Dakar, Senegal.She said the EU would spend 125 million euros (US$143 million) to help countries train medical staff and administer doses, in addition to 300 million euros already committed for this purpose by the EU and its states.An EU official said the EU wanted now to shift its message to Africa “from vaccines to vaccination.”However, von der Leyen said the EU will keep sending doses to Africa, with the aim of delivering 450 million vaccines by the summer, three times higher than the volume already shared.Gavi, which co-runs the world’s largest Covid-19 vaccine-sharing programme Covax, said the usage rate of Covid-19 shots in the 91 poorest nations it supports was 67%.But some African countries were lagging much behind. Zambia, Chad, Madagascar, Djibouti, Somalia, Burkina Faso and Uganda had used only about one-third of doses that they received, Gavi said, citing data updated to late January.Only about 10% of Africans have been immunised against Covid-19 so far.EU diplomats said that vaccines’ short shelf life, limited storage facilities, poor healthcare infrastructure and vaccine hesitancy were among the main reasons that hampered vaccination in Africa.


Online classes for 2 weeks after Aidilfitri break

School sessions will be held online for two weeks after the Aidilfitri break through the home-based teaching and learning (PdPR) method, Education Minister Radzi Jidin said today.He said PdPR would be held for Group A, comprising schools in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Johor, from May 16 to 27, while schools in other states (Group B) would have PdPR sessions from May 17 to 28.Radzi said the decision was a precautionary measure which took into consideration the risk of community infection due to the celebrations, in the absence of data on the trend of infections during Aidilfitri.“We do not know what the trend of infection among students might be like after Aidilfitri celebrations as schools were closed last year.“Our concern is the hostels. What happens is, students are infected outside of school, then the virus is transmitted among their friends. This happens at boarding schools as well as daily boarding schools.“It is a big component. We have 170,000 students at daily boarding schools and nearly 100,000 at boarding schools,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya today.He said the announcement was being made ahead of time to allow teachers time to prepare.“Teachers can choose the best method to teach,” he added. “It’s up to what suits the teachers and students.”Radzi also said the education ministry does not want schools to be mired in allegations if infections occur among students after the Aidilfitri break.Aidilfitri holidays will begin on May 11. Schools in Group A will take special or replacement holidays on May 9 and 10 while those Group B will take this holiday on May 10.This means schools in Group A will be on break from May 7 to 15 and those in Group B will be on holiday from May 8 to 16.Radzi said PdPR would only be held for the two-week period and would not continue beyond that.


Credit Suisse 'looking at cutting around 5,000 jobs'

Credit Suisse is considering cutting around 5,000 jobs, about one position in 10, as part of a cost reduction drive at Switzerland's second-biggest bank, a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters.
The scale of the potential job cuts underlines the challenge facing Credit Suisse and new chief executive Ulrich Koerner, who is seeking to put the bank back on an even keel after a string of scandals.
The bank declined to comment beyond repeating that it would give an update on its strategy review with its third-quarter earnings, saying that any reporting on outcomes was speculative.
Credit Suisse has dubbed 2022 a "transition" year with a change of guard, restructuring to curtail risk-taking in investment banking and bulking up wealth management.
The Zurich-based bank has dismissed speculation that it could be bought or broken up.
The discussions about job cuts are ongoing and the number of reductions could still change, the source said. Swiss newspaper Blick earlier reported that more than 3,000 jobs would be shed.
Credit Suisse has already said it will cut costs below 15.5 billion Swiss francs (US$15.8 billion) in the medium term, versus an annualised 16.8 billion francs this year.
So far, it has not outlined job cuts.
Koerner, promoted to CEO just over a month ago, has been given the task of paring back investment banking and cutting more than US$1 billion in costs to help the bank recover from a string of setbacks and scandals.
His strategic review, the second in less than a year, will evaluate options for the bank, while reaffirming its commitment to serving wealthy customers.
The Swiss lender is under increasing pressure to turn around the business and improve its financial resilience.
"Cutting cost is the easiest immediate step it can take. But it’s not a strategy," said Andreas Venditti, an analyst with Vontobel. "You can end up in a vicious circle, where jobs are cut, service declines and customers leave."
Venditti highlighted another conundrum: "Should restructuring costs, including from job cuts, run into the billions, the bank may also need to raise more capital."
Analysts at Deutsche Bank estimate that it may need to bolster capital by four billion Swiss francs to shore up its buffers and fund the revamp.
Koerner, 59, a restructuring expert, succeeded Thomas Gottstein as CEO in August after a tumultuous two years punctuated by huge losses, a rare court conviction for the bank in Switzerland and a 40% plunge in its shares.
Between April and June, the bank chalked up a 1.59 billion Swiss franc loss, as legal costs mounted. Its investment bank alone lost 1.12 billion Swiss francs before tax.
Twin hits – a US$5.5 billion loss on the default of US family office Archegos Capital Management and the shuttering of US$10 billion of supply chain finance funds linked to collapsed British financier Greensill – have also beset the bank.
In June, Credit Suisse was also convicted of failing to prevent money laundering by a Bulgarian cocaine trafficking gang in Switzerland's first criminal trial of one of its major banks. It is appealing against the conviction.
In a sign that Credit Suisse expects an improvement in its fortunes, a senior executive told Reuters that it is still betting big on China and plans to launch a wealth business there next year.
The bank aims to start offering wealth management services in China next year on the back of securing full ownership of its local securities venture.


Australia looks to wall off sensitive tech from China

Australia on Wednesday announced measures to ring-fence dozens of sensitive technologies from foreign interference, stepping up efforts to safeguard against “national security risks” from China and others.Prime Minister Scott Morrison unveiled a list of 63 “critical technologies” to be promoted and protected at an online forum in Sydney – a step toward limiting what government, industry and universities can and cannot share with foreign counterparts.The list includes 5G communications, quantum technologies – which are based on the physics of sub-atomic particles – artificial intelligence, advanced magnets, 3D printing, drones and vaccines.The measures aim to “balance the economic opportunities of critical technologies with their national security risks”, Morrison told a forum hosted by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute.Items on the list will not be automatically banned for export or proscribed, but may be subject to “additional risk management”, including measures to stop “unwanted tech transfer”.Australia has become increasingly concerned about the transfer of sensitive technology to foreign military powers, particularly to China, under the guise of academic cooperation.Canberra has also moved to limit the ability of Chinese state-linked firms to operate critical infrastructure in Australia.A decision to effectively bar Huawei from running Australia’s 5G network was the catalyst for a major diplomatic rift between the two countries.For almost two years, high-level diplomatic contacts have been frozen and Beijing has levied a raft of sanctions that some have called a “shadow trade war”.Australia is currently in the process of auctioning 5G spectrum licenses.‘Norms and values’Morrison on Wednesday also listed nine critical technologies that will be the focus for investment, hoping the expertise will help “uphold our liberal democratic traditions” in what he described as an era of “strategic competition”.“The simple fact is that nations at the leading edge of technology have greater economic, political and military power,” he said.“And, in turn, greater capacity to influence the norms and values that will shape technological development in the years to come.”The list also includes nuclear technology – a marked departure for a country that has long been opposed to fission power and currently only has one research reactor.Australia recently signalled its intention to purchase long-range, ultra-stealthy nuclear-powered submarines from the US or Britain, cancelling a vast order of diesel-powered subs from France.But the list goes further, including a range of nuclear technologies linked to power generation, space travel, reprocessing and isotope production.Many of the other listed technologies have military or dual-use applications, such as synthetic materials that bend light or radio waves, self-fixing materials designed for advanced body armour, laser communications or quantum cryptography.


DAP leader rejects working with Umno amid talk of post-royal audience meeting

DAP today questioned the response from Umno leaders to their president’s call for a political ceasefire, saying it had never cooperated with the Malay party to bring down the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.DAP’s organising secretary Loke Siew Fook said his party had always been committed to the agreement it signed with Pakatan Harapan, adding that its support for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim was only within this framework.“For the record, not a single DAP leader has ever expressed a readiness to work with Umno to form a new government,” Loke said in a statement, a day after Zahid’s about-turn in which he urged Umno to strengthen the PN government.Last week, MalaysiaNow revealed that Zahid and his predecessor, former prime minister Najib Razak, had unilaterally written to the palace expressing support for Anwar’s plan to take over Putrajaya.Zahid’s claim in the letter that “a number of Umno MPs” would back Anwar to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin sent shock waves through the Umno leadership, with several leaders hitting out at Zahid for supporting an outsider.MalaysiaNow also reported that Zahid had come under intense pressure from senior Umno leaders, leading to his statement calling for a “political ceasefire”.Speculation of secret meetingLoke’s statement today rejecting any cooperating with Umno comes amid speculation that a DAP leader had attended a meeting with Zahid, Anwar and another senior Umno MP.A source from Umno told MalaysiaNow that the meeting, held on Oct 16 – three days after Anwar’s half-hour palace audience – was arranged by Najib.MalaysiaNow had earlier queried Loke on the speculation, but the DAP leader rejected a request for comment.“There was no such meeting, so there is nothing to comment,” the former transport minister said.An aide to Zahid also shot down the claim when contacted by MalaysiaNow, as did the “veteran Umno MP”, who brushed aside the claim.Loke’s statement today is the second this week by a senior DAP leader rejecting any cooperation with Umno.The two statements have only further confirmed that Anwar never had the “formidable majority” he claimed to have, as any such majority would need to include DAP’s 42 MPs as well as Umno’s 39.Despite its close ties with Anwar, DAP had in the past rejected any form of cooperation with Umno especially if it involved Najib and Zahid.The duo, who helmed the Barisan Nasional government until 2018, face a total of 79 corruption charges between them, and were the target of DAP’s aggressive roadshows in the run-up to the 2018 general election.