‘Premier’ for Sarawak just cosmetic but will boost popularity, say analysts

Analysts are unconvinced that the recent move in Sarawak to replace the title of “chief minister” with “premier” will help reinstate the rights of the Bornean state despite assurances by its leaders that the change will reflect its special status in the federation.The amendment was part of the Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2022, passed after its third reading in the state legislative assembly on Tuesday with a two-thirds majority.The constitutional change paved the way for Abang Johari Openg to become the first premier in the country.But political analyst Azmil Mohd Tayub said the title mostly indicated the maintainance of Sarawak’s status quo.“I don’t think there will be any discernible impact on federal-state relations,” he told MalaysiaNow, describing it as a “populist move” aimed at the Sarawak public.State Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, who presented the bill, said it would reflect Sarawak’s status in the federation, in line with the recent amendments to the Federal Constitution under the provisions of the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).Azmil however said that the move would only boost the popularity of the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak coalition.“Other states do not enjoy similar autonomy and the federal arrangements accorded by MA63 like Sarawak does,” he added.“So I don’t think the move will have any effect on other states.”Analyst Oh Ei Sun of SIngapore’s Institute of International Affairs agreed.He said the move would only have significant political consequences if the premier position enabled Sarawak to reinstate its powers on its territorial and oil and gas rights.“It really doesn’t matter to the federal government of the day as long as they continue to receive the undivided parliament,” he said.“The other states will adopt a wait-and-see attitude, to see if and when Sarawak really gets to the meat of the latter – the devolution of essential centralised powers to the various states, together with the proportional reversion of taxes mostly collected by the federal authority.”The Constitution of the State of Sarawak (Amendment) Bill 2022 received the support of 67 assemblymen in the legislative assembly.Even before the bill was passed, the then Perikatan Nasional government had in 2019 issued a directive to replace all references to “state” with “region” for Sabah and Sarawak.Muhyiddin Yassin, who was prime minister at the time, said during his visit to Sarawak in April last year that Sarawak was a region or “wilayah”.“From now on, we should not forget that Sarawak is a ‘region’, ‘wilayah’. I feel like it is a great region. I can’t say it’s a state because it’s big though the population is not big,” he had said.While the change in title might be devoid of any significant impact, James Chin, an observer of politics in the state, said it could spark concern in the peninsula if Sabah follows suit.“Abang Johari is sending a signal that Sabah and Sarawak are different from other states,” he said.“States in Malaya will understand this is symbolic, but I suspect the ordinary people, especially the Malays, may not be happy about this.“They might get worried about seeing Sarawak pushing further and further away from the federation and setting up a little kingdom in the Malaysian federation.”


Africa heads for second wave amid vaccine worries

The African continent has just passed the milestone of two million confirmed Covid-19 cases as a top public health official warned on Thursday that “we are inevitably edging toward a second wave of infections”.The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said the 54-nation continent has seen more than 48,000 deaths. Its infections and deaths make up less than 4% of the global total.The African continent of 1.3 billion people is being warned against “prevention fatigue” as more countries ease pandemic restrictions to bolster their suffering economies, reports AP.“If we relent, then all the sacrifices we made over the past 10 months will be wiped away,” Africa CDC director John Nkengasong told reporters at a press conference.While the world takes hope from promising vaccines, African health officials worry the continent will suffer as richer countries buy up supplies.Nkengasong noted that the Pfizer vaccine requires storage at -70 degrees Celsius, and warned this is a problem as richer countries will be much better equipped to handle the vaccines quickly.A storage network capable of such temperatures was put in place for West Africa’s Ebola outbreak a few years ago but did not cover the whole continent. Nkengasong told AP, “If we were to deploy across the whole of Africa, it would be extremely challenging. Let’s hope in the coming weeks other vaccines will show more ease of distribution in resource-limited settings like Africa.”The Moderna vaccine requires storage at -20 degrees Celsius, which Nkengasong called promising. But the price of any vaccine is another factor in its fair distribution, he said. “So if a vaccine is US$40 it becomes exclusive to countries able to afford it.”Early data from a vaccine perception survey in 11 African countries show 81% of respondents would accept a vaccine, he said. “So that’s very, very encouraging news.”Several African countries have confirmed virus cases in the six figures. South Africa leads with more than 750,000, while Morocco has more than 300,000, Egypt more than 110,000 and Ethiopia more than 100,000.Kenya is seeing a surge in cases. At least four doctors died on Saturday alone, leading a powerful health union in the country to threaten a nationwide strike.The African continent has conducted 20 million coronavirus tests since the pandemic began, but shortages of tests mean the true number of infections is unknown.


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Govt studying need to extend CMCO until year-end, says minister

The government will study the need to extend the conditional movement control order (CMCO) until the end of the year if Covid-19 cases continue to increase, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Redzuan Yusof.He also said preventive measures should be taken to reduce the number of cases to a minimum level, or to reach the stage of zero new cases.“The government is aware of the hardships faced by the people during this economic downturn due to Covid-19.“That’s why the SOPs are constantly updated and improved according to the needs of the people.“It is for the survival of the people… by allowing social and economic activities (to resume) and, at the same time, we can fight the Covid-19 virus,” he said when winding up the debate on the Supply Bill 2021 in the Dewan Rakyat today.As such, Redzuan said, there should be no issue of giving some flexibility to traders in Sabah as all economic sectors are allowed to operate during the CMCO period.On the proposal to reduce the number of ministers and deputy ministers as part of austerity measures, he said there was no need for this as the number of ministers under the Perikatan Nasional government is not much different from the previous government.“The government has also decided that all members of the administration, including the prime minister, senior ministers, ministers and deputy ministers, will contribute not 10% but two months of their salaries to the Covid-19 Fund to help those affected by the pandemic.“The government also welcomes all parties, including MPs, to come forward and contribute in whatever capacity they have to ease the burden of the people in facing Covid-19 as well as aid efforts to revive the country’s economy,” he said.


Myanmar footballer in Malaysia punished over anti-coup salute

A Myanmar footballer playing for a Selangor club has been hit with a one-match ban for flashing the three-finger salute used by anti-coup protesters during a game, an official said Tuesday.Hein Htet Aung, who plays for second-division side Selangor FC II, made the political gesture during a match against PDRM FC in early March.A picture of him flashing the symbol went viral, and he was found to have broken rules prohibiting offensive gestures or language, the Football Association of Malaysia said, adding that his conduct was “unsportsmanlike”.Hein Htet Aung was banned from playing in a game against Perak FC II this Friday, and could face heavier penalties if he repeats the offence.“Football must be above race, religion and politics,” Baljit Singh Sidhu, chairman of the association’s disciplinary committee, told AFP.“Football must be used to unite people and not to divide them – and should not take sides with anybody.”The three-finger salute, inspired by the Hunger Games films, has become a symbol of resistance in Asia, first used widely by Thai pro-democracy protesters last year.It was also adopted by pro-democracy demonstrators in Myanmar after the military seized power and detained civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi in February.The coup triggered massive protests nationwide but the military has used increasing brutality to quell the movement, with over 500 killed in the crackdown so far.


The king and us

The Agong’s refusal to accede to the prime minister’s request to declare an emergency has triggered keen excitement over his role in the constitution.Some argue that the king has no role and must abide by what the government of the day wants.Others say that he is empowered to overrule any decision proposed by the Cabinet, and that it’s a matter of his personal discretion.Yet others assert that while the king must (generally) act on the Cabinet’s advice, he has residual powers and can act as he deems fit in the best interest of the country – a check and balance role.How may these seemingly irreconcilable contentions be resolved? Perhaps we must go back to the fundamentals.The constitution is founded on the rule of law, which envisages a separation of powers encapsulated in three organs: the executive, the legislative, and the judiciary. These represent the governing architecture of the country.Our highest judiciary has entrenched this as an inviolate basic structure of the constitution. The grant and exercise of other powers is subsidiary to this governing structure, to help reinforce it. No more, no less.The king rules and the government governs. After all the government has the wherewithal – access to information, and the machinery of state – which the king does not.The Agong is a constitutional monarch, and is obliged to act on the advice of the Cabinet in all matters relating to governance as stated in Articles 40(1) and (1A) of the constitution.The functions where he may act in his discretion are explicitly stated in Article 40(2): the appointment of a PM, the withholding of consent for the dissolution of Parliament on the PM’s request; and a matter not relevant here regarding the requisition of a meeting by the Conference of Rulers.Those attributing extended or residual powers of the king point to the concluding phrase in the article: “and in any other case mentioned in this constitution”.This cannot be open-ended. They must be expressly provided for.The constitution enumerates a vast panoply of powers for the Agong. Executive authority is vested in him (Article 39); he is part of the legislature (44); he appoints members of the judiciary (122B); he is the supreme commander of the armed forces (41), and countless other roles assigned to him by the constitution.So too in the matter of the proclamation of emergency. This is despite the wording of Article 150(1) that he “may” declare an emergency if “satisfied” that a grave situation exists.These words, seemingly bestowing discretionary powers, also appear elsewhere.Article 92 says that the Agong may, if “…satisfied that it is conducive to the national interest”, proclaim any area for which a development plan be put in place. This paves the way for Parliament to override state jurisdiction.Article 92(3) defines development plan as a plan for the development, improvement, or conservation of the natural resources of a development area, the exploitation of such resources, or the increase of means of employment in the area.If the same interpretation is accorded to this article as for the emergency proclamation article, the king is given final determining authority to trigger Parliament into enacting development plans for any state. And this determination he makes without the aid and support of a whole functioning government machinery.Thus a contextual and realistic reading of the constitution shows that the Agong is assigned these roles as the head of state not as head of government. He does not participate in the actual functioning of these governmental organs, nor will he have the operational knowledge to do so.His role is, in the words of a famous constitutional commentator, Bagehot, to be consulted, to encourage and to warn, except where the functions are spelt out explicitly as stated earlier, as well as in matters of Islam of which the king and rulers are heads. And they act in accordance with practices (“conventions”), many of which are expressly provided for in the constitution.Our highest Federal Court has made this crystal clear, pointedly in declaring an emergency.In Abdul Ghani Ali v PP (2001), it ruled as firmly established that “the king does not have a personal discretion under Art 150(1) of the constitution but has at all times to act on Cabinet advice”.This affirmed the earlier Privy Council decision that the king “is required in all executive functions to act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet”, including where the power is expressed to be exercisable where he is satisfied that a particular state of affairs exists (Teh Cheng Poh v PP).Declaring an emergency is, undoubtedly, an executive function.There is an imperative need to quieten the voices on the role of the monarchy. Clearly, no ruler desires to become, in Asquith’s phrase, “the football of contending factions”” Who is to fulfil this task?When the then-sultan of Perak assumed the right to decide on who had the confidence of the majority in the state assembly to rule the state in the 2010 crisis case, it was ultimately the courts that played a key role in delineating the various strands of power and authority. And they broke new ground indeed.Perhaps that’s where heads are now turned, to stymie any hurt to our constitutional construct.“A little fire is quickly trodden out; Which being suffer’d rivers cannot quench” (Shakespeare, in “Henry VI”).Gurdial Singh Nijar is a former law professor, now a practising lawyer.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


'All Quiet,' 'Everything Everywhere' land Oscar trophies

A German remake of World War One epic "All Quiet on the Western Front" won the Oscar on Sunday for international feature, and multiverse adventure "Everything Everywhere All at Once" claimed two acting trophies at the film industry's highest honors.
Both movies were in the running for the coveted best picture prize at the Academy Awards, where celebrities gathered to celebrate a year that brought crowds back to theaters.
"All Quiet," which streamed on Netflix, depicts the horrors of trench warfare through the eyes of a young man initially keen to join the fight.
Director Edward Berger thanked the film's young star, Felix Kammerer, who joined him on stage.
"This was your first movie, and you carried us on your shoulders as if it was nothing," Berger said. The film also won Oscars for original score, cinematography and production design.
Ke Huy Quan, a onetime child star who gave up acting for two decades, and Hollywood veteran Jamie Lee Curtis won supporting actor and actress for their roles in the offbeat "Everything Everywhere."
A weeping Quan, who was born in Vietnam, kissed his gold Oscar statuette as he held it on stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles in front of the biggest names in show business.
"My journey started on a boat," Quan said. "I spent a year in a refugee camp. Somehow I ended up here on Hollywood's biggest stage."
As a boy, Quan starred in a 1984 "Indiana Jones" movie and "The Goonies" in 1985. The 51-year-old said he had quit acting for years because he saw little opportunity for Asian actors on the big screen.
"They say stories like this only happen in the movies," he added. "I cannot believe it's happening to me. This is the American dream."
Quan's co-star Jamie Lee Curtis, who built a career in horror films such as "Halloween," won best supporting actress for playing a frumpy tax auditor named Deirdre Beaubeirdre.
Curtis, 64, looked upward and addressed her late parents, Academy award nominees Tony Curtis and Janet Leigh. "I just won an Oscar," she said through tears.
Crisis response team on hand
A crisis response team was on hand in case of an unexpected twist. The group was formed after Will Smith smacked Chris Rock on stage last year, tarnishing the film industry's most prestigious ceremony.
At the start of the show, two US military aircraft flew over the Oscars theater, and host Jimmy Kimmel landed on the stage by parachute, in a tribute to best picture nominee "Top Gun: Maverick."
Comedian Kimmel joked in his opening monologue about the audience reaction to Smith's attack last year.
"If anything unpredictable or violent happens at the ceremony, just do what you did last year - nothing," he told the crowd of A-list celebrities. "Maybe give the assailant a hug."
Kimmel also brought a surprise guest: Jenny, the scene-stealing donkey from best picture nominee "The Banshees of Inisherin."
Guillermo del Toro's "Pinocchio" was named best animated feature.
The film "Navalny," about the poisoning that nearly killed Alexei Navalny, Russia's most prominent opposition leader, and his detention since his 2021 return to Moscow, won the Oscar for best feature documentary.
"Alexei, I am dreaming of the day when you will be free and our country will be free," his wife, Yulia Navalnaya, said on stage. "Stay strong my love."
The 95th Academy Awards ceremony was broadcast live on Walt Disney Co's DIS.N ABC network. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences hoped to move past the slap and stage a glitzy show and boost sagging TV ratings.
Last year, the television audience for the Academy Awards ranked as the second-lowest ever.
Ahead of the awards, nominees dressed in designer gowns and tuxedos touted their movies on a champagne carpet in place of the traditional red.
Several of 2022's biggest hits at the multiplex were competing in the best picture race, from "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Everything Everywhere" to "Elvis" and "Avatar: The Way of Water."
Michelle Yeoh of "Everything Everywhere" was set to face off in the best actress category with Cate Blanchett, who played a devious orchestra conductor in "Tar." Best actor may be a toss-up between "Elvis" star Austin Butler and Brendan Fraser, who played a severely obese man in "The Whale."
Winners are voted on by the roughly 10,000 actors, producers, directors and film craftspeople who make up the film academy.


Zoom earnings strong at close of pandemic-plagued year

The Zoom video conferencing platform on Monday reported a strong finish to its fiscal year as revenue and use soared due to the pandemic.The quarterly earnings report came with a forecast by the company that it will grow some 40% in the current year despite the likelihood that vaccines will make remote work and school less of a necessity.Zoom video conferences have become a centerpiece of life during the pandemic, as people use them for jobs, education, and socialising.“The fourth quarter marked a strong finish to an unprecedented year for Zoom,” chief executive Eric Yuan said in an earning release.“We are humbled by our role as a trusted partner and an engine for the modern work-from-anywhere environment.”Zoom took in revenue of US$882.5 million during the fiscal quarter that ended Jan 31, in a 369% increase from the same period a year earlier before lifestyles went remote due to Covid-19.Net income in the quarter was US$260.4 million compared to US$15.3 million in the same period a year earlier, according to the earnings report.Zoom said that at the end of January it had approximately 467,100 customers with workforces of more than 10 employees, an increase of 470% from the same quarter the prior year.“Our ability to rapidly respond and execute drove strong financial results throughout the year,” Yuan said.“We believe we are well positioned for strong growth with our innovative video communications platform.”Zoom expected revenue of US$900 million to US$905 million in the current fiscal quarter, and revenue of at least US$3.7 billion this fiscal year.Zoom shares were up more than 8% in after-market trades that follow release of the earnings figures.


PN announces Mas Ermieyati as CM candidate

Perikatan Nasional (PN) today announced Tanjung Bidara candidate Mas Ermieyati Samsudin as its choice for chief minister in the event that it wins the Melaka state election, bringing her one step closer to becoming Malaysia’s first woman head of state.PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin made the announcement in a press conference at the coalition’s headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.He said she had been chosen as the candidate for chief minister due to her track record as a clean and popular leader as well as an experienced politician.“I have also gone to the ground and found that Melaka voters who are very knowledgeable in politics want a competent leader. They did not mention man or woman, they just want a clean person who can work,” he said.On her position in the Cabinet as a deputy minister, he said she would have to resign from the post if she is appointed as chief minister.“She will have to resign as she cannot hold two posts in the federal and state governments,” he said.Mas Ermieyati, who faces Barisan Nasional’s Ab Rauf Yusoh and Pakatan Harapan’s Zainal Hassan in a three-way contest for Tanjung Bidara, is a two-term MP for Masjid Tanah.The Masjid Tanah Bersatu division chief was also the Puteri Umno chief before leaving the party in July 2018, two months after the 14th general election.She applied to join Bersatu in mid-December 2018 and was confirmed as a party member later that month.PN is contesting all 28 seats in the Melaka state legislative assembly.


Proton market share hits 7-year high with 11,873 units delivered in February

Proton Holdings Bhd delivered 11,873 cars in February (domestic and export) to reach a seven-year market high, equivalent to 27.1% of the automotive market share, the highest since September 2013.Proton said in a statement today that it finished the month ranked second in Malaysia with sales nearly doubling the January 2021 total of 5,964 units.“Compared with the same month in 2020, volume has grown by 19.9%, though overall, the total for the first two months of the year is still 643 units or 3.5% behind last year’s cumulative total,” it said, adding that its second SUV, the Proton X50 which was launched on Oct 27, 2020, had achieved a new monthly high with 3,345 units delivered in February.Proton said a total of 1,475 units of the Proton X70 were also delivered in February, the highest for a C-segment SUV, while the company sold a combined total of 4,820 SUVs, its best-ever performance and the most for any brand in the country.“The model with the highest sales, however, is still the Proton Saga. With 4,217 units delivered, the A-segment sedan remains a popular choice among car buyers who value its combination of practicality, attractive design and value for money proposition.“The sedan also spread its wings by being the first Proton model to go on sale in Kenya on Feb 25, where it is locally assembled by Proton’s partner Simba Corporation.“Other Proton models also performed well. The Proton Persona regained its leadership in the B-segment sedan category by finishing the month with 1,818 units delivered, beating its highly acclaimed newer rivals in the process,” it said.It added that the Proton Exora remained at the head of the C-segment MPV market while the Proton Iriz grabbed third place for B-segment hatchbacks.Proton Edar CEO Roslan Abdullah said February continued to be a difficult month for Malaysia’s automotive industry although it turned out well for Proton as it was able to produce more cars and in so doing begin clearing its backlog of orders during the movement control order (MCO) period.“This is important as we need to consistently deliver on the bookings made to avoid a rush before the Penjana incentives expire at the end of June this year.“The automotive sector continues to be vibrant with exciting new model launches sure to spark consumer interest and create healthy competition among Proton and other brands, but we will continue to be cautious even as we push forward to avoid infection rates flaring up again and disrupting operations,” he said.Proton said this month also saw the launch of four special edition models. The Proton Persona and Exora Black Edition as well as the Proton Saga and Iriz R3 Limited Edition were unveiled online on Feb 18 and received a total of 1,169 bookings from a total production run of just 3,500 units as of Feb 26.This year, Proton’s focus is on the improvement of the entire after-sales value chain so that customers can enjoy a premium brand experience after buying their cars.“Proton admits that some aspects of our business have not been able to keep up with our recent successes. We have experienced integration issues and customers requiring accident repairs as well as regular servicing have faced delays.“We are working on these issues around the clock to overcome them in the shortest time possible, but for now, I urge all Proton owners facing delays to please contact our customer care hotline at 1-800-88-8398,” Roslan said.


Zahid says trusted former aide to handle personal, foundation accounts

Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday that he thought well of Major Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly and had trusted her to manage his personal accounts as well as the account of his charity outfit Yayasan Akalbudi. Zahid, 69, said his former executive secretary was also entrusted with managing the payment of his water and electricity bills and that at all times, he would seek Mazlina's help in managing various personal financial matters, including the payment of his credit cards bills.
"Usually, I would ask Mazlina for the debit or credit amount for my credit cards before the payments were made.
"I didn't have the time to contact the bank myself to ask about my credit card statements because I was too busy with my duties of helping manage the country. So I trusted Mazlina to manage all that," he said in his defence proceedings for 47 charges of breach of trust, corruption and money laundering.
When asked by deputy public prosecutor Raja Rozela Raja Toran if he paid serious attention to his credit card payments, Zahid replied: "Yes, true."
Raja Rozela: And if this is true, did Datuk Seri ask Mazlina to show the credit card statements before payment was made?
Zahid: Each time I asked, she (Mazlina) would say she had the statements, but they were never shown to me.
Raja Rozela: Didn’t Datuk Seri want to know how much Datuk Seri owed the bank?
Zahid: All payments and purchases have receipts so I knew the amount. My instruction was that the payments had to come from my personal account.
In the previous proceeding, Zahid denied that he had pointed the finger at Mazlina over the settlement of his personal credit card bills using foundation cheques in order to absolve himself.
Earlier, Zahid confirmed that he used six credit cards to make payments for his personal expenses during official visits abroad between 2013 and 2016, including to the UK, Australia, South Korea, the US and Italy, as well as for several purchases in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya.
Asked by Raja Rozela if he was abroad every month between 2013 and 2016, Zahid replied: "Yes." He said at the time, he had held the positions of home minister (2013-2018) and deputy prime minister (2015-2018).
"Almost every month I would be abroad for official business," he said.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today.


Lifting of chicken export ban to be decided after review of data, says minister

Any decision to lift the export ban on chicken and on the setting of new ceiling prices for chicken and eggs will only be finalised after the relevant ministries and agencies submit their reports on the status of the supply and demand to the Special Task Force on Jihad Against Inflation.
Taskforce chairman Annuar Musa said those responsible, including the Veterinary Services Department (DVS) and the Department of Statistics Malaysia (DOSM), had been given a week to present their findings to the committee.
Although many poultry breeders have requested that the ban be lifted following high demand from Singapore, Annuar asked all parties to be patient and to allow the taskforce to assess the findings to ensure that everything is under control.
"Whether to export or not, and whether the current subsidy mechanism will continue, these will only be decided after the submission of detailed reports.
"We take the approach that everything must be based on the latest data findings, and a clear formula on the real local demand and the quantity to be exported should the ban be lifted.
"There is no need for any speculation at this time as we will look at data and methods that will not burden the public," he said at a media conference after chairing the taskforce meeting in Putrajaya yesterday.
Annuar said the new price of chickens and eggs after Aug 31 will include input from the DVS and DOSM, including the availability of imported chicken, chicken produced locally and the quantum of chicken that can be re-exported.
He said DOSM had been tasked with making computations based on field studies regarding the actual production cost for every chicken produced in the country.
"That figure is important for the taskforce to determine a reasonable ceiling price to ensure that we can control prices effectively, and to be fair to poultry breeders who are susceptible to pressures of production costs, especially those related to imported products such as feed," he said.
The DVS, meanwhile, has been asked to determine the relationship between the supply of imported chicken, imported chicken kept as buffer stock, and imported chicken in the market, taking into consideration the price of chicken produced in the market to determine total existing stocks at any given time and the total needed for export, he added.
"Once these figures are presented to the taskforce, we can decide whether to review the chicken export ban and on allowing the importation of chicken without approved permits as announced previously," he said.
On July 29, Agriculture and Food Industry Minister Ronald Kiandee was reported to have said that the government would review the ceiling retail price of standard chickens and the chicken export ban after the end of the implementation of the ceiling price of RM9.40 per kg for chicken in Peninsular Malaysia on Aug 31.


Taiwan president quits as party head after China threat bet fails to win votes

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen resigned as head of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) on Saturday after her strategy to frame local elections as showing defiance to China's rising bellicosity failed to pay off and win public support.
The elections for mayors, county chiefs and local councillors are ostensibly about domestic issues such as the Covid-19 pandemic and crime, and those elected will not have a direct say on China policy.
But Tsai had recast the election as being more than a local vote, saying the world is watching how Taiwan defends its democracy amid military tensions with China, which claims the island as its territory.
The main opposition party the Kuomintang, or KMT, was leading or claimed victory in 13 of the 21 city mayor and county chief seats up for grabs, including the capital Taipei, compared to the DPP's five, broadly in line with expectations and similar to the results of the last local elections in 2018.
"The results failed our expectations. We humbly accept the results and accept the Taiwanese people's decision," Tsai told reporters at party headquarters as she quit as party head, which she also did after 2018's poor results.
"It's not like the DPP has never failed before," Tsai, who will continue serving as president until 2024, added. "We don't have time to feel sorry. We fell, but we will stand up again."
Tsai said she had rejected a resignation offer from Premier Su Tseng-chang, also a senior DPP member, adding she had asked him to stay in office to ensure her policies would be properly implemented.
The Cabinet said Su had agreed to stay due to the need for stability amid the "arduous" domestic and international situation.
China's Taiwan Affairs Office said the result showed that mainstream Taiwanese public opinion was for peace, stability and "a good life", and that Beijing would keep working with Taiwan's people to promote peaceful relations and to oppose Taiwan independence and foreign interference.
Both the DPP and KMT, which traditionally favours close ties with China though strongly denies being pro-Beijing, had concentrated their campaign efforts in wealthy and populous northern Taiwan, especially Taipei, whose mayor from the small Taiwan People's Party could not run again due to term limits.
The KMT has accused Tsai and the DPP of being overly confrontational with China, and of trying to besmirch the party for being "red" – a reference to the colours of the Chinese Communist Party.
It focused its campaign on criticising the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially after a surge in cases this year.
KMT chairman Eric Chu celebrated their victory, but said they would also protect Taiwan's freedoms.
"We will insist on defending the Republic of China and protecting democracy and freedom," he told reporters, using Taiwan's official name. "We will also work hard to keep regional peace."
China carried out war games near Taiwan in August to express anger at a visit to Taipei by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi, and its military activities have continued, though on a reduced scale.
The election took place a month after the 20th congress of China's Communist Party, where President Xi Jinping secured an unprecedented third term in office – a point Tsai repeatedly made on the campaign trail.
Focus will now turn to the 2024 presidential and parliament election, which Tsai and the DPP won by a landslide in 2020 on a pledge to stand up to China and defend Taiwan's freedoms.
Tsai is serving her second term in office and cannot stand again as president because of term limits.


India opens to tourists after 20 months

India on Monday opened to foreign tourists from countries with reciprocal agreements after a 20-month ban because of the Covid-19 pandemic.Tour operators said, however, that demand was extremely sluggish due to high ticket prices and remaining restrictions on travellers from Britain, China and elsewhere.The country famous for the Taj Mahal, desert palaces and tiger reserves barred all foreign tourists in March 2020 as the pandemic intensified.But after a devastating spike in Covid-19 cases earlier this year, the number of known infections has fallen sharply and the government, under pressure from an industry that is an important pillar of the economy, last month announced a loosening.Tourist visas were issued for fully vaccinated foreigners from countries with reciprocal arrangements arriving on charter flights from Oct 15.This was widened to include other flights on Monday.Visitors from the approved countries can acquire a tourist visa online and need only monitor their health for 14 days after arrival.But those from Britain, the European Union, China, Brazil, South Africa and elsewhere are subject to additional measures including Covid tests on arrival.The first half a million visas were also free.Rajeev Mehra, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, said that arrivals were expected to reach only around 5% of pre-pandemic levels in the coming months.“We are getting inquiries and we are giving them quotations but when they see expensive airfares, they tell us will try and come later,” Mehra told AFP.“If things remain stable globally, we expect a full house during October 2022 season.”Goa, a popular tourist destination in southern India, will see its first charter flight from Britain land on Dec 13, the Times of India reported in late October.


Myanmar court jails Suu Kyi six years for corruption, source says

A court in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to six years in prison on Monday after finding her guilty in four corruption cases, a source with knowledge of the proceedings said.
The 77-year-old Nobel laureate and figurehead of Myanmar's opposition to military rule has been charged with at least 18 offences ranging from graft to election violations, carrying combined maximum jail terms of nearly 190 years.
Suu Kyi had called the accusations absurd and denies all charges against her.
She was found guilty on Monday of misusing funds from the Daw Khin Kyi Foundation - an organisation she founded promoting health and education - to build a home, and leasing government-owned land at a discounted rate, the source said.
Suu Kyi, who is being held in solitary confinement in a jail in the capital Naypyitaw, had already been sentenced to 11 years prison in other cases.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since last year when the military overthrew an elected government led by Suu Kyi's party, after it won a general election, and led a deadly crackdown on dissent.
Tens of thousands of people have been jailed and many tortured, beaten or killed, in what the United Nations has called crimes against humanity.
The international community has imposed sanctions on the military and dismissed Suu Kyi's secretive trials as farcical.
"It's a massive assault against her rights, and part of the campaign to bury her and the NLD forever," said Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, referring to her ousted party, the National League for Democracy.
The military government's spokesperson Zaw Min Tun could not be reached for comment on Monday. It has previously said Suu Kyi is being given due process by an independent judiciary and rejects foreign criticism as interference.
The daughter of the leader of Myanmar's campaign for independence from British colonial led the country for five years during a brief period of tentative reforms before being forced from power in the February 2021 coup.
The military has ruled for five of the past six decades.


Polish writer facing prison for calling president ‘a moron’ over US election result

A popular Polish writer is facing a potential sentence of up to three years in prison for calling the nation’s president “a moron” on Facebook.Author Jakub Zulczyk said he believes that he is probably “the first writer in this country in a long time to be tried for what they wrote”.He had criticised the manner in which Polish President Andrzej Duda – a close ally of former president Donald Trump – had reacted to the electoral victory of President Joe Biden last year.Zulczyk wrote on Facebook on Monday that a district prosecutor in Warsaw had filed an indictment against him based on part of the Penal Code that makes it a crime to insult the head of state.The president’s spokesman told the Interia news site on Tuesday that neither the president nor his office had made any request for the writer to be charged.People have been charged in the past for insulting previous Polish presidents in the post-communist era under the country’s broad insult laws.The case comes amid what many see as an erosion of democratic standards in Poland since a right-wing populist party, Law and Justice, won power in 2015.Critics accuse the authorities of aggressively harnessing prosecutorial powers on behalf of those in power.The comment that led to the charges concerns a critical response by Zulczyk to a congratulatory tweet by Duda after US media called the election for Biden on Nov 7 but before it was officially declared.Duda offered his congratulations to Biden, “for a successful presidential campaign. As we await the nomination by the Electoral College, Poland is determined to upkeep high-level and high-quality PL-US strategic partnership for an even stronger alliance”.At the time of Duda’s tweet, many other European leaders were offering full-fledged congratulations to Biden. At home, Duda was criticised by many for suggesting that Biden’s victory was not certain and that the Electoral College could still change the result.That same day, Zulczyk wrote on Facebook that as someone with a master’s degree in American studies, he had never heard of a “nomination by the Electoral College” in the US system. He said the Democratic candidate had clearly won the election.“Joe Biden is the 46th president of the United States. Andrzej Duda is a moron,” he wrote.Prosecutors say they made their indictment based on the complaint of a private individual.


Hong Kong activists in Britain speak out despite safety fears after arrest warrants

Two Hong Kong activists living in Britain, who were subjects of arrest warrants for alleged national security offences, said on Wednesday they will continue to highlight China's crackdown on freedoms despite fears for their safety.
Hong Kong police issued arrest warrants for eight overseas-based activists on Monday, accusing them of national security offences, including foreign collusion, and offered rewards for information leading to their arrest.
Christopher Mung, a trade union activist, said this was an attempt to strike fear in pro-democracy activists both in Hong Kong and overseas that would not work.
"If we stop what we're doing because of the fear, because of this type of intimidation, we are actually going to encourage the Chinese government to do more intimidation, to do more arrest warrants, and that is unacceptable," he told reporters in Britain's parliament.
Hong Kong police have offered rewards of US$127,656 (about RM600,000) for information leading to each possible arrest.
The activists are wanted under a national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.
Bob Seely, a British member of parliament who hosted the briefing, said the arrest warrants were "a Communist fatwa" intended to intimidate pro-democracy activists from Hong Kong and the British government by putting pressure on officials to distance themselves from them.
"This is part of a much wider issue about how we deal with an increasingly authoritarian and aggressive Chinese state," he said.
Finn Lau, another activist now based in Britain, told Reuters he will continue to speak out.
"We have to keep on fighting on behalf of those who cannot. I've got friends detained in Hong Kong prisons. We got well, lots of Hong Kongers who want to do something in Hong Kong, but they couldn't because of the invisible red line set by the authorities," he said.
Lau said he would like to meet with British officials from the Home Office, who are in charge of policing, because he is worried about what could happen to him.
In the past, Lau said he has been followed from public events in Britain and Home Office officials ignored a previous request to meet to discuss his situation.
"To be honest, I don’t feel that safe to be in the UK," he said. "Years ago, I tried to contact the Home Office to talk about cases of harassment, but so far I have not got even a single meeting."
A spokesman for the Home Office said attempts by foreign governments to "coerce, intimidate, harass or harm their critics overseas" are unacceptable and the government is currently reviewing its approach to transnational repression.


Man causes outage in China after sit-ups on power pole

A man in China scaled a utility pole to do sit-ups off the top of it, stunning onlookers and causing a power cut to thousands of homes, media said Tuesday.The unnamed man was taken away by police following his antics on Sunday evening on the outskirts of the southwestern city of Chengdu, the People’s Daily said.It published a video on the Twitter-like Weibo showing the man suspended about 10m in the air as he did a stomach crunch off the top of the pylon.“The local power company initiated an emergency power cut… affecting tens of thousands of households,” the People’s Daily said.Emergency services, including medical personnel, rushed to the scene, The Paper in Shanghai said.It was not clear why the man decided to do sit-ups off the pole but state media warned against anyone copying him.“The man’s behaviour is too dangerous!” said one outlet.The incident was a hot topic on Chinese social media, with at least 1.7 million views of one hashtag relating to it.“I was annoyed because no electricity… and when I see the news and know the reason, I feel annoyed and amused at the same time,” said one Weibo user affected by the bizarre incident.Another on Weibo did not find it so funny.“Black-outs can waste a lot of money and potentially lead to a fatal accident,” they said.Local police were unavailable for comment.


Beef up communication, experts say on no-shows for vaccine appointments

Experts have called for clearer communication by the authorities on the facts and benefits of vaccination against Covid-19 in order to counter the wide range of reasons cited for no-shows numbering in the tens of thousands throughout the country.Carmelo Ferlito, a senior fellow at think tank Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, suggested an information campaign with clear explanations of the trade-offs, the categories at risk and the facts surrounding vaccination.“In this sense, the communication strategy has been quite poor,” he told MalaysiaNow.“We often hear that vaccination will not be enough for us to get back our lives. People then wonder: why should I get vaccinated and be injected with something that I am not sure about if this is not driving me towards a normal life?“These are the questions the government should address.”The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme or PICK is currently in its second phase involving senior citizens and those in high-risk groups.“People wonder: why should I get vaccinated and be injected with something that I am not sure about if this is not driving me towards a normal life?”While global data shows that Malaysia’s vaccination rate has been on the rise with nearly 6% of the population having received at least a first jab as of the end of last month according to Our World In Data, recent reports also reveal that tens of thousands have been skipping their appointments.In Pahang alone, 10,000 were said to be no-shows while in Johor the number was even higher at over 14,000.In Negeri Sembilan, some 6,200 people failed to turn up for their appointments while no-shows in Kedah and Perak topped 10,000 and 9,000 respectively.Reasons given included failing to check the MySejahtera app and being influenced by fake new concerning vaccines.Others said they were unwell or had no transport to the vaccination centre, while yet more were registered by their children but refused to be jabbed.Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister in charge of PICK, said on Monday that an average of 80% of those with appointments show up for their vaccination.He said authorities would continue with the approach of contacting individuals and encouraging them to receive the Covid-19 vaccine, adding that imposing compounds would be a last resort.“The point should not be reward but information.”On the other end of the spectrum have been calls for incentives in order to boost vaccination rates, similar to the initiatives being carried out in other countries including the US where rewards ranging from free doughnuts to lottery prizes are being offered to those who get jabbed.But Carmelo said authorities should not resort to monetary rewards in order to encourage the public to turn up for their appointments.“To offer money for vaccination is not a market approach,” he said. “In fact, market processes are based on the exchange of information, and here information is lacking.“The point should not be reward but information. We need to help people make informed decisions and to think about what’s next.”Sazaly Abu Bakar from Universiti Malaya’s Tropical Infectious Diseases Research and Education Centre agreed that clear information is needed ahead of time for those with vaccination appointments.However he questioned the extent to which vaccine hesitancy could be blamed for no-shows, citing the enthusiastic response to the AstraZeneca shot which was rolled out under a separate opt-in programme.“The problem is ineffective delivery and the inadequate supply of vaccines,” he said, echoing a frequent criticism of the vaccine rollout in the country.Khairy had said the vaccination rate would pick up from June onwards once the supply of vaccines stabilises.Malaysian Medical Association president Dr M Subramaniam meanwhile spoke of a “system failure”, pointing to what he said were inefficiencies in the MySejahtera app as well as the recent U-turn on plans to allow people to choose their vaccines.“This could lower people’s confidence in the vaccination effort,” he said.“The government needs to have a people-friendly approach that assists the public instead of making it hard for them.”Still, Carmelo believes that access to information is paramount.With the right information, he said, people would be able to exercise freedom of choice on whether or not to get vaccinated.He said he was in favour of imposing fines on those who register but fail to turn up for their appointments, adding however that the punishment should be proportionate to the offence.“They ‘stole’ the slot from someone who wanted to get vaccinated. But we are not talking about raping or robbing a bank,” he said.


More patients, fewer nurses as Hong Kong’s medical frontline struggles with Covid surge

Yee, a nurse on the frontline of Hong Kong’s fight against Covid-19, recently became one of the patients her hospital had to turn away, after isolation wards, and later corridors, became overpacked with people on gurneys.At home, the 25-year-old spread the virus to her father, and fears her mother and brother might also get it. Rules say she should be sent to a quarantine facility, but nobody got in touch for the past seven days to make arrangements.She was experiencing mild symptoms, and taking time off from work at the overwhelmed Kwong Wah hospital provided some relief.Isolation wards with 40 beds now accommodate 60, some patients were being treated in corridors, and patients from general wards admitted for non-Covid reasons were later found to be positive and had infected other patients and nurses, who were also sent home.“You keep adding beds, but not human resources,” said Yee, who declined to give her last name, fearing repercussions at work. “My colleagues are overloaded – one to dozens of patients.”Nurses and doctors at other hospitals say the situation is similar across Hong Kong’s health system, showing the limits of the government’s “dynamic zero-Covid” strategy as thousands of new cases are discovered each day.At some hospitals, bedridden elderly and children were seen left for hours in carparks, waiting in the cold and rain, in scenes that shocked residents and many in the global medical community.Kwong Wah Hospital, the city’s Hospital Authority and the government did not respond to requests for comment.Like mainland China, Hong Kong aims to eradicate any outbreaks at all costs, officially still targeting all infections and close contacts for compulsory testing, treatment and isolation.Yee says the goal is “impossible.” Transmission could not even be prevented inside hospitals, she points out.There were over 160 infected staff in public hospitals and clinics as of Saturday, authorities said.“It may seem counterintuitive, but in a Covid pandemic the last place we want infectious people is in hospitals, unless they really need treatment,” said David Owens, a founding partner of OT&P clinic.“We are already seeing a sharp rise in illness and isolation in healthcare workers. It seems inconceivable that the health system can continue for long without a change in strategy.”Most patients have mild symptoms, doctors say.The government has started to adjust its hospitalisation and isolation policies based on severity, but keeps capacity at maximum levels and thousands of people are still flocking to hospitals, worried that they could spread the virus to family.It is common for tiny flats in densly-populated Hong Kong to house three generations of the same family, and many elderly are still unvaccinated, having become complacent after living in a mostly Covid-free environment in 2020-2021.“This is a big problem,” said David Chan, who heads the union Hospital Authority Employees Alliance, referring to people with mild or no symptoms showing up at hospitals.“The government messaging has been that Covid is a very dangerous disease… So it is very hard to blame the people.”The government plans to ease the burden by building new isolation facilities and reconverting hotel rooms into quarantine space. More protective gear is also on its way and potentially even manpower from mainland China.But many frontline health workers say such measures should have been taken in anticipation of an outbreak rather than in response to it.For the past two years, Hong Kong could have encouraged elderly vaccination, increased quarantine capacity, and drawn plans to prioritise serious cases, keeping crowds with mild symptoms away from hospitals, doctors say.“There was no plan,” said Tony Ling, head of Hong Kong’s Public Doctors Association. “We are just unprepared.”Doctors have “a fighting heart, but we are getting tired,” he said.


WHO slams wealthy nations’ rush towards vaccine booster shots

The World Health Organization (WHO) condemned Wednesday the rush by wealthy countries to provide Covid vaccine booster shots, while millions around the world have yet to receive a single dose.Speaking before US authorities announced that all vaccinated Americans would soon be eligible to receive additional doses, WHO experts insisted there was not enough scientific evidence that boosters were needed.Providing them while so many were still waiting to be immunised was immoral, they argued.“We’re planning to hand out extra life jackets to people who already have life jackets, while we’re leaving other people to drown without a single life jacket,” WHO’s emergency director Mike Ryan told reporters, speaking from the UN agency’s Geneva headquarters.“The fundamental, ethical reality is we’re handing out second life jackets while leaving millions and millions of people without anything to protect them.”Earlier this month, WHO called for a moratorium on Covid vaccine booster shots to help ease the drastic inequity in dose distribution between rich and poor nations.That has not stopped a number of countries moving forward with plans to add a third jab, as they struggle to thwart the Delta variant.First shot ‘critical’US authorities, warning that Covid-19 vaccination efficacy was decreasing over time, said Wednesday they had authorised booster shots for all Americans from Sept 20. They will start eight months after an individual has been fully vaccinated.While the vaccines remain “remarkably effective” in reducing the risk of severe disease, said officials, hospitalisation and death from the effects of Covid, protection could diminish in the months ahead without boosted immunisation.Washington had already authorised an extra dose for people with weakened immune systems.Israel has also begun administering third doses to Israelis aged 50 and over.But WHO experts insisted that the science was still out on boosters and stressed that ensuring that people in low-income countries where vaccination is lagging received jabs was far more important.“What is clear is that it’s critical to get first shots into arms and protect the most vulnerable before boosters are rolled out,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told Wednesday’s press conference.“The divide between the haves and have nots will only grow larger if manufacturers and leaders prioritise booster shots over supply to low- and middle-income countries,” he said.‘Shame on all humanity’Tedros voiced outrage at reports that the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine currently being finished in South Africa was being shipped for use in Europe “where virtually all adults have been offered vaccines at this point”.“We urge Johnson & Johnson to urgently prioritise distribution of their vaccines to Africa before considering supplies to rich countries that already have sufficient access,” he said.“Vaccine injustice is a shame on all humanity and if we don’t tackle it together, we will prolong the acute stage of this pandemic for years when it could be over in a matter of months.”South African NGOs have denounced the shipments from South Africa as “vaccine apartheid” when less than 2% of 1.3 billion Africans have been fully vaccinated so far.“Millions of doses” produced there have been exported since March to Europe and the US, several NGOs said in a statement Tuesday.“Johnson & Johnson is complicit in vaccine apartheid, diverting doses from those who really need them to the wealthiest countries on earth,” Fatima Hassan, of the South African NGO Health Justice Initiative, told AFP.“It’s colonialist extraction, plain and simple,” said Hassan.Doses are assembled and packaged in South Africa by the pharmaceutical giant Aspen in Gqeberha, formerly known as Port Elizabeth.“Global allocation of vaccines is currently not being made by public health officials but instead by a handful of company officials, who consistently prioritise Europeans and North Americans over Africans,” said Dr Matthew Kavanagh of the Health Law Institute at Georgetown University.


Man dies in police custody at Shah Alam lock-up

The police have confirmed that a local man died in custody at the Shah Alam central lock-up yesterday.
Police spokesman ACP Skandaguru Anandan said the 33-year-old man was arrested on July 29 and placed in the lock-up while investigations were being carried out.
"He was detained pending investigation under Section 6(1) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and the Dangerous Drugs (Special Preventive Measures) Act 1985.
"At 4.59am, the man was found lying unconscious. The hospital was contacted for initial treatment and at about 5.20am, medical officers from Hospital Shah Alam confirmed his death," he said in a statement.
He said the body had been taken to Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang for a post-mortem.
"As of now, the case is classified as sudden death. The  Criminal Investigation Unit on Deaths in Custody of Bukit Aman's Department of Integrity and Standards Compliance will carry out investigations related to the case," he said.


Two dead, dozens missing as landslide wipes out Brazil highway

At least two people were killed and dozens more are missing after a landslide ripped across a section of highway in southern Brazil, sweeping some 20 cars and trucks along with it, authorities said Wednesday.
The torrent of mud came rushing down a steep hillside Monday after days of heavy rain in the state of Parana, hitting highway BR 367, officials said.
"It's hard to know the exact number of victims. A vehicle could have one to five people inside. We're working with an estimate of 30 to 50 people missing," local emergency response chief Manoel Vasco told a news conference.
Aerial images released by the emergency services showed a massive smear of mud that swept away everything in its path – including a chunk of highway and the vehicles on it.
Rescue workers said the bad weather and remote location were complicating the search effort.
They are using drones with heat-detecting cameras in hopes of finding survivors.
"Fifty-four firefighters have been working non-stop for more than 35 hours," the Parana state security authority said in a statement later Wednesday, noting as well concerns over further landslides.
Two bodies have been found so far, and six survivors have been located, including the mayor of the coastal town of Guaratuba, the nearest city.
"It was horrible. The mountain just fell on top of us. It swept away every last car. We're only alive by the grace of God," the mayor, Roberto Justus, said in a video posted on social media.
Brazil is frequently hit by deadly landslides.
The national weather service INMET has issued heavy rain warnings for multiple states.
At least one other person died Wednesday after a section of road was washed out, sweeping away the victim's car, in the northeastern state of Segipe, Brazilian media reported.
In February, more than 200 people were killed in a series of landslides in the picturesque southeastern tourist town of Petropolis.


Sarawak deputy CM apologises after queue jumping at vaccination line

Sarawak Deputy Chief Minister Douglas Uggah Embas has given his assurance that the incident of queue jumping at the Stadium Perpaduan Covid-19 vaccination centre in Kuching yesterday will not happen again.“We hope what happened… will not happen again. The management (of the vaccination centre) has assured me (on this matter). We apologise for the queuing issue.“We have a system in place that will make sure the flow of vaccination is carried out as planned,” he told reporters after visiting Stadium Perpaduan today.This came after images of the wife of a prominent individual who allegedly jumped queue at the persons with disabilities lane at the vaccination centre went viral on social media.According to Uggah, the vaccination process and flow at Stadium Perpaduan was improved after several issues were raised.“The new system is totally different from before. It is now organised and orderly with clear signboards and flow.“Before this, the place was jammed with no social distancing. So, we will also bring this new system to other vaccination centres in the state,” he added.


China unveils 600kph levitating train, world’s fastest land vehicle

China unveiled a futuristic “levitating” train on Tuesday that has a top speed of 600kph – making it the fastest land vehicle in the world.By comparison, Tesla’s Model S Plaid – which the company bills as the fastest production car in the world – tops out at just over 300kph.The Chinese train uses “maglev” technology, where opposing electromagnetic forces levitate the train above the track and propel it forward. The lack of friction lets the train reach blistering speeds.China has been testing maglev technology on a limited scale for two decades – there is a short maglev line running from Shanghai to one of its airports – but has not yet constructed long-distance lines that would work with the new train, which state media said is a prototype that will be used for research.At 600kph, it would take just two and a half hours to travel from Beijing to Shanghai – a journey of more than 1,000km that currently takes three hours by plane.By comparison, America’s fastest train – Amtrak’s Acela Express from New York City to Washington, DC – tops out at just over 200kph to cover the 370km in three hours. At maglev speeds, that journey would take less than an hour.Other countries including Japan and Germany are also looking to build maglev networks, but high costs and incompatibility with current track infrastructure remain hurdles.Elon Musk has pushed the idea of a “hyperloop” that shoots passengers in a pod through an airless tube at up to nearly 1,000kph.Billionaire Richard Branson tested the concept in a 160kph trial run with two passengers in December, promising that he would one day shuttle passengers from New York City to Washington, DC, in 30 minutes.SC Maglev, or superconducting magnetic trains, were developed by the Central Japan Railway Company and the Railway Technical Research Institute beginning in the 1970s. Maglev trains work on the principle of magnetic repulsion between the cars and the track. The word maglev is actually a combination of the words “magnetic” and “levitation”.The first Shinkansen bullet train was built in Japan for the Tokyo Olympics of 1964 and can reach speeds of up to 320kph but it is not a maglev and is susceptible to earthquakes severely reducing its speed.


New cases surge past 17,000 with 0.5% severe infections

Another 17,134 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,956,332.Another 5,681 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,829,752.Meanwhile 143 are in the ICU, including 83 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 78 are in need of respiratory assistance including 35 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 17,134 cases reported today, 86 (0.5%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 17,048 (99.5%) are in Category One and Two.A total of 4,722 (27.56%) are in Category One, 12,326 (71.94%) in Category Two, 58 (0.34%) in Category Three, 24 (0.14%) in Category Four and four (0.02%) in Category Five.


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Philippines’ Duterte to run for vice-president, says party

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will run for vice-president in next year’s elections, his party said Tuesday, after months of speculation about whether he would seek to stay in power.Duterte, who was elected to the top job in 2016 and is barred under the constitution from seeking another term, had previously flagged the possibility of contesting the country’s second-highest office.“President Rodrigo Roa Duterte agreed to make the sacrifice and heed the clamour of the people, and accepted the endorsement of the PDP Laban Party for him to run as vice-president in the 2022 national elections,” the party said in a statement.The party is also expected to endorse Duterte’s top aide, senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go, to be their presidential candidate.Duterte has not said publicly yet that he will run, but PDP-Laban president Alfonso Cusi told AFP: “He confirmed he is running for VP in 2022.”The vice-president and president are elected separately in the Philippines, with the former assuming the top job if the latter dies, becomes incapacitated, or resigns while in office.During his term Duterte has waged a brutal war against drug users and dealers that rights groups say has killed tens of thousands of people.International Criminal Court prosecutors are seeking to launch a full-blown investigation into the anti-narcotics crackdown, raising the stakes for next year’s elections.Duterte’s daughter, Sara, is widely expected to contest the presidency and, if she were to win, could help protect her father from criminal charges.Recent polls show the Davao city mayor – the same position her father held before he took power – with the most voter support.Duterte told a meeting of party officials last month that he was “seriously thinking of running for vice president”.But he expressed concern that a political foe could win the presidency, rendering him useless for the next six years.“The president that will win must be a friend of mine (with) whom I can work with,” Duterte said.The deadline for registering as a candidate for next year’s elections is Oct 8. A sitting president has never before made a bid for the vice presidency in the Philippines.Presidential spokesman Harry Roque told reporters that Duterte would make a televised address later Tuesday where he is expected to discuss the PDP-Laban announcement.


Queen’s jubilees chronicle changing times in Britain

Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations will be only the ninth such celebration by a British monarch since king George III in 1809.Both she and queen Victoria, who ruled from 1837 to 1901, have had silver, golden and diamond events to mark their 25th, 50th and 60th years as monarch.But Elizabeth is the only one to celebrate her 70th year on the throne.1977 Silver JubileeThe festivities saw nationwide communal street parties, with Union Jack flags in abundance.Some one million people thronged central London to see the monarch during a carriage procession, while she also made a River Thames boat trip and toured 36 counties of the UK with her husband, Prince Philip.They also travelled an estimated 56,000 miles (90,100km), visiting Commonwealth countries in Pacific islands, New Zealand, Australia, Canada and the Caribbean.A limited number of new 25-pence coins were minted and the London Underground’s newest addition was named the Jubilee Line.“These 25 years have seen much change for Britain,” Queen Elizabeth said in a speech to parliament.“No longer an imperial power, we have been coming to terms with what this means for ourselves and for our relations with the rest of the world,” she said.She noted that joining the European Community – the EU’s forerunner – had been “one of the most significant decisions” of her reign.She also heralded advances in medicine, science, and technology, including television.But with the UK economy on the skids, not everyone felt like partying.The Sex Pistols released their anti-authoritarian punk anthem “God Save The Queen”, which was banned by the BBC.2002 Golden JubileeThe 1990s were marked by a trio of royal divorces, a fire at Windsor Castle and princess Diana’s death.That, and a plunge in the popularity of the royal family, led to predictions the event would be a flop.But the Golden Jubilee defied expectations of cynicism and apathy.The queen lost her sister princess Margaret that February and her 101-year-old mother queen Elizabeth in March, triggering widespread public sympathy.Street parties again featured in the four-day-long weekend in June.A Buckingham Palace garden pop concert in front of 12,000 people was crowned by Queen guitarist Brian May playing the national anthem on the roof, as a million people filled the streets outside.Performers included Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Tom Jones, Brian Wilson, Shirley Bassey, Rod Stewart, Tony Bennett, Cliff Richard, and even Ozzy Osbourne.The monarch’s grandsons, princes William and Harry, were seen in public with their future stepmother Camilla for the first time.A palace balcony appearance was topped by a Concorde flypast.“It has been a pretty remarkable 50 years by any standards,” the queen said.“There have been ups and downs, but anyone who can remember what things were like after those six long years of war, appreciates what immense changes have been achieved since then.“I think we can look back with measured pride.”Besides a three-month tour of Britain, she also visited Jamaica, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.2012 Diamond JubileeThe 2012 jubilee came in the same year that London hosted the Olympics and Paralympics.The June 2-5 celebrations saw a river pageant, beacons lit, a thanksgiving service and a pop concert.The pageant of 1,000 boats was the largest flotilla on the Thames in 350 years. An estimated 1.2 million people lined the riverbanks to watch, despite torrential rain.The concert, in front of Buckingham Palace, was put together by Take That’s Gary Barlow and featured Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, Ed Sheeran, Madness and Paul McCartney.Prince Charles, in its closing speech, thanked his “mummy” for “making us proud to be British,” to huge cheers.An estimated 8.5 million people took part in Big Jubilee Lunch gatherings, which replaced street parties.Elizabeth and Philip toured Britain, while other royals visited Commonwealth countries, including Prince Harry, who raced sprint superstar Usain Bolt in Jamaica.The Houses of Parliament’s clock tower was renamed the Elizabeth Tower and the Olympic Park also took on her name.The slimmed-down Buckingham Palace balcony appearance featured just Elizabeth, Charles and his family, signalling the monarchy’s future direction.“I dedicate myself anew to your service,” she said in a jubilee message, calling it “a time to give thanks for the great advances that have been made since 1952 and to look forward to the future with clear head and warm heart.”


PM to chair meeting on MCO

Law minister Takiyuddin Hassan says Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin will chair a meeting of the National Security Council (NSC) tomorrow to discuss the movement control order (MCO) currently in force across most of the country.This comes in the wake of back-to-back waves of over 6,000 new infections for the past two days, with a record 6,806 cases recorded today.Takiyuddin said a full-scale MCO was among the measures to be considered by the NSC.“This will be discussed before any decision is made,” he said, adding that state menteris besar and chief ministers would also attend the 3pm meeting.Speaking to reporters in Kota Bharu, he said the federal government takes a serious view of the spread of Covid-19.He cited the rising case numbers as well as the death toll which has exceeded 2,000 but acknowledged that recoveries too had increased with the cooperation of the health ministry and police force.He said the government had implemented the MCO, recovery MCO, conditional MCO and enhanced MCO in general or targeted degrees depending on the situation.While positive cases should be quickly isolated and treated, he said, control measures were just as important.“This is why we have been emphasising SOP compliance.”


More than 2 million fully vaccinated

Over two million people in the country have been fully vaccinated so far, as the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme or PICK continues to roll out.An infographic by the Special Committee on Covid-19 Vaccine Supply shows that 2,021,956 people or 6.2% of the population had received two shots of vaccine as of June 26.Another 5,204,993 or 15.9% meanwhile have received a first dose, taking the total number of vaccine jabs administered in the country to 7,226,949.A total of 187,877 people received a vaccine jab yesterday, of which 55,598 were second doses.In terms of fully vaccinated individuals, Selangor leads the way with 268,730, followed by Sarawak (212,978), Johor (211,797), Perak (187,852) and Kuala Lumpur (170,621).


Wage subsidies saved jobs during the pandemic, but at what cost?

The government’s wage subsidy programme, part of its rescue package for businesses ravaged by the Covid-19 lockdown earlier this year, may have come at a high price.The programme, which cost Putrajaya billions of ringgit, took effect in April and ended last month.An estimate for a universal programme covering all 21 million working Malaysians given RM1,000 would cost RM21 billion monthly or RM252 billion per annum.“That is the entire existing federal budget,” said Azrul Khalib of Galen Centre, a research house focusing on public health.The second phase of the aid cost RM2.4 billion in the form of wage subsidies for companies and businesses impacted by the pandemic, which lately brought about a spike in new cases.Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz recently said the subsidy programme would be extended to May next year.But with direct cash aid disbursements already in place under the household living aid or BSM, previously known as BR1M, there are concerns that Malaysians themselves will be footing the bill for the additional assistance.Two sectors hardest hit by the lockdown under the movement control order, or MCO, were retail and hotels. Others such as private pre-schools and kindergartens were also badly affected.Tens of thousands of workers in small and medium companies were subjected to pay cuts while others were laid off.The wage subsidy aims to minimise such incidents.Under the programme, those earning less than RM4,000 a month can receive subsidies of RM600 to RM1,200 depending on the size of their companies, as long as employers can prove revenue loss and give assurance that their staff won’t be laid off.The move saved over two million jobs, minimising retrenchment at a time of global unemployment.But there is no escaping abuse.A company boss was recently arrested for giving false information to claim wage subsidies from Socso, the government’s compulsory work insurance scheme.He allegedly netted over RM400,000 in a month, although his business did not suffer revenue loss.But the bigger question is whether businesses prefer to cut costs by retrenching staff, or opt for wage subsidies and retain them.Economist Lau Zheng Zhou agrees that the wage subsidies helped bring down unemployment.“The alternative of not continuing with wage subsidies would mean rising unemployment which would also be costly to society as consumption might fall, thereby hurting other businesses and lowering tax revenue,” Lau, of the Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs, told MalaysiaNow.But he warned that retaining staff for a prolonged period with wage subsidies would burden the government in the short term, if it means not value-adding workers.But the bigger question is whether businesses prefer to cut costs by retrenching staff, or opt for wage subsidies and retain them.“The programme has to be designed in a way that also incorporates re-skilling and the hiring of youth and women.”Critics also warn that businesses accustomed to receiving government aid will become complacent and fail to build their resilience, including by embracing digitalisation, a key sector which saw a boom from the lockdown.But while many survived due to online sales, not everyone sees it as practical to adapt e-commerce entirely.Another issue is the trend of companies bypassing fresh graduates and inexperienced workers.Lau said some businesses find it easier to pay more to an experienced worker, and that they are also aware that new workers will leave the company once they acquire skills.


What is the US debt ceiling?

The US is rapidly approaching the deadline for Congress to pass a deal, reached over the weekend by Democratic President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy, to suspend the government's US$31.4 trillion (about RM144.6 trillion) debt ceiling or risk a catastrophic default.
When was the debt ceiling reached?
Washington regularly sets a limit on federal borrowing. Currently, the ceiling is roughly equal to 120% of the country's annual economic output. The debt reached that ceiling in January and the Treasury Department has kept obligations just within the limit by suspending investments in some federal pension funds while continuing to borrow from investors.
The Treasury on Friday warned that it could run out of room under the limit as soon as June 5, a few days later than its earlier June 1 forecast.
Because the Treasury borrows close to 20 cents for every dollar it spends, Washington at that point would start missing payments owed to lenders, citizens or both.
Is the debt ceiling good for anything?
Few countries in the world have debt ceiling laws and Washington's periodic lifting of the borrowing limit merely allows it to pay for spending Congress has already authorised.
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and other policy experts have called on Washington to eliminate the limit, because it amounts to a bureaucratic stamp on decisions already made.
Some analysts have proposed that the Treasury can bypass the crisis by minting a multitrillion-dollar platinum coin and putting it in the government's account, an idea widely seen as an outlandish gimmick. Others argue the debt ceiling itself violates the US Constitution. But if the Biden administration invoked that argument, which involves the 14th Amendment, a legal challenge would follow.
The White House has dismissed both ideas as impracticable at this stage.
What happens when Washington can no longer borrow money?
Shockwaves would ripple through global financial markets as investors questioned the value of US bonds, which are seen as among the safest investments and serve as building blocks for the world's financial system.
The US economy would almost certainly fall into a recession if the government was forced to miss payments on things like soldiers' salaries or Social Security benefits for the elderly. Economists expect that millions of Americans would lose their jobs. Ratings agencies have warned they could downgrade the US's sovereign credit rating – as occurred in a prior 2011 showdown – and investors have shunned some US debt securities that come due in the coming weeks as they try to avoid bills maturing when the risk of a debt default is highest.
How did we get here?
Republicans, who hold a narrow 222-213 majority in the House of Representatives, in late April passed a bill that would raise the debt limit but also set in place sweeping spending cuts over the next decade.
The bill has no chance of approval in the Democratic-controlled US Senate. McCarthy and Biden over the weekend agreed on a tentative deal to suspend the borrowing limit for two years and cap spending, but they face objections from the most partisan lawmakers in each party.
Haven't we heard this song before?
This kind of brinkmanship has been part of US politics for decades but worsened significantly after fiscal hawks in the Republican Party grew in power since 2010.
In a 2011 showdown, House Republicans successfully used the debt ceiling to extract sharp limits on discretionary spending from Democratic president Barack Obama.
Spending caps stayed in place for most of the rest of the decade, but the episode rattled investors and led to a historic downgrade of the US credit rating.


One-third parliamentary seats for Sabah, Sarawak still under discussion, says DPM

Returning the one-third seat composition in the Dewan Rakyat for Sabah and Sarawak as stipulated in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63) is still at the discussion stage, says Deputy Prime Minister Fadillah Yusof.
He said the matter would take two to three years to complete as it needed to go through many stages, including three main committees: the MA63 Steering Committee, MA63 Technical Committee and MA63 Implementation Action Council.
Fadillah said the MA63 Technical Committee chaired by him would discuss issues related to MA63 based on topic and give priority to those that do not involve complicated legal or technical matters.
"Once it is decided at the technical level, it will then be taken to the Implementation Action Council for final approval before being presented to the Cabinet for amendments to be made to all related laws.
"So the process is still long. We also have to get Cabinet approval, before tabling it in Parliament, which requires a two-thirds majority support," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Fadillah, who is also plantations and commodities minister, said earlier that the one-third parliamentary seat allocation for Sabah and Sarawak was important as it would prevent the peninsula from amending the constitution in ways that might eliminate the rights of the two states as enshrined in MA63.
He said the return of autonomy in education and health to Sabah and Sarawak was also at the discussion stage.
On the "Sarawak First" slogan, Fadillah said it was created to restore the spirit of the people of Sarawak, to together build and develop Malaysia.
He said although there were calls for Sarawak to leave Malaysia, the Gabungan Parti Sarawak leadership has expressed its commitment that the state will remain as part of Malaysia.


What could go wrong? Oscars team prepares for anything after Will Smith slap

Organisers of Sunday's 95th Academy Awards are preparing for the unexpected after Will Smith's infamous slap of Chris Rock convulsed Hollywood's biggest awards ceremony last year.
For the first time, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has created a crisis team to respond to any mishaps.
"It is our hope that we will be prepared for anything," Academy Chief Executive Bill Kramer told Time magazine in a recent interview. "Because of last year, we’ve opened our minds to the many things that can happen at the Oscars."
The film Academy was heavily criticised for allowing Smith to remain in the audience, and accept the best actor trophy, after attacking Rock on stage over a joke about Smith's wife, Jada Pinkett Smith.
The organisation has not disclosed details about the membership of the crisis team or how it may react to anything out of the ordinary. Smith will not be in attendance. He was banned from attending the event for 10 years.
At a February luncheon for nominees, Academy President Janet Yang said the group learned that it must act "swiftly, compassionately and decisively" in times of crisis, and "you should and can expect no less from us going forward."
Security is tight at the Dolby Theatre where the ceremony is held. Law enforcement closes off several blocks around the theater and the red carpet.
Show producers Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner said they hope to keep the spotlight this time on the year's nominated movies and the people who brought them to life.
"I don't think anybody is particularly looking to harp too much on what's happened in the past," Weiss said.
The show will be broadcast on Walt Disney Co's ABC network.
In a departure from recent years when the Academy nominated many little-seen films, the field of best picture contenders features many of the biggest box-office hits of 2022. They include "Avatar: The Way of Water," "Top Gun: Maverick," "Elvis" and "Everything Everywhere All at Once."
"We're there to entertain, and to highlight the great movies this year, many of which people have seen, which is great for us," Kirshner said.
Like other awards shows, the Oscars have lost viewers in recent years, particularly among younger people who are glued to social media. Weiss said the team was planning to pepper the show with moments that they hope would spread on Twitter and TikTok.
Pop superstar Rihanna will sing her nominated song "Lift Me Up" from "Wakanda Forever." Stephanie Hsu, David Byrne and the band Son Lux will perform "This is a Life" from "Everything Everywhere."
"Natuu Natuu" singers Rahul Sipligunj and Kaala Bhairava also will appear with their song from Indian action film "RRR."
Comedian Jimmy Kimmel, who helped navigate the 2017 mix-up when the wrong best-picture winner was announced, will be back to host this year's ceremony.
A promo for the show described Kimmel as "unflappable and unslappable."


Malaysia's RM3 billion pilgrimage 'business' set for further growth despite spiralling costs

Malaysia's pilgrimage industry appears set for unparalleled growth despite the hurdles brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, with the number of umrah pilgrims alone increasing by an estimated 900% over just 25 years.
Umrah, a non-mandatory form of worship, can be performed at any time of the year. Haj, meanwhile, is the fifth pillar of Islam and must be performed by all able-bodied Muslims at least once in their lifetime.
Razali Mohd Sham, chairman of the Association of Umrah and Hajj Travel Agents, said the number of umrah pilgrims just before the onset of the movement control orders (MCOs) stood at 290,000.
This marked an astonishing 900% increase from the 30,000 pilgrims recorded in 1998.
The MCOs, designed to curb the spread of Covid-19 infection, resulted in travel restrictions and border closures for about two years, from 2020 to 2022.
In 2019, the last year before the onset of the pandemic, some 2.6 million people performed the haj.
Saudi Arabia allowed only limited numbers from its residents in 2020 and 2021 before welcoming back one million foreign pilgrims in 2022.
The long-awaited reopening of borders saw massive hikes in hotel and flight costs as agencies around the world rushed to make bookings.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Razali estimated that the cost of performing a pilgrimage in 1992 was about RM1,800.
Over the years, this increased to the current rate of RM7,000.
By number of pilgrimages, the umrah business is worth some RM2 billion, while the haj sees another RM800 million per year for 10,000 pilgrims who are not registered with Malaysia's pilgrimage board, Tabung Haji.
Razali said his organisation has almost 1,000 active memberships offering packages for both umrah and haj. Umrah packages go for anywhere from RM7,000 to RM30,000 per head.
Despite the sometimes eye-watering prices, Muslims strive to make the trip to Islam's holiest sites of Mecca and Medina, with some even willing, several generations ago, to sell their land and property in order to perform the haj.
Such circumstances were part of the reason behind the formation of Tabjung Haji, through which the government subsidises some of the cost for the haj pilgrimage.
It recently said that the hike in cost for umrah was due to rising flight fares and hotel accommodation costs.
There is also the value-added tax imposed by Saudi Arabia, which currently stands at 15%.
Yet pilgrims continue to flock to Mecca, with Mohd Zawawi Yusoh, the managing director of an umrah and haj travel agency, estimating that more than half of those who perform the haj have done it before.
"One study done in Saudi Arabia estimated that only 40% of those who perform the haj are first-timers.
"The rest are repeat pilgrims," he said, attributing the desire to perform the haj despite the cost to a growing awareness about its importance.
"The cost only causes shock. It does not reduce demand."
Zawawi also spoke of a new trend where pilgrims would bring their families along, making Mecca and Medina a holiday destination of choice.
There is also another development in terms of the qualifications offered by educational and religious institutions.
Institut Profesional Baitulmal, under the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Council, for example, now offers diplomas in Haj and Umrah Management.
Zawawi said graduates of these programmes have since replaced many Indonesian workers previously hired by local umrah travel agencies.
Razali meanwhile expects more agencies to sprout up in the coming years.
"Even now, the government is giving new licences," he said.
"Some of the players are new to the business but they are advanced in terms of information and technology, so they are catching up with more established agencies."


In historic ruling, Singapore top court quashes death sentence of Malaysian drug mule

A 32-year-old Malaysian security guard who said he had accepted a job to courier drugs to help pay for his daughter’s medical fees made history today after the republic’s top court set aside its previous death sentence on him.Gobi Avedian is the first person in the city-state’s history to escape the death sentence after exhausting all legal avenues including a petition for clemency.“This is the first case to succeed on account of miscarriage of justice. It is very difficult to get leave to reopen the case in the Court of Appeal,” Gobi’s lawyer M Ravi said moments after the decision was announced.M Ravi.Ravi said today’s decision means Gobi’s 15-year jail sentence would be reinstated.He is expected to be released in 2024, having already served six years of the sentence.Ravi, a rare voice advocating human rights in the republic, accused the Singapore government and the public prosecutors of being overzealous in the case, adding that there were numerous incidents of harassment against him for taking up the case.“I could have given up any time because of the threats,” he said.“Why threaten the counsel?” added Ravi, who has been representing death row prisoners on a pro bono basis.He said Singapore’s law minister K Shanmugam should offer an apology.“Please apologise to Gobi and his family for what he went through during his appeal process.“I ask that the law minister apologise to Gobi and review all death penalty cases.”Gobi Avedian.Gobi is one of dozens of Malaysians who have been sentenced to death under Singapore’s controversial mandatory death penalty law.He had said during his trial that he was paid a RM500 commission each time he carried a parcel of “chocolate drugs” to customers.He said he needed the money to help pay for his daughter’s treatment.Under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act, anyone caught carrying more than 15g of drugs is sentenced to death.Last month, MalaysiaNow reported on concerns about the ethnic composition of those on death row.Numbers compiled independently by rights activists showed that some 90% of those currently on death row in the republic’s prison are ethnic Malays and Indians, whose communities comprise just over 20% of the population.Of the 55 individuals currently on death row, 30 are Singaporean Malays, 20 are Indians, and five Chinese. Of the 20 ethnic Indians, meanwhile, 15 are Malaysian.In May, when Singapore imposed a lockdown due to Covid-19, a court sentenced a 37-year-old Malaysian to death in a verdict announced online through Zoom.The episode sparked condemnation from rights groups.“The death penalty is always abhorrent, but to deliver this sentence, the harshest a defendant can receive, through the impersonal remoteness of a Zoom video call, is utterly inhumane,” Human Rights Watch said on the case involving Punithan Genasan.Lawyer Ravi has been at the forefront of last-ditch legal fights by death row prisoners to stay alive.He is currently involved in 21 cases, of which Gobi’s is the first to succeed.Ravi said Gobi has expressed his intention to contribute to efforts to abolish the death penalty in Malaysia, a campaign spearheaded by rights group Lawyers for Liberty.


Sri Lanka sticks to cremation of Muslim Covid-19 victims despite uproar

Sri Lanka’s government insisted Friday on the cremation of all coronavirus victims, rejecting international pleas and recommendations from its own experts to allow the Muslim minority to bury their dead in line with Islamic custom.The government first banned burials in April amid concerns – which experts say are baseless – by influential Buddhist monks that burying bodies could contaminate groundwater and spread the virus.The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that there is no such risk, recommending both burials and cremations of virus victims, but the Sri Lankan government has refused.“This decision will not be changed for social, religious, political or any other personal reason,” Health Minister Pavithra Wanniarachchi said, according to ministry officials.The announcement came despite a government-appointed expert committee noting this week that while it felt cremations were safest, burials could be allowed under strict conditions.Traditionally, Muslims bury their dead facing Mecca. Sri Lanka’s majority Buddhists, who are strong backers of the current government, are typically cremated, as are Hindus.Last month, authorities ordered the forced cremation of at least 19 Muslim Covid-19 victims, including a baby, after their families refused to claim their bodies from a hospital morgue.This stoked dismay and anger among the Muslim community, moderates and abroad, with the 57-member Organisation of Islamic Cooperation repeatedly expressing concern.Sri Lanka’s Muslim Council (SLMC) accused the government of trying to provoke Muslim youths into doing “something rash” with its decision on cremations, a claim echoed by Justice Minister Ali Sabry, a Muslim.There have been ongoing tensions between Muslims and the majority Sinhalese – who are mostly Buddhists – since the deadly 2019 Easter bombings carried out by local jihadists.The SLMC said more than half of Sri Lanka’s 222 Covid-19 victims were from the Muslim minority which accounts for just 10% of the 21 million population.“We have a disproportionate number of fatalities because Muslims don’t seek treatment fearing that they will be cremated if they are diagnosed with the virus after going to hospital,” SLMC spokesman Hilmy Ahamed told AFP.The Maldives, Sri Lanka’s Muslim neighbour, announced last month that Sri Lanka had sought permission to send bodies of Muslims there for burial, a claim denied by Colombo.Maldives speaker Mohamed Nasheed went on to suggest that they could allow Sri Lankan Muslims to be buried in a cemetery for Maldivians in the Sri Lankan capital.There has been no response from Colombo to that proposal.Sri Lanka has experienced a surge in Covid-19 cases, with the number of infections soaring to nearly 46,800 from 3,300 in October and deaths rising to 222 from 13.