Nik Aziz's granddaughter gives stinging take on Anwar govt after posthumous 'Tan Sri' award

A grandchild of Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat has penned a scathing criticism of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government, days after the late PAS spiritual leader was given a posthumous federal award in conjunction with the official birthday of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
Nik Nur Humaira claimed that her family was initially given the impression that Nik Aziz would be bestowed the title of "Tun".
"Instead, when the palace letter arrived, we were surprised to be told that it was only the 'Tan Sri' title. Alas, not strange because the one who has been announcing this is known as the Rhetoric Man, just as Tun M (Mahathir) calls it," she said in a Facebook post over the weekend.
Nik Aziz, the Kelantan menteri besar who ruled for more than two decades, was among 26 who received the 'Tan Sri' title, including Lim Kit Siang.
The move to bestow the DAP stalwart with the nation's second highest award ignited a debate on social media, with many recalling DAP's past declarations that it was not the party's culture to accept royal titles.
It also drew a snide remark from former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who asked if Lim was now placed on the same level as Nik Aziz.
Meanwhile, former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin said that recipients of federal titles would normally be vetted by the Prime Minister's Department.
"Normally, these high awards will receive the consent or recommendation of the prime minister.
"There is the Agong's list, but the bigger list is the PM's list, because these are federal government honours, bestowed by the king, of course.
"I suppose Anwar wants to reward his comrades, and nothing wrong with that, I guess," he said in a recent edition of his political podcast, "Keluar Sekejap".
Nik Humaira in her post also questioned the manner in which the invitation for the investiture ceremony at the palace was delivered to her grandmother, Nik Aziz's widow Tuan Sabariah Tuan Ishak.
"The letter of invitation from the palace was not given through the state government. Instead, it was sent through Allahyarham's second son, our respected uncle who chose to contest under PKR in Perak," she said, referring to Nik Omar Nik Abdul Aziz, who was previously criticised by Tuan Sabariah for supporting Anwar.
Nik Omar was fielded as a Pakatan Harapan candidate in Pasir Salak, Perak, but lost to Perikatan Nasional.
Nik Humaira said her grandmother decided to attend the ceremony out of respect for the palace, adding that the family does not look down on the "Tan Sri" title.
"But we were surprised because this great ulama of the ummah was placed together with his political and religious foe from DAP," she wrote.
"It is obvious that in the eyes of Malaysia Madani, the scholar who struggled relentlessly for Islam is the same as someone with chauvinist understandings and who does not accept Malaysia as an Islamic country."
She said her post was a response to several narratives from PAS' enemies, such as the one that Nik Aziz was never conferred the "Tan Sri" title even when PAS was part of the federal government.
Adding that Nik Aziz's personality was being used by certain quarters, she said he was not interested in worldly titles as "they are no match to God's rewards and pleasure".
"True recognition is more beneficial when the ideas of this leader fought are pursued, his biography is written, and his vision is raised to a higher platform."


UK immigration visa shake-up promises to be good for non-Europeans

The UK’s new points-based post-Brexit immigration system came into force on Tuesday.Free movement from and to the EU will come to an end on Dec 31, and all foreign nationals, including those from the European Union, who want to work in the UK from Jan 1 will have to apply online for a visa.Online applications for visas via a range of new “routes” are now being accepted.Applications for “worker visas” will be judged on the basis of a system under which points will be awarded for a job offer at the appropriate skill level in an eligible occupation, knowledge of English and whether applicants meet a salary threshold.For example, those seeking a skilled worker visa will need a job offer with a salary of at least £25,600 (RM140,000), and to be proficient in English.All applicants, regardless of category of visa applied for, will have to show they have enough money to support themselves as well as having proof of identity. The process is planned to take about three weeks before applicants find out whether they have been successful.Home Secretary Priti Patel said the system would be “simple, effective and flexible” and enable employers to fill skills gaps while also placing a greater onus on firms to train and invest in British workers.Patel and other critics of European free movement have long argued it has left British firms overly reliant on low-skilled European workers and put applicants from the rest of the world at a disadvantage.Applications also opened on Tuesday for Global Talent, Innovator and Start-Up visas designed to attract “those who have an exceptional talent or show exceptional promise in the fields of engineering, science, tech or culture”.


PayPal allows US shoppers to make cryptocurrency purchases

PayPal on Tuesday began allowing people in the US to use cryptocurrency to make purchases from millions of merchants that use the financial platform for online transactions.The payments giant had already let users buy, sell or store digital money, but the new Checkout with Crypto feature provides an option to use it for purchases.“As the use of digital payments and digital currencies accelerates, the introduction of Checkout with Crypto continues our focus on driving mainstream adoption of cryptocurrencies,” PayPal chief executive Dan Schulman said in a blog post.“Enabling cryptocurrencies to make purchases at businesses around the world is the next chapter in driving the ubiquity and mass acceptance of digital currencies.”Merchants get paid in standard money, with PayPal converting cryptocurrency to US dollars to settle transactions at the time of sale, according to the Silicon Valley-based company.Tesla last week began officially accepting bitcoin as currency to purchase electric autos, according to a tweet by chief executive Elon Musk.“You can now buy a Tesla with bitcoin,” Musk said on Twitter, implementing a plan announced in February to accept the cryptocurrency as a form of payment.Near 2115 GMT, one bitcoin was valued at US$58,721.


Amanah drops Hanipa Maidin for GE15

Amanah has dropped Sepang incumbent Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, a former deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department, as a candidate in the 15th general election (GE15).
Amanah president Mohamad Sabu made the announcement at a press conference to announce the party's GE15 candidates in Kuala Lumpur today.
Hanipa will be replaced by women's chief Aiman Athirah al-Jundi.
The announcement today confirmed previous speculation that Hanipa would not be fielded for the Nov 19 election due to health concerns.
Bersatu women's chief Rina Harun meanwhile has been said to be eyeing the seat.
Mohamad also announced that Shah Alam incumbent Khalid Samad would be moved to Titiwangsa.
Meanwhile, deputy youth chief Nik Abdul Razak Nik Md Ridzuan will be contesting the Tasek Gelugor seat in Penang.


3 officers killed by gunman in France police shooting

A man suspected of killing three police officers in central France has been found dead, the country’s Interior Minister has said.Three gendarmes were shot dead and a fourth injured after they responded to a domestic violence call in Puy-de-Dôme, near Lyon, in the early hours of Wednesday.The alleged shooter fled the scene, triggering a manhunt.On Wednesday morning, Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin tweeted that “the madman was found dead”.Earlier Wednesday, the minister released a statement expressing “deep sadness” in a statement following the deaths of the three officers of the Puy-de-Dôme Departmental Gendarmerie.CNN reported the police officers were fatally shot by a 48-year-old man as they tried to rescue a woman who had taken refuge on the roof of a house. The house was set on fire, but the woman was rescued.“Called upon to intervene to help a woman who had been beaten by her husband, the gendarmes, in circumstances that have yet to be clarified, were shot at by the man and returned fire,” the interior minister’s statement said.The statement said one officer was shot and seriously wounded and succumbed to his injuries. The two other officers carrying out a reconnaissance towards the house were in turn caught in gunfire and fatally wounded. A fourth officer was wounded in the thigh.French Prime Minister Jean Castex tweeted that “this tragedy affects us all and grieves the whole country.”Further details surrounding the death of the suspect have not yet been released.


Arrest warrant out for Sugarbook founder after no-show in court

The Magistrate’s Court in Shah Alam has issued an arrest warrant against the founder of Sugarbook application, Chan Eu Boon, following his failure to appear for court mention and document submission today.Magistrate Sabreena [email protected] issued the arrrest warrant following a request by deputy public prosecutor Aliff Asnaf Anuar Sharuddin.Aliff said Chan’s lawyer and bailor were also absent from court for document management today.The court fixed May 15 for Chan to state his reasons for his absence today as well as for mention of the arrest warrant.On Feb 24, Chan, 34, was charged with publishing statements conducive to public mischief on social media on Feb 10.The offence was allegedly committed at about 10am through the use of a website to publish a post titled “Top 10 Sugar Baby Universities in Malaysia”.He was charged under Section 505 (b) of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum jail term of two years, a fine, or both, upon conviction.The court set bail at RM10,000 with one local surety and fixed March 26 for mention.


Anwar cautioned against hypocrisy in billion-ringgit allocations, mega projects

A lawyer has cautioned Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim against double standards following his announcement of additional allocations and mega projects in several states despite his pledge to discontinue such practices.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Rafique Rashid cited Anwar's Aidilfitri message at the government's open house in Negeri Sembilan, in which the prime minister had announced RM1.2 billion for socioeconomic development efforts.
He also referred to Anwar's announcement about an LRT network in Penang, and the special allocation of RM1.6 billion for Kedah.
"Before Anwar became prime minister, he clearly stated that he would keep governance and administration in line with the law.
"He also said that he would not misuse government allocations for political mileage," he said, adding that Anwar had no room to manoeuvre given the elections to come in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah this year.
Anwar has been actively touring these states, with Raya open houses organised with targets of over 10,000 attendees.
The Pakatan Harapan chairman said in January that he would not continue the practice by previous administrations of announcing development projects on state visits, especially in the run-up to elections.
Rafique said Anwar would have been the first to criticise such moves were he not the prime minister.
"But now that he is in power, he is the one doing these things," he said.
"That is why I describe him as a hypocrite."
Rafique said there was no law prohibiting the prime minister from announcing allocations for state budgets.
Nevertheless, he said, such allocations come from taxpayers' dollars, and not from the prime minister himself.
"There is nothing to stop Anwar or any prime minister from making these announcements," he said.
"But where are the checks and balances? Can you U-turn as you please? Does Negeri Sembilan need RM1.6 billion, and does Penang need an LRT?"
Rafique also said that such announcements could be seen as a form of bribery to obtain or remain in federal power.
"Elements of this were also seen during the administration of Najib Razak, through the BR1M cash aid," he said.
"Back then, they said it was corruption. Now, they are the ones in power and it looks like they are doing the same thing, just through different channels.
"I'm not saying this is bribery because there's nothing against it in the law. But from a moral perspective, is it a form of mental bribery to the people?"


Rosmah’s trial for money laundering, tax evasion to start in November

Rosmah Mansor’s trial for money laundering and tax evasion involving RM7,097,750 will begin after the High Court has heard her defence on the corruption case in relation to a solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.Judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan has set 17 days beginning Nov 15 to hear Rosmah’s money laundering and tax evasion case.Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn said Zaini fixed the dates during case management today.“The court has set the trial on Nov 15 to 17; Nov 29 and 30; Dec 1 and 2 and Dec 13 and 14. It will continue in 2022 on Jan 10 to 13 as well as Jan 24 to 27.“Case management is fixed on Sept 9 this year and the prosecution will be calling in around 15 witnesses to testify,” he told Bernama today.Lawyer Geethan Ram Vincent, representing Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, also confirmed the trial dates.“The prosecution has also informed the court that they will not be applying to transfer the case to a different court,” he said in a text message today.On Dec 18 last year, Zaini had suggested that the trial be transferred to another judge to enable it to be heard earlier, or for the trial to be maintained at his court.Rosmah’s money laundering and tax evasion case was initially fixed to begin in May 2020 but was vacated due to her ongoing corruption case involving the solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.On Feb 18 this year, Zaini ordered Rosmah, 69, to enter her defence on all three corruption charges. The court fixed nine days, on June 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 22 and 23 and July 12 and 15, to hear evidence from Rosmah and other defence witnesses.Rosmah is facing 12 money laundering charges involving RM7,097,750 and five counts of failing to declare her income to the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).The offences were allegedly committed at Affin Bank Bhd, Bangunan Getah Asli branch, ground Floor, 148 Jalan Ampang between Dec 4, 2013 and June 8, 2017 and at LHDN, Kompleks Bangunan Kerajaan, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim between May 1, 2014 and May 1, 2018.The money laundering charges were framed under Section 4(1) (a) 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 imprisonment of up to 15 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of unlawful activity or RM5 million, whichever is higher, upon conviction.The charges for tax evasion, made under Section 77(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967, said Rosmah had failed to furnish the returns of her income for the assessment years 2013 to 2017 to the LHDN director-general on or before April 30, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018 without reasonable excuse contrary to Section 112 of the law.


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Audio purportedly of Zahid endorsing DAP, Anwar surfaces

An audio recording of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi purportedly briefing fellow party leaders on cooperating with arch-rivals in Pakatan Harapan (PH) has been making the rounds in several online political discussion groups including on popular mobile messenger platform WhatsApp.Sources in Umno who alerted MalaysiaNow to the recording believe that it is genuine, saying it was part of a discussion during a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council in Janda Baik, Pahang, last month.MalaysiaNow could not immediately verify the claim.But when contacted, an aide to Zahid said he was aware of the audio file although he had no knowledge of its authenticity.In the audio clip, which lasted a little over one and a half minutes, a voice identical to that of Zahid is heard referring to a conversation with Teluk Intan MP and DAP deputy secretary-general Nga Kor Ming.“I told Nga Kor Ming, you must abide by these four items in the constitution. One, Islam as the religion of the federation, the status of Malay rulers, the special privileges of the Malays, and Malay as the national language. He made a media statement,” it said.It then made reference to another DAP leader, the party’s organising secretary Loke Siew Fook, adding that he too had released a media statement to state a lack of objection to the four constitutional provisions.The man then referred to the rare unity between Umno and PH assemblymen in Perak in bringing down Bersatu’s Ahmad Faizal Azumu as menteri besar last December.He said Umno could form an alliance with Anwar Ibrahim, who leads the three-party PH alliance made up of PKR, DAP and Amanah.“He went to jail twice. Assuming his actions are clean, but as for his relationship with God, we don’t know… I have never seen,” the man said, before the audio file ended.A source said the audio was just one of several parts of a recording of Umno’s Janda Baik meeting, where the party decided not to work with Bersatu at the next general election.Zahid and former prime minister Najib Razak, both of whom were Anwar’s allies when the latter was climbing the political ladder in Umno in the 1990s, have been at the forefront of efforts to get Umno to work with the PKR leader.In October, MalaysiaNow revealed the contents of a letter by the duo to the palace, expressing their support for Anwar’s bid to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.Zahid and Najib are among a group of Umno leaders who claim that their party has been sidelined by Muhyiddin from key government appointments.Muhyiddin was sacked from his deputy prime minister’s post by Najib in 2015 over criticism on the latter’s handling of the 1MDB scandal.He later joined hands with Dr Mahathir Mohamad to form Bersatu before toppling Najib in the 2018 election.


Ex-speaker tells how to avoid pandemic-season elections

Dissolving Parliament for elections would be disastrous at a time when the country is struggling with a fresh wave of Covid-19 infections, former speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia said today.Instead, Pandikar, who chaired the Dewan Rakyat for 10 years from 2008 at a time when the opposition started showing a strong presence, said Parliament should be postponed based on provisions in the constitution.Pandikar said since Barisan Nasional’s (BN) fall from power in 2018, the political situation had become chaotic and uncertain.He said this had given rise to instability, such as seen in the change of government from Pakatan Harapan to Perikatan Nasional (PN) just two years after the polls.“This is proof of Malaysia’s political uncertainty and precarious economic position, as a result of instability in politics which became worse when the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.With the national budget approaching, he said, people were worried about whether it would receive enough support to be passed.Pandikar gave two possible scenarios that could happen in line with the Federal Constitution if the budget failed to be approved at the end of the year.He said Parliament could be dissolved, paving the way for an election, or it could be discontinued or prorogued.But he warned that if the second scenario materialised, it should not be done as an excuse to prolong PN rule, but rather to ensure the safety of the people which he said was more important than an election.“The Covid-19 pandemic in Malaysia which has been described as a second wave more threatening than the first, especially in Sabah following the state election there, just for a political agenda, should be seen seriously and taken as a lesson.“Once the Covid-19 pandemic is successfully contained, then the 15th general election can be held, as has been proposed by MIC president SA Vigneswaran,” he said.Pandikar also suggested a Cabinet reshuffle to form a “caring” government without dissolving Parliament, to allow leaders from the PH opposition to join in.He said the formation of such a government was important to prove that the PN administration was committed to fighting the epidemic.“This way, the politicking in Malaysia can be set aside for a while until Covid-19 is defeated.”


Health experts pan calls by PH reps for ivermectin to treat Covid-19

Health experts have panned the calls by several Pakatan Harapan (PH) MPs for ivermectin to be used in the fight against Covid-19, saying the health ministry has repeatedly stated the need for further research to determine the effectiveness of the drug in treating the virus.Dr Khairul Hafidz, chairman of the MedtweetMY movement, said a clinical study on ivermectin had shown good results but that the study was flawed and had yet to pass the peer review stage.“The ivermectin study used by many countries was recently withdrawn due to elements of plagiarism and discrepancies in data,” he told MalaysiaNow.“It was this study that led many countries to make their decision,” he added. “In Malaysia, with the studies we currently have, we feel that the findings are still not enough for us to make a decision on whether ivermectin can be used on humans.”The MPs who had called for the use of ivermectin were Mohamad Sabu (Kota Raja), Khalid Samad (Shah Alam), R Sivarasa (Sungai Buloh), Johari Abdul (Sungai Petani), Sim Tze Tzin (Bayan Baru), William Leong (Selayang) and P Prabakaran (Batu).This led to public concern over whether their statements might be used by anti-vaxxers as basis for refusing Covid-19 jabs.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said early this month that he did not rule out the possibility of allowing the use of ivermectin to treat Covid-19 patients if strong evidence were found on the effectiveness and side effects of the drug.The health ministry currently allows the use of ivermectin on a strictly off-label basis pending a comprehensive study on the matter.Ivermectin is an oral treatment normally used for lice and other parasitic infections.Khairul said the MPs should be patient and wait for the results of clinical studies in Malaysia to demonstrate a high level of effectiveness.“It’s possible that they did not have all the facts, and there may have been others who explained the effectiveness of ivermectin to them and the MPs did not confirm what they were told with the health ministry,” he said.He said public anxiety over Covid-19 might become a catalyst for the promotion of the drug.Meanwhile, public health expert Dr Sanjay Rampal said evidence-based principles should be used to determine the safety and efficiency of vaccines and drugs for use during the pandemic.“It is important to evaluate the validity of research reports critically before using them,” he told MalaysiaNow.“There is suggestive evidence for the effectiveness of ivermectin but the evidence is from small, heterogenous studies that could be susceptible to various biases.”Sanjay added that the ivermectin movement was not the first for the repurposing of a single type of drug for use on Covid-19 patients.“As we search for an effective treatment for Covid-19, some have questioned the long duration of the drug development cycle, the expensive nature of drug repurposing and registration, and the need for large confirmatory randomised trials,” he said.“History warns us about repurposing drugs with insufficient research,” he added, citing an incident involving thalidomide in the 1960s where the off-label use of a supposedly harmless compound led to severe congenital disabilities.


Covax delivers first vaccine shipment in ‘momentous occasion’

Ghana has become the first country to receive coronavirus vaccines through the Covax vaccine-sharing initiative.The World Health Organization (WHO) programme aims to ensure that vaccines are shared fairly among all nations by richer countries agreeing to help finance vaccine access for poorer nations.Many rich nations, who began their own vaccination programmes months ago, have faced criticism for buying or ordering more vaccines than they need.600,000 doses of the AstraZeneca and Oxford University vaccine were delivered to Ghana’s capital Accra on Wednesday.The West African country has recorded nearly 90,000 cases of coronavirus and nearly 600 deaths since the pandemic began but these numbers are believed to fall short of the actual toll because of low levels of testing.In a joint statement, WHO and the United Nations children’s fund (Unicef) said the delivery was a “momentous occasion”.“The arrival of the Covid-19 vaccines in Ghana is critical in bringing the pandemic to an end,” they said. “The shipment represents part of the first wave of Covid vaccines headed to low and middle-income countries.”Though the vaccines are not generally intended for children, Unicef is involved in the scheme because of its expertise in procurement and the logistics of vaccine delivery.Covax hopes to deliver more than two billion doses in less than a year to ensure 92 poorer countries will receive access to vaccines at the same time as 98 wealthier countries.It aims to reach up to 20% of the populations of poorer countries, at no cost to their governments.Most African countries are intended recipients of Covax, but a number of them like Senegal have been making provisions for vaccines outside the initiative.The scheme has so far raised US$6 billion, but says it needs at least another US$2 billion to meet its target for 2021.Covax has faced some criticism for not moving quickly enough. One WHO board member, Austria’s Dr Clemens Martin Auer, said it had been slow to secure vaccine deals and deliver doses to countries.The WHO and Unicef joint statement on Wednesday said the shipment to Ghana represented “the beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history”.


Record recoveries but 9 more deaths

Another 2,295 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 117,373.Selangor recorded 638 new cases, of which 496 or 77.7% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Johor (580), Penang (288) and Sabah (259).Kuala Lumpur recorded 156 cases, Negeri Sembilan 131, Melaka 95, Kedah 47, Pahang 29, Kelantan 26, Terengganu 16, Perak and Putrajaya 12 each, Sarawak five and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 22,398 with 125 in the ICU and 51 in need of respiratory assistance.Nine new clusters were detected: Harum (Johor Bahru in Johor; 206 cases), Tapak Bina Casuarina (Sepang and Petaling in Selangor; 53 cases), Batu Lapan (Tambunan and Kota Belud in Sabah; 52 cases), Jalan BBN (Seremban in Negeri Sembilan; 27 cases), Dewani (Johor Bahru in Johor; 25 cases), Renggam (Petaling, Sepang and Klang in Selangor; 20 cases), Belukar (Machang in Kelantan; 17 cases), Kolam Permai (Kuala Terengganu and Kemaman in Terengganu; nine cases) and Mador (Meradong and Sibu in Sarawak; eight cases).Four others ended, leaving 229 active clusters throughout the country.Another 3,321 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 94,492.However, nine more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 483.


Dewan Rakyat passes motion to reduce Jasa allocation

The Dewan Rakyat today passed a motion to reduce the allocation for the expansion of the Department of Special Affairs (Jasa) by RM45 million, from the RM81.5 million originally provided in the 2021 Budget.Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun said the motion was passed by a majority vote after being debated by six MPs, three each from the government and opposition blocs.The motion was proposed by Deputy Finance Minister Abd Rahim Bakri before the start of the debate at the committee level of the Supply Bill 2021 for the communications and multimedia ministry.He submitted the proposal with an amendment for an allocation of RM164,151,656,800 to RM164,106,656,800 in Clause 2 of the Supply Bill 2021.“This amendment arises from the reduction of the amount allocated for the expansion of the communication and multimedia ministry’s Jasa by RM45 million,” he said.Rahim said Jasa, now known as the Community Communications Department (J-KOM), has a different role to build a digital ecosystem community, thus accelerating migration to the digital world.He said J-KOM is also to improve digital achievement for those who already have the skills, to boost local talents as well as implement smart community programmes among the grassroots and inculcate an awareness of cyber security.He said the goal set for the department was based on the Federal Constitution and the Rukun Negara as the main thrust to develop the community, especially at the grassroots level.“Particularly in the community that practises digital culture and skills and appreciates the meaning and focus of patriotism by using a community empowerment approach. In a real sense, J-KOM’s role is to build and strengthen the digital ecosystem community,” he said.Earlier, Khalid Abdul Samad (PH-Shah Alam) and Chang Lih Kang (PH-Tanjung Malim) questioned the reestablishment of the department as well as the allocation announced in the 2021 Budget which was deemed too big at a time when the country is facing the Covid-19 pandemic.


Rescuers battle to save boy trapped down Afghan well

Rescuers were desperately scrambling Thursday night to reach a five-year-old boy trapped for two days down a well in a remote southern Afghan village.The operation in Shokak village, Zabul province, comes less than two weeks after a similar attempt to rescue a child from a Moroccan well gripped the world – but ended with the boy found dead.Officials from the Taliban’s newly installed government were overseeing rescue operations in Shokak, around 120km (75 miles) northeast of Kandahar, watched by hundreds of curious villagers.Video shared earlier on social media – including by Taliban officials – showed the boy, named Haidar, wedged in the well but able to move his arms and upper body.“Are you okay my son?” his father can be heard saying.“Talk with me and don’t cry, we are working to get you out.”“Okay, I’ll keep talking,” the boy replies in a plaintive voice.The video was obtained by rescuers lowering a light and a camera down the narrow well by rope.Officials said the boy slipped to the bottom of the 25-metre (80-foot) shaft, but was pulled to about 10-metres before becoming stuck.Engineers using bulldozers then dug an open slit trench from an angle at the surface to try to reach the point where Haidar was trapped.The boy’s grandfather, 50-year-old Haji Abdul Hadi, told AFP Haidar fell down the well when he was trying to “help” the adults dig a new borehole in the drought-ravaged village.“I said ‘no, not him’,” Hadi said.“One of the wells was open… (then) the boy fell down. He was yelling and yelling.”Hadi added that food and water were passed down to his grandson via a bucket attached to a rope.“We gave him cake and water… he was eating them all,” he said.The operation employed similar engineering to what rescuers attempted in Morocco in early February, when a boy fell down a 32-metre well, but was found dead five days later.The ordeal of “little Rayan” gained global attention and sparked an outpouring of sympathy online, with the Arabic Twitter hashtag #SaveRayan trending.


Cops have reopened probe into death of Teoh Beng Hock, says home ministry

The police have reopened investigations into the death of Teoh Beng Hock, who was found dead on July 16 2009, under Section 342 of the Penal Code (Wrongful Confinement).The home ministry in a written reply on the Parliament website said the earlier investigation papers were referred to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) on Feb 24 and the police were told to continue with the investigations.“The police were directed to submit the papers to the AGC when the investigations are completed.“Police have recorded statements from 13 witnesses and investigations are ongoing,” said the ministry in response to Lim Lip Eng (PH-Kepong) who wanted to know the latest regarding the case, besides the number of witnesses whose statements have been recorded to facilitate investigations into Teoh’s death.Teoh was found dead on the fifth floor of the Plaza Masalam building in Shah Alam after being interviewed by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission at its office on the 14th floor of the same building.Teoh was then political secretary to Local Government, New Village Development and Legalising of Factories Committee chairman Ean Yong Hian Wah, who was also Seri Kembangan state assemblyman.On Nov 18 last year, the police set up a special investigation team involving the Selangor and Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Departments to reinvestigate Teoh’s death following a directive from the AGC on July 16, 2019. The case was previously classified as sudden death.


No place for Sosma in govt's 'Masyarakat Madani'

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has clearly articulated the need to build society on the basis of Masyarakat Madani.
Such a thinking calls for close cooperation between the government and society on the basis of the values of good governance, sustainability, goodwill, care and human values.
However, the translation of this concept in concrete terms means getting rid of unjust and obnoxious laws that are detrimental to nurturing human goodness and values.
If Malaysia is to be regarded as a society based on Masyarakat Madani, then there is a need to do away with some of these obnoxious laws.
In this respect, the presence of the Security Measures (Special Measures) Act of 2012  (Sosma) comes to mind. It is a mind boggling legislation that was described as “jurassic” by one former parliamentarian.
The law was passed under the administration of Najib Razak to replace the Internal Security Act (ISA) and, to some extent, the Emergency Ordinance.
Sosma itself cannot stand alone but coexists with the Penal Code. While Sosma provides for detention and investigation, the subsequent charges come under the Penal Code.
Even though persons accused of crimes can be held for 28 days, once charged they can be held in remand for years before they are found guilty or released by the court.
To say that persons accused of crimes can only be detained for 28 days is rather misleading. Once the 28 days are over, the Penal Code comes into play.
Of course, the police have the option to charge detainees under other laws such as the Societies Act. This was done to detainees arrested under Sosma in 2017.
After the 28 days, once the Sosma detention is period over, the Penal Code is relied on for charges, period of remand and others.
They can be held in remand at prisons for an indefinite period until their cases are disposed of by the court.
Thirty-three individuals who were arrested under Sosma in 2020 in Sungei Petani are still languishing in prisons, waiting for the court to hear their charges.
Whether they will be found guilty or not remains to be seen. However, if they are found not guilty then the whole exercise of detaining them under Sosma and later to be charged under the Penal Code does not make any sense.
If they are found not guilty, is the government going to pay compensation to them and their families?
It is completely misleading for some in the government to say that Sosma is a better piece of legislation compared to the ISA on the grounds of the length of the detention period.
Sosma is an evil, just like the defunct ISA. It is a law against humanity.
You cannot talk about human rights and human decency and yet rely on cruel and unjust laws against humanity.
There is no defence against Sosma as there are enough laws in the country to prevent gangsterism and terrorism.
The police force cannot rely on outmoded legislation to combat crime. It merely shows that the police force have not yet attained their required professionalism.
The worst and the most cruel part of detention under Sosma is the collateral damage on the families of those detained.
It is not just the detention of individuals, but the collateral financial and emotional damage inflicted on their family members.
If person detained has an average family of four, can one imagine the cruelty imposed on them, especially if the person detained is the sole breadwinner.
There are more than a hundred Sosma detainees incarcerated across the country. This means that there are nearly 400 to 500 dependents, including parents.
The government, by detaining individuals, is in fact depriving their families and dependents of their source of livelihood.
Why should detention under Sosma impose a collateral punishment on the families of those detained?
The detentions under Sosma happened during the previous governments headed by Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
With the coming of the new unity government anchored by Pakatan Harapan, the public has high expectations.
Rather than the new government justifying the reliance on Sosma, it should take immediate steps to release all of those who have been detained under Sosma.
Most new governments, when they come into power, will release prisoners detained under the obnoxious laws by earlier governments.
There is nothing to stop the unity government under Anwar from calling for the unilateral release of those detained under Sosma.
Can obnoxious laws such as Sosma coexist with Masyarakat Madani?
P Ramasamy is Penang deputy chief minister II and the assemblyman for Perai.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


With predatory catfish roaming free, Perak anglers abandon river for padi fields

Fishermen in Perak struggling to deal with an invasion of predatory foreign species in the state’s main river have been forced to abandon their boats and turn to jobs on land in order to make ends meet.MalaysiaNow previously reported the problem faced by villagers along Sungai Perak who depend on the river for their catch of local fish and freshwater prawns.Earlier this month, hundreds of cages containing illegally farmed redtail catfish – a predatory species – were said to have been washed away near Teluk Intan. Villagers feared then that this meant hordes of redtail catfish were now roaming free in the river and its tributaries.Today, their fears appear to have come true as more and more of the catfish are being discovered in smaller streams and creeks.And with the increase in catfish has come a drop in the local species they usually catch.Mohd Nazim Samsudin, who spoke to MalaysiaNow about the problem early this month, said the past few weeks had been discouraging.“These fish gobble up the smaller fish and the giant freshwater prawns which we catch and sell to villagers and restaurants.Fishermen cannot even catch enough to cover the cost of diesel for their boats.“Now, we can hardly get 300g of catch,” he said.There have even been sightings of redtail catfish as far as Kota Setia, near Bagan Datuk.Sungai Perak is known for its freshwater prawns which attract fishing enthusiasts from across the country. Many seafood restaurants and food stalls in Teluk Intan as well as other areas in the vicinity feature the crustaceans in their signature dishes.But now, fewer and fewer appear to be left.Now, fishermen cannot even catch enough to cover the cost of diesel for their boats.“I went to the river four or five times afterwards,” Nazim said. “Each time, I could not get as much as I usually do. Only the redtail took the bait.”These days, Nazim no longer bothers going down to the river, neither do his friends.“Before this, I alternated between going to the river and tending to my padi field,” he told MalaysiaNow. “Now, I focus entirely on the field.”But it will be six months before he can harvest a crop. In the meantime, he earns a living doing odd jobs at other people’s padi fields.Fellow fisherman Hairil Shari reached the point where he could not even catch 10 prawns per trip.“We still have demand, but the supply has been shrinking for a few weeks now.”“Aside from our catch, we also rented our sampans every weekend to anglers. I could get RM2,000 each month from catching lobsters and renting out my boat,” he said.Now, he is lucky to make RM1,000 a month.The problem for them is made worse by the fact that it is currently Ramadan month, a time when demand for lobster normally increases.“We still have demand, but the supply has been shrinking for a few weeks now,” Hairil said. He, too, has resorted to doing odd jobs at padi fields.But even in the fields, they cannot escape the redtail catfish as the fish have also infiltrated the irrigation systems.Muhammad Fariz Fiza Muhammad Saufi, who runs a restaurant in Teluk Intan specialising in prawn dishes, said supply is still stable for the moment.He said this might be because the catfish are currently concentrating on smaller fish and lobsters. But he agreed with the fishermen that the supply of prawns would suffer if the situation is not addressed.“Demand for Teluk Intan prawns has been increasing every year,” he said. “In the future, we fear that the supply may not meet the demand, and that will cause a hike in price of prawns.”


Trial to carry on, come what may, says judge in 1MDB case after Najib no-show

The judge presiding over Najib Razak’s 1MDB trial today appeared unhappy after the former prime minister failed to turn up for proceedings, ordering him to be in court at 2.30pm.Najib’s lawyer Rahmat Hazlan had informed justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah that his client, together with other 114 Barisan Nasional MPs, was scheduled to meet Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to back the nomination of Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob for the post of prime minister.“We are not sure what time my client is scheduled to meet the king, but he is leaving the World Trade Centre (WTC) at 10.30am. I was told that he is now in a meeting there and at any point in time, he could be called up to meet the king because the interview is done one by one,” said Rahmat.Upon hearing this, Sequerah, who seemed upset after hearing about Najib’s absence, insisted that the trial go on.“He (Najib) should have had the courtesy to come here first. From the news report I have read, it said the meeting with the king would be in batches.“This case is ongoing. I will be back in 10 minutes and I want to know exactly what time he will be meeting the king. After he is done with that, he has to be back here for the trial to continue. I may not even stop (the trial) at 4pm today,” Sequerah added.After a short break, Rahmat again informed the court that he would provide updates on Najib’s whereabouts after receiving them from Najib’s officers.In response to this, Sequerah said Najib needs to commit to a specific time as the trial must carry on at 2.30pm.“Please keep me informed because I intend to carry on, come what may. Be prepared to go over time because we have lost so much (time).“All of us have duties to perform. If the king summons, he has to be there but from what I understand, he does not have to be there the whole day. I need a commitment on what time, the window he has to be there (at the palace) and to give his views to His Majesty and come back here (for the trial),” said the judge.Yesterday, Najib applied to the court for his morning session trial to be cut short as he needed to attend a critical meeting at the WTC at 11am in connection with the choice of candidate for the prime minister’s post.Sequerah allowed his last-minute application on grounds that the importance of the meeting was to achieve a resolution of circumstances over the country’s current issues. He also ordered the case to continue at 2.30pm.Najib, 68, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.The trial continues at 2.30pm.


British ‘IS bride’ was ‘trafficking victim’, court told

A schoolgirl who left Britain to join the so-called Islamic State (IS) group and had her British citizenship revoked was a victim of human trafficking, a court heard on Friday.Shamima Begum was 15 when she travelled from London to Syria with two fellow pupils in February 2015.Britain’s interior ministry revoked her citizenship on national security grounds after she was discovered heavily pregnant in a Syrian refugee camp in February 2019, amid an outcry led by right-wing newspapers.The Court of Appeal ruled last July that Begum could return to Britain to challenge the decision.But the Supreme Court in February overturned the lower court ruling, and prevented her from doing so on national security grounds.Begum, now 21, is challenging the interior ministry’s decision at the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) that deals with deportations on national security grounds and the revocation of citizenship.Her lawyer, Samantha Knights, claimed Begum was “a child trafficked to and remaining in Syria for the purposes of sexual exploitation and forced marriage”.She also argued that revoking Begum’s citizenship left her stateless and the decision was procedurally unfair.The court was told Begum was living in a “dire” and “fundamentally unsafe environment in which violence is endemic” in the al-Roj refugee camp in northern Syria.Knights added there was a “serious and present danger” to Begum after the media located her whereabouts and due to her engagement with Western legal processes.The lawyer argued against delaying her appeal until the conclusion of a separate case in March 2022.Lawyer David Blundell, representing Britain’s interior ministry, said Begum should not be allowed to change the grounds of her appeal.“The absence of a claim that she has been trafficked means this ground proceeds on an uncertain factual basis. It is entirely speculative,” he said.Begum is of Bangladeshi heritage but the country’s foreign minister has said he will not consider granting her citizenship.An estimated 900 Britons travelled to Syria and Iraq to join IS. The government has prosecuted returnees and revoked more than 150 people’s citizenship, with unconfirmed numbers stuck in Syria.Rights group Reprieve in April said the government was “systematically failing” vulnerable young women who were trafficked to Syria for sexual and other forms of exploitation.SIAC judge Robert Jay said he would give a ruling by the end of June.


Rafizi, PH's 'plan B' for PM if Anwar loses in Tambun?

Political analysts expect PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli to be named as Pakatan Harapan's (PH) alternative candidate for prime minister if Anwar Ibrahim loses the race for the seat of Tambun in the 15th general election (GE15).
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, former academic and veteran political analyst Ahmad Atory Hussain said this would be in line with the party hierarchy in PH.
"If PH wins with a comfortable margin but Anwar loses in Tambun, Rafizi will become prime minister in his capacity as PKR deputy president," he said.
"A candidate from DAP would be out of the question due to racial sentiments, even though it might have more MPs than PKR."
Nevertheless, he added, in such a situation, the post of deputy prime minister would most likely be given to DAP.
Rafizi, who is expected to be fielded in Pandan, is seen as having his own camp which has dominated PKR since the faction of Mohamed Azmin Ali was sacked from the party.
Meanwhile, PH's move to nominate Anwar in Tambun – by no means an easy seat for the PKR leader – has been described as a "do-or-die" gamble.
If unsuccessful, it could mark the end of his political career which has so far spanned four decades.
Tambun is traditionally seen as a Barisan Nasional stronghold although it was won by Ahmad Faizal Azumu of Bersatu in GE14, when the party was still part of PH. Faizal had defeated Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah of BN and Ibrahim Zakaria of PAS with a majority of 5,320 votes.
Anwar, a former deputy prime minister, has been the opposition's candidate for prime minister since the days of PH's predecessor, Pakatan Rakyat.
The only exception was at GE14, when Dr Mahathir Mohamad was nominated as Anwar was then serving time in jail.
Syahredzan Johan, the political secretary of Anwar's long-time DAP ally Lim Kit Siang, did not respond when asked who would become prime minister if the PKR leader lost in Tambun.
He only expressed confidence that Anwar would not lose the race for the seat.
Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, agreed with the possibility of Rafizi as PH's "plan B".
"Well, in theory it would be Rafizi. Practically, it can't be a non-Malay.
"And I am sure that some PKR MP would yield his or her seat for Anwar," he said in a reference to the so-called Port Dickson Move which allowed Anwar to return to Parliament after receiving a royal pardon in the aftermath of GE14.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Oh said none of the Malay MPs in DAP had what it took to hold the top office in Seri Perdana.
"He would be seen as another puppet prime minister," he said, adding that such a candidate would not last long.


Indonesia travel businesses on knees as Saudi Arabia halts pilgrimages

Saudi Arabia’s decision to limit the number of haj pilgrims because of the pandemic has affected thousands of businesses in Indonesia, the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country, reports CNA.Since the pandemic began, Saudi Arabia has imposed tight travel restrictions to curb the spread of Covid-19.Only a small number of Indonesian pilgrims have been allowed to perform the umrah since early this year.Last Thursday, the Indonesian government decided against sending any pilgrims for this haj season, which is expected to begin in mid-July, for the second consecutive year.The pandemic has also impacted around 1,000 travel agencies specialising in haj and the minor pilgrimage umrah, with some losing thousands of dollars because of cancellations.This year, the kingdom is setting a quota of no more than 60,000 pilgrims, all of whom must have taken Saudi approved vaccines, which are Pfizer, AstraZeneca, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson.Although Indonesia is also using AstraZeneca vaccines, the majority of about 17 million Indonesians who have been inoculated were given Sinovac or Sinopharm jabs.The Indonesian government has lobbied Saudi to grant Indonesia some of the 60,000 pilgrim haj quota, including Indonesians who received the Sinovac vaccines.“Indonesia’s mitigation efforts have been relatively good,” Indonesian religious minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said in a statement. “I don’t know why Indonesians are still denied entry into Saudi.”The pilgrimage is a big business in Indonesia, contributing about US$3 billion to the economy.In 2019, Indonesia sent 220,000 pilgrims to perform the haj and more than 1.2 million people to perform the umrah, according to data from the Indonesian religious ministry. Each pilgrim spent an average of US$2,500 for haj and US$1,400 for umrah.Farid Aljawi, secretary of the Indonesian Haj and Umrah Organiser’s Association (Amphuri) told CNA that the number had been reduced to almost zero since the pandemic began.Saudi has since switched back and forth between relaxing and tightening its travel restrictions.The huge losses and months of operating without an income has compelled some haj and umrah operators to close their businesses permanently. “I am not sure exactly how many, but there have been dozens,” said the Amphuri secretary general.Khazzanah Al-Anshari, another travel agency CNA spoke to, said it had tried to offer Islamic-themed tours and packages to other Islamic countries with less stringent travel restrictions.“But people are still anxious about travelling abroad, particularly with all the quarantine requirements in place,” said the agency’s owner Zakaria Anshari.“The Saudis must be candid about why they are not letting Indonesian pilgrims in. What are their concerns? Indonesia must then work to address those concerns.”


Focused distribution of subsidies through new approach next year

An approach using household net disposable income metrics will be implemented in January 2024 as an economic structuring measure for a more focused distribution of targeted subsidies, said Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli.
He said the current approach which is more focused on B40, M40 and T20 income does not really give a true picture where household disposable income is concerned when compared from one household to another, covering the number of dependent children and individual location.
Rafizi said this new approach will be integrated with the socioeconomic database, Pangkalan Data Utama (Padu) announced by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim recently as an effort to combine socio-economic information for every household in the country to streamline the implementation of targeted subsidies.
"Once we get to that level (household net disposable income), we will get a clearer picture of the net disposable income's comparability for households, and that will allow us to refine any government programmes and target subsidies accordingly," he said in a press conference today.
Asked if the targeted subsidy distribution also covers the RON95 fuel subsidy, he said the government will focus on the electricity and diesel subsidy components that have been announced and monitor their effectiveness first before announcing any decision on the RON95 subsidy.
"When we start switching to RON95, of course, the consideration is bigger, involving more people and families from each household. That's why we will ensure Padu is available by 2024 and any decision on how to target RON95 can be made easily," he said.
Rafizi said the economy ministry will coordinate with other ministries and agencies so that the implementation of small, people-friendly projects across the country is accelerated in an effort to help the country's economic growth.
"One step we will take is to ensure that government spending will continue and to focus on small projects where the procurement and approval process can be simplified and expedited," he said.


Elon Musk says he will find a new leader for Twitter

Elon Musk said on Wednesday he expected to reduce his time at Twitter and eventually find a new leader to run the social media company, adding that he hoped to complete an organisational restructuring this week.
Musk made the remarks while testifying in a Delaware court to defend against claims that his US$56 billion (about RM254.8 billion) pay package at Tesla Inc was based on easy to achieve performance targets and was approved by a compliant board of directors.
However Musk later said in a tweet that he will continue to run Twitter until it is in a strong place, though it will "take some time."
Musk's tweet came after former CEO Jack Dorsey said that he will not accept the role of Twitter CEO. In a reply to a Twitter user when asked if he would take the position of CEO, he said "nope."
Tesla investors have been increasingly concerned about the time that Musk is devoting to turning around Twitter.
"There's an initial burst of activity needed post-acquisition to reorganize the company," Musk said in his testimony. "But then I expect to reduce my time at Twitter."
Musk also admitted that some Tesla engineers were assisting in evaluating Twitter's engineering teams, but he said it was on a "voluntary basis" and "after hours."
The billionaire' s first two weeks as Twitter's owner has been marked by rapid change and chaos. He quickly fired Twitter's previous CEO and other senior leaders and then laid off half its staff earlier this month.
Musk sent an email to Twitter employees early Wednesday, telling them they needed to decide by Thursday whether they wanted to stay on at the company to work "long hours at high intensity" or take a severance package of three months of pay.


Biden promises to make half of new cars electric by 2030, to combat climate change

US President Joe Biden’s administration said on Thursday it will aim to make half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 electrified vehicles.It will do so while developing long-term fuel efficiency and emissions standards to advance efforts to tackle the global climate crisis, Kyodo is reporting.The move is expected to help the US, the world’s second-largest greenhouse gas emitter after China, achieve its goal of cutting emissions roughly in half by 2030, in a shift from the Trump administration that oversaw a rollback of environmental policies.By signing an executive order, Biden will set an “ambitious new target” to raise the share of sales of zero-emission vehicles, including battery electric, plug-in hybrid electric and fuel cell electric vehicles, to 50% in 2030, a senior administration official said.The Biden administration is calling for investment in electric vehicle manufacturing, saying that this will not only create well-paid jobs but will better position the country to win “the future of transportation and manufacturing” in the face of stiff competition from China.“Today, the US market share of electric vehicle sales is only one-third that of the Chinese electric vehicle market. The president believes it is time for the US to lead in electric vehicle manufacturing, infrastructure, and innovation,” the government said in a statement.According to the statement, automakers representing nearly the entire US auto market, such as Ford and General Motors, have positioned themselves around the goal of electrified vehicles accounting for 40 to 50% of total sales in 2030.Japan’s Honda, along with Germany’s BMW and other major foreign manufacturers, also said in a joint statement that they remain committed to “leading the industry in fighting against climate change” and they “support the administration’s goal of reaching an electric vehicle future”.The Biden administration said the latest announcements will put the US on track to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from new passenger vehicle sales by more than 60% in 2030 compared with vehicles sold last year.In April, Biden vowed to achieve a 50-52% reduction of emissions from 2005 levels in 2030, making the US commitment around twice as ambitious as that earlier pledged under the Paris climate accord.


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Phone app giving instant health checks trialled in Singapore

Each morning before work at Singapore construction sites, Kajima employees have their vital signs checked, without going to a clinic or even seeing a nurse.All each worker needs is a smartphone, which in just 45 seconds can tell him his heart rate, oxygen levels and even his stress levels. It can also tell him if he should see a doctor.The application, developed by Singapore startup Nervotec, is what construction firm Kajima considers its first line of defence against another outbreak of Covid-19 in Singapore, Reuters is reporting.The city-state wants to avoid a repeat of last year when numerous clusters emerged in migrant worker dormitories.Kajima staff at various sites have been using the application since December as part of a government programme that provides companies with trial-stage technology to help them adjust to the new norms of the pandemic era.The app gives a diagnosis of the user’s health condition, using a smartphone camera that can measure heart rate by picking up changes in the reflectivity of light on the user’s skin between heart beats according to blood flow underneath.Nervotec founder Jonathan Lau said the Singapore government is very interested in the technology.Lau’s initial inspiration came from his experiences as an air force pilot, when he had to undergo constant check-ups.He eventually founded a company that used wearable devices to monitor pilots, but when the pandemic hit he saw an opportunity to broaden the focus.The app is still undergoing local review and Chwee Teck Lim, director of the National University of Singapore’s Institute of Health Innovation and Technology, said it could have a big impact if approved by regulators.“What Nervotec is proposing could potentially be a game-changer,” Lim said.


Najib gets deferral for testimony in Shahrir Samad trial

Former prime minister Najib Razak told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that he was not prepared to testify in the trial of Shahrir Ab Samad, who is facing charges of failing to declare RM1 million allegedly received from him, without the presence of his lawyer.
Najib, 69, who is the prosecution's 23rd witness, said his lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, could not be in court today as he was out of town.
"I request to testify on Jan 5, when my lawyer (Shafee) will be present because it is important for my lawyer to be with me," he said.
Deputy public prosecutor Rasyidah Murni Azmi asked the court to consider the matter while lawyer Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaluddin, representing Shahrir, raised no objection. Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin then set Jan 5 for Najib to appear in court to testify in the case.
The trial continued with the defence's cross-examination of the 22nd prosecution witness, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission assistant superintendent Nurzahidah Yacop.
Shahrir, 73, a former Johor Bahru MP, faces a charge of money laundering by failing to state his real income in the income tax return form for assessment year 2013 – a violation of Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 – in relation to the RM1 million, believed to be from unlawful activities, which he received from Najib.
He was charged with committing the offence at the Inland Revenue Board, Duta branch, at the Government Office Complex in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim on April 25, 2014.
The charge, under Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001, provides for imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of RM5 million or both, upon conviction.


Covid-19 infection may reduce fertility in men, study shows

Covid-19 may damage sperm quality and reduce fertility in men, according to a new study based on experimental evidence.The viral disease – which has swept the globe, claiming nearly 2.2 million lives – can cause increased sperm cell death, inflammation and so-called oxidative stress, researchers reported Friday in the journal Reproduction.“These findings provide the first direct experimental evidence that the male reproductive system could be targeted and damaged by Covid-19,” the authors concluded.Experts commenting on the research, however, said the capacity of the virus to compromise fertility in men remains unproven.Covid-19 causes respiratory illness, especially in older people and those with underlying medical problems.The world has seen more than 100 million confirmed cases since the disease emerged in central China at the end of 2019.Transmitted through respiratory droplets, the disease attacks the lungs, kidneys, intestines and heart.It can also infect male reproductive organs, impairing sperm cell development and disrupting reproductive hormones, earlier studies have shown. The same receptors the virus uses to access lung tissue are also found in the testicles.But the effects of the virus on the ability of men to reproduce remained unclear.Behzad Hajizadeh Maleki and Bakhtyar Tartibian from Justus-Liebig-University in Germany searched for biological markers that might indicate a negative impact on fertility.Analysis done at 10-day intervals for 60 days in 84 men with Covid-19 was compared to data for 105 healthy men.In the Covid-19 patients, sperm cells showed a significant increase in markers of inflammation and oxidative stress, a chemical imbalance that can damage DNA and proteins in the body.‘Strong note of caution’“These effects on sperm cells are associated with lower sperm quality and reduced fertility potential,” said Maleki in a statement.“Although these effects tended to improve over time, they remained significantly and abnormally higher in the Covid-19 patients.”The more severe the disease, the bigger the changes, he added.The male reproductive system “should be considered a vulnerable route of Covid-19 infection and declared a high-risk organ by the World Health Organisation,” Maleki said.Experts not involved in the study welcomed the research, but cautioned that more was needed before drawing hard and fast conclusions.“Men should not be unduly alarmed,” noted Alison Campbell, director of embryology of the CARE Fertility Group in Britain.“There is currently no definitive evidence of long-lasting damage caused by Covid-19, to sperm or male reproductive potential,” she told the London-based Science Media Centre.The results could have been skewed, she added, by the fact that men recovering from Covid-19 were treated with corticosteroids and antiviral therapies, while the control group was not.Allan Pacey, a specialist in male reproductive medicine at the University of Sheffield, raised a “stong note of caution” on how the data was interpreted.Some of the indicators of decreased sperm quality could be due to factors besides Covid-19, he said, noting that more men in the Covid-19 group were overweight.The simple fact that only one group was very sick – no matter the cause – also needed to be taken into account, he added.“We already know that a febrile illness can impact on sperm production, regardless of what caused it.”


China reports zero local virus cases as Delta outbreak retreats

China reported no new domestic coronavirus cases Monday, and Beijing appears poised to bring to heel the pandemic’s most serious resurgence in months – driven by the highly contagious Delta variant – with mass testing and targeted lockdowns.The latest outbreak, which began in mid-July when cleaners at a Nanjing airport tested positive, is the most severe since Covid-19 first surfaced in the central city of Wuhan.Over a thousand people have been infected across dozens of cities.But Communist authorities reacted with swift localised lockdowns, travel restrictions and mass testing of neighbourhoods with infections as part of their “zero case” approach to the pandemic, which has virtually sealed off China’s borders but allowed the economy to rebound.New domestic infections have been falling for over two weeks.On Monday, National Health Commission data showed local infections returned to zero after a five-week battle.Meanwhile health experts are attempting to shore up confidence in the country’s vaccination drive with leading virologist Zhong Nanshan saying “effective herd immunity” is on the horizon once over 80% of the population is vaccinated – a target likely achieved by year-end.Chinese vaccines have nearly 60% efficacy against Delta, with antibodies rising with a booster shot, he added.As of Saturday, almost 1.94 billion vaccine doses have been administered, official figures show, although the proportion of vaccinated people is unclear.Officials are using big data to “quickly identify risk areas”, isolating high-risk groups in centralised zones, and sharing information quickly between regions, Gao Guangming of the National Health Commission told a recent press conference.Beijing has also been clamping down on officials who mishandled local outbreaks, with dozens punished as authorities rushed to contain transmissions.


Varsities act under review to allow student participation in politics

The higher education ministry is reviewing Section 15 of the Universities and University Colleges Act (Auku) 1971 to empower student movements in the country, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Minister Mohammad Yusof Apdal said the review, among others, would give students the freedom to openly participate in politics, including becoming members and candidates for any political party.
"In addition, they will be given full responsibility in relation to student movements in IPTA (public higher education institutions) and IPTS (private higher education institutions) and their financial matters," he said.
He was responding to a supplementary question from Chow Yu Hui (PH-Raub) on students’ autonomy during the question-and-answer session.
Yusof also said that the government would set up a special task force to review and conduct in-depth studies on national higher education policies.
He said the task force would provide recommendations and views on the existing policies including their weaknesses, strengths and areas where they are lacking.
"Policies that are seen as irrelevant will not be continued and those that are considered weak will be improved and streamlined," he said.
Yusof said the task force would involve prominent figures in the higher education industry who could contribute holistically towards improving the quality and performance of higher education.
He said this in response to a question from Saifuddin Abdullah (PN-Indera Mahkota) on the measures to ensure that educational reforms at institutes of higher learning are carried out.


Canada to authorise use of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine for children, says source

Canada will announce as expected on Friday it is authorising the use of Pfizer Inc’s Covid-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11, a government source said on Thursday.The decision will make it the first shot for young children in Canada. Officials had made clear for weeks that the decision would be favorable, noting that incidences of Covid-19 are now highest in those under 12.Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said last month that Ottawa had signed a deal with Pfizer to quickly receive 2.9 million doses of the vaccine once it was approved.The US Food and Drug Administration authorised use of the vaccine for those aged 5 to 11 on Oct 29.Rival firm Moderna Inc filed its own Canadian application for a children’s vaccine on Wednesday.The Canadian Pfizer announcement will be made at 10am, said the source, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. The news was first reported by the Toronto Star newspaper.


US speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Malaysia

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by a congressional delegation, has arrived in Malaysia as part of her official visit to four Asian countries.
The special aircraft carrying Pelosi and her entourage touched down at the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) base in Subang at 10.33am amid tight security.
Pelosi and her delegation were greeted by Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Mohd Rashid Hasnon. Also present was US ambassador to Malaysia Brian D McFeeters.
This is Pelosi's maiden visit to Malaysia with Gregory Meeks, chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also in the delegation list. Pelosi is number three in the line of US presidential succession and the only woman who has served as the speaker of the US House.
Kuala Lumpur is Pelosi’s second stop after Singapore on Monday, after which she will head to South Korea and Japan with her tour closely watched to see if Taiwan is also in her itinerary.
While in Malaysia, she is expected to pay a courtesy call on Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun at the Parliament building at noon before adjourning for a luncheon meet with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
"The trip will focus on mutual security, economic partnership and democratic governance in the Indo-Pacific region," said an earlier press release from Pelosi’s office.
However, Pelosi’s office did not mention whether the speaker would visit Taiwan amid intense speculation since late Monday that she might make a stop over in the island, a move that is set to draw China’s wrath as it views visits by US officials to Taiwan as an encouraging signal to the pro-independence camp in the island.
The Chinese foreign ministry had said that in the event of Pelosi's visit to Taiwan, Beijing would take decisive measures to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity. It said the US would be fully responsible for all consequences resulting from the visit.
The US established diplomatic ties with Malaysia in 1957 following Malaysia's independence from Britain.
Washington and Kuala Lumpur elevated bilateral relations to a comprehensive partnership in April 2014.


Aug 30 decision for Rosmah's latest bid to disqualify Sri Ram

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today fixed Aug 30 to decide on Rosmah Mansor’s fresh bid to disqualify Gopal Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor in her RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project case.
Judge Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid set the date after hearing submissions by Rosmah’s lawyers, Akberdin Abdul Kader and Jagjit Singh, as well as by senior federal counsel Shamsul Bolhassan and Sri Ram, who is representing himself.
The judge said he would deliver the decision via email on Aug 30.
Earlier, Shamsul, who acted for the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), objected to Rosmah’s judicial review application, saying her bid to commence the legal challenge was an abuse of the court process.
"The applicant is trying to interfere with adjudicated criminal proceedings by seeking a challenge in the civil courts," he said. Meanwhile, Sri Ram submitted that Rosmah’s latest attempt to disqualify him was "asking the court to review another court’s decision", as the Federal Court had ruled that his appointment was valid.
Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak had filed a similar application at the Kuala Lumpur Criminal High Court.
However, her application was dismissed. She appealed, but it was also dismissed by the appeals court and the apex court.
At today’s proceedings, Rosmah’s lawyer, Akberdin, submitted that his client should be allowed to commence the legal challenge, saying they had an arguable case and that Rosmah was "adversely affected" by Sri Ram’s appointment as an ad hoc prosecutor in her corruption trial.
Rosmah, 70, filed an application for judicial review on June 24 in the High Court (Appeal and Special Powers), naming the attorney-general/public prosecutor, the government and Sri Ram as respondents.
In her latest application, Rosmah is seeking a declaration that the appointment of Sri Ram as senior deputy public prosecutor through three letters of appointment (fiat), dated July 8, 2020, May 11 and May 21, 2021, respectively, is unlawful.
She is also seeking a declaration that the entire prosecution proceedings and full trial for the solar case from its start on Nov 15, 2018 until the defence closed the case are invalid and void, and that she should be acquitted of all charges under Section 16 (a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009.
Rosmah is accused of one count of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of accepting bribes amounting to RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin through her former aide Rizal Mansor, as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure a RM1.25 billion project to provide solar hybrid energy in 369 schools in rural Sarawak.


End the war in Ukraine and lift Western sanctions

The war in Ukraine is dragging on. July 11 marked the 138th day of an armed conflict that began on Feb 24 when Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that his country was launching a special military operation in Ukraine.
As one would expect, a few thousand have been killed so far on both sides. Among Ukrainians, both soldiers and civilians are victims. Russian casualties have been mainly soldiers. There has also been massive infrastructure destruction in Ukraine.
The outflow of refugees from Ukraine to Poland and other European countries has been heartbreaking. The other consequence of the war has been the imposition of severe economic sanctions upon Russia by the US and other Western countries.
The sanctioning of the export of oil and gas from Russia has plunged a number of European states into economic crisis. Inflation has soared sky-high and people are struggling to make ends meet, especially in those countries where incomes have stagnated for some time.
Since Russia is also a major exporter of wheat, Western sanctions have also multiplied the sufferings of people in poor wheat importing countries such as Egypt. Like the fuel supply chain, the global food supply chain has been strained more by the sanctions than by the actual war itself in Ukraine.
In spite of what sanctions and the war have done to families and economies thousands of kilometres away from the scene of the conflict, there are elements on both sides who want the war to go on. There are many Russians who argue that since they have gained control of almost the whole of southern and eastern Ukraine, known as Donbas (which is where many Russian–speaking Ukrainians live), they should press ahead and consolidate their position.
Besides, there is nothing to indicate that Nato is willing to exercise restraint over its eastward push towards Russia or refrain from incorporating Ukraine into Nato – which were the principal reasons why Russia was provoked into invading Ukraine in the first place.
If anything, the strategy document adopted by Nato at the end of its summit in Madrid in June asserts emphatically that the doors of Nato "remain open to all European democracies that share the values of our alliance" and "decisions on membership are taken by Nato allies and no third party has a say in this process."
Nato’s hardline position on expansion and membership is further reinforced by a motive which has become more obvious in the course of the war. Some members of Nato and the US leadership are keen to exploit the war to emasculate Russia as a military power. This is why they would like to prolong the war. In Ukraine itself, the government in Kyiv, the capital, and a substantial segment of the populace in the western part of the country perceive themselves as part of Western Europe and would want to see Nato emerge triumphant in the war. The Kyiv government is determined to re-take territory lost to Russia in recent weeks.
It is because these two positions are antagonistic to one another that the Russian stance, on the one hand, and the Ukraine-cum-Nato-cum Western stance, on the other, appear so irreconcilable. This may also explain why sincere efforts by Indonesian President Widodo and Pope Francis of the Vatican have not borne any fruit so far. Nonetheless, men and women of goodwill everywhere should go on trying.
It is in that spirit that we are proposing an international conference that will bring together all of the main actors in this crisis and leaders of important nations and regional and international organisations to explore short-term, medium-term and long-term solutions to the crisis that confronts us, which actually began in 2014.
At the crux of it is, of course, the current war in Ukraine. The conference must at all costs bring the war to an immediate end. In doing so, it should conduct an honest examination of the trends and forces that led to the war. It must also analyse the central security concerns of our time with the clear aim of constructing a viable global security architecture. This architecture should eliminate the hegemonic power of any one nation or cluster of nations over the international system.
Given the disastrous consequences of sanctions, the conference should also eliminate all unilateral sanctions and subject collective sanctions undertaken through the UN to strict controls and checks by the UN General Assembly – for instance, only if 90% of GA members vote for a sanction should it be applied. Its implementation should be monitored by a special committee of GA members which will recommend when the sanction should be lifted.
Finally, who in the international arena should initiate the proposed conference? Its shortcomings notwithstanding, the office of the UN secretary-general is the best institution to take up this challenge. It is an office that commands legitimacy in relation to the task at hand. Besides, the UN secretary-general has the authority to do so.
It is urgent. And he must act immediately.
Chandra Muzaffar is president of the International Movement for a Just World.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


‘Extreme competition’ with China coming, but not like Trump, says Biden

President Joe Biden says he is ready for “extreme competition” with China but that his approach would be different to his predecessor.“I’m not going to do it the way Trump did. We are going to focus on the international rules of the road,” Biden told CBS on Sunday. “We need not have a conflict.”Biden said he has not yet spoken to China’s Xi Jinping since taking office.“I know him pretty well,” Biden said, explaining that as vice-president he spent more time with Xi than any world leader has.“He’s very bright and he’s very tough and – I don’t mean it as a criticism it’s just a reality – he doesn’t have a democratic bone in his body.”Tensions between Beijing and Washington soared under the Trump administration as he blamed China for a wide range of grievances, including intellectual property theft, unfair trade practices and recently the coronavirus pandemic.Last week, Biden said he would work more closely with allies to increase pushback against China.“We will confront China’s economic abuses,” Biden explained. “But we’re also ready to work with Beijing when it’s in America’s interest to do so. We’ll compete from a position of strength by building back better at home and working with our allies and partners.”Secretary of State Antony Blinken talked for the first time with his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, over the weekend.In a tense call, Blinken told Yang Washington would hold China accountable for its actions, particularly as it regards Taiwan. He also called for Beijing to condemn the recent military coup in Myanmar.During his Senate confirmation hearing, Blinken told lawmakers that Trump had been right in taking a tough approach to China, saying, “I disagree very much with the way that he went about it in a number of areas, but the basic principle was the right one.”


No more ‘iron wall’ between govt, opposition, says Annuar

The government will continue to ensure the country’s political stability to safeguard the well-being and welfare of the Malaysian Family post-pandemic, and as it transitions to the endemic phase, says Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa.He said the “iron wall” approach between the government and the opposition no longer applied as political stability to safeguard the welfare of Malaysians was more important.“(The government) must ensure that the country’s political situation is stable, even though we (the government) have to sacrifice by working, sharing, and planning with the opposition as we were used to being separated by an ‘iron wall’ before.“The ego must be buried deeply, the excessive factions must be pushed away, solo politics, recklessness, the sense that everything can be done on our own is not the right formula for now… we need the principle of al-ta’ayush (co-existing), togetherness and consensus,” he said at the launch of the logo and theme for this year’s National Day and Merdeka celebrations at Angkasapuri in Kuala Lumpur today.Annuar said the “prihatin” or caring concept should also continue among the people, people-government, governments and so on as in the current situation, the country needs to move forward with certain values that will be supported by the Malaysian Family.Meanwhile, Annuar, who is also the chairman of the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation, said the post-Covid-19 management was not as simple as some people thought.“In a crisis, there are those who try to take advantage of hardships and seek short-term political gain to become popular by becoming critics and detractors, which is easy to do.“The world and the country have proven that people who view the people’s problems without much concern, when allowed to manage (the situation) they bound to fail because everyone wants to take a simplistic approach… that everything that the government does is wrong.“As saying goes, easier said than done, sometimes you have to put yourself in other people’s shoes to really understand. It is easier just to watch but to carry out the responsibility is another story,” he said.


I feel relieved, says Muhyiddin as he talks about God, cycle of life, and worldly positions

Outgoing prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin says he felt relieved that the burden on him to lead Malaysia’s battle against the Covid-19 pandemic was finally lifted with his decision to resign from the top post.In his farewell message to close aides at the Prime Minister Office on Aug 16, Muhyiddin shared a private conversation with his wife Noorainee Abdul Rahman after their pre-dawn prayers that day.“As we sat down after performing the subuh prayers together with my wife, usually we would sit and talk for about 10 minutes after prayers. She asked, how do you feel? I said I feel relieved that this burden that is on me as prime minister now is no more after today,” he said just before heading to Istana Negara to submit his resignation to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.Muhyiddin said he had always held on to the belief that one must do the right thing, adding that the office of the prime minister is just a worldly position.He also said life is a journey with the ultimate goal of attaining God’s pleasure.“Our consideration is not worldly. That’s why to me, losing this post of prime minister, it is something worldly. I can’t take it anywhere,” said Muhyiddin, who has backed his former deputy Ismail Sabri Yaakob as his replacement.Ismail is set to be sworn into office at Istana Negara tomorrow.Muhyiddin said he only expected a brief mention by historians about him due to his short tenure as prime minister.“Maybe there will be a footnote mention about me, that there was once a prime minister, his name was Muhyiddin Yassin, or Mahiaddin Yassin, who became the eighth prime minister.“Maybe it will only be a short chapter as I was not that long (in office). But I think I should be proud that we have tried,” said Muhyiddin.Muhyiddin resigned this week after about a dozen MPs from Umno led by former prime minister Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced their withdrawal of support for him.The 74-year-old was sacked from the Cabinet by Najib in 2015 for questioning the latter’s involvement in the 1MDB scandal.After a brief stint in the political wilderness, he formed Bersatu, joined hands with opposition parties in the 2018 polls and returned as a senior Cabinet member in Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s government.After the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government in 2020, Muhyiddin was appointed as prime minister.Muhyiddin said if the chair at his office could talk, it would tell about the short meeting he had with former prime minister Najib Razak just before he was sacked as the deputy prime minister in 2015.“Barely half an hour (meeting Najib), he kicked me out. I went back to the DPM’s office, gathered everyone and told them I won’t be here long. I said, ‘Sorry, we have to pack up. I just met Najib. He sacked me’.”He said it didn’t take long for him to clear his belongings, adding that there was only a book given by a friend which he took back with him.“I have nothing secret on my table, or in my drawers. Secret letters, nothing.“Because we know we did not do anything wrong.”He also described his return to the Prime Minister’s Office last year as part of the cycle of life.“What goes up, must come down. But what goes down, insha Allah, will come back.”Recalling his days as an assistant district officer, Muhyiddin said he never imagined that one day he would hold the nation’s most powerful job.“I have great respect and confidence in all civil servants. I was there before for a short three years, and then I resigned to join the private sector. I never imagined that one day I would become the prime minister. God is great.”


Top Glove beats record profits, to pay special dividends

Glove maker Top Glove has continued its pandemic-season record profits, posting a 336% jump in sales revenue for the quarter between Dec 1, 2020 and Feb 28, 2021 (2QFY21) with RM5.37 billion, compared to the same quarter of last year.Its after-tax profit came to RM2.9 billion, 24 times higher than the corresponding period last year.The company’s net profit in 2QFY21 also rose 20.76% quarter-on-quarter, from RM2.38 billion to RM2.87 billion.In a statement, Top Glove announced it would be paying special dividends to its 120,000 public shareholders.“The dividend payment comprises a special dividend payout of 20% plus 50% as per the company’s dividend policy, totalling a 70% dividend payout. This amounts to 25.2 sen per share,” it said.While attributing the strong performance to the continued global demand for gloves, the company is confident that the market will remain strong even with the delivery of vaccines to fight Covid-19.“While demand is likely to stabilise post-pandemic, the group expects it will not revert to pre-pandemic levels owing to increased hygiene awareness as well as uncertainties surrounding the resolution of the Covid-19 pandemic,” it said.Top Glove managing director Lee Kim Meow said the company was committed to ensuring the welfare of its employees, in the wake of allegations that factory workers were forced to work long hours to meet the increasing demand for rubber gloves.“The board of directors is pleased with the company’s continued strong performance and the multiple remedial and improvement initiatives the group has implemented towards uplifting employee welfare. In both these instances, this is just the beginning for us and we aspire to do much more,” Lee said.


Recovery council disbanded, national anti-graft centre under review

The National Recovery Council (MPN) has been disbanded as it was among several agencies with overlapping tasks, set up to meet the needs of the time.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said the proposal to also disband the National Governance, Integrity, and Anti-Corruption Centre (GIACC) is being scrutinised.
He said if the functions of GIACC could be handled by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission or the police, then the overlapping agencies should be scrapped as each agency incurs high costs.
"The important thing in the GIACC is that the principles are accepted but there should not be too many," he told a press conference after chairing a Cabinet meeting in Putrajaya today.
MPN was established on July 21, 2021, through a Cabinet memorandum from the finance ministry to discuss measures to ensure the success of the National Recovery Plan.
Muhyiddin Yassin was appointed as MPN chairman in September 2021 by then prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, as he had held the post since its establishment under the Perikatan Nasional government.
Meanwhile, GIACC was established in June 2018 to coordinate and monitor all activities concerning governance, integrity and anti-corruption in the country.
Anwar said he had also delegated some of his duties as prime minister to his two deputies, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Fadillah Yusof.


Bring in foreign observers, Putrajaya’s polls reforms body tells govt

Putrajaya’s Electoral Reform Committee (ERC) has proposed that international observers be invited to monitor general elections, more than three decades after the government agreed to allow a group of observers from Commonwealth nations during nationwide polls.The proposal on foreign observers is one of 49 recommendations which the ERC submitted to the government in August.It said having an international team of observers would strengthen the credibility of polls in Malaysia, adding that the practice has been adopted by neighbouring countries such as the Philipines, Indonesia and Thailand.However, the ERC said the proposal could only be formalised by amending election laws and making provisions for the presence of local and foreign observers to monitor general elections.“It is seen as a practice that will ensure free and fair elections,” the ERC said in its exhaustive report seen by MalaysiaNow.It added that foreign monitors are a norm in mature democracies, where their presence is legally sanctioned.It also believes that the move will bring Malaysia’s democractic system on par with that of developed nations where neutral polls observers are seen as crucial to the running of elections.“It is seen as a practice that will ensure free and fair elections.”The only general election where foreign observers were officially allowed was in 1990.This was the first general election for then-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, whose ruling Umno was still reeling from a major crisis caused by a challenge mounted by Kelantan politician Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah for the top post.Umno eventually split and was de-registered, with Razaleigh leading a new party called Semangat 46, teaming up with PAS in the 1990 election.In 2008, a team of observers calling itself Malaysian for Free and Fair Election (Mafrel) was allowed by then-chairman of the Election Commission, Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.Rashid now leads the ERC, which was tasked by the previous Pakatan Harapan government with addressing weaknesses in the electoral system.ERC calls for end to GE guessing game, nomination dayERC boss confident govt will accept all 49 recommendationsRashid recently expressed confidence that all of the ERC’s recommendations would be implemented.They include a suggestion to remove the advantage of the government in power to surprise its rivals with the dissolution of Parliament, as well as an end to gatherings for nomination day.Automatic registrationThe ERC’s list also includes a call on the government to implement automatic voter registration, enabling every eligible citizen to cast their vote.“The voter list is a basic element that determines whether an election is carried out in a free, fair and transparent manner – in other words, a credible election,” the report said.It said it is supportive of calls for automatic registration to replace the current system.Last year, MPs passed a bill to enable the automatic registration of voters, as well as to allow 18-year-olds to vote and become candidates.However, one estimate said more than four million Malaysians above the age of 21 have not registered as voters.Voters queue to check their names on the electoral list outside a polling station in George Town, Penang, during the 2013 general election. The ERC has voiced support for the implementation of automatic voter registration to replace the current system. Photo: AFPFormer EC chairman Azhar Harun had said that the automatic registration of voters would require amendments to the Federal Constitution as well as the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981.One candidate, one seatMeanwhile, the ERC said no candidate should be allowed to contest two seats, as is currently the practice.Some senior politicians are state assemblymen as well as MPs, including Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin who is both MP and assemblyman in Johor (Pagoh and Gambir), DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (Bagan and Air Putih in Penang), former Perak menteri besar Ahmad Faizal Azumu (Tambun and Chenderiang in Perak), former Kedah menteri besar Mukhriz Mahathir (Jerlun and Jitra) and senior minister Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak and Bukit Antarabangsa in Selangor).Others with a dual role as MP and assemblyman are Umno’s Bung Moktar Radin (Kinabatangan and Lamag), Warisan’s Shafie Apdal (Semporna and Senallang), Amanah’s Salahuddin Ayub (Pulai and Simpang Jeram), and PKR’s Saifuddin Nasution (Kulim Bandar Baru and Pantai Jerejak).The ERC views the practice as outdated.“In the early stage of Malaysia’s democracy, the reality was that only a small group of people were seen as educated and qualified to become people’s representatives,” it said.“However, the situation has changed, and more Malaysians are qualified to represent the people.”‘More women please’Noting that half of all voters are women, the ERC is also proposing that they make up 30% of the candidates.“This suggestion is in line with the view that more women should join politics and administration, as well as become decision makers,” it added.


Only one MP from govt bloc, opposition says on last day of Dewan sitting

An opposition MP took a jibe at the government today, questioning the attendance of MPs at one point on the last day of the current Dewan Rakyat sitting.
Putrajaya MP Radzi Jidin of Perikatan Nasional said that in line with the practice throughout most of the fasting month, no break was observed during today's session.
"Sadly, in the administration bloc, only the transport minister was there to present and wind up a bill for the transport ministry.
"This isn't fake news, okay?" he added in a Facebook post.
The current Dewan Rakyat sitting began on Feb 13. It was originally scheduled to end in March, but extended for two days until April 4.
On March 9, it was reported that proceedings came close to a halt for a second time that week due to a lack of quorum.
According to Standing Order 13, at least 26 of the 222 MPs are required to be present for proceedings to be held.