Heart inflammation risk higher for Covid than for vaccines, study shows

Covid-19 increases the risk of developing myocarditis (heart inflammation) by a factor of 16, providing a strong argument in favour of vaccination, a new US study showed Tuesday.Myocarditis and an associated risk, pericarditis (inflammation around the heart) have previously been linked to the Pfizer and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines themselves, particularly among adolescent boys and young men.But the risk is far higher after infection with Covid-19, according to the new paper by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The study analysed hospital records from 1.5 million patients with Covid and 35 million without, to see what percentage had myocarditis, and stratified them by age and sex.“Overall, myocarditis was uncommon among persons with and without Covid-19; however, Covid-19 was significantly associated with an increased risk for myocarditis, with risk varying by age group,” the authors wrote.The increased risk among Covid-19 patients was most pronounced in under-16s, who saw a 37-fold increased risk of myocarditis compared to people of that age group who did not have the coronavirus.This was followed by over-75s, 65 to 74-year-olds, and 50 to 64-year-olds.The precise underlying cause isn’t understood but it might be related to viral infection of the heart, the study said – or, in under 16s, it could be related to multisystem inflammatory syndrome.The CDC study pointed to a paper by Israeli researchers published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine that found that messenger RNA vaccines increased the risk of myocarditis three-fold.That paper showed Covid increased the chances of developing myocarditis 18-fold, roughly in line with the new CDC study.The CDC in June concluded that the benefits of Covid-19 vaccination outweigh the risks of vaccine-caused myocarditis, even in the most at risk group.The new study’s authors wrote that the new data backed up that claim.The benefits of vaccination increase when community transmission of Covid is high and the chances of contracting the disease are elevated.This is currently the case in the US, which is experiencing its second biggest wave to date thanks to the Delta variant.


‘Bersatu politics’ to attack Umno leaders, Anwar says on leaked call with Zahid

PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim has denied an audio recording revealing a conversation with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in the wake of the Malay party’s general assembly, calling it “Bersatu politics” to attack Umno leaders.He also spoke of more sophisticated attempts now to defame him, saying he would hand over the matter to the police for investigation.“This is to use us to oppose politics in Umno, to use my supposed conversation with Zahid for Bersatu politics to stab the Umno leadership.“This is not my work. Therefore I will instruct my officer to make a police report to investigate who the source of this,” he said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the Selangor PKR main operations room last night.Yesterday, MalaysiaNow revealed that the two leaders had spoken in a four-minute phone conversation in which Anwar congratulated Zahid on his closing speech at the Umno general assembly and told him that there was still work to be done.Zahid later denied the conversation, calling its circulation a vile and malicious political move.“As Umno president, I would never challenge let alone turn my back on any decision made by the Supreme Council and the general assembly,” he said.The assembly had seen delegates expressing support for the move to cut ties with Bersatu at the next general election, with Zahid declaring that the motion had been unanimously accepted.He, too, said his officer would lodge a police report to facilitate an investigation into the matter.Zahid was Anwar’s key ally during their time in Umno when it was headed by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in the 1990s. Anwar at that time was seen as the successor to the top post before Mahathir sacked him from both party and government in 1998.Zahid was among Anwar’s associates who were arrested under the Internal Security Act following Anwar’s dramatic removal. He later pledged loyalty to Mahathir and climbed up the political ladder while Anwar served time in prison.


The (AI) therapist is in: Can chatbots boost mental health?

Mental health counsellor Nicole Doyle was stunned when the head of the US National Eating Disorders Association showed up at a staff meeting to announce the group would be replacing its helpline with a chatbot.
A few days after the helpline was taken down, the bot - named Tessa - would also be discontinued for providing harmful advice to people in the throes of mental illness.
"People... found it was giving out weight loss advice to people who told it they were struggling with an eating disorder," said Doyle, 33, one of five workers who were let go in March, about a year after the chatbot was launched.
"While Tessa might simulate empathy, it's not the same as real human empathy," said Doyle.
The National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) said that while the research behind the bot produced positive results, they are determining what happened with the advice given and "carefully considering" next steps.
NEDA did not respond directly to questions about the counsellors' redundancies but said in emailed comments the chatbot was never meant to replace the helpline.
From the US to South Africa, mental health chatbots using artificial intelligence are growing in popularity as health resources are stretched, despite concerns from tech experts around data privacy and counselling ethics.
While digital mental health tools have existed for well over a decade, there are now more than 40 mental health chatbots globally, according to the International Journal of Medical Informatics.
New York-based anthropology student Jonah has turned to a dozen different psychiatric medication and helplines to help him cope with his obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) over the years.
He has now added ChatGPT to his list of support services as a supplement to his weekly consultations with a therapist.
Jonah had thought about talking to a machine before ChatGPT, because "there's already a thriving ecosystem of venting into the void online on Twitter or Discord... it just kind of seemed obvious", he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.
Although the 22-year-old, who asked to use a pseudonym, described ChatGPT as giving "boilerplate advice", he said it is still useful "if you're really worked up and just need to hear something basic... rather than just worrying alone."
Mental health tech startups raised US$1.6 billion (about RM7.4 billion) in venture capital as of December 2020, when Covid-19 put a spotlight on mental health, according to data firm PitchBook.
"The need for distant medical assistance has been highlighted even more by the Covid pandemic," said Johan Steyn, an AI researcher and founder of AIforBusiness.net, an AI education and management consultancy.
Cost and anonymity
Mental health support is a growing challenge worldwide, health advocates say.
An estimated one billion people worldwide were living with anxiety and depression pre-Covid - 82% of them in low- and middle-income countries, according to the World Health Organisation.
The pandemic increased that number by about 27%, the WHO estimates.
Mental health treatment is also divided along income lines, with cost a major barrier to access.
Researchers warn that while the affordability of AI therapy can be alluring, tech companies must be wary of enforcing health care disparities.
People without internet access run the risk of being left behind, or patients with health insurance might access in-person therapy visits while those without are left with the cheaper chatbot option, according to the Brookings Institution.
Privacy protection
Despite the growth in popularity of chatbots for mental health support worldwide, privacy concerns are still a major risk for users, the Mozilla Foundation found in research published in May 2022.
Of 32 mental health and prayer apps, like Talkspace, Woebot and Calm, analysed by the tech non-profit, 28 were flagged for "strong concerns over user data management", and 25 failed to meet security standards like requiring strong passwords.
Mozilla researcher Misha Rykov described the apps as "data-sucking machines with a mental health app veneer", that open up the possibility of users' data being collected by insurance and data brokers and social media companies.
For example, mental health Woebot was highlighted in the research for "sharing personal information with third parties".
Woebot says that while it promotes the app using targeted Facebook ads, "no personal data is shared or sold to these marketing/advertising partners", and that it gives users the option of deleting all their data upon request.
The Mozilla Foundation has since reviewed its assessment in April, saying on its website that "after we published our review, Woebot reached out to us and open up a conversation to address our concerns."
"The result of those conversations were updates to their privacy policy that better clarify how they protect their users' privacy. So now... we feel pretty good about Woebot's privacy."
AI experts have warned against virtual therapy companies losing sensitive data to cyber breaches.
"AI chatbots face the same privacy risk as more traditional chatbots or any online service that accept personal information from a user," said Eliot Bendinelli, a senior technologist at rights group Privacy International.
In South Africa, mental health app Panda is due to launch an AI-generated "digital companion" to chat with users, provide suggestions on treatment and, with users' consent, give scores and insights about users to traditional therapists also accessible on the app.
"The companion does not replace traditional forms of therapy but augments it and supports people in their daily lives," said Panda founder Alon Lits.
Panda encrypts all backups and access to AI conversations is completely private, Lits said in emailed comments.
Tech experts like Steyn hope that robust regulation will eventually be able to "protect against unethical AI practices, strengthen data security, and keep healthcare standards consistent".
From the United States to the EU, lawmakers are racing to regulate AI tools and pushing the industry to adopt a voluntary code of conduct while new laws are developed.
Empathy
Nonetheless, anonymity and a lack of perceived judgment are why people like 45-year-old Tim, a warehouse manager from Britain, turned to ChatGPT instead of a human therapist.
"I know it's just a large language model and it doesn't 'know' anything, but this actually makes it easier to talk about issues I don't talk to anyone else about," said Tim - not his real name - who turned to the bot to ward off his chronic loneliness.
Research shows that chatbots' empathy can outweigh that of humans.
A 2023 study in the American JAMA internal medicine journal evaluated chatbot and physician answers to 195 randomly drawn patient questions from a social media forum.
They found that the bot's answers were rated "significantly higher for both quality and empathy" compared to the physician's.
Researchers deduced that "artificial intelligence assistants may be able to aid in drafting responses to patient questions", not replace physicians altogether.`
But while bots may simulate empathy, this will never be the same as the human empathy people long for when they call a helpline, said former NEDA counsellor Doyle.
"We should be using technology to work alongside us humans, not replace us," she said.


India passes 6 million Covid-19 cases

India has booked more than six million confirmed coronavirus cases.As of Monday, it became only the second country in the world to do so, beaten to the dubious record by the US.To break the six-million-case total, India recorded over 80,000 new cases in the past 24 hours, according to figures released by the health and family welfare ministry.However, there are signs that the pandemic could finally be slowing down.It took 12 days for India’s caseload to go from five million to six million, which is a day more than the previous one-million rise.In another positive sign, recoveries from the virus stand at more than five million, which is more than 80% of all cases.Despite a small slowdown in the spread of the infections over the past 10 days, India continues to add the highest number of daily cases in the world.The average daily count this week (Sept 21-27) was more than 84,000, according to the Times of India.There are also signs that the percentage of recoveries is increasing.In India, patients with mild to moderate symptoms are considered recovered after 10 days of first symptoms showing if they meet certain conditions. A test to confirm that they no longer have the virus is not required.The only other country to report more cases than India, the US, now has more than 7.1 million infections, according to Johns Hopkins University.


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Not so fast: Brakes on HSR project reflect global concerns on cost-benefits of speed trains

The multi-level destructive effect of Covid-19 on Malaysia’s economy and finances has been cited as a key factor in forcing Putrajaya to call off its agreement with Singapore on the construction of the high-speed rail (HSR).“The pandemic rendered the original terms of the 2016 bilateral agreement no longer sustainable for Malaysia.“The government was forced to revisit the structure and business model stated in the agreement,” a source familiar with discussions on the recalibration of several mega projects told MalaysiaNow.The debate on the HSR is not unique. For the last decade, similar projects to provide super-fast trains between cities have riled up critics from economists and environmentalists to transportation experts.The KL-Singapore project was terminated after Malaysia allowed the bilateral agreement to lapse on the deadline of Dec 31, 2020. Malaysia will pay an undisclosed amount of compensation to Singapore.Both governments said they were unable to reach an agreement, with Singapore citing differences over an assets company for the project as well as a plan to re-route the line to KLIA as among the points of contention.Months of reviews on the HSR project had led Putrajaya to draw up a new proposal taking into account post-pandemic economic realities.Malaysia said the revised model is used around the world in countries including Europe and the UK, Japan and South Korea.It said its new proposal for the project would also avoid Malaysia giving guarantees of some RM60 billion for 30 years to the assets company, to be selected jointly with Singapore.The assets company was responsible for designing, building, financing, operating and maintaining the rails assets for the HSR.“The pandemic rendered the original terms of the 2016 bilateral agreement no longer sustainable for Malaysia.”Under the agreement, Malaysia would have to pay the company a guaranteed total of RM60 billion for the next 30 years, or RM2 billion annually.Mustapa Mohamed, the minister in charge of economy in the Prime Minister’s Department, recently said that using an assets company was not only no longer tenable and costly in view of the impact of Covid-19 on the government’s finances, but also a model used by no other country including China which has a high-speed network of over 30,000km.“So what Malaysia was seeking was to avoid this huge payment, and at the same time giving it more flexibility in financing the project.”Malaysia was looking to save 30% of the cost through the changes, which included re-routing the tracks and re-designing stations.It also proposed that the project could take off two years earlier, a move it said would set off a chain effect of employment and business opportunities.The HSR project was first suspended when the previous Pakatan Harapan government sought to review several mega projects started by former prime minister Najib Razak, citing financial constraints and Malaysia’s huge debt burden.Debate on HSR benefitsWhen it was announced in 2016, Najib said the HSR could allow travellers to “have breakfast in Kuala Lumpur, lunch in Singapore and be back in time for dinner in Kuala Lumpur”.But critics said the cost of a ride, estimated at RM400 per round trip, would be prohibitive for the average traveller who could spend less travelling by air.The fare was also highly speculative, and could have increased even if heavily subsidised by the government.“With Malaysia’s current fiscal issues, and more pressing transportation needs, I don’t think that’s a necessary or responsible investment,” Adam Minter, an award-winning financial journalist with Bloomberg, had said in 2018.Minter, who described the project as “highly political”, also questioned a claim by supporters of the HSR that 22 million people would ride the line by 2036.“Even cut in half, such a projection is unrealistic,” Minter said, adding that between March 2017 and February 2018, only four million people flew the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur route.Minter also said that the HSR could be financially justified only if it catered to premium travellers, drawing on the experience of Japan’s Shinkansen, the world’s first HSR which managed to turn a profit despite its costly fare.“With Malaysia’s current fiscal issues, and more pressing transportation needs, I don’t think that’s a necessary or responsible investment.”In comparison, though, China’s cheaper HSR was losing money, he said.“For Singapore-Kuala Lumpur to avoid being a long-term fiscal burden, it’d presumably need to follow Japan’s model, which would inevitably limit ridership from the lower-income Malaysian side,” he added.Track records of HSRsGenerally, a train line with speeds above 250kph is considered as HSR.Japan first introduced its speed trains in 1964, followed by France and other European countries in the 80s.Among the more recent fans of HSR lines is China, which only started developing its own in the 1990s. It is estimated that China’s HSR network could reach over 38,000km by 2025.But despite the speed and ease at which it could transport passengers between cities, critics say a HSR system in a developing country is elitist, unnecessary and a waste of funds.Most people shuttling to work on a daily basis between distant cities are those who cannot afford to pay a premium for faster travel.In Britain, a debate has been ongoing on the ambitious 160km HS2, a high-speed train linking London and Birmingham.The project, which started last September and is expected to be completed by 2040, will cost £100 billion (RM546 billion), up from the original estimate of £56 billion.Like the KL-Singapore link, supporters claim it will generate profit, economic growth, and benefits to consumers and local economies.But critics said the money should instead be spent upgrading other train lines as well as bus networks.“The point of any investment is to meet needs or goals; these are what determine why and how we invest scarce funds. The concern with HS2 – the biggest transport investment in UK history – is that the means (HS2) have overshadowed the ends (economy, environment and rail capacity), with no assurance that the two are truly connected,” said sustainability think tank, the New Economics Foundation.Spain’s experience in the development of its HSR which spans over 3,000km – second only to China’s – has often been cited as a case study in the debate on fast trains.But last year, a think tank on financial check and balance, the Independent Authority of Fiscal Responsibility, or Airef, concluded that the US$72 billion network was not worth the money spent, despite the doubling of passengers over the decade which impacted domestic air travel.Any future decision to carry on with the HSR in Malaysia must take into account the failures and successes of such a system in different countries.At the end of the day, it’s not all about speed.


China says Covid has exacerbated decline in births, marriages

China's National Health Commission said Covid-19 has contributed to the decline in the country's marriage and birth rates that has accelerated in recent years due to the high costs of education and child-rearing.
Many women are continuing to delay their plans to marry or have children, it said, adding that rapid economic and social developments have led to "profound changes".
Young people relocating to urban areas, more time spent on education and high-pressure working environments have also played their part, it added.
Demographers have also said that China's uncompromising "zero-Covid" policy of promptly stamping out any outbreaks with strict controls on people's lives may have caused profound, lasting damage on their desire to have children.
"The coronavirus has also had a clear impact on the marriage and childbirth arrangements of some people," the commission said.
The comments were sent to Reuters via fax late on Monday in response to questions on the topic.
New births in China are set to fall to record lows this year, demographers say, with forecasts calling for a drop below 10 million compared to last year's 10.6 million babies - a level 11.5% lower than in 2020.
China had a fertility rate of 1.16 in 2021, one of the lowest rates in the world and below the 2.1 rate the OECD sees as necessary for a stable population. Having imposed a one-child policy from 1980 to 2015, China has acknowledged its population is on brink of shrinking - a potential crisis that will test its ability to pay and care for its elderly.
To counter the problem, authorities at national and provincial levels have over the past year introduced measures such as tax breaks, longer maternity leave, enhanced medical insurance, housing subsidies and extra money for a third child.


US destroys last chemical weapons as watchdog hails milestone

President Joe Biden announced Friday that the US has fully destroyed its decades-old stockpiles of chemical weapons, a milestone hailed as completing the elimination around the world of all known stores of the agents of mass death.
"Today, I am proud to announce that the US has safely destroyed the final munition in that stockpile – bringing us one step closer to a world free from the horrors of chemical weapons," Biden said.
The US was the last of the signatories of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which came into effect in 1997, to complete the task of destroying their "declared" stockpiles, though some states are believed to maintain secret reserves of chemical weapons.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons called the milestone a "historic success" of disarmament, more than one century after the uncontrolled use of chemical gases during World War I produced mass deaths and maiming of troops.
The US announcement meant that all the world's declared chemical weapons stockpiles were "verified as irreversibly destroyed," the OPCW said.
"I congratulate all states parties, and the United States of America in this instance, on this major achievement for the international community," said OPCW director-general Fernando Arias.
Biden said it was the first time "an entire category of declared weapons of mass destruction" has been verified as destroyed.
Lethal mustard gas, sarin, VX
The announcement came after the Blue Grass Army Depot, a US Army facility in Kentucky, recently completed its four-year job of eliminating some 500 tonnes of lethal chemical agents, the last batch held by the US military.
The US had held for decades stores of artillery projectiles and rockets that contained mustard gases, VX and sarin nerve agents, and blister agents.
Such weapons were condemned widely after their use with horrendous results in World War I.
They were not used significantly in World War II, but many countries retained and further developed them in the years afterward.
The most prominent use since the 1970s was Iraq's nerve gas attacks on Iran during their war in the 1980s.
More recently, the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on opponents during the country's civil war, according to the OPCW and other bodies.
Doubly dangerous work
The Chemical Weapons Convention, agreed in 1993 and coming into effect in 1997, gave the United States until Sept 30 this year to destroy all of its chemical agents and munitions.
Other signatories to the pact had already eliminated their holdings – altogether some 72,000 tonnes since the treaty came into effect, according to the OPCW.
According to the US Arms Control Association, in 1990 the US held nearly 28,600 tonnes of chemical weapons, the world's second largest store after Russia.
With the ebb of the Cold War the superpowers and other countries joined together to negotiate the Chemical Weapons Convention.
Eliminating the stockpiles, doubly dangerous because it means neutralising not only the chemical agents but also the munitions they are contained in, was a slow process.
Russia completed destroying its declared stockpiles in 2017.
By April 2022, the US had less than 600 tonnes left to destroy.
Biden called for continued vigilance to ensure all chemical weapons around the world are destroyed and for the four countries that haven't signed or ratified the treaty – Egypt, Israel, North Korea and South Sudan – to do so.
Currently four signatory countries are considered not in compliance on suspicion of having undeclared stockpiles: Myanmar, Iran, Russia and Syria.
"Russia and Syria should return to compliance with the Chemical Weapons Convention and admit their undeclared programmes, which have been used to commit brazen atrocities and attacks," Biden said.


The student rocket scientists looking to propel Malaysia to greater heights

All is silent at the aerospace faculty of Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), a dark red building lying quiet and apparently devoid of activity in a corner of the university compound.In a small air-conditioned room, though, ideas are bouncing off the ceiling as a group of students discuss what is quite literally rocket science.Surrounded by her teammates, A Vanmitha squints at a computer screen showing the image of a rocket.In an adjoining lab, several young men are checking fibreglass parts of the rocket itself.They are part of a group of 12 dubbed the Wau Rocketry team. Together, they are designing and building a rocket which they plan to enter in the world’s largest student rocket competition – the Spaceport America Cup, which will be held in New Mexico in June.A Wau Rocketry team member looks at a diagram of their rocket, to be submitted at the Spaceport America Cup in June.For now, their rocket is still being developed. But the sky’s the limit for this team of enthusiastic young students – the first in Malaysia to enter the prestigious contest.“I decided to put this group together after learning that the competition would be held physically in the US,” team leader Vanmitha told MalaysiaNow. “Last year, they held it online.“We are the only team representing Malaysia,” she added. “In Southeast Asia, Singapore and Thailand are also sending their own teams.”More than 40 countries in total are expected to participate in the Spaceport America Cup, involving some 1,700 students.Vanmitha, who is in her fifth semester at USM’s aerospace faculty, said the university got 92nd place out of the 151 eligible teams.“At the elimination stage, the rockets will be judged solely on the data and stimulations in the OpenRocket software.”Wau Rocketry team leader A Vanmitha speaks in an interview with MalaysiaNow.The Spaceport America Cup was first held in 2017. It comprises two general categories: the 10,000ft launch and the 30,000ft launch.Within these categories, students can choose to enter the sub-group of “commercial off the shelf” or “student research and development”.Each entry will be judged based on three criteria: maximum altitude, recovery of fallen pieces, and the live streaming of data to the on-field station.Wau Rocketry intends to compete in the 10,000ft commercial off the shelf category.Their rocket, “Hebat”, will reach a full length of 2.87m and weigh 22.67kg.It is designed to use an Aerotech M1850 solid propellant motor, and will carry a nano satellite created by USM to be launched at a height of 900ft.“This nano satellite will collect mission data such as air and environment pressure, ultraviolet rays, and the effects of pollution in the New Mexico area, and will land using GPS,” Vanmitha said.Instead of using a conventional parachute, she added, the satellite will be borne to earth using a drone.Team members work with sheets of resin in their lab, to be used as part of the rocket’s body.The main challenge is the fact that they cannot test the rocket for launch in Malaysia. This is one of the conditions set by the organisers.“We will launch the rocket just once, at the competition itself,” Vanmitha said. “It’s do or die.”The rocket will be assembled in the US, given that some of the parts can only be obtained there.Wau Rocketry is guided by SpaceIn chief operating officer Ahmad Tamimi Ahmad Termizi and Julian Chee Yie Jian, an aerospace engineering student at Wichita State University.The teammates’ lecturers, Norilmi Amilia Ismail and Chang Wei Shyang, are also on hand for further guidance and advice.Tamimi hopes that the team’s participation in the contest will direct the attention of the public as well as the government to the potential of the rocket industry in Malaysia.Students from USM’s aerospace faculty pose for a group shot.“We have a lot of potential because our country is located on the equator,” he said. “This allows Malaysia to be a rocket launch site at both land and sea.”In terms of cost, technology and skills, he said, it was doable.“We just need a high level of commitment from the government.”He said Malaysia currently lags far behind neighbouring countries in this regard, despite its aerospace industry beginning ahead of theirs.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the rocket industry needs demand to continue developing.“Research in local rocket development has been conducted since the 1980s, but there has been little support from the government,” he said.“This is why our progress is very slow.”


UK to remove Chinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive government sites

Britain has committed to the removal of Chinese-made surveillance equipment from sensitive government sites as part of its latest plans to address national security concerns related to China.
Under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who has cast China as the world's greatest challenge to security and prosperity, the government told its departments last year to stop installing Chinese-linked surveillance cameras at sensitive buildings.
In an announcement setting out a proposed tightening of procurement rules, the government said:
"We will also commit to publish a timeline for the removal of surveillance equipment produced by companies subject to China’s National Intelligence Law from sensitive central government sites.
"By committing to this timeline, we are providing reassurance and urgency around the removal plans."
The statement did not name specific companies.
British lawmakers have previously called for a ban on the sale and use of security cameras made by Hikvision and Dahua, two partly state-owned Chinese firms, over privacy fears and concerns of the companies' products being linked to human rights abuses in China.
"We believe that the possible action by the UK Government is a further step up of the mounting geopolitical tensions being expressed through technology bans, which by no means relates to the security of Hikvision’s products," Hikvision said in a statement via e-mail.
Beijing has said it "firmly opposes" overstretching the concept of national security to suppress Chinese enterprises.
Britain barred TikTok on government phones in March this year, while in 2020 it said it would ban Huawei from its 5G network. Some US states have banned vendors and products from several Chinese technology companies.


Bersatu women’s wing maintains support for PM Muhyiddin

Bersatu’s women’s wing today said it would stand with Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in facing the 15th general election, adding that it is prepared to contest all seats if Umno does not accept it.Its chief Rina Harun said healthy politics and the creation of a sense of peace and harmony for the people are important in ensuring public order and economic stability, especially as the country is facing the threats brought on by the global coronavirus pandemic.“I believe that people’s livelihoods have been very affected by Covid-19. Therefore, as an elected representative, I and all members of Bersatu’s women’s wing will continue to listen to the people’s grievances at the grassroots and will not add to the problems.“This is the time to put the people first, especially in the implementation of the various economic stimulus initiatives announced for the people’s wellbeing, such as the Prihatin Rakyat Economic Stimulus Package (Prihatin), the National Economic Recovery Plan (Penjana), the Malaysian Economic and Rakyat’s Protection Assistance Package (Permai) and the Strategic Programme to Empower the People and Economy (Pemerkasa),” she said in a statement today.She also said the wing would continue to uphold the party’s principles of prioritising unity and harmony among Malaysia’s multiracial and multi-religious communities, preserving political stability and national security, and steering the country towards sustainable economic growth.She added that all forms of provocation and attempts to shake political stability should be stopped.She also called on all quarters to stay united regardless of their political ideologies in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic, saying focus should be given to the government’s efforts to develop herd immunity through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme.


Ministries to hold urgent talks as Indonesia halts entry of workers

The human resources ministry will hold urgent discussions with the home ministry about Indonesia's decision to temporarily halt the entry of its workers into Malaysia.
The human resources ministry, in a statement, said discussions would be held immediately to address issues related to the entry of workers from the neighbouring country, including Indonesian domestic helpers.
Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Hermono was reported as saying that an official letter had been sent to Human Resources Minister M Saravanan on Tuesday regarding Indonesia’s decision to temporarily stop sending workers to Malaysia.
Hermono said the decision was due to allegations of a breach in the terms of agreement on the recruitment and protection of domestic helpers signed by the two countries.
He also said the move was taken following the use of the Maid Online System by the Malaysian Immigration Department in the recruitment of Indonesian domestic helpers, which was deemed to be a violation of the agreement signed on April 1.


Verdict in Rosmah’s graft case moved to Sept 1

The High Court today set Sept 1 as the new date for delivering its judgment on Rosmah Mansor’s corruption case involving a RM1.25 billion hybrid solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.The date was fixed by deputy registrar Catherine Nicholas during case management in her chambers, attended by deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn and Rosmah’s lawyers Jagjit Singh and Akberdin Abdul Kader.Akberdin told reporters that the defence was asked to attend the case management proceedings today in a letter dated June 29.“The (relevant) parties turned up today and the court rescheduled the judgment date to Sept 1, at 9am,” he said.Poh, who confirmed the matter, said judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan wanted to deliver his ruling in August but the parties concerned only agreed to a September date.Zaini had earlier set July 7 for delivering his decision on whether to acquit or convict the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak of her three corruption charges.On Feb 18 last year, Rosmah, 70, was ordered to enter her defence against the three charges after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.She faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.The bribes were allegedly received through her former aide Rizal Mansor as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel generator sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools worth RM1.25 billion from the education ministry through direct negotiation.On June 24 this year, Rosmah filed her latest application to challenge the appointment of Gopal Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor in the corruption case and asked for the whole trial, which started in 2018, to be declared null and void.The application for leave for judicial review will be heard before High Court judge (appeals and special powers) Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid on July 6.Rosmah had earlier filed a similar application at the Criminal High Court in Kuala Lumpur. However, her application was rejected by the High Court, as were her appeals on this application to the Court of Appeal and Federal Court.


RM28 billion for subsidies, aid and incentives in Budget 2021

The government has allocated RM28 billion for subsidies, aid, and incentives for targeted sectors in Budget 2021, an increase of RM400 million from the RM27.5 billion set aside last year.This is about 8.4% of total operating expenditure in the budget, presented by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.Although he acknowledged that the government could not afford to maintain such an amount, he said the budget – the first tabled by the Perikatan Nasional government since it took over Putrajaya early this year – had taken into consideration the heightened need for assistance, especially through the welfare department.Aid channelled through the department, together with the Cost of Living Aid or BSH, is expected to benefit half a million recipients.Sectors given an increase in subsidies, aid and incentives in Budget 2021 include agriculture (RM24 million) and fishery (RM25 million). The transportation sector received RM122 million while RM87 million was set aside for community aid and religious assistance. RM34 million was allocated for aid in the health sector, education received RM319 million, while RM101 million was set aside for allowances and other forms of aid.Allocations were however reduced for five sectors: rubber farming (RM15 million), consumers (RM1.185 billion), security (RM64 million), scholarships and student loans (RM217 million), and loan interest (RM84 million).The allocation for the padi sector remained unchanged at RM1.55 billion.Budget 2021 also saw an increase in allocation for fishermen’s living allowances, from RM250 a month to RM300, which is expected to benefit over 52,000 fishermen.


Rebranded Jasa to be multiracial, not political, minister says

Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah today assured that the Department of Community Communications (J-KOM), previously known as the Department of Special Affairs or Jasa, would be non-political in nature.In an interview with the media in conjunction with the one-year anniversary of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) administration, he said the programmes planned under the department would include every race and level of society.“It’s important to understand that J-KOM isn’t political. It is multiracial and will be structured according to region, not electoral districts,” he said, adding that this would be more appropriate for J-KOM as a government agency.He also said the first programme under J-KOM would involve communications for people with disabilities or OKU.For now, though, the department has yet to begin operations, he said, adding that job vacancies would be advertised in the near future.“We don’t have enough sign language interpreters,” he said. “We will ensure that every region has its own sign language interpreters, including for every government event.”He said these interpreters will not be required to work as full-time staff at J-KOM although they must at least receive training under the department.This follows complaints from sign language interpretors on television who said the space allocated for them on-screen was too small.“If you can’t hear what someone else is saying, you can increase the volume. But if you can’t see the signs from the signer, you can’t enlarge the screen,” he said.J-KOM previously sparked controversy due to its RM85.5 allocation in Budget 2021 under the name of Jasa.Critics including several former ministers had questioned the amount before the budget was debated in the Dewan Rakyat, calling it excessive.The allocation was later reduced to RM40.5 million.Saifuddin also said the programmes implemented by the Pakatan Harapan administration would be continued by Perikatan Nasional according to the ministry’s 2019-2023 strategic plan.“However, we reviewed this to ensure that it is in line with the Covid-19 situation,” he added.“This means that the ministry has made several amendments and is focusing on one or two new things as well.”


Indonesia recovers first black box from crashed plane

A black box from the crashed Indonesian passenger jet has been recovered, officials said Tuesday, a discovery that could offer critical clues to explaining why the plane with 62 people aboard slammed into the sea.Divers just off the coast of the capital Jakarta hauled the jet’s flight data recorder to the surface, as the hunt continues for its cockpit voice recorder.Indonesian transport minister Budi Karya Sumadi told a live television briefing that the box had been found – after the Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-500 plunged about 10,000 feet (3,000m) in less than a minute before slamming into the Java Sea Saturday.An AFP reporter on a navy ship said investigators started picking up strong signals from an area where they were searching, with divers able to retrieve the box in about an hour from the wreckage-littered seabed.So far authorities have been unable to explain why the 26-year-old plane crashed just four minutes after takeoff.Black box data – which record information about the speed, altitude and direction of the plane as well as flight crew conversations – helps explain nearly 90% of all crashes, according to aviation experts.Sumadi added officials believe the cockpit voice recorder is nearby that of flight data recorder.“We strongly believe it’ll be found soon,” he said.Some 3,600 personnel are taking part in the recovery effort, assisted by dozens of boats and helicopters flying over small islands off the capital’s coast.The agency deployed a remotely operated vehicle to assist the divers.‘Hoping for a miracle’Scores of body bags filled with human remains were being taken to a police morgue where forensic investigators hope to identify victims by matching fingerprints or DNA with distraught relatives – some held out hope of survivors.“We haven’t accepted it yet,” Inda Gunawan said of his brother Didik Gunardi who was on the doomed Saturday flight.“Our family is still hoping for a miracle that he is still alive.”Authorities have identified flight attendant Okky Bisma, 29, as the first confirmed victim after matching fingerprints from a retrieved hand to those in a government identity database.“Rest in peace up there darling and wait for me… in heaven,” Okky Bisma’s wife Aldha Refa wrote on Instagram.There were 10 children among the passengers on the half-full plane, which had experienced pilots at the controls as it left Jakarta bound for Pontianak city on Borneo island on a 90-minute flight.A transport safety agency investigator has said the crew did not declare an emergency or report technical problems with the plane before its dive, and that the 737 was likely intact when it hit the water.Search-and-rescue agency chief Soerjanto Tjahjono echoed that view earlier Tuesday, pointing to the relatively small area where debris was scattered in about 23m of water.“The size is consistent with the assumption that the plane didn’t explode before hitting the water,” he added.“The damage seen on the retrieved fan blade also shows that the engine was still working” at the time of the crash.The crash probe was likely to take months, but a preliminary report was expected in 30 days.Aviation analysts said flight-tracking data showed the plane sharply deviated from its intended course before it went into a steep dive.Plagued by safety concernsSriwijaya Air, which flies to destinations in Indonesia and across Southeast Asia, has had safety incidents including runway overruns.But it has not had a fatal crash since starting operations in 2003.Its CEO has said the jet, which was previously flown by US-based Continental Airlines and United Airlines, was in fit condition.Indonesia’s fast-growing aviation sector has long been plagued by safety concerns, and its airlines were once banned from US and European airspace.In October 2018, 189 people were killed when a Lion Air Boeing 737 MAX jet crashed near Jakarta.That accident – and another in Ethiopia – led to the grounding of the 737 MAX worldwide.The 737 that went down Saturday was first produced decades ago and was not a MAX variant.


Street fighting, constant shellling as Russia pushes for control of Ukraine’s Donbas

Ukrainian troops were engaged in fierce street fighting with Russian soldiers in the industrial city of Sievierodonetsk, while other towns were under constant shelling, as the Kremlin pushed for control of the eastern Donbas region.Sievierodonetsk has become the main target of the Russian offensive in the Donbas, comprising Luhansk and Donetsk provinces, as the invasion grinds on in a war of attrition that has seen cities laid waste by artillery barrages.“In the city, fierce street fighting continues,” Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said in his nightly video address on Monday.“They outnumber us, they are more powerful,” Zelensky told reporters at a briefing. But Ukraine’s forces have “every chance” of fighting back, he added.Ukraine’s defence ministry said Russia was also throwing troops and equipment into its drive to capture the largest remaining Ukrainian-held city in Luhansk.Luhansk Governor Serhiy Gaidai said earlier on Monday the situation had worsened after Ukrainian defenders had pushed back the Russians over the weekend as they seemed close to victory.In its nightly update, the Ukrainian military said two civilians were killed in Russian shelling in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions on Monday and that Russian forces had fired at more than 20 communities.In addition to artillery shelling, the enemy fired from planes and helicopters in the Donetsk region, Ukraine’s general staff said on Tuesday.Reuters could not independently verify the battlefield reports. Russia denies targeting civilians in the conflict.Russia says it is on a mission to “liberate” the Donbas – partly held by separatist proxies of Moscow since 2014 – after Ukrainian forces pushed its troops back from the capital Kyiv and Ukraine’s second city Kharkiv in the war’s early stages.Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb 24, but calls its action a “special military operation” to stamp out what it sees as threats to its security. Ukraine and its Western allies call this a baseless pretext for a war to grab territory that risks turning into a wider European conflict.Constant shellingUkraine’s defence ministry said on Monday that Russian forces were also advancing towards Sloviansk, which lies about 85km (53 miles) to the west of Sievierodonetsk.“The front line is under constant shelling,” Donetsk regional governor Pavlo Kyrylenko told Ukrainian television.“The enemy is also shelling near Lyman with the aim of wrecking our defensive positions and advancing on Sloviansk and Kramatorsk. There is also shelling of Svyatohirsk with the same aim,” he added.Kyrylenko said efforts were underway to evacuate people from several towns, some under day and night attack, including Sloviansk which has about 24,000 residents still there.“People are now understanding, though it is late, that it is time to leave,” he said.Britain’s defence ministry said on Twitter on Tuesday that Russia’s broader plan likely continues to be to cut off the Sievierodonetsk area from both the north and the south.Russia’s progress made through May on the southern Popasna axis has stalled over the last week, while reports of heavy shelling near Izium suggests Russia was preparing to make a renewed effort on the northern axis, the ministry said.“Russia will almost certainly need to achieve a breakthrough on at least one of these axes to translate tactical gains to operational level success and progress towards its political objective of controlling all of Donetsk Oblast,” it said.Reuters could not immediately verify the ministry’s report.In a move coordinated with the US, Britain said it would supply Ukraine with multiple-launch rocket systems that can strike targets up to 80km (50 miles) away, providing the more precise, long-range firepower needed to reach Russian artillery batteries.Zelensky said Kyiv was gradually receiving “specific anti-ship systems”, and that these would be the best way to end a Russian blockade of Ukrainian Black Sea ports preventing grain exports.Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would respond to Western deliveries of long-range weapons by pushing Ukrainian forces further back from Russia’s border.On Sunday, President Vladimir Putin said Russia would strike new targets if the West supplied longer-range missiles. The same day, Russian missiles hit Kyiv for the first time in more than a month.The US, which reopened its embassy in Kyiv in May after an almost three-month closure, said its embassy posture in the Ukrainian capital remains unchanged.Western countries have imposed sanctions of unprecedented sweep and severity on Russia over its invasion.On Monday, Russia’s foreign ministry said it had slapped personal sanctions on 61 US officials including the treasury and energy secretaries and leading defence and media executives. The move, it said, was in retaliation for “constantly expanding US sanctions”.


Planes, dry ice, pharmacies: the logistical challenges of Covid-19 vaccines

The US could be the first country to launch one of the most ambitious vaccine operations in history: distributing and administering up to 600 million doses of a Covid-19 vaccine in just a few months.Massive vaccine campaigns are nothing new – they have been carried out for decades in the fight against the measles and flu, for example.But stamping out the coronavirus is a distinctly new challenge due to three factors: the short time frame for inoculating a huge number of people, the fact that most vaccines will require two doses, and the very low temperature at which some of the vaccines must be stored.The vaccine developed by US pharmaceutical giant Pfizer and Germany’s BioNTech, on track to be the first authorised for use in the US, must be stored at -94 degrees Fahrenheit (-70 degrees Celsius), whereas the flu vaccine can be kept in a normal refrigerator.Pfizer vaccines distributed in the US will come from its largest manufacturing plant located in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Their ship-out will include a precise, clockwork-like dance of containers, trucks and planes.Thermal shipping containers will each be filled with dry ice and 975 vials of the vaccine which each contain five doses, for a total of 4,875 doses.Every day six trucks will take the doses to air carriers such as FedEx, UPS or DHL, which will deliver them across the US in one to two days and across the globe in three, Pfizer told AFP.The company expects an average of 20 daily cargo flights worldwide.FedEx had to obtain special permission from civil aviation authorities to transport so much dry ice, which could pose a danger to the crew should it accidentally undergo “sublimation” and pass from a solid to a gas, the company told AFP.Once the boxes have reached their final destination, they can be opened only briefly just two times a day.“To run a large mass vaccination clinic, it’s fine,” said Julie Swann, a pandemic response expert at North Carolina State University.But the vaccine would not be suitable for distribution at doctors’ offices or pharmacies, which are too small, she warned.At least in the beginning Americans will have to go to hospitals or maybe even large distribution centres set up in parking lots much like Covid test sites, she said.The vaccines can remain in their boxes for two weeks meaning hospitals will not need a special freezer.“We’re not recommending at this time that hospitals or clinics purchase ultra cold equipment,” said Janell Routh of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Poor countries laterUS biotech giant Moderna is also manufacturing a vaccine, which can be stored at -4 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature of a normal freezer.The US government is organising a free distribution of this vaccine to US states and territories, with each jurisdiction to decide how to distribute the doses to hospitals, pharmacies, doctors or even universities and companies will distribute the doses, in a decentralised system much like what was used for the H1N1 flu pandemic in 2009.“The federal government does not intend, with very, very few exceptions, to touch a single dose of vaccine before it goes into the arm of Americans,” said Paul Mango, an Operation Warp Speed official, during a briefing.The objective is to offer vaccines to the most vulnerable populations before the end of December, to healthcare workers before the end of January and all Americans by the beginning of April.Pfizer expects to produce 50 million doses this year and 1.3 billion in 2021: The US has already ordered 100 million total including 20-30 million for delivery before the end of December. The European Union meanwhile has ordered 200 million, Japan 120 million, Britain 30 million and Canada 20 million.Moderna, AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sanofi and others are hoping their own vaccines will also prove safe and effective, and their global rollout will follow suit.Carrier DHL estimates that 15 million cooling boxes would need to be delivered over the next two years, with approximately 15,000 flights needed worldwide.Poorer countries that lack storage capacity for large quantities of vaccines that need super-cold storage have little hope of benefiting from the first doses, said Prashant Yadav, an expert in global health supply chains at the Center for Global Development.Ultracold freezers that can reach temperatures of -112 degrees Fahrenheit cost five times more than standard freezers and are only made to order, he said.


29 polluted rivers identified in 2022

A total of 29 or 4% of the 672 rivers in the country were found to be polluted last year, said Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change Deputy Minister Datuk Seri Huang Tiong Sii.
He said the data was based on monitoring by the Department of Environment (DoE) which found that the water quality index for these rivers was in the polluted category for that period.
"In dealing with the pollution of these rivers, which is caused by chemical waste disposal, livestock farming and mining activities, the ministry through the DoE has taken various measures including at the enforcement, planning and study levels.
"Among the measures implemented are enhancing enforcement for the causes of pollution subject to the Environmental Quality Act 1974 (Act 127), ensuring development projects are based on EIA (environmental impact assessment), identifying the location of the complaint and integrated operations with enforcement agencies," he said.
He said this in his reply to a question from Sh Mohmed Puzi Sh Ali (BN-Pekan) on the latest list of polluted rivers in Malaysia and how strict the ministry is in addressing the issue of river pollution in the country during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Huang said DoE will continuously monitor water quality through the environmental quality monitoring programme, adding that there are 30 automatic monitoring stations and 1,353 manual monitoring stations for river water quality monitoring nationwide.
"The ministry will also increase the use of river water quality monitoring data and information to plan and organise enforcement strategies to ensure that this issue can be dealt with effectively and the balance of the ecological system can be maintained.
"The ministry is also conducting a study to introduce a new approach to control river pollution through the Total Maximum Daily Load or TMDL method," he said.


After meeting Anwar and Muhyiddin, Agong to call 30 BN MPs

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah will meet the 30 MPs from Barisan Nasional (BN) on an individual basis tomorrow, as the political drama surrounding the prime minister candidate and the formation of a new government continues.
Istana Negara said the audiences would be held from 10.30am onwards at the palace in Kuala Lumpur.
"This process is to allow His Majesty to decide on the appointment of an MP who, in his opinion, might command the majority support of the Dewan Rakyat as prime minister, as provided for under Article 43(2)(a) of the Federal Constitution," it said.
"The king urges and advises all people to remain patient and calm until the process of forming a new government and appointing the 10th prime minister of Malaysia is complete."
This follows an audience with Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim and his counterpart from Perikatan Nasional (PN), Muhyiddin Yassin, which was widely expected to put an end to the days of uncertainty.
However, Anwar said after the audience that no decision had been made.
BN, which performed badly at the general election on Saturday, had said that it was content to play the role of the opposition.
Earlier today, caretaker prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said that BN would support neither PH nor PN for the formation of the next government.
BN secretary-general Zambry Abd Kadir later said that no MPs from BN had given their support to Muhyiddin as the next prime minister, adding that the matter had been conveyed to the king.
"The Supreme Council is also taking an open stand on talks with the relevant parties, to ensure that a government can be formed for the good of the country and the well-being of the people," he said.
While BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and several other leaders had held talks with PH leaders in the wake of the election, the Umno president is also under intense pressure from MPs who refuse to cooperate with their long-time foe.
There have also been calls, including from within his own coalition, for him to step down following BN's poor performance at the polls.


Guan Eng withdraws appeal against dismissal of transfer bid to High Court

Former Penang chief minister Lim Guan Eng has withdrawn his appeal at the Federal Court against a lower court's dismissal of his bid to transfer his undersea tunnel corruption trial from the Sessions Court to the High Court.
Lim's counsel, Haijan Omar, as well as deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin, confirmed the matter when contacted by Bernama.
Wan Shaharuddin said the notice of discontinuance of the appeal was filed at around noon today.
Both he and Haijan said the Federal Court had notified them, saying they did not need to attend court tomorrow for Lim's appeal following the filing of the notice of discontinuance of the appeal.
On July 12 last year, the High Court dismissed Lim's application to transfer his case from the Sessions Court to the High Court. He subsequently appealed to the Court of Appeal but this, too, was rejected on Nov 16.
The Bagan MP faces four corruption charges involving the construction of the RM6.3 billion undersea tunnel and paired roads project in Penang.
In the first amended charge, Lim is accused of using his position as Penang chief minister to obtain a bribe of RM3.3 million as an inducement to help Consortium Zenith BUCG Sdn Bhd (CZBUCG) owner Zarul Ahmad Mohd Zulkifli secure the construction project worth RM6,341,383,702.
He is accused of committing the offence at the Penang Chief Minister’s Office, Level 28, Komtar, George Town, between January 2011 and August 2017.
In the second amended charge, Lim is accused of soliciting a bribe of 10% of the profit from the company as gratification to secure the project which he allegedly committed near The Gardens Hotel, Lingkaran Syed Putra, Mid Valley City in March 2011.
Lim also faces two other charges of causing two plots of land worth RM208.8 million belonging to the Penang government to be disposed of to two companies linked to the state's undersea tunnel project.
The offences were allegedly committed at the Penang Land and Mines Office, Level 21, Komtar, on Feb 17, 2015, and March 22, 2017.
The trial is scheduled to resume on Oct 19 before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi.


Protesters clash with Palestinian security forces after activist’s death in custody

Palestinian protesters clashed with Palestinian security forces in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday, AFP reporters said, the third day of demonstrations sparked by an activist’s death in custody.Nizar Banat, a 43-year-old from Hebron known for social media videos denouncing alleged corruption within the Palestinian Authority (PA), died on Thursday shortly after security forces stormed his house and violently arrested him, his family said.On Saturday, hundreds took to the streets of Ramallah, the seat of the PA in the occupied West Bank, calling for Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas to quit.Protester Ismat Mansour said the death of Banat was just “the tip of the iceberg” while accusing the PA of “a mountain of corruption” and demanding that elections be held.Others held up placards directed at Abbas’ PA that simply said “leave”.Security officers in riot gear blocked off streets.An AFP photographer said protesters hurled rocks at security forces, who responded by launching a barrage of tear gas canisters to break up the crowds.It was not immediately possible to confirm if there were any injuries following the protests on Saturday.Banat had registered as a candidate in Palestinian parliamentary elections, which had been set for May until Abbas postponed them indefinitely.Banat’s family said the forces used pepper spray on him, beat him badly and dragged him away in a vehicle.Samir Abu Zarzour, the doctor who carried out the autopsy, said injuries on Banat’s body indicated he had been beaten on the head, chest, neck, legs and hands, with less than hour elapsing between his arrest and his death.On Thursday, after news spread of his death, some 300 people gathered in Ramallah, as well as in Banat’s hometown of Hebron.On Friday, thousands of mourners attended his funeral in Hebron, with crowds there chanting angry slogans against the PA, as well as at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound, in Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem.Banat’s death also sparked condemnation from the United States, United Nations and European Union.Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said an investigation had been launched.The PA exercises limited powers over some 40% of the West Bank, occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967.Israel, which controls all access to the territory and coordinates with the PA, directly administers the remaining 60%.


Youth ministry tables Cabinet proposal to separate Undi 18, automatic voter registration

The youth and sports ministry yesterday tabled a proposal to the Cabinet to separate the implementation of Undi 18 and automatic voter registration.Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican said the ministry hoped the Election Commission (EC) could implement the proposal as all Cabinet members had yesterday expressed their support for Undi 18.“The amendment (to the Federal Constitution) comprises various matters, so I think we have to start with the low hanging fruit,” he said, adding that he would submit a letter to the EC and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Takiyuddin Hassan on the proposal.He also said Takiyuddin would table the details of the issue next week.EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh had said that automatic voter registration and the lowering of voting age to 18 could only be implemented after Sept 1, 2022. His statement was questioned by many who described the postponement as unreasonable.On July 16, 2019, the Dewan Rakyat approved the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2019 that seeks to lower the voting age from 21 to 18, automatic voter registration and lowering the eligible age to contest in elections to 18.Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin meanwhile said he supported the youth and sports ministry’s argument in the Cabinet meeting on the separation of the process as they were informed that the automatic voter registration system has yet to be completed.“If we cannot implement automatic registration due to system issues, why must we delay Undi 18? Undi 18 can proceed. That was our counter-argument and we will decide in the Cabinet (meeting) next week,” he said.


Govt to build infectious disease institute next year, says PM

An infectious disease institute will be built in Bandar Enstek, Negeri Sembilan, in 2022 under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), says Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.When tabling the 12MP at the Dewan Rakyat today, he said the institute would be aimed at the prevention of diseases, infirmities and deaths caused by infectious diseases.“The government is also reviewing the effectiveness of the existing health system and health policies will be formulated to enhance preparedness to manage infectious diseases as well as health crises,” he said.He said the National Vaccine Development Road Map is being finalised to ensure that Malaysia is capable of producing its own vaccines and as preparation for any future pandemics.“In the Covid-19 pandemic situation, the people placed high hopes in the government and the government is looking at the best ways to ensure the well-being of the Malaysian family in various aspects especially in healthcare and providing quality residence.“The government stays committed to strengthening the healthcare system to ensure the people are healthy and productive,” he said.In this regard, he said the government has also identified proactive measures to improve hospital preparedness to achieve the ratio of 2.06 hospital beds for every thousand residents by 2025.The government will also develop new health facilities in addition to the 12 hospitals being built nationwide, expected to be completed during the 12MP, he said.“Health facilities and equipment including ICUs will be increased and in the effort to close the gap between urban and rural health facilities, the government will be building and upgrading health clinics throughout the country,” he said.


Uptick in Covid-19 infections, deaths

The number of new Covid-19 cases increased by 0.8% to 28,554 in the 31st epidemiological week (ME 31) from July 31 to Aug 6, comprising 28,499 local cases and 55 imported cases.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said during the same period, the number of fatalities due to Covid-19 increased to 60 cases compared with 49 reported in the previous week, which is a 22.4% jump.
"The number of recoveries in ME 31 decreased by 7.2%, from 30,837 cases to 28,604 cases.
"The average number of active cases per day for ME 31 is 45,941, a 2.6% drop compared with the previous week," he said in a statement today.
The number of Covid-19 admissions to public hospitals and Covid-19 quarantine and treatment centres (PKRC) per 100,000 population remained at 12 for ME 31. Bed occupancy at ICUs remained at 14%, PKRC bed occupancy decreased by 2% while non-critical bed occupancy saw an increase of 2%.
The percentage of Covid-19 patients who required respiratory support equipment increased by 0.1% in ME 31 compared with ME 30.
Noor Hisham said that positive Covid-19 cases monitored by Covid-19 Assessment Centres (CACs) nationwide however showed a slight drop.
"The number of patient arrivals to CACs fell by 1.7%. New cases being monitored at home dropped by 1.5% while cases referred by CACs to PKRC and hospitals decreased by 20.9%," he said.


Flood claims 2 lives in Kelantan

A 13-year-old boy became the second flood fatality in Kelantan after he was found drowned in Kampung Talang near Kadok here at 7.15pm yesterday.Kelantan deputy police chief Muhamad Zaki Harun said Mohamad Fazli Tamri, a student of SMK Kubang Kiat in Kota Bharu, was believed to have been riding his bicycle with his friends before skidding and falling into a canal at the village at 6.20pm.“His friends tried to save him but failed and called nearby villagers for help.“The search operation managed to find the victim around 50m from where he fell,” he said when contacted by Bernama yesterday.Zaki said the boy’s remains were brought to Hospital Raja Perempuan Zainab II for autopsy and further action.An elderly man, aged 70, had drowned earlier yesterday at Kampung Kuala Gris near Dabong, Kuala Krai, becoming the first flood fatality in the state.


Flooding in London after heavy rainstorms

Heavy downpours and thunderstorms caused flooding in parts of London on Sunday.There were many reports of vehicles becoming stranded as water quickly rose making roads impassable.Rainwater flooded Tube stations and triggered stoppages of the electric trains.The fire brigade said it had taken hundreds of calls – mostly about flooded basements or roads.An amber thunderstorm warning is now in place for much of south-east England, with 100mm of rainfall forecast in some areas.The Environment Agency has issued severe flood warnings for parts of London, and a number of less severe flood alerts have also been issued, covering most of the capital and parts of surrounding counties.Resident Chris Date tweeted a photo of a bus in Walthamstow, saying, “It’s impossible to walk on the pavement. To get on that bus the water came up to my shins. This is a canal, not a road.”Cyclist Eddie Elliott told the Press Association agency he had passed the area near Queenstown Road station to find the road totally shut down.“Having been born and raised in London, I have never seen anything quite like it,” he said.Elliott said the flooding was the worst he had experienced in the city, and described seeing “buses stood broken down in the water”.A tweet from the Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary warned drivers they should not attempt to drive through floodwater if they find their route blocked.The Met Office said the storms are being caused by a convergence of air currents as warmth in the earth’s surface from the recent heatwave rises into cooler air in the atmosphere.Forecasters have warned travellers starting their summer holidays to expect floods, thunderstorms and strong winds.Days of extreme heat last week have given way to cooler temperatures and unsettled, stormy weather in places.Temperatures are set to rise again from Monday, with London expected to hit 26 degrees Celsius.Parts of continental Europe are also experiencing unusual weather.Reuters is reporting that the southern Belgian town of Dinant was hit by the heaviest floods in decades on Saturday after a two-hour thunderstorm turned streets into torrential rivers that washed away cars and pavements.Dinant was spared the deadly floods that killed 37 people in southeast Belgium and many more in Germany 10 days ago, but the violence of Saturday’s storm surprised many.“I have been living in Dinant for 57 years, and I’ve never seen anything like that,” Richard Fournaux, the former mayor of the town said.There has not yet been an estimate of the damage, with town authorities predicting that it would be “significant”, according to Belgian RTL TV.


China faces 'tough' zero-Covid exit, WHO says

China is facing a "very tough" time as it dismantles its rigid "zero-Covid" policy and allows people to live with the virus, posing challenges preparing hospitals and ensuring people are sufficiently protected, the World Health Organization said.
Beijing abruptly dropped its zero-tolerance stance last week after protests against its often-draconian Covid lockdowns. The shift, welcomed by many inside the country, has also stoked concerns that infections could spike.
Asked about the policy changes, WHO spokesperson Margaret Harris told a Geneva press briefing on Tuesday that China faced a "very tough and difficult time.
"It's always very difficult for any country coming out of a situation where you've had very, very tight controls," she said, adding that other countries like Australia had experienced this.
"We've always said before: don't go into lockdown too easily and too quickly because it's really, really hard to come out."
Among the challenges are ensuring the population is "appropriately vaccinated" and preparing hospitals for both a potential increase in cases and a potential rush of people who may be infected with other illnesses.
"There are many, many things you have to put in place at community level, at hospital level, at national level in order to maintain that transition," Harris added.
The WHO typically refrains from commenting on individual countries' policies, although agency Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus did say in May that China's Covid policies were not sustainable.
WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said earlier this month he was pleased that China was adjusting its strategy and urged it to continue increasing its vaccination coverage.
Paul Hunter, a professor in medicine at Britain's University of East Anglia, said many people in China were vaccinated too long ago to have adequate protection.
"It's effectively lost the benefits of its vaccination campaign. Not entirely but largely," he told Reuters. "And, so it's in a really difficult position."


PH gave green light to form a majority with anyone, Anwar says

PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim today said he had been given the mandate by Pakatan Harapan (PH) component parties to cooperate with anyone in order to obtain a majority and to form a new government in Putrajaya.“Remember, anyone at all to get a majority. I agreed to the conditions they gave.“We cannot go against the principle of good governance to reject corruption and abuse, and to make Malaysia a country for all races,” he said at a programme in Kuala Lumpur attended by, among others, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil.His remarks appear at odds with an earlier statement by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng who said he would not work with Umno leaders linked with corruption such as Najib Razak and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.In October, MalaysiaNow revealed that Najib and Zahid had written to the palace expressing their support for Anwar to overthrow the Perikatan Nasional government led by Muhyiddin Yassin.On Dec 17, Lim and Amanah president Mohamad Sabu issued a joint statement warning the PH coalition against placing its trust in MPs from the ruling bloc to gain power.They instead urged PH to build its strength with opposition parties outside the coalition, believed to be a reference to MPs from blocs led by leaders who are seen as anti-Anwar, namely Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Warisan president Shafie Apdal.Anwar’s leadership came under question following his failure to present proof of his claim to majority support in an audience with the Agong on Oct 13.In his speech today, he spoke of the by-election defeats PH had suffered in its 22 months in power, including the worst in Malaysia’s political history – a reference to the Tanjung Piai by-election in which the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate won by a landslide.“Some are not happy when I bring this up because the PH government can justify anything.“Of course I will justify those who win, but I will not justify corruption continuing among us,” he said.Of the 10 by-elections that took place after the 2018 general election, PH won five: Sungai Kandis, Seri Setia, Balakong, Port Dickson and Sandakan.BN, meanwhile, won the by-elections in Cameron Highlands, Kimanis, Tanjung Piai, Rantau and Slim.


Give seats to BN-friendly parties, just don’t take ours, says MIC on Johor polls

MIC says it has no issues with seats being allocated to “Friends of BN” parties as long as they do not involve the party’s traditional seats.Its president SA Vigneswaran said seats allocated to “Friends of BN” for the Johor state election should instead be from Umno or MCA’s quota.“(BN can) consider Umno seats and so on, no problem as long as it is not our (MIC’s) seats,” he told reporters after the Johor MIC Brigade launching ceremony at the EduCity Sports Complex Indoor Stadium yesterday.He said this to reporters when asked about the seat distribution between BN component parties for the state election, which also involves “Friends of BN” parties.The Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress and the Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party were previously reported to have submitted a request to the BN top leadership to contest the state polls, based on their ongoing loyalty to the coalition.When asked about Umno’s request to switch with two of MIC’s traditional seats – Gambir and Kahang – Vigneswaran said there was a spirit of “give and take” in BN.He said the party is discussing the matter with BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.“We expect good news,” he added.During the 14th general election, MIC contested four seats but won two – Kahang and Tenggaroh – losing Gambir and Skudai.


Australia clamps down on ‘most concerning day of the pandemic’

Australia’s biggest city announced tighter Covid restrictions including heavier fines and tighter policing on Saturday as authorities battled to contain a Delta outbreak and said they were seeing the “most concerning day of the pandemic” so far.After months of pursuing a “Covid zero” strategy, Australia has been struggling to bring a resurgence of coronavirus cases under control, with more than 10 million people under lockdown in its two largest cities and the capital Canberra.Residents of Sydney, going into an eighth week under stay-at-home orders, will now face heftier fines for flouting rules or lying to contact tracers, with current restrictions proving insufficient to stop the spread.Police would boost patrols and checkpoints while hundreds more defence force personnel will help enforce stay-at-home orders as the outbreak in the most populous state of New South Wales hit another daily record of 466 community cases.“Today is the most concerning day of the pandemic that we’ve seen,” state premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney.Describing efforts to curb the outbreak as a war against the “diabolical” Delta strain, Berejiklian said Australia was facing a significant threat from the outbreak.“For some time, we thought Australia was different to other parts of the world, but we’re not.”Police commissioner Mick Fuller said he had sought additional powers after officers reported people using loopholes to evade restrictions.Residents are still allowed to leave their homes for exercise, shopping, health care and essential work – but police would ramp up efforts to enforce restrictions, he said.Rules for leaving Sydney were also tightened to prevent the outbreak from spreading further into other regions.The nation’s capital, which is surrounded by New South Wales, was sent into lockdown earlier this week while the second-largest city of Melbourne is battling its own outbreak.The resurgence has increased criticism of the country’s sluggish vaccine rollout, with just a quarter of eligible Australians so far fully vaccinated.


Govt withdraws bid to forfeit almost RM16 million assets belonging to ex-TH chair’s family

The government has withdrawn its application to forfeit almost RM16 million from accounts belonging to the wife of former Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim, Khadijah Mohd Noor, and their four children, including a shop lot owned by their company, Azeera Management Consultants (M) Sdn Bhd.Deputy public prosecutor Nik Haslinie Hashim told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that the decision to withdraw the application was made by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) following another letter of representation submitted by Azeez’s family.“There was another letter (of representation) from the respondents dated Feb 15, 2022. The AGC agreed to withdraw the application to forfeit the assets.“As such, the release (of assets) order will be made by the prosecution,” he said.Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin then cancelled the application and vacated the hearing date set for June 21.On Feb 8, Nik Haslinie told the court that the AGC had, on Feb 4, rejected a representation submitted by Azeez’s family members against the government’s application to forfeit their assets, involving cash and property allegedly obtained through unlawful activities.In the forfeiture suit filed in September 2019, the government applied to forfeit almost RM16 million from accounts belonging to Khadijah and the four children – Mohamed Khairul Anwar, Mohamed Khairul Azman, Khaleeda Azwa, Khaleeda Azeera – as well as a shoplot in Bandar Sunway owned by their company.On Dec 18 last year, the court dismissed the family’s application to stay the forfeiture proceedings pending the disposal of Azeez’s ongoing corruption case at the Sessions Court.Azeez is currently on trial for three counts of accepting bribes amounting to RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah and 10 counts of money laundering involving a total of RM13.9 million, allegedly received from Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd.The trial has been postponed pending his appeal at the Court of Appeal to have the case against him struck out.


1MDB management invited Jho Low to confidential meeting in 2009, ex-director tells Najib trial

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was today told that fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low was invited by the 1MDB management for a special board meeting held at the Royale Bintang Damansara on Sept 26, 2009.Former 1MDB non-executive director Ismee Ismail, 58, said former 1MDB CEO Shahrol Azral Ibrahim Halmi or former executive director Casey Tang Keng Chee might have invited Low to the confidential meeting.The 13th prosecution witness said this during cross-examination by Najib Razak’s lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah in the former prime minister’s trial for the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion in funds from 1MDB.The meeting chaired by Mohd Bakke Salleh was also attended by Che Lodin Wok Kamaruddin, Shahrol Azral, Azlan Zainol, Casey Tang and the witness himself.Ismee, who referred to the minutes of the meeting, agreed that there was no question raised or record of how Low was invited and for what purpose.“I recall before the start of meeting we did talk about it, and from my perspective, his presence there was to enlighten the board on a proposed joint venture (JV) with PetroSaudi International Ltd (PSI),” he said.Shafee however said that Low did not seem to have uttered a single word throughout the meeting, as any explanation given would have been recorded in the minutes.When asked about the US$1 billion JV deal with PSI, Ismee said he was given the “impression” that the former prime minister wanted the board to proceed with it.He also testified that former 1MDB chairman Bakke told the directors that he had spoken to Najib on the phone before the meeting.“What I can recall was Bakke telling us that ‘PM wants us to do this thing (the PSI joint venture)’,” he said.Shafee then questioned Ismee on whether Bakke had mentioned words such as “Don’t spend too much time looking at the past transactions.”In response, Ismee said Bakke had not gone into the details of his phone call with Najib.“Basically, Bakke said the board had to firm up a decision (on PSI),” he said.Last week, at Najib’s 1MDB audit report tampering trial, Bakke said Najib had told him through phone to not spend too much time looking at past transactions and to just focus on the proposed JV between the sovereign wealth fund and PSI.At today’s proceedings, Shafee suggested that what Bakke had told Ismee and others in the meeting room was “not exactly what the then prime minister had told him (Bakke)”.“He (Bakke) might have wanted to impress the board of directors,” Shafee added.To this, Ismee replied that only Bakke could testify about what was mentioned during his phone call with Najib.Another witness, former 1MDB chief financial officer Azmi Tahir, said he never verified instructions received from Najib’s former principal private secretary the late Azlin Alias, which were said to have come directly from Najib himself.Counsel Hariharan Tara Singh was referring the 12th prosecution witness to a part in his witness statement where he undertook to execute and sign several documents related to a JV between BSI bank and 1MDB Global Investments Ltd in March 2013.However, Azmi said most of Azlin’s instructions were verbal in nature or given through text message, never written in proper documentation.The witness also agreed to a suggestion by Hariharan that he never verified these instructions with Najib because he assumed that whatever came from Azlin was at Najib’s direction.Najib, 68, 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 tomorrow.


More floods expected in Mersing

The Irrigation and Drainage Department (JPS) has forecast that floods will hit Sungai Melikai and its surrounding areas in the Mersing district from 4am tomorrow.
In an alert issued by JPS’ National Flood Forecasting and Warning Centre (PRABN), the department said this followed the continuous rain warning (danger level) issued by the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) today and the simulation results of its flood forecasting model.
According to JPS, the disaster could happen earlier or later than the predicted time.
"For the Kota Tinggi district, flooding is forecast this Thursday starting at 4pm involving Kampung Semangar and the surrounding areas.
"This warning is issued to enable residents, especially in areas that are expected to be hit by floods, to be alert and obey the instructions of the authorities or flood disaster management agencies," it said.
In a separate statement, JPS said that floods are expected to hit two areas in Rompin from 6pm this Thursday: Kampung Buluh Nipis and Felda Selancar.
The forecast followed the continuous rain warning issued by MetMalaysia today and was likewise based on a simulation from the flood forecast model.
More information is available at https://publicinfobanjir.water.gov.my, Facebook @PublicInfoBanjir and Twitter @JPS_InfoBanjir.


New highway projects to be fully funded by concessionaires, says works minister

New highway projects, including three in the Klang Valley, will not receive any allocations from the government, says Works Minister Fadillah Yusof.He said the cost of these projects and any risks involved would have to be fully borne by the concessionaires.“There will no longer be any financial assistance from the government for new highways. In fact, no assistance for land, either. Previously, the land acquisition cost for highway construction was partly borne by the government.“Now, there are no more soft loans. Everything will have to be shouldered by the concession companies interested in building the highways,” he said at an event in Petaling Jaya yesterday.Media reports said the Petaling Jaya Traffic Dispersal Elevated Highway (PJD LINK), Putrajaya–Bangi Expressway (PBE) and Kuala Lumpur Northern Dispersal Expressway (KL-NODE) projects had obtained approval in principle from the government.On April 4, Fadillah said the government welcomed private companies to take over concessionaires for the purpose of restructuring, to reduce the financial burden of the people and government.Earlier that same day, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced that the government had agreed with the restructuring of four Klang Valley highway concessionaires, namely Kesas Sdn Bhd (Kesas Expressway), Syarikat Mengurus Air Banjir dan Terowong Sdn Bhd (SMART Tunnel), Sistem Penyuraian Trafik KL Barat Sdn Bhd (SPRINT Expressway) and Lingkaran Trans Kota Sdn Bhd (Damansara-Puchong Expressway or LDP).


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Three-cornered fight yet again, but Muhyiddin fine in Pagoh

In the parliamentary constituency of Pagoh in Johor, support for the incumbent, Muhyiddin Yassin, is riding high ahead of the Nov 19 polls where the former prime minister is looking to defend his seat for a whopping ninth time.
Muhyiddin retained his seat at the 2018 polls on a Pakatan Harapan (PH) ticket, winning 55.21% of the votes against Ahmad Nawfal Mahfodz of PAS and Umno's Ismail Mohamed.
His seven victories before that were notched under the Barisan Nasional (BN) banner, where he represented Umno until the 13th general election in 2013.
He was sacked as deputy prime minister in 2015 following criticism of Najib Razak's handling of the 1MDB scandal, and expelled from Umno the next year.
In 2016, he formed Bersatu together with Dr Mahathir Mohamad, and the party contested under PH in the general election two years later, alongside PKR, DAP and Amanah.
It left PH in 2020, becoming a founding member of Perikatan Nasional (PN), which Muhyiddin is representing in Pagoh this time around.
A resident who introduced himself as Jaafar said Muhyiddin had made huge contributions to the constituency throughout the years.
The 69-year-old also said he was grateful for the assistance he had received from Muhyiddin on a personal level.
"When my children were trying to further their studies at Universiti Teknologi Mara, we had no money," he said.
"I went to Muhyiddin for help. In two hours, he had helped my children with all of the necessities to study at university, including pocket money."
Muhyiddin, who was menteri besar of Johor from 1986 to 1995, came under fire from his former colleagues after his party's exit from PH, with labels of "backdoor government" a frequent refrain after PN took over Putrajaya.
But in Pagoh, residents appear unfazed by the calls.
Their focus is, for the most part, on his long years of service in the constituency.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Jaafar also recalled how Muhyiddin had established a university hub in Pagoh which led to the creation of job opportunities for the locals.
"My friends work there as security guards and caterers, and they are able to feed their families," he said.
His wife, Kak Yah, meanwhile said that they had never felt left behind in Pagoh with Muhyiddin as their MP.
"He doesn't even have to campaign for himself in Pagoh, we can take care of Pagoh on his behalf," she said.
Awang Junaidi meanwhile has been a voter in Pagoh since GE11. He said he had heard many negative comments about Muhyiddin and his "backdoor government", but had never believed any of them.
"As far as I know, he is a man with credibility," he added.
"Muhyiddin should be heading the government. In March 2020, PN became the government at the right time."
At the 15th general election, Muhyiddin is once again facing a three-way fight against opponents from BN and PH. Razali Ibrahim is representing BN while Iskandar Shah is standing for PH.
Razali, a three-term MP for Muar, lost his seat to Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman at the 2018 general election.


No citizenship, no mother: The 10-year-old taking care of her father alone

At just 10 years old, Suki Wong Pei Yee already carries the weight of the world on her small shoulders.Her mother passed away last year, leaving her the sole caregiver of her father, Wong Kon Foo, who has been incapacitated since suffering a stroke seven years ago.Wong used to work as a used-car salesman but was forced to give it up after his stroke which left him confined to a wheelchair.In the years that followed, his Vietnamese wife, Tran Diem Kiew, brought in most of the family’s meagre income. She worked several part-time jobs at same time, helping out at restaurants and shops in their neighbourhood.But she died of a lung infection in April last year, leaving Suki and Wong alone. Now, father and daughter struggle to get by each day in their small flat above a shoplot in Damansara Damai.Suki gets lunch ready for her father in their small flat above a shoplot in Damansara Damai.With no way of earning any money, Wong and Suki depend on the monthly assistance they receive from the social welfare department and from members of the public.While Wong has recovered enough that he can now stand and walk, he is still unable to move his right arm.Each day, Suki helps her father bathe, then prepares breakfast and cleans the house before doing the laundry and heading out to the small supermarket nearby to purchase their few essentials.“Suki is good at washing the vegetables and she knows how to cook the rice,” Wong said in an interview with MalaysiaNow.“But I don’t let her cook at the gas stove because it’s too dangerous. That’s my job.”Suki checks the aisles for the few dry goods that she and her father need.It’s a challenge for him as he cannot use his dominant hand and must balance himself without his crutch for as long as he can.“I can’t let go of my walking stick for too long otherwise I will fall down,” he said.White flagWhile Wong and Suki live from hand to mouth, their situation now is far better than it was during the pandemic lockdowns, when they were forced to fly a white flag at their window to ask for help.Suki makes her way home after picking up a few things at the nearby supermarket.“At that moment, I had no idea what else to do,” Wong recalled.“I was worried about Suki. I could go without food but she is still a child.”After seeing the flag, though, Wong’s neighbours rallied around him. Even today, they continue to check in on him and Suki, asking how they are and dropping off food and other essential items.Still, Wong has many concerns, chief of which is his daughter.Wong Kon Foo speaks about life after his wife’s passing, and his concerns about his daughter and what will become of her without citizenship.Suki has no citizenship as his marriage with Tran was not registered in the country. She cannot attend school, and what little she knows of the outside world she learns through the screen of their small television.“Her mother taught her the ABCs, but she never got as far as teaching her how to read,” Wong said.“Until today, Suki cannot read or write. But she is fluent in Mandarin, Vietnamese and Malay,” he added.Wong’s dearest wish is that his daughter will be able to attend school and to get an education like any other child, so that her future will be better than the present.Even if she had Malaysian citizenship, he said, he would not have enough money to send her to school. And because she spends all of her time taking care of him, she has no friends.Suki and her father, Wong Kon Foo, eat lunch together in their small flat.“She has a very lonely life,” Wong said. “The only friend she had before this moved away a while ago.“I am very worried about Suki’s future. Education is the only way out she has from this kind of life. I beg that she be given a chance to go to school, so that she can be an educated person who can take care of herself in this world.”


Zahid was worried about his criminal cases, Mahathir says

Dr Mahathir Mohamad claims that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi voiced his concern at several meetings over the criminal cases filed against the former deputy prime minister.Mahathir, 96, in his statement of defence filed on May 17 through Messrs Haidir & Co, claimed that five meetings between June 7, 2018 and Feb 25, 2020 took place at several locations, namely his residence in Mines Resort City, Seri Kembangan; Perdana Leadership Foundation, Putrajaya; and the Prime Minister’s Office in Perdana Putra.“During the period, the plaintiff (Zahid) had indeed spoken to me about the criminal cases he was facing.“Since I was still holding the position of prime minister and interim prime minister at that time (from 2018 to 2020), Zahid took the opportunity to be nice to me because the criminal cases could jeopardise his political career.“So, that must have been the plaintiff’s concern at that time and it was voiced to me,” Mahathir said in his statement of defence to Zahid’s defamation suit filed last month.Mahathir also claimed that Khairuddin Abu Hassan had posted on his Facebook account that Zahid had asked him (Khairuddin) to arrange for a meeting with him (Mahathir).“Any sane individual with the intellectual ability to think reasonably can see that Zahid, a politician who is facing criminal cases, had gone to see me, who at the time was holding an authoritative position, as an attempt to resolve the criminal cases he faced.“I do not have any malicious intent against Zahid and do not have any interest or influence in any decision made by the court in relation to the criminal cases against Zahid,” Mahathir added.In the suit filed on April 20, Zahid claimed that Mahathir, who is Pejuang chairman, had issued defamatory statements with malicious intent against him during a Pejuang event at Perdana Leadership Foundation, Putrajaya, on Feb 23, 2022.The Bagan Datuk MP claimed that the statements meant he was a person who used shortcuts to resolve and postpone the trial of his ongoing court cases and his position to influence Mahathir to interfere in his criminal trials and the investigations by law enforcement agencies.Zahid also filed an inter-parte application for an interim injunction for the defendant either personally or through his officers and representatives to retract the statements and prevent them from publishing, distributing or disseminating the statement or similar statements on any social media platform.The interim injunction application will be heard before judge Rozana Ali Yusoff on June 17.