Traffic jams, noise pollution expected with Subang airport upgrade

The goal of making the Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (LTSAAS) a regional aviation hub through the Subang Airport Regeneration Plan (SARP) will likely cause a dramatic increase in traffic capacity, resulting in greater congestion in the surrounding area, experts say.
Property expert Marina Hassan said the SARP could be expected to bring the same spillover effects as the construction of KLIA in Sepang in 1998, including an increase in property value similar to that witnessed in the Bangi, Semenyih, Kajang and Seremban areas.
But because LTSAAS is located near developed areas like Ara Damansara, Subang Jaya and Shah Alam, she said, this would compound traffic congestion as more people could be expected to migrate to the locality.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Marina of UCSI University said that while the target market for the SARP was business and premium class passengers, it would also attract those in the working class due to an increase in job opportunities.
"Those in the premium class will be able to settle down in areas like Ara Damansara, but the working class will look for more affordable places like Puchong.
"These areas are already congested – imagine what will happen when more people migrate over," she said.
Still, she said, the change in status would also bring about positive developments.
Property owners, for one, could expect an increase in property value.
"Those who already own property in the area might benefit," she said.
"Even areas like Subang Bestari or those near Sungai Buloh could witness an increase in value and development."
On the ground, though, residents voiced concern about the expected rise in noise pollution.
Arphan Ahmad, a resident at Ara Hill Condominium, said his main worry was the planned upgrade to the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) centre which would allow commercial aircraft with jet engines to land and take off.
Previously, only aircraft with propeller engines and turboprops were allowed to operate at LTSAAS.
"When we first moved in 13 years ago, my wife and I were always disturbed by the sound of plane engines being tested, even in the middle of the night," he said.
"The noise stopped when the MRO centre was moved to KLIA. But now, all of these activities will begin once more."
Arphan agreed that the move to upgrade the airport was for the good of the economy.
Nevertheless, he voiced hope that representatives from the government would engage with the residents to obtain their feedback on the project.
"For now, there has been no word of such engagement sessions," he said.
"I hope they will take the initiative to hear us out before making any further decisions."


Ex-AG tells how he tried to fulfil India’s demand to make Muslim preacher stateless

Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas said he had tried hard to get the authorities to expel Dr Zakir Naik following a request from the Indian envoy to make the preacher stateless.In his newly released book “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”, the lawyer revealed a meeting with the Indian high commissioner to Malaysia, who told him that New Delhi was not interested in getting Naik deported to India due to the publicity it would generate in favour of the preacher.“Instead, India just wanted Malaysia to expel him from our shores. Where Zakir travelled to thereafter was not Malaysia’s concern, and India would be happy that a thorn in bilateral ties has disappeared,” Thomas wrote.Mridul Kumar has been the Indian high commissioner to Malaysia since February 2018.Thomas said after the meeting, he went on a mission to convince then-prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad to expel Naik without the need to identify a third country.Dr Zakir NaikBut he said Mahathir was concerned that Naik would be left stateless, something Thomas said Malaysia should not be concerned about.“My suggestion that Zakir be expelled from Malaysia, so that it would be his responsibility to find a home other than India, was not acceptable to the prime minister,” said Thomas, adding that Mahathir said he would handle the matter himself.India has accused Naik of money laundering and charged him with acquiring criminal assets as well as spreading hate speech and inciting terrorism, claims the controversial preacher has denied.Naik, who was given permanent residence status under the Barisan Nasional government, had in the past stated his willingness to face the charges in India in return for an assurance that he would not be jailed before a conviction.In August 2019, Mahathir rejected calls by some groups in Malaysia to deport Naik, saying the government had a responsibility to ensure his safety.Thomas in his book called Naik “notorious”, and suggested that extraditing him to face trial in India “would mean stoking racial sentiments of the Malays”.Thomas said Naik was regarded as a hero among Muslims as seen by a reception he received in Kelantan.“Zakir spoke and wrote in English. Yet he had a massive following among non-English speaking Muslims,” he wrote.


‘Suisse Secrets’ investigation claims Credit Suisse held billions in ‘dirty money’

Credit Suisse bank held billions of dollars of dirty money for decades, a new cross-border media investigation claimed Sunday, based on a massive data leak from an anonymous source.Credit Suisse rejected the “allegations and insinuations” in a statement Sunday, saying that many of the issues raised were historical, some dating back as far as the 1940s.The investigation was coordinated by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), and involved 48 different media outlets worldwide including France’s Le Monde and The Guardian in Britain.Dubbed “Suisse Secrets” by the OCCRP, arose out of a leak of data to Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung newspapers a little over a year ago.The investigation showed that Credit Suisse had flouted international banking rules by holding funds linked to crime and corruption over several decades, wrote Le Monde.The leak included information on more than 18,000 bank accounts dating back to the 1940s and up to the end of the 2010 decade, said the OCCRP.It was the largest leak ever from a major Swiss bank, it added.In its statement Sunday, the bank said: “Credit Suisse strongly rejects the allegations and insinuations about the bank’s purported business practices.“The matters presented are predominantly historical, in some cases dating back as far as the 1940s, and the accounts of these matters are based on partial, inaccurate, or selective information taken out of context, resulting in tendentious interpretations of the bank’s business conduct.”About 90% of the accounts reviewed were closed – or were in the process of being closed – before the press approached the bank, it added. And more than 60% of them had been closed before 2015.The sums held in accounts identified as problematic amount to more than US$8 billion (seven billion euros) in assets, according to the OCCRP.Credit Suisse, Switzerland’s second largest bank, was hit by a series of setbacks a year ago.In March 2021, the bank was hit by the collapse of Greensill Capital in which it had committed some US$10 billion dollars through four funds. The implosion of the US fund Archegos cost it more than US$5 billion.News media involved in the “Suisse Secrets” include The New York Times, Italy’s La Stampa, Africa Uncensored in Kenya and Argentina’s La Nacion.


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‘Allah’ ban to remain in Selangor despite court ruling, says sultan

Selangor ruler Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today said that the ban prohibiting non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” would remain in place in the state despite the recent High Court ruling permitting Christians in the country to use “Allah” and three other words in their religious publications.In a statement, he said “Allah” is a sacred name for Muslims and can only be used to refer to the Almighty God.“However, if the word ‘Tuhan’ is used as a translation for ‘God’, I have no objection,” he added.The Kuala Lumpur High Court ruled on March 10 that Christians can use the words “Allah”, “Baitullah”, “Kaabah” and “solat” in their religious publications.Court of Appeal judge Nor Bee Ariffin, sitting as a High Court judge, said this in allowing a judicial review application by Sarawak native Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill.In her application, Jill Ireland had sought among others a declaration that it is her constitutional right to have access to Christian publications in the exercise of her rights to practise her religion and right to education, as provided for under Article 11 of the Federal Constitution.She also wanted the court to declare the home ministry’s 1986 circular banning the word “Allah” in Christian publications as unconstitutional and unlawful.Nor Bee in her ruling held that the 1986 directive by the home ministry barring the use of the four words was filled with illegality and irrationality.“The use of the words would not disrupt public order,” she said, adding that the words could be used by the community for teaching purposes as they have been in use for more than 400 years.But Sultan Sharafuddin said his stand on the matter is in line with the 2014 Federal Court ruling in the case of Titular Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur vs the home ministry as well as the fatwa or religious ruling on Feb 18, 2010 stating that the word “Allah” cannot be used or equated with God for religions other than Islam.He also ordered non-Muslims in Selangor to abide by the ban on the use of “Allah” as provided for under the Non-Islamic Religions (Control of Propagation Among Muslims) Enactment 1988, gazetted on July 7, 1988.“What use is it being the head of Islam in Selangor if I fail to guard the sanctity of the name Allah and the religion of Islam from being tainted by those who have their own agendas?“I have always urged my people to respect the religious beliefs of others and to refrain from touching on religious sensitivities that could damage unity in the state.“If Muslims can respect those of other religions by not interfering in their religious affairs, I urge non-Muslims to also respect Muslims especially in the use of the name ‘Allah’ which is of great importance for them.”


Johor cops seize smuggled cigarettes worth RM7.7 million

Police seized 1,029 boxes of smuggled cigarettes worth RM7.7 million, including tax, in a raid on a warehouse at Jalan Belati, Taman Perindustrian Maju Jaya, Kempas, yesterday afternoon.
Johor police chief Kamarul Zaman said during the 12.30pm raid, police confiscated about 51,000 cartons of cigarettes of various brands. However, no arrests were made.
The case is being investigated under Section 135(1)(d) of the Customs Act 1967, he said in a statement today.
In a separate case, Kamarul said the police arrested a 42-year-old local man at a petrol station in Jalan Harimau, Taman Abad, yesterday, on suspicion of involvement in the purchase of subsidised diesel.
Also seized in the 2am raid was a lorry loaded with subsidised diesel.
Thirty minutes later, the team also arrested another man, aged 29, at Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, and seized RM17,722 in cash believed to be for the subsidised fuel transaction.
"Checks found that both individuals had previous criminal records for drug-related offences. Following the arrests, police raided another subsidised diesel storage in Jalan Belati at 11.20am.
"Police also nabbed three foreign nationals, aged 26 to 34, and seized 46,000 litres of diesel worth RM159.722, a lorry and a receipt," he added.
The suspects have been handed over to the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry for further investigation under Section 21 of the Control of Supplies Act 1961.


Agong urges Malaysians to brace for year-end floods

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah today called on all relevant agencies to make thorough and comprehensive preparations to face the risk of floods due to the northeast monsoon.
Sultan Abdullah said the preparations were not only to reduce the flood impact but also to devise methods to ensure that assistance to victims can be provided in a planned, prompt and effective manner.
The Agong said this was in line with the teachings of Prophet Muhammad, who asked his people to always make preparations to deal with any possibility.
"Every year in November, the country is faced with the risk of flooding, and recently, the Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) predicted that Malaysia would face heavy rains and the risk of major floods.
"I would like to remind my subjects to brace themselves and make preparations to face possible weather phenomena," Sultan Abdullah said at the national-level Maulidur Rasul celebration at the World Trade Centre in Kuala Lumpur.


China blast wounds 2 in third restaurant explosion in under a week

A blast at an eatery in northwest China's Gansu province injured two on Monday, according to state broadcaster CCTV, the third in a series of restaurant explosions in less than a week that have prompted a nationwide push to stem out fire hazards.
A pressure cooker exploded at a braised meat restaurant on Monday morning, with the powerful blast damaging nearby motor vehicles and buildings, CCTV reported.
On June 21, a gas explosion at a barbecue eatery killed 31 in northwestern Ningxia region in one of the deadliest blasts in recent years, prompting President Xi Jinping to call on all regions to rectify safety risks.
The state council, or cabinet, and local governments quickly issued warnings and called for in-depth investigations into "hidden dangers" to stamp out fire hazards.
On Friday, an explosion due to a gas leak in the central city of Zhengzhou caused a house to collapse, burying four people, all of whom were later rescued.
Accidents due to gas blasts are not uncommon in China, despite years of efforts to improve safety.


France set to allow police to spy through phones

French police should be able to spy on suspects by remotely activating the camera, microphone and GPS of their phones and other devices, lawmakers agreed late Wednesday.
Part of a wider justice reform bill, the spying provision has been attacked by the left and rights defenders as an authoritarian snoopers' charter, though Justice Minister Eric Dupond-Moretti insists it would affect only "dozens of cases a year".
Covering laptops, cars and other connected objects as well as phones, the measure would allow geolocation of suspects in crimes punishable by at least five years' jail.
Devices could also be remotely activated to record sound and images of people suspected of terror offenses, as well as delinquency and organised crime.
The provisions "raise serious concerns over infringements of fundamental liberties," digital rights group La Quadrature du Net wrote in a May statement.
It cited the "right to security, right to a private life and to private correspondence" and "the right to come and go freely", calling the proposal part of a "slide into heavy-handed security".
During debate on Wednesday, MPs in President Emmanuel Macron's camp inserted an amendment limiting the use of remote spying to "when justified by the nature and seriousness of the crime" and "for a strictly proportional duration".
Any use of the provision must be approved by a judge, while the total duration of the surveillance cannot exceed six months.
And sensitive professions including doctors, journalists, lawyers, judges and MPs would not be legitimate targets.
"We're far away from the totalitarianism of '1984'," George Orwell's novel about a society under total surveillance, Dupond-Moretti said.
"People's lives will be saved" by the law, he added.
The contested measure, part of an article containing several other provisions, was voted through by National Assembly members as a wider justice overhaul bill making its way through Parliament.


Popstar pays fine for women’s handball team who wore shorts instead of bikini bottoms

Sporting outfits for women have long tried to reconcile notions of “femininity” with those of “athleticism”, but this process has often turned women into objects to be admired rather than valued for their sporting prowess.In particular, women’s beach handball and volleyball have been accused of being sexist, of objectifying women, and of being little more than a parade of eye candy, which makes them very popular with the crowds.Criticism is growing over the teams having to wear small swimsuits in tournaments and recently rebellion has been gaining strength in the teams themselves, according to the World Economic Forum.Many female athletes are now actively pushing back against outdated uniform regulations and demanding that athleticism be prioritised over aesthetics.In the 19th century, when upper-middle-class women were eventually permitted to engage in games such as lawn tennis, their attire was suitably “feminine”, modest, and designed to attract a potential husband rather than enhance their ability to win.Their corsets and full-length dresses severely restricted their capacity to lunge and leap around the court as today’s female tennis players do.The sportswomen of today are still navigating dress code conventions, and now they are beginning to openly oppose the more revealing uniforms.At the European Beach Handball Championships in Bulgaria last week, the Norwegian women’s team was fined for playing in “improper clothing”.This was because they played in shorts, as opposed to the required skimpy bikini bottoms, which have very precise design specifications in the governing International Handball Federation regulations.Men’s beach handball teams have always been permitted to wear shorts, and after unsuccessfully petitioning for permission to replace their bikini bottoms with shorts, the Norwegian women’s team took matters into their own hands.Despite being threatened with a fine or disqualification by the European Handball Federation, they opted to make a statement and wear mid-thigh shorts.This resulted in a team fine of €1,500 (RM7,500).The Norwegian federation agreed to pay the fine on behalf of the players in a show of support but now US pop star Pink has offered to pay the fines.“I’m very proud of the Norwegian female beach handball team for protesting sexist rules about their uniform,” tweeted the singer on Sunday. “Good on ya, ladies,” she added. “I’ll be happy to pay your fines for you. Keep it up.”There were similar dress code protests by female athletes at the European Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Switzerland this year. German gymnasts decided to take a stand against their sexualisation by wearing full-body suits.Both the handball and gymnastics examples highlight how women are beginning to challenge how their bodies are presented and policed by sports federations.This paves the way for more sportswomen to oppose dress codes that are based on archaic ideas of what women should look like, often through the eyes of men.


Auditor KPMG to pay RM333 million in 1MDB settlement

Putrajaya said on Thursday audit firm KPMG has agreed to pay a RM333 million (US$80.11 million) settlement to resolve all claims related to their fiduciary duties on auditing of 1MDB accounts from 2010 to 2012.The finance ministry said in a statement that the settlement will conclude a lawsuit filed against the auditor in July, and that KPMG will expedite the payment.KPMG confirmed to Reuters in an email that a settlement has been reached in the claim filed against a number of current and former partners at the audit firm in Malaysia.“This settlement represents a collective agreement by all the parties, including the Malaysian government,” it said.The outcome, it said, will enable all involved to “move forward”, and for the firm to focus on building public trust.The finance ministry said the settlement was valued at more than 800 times the audit fees earned by KPMG, which “represents one of the largest 1MDB-related settlements by an audit firm in Southeast Asia.”The government, 1MDB and its subsidiaries filed a US$5.6 billion lawsuit against 44 current and former partners at the audit firm on July 6, allegations that KPMG denied and pledged to “vigorously” contest.In June, the government said it received US$80 million from Deloitte PLT, which took over as 1MDB’s auditor after KPMG, to settle claims related to its dealings with 1MDB.


After Melaka, can PN sway army votes in Johor, too?

At the Melaka state election in November last year, Perikatan Nasional (PN) pulled off a surprise win in the state seat of Sungai Udang, home to a sizeable number of army voters and a Barisan Nasional (BN) stronghold.The loss caught BN off guard as the Terendak and Sungai Udang army camps combined had meant a significant number of votes from army personnel and their spouses.Now, less than a week before the state election in Johor, it remains to be seen if PN can pull off the same trick again.Today, just over 22,500 voters comprising army and police personnel and their spouses will head to polling centres in the state for early voting.A source at an army camp in Kluang spoke of close ties between the officers and military personnel, who often discuss which political party to support.The military officer who asked to be known only as Z has served in the state for more than 11 years now and closely monitors his members’ activities including their political chats.So far, he said, there were no winds of change, giving the impression that the army camps in Johor remain behind PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.“Colleagues at the police contingent headquarters also say the same,” he told MalaysiaNow.“We civil servants remember all the help that Muhyiddin’s government gave us during the battle against Covid-19.”MalaysiaNow previously reported that Muhyiddin’s popularity as former prime minister had contributed greatly towards bagging the army votes for PN’s candidates in Melaka.Among others, he had facilitated cash aid and a moratorium on loan repayments at the peak of the Covid-19 crisis.A source in the Johor Bar Council said the body had agreed to support PN in order to defend Muhyiddin who was ousted as prime minister by the Umno court cluster.The source said Muhyiddin appeared to be the best option in a political game by leaders embroiled in corruption.“We have agreed to support him here,” the source said on condition of anonymity.Mazlan Ali of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia meanwhile said it was possible that PN could sway the army votes in a state election once again, as Muhyiddin during his time as prime minister had looked after the interests of civil servants.Citing PN’s many initiatives, particularly in terms of financial aid, he said this was how the coalition had won over the army camps in Melaka.“Compare this to BN, where many of the leaders are heavily involved in corruption,” he said.


Czech president calls transgender people ‘disgusting’

Czech President Milos Zeman called transgender people “disgusting” in an interview on CNN affiliate CNN Prima News on Sunday, during a discussion of a controversial new law in Hungary.The Hungarian law bans all educational materials and programmes for children that are considered to promote homosexuality, gender reassignment and the concept of sexuality deviating from the one assigned to a person at birth.The law has been met with fierce criticism from other members of the European Union.Zeman said interference in internal affairs of any EU member country is a gross political mistake, and he defended Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.“I do not see a reason not to agree with him,” Zeman said. “I can understand gays, lesbians and so on. But do you know who I do not understand at all? These transgender people.”Zeman described transgender people as “intrinsically disgusting to me”.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen last week denounced the Hungarian bill as “clearly” discriminatory, saying “it goes against all the values, the fundamental values of the European Union, and this is human dignity, it is equality, and is the human fundamental rights”.Zeman’s comments came as several cities around the world celebrated Pride with parades and marches aimed at gaining visibility for the LGBTQ community. Prague’s Pride festival is planned for the first week of August.According to ILGA-Europe, an advocacy group, local rights activists fear the Czech Republic could follow in the path of its increasingly illiberal neighbours Hungary and Poland.A Czech LGBTQ activist quoted by local media condemned the president’s comments, claiming that they could incite hatred against the country’s sexual minorities.Zeman insists Orban is not anti-gay, but rather is fighting against the “manipulation” of parents as well as children when it comes to sex education.He noted that he himself was “annoyed by the suffragettes, the MeToo movement, and Prague Pride”.Zeman stressed that he had nothing against sex education, including on LGBTQ issues, but insisted that children are too young to understand such topics.The Czech leader routinely makes headlines with his colourful comments.In 2016, he came under fire after insisting that it was “practically impossible” to integrate Muslim migrants into Europe.Two years later, he was confronted by topless Femen activists at a polling station in Prague. He later said he “felt privileged” to have been targeted by the breast-baring feminists.


Amanah, PKR trade barbs as cracks widen in PH after PM appointment

Conflict has arisen among some in Pakatan Harapan (PH) over the leadership of Anwar Ibrahim following his failed bid to replace Muhyiddin Yassin in the country’s top office, in what could signal the beginning of cracks in the opposition pact.Aside from DAP MPs Tony Pua and Ong Kian Ming, who had previously questioned PH’s decision to reject the cross-party consensus offered by Muhyiddin in exchange for the opposition’s support in a vote of confidence, several leaders from Amanah and PKR have also openly disputed the direction of their parties.Bukit Bintang Amanah Youth chief Ahmad Asri Talib yesterday issued a statement urging his party leaders to form a PH Plus coalition and to replace Anwar with a new leader.“Amanah’s plan for a ‘grand coalition’ must be realised and cannot be destroyed by pressure from any quarter,” he said.“Changing the opposition leader is the best way to restore the trust of the people and rebuild an honourable government.”He added that many candidates could be put forth such as Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Shafie Apdal or others agreed on by the PH Plus coalition.As hope fades for top seat, chatter forms within PH to replace PM nomineeTony Pua lashes out at opposition after Ismail confirmed for top postHis statement was met with scorn by Sarawak-based pro-PKR activist Iswardy Morni who said Amanah did not realise that its state of paralysis in the state.“Amanah in Sarawak is nearly immobilised,” he said. “From negotiations for more than 10 seats in the state assembly for Amanah at the state election to come, perhaps only two will remain.“Even then, one of them will be offered to me because Amanah lacks the candidates and the machinery.“If Amanah can’t even take care of Sarawak, there is no need to comment further on whether Anwar can obtain the majority or whether a new opposition leader should be appointed.”PKR and Amanah leaders however sought to dispel what they called “ill-intentioned rumours” on the matter, telling Astro Awani that there had been no such calls for Anwar to step down.PKR Youth election director Fahmi Zainol meanwhile openly called for his party to go it alone.He first made the suggestion for PKR to strike out on its own last night, and repeated it again today.“I raise the question once again,” he said. “PKR needs to go solo. Agreed? Going solo doesn’t mean conflict among opposition parties, and it doesn’t mean not being friends with anyone,” he said in a post on Twitter.“It just means not being in a coalition. We are still friends, we are still against a clear enemy.”Anwar had claimed several times that PH possessed the support needed in Parliament to form the government, which would also enable him to become prime minister.He first made the claim in 2008 when Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was prime minister. However, efforts to topple Barisan Nasional at the time failed.Anwar claimed that efforts in 2008 had failed due to the lack of a special Dewan Rakyat sitting and the fact that the 40 MPs from Barisan Nasional who supported him were flown to Taiwan to attend a seminar.Since the beginning of the year, he had stated several times that he possessed a “strong and formidable” majority which would allow him to be appointed as prime minister.He, together with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak, were seen as leading efforts to topple the Perikatan Nasional government led by Muhyiddin Yassin.Muhyiddin resigned last week after losing his fragile majority due to the withdrawal of support from a group of MPs aligned with Najib and Zahid.Ismail Sabri Yaakob was appointed as Muhyiddin’s replacement with the support of 114 of the 220 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat.There is some dispute over the number of MPs who backed Anwar, with some placing the figure at 105 and others at 92.


Apex court orders full trial in Gua Musang election petition

The Federal Court today sent back the Gua Musang election petition filed by Barisan Nasional (BN) to the High Court for a full hearing of the merits.
Federal Court three-member panel led by chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli allowed the appeal by Mohd Azmi Mahmood, a representative for BN candidate Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, to set aside the High Court's decision which struck out the election petition.
The court also ordered the petition to go for a full hearing before another judge and fixed June 26 for mention of the case at the Kota Bahru High Court.
In the court's unanimous decision, justice Abdul Rahman said the High Court judge had erred when he decided that the petition was filed out of time.
He also said the court was satisfied that the petitioner (Mohd Azmi) had fulfilled the requirement under the rules of the Election Offences Act 1954.
The other two judges were Federal Court judges Hasnah Mohammed Hashim and Nordin Hassan.
Mohd Azmi filed the petition, in a bid to nullify the 15the general election (GE15) results for the Gua Musang parliamentary seat which was won by PAS-Bersatu candidate Datuk Mohd Azizi Abu Naim who defeated Tengku Razaleigh by a majority of 1,826 votes.
The GE15 was held on Nov 19 last year.
Meanwhile, the same Federal Court panel today dismissed Putrajaya Umno division vice-chief Ahmad Faisal Abdul Karim's appeal to remit back the election petition, which was filed to challenge the GE15 results for the Putrajaya parliamentary seat, to the High Court for a full hearing.
Following the court's decision, Bersatu vice-president Mohd Radzi Md Jidin retained his position as Putrajaya MP.
Justice Abdul Rahman said there was no merit in Ahmad Faisal's appeal as particulars pleaded by the petitioner in the petition lack details. He ordered Ahmad Faisal to pay RM30,000 in legal costs.
Ahmad Faisal filed the election petition to challenge the GE15 results for the Putrajaya parliamentary constituency seat which was won by Mohd Radzi.
Mohd Radzi defeated Putrajaya four-term incumbent Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor of BN with a 2,310-vote majority in a six-cornered fight.
Two separate High Courts have respectively struck out both election petitions after allowing the preliminary objections raised by Mohd Radzi and Mohd Azizi.
On March 10, the Kuala Lumpur High Court allowed Mohd Radzi's preliminary objection to strike out the petition after ruling that Ahmad Faisal failed to prove that corrupt practices were committed by either Radzi or his agent.
Earlier on Feb 26, the Kota Bahru High Court struck out Mohd Azmi's petition after ruling that the petition was filed out of the permitted time frame of 28 days as set out under the Election Offences Act.
Lawyer Wira Mohd Hafarizam Harun appeared for both Mohd Azmi and Ahmad Faisal while counsel Yusfarizal Yussoff represented Mohd Azizi and Mohd Radzi.


Govt lists 37 businesses under essential sectors during MCO

Putrajaya has categorised 37 types of businesses in the five essential sectors allowed to operate during the movement control order (MCO) in six states starting tomorrow.The list released by the international trade and industries ministry (Miti) includes companies involved in the construction, services, trade and distribution sectors under the ministry’s oversight, as well as plantations and commodities under the jurisdiction of other ministries and agencies.Miti said companies that have registered under its Covid-19 Intelligent Management System (CIMS) do not need to register again, but only download the notification of registration confirmation from https://notification.miti.gov.my beginning 3pm today.It said a copy of the notification must be distributed to employees who are allowed to work, and must be carried with them alongside their employee pass or employer confirmation letter, to facilitate enforcement agencies during the MCO period.“Miti has informed the Royal Malaysia Police regarding this matter to facilitate movements during roadblock operations,” said its minister Mohamed Azmin Ali.Yesterday, the government reinstated the MCO in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Melaka, Johor and Sabah, as part of drastic measures to control a fierce spike of Covid-19 which has so far killed more than 500 people nationwide.The five essential sectors allowed to operate under SOPs are industrial and manufacturing, construction, services, trade and distribution, as well as plantations and commodities.Azmin said his ministry had taken into consideration views from industry associations to ensure the effective implementation of a business continuity plan during the MCO.“As a result of continuous engagements and constructive consultations with industry associations, chambers of commerce and other stakeholders, Miti has formulated a set of comprehensive, relevant and practical SOPs,” he said.He said at the heart of the plan was to ensure the stability of the country’s export activities in line with Malaysia’s key position in the global supply chain.Azmin also said that only 30% of employees in the management group would be allowed to be present at the workplace, while the number of other staff involved in production would be determined by the companies.He said his ministry will conduct periodic checks throughout the MCO period to ensure companies comply with SOPs, and warned of action against offenders under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act.“As the country’s economic frontliners, Miti will continue to foster a conducive and business-friendly environment that enables economic activities to operate and grow,” he added.Miti has also published a list of frequently asked questions at https://www.miti.gov.my/redir/pkp/faq.html.The 37 essential businesses recognised by Miti as of Jan 10 are as follows:A. Industrial and manufacturing:1. Aerospace including maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)2. Automotive production and after-sales services3. Food and beverage and their chains4. Packaging and printing5. Household and personal care products (fast-moving consumer goods such as soap, personal hygiene, etc), washing detergent and its chains6. Healthcare and medical products including diet supplements7. Personal protective equipment (PPE) and fire safety equipment8. Medical equipment components9. Electrical and electronics10. Oil and gas11. Petrochemicals and related products12. Chemical products13. Machinery and equipment14. Ceramic (as moulds in hand gloves manufacturing)15. Iron and steel16. Textiles (for the manufacturing of PPE)17. Furniture18. Production, distillation, storage, supply and distribution of fuel and lubricantsB. Construction19. Building:i. Critical maintenance and repair worksii. Major public infrastructure construction worksiii. Construction works to provide complete accommodation for workers on construction sites or those housed in the central workers quarters (CLQ)C. Services20. Financial services and their chains:i. Financial institutions (Banking, insurance, takaful and other entities licensed, approved and registered with Bank Negara Malaysia)ii. Capital market entities licensed, registered or regulated by the Securities Commission Malaysia21. Municipal and local government services:i. Mortgage / community credit (licensed moneylender companies)ii. Solid waste / sewerage managementiii. Public cleaningiv. Premises cleaning and sanitation22. Telecommunication and digital infrastructure including ICT services and global business services (GBS)23. E-commerce and its chains include e-marketplace services, digital payments and local e-commerce internet centres24. Hotels and accommodations25. Agriculture, fisheries and livestock sectors include veterinary services:i. Management of farms / swiftlet nests / horses / animal processing plants / slaughterhouses / livestock / livestock feed mills / vaccine suppliers / livestock management / pet shops (livestock transfer operations are at night)ii. Disease control and regulation of livestock production, livestock inputs and products related to the livestock industry (including exports and imports)iii. Health management, disease diagnosis and animal treatment26. Utilities (water and energy)27. Professional services (including accountants / lawyers / auditors / engineers / architects), scientific (including R&D) and technical (including maintenance)28. Security services29. Security and defence30. Land, water and air transportation31. Port and port services and operations, including cargo loading and unloading, shipping, storage or commodity shippingD. Distribution32. Warehousing and logistics33. Food / beverage service / sale / delivery34. Retail / distribution / wholesaleE. Plantation and commodities35. Agriculture, fisheries and livestock and their chains36. Plantations and commodities and their chainsF. Miscellaneous37. Any service, work, industry and business as determined by the health minister after consultation with the authorities regulating the service, work, industry and business


Japanese companies go high-tech to reduce mountains of food waste

Disposing of Japan’s more than six million tonnes of food waste costs the world’s third largest economy around two trillion yen (US$19 billion) a year, government data shows.With the highest food waste per capita in Asia, the Japanese government has enacted a new law to halve those costs by 2030 and is pushing companies to find solutions.In order to do so, Japanese companies are increasing the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technology to reduce waste and cut costs in the pandemic.Lawson convenience store franchisees spend more on disposing of food waste than anything else except labour costs. Now Lawson has started using AI from US firm DataRobot, which estimates how much food on shelves may go unsold or fall short of demand. Lawson aims to bring down overstock by 30% in places where the technology is being rolled out.Drinks maker Suntory is experimenting with an AI product from Fujitsu to try to accurately determine if goods such as bottles of oolong tea and mineral water have been damaged in shipping, so reducing the return of goods by 30%-50%.Japan’s notoriously fussy shoppers are showing signs of getting on board, especially as the coronavirus pandemic hits incomes.Tatsuya Sekito runs Kuradashi, an e-commerce firm dealing in unsold foods at a discount. His online business is now thriving due partly to a jump in demand for low-priced unsold food items as consumers have become more cost conscious in the pandemic.“Japanese shoppers tend to be picky, but we attract customers by offering not just a sale but a chance to donate a portion of purchases to a charity, and raising awareness about social issues,” Sekito told Reuters.Tech firms have joined forces with food firms in developing new platforms to cut food waste as part of global efforts to meet sustainable development goals.NEC Corp is using AI that not only analyses data such as weather, seasons, and customer trends in estimating demand but also gives reasoning behind its analysis.NEC has deployed the technology to some major retailers and food makers, helping them reduce costs by 15%-75%. It hopes to share and process data through a common platform among manufacturers, transporters and retailers.“Reducing food waste is not our ultimate goal,” said Ryoichi Morita, senior manager overseeing NEC’s digital integration. “Eventually, we hope it can lead to resolve other business challenges such as minimising costs, fixing labour shortages, and streamlining inventory, orders and logistics.”


Ex-Goldman banker got millions in 1MDB-linked kickbacks, says prosecutor

Prosecutors on Monday accused a former Goldman Sachs banker of seeking to make millions of dollars laundering money looted from the 1MDB sovereign wealth fund, at the outset of a trial that could shed light on the bank’s response to warnings of corruption.Roger Ng, Goldman’s former head of investment banking in Malaysia, is charged with conspiring to launder money and to violate an anti-bribery law.“The defendant saw an opportunity to make millions of dollars by cheating, and he took it,” Brent Wible, a lawyer with the US Department of Justice, said in an opening statement on Monday.Ng has pleaded not guilty and his lawyer has said he is a “fall guy” for one of the biggest financial scandals in Wall Street history.The trial in Brooklyn federal court could last up to six weeks.The scandal stems from some US$6.5 billion in bonds that Goldman helped 1MDB, launched by former prime minister Najib Razak to spur economic growth, sell from 2009 to 2014.US prosecutors say Goldman earned US$600 million in fees from the deals, but that around US$4.5 billion of the funds raised was embezzled.The bank in 2020 paid a US$2.3 billion fine, returned US$600 million in ill-gotten gains and agreed for its Malaysian subsidiary to plead guilty in US court as part of a deal, known as a deferred prosecution agreement.Wible said Ng helped two co-conspirators – his former boss, Timothy Leissner, and businessman Jho Low – launder funds embezzled from 1MDB and used some of the stolen money to bribe officials in the Southeast Asian country to win business for Goldman.Ng received US$35 million in kickbacks from Leissner, Wible said.Leissner, a former partner for Goldman Sachs in Asia, in 2018 pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder money, and conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, in part by helping to pay US$1.6 billion in bribes. He is expected to testify as a government witness against Ng.Wible said Leissner, who has not yet been sentenced, would testify against Ng as part of a cooperation agreement with prosecutors and as a result would get a lighter punishment. But Wible said Leissner’s testimony would be backed up by other evidence.Defence lawyer Marc Agnifilo countered that Ng had no role in the scheme perpetrated by Low and Leissner, and that he even warned Goldman management not to trust Low. He said the funds prosecutors called kickbacks in fact belonged to Ng’s wife and were derived from a business venture she had with Leissner’s ex-wife.Agnifilo focused his opening statement largely on undermining Leissner, who is expected to testify for the government.“They’re not partners-in-crime. There’s a gulf between these two men a mile wide,” he said. “Leissner uses people. You will see this time and time again. He is trying to use my client… to serve his jail time.”Low, who was indicted alongside Ng in 2018, has not been arrested by US or Malaysian authorities. Malaysia has said he is in China, which Beijing has denied.


Judge warns Najib's 1MDB lawyers, no more delay in questioning witnesses

High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah today warned Najib Razak’s 1MDB defence team that the court would no longer allow the reserved cross-examination of witnesses as the trial had been pending for some time now.
The judge said this when counsel Wan Aizuddin Wan Mohammed asked to reserve cross-examine the 40th prosecution witness, former AmInvestment Bank managing director Kok Tuck Cheong, as lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah was not in court.
Wan Aizuddin told the court that Shafee had another case before judicial commissioner Azhar Abdul Hamid.
Senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram objected to the request.
"My Lord, the prosecution cannot call new witnesses because three witnesses are still on the witness stand. We have witnesses that have been stacked up.   "We all have to adjust ourselves. I have pending trials and I have asked the judge to vacate the trial, we are also making adjustments," said Sri Ram.
Sequerah then said that in the future, if Shafee could not conduct the cross-examination, Wan Aizuddin would have to do it.
"You cannot go beyond that. This trial by instalments, over and over again, with witness reserves, I have accommodated as much as I can. From now on, if Shafee cannot do the cross-examination, you (Wan Aizuddin) have to step up.
"You all (Shafee & Co) have a big team and you (Wan Aizuddin) are more than capable of doing it as you are familiar with the facts of the case. This is how the trial will be run from now onwards. In the future, if Shafee is not available (and no one to do cross), I will take it as cross-examination is done and continue with re-examination," said the judge.
Wan Aizuddin said he would inform Shafee of the matter and act accordingly.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes amounting to RM2.3 billion belonging to 1MDB and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The hearing continues at 2.30pm.


Over 33,000 people still at flood relief centres

A total of 33,193 flood victims were still seeking shelter at relief centres in five states last night.According to the Social Welfare Department’s (JKM) InfoBencana application, the evacuees were at 206 relief centres in Selangor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Melaka.In Selangor, 15,354 people were housed at 81 relief centres, compared to 15,404 people at 83 relief centres earlier in the evening.The state fire and rescue department said as of 5pm, it had conducted 67 cleaning operations, 17 sanitisation operations and 331 monitoring activities.In Pahang, a total of 17,211 evacuees were placed at 119 relief centres in six districts, namely Bentong, Temerloh, Bera, Maran, Kuantan and Pekan.In Negeri Sembilan, some 132 people from 38 families were at three relief centres in Jelebu, according to state Civil Defence Force (APM) director Mohd Syukri Madnor.In Kelantan, a total of 470 people from 153 families were taking shelter at SK Tok Deh and SK Gual Periok in Pasir Mas as of 9pm.The Department of Irrigation and Drainage’s Info Banjir portal said only Sungai Golok and Sungai Kelantan in Rantau Panjang, Pasir Mas were at the alert level.In Melaka, state APM director Cuthbert John Martin Quadra said 26 people from eight families were still at the relief centre in SK Penghulu Benteng.


14 Covid patients among those evacuated after flood in Kedah

Fourteen Covid-19 patients with mild symptoms and 45 close contacts undergoing home quarantine in Yan were among those evacuated after their houses were inundated following the upstream rush of water at the waterfall area near Gunung Jerai yesterday.Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor said the Covid-19 patients and close contacts had been placed at the designated relief centre at Sekolah Kebangsaan Teroi.“Another relief centre was also opened at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama for 60 other victims.“The operations at both relief centres are being monitored by the relevant agencies in compliance with the SOPs,” he said in a statement today.He said the state government had mobilised all agencies and departments to help the victims of the upstream rush of water incident which occurred around 5.30pm yesterday.He said the Yan Disaster Operations Control Centre would manage further action to be taken, while local authorities would help with the logistics as well as to clean the affected areas.He said Syarikat Air Darul Aman would send clean water supply to the affected areas following the closure of the water treatment plant.Sanusi said three victims were found dead in several locations around the Gunung Jerai as of 1am today, while three more victims were still missing.The search and rescue operation to find the missing victims resumed at 7am, he said.On behalf of the state government, he offered condolences to the families of those who had died in the incident and prayed for those still missing to be found safe.“To the residents who were affected by the incident, we hope they will give priority to their safety and the safety of their families and evacuate to the relief centre if instructed to do so,” he added.


Sinovac vaccine cheaper as bottling will be done locally, says Khairy

The government is paying less for the Covid-19 vaccine developed by China’s Sinovac as the bottling process will be carried out in Malaysia, says Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.He said Pharmaniaga Bhd would be overseeing the bottling process for the vaccine, which is expected to be ready for distribution by the end of March.“I reiterate that the cost of this vaccine is cheaper as it will be bottled here and not in China. If (bottled) in China, the cost is much higher.“Pharmaniaga has been entrusted with the task of overseeing the bottling process and the cost was presented to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and they have agreed to the price mentioned,” he told reporters after attending a ceremony for the signing of an agreement between Pharmaniaga and Sinovac for bulk supply of the vaccine.He said Pharmaniaga had been tasked with managing the bottling process as the company has the capacity to implement it according to the set guidelines.However, he declined to disclose detailed information on the procurement of the vaccine, saying he is bound by the non-disclosure agreement with the vaccine manufacturer.He said the government would seek halal status for the Sinovac vaccine prior to its distribution.“The Indonesia Ulema Council has verified the halal status of this vaccine and we will do the same with Jakim (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia).“We will verify that this vaccine is safe for use by Muslims,” he said.


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PM Ismail meets Agong after raising prospect of early polls

The prospect of an early election loomed as Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said he could propose a date for the dissolution of Parliament during a regular meeting with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong today.
An election is not due until mid-2023, but Ismail has been under pressure from some factions of Umno to hold the vote earlier for a stronger mandate and due to infighting.
If he dissolves Parliament soon, the election would come just as the economy starts to feel the pinch of rising costs and a global slowdown. It would also coincide with the year-end monsoon season and floods, which could hurt voter turnout.
Ismail met the Agong at Istana Negara at 4pm and left about 45 minutes later.
His office and the palace did not have an immediate comment on what happened at the meeting.
Before the meeting, Ismail said he would mainly discuss Cabinet matters with Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, and that a date for dissolution would be submitted only if there was time.
"Still unsure whether it will be brought up. If it takes too long to discuss Cabinet issues, it will be about Cabinet only," Ismail said.
The prime minister's spokesman had said earlier that the meeting between the two was a "routine", weekly meeting.
Ismail's government is set to present its 2023 budget in Parliament tomorrow, putting to rest some speculation that a dissolution could be announced before that.
An election must be held within 60 days of dissolution.
Malaysia is a constitutional monarchy and the king typically acts on the prime minister's advice. But the king does have certain discretionary powers, including withholding consent for the dissolution of parliament.
Mixed views
Last week, Ismail's party Umno, which is the biggest in the ruling coalition, said the prime minister would seek the king's consent to dissolve Parliament this year, prompting speculation that Ismail could call polls any day.
However, Ismail's coalition is not unanimous on the timing of an election.
Many alliance partners have cited economic woes, such as the rising cost of living and the anticipated year-end floods, as reasons not to hold polls this year.
Malaysia was hit late last year by unusually heavy rain and floods that caused damage of about RM6 billion.
Some Cabinet members wrote to the Agong this week, asking him not to hold the election this year due to flood risks.


Company led by PM's ex-aide linked to SC probe

The Securities Commission (SC) has confirmed that a company which recently appointed a close confidante of Prime Minister and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim is involved in a probe by the agency for breach of capital market rules.
The capital market regulator however refused to comment further on the case as the matter is now in the courts.
"The Securities Commission does not, as a matter of policy, respond to media queries on ongoing court cases, or cases under review," said a spokesman.
Farhash Wafa Salvador, the former Perak PKR chief, was appointed as group chairman for Apex Equity Holdings Bhd, a company involved in investment holding, stockbroking, property development and money lending, not long after SC launched the investigation into the company.
The 40-year-old, who served as political secretary to Anwar and is known as a staunch loyalist of the prime minister, was later named chairman of retail chain 7-Eleven, a move that stirred debate on the links between the corporate world and politicians close to the top echelons of power.
Apex Holdings has been the subject of investigation by SC, Malaysia's market regulator, for allegedly contravening the Capital Markets and Services Act as well as the Companies Act.
It was reported that ACE Group, the second largest shareholder in Apex Equity, is also being dragged to court by SC to prevent it from taking control of the stockbroking firm.
The SC claims that Apex Securities contravened securities laws, adding that ACE Group is not "a fit and proper person" to be a controller of the company.
Last month, citing a court filing dated Dec 1, 2022, The Edge quoted Apex Equity as saying that the SC was seeking a court declaration that its subsidiary Apex Securities Sdn Bhd had contravened securities laws, and that ACE Holdings Bhd, which is part of the ACE Group, was knowingly involved in the contravention.
"The SC claimed that Apex Securities contravened the securities laws 'as ACE has become a controller of Apex Securities, when ACE is not a fit and proper person' to do so," the report added.
ACE Group comes under Calvin Choong Chee Meng, who was appointed as managing director of Apex Equity earlier this year.
ACE Group was involved in previous breaches which led to its ban from fundraising activities.
Court documents filed in October last year showed ACE Group and Apex Securities seeking to stop the SC from imposing additional conditions in respect of Apex's capital markets and service licence.
In 2019, Apex Equity and its subsidiary Apex Securities Sdn Bhd filed legal action against 18 defendants including its shareholder Lim Siew Kim, the daughter of the late Genting Group founder Lim Goh Tong, accusing them of trying to obtain control of the company by breaching capital market rules.


'Who moved the goal post?' Syed Saddiq hits back at PKR over LCS scandal

Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman today hit back at PKR Youth over his efforts for a debate on the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal, saying those who were now calling for action against him were the same group who had wanted an urgent debate on the matter in Parliament before the general election last year.
He also said that the same group, without waiting for a debate and investigation into the project, had already said that they would arrest and send the main leaders involved in the scandal to prison.
"I'm not saying we should throw them in jail. I'm not bringing up such accusations.
"What I'm asking for is the proper due process, which is to hold this debate – the same issue demanded before the election," he said in a press conference at the Parliament building.
PKR Youth yesterday accused Syed Saddiq and his party Muda of "moving the goal post" and "continuously spreading misinformation and half-truths that discredit the government", after he said that his proposal for an emergency motion on the LCS project had been rejected by Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul.
It also challenged Syed Saddiq's statement that Johari had said the issue was neither urgent nor of public interest, calling it "an attempt to divert from the real issue".
It said the matter should be examined and taken into account in the evaluation of Muda's application to join Pakatan Harapan.
Speaking today, Syed Saddiq questioned which parties were in fact "trying to move the goal post".
He also said that an explanation of the scandal could not be avoided as Malaysians were wise in assessing each arising issue.
"What more after the same issue was used during the campaign for the 15th general election last year," he added.
"We accused several key ministers who are now part of the government, saying we wanted to jail them.
"But when we want to find out more about this issue, we forget, we stay silent, we keep our mouths shut, we close our ears and we turn a blind eye.
"It is just not right."


12 govt buildings in Perak without fire certificate

The Perak fire and rescue department today revealed that 12 out of 20 government buildings in the state do not have fire certificates (FC) issued by the department for safety reasons.
Its director, Azmi Osman, said of the total, three of the premises were taken to court and six others were issued notices.
"We hope that each head of department can ensure that their premises are in good condition. If you do not have an FC, it is certain that government assets will face problems, thus posing a risk to the government such as the loss of confidential files related to government administration.
"All building owners and department heads must be aware of the law that requires buildings to have FCs according to the Fire Services Act (Act 341).
"They must be aware of the problems and limitations by paying serious attention to it," he said in Ipoh.
Azmi said among the problems faced by premise owners who lack FCs is the failure to submit the original construction plan due to a construction period of almost 30 years.
He said as many as 210 of the 317 private and government premises in the state had FCs while the rest were likely to have expired.
"Based on statistics, approximately 15 building premises out of the total are under observation to prepare papers to be referred to the deputy public prosecutor for further action," he said.


South Korea to negotiate with striking truckers again, but gap seen too big

South Korea will meet striking truckers for more negotiations on Wednesday as concerns rose over shortages of petrol, pricier groceries and economic damage, and the government invoked a law forcing 2,500 cement industry drivers back to work.
Union officials told Reuters the gap between the two sides is too wide to reach a compromise. About 25,000 union drivers are striking over minimum wage rules.
It is the second strike in less than six months and is causing daily losses of an estimated ₩300 billion (about RM1 billion), disrupting industrial activity in Asia's fourth-largest economy, which is set to slump next year.
As of Tuesday, 21 petrol stations had run dry, the industry ministry said. Petrol stations nationwide had an average of about eight days of gasoline supply as they secured stock before the strike, but stations with high turnover in the Seoul metropolitan area are seeing shortages.
Out of 985 construction sites nationwide operated by 46 construction companies that submitted reports on Tuesday, work at 59%, or 577 sites, had been suspended because of a lack of supplies, the transport ministry said.
President Yoon Suk-yeol on Tuesday called the drivers' demands "unreasonable" and said the government would take "every possible measure" to end the strike.
Union leaders were angered by the government "start work" order requiring drivers to get back on the road, saying that it was "anti-constitutional" and that they would take legal action against the move.
If cement transport workers do not comply to the start-work order, the government can suspend their transport licenses for 30 days, then revoke them.
Drivers may also face up to three years in jail or a fine of up to 30 million won (US$22,550).
The transport ministry and union are expected to meet at 2pm local time (0500 GMT) in their second round of negotiations since the strike began last week.
Some 7,000 people rallied for the strike on Tuesday according to the transport ministry, saying the government's hard-line stance showed no real intention for dialogue.
The government has repeatedly expressed unwillingness to expand a minimum pay system for truckers beyond a further three years, while the union says it should be permanent and wider in scope.


MACC raids Prasarana

Anti-graft officers descended on the offices of Prasarana Malaysia Bhd today, believed to be in connection with corrupt practices involving a top officer of the finance ministry-owned transportation company, MalaysiaNow can confirm.The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has confirmed that an investigation was launched.MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki said the probe is related to several reports it received on the company.“MACC will study this closely to carry out a fair investigation,” he told MalaysiaNow.He did not give further details.When contacted, Prasarana chairman Tajuddin Abdul Rahman told MalaysiaNow that he was unaware of MACC’s raid this morning. However, he said he had been contacted by the commission last week.“They may ask whatever they want to ask,” he said, adding that he would give full cooperation to the anti-graft body.“I have no problem. It’s their job. They are the authority, so there’s no question of resisting them. We will cooperate,” said Tajuddin.Azam said his officers went to Prasarana this morning and seized several documents.He added that MACC will start questioning “relevant witnesses” tomorrow.Recent reports claimed a conflict of interest involving Tajuddin, surrounding a mixed development project with a development value of over RM1 billion.It was reported that Tajuddin wanted to terminate the contract of two companies awarded with constructing Latitud 8, a mixed development on land owned by Prasarana.One of the companies is controlled by his family members: his wife, a son and a daughter.Any move to terminate the contract would mean the company being paid tens of millions of ringgit in compensation.Construction of the project has yet to start despite wide publicity in 2016 hailing it as a transit-oriented development strategically located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur.


Ex-Perlis MB's false claims case transferred to KL for joint hearing

The Kangar Sessions Court today allowed former Perlis menteri besar Azlan Man's case involving five charges of submitting false claims amounting to RM1.185 million to be transferred to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
Judge Norsalha Hamzah made the decision following an application by deputy public prosecutor Rehab Abdul Shukur, from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC). Rehab, after lawyer Burhanudeen Abdul Wahid, representing Azlan, did not object to it.
The prosecution applied for the five cases under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 to be combined and heard together with the other five cases, framed under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001, made against Azlan at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court.
The application, made under Section 165 of the Criminal Procedure Code, was on the grounds that all the cases involved the same witnesses and investigations.
On April 10 this year, Azlan, 64, pleaded not guilty in the Kangar Sessions Court, to five charges of making false claims for an overseas holiday in London amounting to more than RM1.185 million between 2013 and 2017 when there was no such trip made. The charge was framed under Section 18 of the MACC Act 2009 and is liable to be punished under Section 24(2) of the same act.
On conviction, the section provides for imprisonment of up to 20 years and a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the false claims involved or RM10,000, whichever is higher.
Two days later, Azlan was charged in the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with five charges of receiving proceeds from unlawful activities amounting to RM1.06 million. He pleaded not guilty to all the charges and judge Azura Alwi set June 9 for mention.
Azlan was Perlis Menteri Besar from 2013 to 2022. He was Pauh assemblyman from 2013 to 2018, before winning the Bintong state seat in 2018. He failed to defend the seat in the last general election in 2022.


Daily vaccination tally breezes past 200,000 target again

The daily vaccination tally under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme is continuing its positive trend, surpassing the target of 200,000 doses per day again with 204,839 doses administered yesterday.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba in a Twitter post said 196,775 individuals received a first dose of vaccine yesterday, while 8,064 others received a second dose.He said a total of 1,476,753 individuals had completed both doses of vaccine and 3,632,195 had received a first dose, bringing the number of doses administered in the country so far to 5,108,948.The five states with the highest number of fully vaccinated individuals are Selangor with 188,497 doses, followed by Sarawak (169,172), Johor (143,268), Perak (139,623) and Kuala Lumpur (132,417).A total of 215,876 doses of Covid-19 vaccine were administered on Tuesday.According to the daily report on the cumulative number of vaccine registrations on the www.vaksincovid.gov.my web page, a total of 14,637,437 individuals had registered for vaccination as of yesterday.


Messi joining MLS side Inter Miami after PSG exit

Lionel Messi on Wednesday announced he will sign for Major League Soccer side Inter Miami, choosing the US as his next destination over a Barcelona reunion or blockbuster deal to play in Saudi Arabia.
The Argentine forward, 35, has spent the last two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain, playing his final game for the club on Saturday, after moving from Barcelona in 2021, where he spent the majority of his career.
MLS and Inter Miami confirmed the news on social media, although the American league noted "work remains to finalise a formal agreement".
"I've taken the decision that I am going to Miami, I don't have (the deal) 100% sealed or maybe there's something left to do, but we decided to continue our path there," Messi told Spanish newspapers Diario Sport and Mundo Deportivo.
"(I decided) to leave Europe...
"After winning the World Cup and not being able to go to Barca, it's time to go to MLS to live football in a different way and enjoy my day to day life more.
"Obviously with the same responsibility and desire to win, and to do things well, but with more calm."
Messi is a seven-time Ballon d'Or winner and is expected to earn the individual accolade once more after leading Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar in December 2022.
The football world was eagerly awaiting Messi's decision after PSG confirmed this week the playmaker, widely considered the best player in the history of football, was departing.
The romance of a Barcelona return and prospect of eye-watering riches in Saudi Arabia fell by the wayside as Messi opted to join MLS, with sun-soaked Miami a city he has holidayed in on previous occasions.
"If it had been a question of money, I would have gone to Saudi Arabia or elsewhere," said Messi.
"It seemed a lot of money and the truth is that my decision went another way and not for money."
Inter Miami, co-owned by former England international David Beckham and founded in 2018, sacked coach Phil Neville last week with the team bottom of the Eastern Conference.
Some reports say key MLS sponsors including sportswear brand Adidas and Apple TV, who own the league's domestic broadcasting rights, may be contributing to his deal.
Messi, who turns 36 later in June, is now set to finish his club career outside the spotlight of top-level European football.
'Wanted to come back'
Messi said he would have loved to return to Barcelona but was afraid that the financial complications which stopped the Catalan club extending his deal in 2021 would interfere again.
"I really wanted to come back, I was really looking forward to it," continued Messi.
"But, on the other hand, after having lived through what I lived through, after the exit I had... I didn't want to go through the same situation again and have to wait to see what was going to happen.
"I didn't want to leave my future in the hands of others. Somehow, I wanted to make my own decision for myself, for my family.
"Even though I heard that they said that the league had accepted everything and that everything was OK for me to come back... there were still a lot of other things missing.
"I heard that they had to sell players or lower the salaries of (other) players and the truth is that I didn't want to go through that, nor be responsible or have anything to do with all that."
Messi said he plans to live in Barcelona again in the future and be involved with his former side in some way.
"I don't know at what moment and when but hopefully I can return one day to contribute something to the club," he said.
Before that, though, Messi will give the growth of football in the US another jolt of momentum with his arrival, which comes just three years ahead of the 2026 World Cup being co-hosted in the US, Canada and Mexico.
"We look forward to welcoming one of the greatest soccer players of all time to our League," Major League Soccer said in a statement.
Glittering history
Messi joined Barcelona's academy at 13 years old after leaving his homeland.
He became the Catalan club's greatest icon, scoring a record 672 goals in 778 games, winning 35 trophies, including four Champions League triumphs and 10 La Liga titles.
After his unexpected Barcelona departure, Messi linked up in Paris with his former teammate Neymar and Kylian Mbappe in a star-studded attacking trident, but PSG flattered to deceive during his time at the club.
While they won Ligue 1 twice, they suffered two devastating Champions League last 16 exits, with Messi a target for supporters' anger.
Already being booed by supporters, he took an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia where he is a tourism ambassador, and was fined and suspended by PSG.
Messi returned from suspension to play his 75th and final match for PSG last weekend in a defeat by Clermont, during which he was jeered once more and could not add to his tally of 32 goals for the club.
"They were two years, which were in general, difficult for me, but they are behind me now," said Messi.


Record heat roasts the Arctic and many usually moderate places

Meteorologists across the Nordic countries registered near-record temperatures over the weekend, including highs of 34 degrees Celsius in some places, news agencies reported on  Monday.The latest figures came after Finland’s national meteorological institute registered its hottest temperature for June since records began in 1844, when Kevo, in the far north, recorded heat of 33.5 on Sunday, said the STT agency.Several parts of Sweden also reported record highs for last month, climate campaigner Greta Thunberg tweeted.“June 2021 was the hottest June ever recorded in my hometown Stockholm by a large margin. The second hottest June was in 2020. The third in 2019.”She wondered aloud: “Am I sensing a pattern here? Nah, probably just another coincidence.”Nationally, June 2021 was the third-hottest ever recorded in Sweden.And Norway’s meteorological institute registered 34 in Saltdal, a county near the Arctic Circle. That is the highest temperature measured in the country this year, and just 1.6 degrees short of Norway’s all-time record.Several other parts of the world have already experienced crushing heatwaves this year.Last week, the United Nations confirmed a new record high temperature for the frozen Antarctic continent – measured last year – of 18.3 deg Celsius.Canada is battling a string of forest fires in the western province of British Columbia after sweltering under temperatures just short of 50 degrees, a new national record.A day later, residents of the town of Lytton were evacuated just before the town burst into flames which devastated the town.The unprecedented heatwave in the typically mild region, which has claimed hundreds of lives in the US Pacific states of Oregon and neighbouring Washington state, is the latest in a growing list of extreme weather events that have struck globally.Australia, California and Siberia have all recently experienced deadly wildfires caused by extreme heat.In Death Valley, California, the temperature reached a terrifying 53.2 deg Celsius last month, a record high for June.The increased frequency of such weather events raises serious questions, including whether humanity is prepared for the consequences of global warming.The US has suffered a savage combination of heatwaves, droughts and wildfires in recent years, putting immense strain on its infrastructure and drawing promises of action from President Joe Biden.“There is an emerging consensus that this is some kind of new normal,” said Dr Jennifer Vines, lead health officer for Oregon state.As well as this week’s heatwave, she pointed to February’s “snowpocalypse” when the complete opposite extreme caused unprecedented havoc.


561 new cases, two more deaths

A total of 561 new cases were reported today, driving cumulative infections in the country to 15,657.Of these, 553 were local transmissions and eight imported.The bulk of new cases were recorded in Sabah (488) with 26 reported in Selangor and 16 in Kedah.Another two deaths were also recorded, taking the virus toll to 157.Meanwhile, 133 patients were discharged from hospital, pushing total recoveries to 10,913 or 69.70%.Active cases stand at 4,587 with 90 in the ICU and 29 in need of respiratory assistance.


Court throws out Najib’s SRC appeal in unanimous decision

The Court of Appeal has rejected Najib Razak’s appeal against his conviction and sentence for charges related to some RM42 million from SRC International, upholding the High Court’s verdict last year finding the former prime minister guilty of seven counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT), money laundering and abuse of power.A three-man bench led by judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil delivered its judgment in a unanimous decision today.Karim, who sat with Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, described the offences as a national embarrassment, adding that they could not be said to have been done in national interests.He said the bench agreed with the findings of the trial judge that there was clear misappropriation of the RM42 million by Najib for his own use.He also said that Najib’s submissions on donations from Saudi Arabia were untenable, adding that no confirmation was found in the letters submitted by the Pekan MP.“The trial judge did not err in sentence, and we find proper consideration by the trial judge,” he said in affirming the sentence on all charges.This leaves Najib with no choice but to appeal to the Federal Court in a final bid to escape prison and a fine of several hundred million ringgit.Najib, who attended the court proceeding online through Zoom, appeared calm but pensive as the decision was read out.He was convicted in July last year and sentenced to 10 years’ jail for each of the six charges related to CBT and money laundering and 12 years for abuse of power, for which he was also fined RM210 million or five times the amount in question – a total of 72 years.But High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali who handed down the verdict used his discretion to order for the sentences to run concurrently.Karim today said that Najib had relied on reasons given by former attorney-general Apandi Ali, former Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission director-general Zulkifli Ahmad and former treasury chief Irwan Serigar.“The decision of the trial judge was correct in stating that their opinion cannot replace the evidence,” he said when reading out the summary decision.The panel also agreed with Nazlan’s judgment that Najib when he was prime minister had a personal interest in approving a RM4 billion loan from the Retirement Fund to SRC International.Karim said the evidence showed that the RM42 million belonged to SRC International and was transferred to several accounts in order to obscure the flow of funds and to make it difficult to trace before entering Najib’s accounts.The three judges had yesterday rejected Najib’s application to introduce new evidence in his appeal.Najib’s lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah applied for a stay of execution pending further appeal at the apex court.This was granted by Karim after hearing the application from the defence.Farhan Read who is also on Najib’s defence team had said that the former prime minister was still the MP for Pekan and had to carry out his responsibilities.He also said Najib has to defend himself in several other lawsuits including the Inland Revenue Board cast involving RM1.69 billion.


5 questions about new Covid mutations

The emergence in Britain and South Africa of two new variants of Sars-CoV-2, which are potentially far more infectious versions of the virus, has prompted widespread concern. Here is what we know – and what we don’t – about the mutations.What are they?All viruses mutate when they replicate in order to adapt to their environment.Scientists have tracked multiple mutations of Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, since it appeared in China in late 2019.The vast majority of mutations did not materially alter either the virus’s virulence or transmissibility.However, one mutation – variant B117, which likely emerged in southeastern England in September, according to Imperial College London – has now been detected in countries across the world, including the US, France and India.Another variant, 501.V2, was detected in South Africa in October, and has since spread to several nations, including Britain and France.Both have multiple mutations to the virus, most notably on its spike protein – the part of the virus that latches on to human cells and helps it spread.Specifically, the mutated versions have an altered receptor binding domain known as N501Y, which is situated on the virus’ protein spike and which allows easier access to the ACE2 receptor in human cells.This makes the mutated versions potentially more infectious than other strains.The European Centre for Disease Control says that while there is “no clear relationship” between enhanced ACE2 binding and increased transmissibility, “it is plausible that such a relationship exists”.Are they more contagious?Indeed, several recent studies – yet to be peer-reviewed – have concluded that the British variant of Sars-CoV-2 is likely to be far more transmissible than other strains.The NERVTAG expert committee which advises the British government on disease control has estimated the new mutation is between 50% and 70% more transmissible.A team at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) concurs, with experts putting increased transmissibility in the 50-74% range.Last week researchers at Imperial College London released the results of a study into thousands of genetic sequences of Sars-CoV-2 found in Britain between October and December.They found that the new variant had a “substantial transmission advantage”, with a reproduction rate between 0.4 and 0.7 higher than the unmutated virus.Preliminary studies on the South African variant have also concluded it is more contagious than regular Sars-CoV-2.Although initial data seems to confirm that the two new versions are more contagious, experts have urged caution.Bruno Coignard, head of infectious diseases at France’s heath authority Sante Publique France, told AFP that the British variant’s spread was due to “a combination of factors”.“These concern the virus’ characteristics but also prevention and control measures put in place,” he said.Are they more dangerous?There is currently no evidence to suggest that the mutated viruses are any stronger than normal.But increased transmissibility alone poses an enormous problem, given that a small but consistent percentage of Covid-19 patients require hospital care.“Increased transmissibility eventually translates to a far higher incidence rate, and even with the same mortality, this means significant pressure on health systems,” said Coignard.Adam Kucharski, an epidemiologist at LSHTM, said that a virus that is 50% more contagious would be a “much bigger problem” than one that is 50% more deadly.In a Twitter thread, he explained how a disease such as Covid-19, with a reproduction (R) rate of 1.1 – where each patient on average infects 1.1 others – and a mortality rate of 0.8% would be expected to produce 129 deaths within a month.If the mortality rate increased 50%, the number of deaths would rise to 193.But due to the exponential growth in cases with a more contagious variant, a disease with a 50% higher transmission rate would see the death toll hit 978.Arnaud Fontanet, an epidemiologist with France’s science council, admitted on Monday that the new British variant was “extremely concerning right now”.Initial studies also concluded that the British variant was significantly more contagious among young people, which raises the issue of whether or not to keep schools open.The LSHTM study concluded that lockdowns similar to those seen across Britain in November would be insufficent to stem the new variant’s spread “unless primary schools, secondary schools, and universities are also closed”.Will vaccines still work?As vaccination campaigns get underway across the world, is there any reason to fear that the new mutations may not respond to the host of vaccines already on the market?After all, the messenger RNA vaccines developed by Pfizer and Moderna trick the body into reproducing the virus’s spike protein – the precise part of the pathogen that has mutated in the new versions.The ECDC said it was too soon to know if the mutations will impact vaccine efficacy.Last week Henry Walke from the American Centers for Disease Control told reporters that “experts believe our current vaccines will be effective against these strains”.On Monday however, Francois Balloux, professor of Computational Systems Biology and Director at University College London’s Genetics Institute said that the South African variant’s spike protein mutation “helps the virus to bypass immune protection provided by prior infection or vaccination”.German vaccine developer BioNTech has said that if needed it could develop a new vaccine that would work on mutated versions within six weeks.What can we do about them?Coignard said it was impossible to eradicate the new viral variants entirely, although the goal from policymakers should be “maximum delay” of their spread.The ECDC says that in countries currently unaffected by the new mutations, “efforts to delay the spread should mirror those made during the earlier stage of the pandemic”.These include tests and quarantining of new arrivals, contact tracing and limited travel, it said.By sheer luck, certain existing PCR tests can detect the British variant.Fontanet therefore advocated “extremely aggressive surveillance” through widespread testing.“We need to be even more vigilant in our prevention measures to slow the spread of Covid-19 by wearing masks, staying at least six feet apart from people we don’t live with, avoiding crowds, ventilating indoor spaces and washing our hands,” said Walke.


Halftime switch helps Wales snatch US draw with late Bale penalty

Wales' talisman Gareth Bale scored a late penalty as they rallied in the second half to secure a 1-1 draw with the US in an enthralling World Cup Group B clash at a raucous Ahmad bin Ali Stadium on Monday.
It was the proverbial game of two halves as the US went into the break with a deserved 1-0 advantage handed to them following a superb finish by Timothy Weah, the son of former World Player of the Year and current Liberia president George.
But a switch in tactics by Wales at the break to introduce target man Kieffer Moore changed the game and allowed them back into the contest, resulting in Bale scoring the 82nd minute penalty he had earned after being fouled.
"To go a goal behind against a good team like the US, we showed character, credit to the lads for coming back and getting a point," said Wales coach Rob Page.
"When we got the penalty we knew who was taking it, one million percent. He’s never let us down has he? It’s all about Bale and rightly so."
Wales picked up their first point at the World Cup since their last appearance in 1958.
"It was 64 years but worth the wait," Page said. "To see the Red Wall (Wales supporters) celebrating was incredible."
The match was played in a fantastic atmosphere. Forget the valleys, the Welsh fans were drowning out Al Rayyan, but they met their match in the typically vocal American supporters, whose drum barely stopped beating.
No escape
The pattern of the first 45 minutes was US possession and Wales trapped in their own half, unable to find an escape route without a recognised number nine to hold up the ball.
Instead Bale and Dan James alternated down the middle with little joy and whenever they cleared the ball it came straight back. The pressure finally took its toll after 36 minutes.
Christian Pulisic gained possession just inside the Welsh half and surged forward, spotting the clever run of Weah and providing a superbly weighted pass that was expertly finished by the winger as he slipped his shot past Wayne Hennessey.
Page made the key change at halftime when he replaced the ineffective James with the tall and muscular Moore, who was exactly what they had been missing in the opening period.
"It was nothing against Dan James, but the game suited Kieffer to get us up the pitch," Page said. "We played over the top into Kieffer, it was a tactical decision."
Wales were able to apply pressure and went close twice in quick succession. First Ben Davies forced a superb stop from US goalkeeper Matt Turner before Moore headed the resultant corner just over with a chance he should have buried.
Bale penalty
Wales’ pressure paid dividends as they won a penalty when Tim Ream, already on a yellow card for a cynical challenge earlier in the half, went through the back of Bale, who made no mistake from the spot as he thrashed the ball wide of Turner.
"You are going to have a little bit of nerves, but I am confident in my own ability," Bale said. "I am the penalty taker. I have to take the responsibility.
"We were in a similar position in Euro 2020, where we went a goal down (against Switzerland in the opener) and showed our character to come back.
"One thing I know about this team is that we never give up. We keep fighting and we always find a way."
US coach Gregg Berhalter said Wales' switch to a more direct style after halftime was difficult for his side to contain.
"They have a big team and they made it very difficult. They stepped up the pressure," he said.
"But I thought the guys handled it well. We kept it up to the end, it was a hard-fought game and we left everything out there."
Wales head into Friday's game against Iran buoyed by the result, while the US will rue two points dropped from a winning position as they face a crunch clash with impressive England, who earlier thrashed Iran 6-2.


Mahathir to defend Langkawi seat in GE15

Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) founding chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad today confirmed that he would defend his Langkawi parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
Speaking at a press conference after chairing a GTA meeting in Putrajaya, the former prime minister said he would contest as a people’s representative, not as a candidate for prime minister.
"We made the decision that the Langkawi candidate is Dr Mahathir Mohamad, not as a prime minister candidate but as an ordinary people’s representative.
"We have not decided who will be the prime minister as the candidate for prime minister is only relevant if we win (GE15)," he said.
Yesterday, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob announced the dissolution of the 14th Parliament to make way for GE15. In June, Mahathir was reported as saying that he would consider contesting Langkawi in GE15 if there was no suitable candidate.
Mahathir won the Langkawi seat in GE14 with 18,954 votes, defeating Barisan Nasional’s Nawawi Ahmad and Zubir Ahmad of PAS with a 8,863 vote majority.
Mahathir, who is also Pejuang chairman, said the meeting also decided that GTA would contest on a Pejuang ticket as the movement’s registration has yet to be approved by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
"But using the name of Pejuang does not mean the candidate is from Pejuang. Those from GTA are merely managed by Pejuang.
"We also agreed to field 120 or more candidates including in Sabah," he said, adding that the list of candidates will be drawn up by the party president and non-government organisations in GTA.
However, Mahathir said GTA candidates in Kelantan will contest using the flag and logo of Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia (Putra).
GTA, which was set up on Aug 4, submitted its application for registration to the RoS on Aug 18.
It comprises a coalition of four parties, namely Pejuang, Berjasa, Putra and Parti Perikatan India Muslim Nasional (Iman), and is open to NGOs, individuals as well as Malay academics and professionals.
On the movement's strategy for GE15, Mahathir said GTA would be fielding candidates who are corruption and crime-free as well as young women candidates, in line with the implementation of Undi 18 which was first implemented in the Johor election in March.


Big shoes to fill for PN candidate in Muhyiddin’s Gambir seat

For 70 years, Chung Ting Hai has lived in the state constituency of Gambir in Tangkak, Johor.Having worked at a wide variety of jobs throughout his life, he now spends his days selling vegetables and meeting up with friends at the local coffee shop for a quick chat.To him, Muhyiddin Yassin is a familiar name.Apart from turning out to vote at a number of elections, Chung would also attend the programmes held by the former prime minister and Gambir assemblyman.He was taken aback to learn that Muhyiddin would not be defending his seat at the Johor state election on March 12.For him and many other senior voters, the Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman is a household name.“I’ve known him for a long time,” Chung said when met by MalaysiaNow. “He always visits my area. We voted for him in 2018 when he was still with Pakatan Harapan (PH).”But Muhyiddin will not be running in the election this time around. Replacing him as PN’s candidate in the constituency is Bersatu’s Mohd Solihan Badri, the former Tenang assemblyman.Solihan is well aware that he will be contesting the seat for the first time. But having familiarised himself with the area as Bersatu’s division chief in Ledang, he believes this will not stand in his way.“When PH contested here in 2018, I was one of the speakers,” he told MalaysiaNow.“I didn’t serve in Gambir directly, but I have visited many places here.”Mohd Solihan Badri (right) distributes flyers to customers at eateries in Gambir. Solihan has been tasked with defending the Gambir state seat for the coalition in the upcoming state election in Johor.A week into his campaign period, he acknowledges that his biggest challenge will be continuing Muhyiddin’s legacy in the constituency.Muhyiddin, who won the state seat at the 14th general election, was also menteri besar of Johor from 1986 to 1995.He won the Gambir seat on a PKR ticket with a majority of 3,088, defeating M Asojan of Barisan Nasional (BN) and Mahfodz Mohamed of PAS.The state election this time will see Solihan contesting against PKR candidate Naim Jusri, BN’s Sahrizan Jani and Pejuang candidate Suraya Sulaiman.He expects his biggest challenge to come from BN.“It won’t be an easy competition. All of the candidates will have to work hard,” he added.“But the big hurdle for BN is that its candidate is not so sociable even though the coalition’s machinery is strong.”For himself, Solihan believes that voters should take into account his experience as an exco for works, transportation and infrastructure.He is also drawing on his experience in Tenang, where he had worked to help Felda settlers in terms of infrastructure, land grants and funds.His main focus for Gambir includes infrastructure and development issues.“During my time as an exco, the roads here weren’t very good but this has been resolved,” he said.“However, the drainage system still needs to be boosted to prevent flash floods. My goal is also to develop an industrial zone and a mini stadium here.”Other projects that Muhyiddin himself was unable to complete due to the movement control order imposed in March last year include a health centre and vocational training centre.Solihan said he would make it his duty to realise these projects if he is chosen as Gambir assemblyman.Some 22,000 voters in the constituency will head to the polls on March 12, and it is his hope that they will choose a party that prioritises integrity and development as well as good administration.Chung, who will be going to vote as well, is confident that Solihan will be able to continue Muhyiddin’s work in the area.“I don’t really know the others, and I’m not willing to take the risk,” he said. “They might be good at promising but not at keeping their word when they win.”


Blinken says US ‘deeply troubled’ by Israel storming funeral

The US is “deeply troubled” by Israeli police’s intrusion Friday at the funeral of slain Palestinian-American reporter Shireen Abu Akleh, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.“We were deeply troubled to see the images of Israeli police intruding into her funeral procession today,” Blinken said in a statement.“Every family deserves to be able to lay their loved ones to rest in a dignified and unimpeded manner,” he said.“We remain in close contact with our Israeli and Palestinian counterparts and call on all to maintain calm and avoid any actions that could further escalate tensions.”White House press secretary Jen Psaki earlier also called the images “obviously deeply disturbing” and voiced “regret” over the intrusion, without explicitly condemning US ally Israel.Television footage showed pallbearers struggling to stop Abu Akleh’s coffin from falling to the ground as baton-wielding Israeli police officers charged at them, grabbing Palestinian flags from mourners.Abu Akleh, a star journalist for Al Jazeera, was killed as she covered unrest in the Jenin refugee camp in the occupied West Bank.The Qatar-based network alleged that she was deliberately targeted by Israel.Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett initially said that armed Palestinians were “likely” responsible but Israel has since walked back the allegation and said it was investigating.The US has called for a transparent investigation into her killing.


Asia needs a strong America to get involved in the region, but will Biden oblige?

After the Trump years of America First, Asia is wondering what to expect from Joe Biden.A powerful US reach extends to nearly every corner of the Asia-Pacific and affects everything from security to trade to climate change.In his four years in office, President Donald Trump shook the foundations of US relations here as he upended expectations by courting traditional rivals and attacking allies.Now, as Biden looks first to unite a bitterly divided America, there’s worry that Asia will be left on the shelf. Anxious allies fear they will be forgotten and powerful rivals left to do as they like without America wielding the big stick.Beijing’s unabashed expansionist policies and growing military capabilities are worrying China’s much smaller neighbours. North Korea, an irksome minnow in comparison, still has the capacity to cause anxiety in the region.Some countries in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Cambodia, have pivoted toward China because of heavy investment and their need for economic recovery.“It will take time for the US to rebuild trust,” said Bridget Welsh, honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham in Malaysia. “US power will never be what it was.”Richard Heydarian, an analyst in the Philippines told the Associated Press, “Biden is likely to be more wary in his dealings with strongman leaders like the Philippines’ Rodrigo Duterte, Thailand’s Prayut Chan-o-cha and Cambodia’s Hun Sen.“A more cautious Biden could also mean a degree of stability in relations with tricky allies and partners in Southeast Asia and the region,” he said. “We are going to see American leadership but much more in conjunction with regional players and powers, including Japan, Australia, and India.”


Govt mulling RCI on meat cartel

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Zulkifli Mohamad Al-Bakri today assured that the government is committed to addressing the issue of imported frozen meat bearing fake halal logos as soon as possible, including through the possibility of setting up a royal commission of inquiry (RCI).Zulkifli, the minister in charge of religious affairs, said discussions have begun and will continue until the issue is resolved.“We will discuss with Jakim (Department of Islamic Development Malaysia), Halal Jakim and several ministries to see where the weaknesses are for us to fix.“I promise immediate action will be taken within Jakim’s standards and jurisdiction,” he told reporters after inspecting a centre for imported frozen meat in Kuala Lumpur today.On the setting up of the RCI, Zulkifli asked to be given time to discuss it first.“We need to do an in-depth study. But it will not take long, two or three days or a week for us to see the response and information on the things that we can tackle immediately,” he said.The media had reported that a meat cartel was believed to be involved in smuggling non-certified meat from China, Ukraine, Brazil and Argentina before repackaging it with fake halal labels at a warehouse in Senai, Johor.