42 staff at Kedah hospital down with Covid-19

Forty-two staff at the Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital (HSAH) in Sungai Petani had tested positive for Covid-19 as of today, says Kedah health director Dr Othman Warijo.The hospital employees comprising doctors and nurses are now undergoing quarantine in their respective homes.“Earlier, 30 staff were infected with Covid-19 and 12 more were infected (since yesterday and today) and are in quarantine at home as they are Category One and Two infections.“We have not confirmed if they were infected with the Delta, Beta or the old variant,” he told reporters today.On Wednesday, the Kedah government in a statement denied that the hospital was closed or under enhanced movement control order following an outbreak among hospital staff.The statement by state health and local government committee chairman Dr Mohd Hayati Othman was in response to viral messages on social media alleging that HSAH had been closed after 100 staff were infected with Covid-19.


Sorry.


New infections dip below 2,500 as death toll up by 8

Another 2,437 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,737,984.
There were 3,658 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,659,688.
There are now 42,203 active cases, of which 40,525 or 96.0% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 31 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,566 (3.7%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 81 are in ICU with 50 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 63.8%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 21.8%.
Another eight deaths were reported, including two who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,093.


Syed Saddiq discussed missing RM250,000 in WhatsApp group, MACC man tells court

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was today told that Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman had discussed with the members of a WhatsApp group a statement to be issued to the media about a total of RM250,000 which went missing from his home.Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) investigating officer Muhammad Taufik Awaludin said the WhatsApp group’s conversation was obtained from a forensic report taken from a mobile phone belonging to Rafiq Hakim Razali, who was the then assistant treasurer of Angkatan Bersatu Anak Muda (Armada).“In the WhatsApp group as well, Syed Saddiq discussed the narrative to be issued to the media about the missing money.“At the end of the discussion in the WhatsApp group, Syed Saddiq did not agree with the suggestions proposed by the group members and decided to issue a statement saying that the money belonged to him and his parents,” he said.Taufik, the first prosecution witness, said this during re-examination by deputy public prosecutors Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin and Muhammad Asyraf Mohamed Tahir on the first day of the trial of the Muar MP, who faces four charges of criminal breach of trust (CBT) and money laundering.He also disagreed with lawyer Gobind Singh Deo, representing Syed Saddiq, that the RM250,000 was from Syed Saddiq’s parents for house renovation.When asked why he did not agree, he said there had also been a discussion in the WhatsApp group saying that the money was from a discretionary fund previously applied for by Syed Saddiq.“After that, Syed Saddiq discussed about the media statement that needed to be issued and Syed Saddiq chose to lodge a police report and issue a media statement on the matter.”Wan Shaharuddin: Your investigation into the loss of money at Syed Saddiq’s house, is it related to the charge of withdrawing RM1 million?Taufik: Yes.When referred to the police report lodged by Syed Saddiq, Taufik said the report stated that at 7.51pm on March 29, 2020, about RM250,000 in cash kept in a safe at his house had been stolen.“There was no sign of it being forced open while the condition of his house was tidy and only certain people knew the combination code,” he added.Taufik said Syed Saddiq’s parents had also lodged a police report on the missing money.Syed Saddiq was charged as Bersatu’s then Youth chief, entrusted with the control of the wing’s funds, with abetting Rafiq Hakim Razali, the wing’s assistant treasurer at the time, with CBT of RM1 million.He was accused of committing the offence at CIMB Bank, Menara CIMB KL Sentral, Jalan Stesen Sentral 2, on March 6, 2020, charged under Section 406 of the Penal Code which provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years and a whipping, with the possibility of a fine upon conviction.For the second charge, Syed Saddiq was accused of misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise by causing Rafiq to dispose of the money.He was accused of committing the offence at Malayan Banking, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018, and charged under Section 403 of the Penal Code which carries a jail term of between six months and five years, with whipping and a fine upon conviction.He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities, in two transactions of RM50,000 believed to be the proceeds of unlawful activities from his Maybank Islamic account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.Syed Saddiq was accused of committing the offence at a bank in Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru, on June 16 and 19, 2018.The charges were framed under Section 4 (1)(b) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, punishable under Section 4 (1) of the same law, which provides for a maximum imprisonment of 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the amount or the proceeds of illegal activities, upon conviction.The trial before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid continues.


Prosecution withdraws appeals to forfeit funds from Umno, 8 others

The prosecution has withdrawn its appeals to forfeit money belonging to nine entities, including Umno and Wanita MCA, which are allegedly linked to 1MDB funds.
The prosecution lost its cases at both the High Court and Court of Appeal to forfeit money from Habib Jewels Sdn Bhd, Hattatex Trading, Wanita MCA, Umno, the Kedah Umno liaison committee and four individuals, Perano Sdn Bhd, Binsabi Sdn Bhd and K&Z Enterprise Sdn Bhd.
The Court of Appeal also ruled against the prosecution and set aside the High Court decision that had allowed it to forfeit money seized from the Pahang Umno liaison committee.
The prosecution then filed the appeals at the Federal Court, which was scheduled to hear the appeals today.
Deputy public prosecutor Samihah Razali, when contacted by Bernama, said the prosecution had submitted its notices of discontinuance of the appeals on Feb 2.
She said the government had also returned the forfeited money in those cases.
On Sept 2, 2021, the Court of Appeal held that there was insufficient evidence to satisfy the court that the money seized was the subject matter or evidence relating to the commission of an offence or proceeds of unlawful activities.
The court also said there was no link whatsoever between the money in the bank accounts of the respondents and the funds allegedly misappropriated from 1MDB.
The prosecution sought to forfeit RM192,965,413.61 belonging to Umno, RM300,000 from Wanita MCA, RM337,634.78 and RM827,250 respectively from Perano, a company which sells hijabs, and Binsabi which supplies tents, RM100,000 from Habib Jewels, RM138,359.60 from K&Z Enterprise, RM827,250 from the Kedah Umno liaison committee, RM111,590 from Hattatex Trading.
A three-man Court of Appeal bench led by justice Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil also allowed the Pahang Umno liaison committee to set aside a High Court decision allowing the prosecution's application to forfeit RM2,479,300.18 seized from the committee.
The prosecution alleged that the seized money was the subject matter or evidence from the proceeds of an unlawful activity allegedly committed by former prime minister Najib Razak under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 and Section 23 of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
Last week, the government also withdrew its appeals in the Court of Appeal to forfeit RM21.7 million belonging to 11 individuals, business entities and political parties, including Pekan Umno and the Johor Umno liaison committee, allegedly linked to 1MDB funds.
The others are Jakel Trading Sdn Bhd, Jakel Trading, the Johor Bahru Barisan Nasional division, Mediaedge CIA Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Sarawak United People's Party, director for Strategic Engagement Media Sdn Bhd Sim Sai Hoon, AGA Touch Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Yayasan Persatuan Bekas Anggota Kemas Malaysia and former land and cooperative development minister Kasitah Gaddam.


Dalit temple labourers lured to US were guarded, paid US$1.20 per hour for years

FBI agents raided a large Hindu temple in the US on Tuesday as a new lawsuit claimed it was built by “slave labour” workers from India who were lured to the US and forced to work long hours for just a few dollars per day, way below the minimum wage.The lawsuit accuses the leaders of the Hindu organisation known as Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, or BAPS, of human trafficking and wage law violations.The lawsuit says more than 200 workers, most of whom speak no English, signed employment contracts in India.They travelled to the US on visas meant for “those who work in religious vocations or occupations”, according to the lawsuit. They were then taken to the ornate temple, known as a mandir, made of Italian and Indian marble.When they arrived at the temple site in New Jersey, their passports were confiscated and they were forced to work from dawn to dusk with hardly any days off, for around US$1.20 per hour. They allegedly were given just US$50 in cash per month, with the rest deposited into their accounts in India.The lawsuit said workers lived in a fenced-in compound where their movements were monitored by cameras and guards. They were told that if they left, police would arrest them because they didn’t have their passports, the suit said.The workers were allegedly Dalits – members of the lowest rung of India’s caste system.An attorney representing several of the workers, Daniel Werner, said on Tuesday, “It is disturbing that this has gone on for years in our state, behind the temple’s walls.”He said some workers were on the site for two years or even longer, and were not allowed to leave unless accompanied by a BAPS official.BAPS CEO Kanu Patel told The New York Times, “I respectfully disagree with the wage claim.”DB Sagar, president of the Washington-based International Commission for Dalit Rights, told the AP that Dalits are an easy target for exploitation because they are the poorest people in India.“They need something to survive, to protect their family,” Sagar, a Dalit himself, said, adding that if the allegations in the lawsuit are true, they amount to “modern-day slavery”.BAPS is linked to contentious issues in India, publicly supporting and funding the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, built on the site of a mosque demolished by Hindu nationalists.India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, has close ties to the organisation.


Over 53,000 evacuated in three flood-hit states

The number of evacuees in three flood-affected states decreased slightly to 53,040 this morning, compared to nearly 55,000 last night.
In Johor, the number of evacuees had gone down to 49,410 as of 8am, compared to 50,596 at 8pm yesterday.
The state disaster management committee (SDMC) said in a statement that the evacuees were from 14,125 families, and had been placed at 269 relief centres in all 10 districts affected by the floods.
It said Batu Pahat remained the worst-hit district with 15,915 people from 4,616 families, followed by Segamat (13,319 people from 3,895 families), Kluang (5,270 people from 1,525 families), Muar (4,103 people from 1,214 families), and Kota Tinggi (3,249 people from 865 families).
"In Tangkak, there are 3,229 people from 949 families; in Mersing, 1,167 people from 346 families; in Johor Bahru, 327 people from 114 families; in Pontian, 278 people from 68 families; and in Kulai, 64 people from 15 families," it said.
Sunny skies are forecast for nine districts in the state this morning while rain is expected in Mersing.
In Pahang, the Social Welfare Department Info Bencana application reported a slight increase in the number of evacuees, with 3,029 people housed at 21 centres compared to 3,014 last night.
Rompin had the highest number of victims at 2,774, followed by Temerloh (226) and Maran (29).
The water level at Sungai Pahang in two locations, namely Lubuk Paku, Maran and Paloh Hinai, Pekan, as well as Sungai Keratong in Rompin, remains above the danger level.
Rain has been forecast in Rompin, Maran and Temerloh today.
In Melaka, the number of evacuees rose to 601 people from 148 families as of 8am, compared to 595 people from 147 families at 8pm last night.
The SDMC secretariat, in a statement, said 591 people from 145 families were taking shelter at five centres in Jasin, while 10 people from three families were at a centre in Alor Gajah.


In court, Zahid claims 'selective prosecution' against him, more than 20 other BN leaders

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Kuala Lumpur High Court again today that the "selective prosecution" by the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government against him and more than 20 Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders after the 14th general election (GE14) was politically motivated.
Zahid, 69, said when BN failed to form a government in 2018, he and other leaders including Najib Razak, Ahmad Maslan and Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor were dragged to court for criminal offences.
"Your Honour, I am aware that on May 9, 2018, when the government under BN failed to obtain enough seats to form a government, a coalition of other parties took over and in June (2018) a report by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was made against me," he said.
The former deputy prime minister said this during re-examination by his lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, when making his defence against 47 charges: 12 of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption and 27 of money laundering, involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.
Zahid said when the PH coalition took over the federal government, the charges that had been made against 15 individuals in court were withdrawn, including against Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng, Sungai Buloh MP R Sivarasa and then PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli.
"If this is not a politically motivated charge, I don't know what other term can be used. Charges against the accused were withdrawn by the attorney-general at the time, while individuals from the losing party were dragged to court and charged."
He said the investigation should prioritise issues that damage the system of justice and enforcement, instead of being conducted as a move to allow the leaders who took over the government to take their revenge.
Questioned by Zaidi about whether he had been threatened, either subtly or harshly, by the prime minister and deputy prime minister regarding the Yayasan Akalbudi case, Zahid said: "Not specifically threatened over matters related to Yayasan Akalbudi, but threats to my position in the party as the Umno president.
"The then prime minister, Dr Mahathir Mohamad, said he wanted to meet me and the threat made against me was that if I did not leave the party and dissolve Umno, something would be done to me. Certainly these charges against me were made as a result of the threat," he said.
He said Mahathir had admitted to some media having asked him (Zahid) to leave the party and dissolve Umno, which according to him provided strong evidence in the case.
The hearing before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues.


Zahid returns as number 2, Anwar keeps finance as he unveils Cabinet

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has named Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as deputy prime minister, returning the Umno president to the number two post he last held in 2018 despite him facing multiple charges of corruption.
In a surprise move, Anwar also named himself as the finance minister, in what is seen as a repeat of the Najib Razak era when the prime minister also assumed the critical portfolio.
Rafizi Ramli meanwhile, who was thought to be eyeing the finance ministry, was named the economic affairs minister, a position once held by his former arch rival in PKR, Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Tengku Zafrul Aziz also saw a return to the Cabinet as the international trade and industry minister.
The former banker was first recruited as finance minister under the Perikatan Nasional government, and failed to debut as an MP when he lost to incumbent Dzulkefly Ahmad in Kuala Selangor at the recent general election.
Meanwhile, the widely expected post of second deputy prime minister went to Fadillah Yusof of GPS.
However, former health minister Dzulkefly who retained his Kuala Selangor seat was not named for any portfolio.
Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, who was given the powerful post of defence minister under Dr Mahathir Mohamad's two-year administration, was given the agriculture portfolio.
PKR was allocated two important ministries: education (Fadhlina Siddiq) and home affairs (Saifuddin Nasution).
The following is the full list of Cabinet members:
1. Anwar Ibrahim (prime minister, finance)2. Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (deputy prime minister, rural and regional development)3. Fadillah Yusof (deputy prime minister, plantation industries and commodities)4. Anthony Loke Siew Fook (transport)5. Mohamad Sabu (agriculture and food security)6. Rafizi Ramli (economic affairs)7. Nga Kor Ming (local government development)8. Mohamad Hasan (defence)9. Alexander Nanta Linggi (works)10. Saifuddin Nasution (home affairs)11. Tengku Zafrul Aziz (international trade and industry)12. Mohamed Khaled Nordin (higher education)13. Chang Lih Kang (science and technology)14. Nancy Shukri (women, family and community development)15. Salahuddin Ayub (domestic trade and cost of living)16. Azalina Othman (law and institutional reform)17. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (natural resources, environment and climate change)18. Ewon Benedick (entrepreneurship and cooperative development)19. Zambry Abd Kadir (foreign affairs)20. Tiong King Sing (tourism)21. Fahmi Fadzil (digital communications)22. Fadhlina Sidek (education)23. Ago Anak Dagang (national unity)24. Mohd Na'im Mokhtar (religious affairs)25. Hannah Yeoh (youth and sports)26. Sivakumar Varatharaju Naidu (human resources)27. Zaliha Mustafa (health)28. Armizan Mohd Ali (Sabah and Sarawak)


PKR defends Amanah party hoppers

PKR has defended its decision to accept elected representatives from other Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties into its fold, as tension grows with Amanah whose state assemblymen had crossed over to join PKR.A PKR Youth leader also slammed the decision by two of its MPs to become independents friendly to the ruling Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc.“Amanah should be open to its members wanting to join PKR and likewise PKR members should also be open to choosing any other party, either Amanah or DAP,” PKR Youth secretary Syukri Razab told MalaysiaNow.He said by questioning those who joined PKR, Amanah leaders were violating the democratic rights of their assemblymen.However, Syukri said the same democractic rights could not be applied to those joining the “enemies”.“We are concerned there are members who move to Perikatan Nasional (PN) who are political enemies,” he said, referring to the decision by two PKR MPs to quit their party and declare their support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.Tebrau MP Steven Choong and Julau MP Larry Sng had met Muhyiddin today to declare themselves as independents friendly to the ruling bloc.The move came a day after three Amanah assemblymen in Johor became PKR members, drawing protest from Amanah leaders.The trio in Johor – Khairuddin A Rahim (Senggarang), Faizul Amri Adnan (Serom) and Muhamad Said Jonit (Mahkota) – have had their applications to join PKR accepted.They join two other Amanah assemblymen from Selangor – Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar (Meru) and Ahmad Mustain Othman (Sabak) – who crossed over to PKR last year.Syukri said the Amanah assemblymen could function better in PKR.He also took a swipe at Amanah, saying the party was still not opposed to former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whom he blamed for the collapse of the PH government last year.Earlier, Amanah’s Youth chief Shazni Munir Ithnin said it reeked of hypocrisy for PKR to accept its assemblymen as members, on the same day that its top leadership had condemned alleged attempts by the ruling bloc to buy PKR MPs.“We hereby remind PKR not to be hypocritical and speak with forked tongues. PKR president Anwar Ibrahim must enforce the resolve to reject party-hopping within component parties that clearly benefits one party and harms the other. Such politics of back-stabbing should not be encouraged,” Shazni said.


PN unveils shadow Cabinet

Perikatan Nasional (PN) today revealed its shadow Cabinet for the keeping of checks and balances as part of efforts to play the role of an effective opposition.
The PN Portfolio Committee is headed by the coalition's chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, assisted by PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang as his deputy and Hamzah Zainudin as opposition leader.
Muhyiddin said the committee would highlight the MPs who are skilled and experienced in various fields to comment on the issues that arise.
He said the PN secretariat would be responsible for issuing statements on policies and other issues concerning the economy, environment, international relations, defence, and national security.
"We will present all of these issues so that the people know that we are ready for the responsibility if we are given the mandate to administer the country," he said at a press confernece in Kuala Lumpur.
In the committee, Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin holds the finance and economy portfolio, Kota Bharu MP Takiyuddin Hassan is responsible for home affairs, while Indera Mahkota MP Saifuddin Abdullah is in charge of education.
Tanah Merah MP Ikmal Hisham Abdul Aziz holds the defence portfolio and Kuala Langat MP Dr Ahmad Yunus Hairi, health.
Muhyiddin said PN would continue championing the Shared Prosperity Vision put forth during its time in government.
"We will maintain what was decided before this," he said.
"It was presented by the government when we tabled the 12th Malaysia Plan."


Canada approves first domestic Covid-19 vaccine

Canadian health authorities approved Thursday the first domestic Covid-19 vaccine, Quebec City-based biopharmaceutical firm Medicago and its partner GlaxoSmithKline announced.This comes after more than 90% of Canadian adults have already received two jabs of other vaccines, but about half of the population has yet to get a booster shot.Calling Health Canada’s approval of its Covifenz vaccine “a significant milestone for Canada in the fight against the pandemic,” Medicago chief executive Takashi Nagao said the company was already “manufacturing doses to start fulfilling its order.”Ottawa had pre-ordered up to 76 million doses of Covifenz.Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the development of the vaccine also marked a reversal of a decades-long decline in Canada’s biomanufacturing capabilities, which the pandemic had exposed.“This is the first authorized Covid-19 vaccine developed by a Canadian-based company, and the first that uses a plant-based protein technology,” said a government statement.Ottawa had previously approved six other Covid vaccines, including AstraZeneca, Moderna and Pfizer.According to Health Canada, clinical trials have shown the two-dose Covifenz vaccine to be 71% effective in protecting adults aged 18 to 64 against coronavirus infections.


Rohana not the only stateless case, lawyers tell home minister

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) today called for a revamp of policies on stateless people, urging Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin not to react only to media coverage of individuals in the wake of his response to a young woman who was raised by her Chinese adoptive mother after being abandoned as a baby.LFL coordinator Zaid Malek welcomed Hamzah’s statement that he was looking into the case of Rohana Abdullah but said that as home minister, Hamzah was responsible for “the ordeal of tens of thousands of young people like Rohana who are unjustly deprived of citizenship”.“We know that her’s is not an isolated case. There are tens of thousands of children and young adults who are in similar situations as Rohana throughout the country and their sufferings deserve equal attention.“It is not good enough to react to adverse news coverage on a single issue with promises of action, and then go back to ignoring the tens of thousands with similar problems like Rohana,” he said in a statement.“Reactive solutions are inadequate. Statelessness must be addressed comprehensively and systematically at its root.”Rohana, 22, was abandoned as a baby at the kindergarten where her biological mother, an Indonesian, worked as a cleaner.She was taken in by kindergarten teacher Chee Hoi Lan who raised her as her own child.In 2016, she applied for Malaysian citizenship but received no response.In a Facebook post yesterday, Hamzah had said that he was “touched” by Rohana’s story.“I have instructed my officers to investigate the validity of the information given before any decision is made,” he added.Zaid said Hamzah should remember that Rohana and others like her are “unfortunate victims of deliberate bureaucratic processes that persistently fail to uphold the Federal Constitution, which accords foundlings citizenship by operation of law”.“The sad reality of it is that Rohana’s plight would have been left unnoticed if it did not gain widespread national attention.“The administrative machinery of the home ministry and National Registration Department cannot depend on news coverage on random cases, but must be resolved by ensuring that relevant state organs properly execute their function in accordance with the law.”


Shafie to launch Warisan peninsular chapter

Sabah-based party Warisan is set to spread its wings to the peninsula with president Shafie Apdal to launch the division in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.Warisan, founded in October 2016, is aligned with opposition pact Pakatan Harapan.Shafie said on Oct 20 that the party’s plans to expand to the peninsula were well on track.He also said that Warisan would focus on a multiracial approach in making the move, adding that this had been well received by communities of all ethnicities.


18 years’ jail for students convicted of culpable homicide in death of cadet

The six students at the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM) found guilty of culpable homicide not amounting to the murder of UPNM cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain four years ago today escaped the gallows but were sentenced to 18 years in jail by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.The six are Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali.Justice Azman Abdullah ordered them to serve their sentence from the date of their arrests on June 1, 2017.Of the six accused, five were charged with the murder of Zulfarhan Osman under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death penalty upon conviction, while Abdoul Hakeem was charged with abetting the murder under Section 109 of the same act, which carries a similar sentence.The judge in his decision, however, said the court had found all of the accused guilty under Section 304 (a) of the Penal Code of causing injuries to the deceased with no intent of murder, which carries imprisonment of up to 30 years, with the possibility of a fine, upon conviction.The court also sentenced the accused, except Shobirin, and their 12 friends after finding them guilty of injuring Zulfarhan. Shobirin was previously charged with the same offence but was acquitted of the charge at the end of the prosecution’s case.The 12 others are Mohd Hafiz Fauzan Ismail, Mohamad Lukhmanul Hakim Mohd Zain, Ahmad Shafwan Berdal, Muhammad Amirul Asraff Mala, Luqman Hakim Shamsuri, Muhammad Sufi Mohd Mustapha, Noriznan Izzairi Noor Azhar, Muhamad Ashraf Abdullah, Muhammad Danial Firdaus Azmir, Muhammad Hasif, Muhammad Adib Iman and Mohamad Syazwan.They were found guilty of deliberately injuring the victim to coerce a confession from him that he had stolen a laptop, as charged under Section 330 of the Penal Code.Azman ordered the sentence for Akmal, Azamuddin, Najib, Afif dan Abdoul Hakeem for both the culpable homicide and injuring charges to run concurrently.“Meanwhile, for the other 12 accused, the court hereby sentences them to three years’ jail starting today,” he said.The judge however allowed a stay of execution of the jail sentence for the 12 accused pending their appeal.Azman in his judgment said the jail sentence imposed on the accused was not only to provide a painful lesson, but also to create fear of punishment for others.“If they are only punished with a good behaviour bond (as applied for by their lawyers), it will not have any impact on the people. Zulfarhan was their friend, but we also have to think about his parents and family.“Looking at the body of the deceased, I cannot imagine the pain when the steam iron was pressed on his body, let alone on his sensitive parts. I don’t know how to categorise the perpetrators. They are like ruthless criminals.”The judge also said he was saddened by the fact that all of the accused, who were on the path to becoming military officers, could no longer continue their studies at the university.


New infections still below 2,000 as death toll up by 3

Another 1,971 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,803,624.
There were 2,389 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,740,398.
There are now 26,949 active cases, of which 25,648 or 95.2% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, eight (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,224 (4.5%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 69 are in ICU with 49 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 58.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 36.7%.
Three more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,277.


29 premises inspected, cop tells Nora Anne inquest

The Coroner’s Court in Seremban was today told that the Negeri Sembilan Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inspected 29 premises including private resorts for clues on the whereabouts of Nora Anne Quoirin who went missing on Aug 4 last year.Ampang Jaya district police deputy chief Mohd Azam Ismail, the 14th witness in the inquest proceedings to determine the teenager’s cause of death, said seven villas at the Shorea Resort, near the Dusun Resort where Nora Anne and her family stayed upon their arrival in Malaysia on Aug 3, were also searched.Police also inspected five private villas, four of which were occupied, and nine private premises and resorts of which five were occupied.“We also inspected the eight villas at the Dusun Resort, including the one occupied by the resort owner,” he said in his testimony before coroner Maimoonah Aid.When questioned by deputy public prosecutor Muhamad Iskandar Ahmad about other instructions given during the investigation, Azam who was a staff officer at the state CID at the time, said his team was also told to interview the forestry department officers at the foot of Gunung Berembun for any indications on Nora Anne’s location.“But we were informed that the missing person did not enter the area,” he added.Azam said his team was also tasked with investigating the background of Nora Anne’s family members, as well as to profile witnesses including former guests, especially those who had stayed at the resort before the teenager went missing.“The profiling included the family of the complainant,” he said, referring to Dusun Resort manager Haanim Ahmed Bamadhaj.His team also profiled employees and former employees, locals who had been in the vicinity of the resort on the day Nora Anne went missing, and those who had stayed at the hotel.He said the profiling was done as they had no other leads to follow.“We made profiles of all the witnesses to get new information on them based on information such as criminal backgrounds and vehicle backgrounds.“However, there was no indication (of new leads),” he said.When asked by Maimoonah about the outcome of the investigation into Nora Anne’s parents, Azam said neither of them had criminal records.The inquest proceedings ran from Aug 24 to 27 and from Aug 1 until today.Fourteen of the 64 witnesses have been called to testify so far.Nora Anne, 15, went missing on Aug 4 last year, a day after she and her family arrived in Malaysia for a two-week holiday at a resort in Pantai, about 60km south of Kuala Lumpur.Nora Anne’s body was found nine days later on Aug 13, near a stream in a hilly area about 2.5km from the resort.A preliminary post-mortem report found no criminal elements in her death. She was said to have died of gastrointestinal bleeding due to prolonged stress and hunger.The proceeding has been adjourned to Sept 14.


RAM claims independence not an issue with shareholders composition

RAM Holdings Bhd today insisted that its independence and integrity would not be affected by its recent acquisition by CTOS Digital Bhd, saying both it and its wholly-owned subsidiary RAM Rating Services Bhd are “strictly regulated” by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC).In a statement, RAM Holdings CEO Chris WK Lee listed out what he described as key safeguard measures undertaken in the credit rating agency’s day-to-day operations, including a requirement for SC approval for any change in shareholding structure resulting in a party holding a stake of 20% or more.“The SC would not grant approval to any party to exceed this limit if it deems this to be detrimental to the best interest of the credit rating agency and the bond market,” he added.Likewise, he said, the boards of RAM Holdings and RAM Ratings comprise “independent directors, with the exception of the executive director”.“All directors including its chief executive, deputy chief executive and members of the rating committee are subject to the approval of the SC,” he said.“Furthermore, the tenures of directors and rating committee members are also subject to a maximum limit.”Lee also said that with the exception of governance oversight, the board does not participate in the operations of the agency, which he added was the domain of its CEO and management staff.“All rating actions by RAM Ratings are decided and assigned by an independent rating committee,” he said.“The chairman and majority of the members that constitute the rating committee are external individuals with relevant expertise who do not participate in the operations of the credit rating agency.”He added that the SC reviews the agency’s registration on a regular basis and conducts periodic examinations of the compliance record of RAM Holdings and RAM Ratings, both of which he said had “continued to fulfil the requirements of the credit rating agency registration”.MalaysiaNow last week reported concerns about the independence and credibility of RAM Holdings following the SC’s green light for its acquisition by CTOS Digital, which was given the approval to acquire a more than 51% stake in RAM.RAM was established by Bank Negara in 1990 to support the local debt capital market, and is accepted as the industry leader in credit ratings.Its constitution bars any individual stakeholder from owning more than 20% of company shares – a limit that MalaysiaNow reported would be put to vote at RAM’s upcoming annual general meeting (AGM).The proposed amendment would see a drastic change, allowing a member to hold more than 20% of the paid-up capital as long as “the prior approval of the SC and/or any relevant authority… has been obtained in accordance with the law, regulations and guidelines from time to time imposed by the SC and/or any relevant authority for that member to hold interest in shares in excess of the prescribed limit”.Concerns were also raised about the compsition of its shareholders and potential conflict of interest, with a capital market analyst saying that at least one CTOS non-executive director sits on the SC board of directors.Lee however said that the proposed amendment would require approval by 75% of shareholders.“RAM Holdings is confident that our credit rating operations at RAM Ratings will not be impacted and will remain independent, regardless of the outcome of the vote,” he added.“Regardless of past, present and future shareholding changes, the integrity and independence of the credit rating agency have and will continue to be the bedrock of RAM Ratings’ operations – established to serve in the best interest of all bond market participants.”


Dip in daily cases as total infections top 600,000

Another 7,748 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 603,122.Selangor recorded 2,612 cases, Kuala Lumpur 851, Sarawak 706, Negeri Sembilan 709, Johor 446, Penang 376, Perak 371, Sabah 287, Kelantan 286, Kedah 263, Melaka 234, Labuan 230, Terengganu 203 and Pahang 146.Putrajaya recorded 20 cases and Perlis eight.Active cases stand at 84,369 with 883 in the ICU and 459 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 6,624 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 515,571.However, 86 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 3,182.


Sorry.


Call to prayer draws crowds in Covid-wracked Indonesia

Mosques were jammed across virus-wracked Indonesia on Friday despite warnings against mass gatherings as the daily death toll in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority nation soared to a record high.Skyrocketing Covid-19 infections and deaths are hammering hospitals in the Southeast Asian country of nearly 270 million, which is overtaking India as Asia’s coronavirus epicentre.Fearing a further explosion in transmission, the government and Indonesian Mosque Council have called on millions of the faithful to pray at home as deaths hit 1,205 over the past 24 hours, with 54,000 new cases.But the call to prayer on Friday, Islam’s holiest day, was too strong for many, including Jakarta-area resident M Rofid Hilmi, 25, who lost his aunt to the respiratory illness.“I’m actually worried but I will leave it up to God to protect me. Hopefully everything will be fine,” said a masked Hilmi, who himself was recovering from the virus.“I don’t want to skip my religious duty,” he added.There were reports of rampant safety violations, including unmasked children and devotees praying inches apart.The rush to Indonesia’s myriad mosques – estimated at about 750,000 nationwide – may have been exacerbated by the government reversing its recent decision to shutter them as well as churches and holiday island Bali’s Hindu temples.The restrictions were part of tighter curbs that closed shopping malls, restaurants and offices in the hard-hit capital Jakarta, densely populated Java and Bali.But the regulations were quickly changed to stipulate that while faith houses could stay open, the public should not attend prayers as the highly infectious Delta variant rips across the archipelago.“So this was probably understood by many that because they’re not closed, mosques were open for prayer,” said Imam Addaruquthni, secretary general of the Indonesian Mosque Council.‘Too little, too late’The council has deployed teams to encourage people to stay home, but it is a touchy subject.“It is very hard to prevent people from going to the mosque,” Addaruquthni said.“But praying at home will save lives and the pandemic has already killed so many.”Friday’s crowds likely owed much to a mix of strong feelings about faith, confusing government messages and calls from some religious leaders to ignore warnings about mass gatherings, he added.This month, a local office of the Indonesian Ulema Council, which has millions of Muslim members, advised West Sumatra residents to ignore stay-at-home warnings.“Some see compliance with religion as far more important than following what people say,” Addaruquthni said.“Others also believe that death is in the hands of God, so if someone dies then that is his or her destiny.“They just don’t understand that saving lives is far more important than anything else.”Pandemic fatigue and online hoaxes about the virus were also fanning doubts about the dangers of public gatherings, one expert said.“Many chose to believe the wrong people instead of experts,” said Muhammad Najib Azca, a sociologist at Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University.“Indonesians are not only religious, but they can also be paternalistic – we listen to community and religious leaders.“The government has been involving more and more religious leaders to spread (correct) information but it’s too little too late,” he added.Indonesia’s virus cases shot up after millions travelled across the country at the end of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in May.Now, authorities are worried about big gatherings to mark next week’s Eid-al-Adha – an annual Muslim celebration known as the Feast of Sacrifice – over fears it could spark another surge in cases.For Yusuf Bachtiar, whose neighbour died from the virus, risks are around every corner.“When it comes to prayer, each of us has our own beliefs,” he said from a mosque in Bekasi on the edge of Jakarta.“It’s not just Friday prayers – there are lots of other activities that spread the virus.”


Number of flood evacuees drops in 5 states

The number of flood victims seeking shelter at relief centres (PPS) in Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka and Sabah declined this morning, while in Selangor and Terengganu the situation remained unchanged.In Johor, the number of flood victims in seven affected districts dropped to 5,399 people from 1,430 families as of 8am, compared to 5,923 people from 1,585 families last night.Johor health and environment committee chairman R Vidyananthan said this followed the closure of two PPS in Segamat, at SK Tenang and Dewan Serbaguna MDL Kampung Paya Merah.However, he said one more PPS was activated at Kompleks JKKK Kampung Jawa, Muar, bringing the total number of PPS opened in the state to 81.“Segamat had the highest number of evacuees with 3,804 people, followed by Tangkak (598), Mersing (470), Muar (161), Kota Tinggi (131), Kluang (124) and Batu Pahat (111),” he said in a statement.Three rivers remain at the danger level, namely Sungai Muar in Kampung Awat and Buloh Kasap in Segamat and Sungai Kesang in Kampung Seri Maamor near Tangkak.In Pahang, the state disaster management committee secretariat reported that a total of 1,846 flood victims were still at 32 PPS this morning, in the districts of Raub, Jerantut, Temerloh, Bera, Maran, Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin.A total of 21 roads had been closed due to the floods, including Jalan Pekan Sehari Kampung Awah in Maran, Jalan Triang 1 (Bera), Jalan Air Hitam (Kuantan), Jalan Kota Gelanggi (Jerantut), Jalan Belimbing-Seri Makmur (Pekan) and Jalan Ibam-Kampung Aur (Rompin).The Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) meanwhile said that water levels at three rivers had exceeded the danger level – Sungai Bera and Sungai Serting in Bera and Sungai Pahang in Kuala Sungai Chini, Pekan.In Negeri Sembilan, the Social Welfare Department’s InfoBencana application showed that the number of flood victims at relief centres fell to 1,488 individuals from 396 families this morning, compared to 1,628 individuals from 448 families last night,In Melaka, the number of flood victims decreased to 1,256 people from 324 families as of 8am, compared to 1,771 people from 472 families last night.State Malaysian Civil Defence Force director Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said in a statement that the victims were from 14 areas in Alor Gajah, nine in Melaka Tengah and 14 others in Jasin.In Sabah, the number of evacuees dropped to 3,385 people from 1,329 families this morning from 3,365 people from 1,331 families last night.The state disaster management secretariat said the flood victims were housed at 30 PPS in six districts in the northern part and east coast of the state.Kota Marudu had the most evacuees with 2,668 people from 1,120 families at 14 PPS, followed by Pitas (319 people, 120 families, four PPS), Telupid (216 people, 49 families, seven PPS), Sandakan (45 people, seven families, one PPS), Beluran (38 people, 10 families, one PPS), and Paitan (99 people, 23 families, three PPS).Floodwaters have begun to recede in some areas in Kota Marudu and the weather is favourable.In Selangor, the InfoBencana application showed that the number of evacuees remained unchanged at 40 people in the Kuala Langat district, placed at Dewan Orang Ramai Kampung Kelanang (25 people) and Balai Raya Majlis Pengurusan Komuniti Kampung Banting (15 people).In Terengganu, the number of evacuees remained at 19 people from five families at two centres in Kemaman this morning.Nine people from three families were being housed at SK Lembah Jabor while 10 people from two families were placed at SMK Geliga.The DID meanwhile reported that only Sungai Nerus in Kampung Langkap, Setiu was still above the danger level this morning.


Aug 8 hearing for Sapura Energy appeal against Rafizi over remuneration documents

The High Court has set Aug 8 to hear the appeal by Sapura Energy Bhd, against the Sessions Court’s decision in allowing Rafizi Ramli to obtain documents regarding Shahril Shamsuddin's remuneration and incentive package, paid by the company during his tenure as Sapura Energy's CEO.
The economy minister’s counsel, Navpreet Singh, when confirming the matter, said that the date was fixed by High Court deputy registrar Rozana Husin, when the matter came up for online case management today.
On April 14, Sessions Court judge Lailatul Zuraida [email protected], in allowing Rafizi's application, ordered the company to produce the documents sought by the Pandan MP within one month from the decision date (April 14).
Following that, Sapura Energy filed the notice of appeal, dated April 25, against the decision by the Sessions Court.
"The learned registrar (Rozana Husin) gave directions for the filing of written submission by July 11 and reply submission by July 25,” said Navpreet when contacted by the media. On Nov 24 last year, Rafizi filed the discovery application and amended his defence, filed in July.
In the discovery application, Rafizi sought the court's permission for Sapura Energy to reveal Shahril's remuneration and incentive package.
Shahril filed the suit against Rafizi in May last year, following Rafizi's statements in three articles, published through his social media accounts, in response to former prime minister, Najib Razak’s statement wanting the government to inject more funds into Sapura Energy to save it.
Rafizi had opposed Najib's view of further bailing out Sapura Energy, claiming that public funds should not be used to protect the elites.


Troops deployed after mob attacks Pakistan Hindu temple over ‘blasphemy boy’

Police have arrested at least 50 people in Pakistan, accused of attacking a Hindu temple in the east of the country.Paramilitary troops have also been deployed in the town in the country’s eastern Punjab province a day after the Muslim mob badly damaged the Hindu temple there.Last week’s attack took place in Bhong in Rahim Yar Khan district after a court granted bail to an eight-year-old Hindu boy who was accused of desecrating a Muslim religious school.Statues were damaged and the temple’s main door was burned down by the mob that said the boy, arrested on charges of intentionally urinating on a carpet in the madrassa’s library, committed blasphemy, an act punishable by death in Pakistan.Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan took to Twitter to “strongly condemn” the attack, announcing that he had ordered the police chief of the Punjab province to “take action against any police negligence”.Police said they were searching for another 100 suspects.Punjab police officials said troops were now guarding the temple and that security has been provided to members of the Hindu community.Ramesh Kumar, a Hindu community leader, said after the attack that the slow response from the police had made the situation worse.Lal Malhi, a Hindu member of Pakistan’s parliament, posted on Twitter that many Hindu families living in Bhong had “vacated the town” fearing for their lives.Most of Pakistan’s minority Hindus migrated to India in 1947 when India was divided by Britain at independence. Muslims and Hindus generally live together peacefully in Pakistan, but here have been several attacks on Hindu temples in recent years.In December 2020, a large mob destroyed a century-old Hindu temple in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.Since 1990, at least 79 people have been killed in the name of the blasphemy laws, according to an Al Jazeera tally. Those killed include individuals accused of blasphemy, their family members, their lawyers and judges who have delivered “not guilty” verdicts.


Behind the dimming of Malaysia’s silver screen

While Malaysia was among the first in the region to develop an established film industry, the question today is whether its golden era ended with the likes of P Ramlee or if its best days are still ahead.While the Malaysian film industry has made significant advances in terms of technology and reach, it still lags behind international productions, giving rise to the question of whether it will be able to meet the challenges posed by overseas films from Bollywood, Hollywood and, the most recent wave to hit the local cinema market – South Korean dramas or Hallyu.Lina Tan, who sits on the board of the National Film Development Corporation Malaysia or Finas, said one of Malaysia’s perennial problems is that of budget.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she drew a comparison with the budgets allocated in international film industries like Hollywood.“They make films with budgets of over US$200 million because they want to sell them to the world. In Malaysia, though, the average film budget is about RM1.5 million to RM2.5 million per film,” she said.In other words, while talent and creativity counts for much, at the end of the day, money still matters.“People think that film is just an art, that we can do it easily and pay our industry players lousy wages but it’s not,” Tan, the founder and executive producer for production house Red COmmunications, added.“We still need to be professional, especially in making sure that they have a career.”Scriptwriter and director Afiza Asram agreed that Malaysian film production suffers from a lack of budget.“Our films have gone so far,” she said, giving the example of entertainment icon P Ramlee.“P Ramlee films, for instance, have reached a global audience. We can go much further but we have a problem with budget.”This is not to say that Malaysia has not made do with what it has.“We can do low-cost films,” Afiza said. “I have seen a few low-cost films that are very good. But in order for us to reach a global market, we really need money and other incentives for film production.”Normally, funds for film production come through the company producing the film, through sponsorships or through the application of subsidies and grants from the government.But while the government plays a big role in supporting and extending the specialised creative industries, both Tan and Afiza said filmmakers cannot rely on government money alone.“I have been producing for 30 years but I’ve only received two incentives from Finas,” Tan said.“You can’t rely on incentives. If you do, you won’t go anywhere because you will not be accountable for what you do.”She spoke of films that had received support from Finas ending up as flops because filmmakers did not put their full effort into producing a high quality product.“When filmmakers have the mindset that they don’t have to give their best because they get free money, that is a problem,” she added.This is related to another problem in Malaysia’s film industry: finding people with experience.“We still lack experienced producers in Malaysia,” Tan said. “We need experienced people who know what to do with a given allocation of money.”There is also the problem of finding good directors, writers and actors. While there are some who are talented enough to reach international levels, Tan said there are also many who do not try hard enough.Those aspiring to make it in the film industry must have a competetive mindset, she said, always striving to improve and never settling for “good enough”.Censorship appears to be less of a problem as Malaysia does not block the creativity of filmmakers even though it is less open than other countries, Afiza said.The issue is rather the different censorship levels on different platforms such as television stations and online streaming services such as Netflix.A case in point is “Sa Balik Baju”, a local film about six women which gained praise from industry players and audiences for its storyline and messages. It climbed the charts in Netflix Malaysia, eventually becoming the most-watched film and remaining among the top 10 in the country.Afiza, who was a scriptwriter for the film, said one of the goals in making it was to break down walls and to bring real issues to the fore.“We didn’t think about which platforms we were going to. This gave us more freedom to explore things that involve censorship, and we tried a lot of things that we never had before,” she said.The move paid off, although the film was also criticised by those who said that it was too open and involved topics considered “taboo” for Malaysians.This, too, is a problem of sorts for filmmakers.“One of my biggest problems is having to deal with the mentality that we have to ban everything that we are uncomfortable with instead of trying to have a discussion and to educate ourselves as well as the society around us,” Tan said.“Creators are not trying to do something insulting. They just want to educate people and to show the real world as it is.”For her, art is about being open-minded.“If we do not open our minds, it will restrict our thinking and we will always be getting offended over small things,” she said.“There are so many difficult areas that we have to climb over before we can make a film, right down to getting the money.”


New infections drop to 1,900 as 2 more deaths reported

Another 1,921 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,544,626.There were 1,716 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,482,734.There are now 26,155 active cases, of which 25,059 or 95.8% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 15 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,052 (4.0%) have been hospitalised.A total of 29 are in ICU with 20 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 62.1%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 6.7%.Two more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 35,737.


New cases stay above 17,000

Another 17,170 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,078,646.Selangor recorded 7,163 cases, Kuala Lumpur 2,138, Kedah 1,212, Johor 1,054, Negeri Sembilan 884, Sabah 776, Pahang 638, Kelantan 615, Perak 596, Sarawak 582, Penang 554, Terengganu 437 and Melaka 416.Putrajaya recorded 84 cases, Labuan 11 and Perlis 10.Active cases stand at 179,179 with 1,043 in the ICU and 531 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 12,930 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 890,742.However, 174 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 8,725.


Don’t cripple health ministry by blocking Act 342 bill, Khairy urges MPs

Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin has urged MPs to support the bill to amend the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), saying this could strengthen the government’s arsenal in the fight against Covid-19.Khairy said he had briefed MPs on Monday regarding the guidelines and conditions which need to be fulfilled before the proposed enhanced penalties can be meted out for the violation of Covid-19 SOPs.The guidelines would protect the people from being slapped with unjust compounds for violating the SOPs, he said.“Surely we are not going to issue a RM10,000 compound against someone for not wearing a face mask,” he added.Khairy said the existing law was not effective in curbing the spread of Covid-19 because even factories which contribute to clusters could be fined only a maximum of RM1,000 although their revenue might run into the billions.“So, I would say MPs should not block the amendments as this would cripple the health ministry.“We are fine-tuning the guidelines, and I have told all MPs including from the opposition that I will bring the guidelines to the Select Committee,” he said at a press conference in Sri Aman today.Khairy also rejected claims by the opposition that the proposed amendments are punitive in nature.“We have guidelines to prevent the abuse of power. I am appealing for the amendments to be passed at this sitting. Tomorrow is the last day and if we wait until March next year, we don’t know what will happen in the next two months with the emergence of Omicron and the like.“Being punitive is the last resort but we need to have weapons to face this pandemic. We have done our bit with vaccination, early measures, SOPs and control but what about the question of fines?”The bill, tabled for first reading in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, proposes a maximum RM1 million fine on companies and organisations and up to RM10,000 on individuals who flout the SOPs.


With home improvement store IPO comes questions on overconsumption, waste

The initial public offering (IPO) exercise by MR DIY Group (M) Bhd last week has sparked interest among analysts and investors as the home improvement retail chain sets the record for the largest IPO on Bursa Malaysia in the last three years, generating RM1.5 billion in funds for the company and giving it a market value of RM10 billion.Companies that wish to be listed are required to meet stringent criteria detailed by Bursa Malaysia.One such criteria is sustained growth – a “profit track record”, to use the technical term – for a period of three to five consecutive financial years.At the end of last year, MR.DIY posted a full-year 2019 (FY19) net profit of over RM300 million. Revenue for the group for FY19 was RM2.2 billion.Coming as the retail sector takes a beating from the sudden and drastic drop in consumer spending due to the government-imposed movement control order (MCO) during the Covid-19 pandemic, the MR.DIY listing on the main market board stands out.The pandemic found many retailers unprepared and ill-equipped to pivot to alternative strategies and sources of revenue (read e-commerce), but here was a retailer going for listing barely four months after the start of the recovery phase of the MCO.Questions on consumer behaviourAgainst a backdrop of other big-box retailers scaling back or shuttering, and smaller retailers suffering severe revenue drought, a company listing at a time of economic uncertainty raises several questions.Does the sustained growth of this type of retailer, which sells everything under one roof for low prices, reflect an anomalous spike in consumerism or is this what consumers really want?Is it a new business strategy, appealing to the mass market to bring in the big bucks instead of banking on the top 20% of the moneyed classes to buy luxury goods?A company listing at a time of economic uncertainty raises several questions.Is the mix of a dollar-store set-up with bargain prices just too good for consumers to resist or are they falling prey to manipulative in-store marketing tactics?There is a reason why low-price chain stores such as Walmart top the Fortune500 list of most valuable companies: consumers love bargain variety stores.But is the overconsumption in variety stores tapping a human tendency for needless consumption and contributing to larger problems such as environmental damage and resource depletion?“Overconsumption is a legitimate concern,” Lee Hwok-Aun, author of several books on the Malaysian economy, tells MalaysiaNow.“Easy access to cheap products – many of which are durable – may exacerbate solid waste disposal problems,” says Lee, now attached with the Singapore-based ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute.But some experts in the retail sector may beg to differ.“I don’t think it’s wasteful overconsumption,” said Andrew Kang, a management consultant specialising in FMCG clients.“I think the strategy for goods sold at these dollar shops is meant to be focused on disposables.”But Kang questions whether this is fair consumerism, noting that the target market for stores such as MR.DIY is mainly the M40 and B40 – consumers who are looking for affordable goods, and who are price-conscious above all.“Yet, the products they can afford are also the same products that are of questionable quality.“Is this fair, to encourage those who are counting pennies to spend more?”Lee points out that MR.DIY’s growth was over a decade in the making, and that planning for this IPO must have started before the pandemic. Thus, he says, “being on the verge of an IPO has deeper roots than current consumption behaviour and the retail sector”.But he adds: “It is possible that Covid-19 has boosted its market presence.”Shoppers browse through the items offered by home improvement store MR.DIY.For Kang, one question is whether there is really a clear strategy to recoup and reward shareholders after the IPO or just a strategy on paper to justify the billion-ringgit ask, and whether brick and mortar consumerism is the way forward.“Personally, I doubt that opening more brick and mortar stores is the way forward. Malaysian consumers are going digital.”But Lee differs, saying, “As people increasingly shop at hypermarkets, they will also increasingly go to places like MR.DIY rather than local hardware stores.“With growing household income, Malaysians may have also acquired more taste for home improvement and the products sold at MR.DIY.”Whither the smaller shops?Does the success of retail chains like MR.DIY spell a bleaker outlook for smaller stores?“I don’t think it is necessarily game over for the local stores, which have the convenience of proximity to places of residence,” says Lee. “But I can foresee that they will more likely thrive in densely populated areas.”Kang meanwhile maintains that global trends point towards sustainable consumerism and that the “green” economy is growing.“Awareness of the dangers of waste is increasing; instead of buying material goods, trends are shifting towards experiences.“Everything points away from traditional brick and mortar shops,” he tells MalaysiaNow.


Hundreds of jailed social media users freed ahead of Syrian presidential election

Syria has released from prison more than 400 civil servants, judges, lawyers and journalists detained this year in a crackdown on social media dissent, however mild.The move is seen by rights activists and former detainees as intended to win over public opinion ahead of the presidential election on May 26, which is expected to hand President Bashar Assad a fourth term.Those released after being held under Syria’s cybercrime laws were among thousands freed this month under a general amnesty for currency speculators, drug dealers, smugglers and kidnappers, Reuters reports.The amnesty excluded tens of thousands of Assad opponents and political detainees held for years without trial, many of whom are believed dead, rights groups say.“The timing of the release right before elections is to generate a facade of entertaining some form of dissent to make the elections look credible,” said Sara Kayyali, Syria researcher with US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW).The group had seen an uptick in arrests for online activities in recent months to silence public disaffection over Syria’s economic crisis.The country’s economy is collapsing under the weight of war, sanctions and Covid-19, but public criticism of deteriorating living conditions is not tolerated.The crackdown under cybercrime law on mostly Assad supporters was intended to instill fear ahead of elections, according to two released detainees, who requested anonymity.None of those arrested had criticised Assad, a capital offence. Most were rounded up by security forces for simply “liking” online Facebook posts pointing out growing hardship.The releases were among other steps taken in recent weeks ahead of the elections to influence public opinion, such as efforts to fight sky-rocketing inflation, and extending government grants to state employees in areas suffering from economic hardship.The interior ministry had in January warned that violators of the cybercrime laws, which criminalises social media comments deemed to undermine the authority of the state, would face a minimum of six months in prison.The ministry said it would pursue people who leaked fake news to portals that “distort and sow confusion in public opinion”.The majority of those released were never formally charged or put on trial, according to two released detainees who requested anonymity because they were warned not to speak publicly.


Covid-19 antibodies shown to cut hospitalisations, deaths

US pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly’s combination of two synthetic antibodies against Covid-19 reduced hospitalisations and deaths by 70% in high-risk patients with recent positive tests, the company said Tuesday.The results were called “very encouraging” by Stephen Evans, a professor of pharmacoepidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.“They are the first anti-viral drugs that demonstrably work in the first phase of the disease just after the virus has infected someone but before it has had time to cause a lot of damage,” he said.The Phase 3 trial involving 1,035 people achieved its main goal, and the study also met its secondary goals of reducing patients’ viral load and their time to recover from the disease.Patients were assigned either a placebo or the combination of bamlanivimab and etesevimab, the two antibodies, at 2.8g each.There were 11 hospitalisations in the patients who received the therapy, or 2.1% of that group.In the placebo arm, there were 36 deaths or hospitalisations, or 7.0% of the group.The therapy thus represented a risk reduction of 70%, and the result was statistically significant, meaning it was unlikely to have occurred by chance.There were 10 deaths total, all of which occurred in patients taking placebo, and none in the therapy group.“Bamlanivimab and etesevimab together have the potential to be an important treatment that significantly reduces hospitalisations and death in high-risk Covid-19 patients,” Lilly’s chief scientific officer Daniel Skovronsky said.The company said it would continue to study the drug in another trial to examine whether lower doses would yield the same impact.A peer-reviewed scientific paper is still awaited.‘Passive vaccination’In another development, US biotech firm Regeneron announced positive interim results from its Phase 3 study of Regen-COV, a combination of two antibodies, for use as a passive vaccine.An exploratory analysis looked at data from approximately 400 patients, roughly half given the 1.2g of the drug by a subcutaneous injection, the other half given a placebo.Out of 223 given the placebo, eight went on to get symptomatic Covid-19, while none of the 186 given Regen-COV did – in other words a 100% reduction in symptomatic infections.It also reduced the overall rate of infection, whether with symptoms or without, by 50%.Finally, the drug markedly decreased the levels of the virus among people who received the drug and became asymptomatically infected versus those in the placebo group.“These data using Regen-COV as a passive vaccine suggest that it may both reduce transmission of the virus as well as reduce viral and disease burden in those who still get infected,” said George Yancopoulos, Regeneron’s president and chief scientific officer.The final results of the study are expected in the second quarter.Slow uptakeMonoclonal antibodies are lab-made versions of the body’s natural infection-fighting defences.Our bodies develop these proteins in response to pathogens, and vaccines train the immune systems to be prepared without encountering the live microbe itself.Giving people ready-made antibodies can help those who are at high risk of severe disease because of weak immunity or underlying conditions.Many scientists have welcomed their Covid fighting potential, and both Lilly and Regeneron have received US emergency use authorisations for their therapies.But their uptake has been limited by several factors, from a lack of patient interest to not enough staffing and specific places inside hospitals to administer them.It can also be challenging to identify suitable candidates who are at high risk but haven’t yet progressed to severe Covid, because by that stage targeting the virus has less impact than using drugs to reduce the body’s overactive immune response.In its press release, Lilly acknowledged some of these difficulties.“Lilly has received feedback from frontline nurses and doctors administering these infusions regarding the complexity and time requirements for preparation and administration,” the statement said.As a result, the company is working with the Food and Drug Administration to potentially reduce the infusion time from the current 60 minutes to as little as 16 minutes.


RM5.1 billion in assets returned last year, almost 100% linked to 1MDB, says MACC

The total assets forfeited and returned to the Malaysian government last year were worth about RM5.1 billion, with 99.57% of them linked to 1MDB, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Azam Baki said today.He said following investigations by MACC, 152 cases of property forfeiture were filed in court, of which 121 cases had been resolved.“117 cases or 96.7% were in favour of the prosecutor, and four cases or 2.2% were not,” he said in addressing the 2021 MACC Media Awards ceremony at the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya today.Azam also said MACC would investigate any complaints of corruption, even if the amount involved was small.“If there is a reasonable reason to show an offence under MACC’s jurisdiction, an investigation paper will be opened and upon completion of the investigation, it will be referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action,” he added.“Although the consent for the prosecution of a case is at the discretion of the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the decision depends on the strength of the evidence from MACC’s investigation.”Azam said MACC had its own SOPs for conducting investigations and could not open investigation papers based solely on information provided by a blogger or social media user.“If there is no evidence or not enough, the investigation paper will be closed. This is to ensure that an innocent person is not persecuted, and that the accused has the opportunity to defend himself in court,” he added.


Kedah raises legal age of marriage for girls to 18

The Kedah state assembly yesterday passed the Islamic Family Law (Kedah Darul Aman) (Amendment) Enactment Bill 2022 on the age limit for marriage and laws governing polygamy.
Kedah state assembly speaker Juhari Bulat said the amendment to the enactment was to raise the marriageable age for women from 16 to 18, as well as the punishment for polygamy without court permission to one year in jail or a RM3,000 fine, compared to six months in jail or a fine of RM1,000 previously.
"If you still want to get married due to problems, you can apply through the court. If the court finds that the candidate should be allowed (to get married) even if she is 16 years old, she can with the court's permission. If it’s without the court's permission, there will be a fine," he told reporters after the state assembly sitting at Wisma Darul Aman in Alor Setar.
Meanwhile, Juhari said he had rejected the urgent motion on the issue of floods and the water surge phenomenon in Baling and Yan by Pengkalan Kundor assemblyman Ismail Salleh due to non-compliance with assembly rules.
He said the notice on the motion was given only the day before, which did not conform with the 14-day rule for normal private motions, or the rule for urgent and important motions requiring a seven-day notice or at least one day prior with the permission of the Kedah menteri besar.
Meanwhile, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said if the opposition felt the motion needed to be discussed in the assembly immediately, they could come to meet him over the matter.
"It is clear that the motion is to be brought to the assembly at least within 14 working days or brought by the menteri besar (for notice within) seven days or at least a day... they did not contact me... if they (opposition) are sincere, please (send a) WhatsApp (message to) me or write a letter," he said.
He also urged the opposition not to politicise issues in Baling to the point of forcing him to reveal the individual responsible for approving the Musang King farm project in Gunung Inas.
"I got the report from the forestry department, I already have the chronology and know who signed the letter to approve this project.
"Don't force me to reveal all that, I don't want a blame game. I want to be fair to everyone. We don't want to find fault with anyone right now, what’s important is the solution," he said.
The state assembly has been adjourned sine die.


Russians claim control over Bakhmut's east, Ukrainians defiant

The head of Russia's Wagner mercenary group said on Wednesday his forces had taken full control of the eastern part of the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut as one of the bloodiest battles of the year-long war ground on amid the ruins.
If the claim is true, it would mean Russian forces control nearly half the city in their costly push to secure their first big victory in several months.
Ukrainian defenders remained defiant, however. Last week they appeared to be preparing for a tactical retreat from Bakhmut, but military and political leaders are now speaking of hanging on to positions and inflicting as many casualties as possible on the Russian assault force.
In Stockholm, Ukraine's defence minister said Kyiv urgently needed huge supplies of artillery shells to mount a general counter-offensive against Russia's invasion army, urging EU members to support an Estonian plan for joint procurement of munitions.
"We need to move forward as soon as possible," Oleksii Reznikov told reporters before an EU defence ministers' meeting.
The General Staff of the Ukraine's Armed Forces said in its Wednesday morning report: "The enemy, despite significant losses,... continues to storm the town of Bakhmut."
Wagner head Yevgeny Prigozhin said his fighters, who have been spearheading the Russian campaign to seize Bakhmut, had now captured the city's east.
"Everything east of the Bakhmutka River is completely under the control of Wagner," Prigozhin said on Telegram.
The river bisects Bakhmut city, which sits on the edge of a swathe of the Donetsk region that is already largely under Russian occupation. The city centre is on the west side of the river.
Prigozhin has issued premature success claims before and Reuters was not able to verify his latest one.
Ukrainian military statements said earlier there may be "conditions" in Bakhmut for a Ukrainian offensive.
"The main task of our troops in Bakhmut is to grind the enemy's fighting capability, to bleed their combat potential," Serhiy Cherevatyi, a spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern military command, told public television on Tuesday.
Devastated cities
Russia, which claims to have annexed nearly 20% of Ukraine's territory, has made progress in recent weeks around Bakhmut, but its winter offensive has yielded no significant gains in assaults further north and south.
It says that taking Bakhmut would be a step towards seizing the industrial Donbas region, made up of Donetsk and Luhansk provinces. Western analysts say Bakhmut has little strategic value.
But Kyiv says the losses suffered by Russia there could determine the course of the war, with decisive battles expected when the weather is better and Ukraine receives more military aid, including heavy battle tanks.
Luhansk Governor Serhiy Haidai said in comments on Ukrainian television that Russia's strategy in east Ukraine remained the same - to take the remaining areas of Donetsk and Luhansk that it does not control.
"As for tactics - they understand that they are not able to make any rapid advance, so they have one tactic - they advance where they can. If they see that there is any success somewhere, they throw all the reserves into it," he said.
"So far, in the directions of Kreminna, Svatove and Bilohorivka (all northwest of the regional capital Luhansk) they have had no strategic successes and are making no progress."
The months of warfare in the east have been among the deadliest and most destructive since Russia invaded in February last year, adding Bakhmut's name to a list of devastated cities such as Mariupol, Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk.
A Ukrainian military drone showed the scale of destruction in Bakhmut, filming apartment blocks on fire and smoke billowing from residential areas.
Iryna Vereshchuk, a deputy Ukrainian premier, said fewer than 4,000 civilians - including 38 children - out of a pre-war population of some 70,000 remained in the city, which is now largely in ruins after months of bombardment.
"The situation in the city is difficult. The enemy actively storms our positions, however they don't have any success and suffer colossal losses," a Ukrainian border guard said in a video released by the State Border Service.
"Probably out of spite, they tried to blow up two bridges. But we still receive everything that we need. The city stands, because Bakhmut was, is, and will be Ukraine. We’ll stay in touch."
The Ukrainian General Staff also said Russian forces made more than 30 unsuccessful attacks over the past day near Orikhovo-Vasylivka alone, 20km (12 miles) northwest of Bakhmut. They shelled the areas around 10 settlements along the Bakhmut section of the front line, it said.
More shells
In Stockholm, EU defence ministers were meeting to discuss further arms supplies to Kyiv. Shipments of battle tanks and artillery are already in the pipeline but it could take months before they can be put into action on the front lines.
Ukraine's Reznikov said Kyiv wanted 90,000 to 100,000 artillery rounds per month. Ukraine is burning through shells faster than its allies can make them.
He said he supported a proposal by Estonia for EU countries to club together to buy 1 million 155-millimetre shells for Ukraine this year at a cost of US$4.22 billion (about RM19 billion).
German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said it would take time for industry to ramp up capacity to meet higher demand.
"We have to face the truth: Just because we all place more orders does not mean there is more ammunition. It has to be produced before it can be delivered," he said.
In other developments, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Wednesday warned against reaching premature conclusions on who was responsible for blowing up the Nord Stream pipelines, suggesting the attack last year could have been a "false flag" operation to blame Ukraine.
Pistorius was speaking after a New York Times report, citing intelligence reviewed by US officials, said a pro-Ukrainian group may be behind the blasts.


Former TH chairman fails in bid to quash corruption, money laundering charges

Former Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim today failed in his bid to quash three corruption charges pertaining to road projects in Perak and Kedah, as well as 10 charges of money laundering.This followed the decision of High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin to dismiss the application on the grounds that the charges against Azeez, 54, were not defective but based on the provisions of law.“I find the reason given by the applicant (Azeez) baseless. The applicant also failed to show that the charges made against him were mala fide (malicious).“In my opinion, this case is not a suitable and appropriate case for the court to exercise its existing power to set aside and quash the charges against the applicant. Therefore, the applicant’s application is dismissed,” Jamil said.Jamil also said the charges made under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act against Azeez, 54, were not flawed even though four separate projects were combined in one charge as the bribes received were in relation to those projects.“There is no issue of ‘duplicity’ or ‘multiplicity’ because it is not a separate offence of accepting bribes for each of the projects. Therefore, there is no breach of Section 163 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) which provides for different charges for every offence committed,” he said.For the money laundering offences, Jamil said there was no ambiguity as the charge contained details as required by Section 152 and Section 153 of the CPC.“The charge was not framed with prejudice and the applicant also did not show how he was confused or prejudiced.“The lack of details in what form and how the money was received by the applicant, with no mention of the exact date and place where the offence was committed, which was in the Klang Valley, did not make the charges defective,” he added.He also said the omission of details – the exact date and location – in the charge had not caused the applicant to be confused to the point where he could not submit an appropriate defence.On the issue of the applicant being investigated over Tabung Haji, but the charge being unrelated to the board, Jamil said it was up to the public prosecutor to initiate prosecution under the law they deemed appropriate.“Prior to this, as submitted by the deputy public prosecutor, the prosecution made appropriate amendments to the first to ninth charges with the permission of the court and without any objection from the counsel representing the applicant in the trial at the Sessions Court.“The applicant cannot say that the action of the prosecution in amending all nine charges is unlawful or an abuse of the court process. In whatever circumstances with the permission of the court, the prosecution has the right to amend the charges at any stage of the trial,” he added.Azeez’s case has been set for hearing before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi on March 15.Azeez’s lawyer, Hamzah Arshad, told the court that the defence would appeal against today’s decision.Azeez was charged with 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 which he allegedly received from Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd.The offences were allegedly committed at CIMB Bank, Jalan Tun Perak in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 8, 2010, and at Affin Bank, Puchong City Centre, Selangor, on June 13, 2017 and April 10, 2018.On the money laundering charges, Azeez was charged with committing the offences in the Klang Valley area between March 8, 2010 and Aug 30, 2018.


MACC nabs 47 company directors over false claims

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) arrested 47 company directors on suspicion of submitting false claims under the Penjana Kerjaya 2.0 hiring incentive programme, in operations dubbed Op Hire 2.0, mobilised yesterday afternoon.
A MACC source said that those arrested under Op Hire 2.0 operations carried out nationwide were aged between 30 and 70, involving 14 women and 33 men.
Op Hire 2.0 is an operation to curb the misappropriation and leakage of government funds as a result of false claims made by company directors under Penjana Kerjaya. It is an extension of the implementation of Op Hire 1.0 in 2022, which was held in cooperation with the Social Security Organisation (Socso) and MACC.
"These companies' directors have submitted claims, that they have been implementing the employees’ recruitment and training programmes, to Socso. But the programmes were not implemented (as claimed)," said the source.
The source also said that the number of claims submitted by these company directors was between RM450,000 and RM2 million. MACC deputy chief commissioner (operations), Ahmad Khusairi Yahaya, when contacted today, confirmed the arrests, and said that the cases were being investigated under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 and Section 471 of the Penal Code.
"This stern action by MACC is to curb the misappropriation and leakage of government funds, which is a serious issue," he said.
Ahmad Khusairi said that MACC has identified hundreds of other companies which have made false claims and will continue operations to arrest all those involved.
He also urged any companies involved to come forward voluntarily to resubmit the claims which have been made, to avoid charges in court.
"We have identified the names and list of owners of the companies involved. To recover all the false claims involved, I warn everyone to come forward immediately before the MACC knocks on their doors," he said. Ahmad Khusairi assured that individuals involved to appear voluntarily and resubmit the claims which have been made, will not be charged in court.
"For those who are still stubborn, they will be subjected to more serious action," he said.
Under Op Hire 1.0, a total of 74 individuals from 60 companies were arrested, involving false claims worth RM88 million. A total of 52 individuals have been charged in court.


Sorry.


Cops surround house of ex-Honduran president after US seeks extradition

The US has requested the Honduran government to arrest and extradite former president Juan Orlando Hernandez, a senior Honduran government source said on Monday, as police surrounded the house of the former leader.Speculation has been swirling for months that the US was planning to extradite Hernandez when he left office amid accusations that he colluded with drug traffickers. Leftist leader Xiomara Castro replaced him as president last month.The senior Honduran official, who sought anonymity as they were not allowed to speak to media on the subject, told Reuters the US “requested the provisional arrest of former president Juan Orlando Hernandez for extradition purposes”.CNN Espanol also reported the request was for Hernandez, publishing what appeared to be a government document about the extradition.Hernandez could not be immediately reached for commment but he has always denied any links to drug traffickers.The US embassy in Tegucigalpa and the government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The Honduran foreign ministry earlier in the day that the US embassy had requested the arrest of a Honduran politician who has an extradition request to the US.The ministry did not disclose the name of the official but said the request had been sent to the country’s Supreme Court.


US authorises Pfizer-BioNTech jab for kids aged 12-15

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Monday authorised the use of the Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 12 to 15 years old.Acting FDA commissioner Janet Woodcock described the move as a “significant step in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic”.“Today’s action allows for a younger population to be protected from Covid-19, bringing us closer to returning to a sense of normalcy and to ending the pandemic,” Woodcock said in a statement.“Parents and guardians can rest assured that the agency undertook a rigorous and thorough review of all available data, as we have with all of our Covid-19 vaccine emergency use authorisations,” she added.The FDA previously granted an emergency use authorisation for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine to individuals aged 16 and older.“Having a vaccine authorised for a younger population is a critical step in continuing to lessen the immense public health burden caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Peter Marks, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.The FDA said some 1.5 million Covid-19 cases in individuals aged 11 to 17 years old have been reported to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2021.The course of the disease is generally milder in children but they can pass it on to older, more vulnerable adults.Pfizer and its partner BioNTech said in March that their two-dose vaccine regimen was shown to be safe and highly effective in a trial of 2,260 12 to 15 year olds.President Joe Biden last week stressed the importance of expanding vaccinations to 12 to 15 year olds and said the authorities were “ready to move immediately” once the authorisation came through.Some 20,000 pharmacies around the country were ready to begin to vaccinate adolescents, he said, and doses will also be shipped to pediatricians.Covid-19 vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson have also received emergency use authorisations from the FDA but only for individuals over the age of 18.


Beaten, and then saved by the pandemic

When the shockwaves of Covid-19 slammed into Mohd Saddam Irrban’s company, they brought with them the worst – but also the best – of the pandemic’s impact on the business world.At the time, he was running a successful tour agency. But with travel bans and movement restrictions both local and global biting at its heels, the industry was soon all but destroyed.When his company eventually shut down, he turned to e-commerce – a sector which benefitted enormously during the months of lockdown while brick-and-mortar businesses suffered.But with so many online businesses doing the same or similar things, the 29-year-old was forced to ask the question that every successful businessman born of the pandemic pondered before venturing into his field: what are people living in fear of the virus willing to pay for?With physical contact one of the greatest concerns, Saddam simply cashed in on the paranoia gripping the public.He found that many were reluctant to go on their grocery runs themselves, especially given the extra precautions put in place such as the need for face masks, signing in at the entrance, temperature checks, and the use of hand sanitiser.These SOPs, now practised around the world, mean more time spent waiting in line – and while people may be willing to queue for a chance to get the latest iPhone at a discount, not many are keen to do so for chicken, fish, fruit, and vegetables.What are people living in fear of the virus willing to pay for?“After the movement control order was declared in March, we were in a daze,” Saddam told MalaysiaNow.It took him about a month to think of an alternative business which could use his existing staff.With a capital of RM50,000, he started his service: buying groceries for others.This required retraining about a dozen people for their new roles at Ommafoody, which delivers fresh food and produce from the wholesale market.“We reached out to fish and chicken sellers and asked them to be our vendors.“We go out with customer’s shopping lists to get their daily grocery items,” Saddam said.A runner waits outside the Ommafoody office in Seri Kembangan with a load of fresh produce waiting to be cleaned and delivered to customers.But Ommafoody doesn’t just deliver food. Saddam adds value to his service by also cleaning the poultry and fish before repacking them for customers.It’s this extra feature which sets his company apart from other similar services.But it also means that they can only take limited orders – in this case, not more than 60 every day.Today, he makes a clean profit of about RM40,000 a month.Although he is doing well, the perishable nature of the items he delivers makes it a challenge to live up to his company’s promise of fresh deliveries.“We can’t keep things like vegetables and fruits for too long. They must be sent immediately.”The other problem is that ever-changing prices in the market mean that Ommafoody cannot offer fixed prices.“We don’t keep stock, and prices are beyond our control. So we have to negotiate the best solution with our suppliers.”He tries to make every customer happy, but sometimes he can’t please everyone.For those who are unsatisfied with their groceries or his service, he has the universal solution: he simply refunds them under his “money back guarantee”.


Not enough evidence to charge minister with quarantine breach, says AG

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has decided to not charge Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Mohd Khairuddin Aman Razali with breach of quarantine due to insufficient evidence.Attorney-General (AG) Idrus Harun in a media release said after full consideration and deliberation on all available evidence, the AGC found that there was no home surveillance or observation order issued by the authorised officer in the exercise of his discretion to the minister for him to observe such home surveillance or observation order as stipulated under Subsection 15(1) of Act 342, as alleged by the complainant.“Form 14b as prescribed in the Guidelines by the Ministry of Health which contained an order for home surveillance and/or observation order under Subsection 15(1) of Act 342 was never issued to the minister before he was allowed to leave,” he said.For an act to be considered an offence of breaking a home quarantine order under Act 342, the home surveillance or observation order should have been issued to the minister under Subsection 15(1) of Act 342.Accordingly, based on the above consideration, the AGC decided not to bring charges against the minister due to insufficient evidence, he said.Idrus also confirmed that an investigation by the police into a complaint against Khairuddin regarding the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) has been carried out and completed.“Our perusal of the investigation paper submitted by the police reveals that the minister visited Turkey on July 3, 2020, and flew back to Malaysia on July 7, 2020.“Upon arrival at KLIA, the minister underwent health inspection and screening process for Covid-19 (swab test) and the result was found to be negative. The minister was allowed to return to his residence by the authorised officer from the Ministry of Health who was appointed under Section 3 of Act 342,” he said.The AG said the minister underwent a second health screening on July 10 at the Kuala Lumpur hospital for the purpose of attending a ceremony at Istana Negara on Aug 17.Idrus said the result of the second screening was also negative.


Nearly 30,000 personnel, over 1,000 assets ready for floods, says fire and rescue department

A total of 29,103 officers and personnel from the Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) are prepared with more than a thousand assets including five aircraft to be mobilised in the event of a disaster.
JBPM director-general Mohamad Hamdan Wahid said 1,065 light transport vehicles, 127 heavy vehicles and 403 marine vessels as well as five helicopters were ready for disaster monitoring, evacuation and assistance during floods.
Three of the aircraft are in Subang, Selangor, with the others in Bertam, Penang and Miri, Sarawak.
He said the three aircraft are placed in Subang Selangor with one each in Bertam, Penang and Miri in Sarawak.
"The state JBPM should be prepared to receive orders from the operation management centre (PPO) to organise the movement of resources and logistics to the forward bases or flood-affected states.
"Human resources and logistics will also be deployed from states which are not affected by floods as instructed by the PPO within an hour of receiving the order," he told Bernama.
Hamdan said leave would also be frozen in stages for 80% of officers and personnel.
He said there were 5,496 locations identified as flood-risk areas throughout the country and 186 identified as at risk of water surges.
Meanwhile, Selangor JBPM director Norazam Khamis said the state department had listed six management elements to deal with floods in the state, including an additional 50% of vehicles comprising 43 units of boats and 64 units of other watercraft.
"Selangor JBPM has also set up an incident command system at the state headquarters linked with other zones, apart from identifying flood hotspots in 339 areas in Selangor," he said.
On Tuesday, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said his ministry would procure two additional field hospital units at a total cost of RM47 million to deal with disasters and emergencies including floods.
The defence ministry is also on alert to assist the related agencies and is awaiting instructions from the central disaster management committee chaired by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.