Raid on Hong Kong triad party nets police HK$1 million in Covid fines

A raid on a Hong Kong triad leader’s birthday party resulted in police issuing more than HK$1 million (US$127,388) in fines for breaching the city’s strict coronavirus rules, local media and official reports revealed Monday.Saturday night saw one of the largest mass fines to date when anti-triad officers raided a seafood restaurant where some 219 people had gathered – ten times more than the current cap on 20 people per banquet.A police incident report said all present were issued a spot fine after an intelligence-led operation conducted by the district’s anti-triad unit.Local media dubbed the raid a “million dollar banquet” because spot fines are HK$5,000 and the total number would have been HK$1,095,000 (US$140,000).Hong Kong has imposed strict social distancing rules as its hews to a lighter version of China’s zero-Covid strategy.Spot fines have become a fixture of Hong Kong during the pandemic with teams of officers patrolling the streets to enforce rules that are often changing and at times contradictory.Last month the police revealed to lawmakers that they had issued nearly HK$90 million (US$11.5 million) in fines to more than 21,600 people for breaching the Covid rules in the first 11 months of the last financial year.Local news outlet HK01 said the birthday party was for a leader of Sun Yee On, one of the “Big Four” organised crime triad gangs that have a long and colourful history in Hong Kong.Photos published by the outlet showed a crammed banquet hall with men and women sitting at dozens of circular tables.The police incident report said the restaurant owner was arrested alongside two guests who they discovered were wanted by authorities.Hong Kong’s triads trace their origins to 19th-century Chinese fraternal organisations.Most fled to Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan when the communists took power in mainland China in 1949 and revolutionary leader Mao Zedong cracked down on “black societies”.Over the decades they went increasingly international and some groups shelved their ideological animosity towards Beijing as China embarked on its astonishing economic rise.While Hong Kong’s triad gangs have little of the power of their heydays in the 1970-90s, they remain present especially when it comes to extortion and smuggling rackets.


Govt considering sentencing council in push for criminal justice reforms

The government is considering the possibility of establishing a sentencing council, in a move aimed at promoting greater transparency and consistency in sentencing, as a way to reform the criminal justice system, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said today.
He said the sentencing council would be an independent public body similar to the sentencing council established in the UK.
"This is to promote greater transparency and consistency in sentencing, while maintaining the independence of the judiciary," he said at an event in Kuala Lumpur today.
Wan Junaidi said another issue on the table was the matter of prison reforms, where the government was looking to ensure that the punishments meted out are based on the concept of restorative justice.
"This is to ensure that the rights of all parties are protected and guaranteed, thus improving the dynamics of the Malaysian criminal justice system," he said.


Duterte may contest China over South China Sea oil but not fish

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte has said he is prepared to send warships to “stake a claim” over oil and mineral resources in the South China Sea, according to the South China Morning Post.“If we go there to assert our jurisdiction, it will be bloody,” Duterte said in a televised briefing late on Monday, in his first remarks after hundreds of Chinese vessels were spotted at a disputed reef in March.“I’m not so much interested now in fishing,” he said, “I’ll send five coastguard ships they can chase. They can play with each other and see who’s faster.“But when we start to get whatever it is in the bowels of the China Sea, our oil, by that time I will send my grey ships there to stake a claim,” he said, referring to Philippine warships.“If they start drilling oil there, I will tell China: Is that part of our agreement? If that is not part of our agreement, I will also drill oil there,” he said. “If they get the oil, that would be time that we should act on it.”Since coming to power in 2016, Duterte has sought to build an alliance with China and has been reluctant to confront its leadership, having been promised billions of dollars of loans and investments, much of which have yet to materialise.He has repeatedly said the Philippines is powerless to stop China, and that challenging its activities could risk a war his country would lose.Tensions between the two nations have increased in recent weeks. Manila has repeatedly protested Beijing’s presence and has deployed more vessels in disputed areas, even as Duterte keeps a friendly stance, thanking China for supply of coronavirus vaccines.China has said that its vessels’ presence in the South China Sea is normal and legitimate.Washington has aired concerns over China’s “maritime militia” in the area, backing the Philippines, a long-time military ally. Duterte on Monday said the US will not come to the Philippines’ aid if the conflict is “of our own making”.The Philippines has filed several diplomatic protests against China’s actions in the South China Sea, with the latest accusing its giant neighbour of undertaking illegal fishing and massing more than 240 boats within its territorial waters.Manila last year lifted a ban on South China Sea oil exploration, paving the way for talks with China, even as the nations still have to navigate their overlapping claims in the area.


Questions in US over jabs, face masks and Delta

With the Delta variant pushing US Covid cases back up, fully vaccinated people are wondering whether they need to start masking indoors again.Covid vaccines remain extremely effective against the worst outcomes of the disease – hospitalisation and death – and breakthrough infections remain uncommon.But experts told AFP that one size doesn’t fit all, and people should consider factors like community transmission, personal risk levels, and their own risk tolerance to help decide what’s right for them.Risk low for vaccinatedThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) dropped its mask guidance for vaccinated people in May.At the time, cases were plummeting and the administration of President Joe Biden was keen to declare a return to normal on the back of a vaccination campaign that was still going strong.On Thursday the country registered more than 50,000 cases, a surge driven by the now overwhelmingly dominant Delta variant, the most contagious strain to date, and centred in low-vaccination regions.Crucially, however, the rise in cases has been largely decoupled from hospitalisations and deaths.With 80% of seniors fully vaccinated, average daily deaths remain in the 200s – much lower than the more than 3,500 deaths per day seen in the worst wave over winter.More than 97% of hospitalisations are among the unvaccinated, CDC director Rochelle Walensky said last week, while 99.5% of people dying were unvaccinated, surgeon general Vivek Murthy said last weekend.Walensky defended the unchanged mask guidance Thursday, stressing the agency has always said communities and individuals should consider local conditions.“If you’re in an area that has a high case rate and low rates of vaccination where Delta cases are rising, you should certainly be wearing a mask if you are unvaccinated,” she said.“If you are vaccinated, you get exceptional protection from the vaccines. But you have the opportunity to make the personal choice to add extra layers of protection if you so choose.”Why local conditions matterJoseph Allen, an associate professor at Harvard’s TH Chan School of Public Health, said he supported the CDC’s view.While the World Health Organization has urged fully vaccinated people to continue to wear masks, that is in light of the global situation where just 13.4% of the world population is fully vaccinated.“I just don’t think we’re at the phase in the US and other highly vaccinated countries where this top-down blanket guidance makes sense anymore,” he told AFP.“For me, the goal is and has always been with all the vaccines to prevent severe disease, and death, and that’s exactly what they do really well.”As far as breakthrough infections go, a recent study of a US prison found 27 positive cases from 2,380 vaccinated individuals, or 1.1%. All were asymptomatic and detected through routine screening.Research shows that asymptomatic people are less likely to transmit, while people who develop symptoms are supposed to self-isolate.Still, the greater the community prevalence of the virus, the more likely such breakthroughs become.People’s personal risk levels vary by their age and underlying conditions, some people may have high risk people at home they want to protect, while some just have lower risk tolerance.On and off rampsThe divergence in case levels across the country closely correlates with vaccination rates, and parts of Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana and Florida are currently experiencing the worst spikes.Celine Gounder, an infectious disease physician and epidemiologist, compared the situation prior to Delta surges to driving your car in your own neighbourhood, while the current scenario is closer to driving on a race car track.“When you’re driving around in your neighbourhood, a seatbelt is enough,” she told AFP, with the seatbelt representing a vaccine.“But if you’re driving on a Nascar race track, in addition to seatbelts, those drivers also have helmets, they have airbags,” she added, emphasising that masks add an additional layer of protection.Even without the CDC, some parts of the country, like Los Angeles County and Philadelphia, have re-instituted mask guidance.Monica Gandhi, an infectious disease doctor at UC San Francisco told AFP she has been advocating for statistical benchmarks, “as the back and forth is very frustrating for people”.She suggests tying mask mandates to the local hospitalisation rate – a more reliable measure of disease prevalence than cases – and, along with other experts, has proposed fewer than five hospitalised cases per 100,000 people as the threshold for resuming normal activity.Gandhi, Allen and others argue such “off-ramps” can also be applied to schools when they reopen in fall, while the American Academy of Pediatrics favours universal masking, even among vaccinated teachers and students.


Pro-PH activist calls for Felda-style white paper on agriculture

A farmers' association has urged Putrajaya to present a white paper on agriculture, to tackle the issue of food security as the government led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim passes the half-year mark without any concrete policy on the matter in place.
Pertubuhan Gerak Tani said this would allow the government to discuss food security policies as well as other problems faced by farmers.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, its chairman Mazlan Aliman said that the farmers at the forefront of the country's food production felt as though they had been neglected when they should in fact be one of the government's priorities.
He also said that the prime minister had promised to address the issue of poverty in the country.
"We need to realise the importance of food security," Mazlan, an Amanah member, said.
"It looks as if the focus on this matter is not on the right track. The farmers are a large community and they are committed to advancing the agricultural sector.
"But guidance from the government, especially agencies and departments, is quite unfocused."
The agriculture and food security ministry led by Amanah president Mohamad Sabu received the lowest marks in a recent Cabinet review, giving rise to questions on his ability to tackle food-related issues in the country.
The Kota Raja MP was previously criticised on social media over problems in the supply of chicken and eggs, which in turn caused a jump in prices.
Mazlan said the agriculture white paper should be presented during the current Dewan Rakyat session, to prove the government's commitment to resolving the issues faced by the farmers.
Adding that only the health ministry was expected to present a white paper on its issues, he said any failure to address the woes of farmers would affect millions.
He said the issue involved not only the agriculture and food security ministry but also the economy ministry and the Prime Minister's Department.
"The Cabinet should meet and discuss the steps to be taken and whether such a white paper is needed," he said.
"This involves millions of farmers, many of whom are part of the low-income group.
"The prime minister has spoken of efforts to eradicate poverty, but how are we to achieve this goal if measures for the poor are not laid out?"
Mazlan proposed that the government take the same approach as that of the previous Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration, which presented a white paper on Felda to detail its efforts to resolve issues involving the settler community.
"Now, the focus is on agriculture," he said.
"We have not seen any positive efforts to address extreme weather conditions, or innovations with which to face such issues.
"This is why the matter must be brought to the Cabinet before it is presented in Parliament for the leaders to find a solution together."
The Felda white paper was presented in 2019 by Mohamed Azmin Ali, the PH minister in charge of the economy at the time.
Among others, it discussed issues related to land rental for settlers, development programmes for them to obtain new sources of revenue, farm management through the strengthening of Felda cooperatives, the use of technology, and the introduction of a more flexible aid scheme.


Najib's bid to remove appeals court judge from review panel thrown out

The Federal Court has rejected the application to remove Court of Appeal judge Abu Bakar Jais from the panel hearing Najib Razak's review bid for his conviction and sentence in the RM42 million SRC International case.
The other four judges on the panel today are Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli, and Federal Court judges Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Rhodzariah Bujang and Nordin Hassan.
Abdul Rahman said the court was not persuaded by the argument that Abu Bakar should recuse himself from hearing the review application.
"In our view, the law is clear that the Chief Justice (Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat) is vested with discretionary power to empanel the Court of Appeal judge to sit at the panel of the Federal Court, pursuant to Article 122 (2) of the Federal Constitution.
"For the same reason, we reject the argument that Abu Bakar should not be involved in the hearing of the review application.
"Under these circumstances, the preliminary objection is dismissed. We shall proceed to hear the application," he said.
Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had said that Abu Bakar should not be on the panel which he added should comprise only Federal Court judges, according to Section 74 of the Courts of Judicature Act 1974.
However, lead prosecutor V Sithambaram said that arrangements to co-opt a Court of Appeal judge are allowed under Article 122 (2) of the Federal Constitution.
He also said the objection against the judge must show a real danger of bias.
Najib is seeking to overturn the decision by a five-man Federal Court bench led by Tengku Maimun on Aug 23 last year, upholding his conviction, 12-year jail sentence and fine for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.


KL’s Hotel Istana to shutter

Hotel Istana in Kuala Lumpur says it has decided to cease operations effective Sept 1.The five-star hotel located at Jalan Raja Chulan in the heart of the city centre said it had considered all available options but was left with little choice other than to close.In a letter to its staff dated June 30, it cited the stiff competition from new and neighbouring hotels and serviced apartments and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the industry.“Even as a quarantine hotel, we are incurring monthly operational losses,” it said.“As such, after a proper evaluation of the hotel and its viability we have decided to cease operations.”It added that it would be offering employees a voluntary separation scheme and thanked them for their service.


Ex-CJ says palace acted outside constitution, giving perception of interference in politics

A former chief justice says the Yang di-Pertuan Agong acted outside the constitutional framework in the events of the past year leading to the resignation of Muyhiddin Yassin, adding that a series of actions by the palace could also be construed as political interference.Abdul Hamid Mohamad also questioned the need for Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah to call other Malay rulers to deliberate on matters such as the government’s recommendation for a state of virus emergency last year, as well as on the imminent appointment of Ismail Sabri Yaakob as prime minister last month.“The constitution does not provide the rulers any role in the appointment of the prime minister. At the very least, it can be said that the meeting was unnecessary.“On the other hand, by calling the meeting, it gave the impression that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong was unable to make a decision on his own,” Hamid, who retired as chief justice in 2008 after more than 50 years of service in the judiciary, said in a lengthy 11-page analysis on the political crisis of the past year.Hamid said the events of 2020 and 2021 where the palace resisted the advice of the government of the day could complicate simple legal matters.Former chief justice Abdul Hamid Mohamad.“It was made worse when the rulers not only did not follow advice, where the constitution provides they have to do so, but acted outside the constitution and decreed something contradictory, let alone something of a political nature, which was used by the opposition for their own ends.“So, rightly or wrongly, it seemed the ruler was on one side and the government on the other,” he said.Hamid cited several media statements issued by Istana Negara, saying they gave an impression of palace interference in politics.He said this included the Agong’s initial call last month for a confidence vote to reaffirm the support for the person whom he would name as prime minister.‘Agong’s job stops at naming the PM’Hamid said the rigorous checks and other processes on which the palace had embarked before finally naming Ismail also went against the constitutional provision bestowed on the Agong to appoint a prime minister “from among the members of the Dewan Rakyat who in his judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the MPs”.Hamid said the Agong’s task was complete once he had named the prime minister“It is not His Majesty’s responsibility to ensure that the person he has appointed truly has the support of the majority of MPs, or still has their support.”He said in the same spirit, the Agong should not have asked Ismail to hold a vote of confidence.“The prime minister is appointed by the Agong. Why does the Agong want the prime minister to prove that the appointment made by him is valid?”Before naming Ismail as prime minister, the palace had met with political party chiefs where the Agong reportedly urged them to work together and ensure political stability in Malaysia’s battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.Following this, Istana Negara urged all 220 MPs to submit signed declarations on their choice of prime minister. The palace also summoned individual MPs to reaffirm their choice in person.On Aug 20, Sultan Abdullah invited fellow Malay rulers to a special meeting, just hours before Ismail was confirmed as prime minister.Last weekend, Attorney-General (AG) Idrus Harun said a confidence vote in Ismail was not needed as it could undermine the Agong’s authority. The statement triggered fresh accusations of “derhaka” (treason) from opposition leaders against the AG.It was recently revealed that the palace had said a Dewan Rakyat vote was no longer necessary.AG didn’t have to explainHamid said the episode showed how statements from the Agong could be exploited by politicians for their own benefit.He also said it was not the business of the AG to respond, as it was a political debate.“My first piece of advice is that where necessary, he should learn to say ‘no’ to politicians,” he said, adding that the AG would be seen as defending the government on a politicised issue that does not need his involvement.Hamid said those who questioned the legitimacy of Ismail’s appointment could take the matter to court, while those who are not convinced of his support from MPs could bring a no-confidence motion in the Dewan Rakyat.“The burden of proof is on the shoulders of the accuser,” he said, adding that it was not the government’s duty to prove it has the majority.


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Assistant surveyor detained 7 days over RM3,000 bribe

An assistant surveyor for the local government has been remanded for seven days from today to assist in investigations into bribery of RM3,000.The remand order until April 13 was issued by magistrate Intan Syafinaz Ros’lin at the Seremban Magistrate’s Court in Negeri Sembilan today following the application by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).A source said the 40-year-old suspect was arrested at 3.30pm yesterday at the Negeri Sembilan MACC office where he had gone for questioning.The source said the man was believed to have received a bribe of RM3,000 in return for approval for an application for a house renovation plan without going through local government procedures in August 2019.Negeri Sembilan MACC chief Awangkok Ahmad Taufik Putra Awang Ismail confirmed the remand, saying the case is being investigated under Section 16(1)(A) of the MACC Act 2009.


No white flag for Sarawak spice traders

Along one of the oldest streets in Kuching, Sarawak, stands a line of shops that have been there for decades.Year in and year out, they had seen a steady stream of customers entering to purchase their merchandise: spices and herbs, used primarily in cooking the local cuisine for which the state is known.But this past year has been markedly different, as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to trace a path of destruction on businesses across the country.The damage has been especially bad in Sarawak, which for days has been recording some of the highest case numbers in Malaysia. And with the ban on interstate travel still firmly in place throughout most of the country, these old shops in Jalan Gambir are struggling to stay open.Traders in the area told MalaysiaNow there had been a slight recovery in business since the movement control order (MCO) was replaced by the conditional version in early March. But what small gains they have made may be erased by the ban on Ramadan bazaars in the state as the markets, a daily affair during the fasting month, would normally see a boost in number of customers.Spice trader Mohamad Iskandar Abdul Kader behind the till of his store, Yacob Sahib Trading, which was started by his grandparents.Spice trader Mohamad Iskandar Abdul Kader said the area would usually be packed with people especially during the school holidays.Iskandar’s business, Yacob Sahib Trading, was started by his grandparents who migrated to Malaysia from India and settled down in Kuching about 88 years ago.It has survived for generations, but now the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic is threatening to send it under.“We suffered a drop in income of about 80% during the first MCO implemented in March last year,” Iskandar told MalaysiaNow.And while they are still open for business today, customers are few and far in between.Sarawak has been battling a surge in infections, hitting a high of 960 new cases out of 2,551 reported across the country on April 16.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba recently said some 500 ministry staff would be mobilised to help contain the spread of infection in Sarawak, including doctors, nurses, medical assistants, laboratory officers and radiologists from other states as well as from green zones in Sarawak itself.Meanwhile, local councils in areas such as Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Bintulu and Sri Aman said Ramadan bazaars would not be held despite the green light from the federal government.Abdul Kalam Mohamad at his shop, Syarikat Pakkir Mohamed, in Kuching, Sarawak. Kalam’s shop was started by his grandfather in 1950 but is now struggling to stay afloat.Abdul Kalam Mohamad is grateful that his business, Syarikat Pakkir Mohamed, has survived the pandemic so far.But the company, started by his grandfather in 1950, is on the verge of bankruptcy, he told MalaysiaNow.When the MCO was first enforced, business dropped by 90%. Now, it has recovered somewhat but uncertainty still lies ahead.“It was a horror to see how the pandemic could have such a crippling effect on the economy, and on my business,” Kalam said.“During that time, the number of customers declined drastically but I could not do anything about it.”Both he and Iskandar also have their workers to think of.“I tried my very best not to downsize,” Iskandar said.For Kalam, there is also the issue of sentiment. “I didn’t have the heart to fire my workers because they have been with me for so long.”For now, business is still unsure and there is no telling how many customers they will get from one day to the next.But one thing is for certain: having survived for so many generations, they are determined to keep going until the very end.


Russian forces launch invasion of Ukraine with strikes on defences

Russian forces fired missiles at several cities in Ukraine and landed troops on its coast on Thursday, officials and media said, after President Vladimir Putin authorised what he called a special military operation in the east.Shortly after Putin spoke in a televised address on Russian state TV, explosions could be heard in the pre-dawn quiet of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv.Gunfire rattled near the capital’s main airport, the Interfax news agency said, and sirens were heard over the city.“Putin has just launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Peaceful Ukrainian cities are under strikes,” Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said on Twitter.“This is a war of aggression. Ukraine will defend itself and will win. The world can and must stop Putin. The time to act is now.”US President Joe Biden, reacting to an invasion the US had been predicting for weeks, said his prayers were with the people of Ukraine “as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack”, while promising tough sanctions in response.“I will be meeting with the leaders of the G7, and the US and our allies and partners will be imposing severe sanctions on Russia,” Biden said in a statement.Russia has demanded an end to Nato’s eastward expansion and Putin repeated his position that Ukrainian membership of the US-led Atlantic military alliance was unacceptable.He said he had authorised military action after Russia had been left with no choice but to defend itself against what he said were threats from modern Ukraine, a democratic state of 44 million people.“Russia cannot feel safe, develop, and exist with a constant threat emanating from the territory of modern Ukraine,” Putin said. “All responsibility for bloodshed will be on the conscience of the ruling regime in Ukraine.” Read full storyThe full scope of the Russian military operation was not immediately clear but Putin said: “Our plans do not include the occupation of Ukrainian territories. We are not going to impose anything by force.”Speaking as the UN Security Council held an emergency meeting in New York, Putin said he had ordered Russian forces to protect the people and appealed to the Ukrainian military to lay down their arms.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said Russia had carried out missile strikes on Ukrainian infrastructure and border guards, and that explosions had been heard in many cities. An official also reported non-stop cyber attacks.Zelenskiy said that martial law had been declared and he had appealed to world leaders to impose all possible sanctions on Russia, including on Putin, who he said wanted to destroy the Ukrainian state.Three hours after Putin gave his order, Russia’s defence ministry said it had taken out military infrastructure at Ukrainian air bases and degraded its air defences, Russian media reported.Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that military command centres in Kyiv and the city of Kharkiv in the northeast had been struck by missiles, while Russian troops had landed in the southern port cities of Odessa and Mariupol.A Reuters witness later heard three loud blasts in Mariupol. Russian-backed separatists in the east later said they had captured two towns, the RIA news agency reported. There was no immediate comment by authorities in Ukraine.Hours before the invasion began, the separatists issued a plea to Moscow for help to stop alleged Ukrainian aggression – claims the United States dismissed as Russian propaganda.Global stocks and US bond yields dived, while the dollar and gold rocketed higher after Putin’s address. Brent oil surged past US$100/barrel for the first time since 2014. MKTS/GLOB‘Decisive way’Queues of people waited to withdraw money and buy supplies of food and water in Kyiv, while traffic was jammed going west out of the city towards the Polish border.Biden, who has ruled out putting US troops on the ground in Ukraine, said Putin had chosen a premeditated war that would bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering.“Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the US and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way,” said Biden, who spoke to Zelenskiy by telephone.French President Emmanuel Macron condemned Russia’s action while Nato Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Nato allies would meet to tackle the consequences of Russia’s “reckless and unprovoked attack”.UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, speaking after the Security Council meeting, made a last-minute plea to Putin to stop the war “in the name of humanity’.China reiterated a call for all parties to exercise restraint and rejected a foreign journalist’s description of Russia’s action as an invasion.Ukraine closed its airspace to civilian flights citing a high risk to safety, while Europe’s aviation regulator warned against the hazards to flying in bordering areas of Russia and Belarus.Shelling had intensified since Monday when Putin recognised eastern separatist regions as independent and ordered the deployment of what he called peacekeepers, a move the West called the start of the invasion.In response to Putin’s Monday announcement, Western countries and Japan imposed sanctions on Russian banks and individuals but held off their toughest measures until an invasion began.


RM1 million withdrawal instructed by Syed Saddiq not according to procedure, court hears

A key witness in the trial of Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that the withdrawal of RM1 million on the instructions of the Muar MP was not in accordance with the set procedure, admitting as well that he was involved in the matter from the very beginning.
Rafiq Hakim Razali, 32, the former assistant treasurer of Bersatu's Youth wing, said the withdrawal from the Armada account was wrong as there was no working paper submitted for the withdrawal of the money from the bank on March 6, 2020.
"If you want to make a withdrawal, there should be a working paper on the programme (carried out) and the working paper presented to the Armada Chiefs Council comprising the Armada chief, deputy chief, assistant secretary and myself," he said during examination-in-chief by deputy public prosecutor Wan Shaharuddin Wan Ladin.
He agreed with the Wan Shaharuddin's suggestion that Syed Saddiq's act of ordering for the RM1 million to be "cleared" (disposed of) for fear that the money would be seized by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was an offence.
"It is wrong because they wanted to hide something from the authorities. If there was nothing wrong with it, why would this happen?" he said.
When asked why he continued distributing the money on Syed Saddiq's instructions to former Federal Territories Bersatu Youth information chief Muhammad Daniel Kusari and Muhammad Naqib Ab Rahim, who were then Bersatu members, despite knowing it was an offence, he replied: "Because I was stuck in it from the beginning, so I went on with it."
Wan Shaharuddin: Can you explain the meaning of being ‘stuck in it’?
Rafiq Hakim: The withdrawal of this money was wrong from the very beginning... indeed, it did not follow the proper procedure.
The 13th prosecution witness said if the money was not distributed to Daniel and Naqib, he was afraid that it would be confiscated by the MACC.
According to the witness, he would not have withdrawn the money and distributed it to the two individuals if he had not received instructions from Syed Saddiq. Rafiq Hakim in his testimony previously stated that Syed Saddiq had ordered him to "clear" the RM1 million, where RM650,000 was distributed to Daniel and RM250,000 to Naqib while RM100,000 was used for the Armada programme on the instructions of the politician.
Meanwhile, Rafiq Hakim agreed with the suggestion of counsel Gobind Singh Deo, representing Syed Saddiq, that there was nothing stated in the party’s constitution that the withdrawal of money for the purpose of the Armada programme required a working paper, and that there was no legal directive requiring one at the time.
Gobind: According to the Bersatu constitution, what is needed is a balance sheet or account showing the disbursement of money, and it needs to be presented at the end of the financial year. That's what's required, isn't it?
Rafiq Hakim: Yes. Syed Saddiq, 29, was charged as the then Youth chief, entrusted with the control of Armada funds, with abetting Rafiq Hakim with criminal breach of trust of RM1 million in funds belonging to the wing.
He was also charged with misusing property for himself, namely RM120,000 from the Maybank Islamic account belonging to Armada Bumi Bersatu Enterprise by causing Rafiq Hakim to dispose of the money at Malayan Banking, Jalan Pandan 3/6A, Taman Pandan Jaya between April 8 and 21, 2018.
He also faces two counts of engaging in money laundering activities through two transactions of RM50,000, believed to be the proceeds of unlawful activities, from his Maybank Islamic account into his Amanah Saham Bumiputera account.
He is accused of committing the offence at a bank at Jalan Persisiran Perling, Taman Perling, Johor Bahru on June 16 and 19, 2018.
The trial before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid continues tomorrow.


2,232 new cases, 4 more deaths

Another 2,232 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 138,224.Selangor recorded 557 cases, of which 404 were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Johor (396), Sabah (374), Kuala Lumpur (204), Sarawak (153), Penang (112) and Negeri Sembilan (102).Kelantan recorded 95 cases, Perak 51, Pahang 46, Terengganu 41, Kedah 40, Melaka 37, Putrajaya 13, Labuan eight and Perlis three.Active cases stand at 28,554 with 187 in the ICU and 87 in need of respiratory assistance.Eight new clusters were recorded:1. Jalan Keluli (Kota Tinggi, Johor Bahru and Segamat in Johor; 42 cases)2. Medan Idaman (Cheras and Titiwangsa in Kuala Lumpur; 10 cases)3. Jelita (Miri in Sarawak; eight cases)4. Kampung Renok (Gua Musang in Kelantan; 23 cases)5. Kampung Geting (Tumpat in Kelantan; 11 cases)6. Lumut Barat (Manjung in Perak; 11 cases)7. Kubang Bujuk (Kubang Bujuk in Kuala Terengganu; 10 cases)8. Kejaya (Dungun in Terengganu; nine cases)Another four ended, leaving 258 active clusters across the country.Another 1,006 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 109,115.However, four more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 555.


RM10,000 EPF withdrawals, for emergencies or Hari Raya?

Liana Zakaria had never applied to withdraw money from her Employees Provident Fund (EPF) account – until now.The 29-year-old was one of many throughout the country who took advantage of the government’s approval for the fourth round of EPF withdrawals since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.While she intends to keep the money for use in case of emergencies, she says she might give some of it to her parents as duit Raya.But she only plans to do this if she does not receive a bonus at work this year.“I already have a budget for Raya expenses and will only use my EPF money if an emergency crops up,” she said.“I never applied to withdraw from my EPF before as I was not affected by the pandemic.”While Liana has a definite plan mapped out for her hard-earned money, not everyone might share her ability to resist spending the cash meant for their old age.Analysts have voiced concern that Putrajaya’s latest decision to allow another round of withdrawals ahead of Ramadan will lead to the transfer of money not for emergencies but rather to celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri next month.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in announcing the approval for further withdrawals of up to RM10,000, had said it was a “difficult decision” as it involved savings meant for the people’s old age.He also said it was to alleviate the burden of those facing financial pressure due to the continued effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the recent floods.Applications for withdrawals began on April 1 and will continue until the end of the month, with payments made from April 20 onwards.Zulkiply Omar, a senior fellow at Universiti Malaya’s Social Wellbeing Research Centre, said this was a cause for concern as some contributors might view their retirement savings as extra spending money despite not being in dire straits.“This is what we are worried about, because not everyone is in desperate circumstances,” he told MalaysiaNow.“There’s no denying that some who are mired in debt are truly at the end of their rope, but given half a chance, there are others who would withdraw their money for no good reason.”Amanda Yeo of think tank Emir Research meanwhile said that this latest round of withdrawals might help families from the low-income bracket cover expenses such as duit raya for friends and relatives.“Some contributors might also use their EPF funds to buy new clothes or to pay off accrued expenses such as rental, loan instalments or education fees for their children,” she said.Nevertheless, she said it would not be appropriate to make EPF withdrawals just to cover additional expenses, adding that the permission given this time around was only to help those in need.She also emphasised the EPF’s own warning that some 6.1 million contributors currently have less than RM10,000 left in their accounts.“As of October 2021, 3.6 million contributors had less than RM1,000,” she added. “Of these, two million were Bumiputeras.”‘Retail therapy’From a psychological point of view, Fauziah Sa’ad of Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris said many would see the opportunity for withdrawals as a way to release stress as they try to adjust to the so-called new norm.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said it was normal for people to spend or to go on shopping sprees during times of stress.She said it would come as no surprise if the same were to happen with EPF savings during the Hari Raya celebrations.“Imagine being in financial difficulty for two years, and then suddenly you get a windfall of RM10,000. Of course many would welcome this,” she said, adding that such reactions had been widespread on social media in the wake of the government’s announcement.Given that the money belonged to the contributors who had worked hard for it, she said it was up to them how they wished to spend it.However, she urged the people to exercise prudence when it comes to spending their retirement savings.Zulkiply meanwhile said that EPF withdrawals could spur short-term growth as it would encourage people to spend.“But this round of withdrawals is on a one-off basis, so any spending would likely stop at the short term,” he said.Yeo agreed that businesses would benefit this year as Covid-19 restrictions are eased, paving the way for activities such as open houses and driving demand for food, raw ingredients, decorations and clothes.“Nevertheless, the pandemic is not yet over and there are still those who are wary about holding big events like open houses,” she said.“Businesses will still need time to recover from the losses suffered since the pandemic began two years ago.”


BBC China correspondent moves to Taiwan after threats from authorities

The BBC’s Beijing correspondent John Sudworth has left China and moved to Taiwan following pressure and threats from the Chinese authorities.Sudworth, who has won awards for his reporting on the treatment of the Uighur people in the Xinjiang region, left Beijing hurriedly with his family.They were followed to the airport and into the check-in area by plainclothes police officers. His wife, Yvonne Murray, reports on China for the Irish public broadcaster RTÉ.China has denounced the BBC’s coverage of Xinjiang, but the British broadcaster says it is proud of his reporting and he will remain its China correspondent.Sudworth says he and his team faced surveillance, threats of legal action, obstruction and intimidation wherever they tried to film.He and his team were followed and had their footage deleted on a trip to Xinjiang in late 2020His reporting colleagues are still in Beijing, and he says he intends to continue his reporting from Taiwan.A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said, “Only in recent days when we were faced with the task of renewing Sudworth’s press card did we learn that Sudworth left without saying goodbye. After he left the country, he didn’t by any means inform the relevant departments nor provide any reason why.”In its statement, the BBC said: “John’s reporting has exposed truths the Chinese authorities did not want the world to know.”The number of international media organisations reporting from China is shrinking. Last year China expelled correspondents for the New York Times, the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal, among others.In September 2020, the last two reporters working in China for Australian media flew home after a five-day diplomatic standoff.The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China says foreign journalists are “being caught up in diplomatic rows out of their control”.It tweeted, “Abuse of Sudworth and his colleagues at the BBC forms part of a larger pattern of harassment and intimidation that obstructs the work of foreign correspondents in China and exposes their Chinese news assistants to growing pressure.”


Afghan youth gets life for Swedish stabbings

A 22-year-old man has been sentenced to life in prison for stabbing several people in Sweden earlier this year.Tamin Sultani, an Afghan asylum-seeker armed with a 22cm blade, stabbed pedestrians in the southern town of Vetlanda in March. He was shot by police and arrested after a nearly 20-minute rampage.Investigators dismissed terrorism as a motive and only charged him with seven cases of attempted murder.Sultani was convicted of the charges by Eksjö District Court on Wednesday and sentenced to life imprisonment. The court added that the man would be deported to Afghanistan after serving his jail time, reports EuroNews.He responded that he would be happy to be deported back to Afghanistan.The life sentence, which doesn’t have a fixed time, is the most severe punishment available to courts in Sweden.Three of Sultani’s victims survived life-threatening injuries, two were seriously injured, and two others were moderately injured.The attacks, in the small town near Sweden’s second city Gothenburg, occurred at several locations including a grocery store and travel agent.Sultani was shot in the leg by police and arrested outside a school.The court said “it appears that he had avoided some schoolgirls” he met, noting Sultani had said that he understood the teenage girls laughed at him but “would be afraid of the knife, so he hid it” in his sleeve.In its verdict, the court said that the 22-year-old had used a kitchen knife from his apartment “because he was so upset” about something he regarded as blasphemous “done to his god and wanted to kill that person”.There was no indication that Sultani had planned to kill his seven victims, the court said.But the district court said there was a “concrete danger” that those attacked would die, as Sultani had stabbed them near their “vital organs”.The Afghan national had sought asylum in Sweden in 2016. During his trial, Sultani said he had failed to find a job and only managed to work in various internships.When his temporary residence permit expired, he was no longer allowed to study or work in the country.In November 2020, he applied for a renewal of his temporary permit and the immigration authorities haven’t yet made a decision.Sultani also claimed he twice attempted to commit suicide a week before the knife attack, and swore he could not remember stabbing some of his victims.But a court-ordered psychiatric evaluation concluded that he was not mentally disturbed at the time of the attack and was fit for a prison sentence.


Defence in graft case says will prove that Rosmah was a scapegoat

The defence in Rosmah Mansor’s corruption case involving the hybrid solar project for rural schools in Sarawak will seek to prove that the former prime minister’s wife was used as a scapegoat and that the real mastermind was her former aide, Rizal Mansor.Lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader, representing Rosmah, when reading his opening statement on the case in the High Court today, said the charges against his client constituted selective prosecution made in bad faith and with mala fide.“This is because the individual responsible and the mastermind in the case, who solicited and received money as stated in the three charges, was Rizal.“The act of the prosecution to withdraw all charges against Rizal and then select him as the 21st prosecution witness clearly shows that a deal has been made with Rizal… and Rizal as the crown witness had to give false evidence in court to trap and link my client to the three charges,” he said.Akberdin said this on the first day of Rosmah’s defence proceedings for her three corruption charges involving the hybrid solar project worth RM1.25 billion for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.Akberdin said if Rizal did not cooperate with the prosecution to accuse Rosmah with false evidence, the prosecution would continue to prosecute Rizal with new charges.On Feb 18, the High Court ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on the three corruption charges after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.Akberdin said Rosmah was also made a scapegoat by incompetent quarters in the government‘s administration then, especially the education ministry, and those who conspired with Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd.“My client had said that there were other parties who used her name for personal and political interests.“Before Rosmah was charged, there was no report from any party, especially Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin and businessman Rayyan Radzwill Abdullah to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) that the accused accepted or solicited bribes,” he said.Akberdin said Rosmah also did not know Saidi or Rayyan personally and that her meeting with them was arranged by Rizal.“Rosmah was never involved in soliciting the bribe of RM187.5 million, which is 15% of the contract value from Saidi, either personally or through Rizal.“She also had no knowledge that Rizal had asked for a bribe from Saidi of 10, 12 or 15% at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall,” he said, adding that Rosmah had never received a bribe of RM6.5 million from Saidi to help Jepak secure the solar project through direct negotiations.Akberdin said Rosmah was also not aware of the meeting with Saidi and Rayyan at her house in Langgak Duta on Sept 7, 2017 because she did not ask Rizal to arrange the meeting.“The meeting lasted less than five minutes and Rosmah was in sports gear, and was breathing heavily after exercising. This showed that the meeting happened spontaneously, and was unplanned and sudden,” he added.Akberdin said his client would also deny the allegation that she had received two bags containing RM5 million at Seri Perdana on Dec 20, 2016.“In fact, it is all Rizal’s fabrication and agenda to frame my client to save himself,” he added.Rosmah, 69, was charged with soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes of RM6.5 million from Saidi through Rizal.This was said to be an inducement to help the company (Jepak Holdings) secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project and maintenance and operation of genset/diesel for 369 rural schools in Sarawak worth RM1.25 billion through direct negotiation from the education ministry.The offence was allegedly committed at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra; her residence at Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta and at Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Presint 10, Putrajaya, between January 2016 and September 2017.The charges were framed under Section 6(a)(A) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act and are punishable under Section 24(1) of the same law, which provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than fives times the amount of the bribe or RM10,000, whichever is higher, upon conviction.Rosmah, who was wearing a pink baju kurung with a matching shawl, arrived at the Kuala Lumpur court complex in Jalan Duta at 9.56am with a few aides.


US fines British Airways US$1.1 million over delayed refunds

The US Transportation Department (USDOT) said on Thursday it is fining British Airways US$1.1 million (about RM5 million) for failing to provide timely refunds to passengers for flights to and from the US during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since March 2020, USDOT received over 1,200 complaints alleging British Airways failed to provide timely refunds. British Airways, which is owned by IAG, denied the allegations.
USDOT said it would credit British Airways US$550,000 toward the penalty because the airline in 2020 and 2021 issued more than US$40 million in refunds to customers with nonrefundable tickets. USDOT said the fine "establishes a strong deterrent to future similar unlawful practices by British Airways and other carriers."
British Airways said it acted lawfully at all times and offered customers flexibility to rebook travel or claim refunds if flights were canceled.
USDOT said consumers were unable to get through to customer service agents when calling the carrier for several months because British Airways failed to maintain adequate customer service phone lines.
The airline said Thursday that "at the height of the unprecedented pandemic – when we were unfortunately forced to cancel thousands of flights and close some call centers due to government restrictions – our customers experienced slightly longer wait times to reach customer service teams."
USDOT has been fining airlines it says failed to provide timely refunds.
Last month, USDOT fined LATAM Airlines Group US$1 million after the airline and affiliates over delayed refunds.
USDOT said since March 2020, it received more than 750 complaints alleging LATAM, the biggest carrier in Latin America, failed to provide timely refunds for US flights.
In January, USDOT said it planned to seek higher penalties for airlines violating consumer protection rules, vowing to "deter future misconduct by seeking higher penalties that would not be viewed as simply a cost of doing business."


Twofold rise in number of fully jabbed children

A total of 14,949 children aged five to 11 had completed two doses of Covid-19 vaccine under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme for Children (PICKids) as of yesterday, more than double the number of 6,129 recorded the day before.According to the CovidNow website, 1,348,693 children have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of teenagers, 2,853,753 adolescents or 91.7% of those aged 12 to 17 have received two doses of vaccine.Meanwhile, 2,949,653 or 94.8% have received a first dose.A total of 15,850,917 individuals or 67.4% of adults have received a Covid-19 booster dose while 22,954,771 or 97.6% have been fully vaccinated.A total of 23,230,565 or 98.8% have received at least one dose of vaccine.Yesterday, 15,708 vaccine doses were given, with 2,178 as first doses, 9,277 as second shots and 4,253 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) to 68,991,116.


US Capitol assault a ‘wake-up call’ for democracies, says EU

The EU’s top diplomat said on Sunday that last week’s assault on the US Capitol exposed the dangers of allowing democratic values to degrade and disinformation to spread on social media, reports Reuters.“What we saw on Wednesday was only the climax of very worrying developments happening globally in recent years,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, who speaks on behalf of the 27 EU member states, said in a blog post.President Donald Trump is facing a renewed drive by Democrats to remove him from office after he incited supporters to storm the US Capitol in an assault that left five people dead.“In case anyone had any doubts, the events in Washington also show that disinformation constitutes a real threat for democracies,” Borrell said. “If some people believe that an election was fraudulent because their leader has been again and again telling them, they will behave accordingly.”Borrell called for better regulation of social networks but said this could not be carried out by the companies themselves.Twitter permanently cut off Trump’s personal account and access to his nearly 90 million followers late on Friday, citing the risk of further incitement of violence. Trump has repeatedly used Twitter and other platforms to claim the election result was fraudulent and to share other conspiracy theories.The EU’s executive commission last month proposed rules to clamp down on fake news on social media.The new rules would force large online platforms to tackle illegal content and intentional manipulation of platforms to influence elections and public health, or face fines up to 6% of their global turnover.


3 global digital giants to set up large-scale data centres in Malaysia

Three global digital giants are among the companies which will be investing between RM12 billion and RM15 billion over the next five years in huge data centres and cloud services in Malaysia, the government announced today in launching a new blueprint for the Malaysian digital economy.Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said apart from Telekom Malaysia, the government has given conditional approval to Microsoft, Google and Amazon to build and manage hyper-scale data centres and cloud services.“These hyper-scale data centres as well as hybrid cloud services will be created to increase data storage space, thus reducing operating costs and improving analytical efficiency,” he said in a speech delivered online to launch the MyDigital initiative, which includes the Malaysian Economic Digital Blueprint, an extensive roadmap for Malaysia’s next phase in digital transformation.The plan involves improving digital literacy, creating high-income jobs, helping the banking and finance sector as well as providing virtual educational and medical access to remote towns.Muhyiddin today also announced a host of other initiatives involving billions of ringgit, including RM21 billion over the next five years to strengthen nationwide fibre optic connectivity under the National Digital Network (Jendela) project, which aims to cover all of the country’s populated areas to nine million premises by the end of 2025.A total of RM1.65 billion will be invested by the private sector to strengthen connectivity to the international submarine cable network, allowing for faster and more stable data transfer and lower internet costs to local users.Another RM15 billion will be invested in the next 10 years for the implementation of the 5G network nationwide.Muhyiddin assured telecommunication companies of fair play in the award of 5G licences, saying they “will have equal access to these infrastructure, in marketing their 5G services to their customers”.“So, by the end of this year, 5G technology will start to be enjoyed by the rakyat in stages. With this, Malaysia will emerge as one of the first countries in this region to build a 5G ecosystem using internet and cloud services in real-time to enable instant sharing of information.”He described the 5G technology as a “game changer”.“This 5G technology not only promises better and faster internet access, but more importantly, it also enables various important applications to be in the hands of end users, including health monitoring applications for chronic patients, smart emergency assistance, and special applications for senior citizens who are living alone.”


Online shift brings kids closer to red-light territory and paedo-porn

The old internet-attached risks of minors being exposed to pornography and sexually explicit material have grown more challenging with the shift to online classes, with children allowed greater freedom and longer time on gadgets and devices.Checks by MalaysiaNow following conversations with concerned parents revealed that children having easier access to pornography without suspicion from their guardians, thanks to the personal nature of mobile devices unlike conventional computers, is not the only problem.There are also groups where child pornography is shared either in public or privately between members.A check on messaging app Telegram, for example, showed that explicit images of underage persons were among the gigabytes of sexually charged material circulated among groups members.One group celebrates local girls in compromising poses engaged in various sexual acts.The group, called “Gprojek Melayu Tudung”, has some 22,000 members. Occasionally, images of children surface as well, along with requests for videos of schoolchildren engaged in sex acts.The worrying part is that anyone with a mobile phone and the Telegram app – the same things used by students nationwide for their online lessons – can access this content.Another group called “Barang Larangan” makes it its duty to distribute explicit photos and videos, including of underage girls.Many users make requests of others in the group if they have videos and images of a certain individual which they found on social media.In one shocking post, a member shared information on joining a private group which requires payment.“Members who are interested in kids’ collection, Pedo. New Materials 2019-2020. Updated. PM,” he posted.“PM” is internet slang for “please message me privately”.A conversation between Telegram users on access to sexually explicit material involving children.With schools going online in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, popular mobile messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Telegram have been used by teachers to host homework and discussion groups.But it also means that many parents have no choice but to buy their children mobile devices where these apps are installed.The more personal nature of these devices, unlike laptops and desktops, means many of the students use these apps largely away from their parents’ prying eyes.The shift to online classes where children and devices have become inseparable also means that previous age limit rules set by app developers have become more redundant than ever.Both WhatsApp and Telegram are rated at 16+.But there is no way of checking that users are above that age, as all that is needed is access to a mobile phone.Criminals ‘desensitising’ on online groupsThe increasing use of mobile messaging and the exposure it has on minors is likely to pose a challenge to authorities as they step up the fight against the sexual exploitation of children.The majority of students have been following their classes through home-based online learning, as measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 continue. Photo: BernamaThree years ago, Bukit Aman’s D11 division, which deals with sexual crimes related to women and children, revealed that as many as 17,333 IP addresses involved with child pornography came from Malaysia, making the country the top consumer of online child pornography in Southeast Asia.Victims are typically between the age of 13 and 16 who fall prey to the grooming tactics the perpetrators use to normalise sexual contact.The children are also found to be connected to sexual predators on social media where they casually send over nude photos and videos without knowing it is an offence.Statistics from the US in 2013 found that 25% of child pornographic content was created by a neighbour or a family friend. Meanwhile, 18% came from a parent or guardian and another 18% from online enticement.In November 2020, a 23-year-old Malaysian named Shalini who was part of a community-driven sting operation reported that a father was found to have secretly filmed his own daughter and sent it to an online group where child porn is openly traded.Crime specialists and social activists warn that online communities have made it easier for communication between offenders by normalising their interests and desensitising them to the damage they inflict on children.And with social messaging platforms like Telegram, it has become much easier to distribute and trade off illegal content.


No entry for those from countries with over 150,000 Covid-19 cases

Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob says the government will impose an entry ban beginning Sept 7 on citizens of countries that have recorded more than 150,000 Covid-19 cases.He said the countries on the list include the US, Brazil, France, the UK, Spain, Italy, Saudi Arabia, Russia and Bangladesh, as well as the three countries previously announced – India, Indonesia and the Philippines.“We will add more countries deemed high risk which have more than 150,000 positive cases to the list. Their citizens will be barred (from entering Malaysia).“For emergency cases or those involving bilateral relations, such as if a person needs to come for a meeting between countries, we will allow entry. But this will require permission from the immigration department,” he told reporters after chairing a meeting in Putrajaya today.He added that the health ministry would announce the details on countries which have recorded more than 150,000 positive cases.On Tuesday, Ismail announced an entry ban on long-term pass holders from India, Indonesia and the Philippines beginning Sept 7 due to the spike in Covid-19 cases in those countries.The ban involves six categories of pass holders comprising those with permanent resident status, Malaysia My Second Home Programme participants, expatriates including professional visit pass holders and resident pass holders.Also barred were spouses of Malaysian citizens and their children as well as students from the three countries who wish to return to Malaysia.Ismail said the government had no problem allowing Malaysians from high-risk countries to return home but said they would be subject to the 14-day mandatory quarantine.


PN wave will continue, Muhyiddin says ahead of state elections

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin today warned of a public backlash against what he described as the government's "witch-hunt" against the previous administration.
He said the government was working to smear his image as well as that of PN due to the elections to be held in six states this year.
"They call us thieves and pirates so that the people will not support us, but I believe that the PN wave we have already witnessed will continue flooding the country.
"There will be a backlash. This is the sentiment of the people who see the government's antics as malicious," he said when debating the motion of thanks to the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat.
Muhyiddin also described the claims by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that he had misappropriated funds from the country's economic stimulus packages during his time in Putrajaya as slander.
"They are digging for the wrongdoings of the previous government, throwing around false accusations that I supposedly embezzled RM600 billion," he said.
The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission previously confirmed receiving details of the stimulus packages implemented in 2020 and 2021.
It said the focus of its investigation was on RM92.5 billion of the RM600 billion value claimed by Anwar.
Muhyiddin also hit out at Pakatan Harapan for wanting to change some of the highest ranking civil servants.
"As civil servants, they have processes and procedures," he said.
"Who would help the ministers? Surely not their own children," he added in a jibe at Anwar who recently appointed his daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar to a position under the finance ministry.


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North Korean in Malaysia loses final appeal against US extradition

A North Korean man is set to be extradited from Malaysia to face money laundering charges in the US after losing a final legal challenge on Tuesday.Mun Chol Myong, who has lived in the country for a decade with his family, was arrested in 2019 following the extradition request from Washington.He denies FBI claims that he led a criminal group that violated sanctions by supplying prohibited items to North Korea and laundered funds through front companies.Mun challenged the move to extradite him, with his lawyers arguing he was an innocent man caught in the middle of diplomatic tensions between Washington and Pyongyang.But the country’s top court rejected his final appeal, saying all requirements under the extradition agreement between the US and Malaysia had been met.Prosecutor Mohamad Dusuki Mokhtar earlier told the court that it was the government’s “duty to facilitate the extradition”.“It involves the relationship between two nations, we need not worry about the right to a fair trial. The actual trial will happen in the US.”Mun, in his 50s, was not in court for the verdict, although his wife and daughter were.Lawyer Gooi Soon Seng said the family were “upset” by the decision, and authorities would now decide on the extradition date.He is accused of four charges of money laundering and two of conspiracy to launder money, and the allegations relate mainly to his work in neighbouring Singapore, according to his lawyers.It is not clear what he is accused of supplying, but there have been cases of businesses in Singapore sending luxury items, such as liquor and watches, to North Korea.The export to North Korea of some luxury goods has been banned as part of sweeping sanctions imposed on Pyongyang by the United Nations and other countries – including the US – over its weapons programmes.


Bangladesh panel says fire at Rohingya camps 'planned sabotage’

A fire that left thousands of Rohingya Muslims homeless in Bangladesh camps was a "planned act of sabotage", a panel investigating the blaze said on Sunday.
Nearly 2,800 shelters and more than 90 facilities including hospitals and learning centres were destroyed in the fire on March 5, leaving more than 12,000 people without shelter, officials said.
More than 1 million Rohingya refugees live in tens of thousands of huts made of bamboo and thin plastic sheeting in camps in the border district of Cox's Bazar, most having fled a military-led crackdown in Myanmar in 2017.
“The fire was a planned act of sabotage,” senior district government official Abu Sufian, head of the seven-member probe committee, told Reuters by phone from Cox's Bazar.
He said the blaze broke out in several places at the same time, proving it was a planned act, adding it was a deliberate attempt to establish supremacy inside the camps by militant groups. He didn't name the groups.
“We recommended further investigation by the law-enforcing agency to identify the groups behind the incident,” he said, adding that the report was based on input from 150 eye witnesses.
The panel also recommended the formation of a separate fire service unit for the Rohingya camps. Each block of Rohingya camps needs to be widened to accommodate fire service vehicles and the construction of water cisterns, and the camps should use less flammable materials in shelters, among other recommendations.
Fires often break out in the crowded camp with its makeshift structures. A massive blaze in March 2021 killed at least 15 refugees and destroyed more than 10,000 homes.
Surging crime, difficult living conditions and bleak prospects for returning to Myanmar are driving more Rohingya refugees to leave Bangladesh by boat for countries such as Malaysia and Indonesia, putting their lives at risk. Un data shows 348 Rohingya are thought to have died at sea last year.


PH ups the ante in war against Azam with swipe at another MACC official

Top Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders have added another official of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) to a list of individuals whom they say must be suspended from duty, following similar calls over its chief commissioner Azam Baki and adviser Abu Zahar Ujang.The opposition coalition said Borhan Dolah, who heads MACC’s Consultation and Corruption Prevention Panel, should go on leave and be replaced, claiming he and Zahar had wrongfully exonerated Azam of accusations on a blog related to the ownership of shares.Apart from Zahar and Borhan, PH also criticised the deputy chief commissioner for defending Azam.“As civil servants, the three senior officials should know that their statements can be construed as an attempt to influence the investigation process against the chief commissioner, and contain serious allegations that raise many questions,” the four PH leaders said in a statement.Zahar, who heads the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board, had cleared Azam of conflict of interest in the purchase of shares from certain companies in 2015.He said the board members were satisfied with Azam’s explanation, and that no further investigation would be conducted.A group of board members later distanced themselves from Zahar’s statement.Zahar himself also came under attack from PH, which called for his suspension pending an investigation.Yesterday, the former Dewan Negara president said he had nothing to hide in relation to the decision to clear Azam, adding that he was prepared to be investigated by any agency as well as to resign if he was instructed to do so.The issue arose following a series of blog articles by Lalitha Kunaratnam, who is linked to C4 Center, an NGO headed by activist Cynthia Gabriel, whose fellow director Edmund Terence Gomez had earlier resigned from the consultation panel headed by Borhan.The articles bearing Lalitha’s byline claimed conflict of interest in Azam’s ownership of company shares.The MACC boss subsequently issued her a demand letter, and a police report was lodged by the commission describing her claims as false and unsubstantiated by evidence.


Ministry proposes special committee for economic development at national borders

To present a comprehensive and holistic plan for developing commercial activities at the national borders, it was proposed that a special committee comprising members of four ministries be set up.
Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Minister Salahuddin Ayub said apart from the ministry, the other ministries are the finance ministry, economy ministry and investment, trade and industry ministry.
Salahuddin said he sees great economic potential at the Sabah and Sarawak borders, especially with Brunei and Indonesia, which is expected to produce worthwhile returns to the people and the country.
"We have to be prepared especially when Nusantara is being developed. As Indonesia takes off to improve its economy, we in Sabah and Sarawak must not be left behind.
"The domestic trade and cost of living ministry takes full responsibility on how we are going to commercialise this border area, and we must achieve a win-win situation so that local goods can be bought (by foreigners) without subsidies while smuggling activities are minimised," he said when briefing on the construction of non-subsidised fuel stations at border towns in the Dewan Negara today. Salahuddin said that great economic growth potential could be seen at the borders when recently 150 metric tons of non-subsidised liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) were delivered by the country in the Malaysia-Brunei Border Economic Rahmah Mission.
"I see that with Indonesia and Brunei, there will be more cross-border commercial activities involving other goods apart from LPG," he said.
He said the fuel station pilot project in Padang Besar and Wang Kelian, Perlis, has helped to save almost RM6 million in the government's fuel subsidy allocation.
As such, he hoped that the proposal for the set up of the special committee which would be tabled to the Cabinet would be able to develop economic development programmes with a whole nation approach, to protect the country's wealth.


Italian PM scolds Vatican for opposing anti-homophobia bill, says Italy is ‘a secular state’

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi has shot down Vatican concerns that an anti-homophobia bill being examined by Italy’s parliament could undermine church freedoms.Draghi used the matter to emphasise that Italy is officially a secular state.The bill would require that no schools, including private Catholic schools, would be exempt from participating in a proposed National Day Against Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia.The bill would also make discrimination against people based on their gender or sexual identity an imprisonable offence.Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States at the Vatican, reportedly sent a letter last week to the Italian embassy to the Holy See expressing concern that the legislation interferes with the freedom of the Church.In his letter, Gallagher reportedly referred to the 1929 Italy-Vatican treaty which gives the Church the right to run its own affairs.Draghi tackled the Vatican’s concerns on Wednesday, telling the Italian Senate that Italy “is a secular state, not a religious state”, and has “a parliament that is certainly free to discuss and legislate”.The prime minister also said that Italy’s legal system “contains all the guarantees to ensure that laws always respect constitutional principles and international commitments, including the concordat with the Church”.The Church is officially opposed to homosexuality and yet supposedly-celibate priests are very often unmasked as being gay.A 2019 book claimed that a majority of priests in the Vatican are homosexual, although many are not sexually active, the New York Post reported at the time.About 80% of the most revered clerics in the Roman Catholic Church are homosexual despite the church’s opposition to gay rights, according to the extensively researched book “In the Closet of the Vatican” by French journalist Frédéric Martel.The gay priests adhere to an unspoken code called “The Closet”, in which it is understood that, for instance, a cardinal or bishop who denounces homosexuality is more likely to be gay, according to the book.Such revelations are not infrequent and always cause turmoil in the Vatican.Vatican City was established in 1929 as a state that is independent from Italy following the signing of the Lateran Treaty.It is in fact the smallest country in the world, at under half a square kilometre and completely surrounded by the city of Rome.With a population of less than 1,000, of whom one is always the current pope, protected by his Papal Swiss Guard, the sovereign state at the heart of the Roman Catholic Church is traditionally fiercely independent.


Only Pfizer for pregnant, nursing mothers

The government has agreed for the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to be given to pregnant and nursing mothers based on the recommendation of experts from the health ministry, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.Khairy, who is in charge of the country’s vaccination programme, however said the jabs would only be administered to women who have reached 14-33 weeks in pregnancy and lactating mothers.“Based on the recommendation by experts from the health ministry, the Pfizer vaccine is the only advisable vaccine to be given to pregnant and lactating mothers.“I have asked the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force to coordinate with hospitals and specialists to prioritise pregnant and lactating mothers to be given the Pfizer vaccine,” he told the media today.The government previously said that pregnant and breastfeeding women were not advised to take the Sinovac or AstraZeneca vaccines.Based on the health ministry’s Covid-19 vaccination guidelines, Sinovac was found to have contraindications which indicate that the vaccine should be discontinued due to adverse effects for pregnant women.The ministry also said it did not recommend the AstraZeneca vaccine for breastfeeding women due to lack of data.


Marcos says Philippines to uphold South China Sea ruling

Philippine president-elect Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Thursday he would uphold an international ruling against Beijing over the disputed South China Sea, insisting he would not let China trample on Manila’s maritime rights.China claims almost all of the resource-rich waterway, through which trillions of dollars in trade passes annually, with competing claims from the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam.Beijing has ignored a 2016 decision by The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration that declared its historical claim to be without basis.Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte fostered warmer ties with his more powerful neighbour by setting aside the ruling in exchange for promises of trade and investment, which critics said have not materialised.In his strongest comments yet on the sensitive topic, Marcos said he would not “allow a single millimetre of our maritime coastal rights to be trampled upon”.“We have a very important ruling in our favour and we will use it to continue to assert our territorial rights. It is not a claim. It is already our territorial right,” Marcos told selected local media.“We’re talking about China. We talk to China consistently with a firm voice,” he said.But he added: “We cannot go to war with them. That’s the last thing we need right now.”‘Friends with everyone’Marcos, popularly known as Bongbong, secured more than half of the votes in the May 9 election to win the presidency by a wide margin and cap a remarkable comeback for his family.He formally takes office on June 30.Marcos and his running mate Sara Duterte, who also won the vice presidential race in a landslide, have embraced key policies of the elder Duterte.But Marcos signalled on foreign policy he would not adopt the “slightly unorthodox approach” of Duterte, who rattled diplomats with his firebrand rhetoric and mercurial nature.Marcos indicated he would seek to strike a balance between China and the US, which are vying to have the closest ties with his administration.“We are a small player amongst very large giants in geopolitics. We have to ply our own way,” said Marcos.“I do not subscribe to the old thinking of the Cold War where we had this spheres of influence where you’re under the Soviet Union or you’re under the US,” he said.“I think that we have to be find an independent foreign policy where we are friends with everyone. It’s the only way.”


Glove giant Top Glove charged over workers’ housing after virus outbreak

Top Glove, the world’s biggest latex glove maker, was charged today with providing poor housing for its workers after thousands were infected in a coronavirus outbreak last year, state media reported.Top Glove’s profits and stock price surged last year when countries worldwide rushed to buy protective gear as the Covid-19 pandemic intensified.But more than 5,000 migrant workers, mainly from South Asia, who make gloves at its factories were infected when the virus surged through their dormitories – where dozens typically share a room.The outbreak prompted Top Glove to temporarily close over half its Malaysian factories, triggering warnings of delivery delays and rising prices.On Tuesday, it was hit with 10 counts of failing to provide certified accommodation for its workers in Ipoh, Bernama reported.Such certification from labour officials is required under laws related to providing workers with a decent standard of housing.The charges followed raids on the dormitories in Ipoh in November. Officials also raided workers’ accommodation in other parts of the country.Top Glove, which faces a fine of up to RM50,000 for each count, pleaded not guilty.It did not immediately respond to requests for comment.The firm – which has 21,000 staff and can produce 90 billion gloves a year – has insisted it is making improvements by spending millions of dollars on new accommodation.But the scandal has added to growing pressure on Top Glove, already under scrutiny after the US banned the import of some of its gloves over allegations of forced labour last year.


PH to contest Melaka polls using its own logo

Pakatan Harapan (PH) has decided to contest under its own logo for the Melaka state election on Nov 20, the coalition’s chairman Anwar Ibrahim announced today.Speaking at a press conference with Amanah president Mohamad Sabu and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, he said the decision had been made unanimously.“The collective strength of PH, through Amanah, DAP and PKR, will make our logo more apparent,” he said.He said PH would also contest with a single manifesto for the polls.PKR was previously reported to have lobbied for the use of its logo, as was the case during the 14th general election.Muda, led by Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, had meanwhile voiced interest in contesting the Melaka election using the PH logo, but this was opposed by the PKR Youth wing in Johor.Anwar today said that DAP would contest eight seats, Amanah nine and PKR 11.He also said that the composition of candidates for parliamentary seats would remain unchanged, with the Alor Gajah seat returned to DAP despite previously being held by Bersatu.The Melaka election was triggered after four state assemblymen withdrew their support for the chief minister, leading to the dissolution of the state assembly on Oct 4.The four were: Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu).


No lights or Raya celebration for Rohingya squatter family

In Kampung Indah Permai in Ampang Jaya, Selangor, a winding road connects a series of homes in a hilly area.A narrow alley branching off from the main road eventually fades into a bumpy dirt path, lined on either side with bushes and scrub.The path is too narrow to accommodate any vehicle larger than a motorcycle, and even this would be brought to a dead end by the steep steps leading down to a small squatter area.Hamidah Sayed Rahman lives in the hut nearest the steps. She is one of several Rohingya families who have made their home in the tiny clearing.Beside her house is a small drain, near which several chickens peck the ground for food.The zinc roof is covered in a blanket of dead leaves which fall from the trees overhead.The area outside Hamidah Sayed Rahman’s house is thick with garbage and dead leaves.The ramshackle hut is all the home that Hamedah and her five children know. They have lived alone since her husband’s death three years ago.They used to live in Kuantan, where her husband worked as a welder.“But after he died, we were left with no source of income,” she told MalaysiaNow.“We came to the Klang Valley because I was told I could get help here.”But even a cursory glance at the hut is enough to show that gestures of help have been few and far in between.The area is filled with garbage, and a stench rises from the drain next to the house.Hamidah Sayed Rahman and her children have lived in this small hut for several years.Hamedah rents the house for RM400 a month. Inside, the floor is bare cement. Her eldest child uses one of the small rooms while another is set aside as a prayer room. She and the rest of her children sleep in the living room.In the living room, there is a table and a few rickety chairs. A sewing machine sits at the end, in a corner facing the window.There are no Hari Raya decorations to be seen anywhere in the house.“Before my husband died, he took care of all of our needs,” Hamedah said.“For Raya, he would go to the market to buy clothes and whatever else we needed.”Since his death, though, the Raya spirit has been low.Hamidah Sayed Rahman works an old sewing machine in the corner of her house, making Raya clothes for her childrne.Hamedah does what she can to make the occasion special for her children, sewing them clothes with cloth donated by well-wishers.But there is no money for food, let alone a celebration of any kind.These days, the only money Hamedah has is from cleaning houses for about RM30 to RM40 per house. She uses the money to pay the rent and to put food on the table for her children.Her younger children attend the Darul Eslah Rohingya Academy, a school for Rohingya refugees. The teachers there pick them up for class and drop them off at home once school is out for the day.It has been a long time since food was last cooked in her kitchen. For the most part, they subsist on chapati which is cheap and within the family’s tiny budget.Living in the shadow of the larger, more affluent houses which tower overhead, they do not think beyond living through the present day. Hari Raya is nothing but a distant dream.“There will be no lemang, rendang or lights to celebrate here,” Hamedah said simply.


95.3% of adults, 80.4% of teens fully vaccinated

A total of 22,318,132 individuals or 95.3% of adults had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.Based on the health ministry’s CovidNow portal, 22,875,185 individuals or 97.7% adults have received at least one dose of vaccine.Meanwhile, 80.4% or 2,531,793 adolescents aged 12 to 17 have completed their vaccination and 87% or 2,740,442 individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine.On daily doses, a total of 102,057 doses were administered yesterday, with 26,295 as second doses, 5,488 to first-dose recipients and 70,274 as booster jabs.This takes the cumulative number of vaccine jabs administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 51,322,636.In terms of booster jabs, 1,042,234 doses had been administered as of yesterday.


US suspends Myanmar trade pact after bloodiest weekend

The US suspended a trade pact with Myanmar Monday and led international condemnation of the junta’s ruthless crackdown, as protesters and mourners took to the streets after the deadliest weekend since the military coup.Soldiers and police have killed hundreds in a brutal campaign against mass anti-coup protests demanding a restoration of democracy and the release of ousted civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi.At least 107 people, including seven children, were killed on Saturday, the United Nations said, as the regime staged a major show of might for Armed Forces Day – an annual parade showcasing Myanmar’s military prowess.More than 450 people have been killed in the crackdown on protests since the Feb 1 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) monitoring group, as security forces have used rubber bullets and live rounds to break up demonstrations.US President Joe Biden’s administration announced Monday that the 2013 Trade and Investment Framework Agreement, which laid out ways to boost business but was not a fully-fledged deal, would remain suspended until democracy is restored.“The US strongly condemns the Burmese security forces’ brutal violence against civilians,” US trade representative Katherine Tai said, using Myanmar’s former name of Burma.The statement effectively removes Myanmar from the Generalized System of Preferences, in which the US grants duty-free access to some imports from developing nations if they meet key standards.Despite the weekend violence, protesters turned out at dawn in towns and cities around the country.Hundreds paraded through the town of Plate, in Mandalay region, with banners saying: “The people will never be defeated”.In Sagaing region, hundreds of mourners lined the street to pay tribute to 20-year-old nursing student Thinzar Hein, who was shot dead while helping rescue workers provide first aid to injured protesters.As child casualties mount, 60 youngsters in a town in eastern Karen state staged their own protest parade accompanied by their mothers, local media reported.In Yangon, a one-year-old girl is recovering from surgery after being shot in the eye with a rubber bullet while playing near her house on Saturday, which was also her birthday.‘Shameful, cowardly, brutal’The US suspension of the trade deal came after Biden condemned the weekend’s events as “terrible”, while UN rights envoys slammed the “shameful, cowardly, brutal” actions of the security forces.The violence is “absolutely unacceptable”, UN chief Antonio Guterres said Monday, calling for a united global front to pressure the junta.“We need more unity… (and) more commitment from the international community to put pressure in order to make sure that the situation is reversed,” he said.The UN Security Council will meet Wednesday to discuss the situation, diplomatic sources said, after Britain called for emergency talks.China added its voice to a chorus of international concern, calling for restraint from all sides.“Violence and bloody clashes do not meet the interests of any party. The victims are the Myanmar people,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said.Russia on Monday acknowledged it was developing ties with Myanmar after deputy defence minister Alexander Fomin and other officials joined the weekend parade, but said that did not mean it approved of the “tragic events” unfolding.“We are very concerned by the growing number of civilian casualties,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.So far, weeks of repeated pleas for restraint and even international sanctions have not persuaded the generals to ease off.The brutality continued on Monday in Yangon, with three people killed, including a 20-year-old shot dead, rescue workers told AFP.One person was also killed in the city of Bago, state media said, adding that a police officer also died in Mandalay after being set alight by protesters.


Experts tell why Tesla chose Indonesia over Malaysia

Automotive experts say that Tesla Inc’s decision to invest in Indonesia instead of Malaysia should come as no surprise, although it does not reflect badly on Malaysia’s ability to attract foreign investors.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, automotive expert Daniel Fernandez said Malaysia’s national automotive policy or NAP was not as clear as that of its neighbours.He said this would affect investment decisions made by other automotive companies as well, not just Tesla.“In Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore, they explain clearly what sort of incentives are provided for international automotive companies who invest in the country,” Fernandez, who runs automotive news site DSF.my, said.“This lets the companies in question lay out their plans in detail before making any decision to invest in the country of their choice.”Chips Yap meanwhile said that the NAP policy functioned as a form of protection for local vehicle brands by foreign automotive companies, ultimately creating the perception of Malaysia as a biased market.According to Yap, who runs PISTON.my, foreign automotive companies see the NAP as an invitation to invest in the country, but with limited sales so that local products are given the advantage.“This situation would encourage more open market investors such as Indonesia and Thailand as they do not have local products,” he said.“Indonesia also has a larger market – that alone would be a factor in attracting investors.”Nevertheless, Yap said the policy did not mean that foreign automotive companies would reject Malaysia entirely – only that their investments would be on a smaller scale.Fernandez meanwhile said the government might be more focused on other fields such as the IT industry, where Malaysia has strong investments.“Perhaps the government is not chasing car companies to open up shop here, preferring instead for international companies to transfer their technology to Malaysia,” he said.“We have the expertise,” he added. “Even Foxconn (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co Ltd) recently said that it would invest in Malaysia.”Visitors walk through the Tesla Giga Texas manufacturing facility in Austin, Texas, ahead of a company event on April 7. Photo: AFPTheir comments follow the circulation of pictures showing a meeting between Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Indonesian President Jokowi Widodo.Many internet users had mocked the government, including Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob, saying it seemed as though foreign companies were more interested in investing in Malaysia’s neighbours than in Malaysia itself.International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali however recently said that Malaysia had attracted new investments worth RM16.52 billion from the US.He also said that Malaysia was in talks with Starlink, the high-speed, low-latency broadband internet provider operated by Musk’s aerospace company SpaceX, on introducing satellite internet service in the country.Hezeri Samsuri of Careta.my said Musk’s decision to go with Indonesia was partly due to the country’s production of cobalt, a raw mineral needed to produce batteries.“The whole world understands why Elon Musk chose Indonesia,” he said. “They have that mineral and need to process it in the country itself.“If they didn’t get Tesla’s investment, it’s not impossible that they would have attracted the attention of companies like Samsung or LG to open up a factory there.”Hezeri also said that Malaysia was still an attractive market for car sales, adding that many foreign automotive companies had come to ask before how to set foot in the country.“Although our population ratio is not as big as that of Thailand and Indonesia, in Malaysia, orders for premium cars like BMW can reach more than 1,000 units,” he said.“Even brands like Hyundai and Volvo don’t have enough stock. Buyers have to wait for months in order to receive the cars they ordered.”He said this meant that consumers in Malaysia had a strong grasp of the technology involved and could easily adapt.“We also have Proton and Perodua,” he said, referring to Malaysia’s national cars.“This proves that we already have better skills and expertise than our neighbours.”


Thailand to test 10,000 after virus outbreak linked to seafood market

Thailand will test more than 10,000 people for coronavirus after an outbreak linked to its biggest seafood market, officials said Sunday.Hundreds of infections have been linked to Mahachai market and port since a 67-year-old female prawn seller tested positive on Thursday – most cases among migrant workers from neighbouring Myanmar, who toil in the kingdom’s multi-billion-dollar seafood industry.Authorities ordered Myanmar workers around the market not to leave their residences.“We are locking and banning them from moving,” said the health ministry’s permanent secretary Kietphgum Wongit, adding that authorities would provide them with food and water.By Sunday officials had confirmed 689 cases linked to Mahachai.Disease control authorities “will do active tracing in several communities of about 10,300 people”, said Taweesin Visanuyothin, a spokesman for Thailand’s Covid-19 taskforce.The testing would be free for migrant workers and continue until Wednesday, he added.Before the outbreak, Thailand had just over 4,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and 60 deaths – a miniscule toll considering it was the first country outside of China to register an infection.It shares porous borders with four countries, including Myanmar, which is now seeing more than 1,000 new cases a day.Bangkok authorities on Sunday announced the closure of schools in districts bordering Samut Sakhon province, where Mahachai is located.The capital will also step up restrictions on gatherings in public spaces, while foreign workers employed across the city – especially in wet markets and construction sites – will be screened, according to a Facebook message posted by Bangkok’s governor.Images shared earlier in the day by Thai media showed crowds of masked workers lined up shoulder-to-shoulder in Samut Sakhon province as they waited to get tested.“It is impossible to social distance here,” said Kyaw Zay Yar, a Myanmar worker helping a local foundation coordinate testing.He said anti-Myanmar sentiment had been shared on social media – with Thais accusing the workers of importing the highly infectious disease.“Myanmar migrants are feeling uneasy as well… we are just trying to calm each other down,” he told AFP.Rights groups say the low-paid migrant workforce of Mahachai’s shrimping and seafood industry is subject to poor working and cramped living conditions.