120 complaints received, over 400 sites blocked, MCMC says amid concerns over child porn

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) says it has received some 120 complaints regarding child pornography content on various platforms since 2018, amid concerns that the online shift precipitated by the Covid-19 pandemic is increasing minors’ risk of exposure to pornography and sexually explicit material.With the cooperation of the police, it has also blocked 407 websites containing child pornography content from 2015 to January this year.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, the regulatory body said all reports lodged are addressed, with action taken under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act (CMA) 1998.Section 233 deals with the improper use of network facilities or services including the sharing of offensive content, with punishments ranging from fines of up to RM50,000, jail of one year or both upon conviction.“For cases beyond the ambit of Section 233 of the CMA, referral to the relevant law enforcement agencies will be made and technical assistance will be provided to them,” MCMC said.MalaysiaNow previously reported concerns over the open sharing of child pornography among members of Telegram groups dedicated to the distribution and trade of sexually explicit material.Although reports are made over such groups, new ones quickly emerge under different names.MCMC said removing these accounts can be difficult as those responsible can always create new ones to avoid detection.However, it said it is seeking Telegram’s cooperation in the matter.Issues related to the sexual exploitation of children, specifically the distribution, trade and creation of child pornography, fall under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 or Act 792.Section 5 of the act prohibits any form of involvement in the creation of child pornography. Anyone found to be involved in the production of such material can be sentenced to a whipping and up to 30 years in prison.Section 8 meanwhile deals with the distribution and reproduction of child pornography. Offenders can be punished with whipping and up to 15 years in jail upon conviction.Acknowledging the widespread distribution and trade of child pornography on social media, MCMC said it aims to prevent this through empowerment, advocacy and awareness, and technical assistance.For example, its Klik Dengan Bijak campaign focuses on the joint role of all parties – parents, guardians, educators, NGOs, ministries, government agencies and international organisations – in online safety and security, including online child exploitation and child safety.“This initiative includes advocacy and development modules of training and education modules for parents and guardians as well as educators,” MCMC said.In terms of technical assistance, MCMC assists the police in restricting or blocking access to websites containing child pornography and investigating offences under legislation such as the Penal Code, Child Act 2001 and Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 through information sharing and digital forensics analysis.It also provides technical assistance to other law enforcement agencies for website blocking, content or account removal requests by liaising with platform providers, generating abuse reports to platform providers, as well as advice and guidance on other steps that complainants can take.MCMC said education on the right use of the internet must continue to encourage users to use it for the right purposes.“The wrongful use of the internet is but a moral decay at the individual level.“It is through effective enforcement and prosecution that we will be able to try and manage the issue at its root,” it said.


China revises Covid guidelines for entertainment venues

China made a further incremental relaxation of rules to combat the spread of Covid-19 on Friday, removing limits on numbers of people allowed at theatres and events such as concerts and music festivals in low-risk areas without outbreaks.
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism issued the revised guidelines to travel agencies, entertainment and performance venues. A government statement said local administrators should improve the accuracy of their prevention and control measures and should not shut down entertainment venues down at will.
The specific measures are mostly in line with China's latest easing of Covid rules, but could be a bright spot for entertainment and tourism firms that have been hammered by a near three-year strict zero-Covid policy.
Places such as KTVs, internet cafes and offline board game venues are allowed to operate under normalised Covid prevention rules in low risk regions, which means as long as they apply certain Covid prevention rules, they can open their business as usual, according to the government.


Govt urged to hold inquest into 'shocking and disturbing' 300 deaths at immigration depots

Rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) has called for an explanation by the home minister of the nearly 300 deaths that occurred in immigration depots since 2020, calling the disclosure "shocking and disturbing".
In a statement, LFL highlighted the deaths of six children among the 298, saying an immediate inquest must be held to determine the cause.
"It is alarming that despite there having been hundreds of deaths in the immigration depots within a short span of time, there have been no inquest proceedings instituted regarding any one of them," it said.
"What were the causes of death? Was the local magistrate informed, and if not, why? Are the authorities not interested in finding out?"
Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin had said on July 20 that 264 of the detainees who died were men while 34 were women.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, he said 154 deaths involved Indonesian and Filipino detainees at immigration depots in Sabah.
LFL director Zaid Malek said Hamzah had offered no explanation for the hundreds of deaths, adding that the minister was behaving "as if such deaths are routine and require no explanation to the public as well as to the families of the victims or the nations from which they came".
"This revelation comes almost a month after his callous comment regarding the reported deaths of nearly 150 Indonesians in detention centres in Sabah, in which he simply brushed it off as a normal occurrence, saying flippantly 'It would be great if I had the ability to know when someone is about to die'," Zaid added.
Citing Sections 329 and 330 of the Criminal Procedure Code, he said it was the duty of the police to investigate such deaths and order post-mortem examinations.
"Deaths in custody are a serious matter and cannot simply be brushed off without a proper investigation, and especially so when they number in the hundreds," he said.
Adding that the government had a duty to ensure the safety and well-being of all, regardless of citizenship, he said it was not enough to propose "shallow solutions" such as improving the deportation process to avoid overcrowding.
"The cause of death must be ascertained, and improvements, reparations or criminal proceedings must be taken against any person liable by act or omission in the death of any detainee."
Zaid also referred to Indonesia's move to freeze the entry of its citizens into Malaysia, saying the unexplained deaths would only worsen Malaysia's ties with the republic and other countries whose citizens have died in Putrajaya's custody.
He likewise cited the latest Trafficking in Persons report by the US Department of State, saying it was "no surprise" that Malaysia had remained on the lowest tier for yet another year.


Would an anti-party hopping law stop politicians from jumping ship?

For quite some time now, there have been strident calls for an anti-hopping law to be passed in Parliament and state assemblies to prevent MPs and representatives from jumping ship for personal, selfish or suspicious reasons.The Pakatan Harapan (PH) parties are very eager to see this legislation through as they are still smarting from the collapse of their government due to the Sheraton Move.The tabling an anti-hopping law, re-scheduled for April 11 in Parliament, was one of the conditions in the MoU signed between the government and the opposition. This issue is complicated and even the courts uphold the principle of freedom of association enshrined in the constitution. It is not a matter of signing statutory declarations or agreements as the core matter is political, not legal, and the courts will refuse to judge on political matters.With the political situation unstable now and possibly after GE15 as well, there could be more expensive by-elections. Already, elections are a costly affair given the increase in voters due to automatic registration and those as young as 18 being allowed to vote. Some prefer the recall election procedure practised in the US, but whatever it is, a re-election cannot be avoided under any system.If a few MPs opt to join another political party or want to become independents due to differences with their existing parties, it would be difficult to pressure or persuade them to give up their seats as there is only a political bond between the members of a party and not a legal bond. This is one distinguishing feature that has been overlooked by all those clamoring for an anti-party hopping law.Differences in political opinion can be a justifiable and valid reason for members to leave their party. The courts cannot interfere in this political matter. It would also be a more complex and totally different matter if a large group of MPs citing dissatisfaction or a lack of confidence in the leadership leave the party as was the case with the Sheraton Move, when a large chunk of MPs left PH and formed Perikatan Nasional (PN) with Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.The reason or excuse given for the Sheraton Move was that some members of Bersatu did not agree with what was happening in PH and had decided to break away. This is a classic case of party-hopping and provides a lesson in the pros and cons in drafting any anti-party hopping law.As it is, the current first-past-the-post British electoral system needs to be changed to a more proportional representation. At present, a party or coalition which wins just 30 to 40% of the popular vote can win the mandate and form a so-called democratic government. This system may have been historically all right for the British as their two-party system which started off between the Liberals and the Conservatives and later between the Labour party and the Conservatives does not create a huge anomaly as it does in countries following the British electoral system. In Malaysia, it is made worse by the highly politicised constituency delineation which creates large voter differences in constituencies.Even though many in Malaysia did not agree with the Sheraton Move, it was a perfectly acceptable situation, examples of which can be seen in many other countries where a party or a group of legislators withdraw their support for the coalition if they feel that they are against some of the changes made by coalition members.The voters can’t do much about this as the breakaway MPs would respond by saying that they are holding true to the party principles, unlike the other factions. One faction will accuse the other. A wide range of issues concerning election manifestos, socio-economic and political problems, aspects of government administration and others could end up destabilising the coalition.Parties may group together to win an election but there is no guarantee that they will stick together for the entire term. Voters do not have much of a choice and can only look on as they have no means, legal or otherwise, to compel the MPs in any way.How can this sort of thing be prevented from happening? Would it mean holding numerous by-elections all at once, and would this not destabilise the political situation even more and distract the people and government from greater socio-economic priorities?Malaysia has many small parties now and it would be a risk for the ruling coalition to antagonise them as they could leave citing any excuse and thereby bring down the government, especially if it has a slim majority. The lure of money or other means can be strong, and MPs and state assembly representatives can be tempted to leave the party and jeopardise the situation, especially when there is a slim majority.Let us consider a situation where Party A (the government) has only a three-seat majority and Party B (the opposition) wants to grab power. Party B uses money, influence or patronage to lure a few MPs from Party A who may have won elections in their constituencies with slim majorities. Will Party A be eager to hold by-elections in these slim-majority areas, knowing the risks? It must be noted that the defecting MPs may not intend to contest the by-elections. Under these circumstances, of what use or benefit is the anti-hopping law to Party A?Coalitions are the form of government for the present and future, all over the world and also in Malaysia as the days of monolithic parties dominating the government are over. Nowadays, various parties focus or specialise on certain issues to gain the support of the people. In a proportional representation system, as practised in western Europe, even small parties focusing on certain issues get a reasonably high number of MPs who could be a force to be reckoned with in a coalition government.One might recall that before political parties arrived on the scene, there was a system of elected individual legislators who deemed themselves independents, and party hopping was unheard of.If at all an anti-party hopping bill becomes law, it may be more of a preventive rather than a corrective measure – preventive in the sense that any MP or assemblyman wanting to jump ship might think twice about the moral and ethical implications. That’s all.No law can stop party hopping as freedom of association is enshrined in the constitution. It would be better if politicians and leaders practised more principled politics for the betterment of the country.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Budget reflects bipartisanship but more can be done

Hope that the MPs would unite for the vote on Budget 2021 in order to deliver the best budget for the people during this time of unprecedented crisis seems to have been realised. However, consistent efforts and benefits need to be guaranteed for the people, not only in the short term but in the long term as well.The inaugural budget of the Perikatan Nasional government was passed at the policy stage yesterday through a voice vote after the winding-up speech by Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz.It appeared to be well supported due to the positive considerations and revisions made by the government on significant measures, as proposed by MPs from both sides, such as for a blanket loan moratorium and on withdrawals from EPF Account 1.For loan moratoriums, a targeted, automatic moratorium will be implemented to assist vulnerable borrowers in the B40 group as well as micro-SMEs. Applications will be approved within 24 hours, with no documents required from borrowers.This implies that the government hopes this measure will reach and support the affected borrowers without delay.M40 borrowers meanwhile will have to make self-declarations with banks, also without documents.The withdrawal of savings from EPF Account 1 (i-Sinar) has also been made more flexible, allowing all members who have experienced a loss of income to draw down savings up to RM10,000. This expanded coverage is expected to increase the number of beneficiaries from two million as announced on Nov 16 to eight million.As relieving as this is to eligible beneficiaries, the services offered by EPF’s Retirement Advisory Services and/or the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency should be utilised in order to provide appropriate withdrawal options for members as this involves their hard-earned retirement savings.Other positive developments observed from the winding-up speech include the expanded coverage for the eBelia programme. It had been hoped that the government would expand the RM50 e-wallet credit to a larger youth population above the age of 20 as the youth are seen as one of the key drivers in digital adoption.The government’s decision to increase the e-wallet credit amount from RM50 to RM100 and extend the benefits to students aged above 20 studying in higher educational institutions should be lauded and welcomed.But there remains a crucial need to look into sustainable measures in order to ensure long-term social safety nets for the people.At the end of the day, EPF savings still need to be replaced for post-retirement use, and borrowers eventually need to repay their loans.The government needs to ensure a sufficient allocation for long-term policy measures for the people’s livelihoods, namely job creation and the upskilling and reskilling of labour for job transitions to address the longstanding issues of unemployment and underemployment.One helpful measure which was introduced in the Penjana stimulus package is the reskilling and upskilling programmes and their extension as announced in Budget 2021.Another one will be the implementation of the Employment Generation Guarantee Scheme (JanaKerja) next year which is projected to produce 500,000 new job opportunities.These would be some of the ways to help address unemployment which has been hovering at around 700,000 from April this year until the latest available data in September.But another bigger issue that has been understated is underemployment, particularly among graduates. The heavy blow from the unprecedented pandemic has made it worse as businesses are still performing cost-cutting measures due to uncertain economic conditions through layoffs, pay cuts and hiring freezes.The latest statistics released by the Department of Statistics show that skills-related underemployment has been on an increasing trajectory, up from 29.9% in 1Q17 to 36.8% in 3Q20.Although graduate employability is increasing, the mismatch between wages and qualifications should not be underestimated. This matter needs to be considered by policymakers and industry players to ensure fair opportunities for qualified jobseekers.Employment and fair wages for workers would result in positive spillovers to the economy such as the stimulation of consumer spending which, in return, would help businesses.As mentioned by DAP senator Liew Chin Tong, Budget 2021 is an opportunity for bipartisanship and this was reflected in the cooperation between MPs in the budget measure considerations.However, these measures can still be enhanced to ensure that the benefits flow, not only in the short term but, more importantly, over a much longer period of time.Sofea Azahar is a research analyst at independent think tank Emir Research.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


DAP, Amanah top leaders not meeting Agong

The other two top leaders in Anwar Ibrahim’s Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition will not be having a royal audience with the Agong today.DAP’s Lim Guan Eng and Amanah’s Mohamad Sabu said they were informed by Istana Negara that their appointments with the king had been postponed.They did not indicate if they had been given a new date.This comes a day after the media drama outside Istana Negara in Kuala Lumpur where Anwar, the PKR president who heads PH, was granted a 25-minute audience at which he was supposed to present proof of his claim that he has the majority to topple Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.It is believed that the only other senior politician summoned to meet Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah was veteran politician and Umno adviser Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.Eyebrows were raised yesterday after the palace contradicted Anwar’s statement that he had handed over “authentic documents” to the Agong to show he has the numbers in the Dewan Rakyat.The Comptroller of the Royal Family and Household in a statement said Anwar had only stated the total number of MPs without giving their names.“He did not present the list of the MPs to strengthen the claim,” the palace said.


Sports-related businesses allowed to operate until 2am

Operating hours for sports-related businesses have been extended to 2am, Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob says.In a press conference today, he said the government made the decision after taking into account the problems faced by the operators of such businesses.“Recently, I announced that operating hours for eateries and convenience stores had been extended to 2am. Sports-related businesses such as futsal, on the other hand, had to close at midnight.“These (sports premises) operators lamented that many (players) only come in to play after maghrib or isyak prayers, but by then there are many teams waiting in line.“On those grounds, we are now allowing operating hours to be extended to 2am,” he said.He added that 136 people were detained for flouting recovery movement control order (RMCO) directives yesterday, including in the enhanced MCO areas in Kedah where some had left their homes without valid reason.Sixty-four illegal migrants and a boat skipper were also arrested, with five vehicles seized.


Flood evacuees in Terengganu, Kelantan top 26,400

More flood victims have been evacuated to relief centres (PPS) in Terengganu and Kelantan, bringing the total number of evacuees in both states to 26,447 as at 8am today.In Terengganu, the number of flood victims increased to 17,384 (4,549 families) from 16,756 (4,269 families) yesterday.They are being sheltered at 87 PPS in eight districts: Kemaman (27), Dungun (24), Hulu Terengganu (19), Kuala Terengganu and Kuala Nerus (five each), Besut (four) and Setiu (three).According to the Terengganu disaster management committee secretariat, Kemaman has the highest number of flood victims, totalling 9,245 people, followed by Hulu Terengganu (3,845), Dungun (2,795), Kuala Nerus (502), Kuala Terengganu (490), Besut (355) and Setiu (152).The Drainage and Irrigation Department (DID) meanwhile said the water in most rivers is now at normal levels, except for Sungai Kemaman in Kemaman, which is still above the danger level.Meanwhile, in Kelantan, the number of flood victims increased to 9,063 people as at 8am from 8,678 people yesterday.They have been placed at 29 PPS in four districts: Pasir Mas (22), Tumpat (three) and Tanah Merah and Pasir Puteh (two each).According to the DID portal, the water in two main rivers in the state – Sungai Golok in Kampung Jenob, Tanah Merah, and Air Bol in Jeli – is at the alert level.


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US veep tells would-be migrants, ‘Do not come, do not come’

US Vice-President Kamala Harris, during her first foreign trip, on Monday pleaded with would-be migrants from Central American countries to stay home.In her Guatemala visit, Harris has the tricky task of reintroducing the US as a friend to the region while finding ways to reduce migration, which has often been Central America’s only social safety valve amid ever-worsening humanitarian conditions, reports The Hill.The vice-president was blunt in her message to Central Americans, repeating, “Do not come.”To soften the blow, she framed the Biden administration’s closed-door policy in a message of hope for the region.The Biden administration’s Central America strategy represents, like many other aspects of Joe Biden’s immigration policy, a stark shift from the Trump administration’s initiatives.While former president Donald Trump’s policy was catalogued as cruel by its opponents, it was simple: Mexico and Central America could avoid monetary sanctions through tough enforcement of laws to stop migrants heading for the US border.Biden’s approach offers humanitarian benefits instead of enforcement measures.In a press conference alongside Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei, Harris announced a handful of new initiatives, including a joint task force to combat human trafficking and smuggling, a young women’s empowerment programme and an anti-corruption task force.She said that the US would also invest in agricultural businesses and affordable housing and help support entrepreneurs in Guatemala.US officials have for months emphasised the closed-borders warning to would-be migrants, despite the low likelihood of its success at changing minds in Central America.On Tuesday, Harris will meet with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, a key US partner in enforcing regional migration policy, before she returns to the US.But for all the talk about new ways to cooperate, reining in corruption and improving living conditions in the region have been long-running challenges that previous administrations have been unable to achieve in their efforts to stem the tide of migration to the US, says the AP.Part of the challenge remains that, despite the best efforts of US officials, corruption underpins many of the region’s governments.Even as Harris made the case for reforms, those very migrants she hoped to help were still streaming north for America.On Monday, Henry Armando Rodriguez, 27, from El Paraiso in south-central Honduras, rested outside the migrant shelter in Tecun Uman at the Guatemala-Mexico border on his journey toward the US.He didn’t know about Harris’ visit but described reasons for leaving that touched on the hopelessness the vice president wants to address.“Life is very bad in Honduras right now,” he told the AP. “We have to flee from there to be able to look for new opportunities.”He decided to make the journey as there is no agricultural work because of droughts at home.He said that even when he was able to find work, he couldn’t make enough money to pay for a decent home.And he was not impressed with the politicians who he says only claim they want to help when they need votes around election season.“They promise you the sun and the moon, and then in the end they forget all of that,” he said.“What interests them is only themselves, how they live, and the life of the poor is of little importance to them.”


Children born to Malaysian women overseas entitled to citizenship, court rules

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today ruled that children born overseas to Malaysian women married to foreigners are automatically entitled to Malaysian citizenship.Judge Akhtar Tahir ruled in an online proceeding that Malaysian women married to foreign men have the same right as Malaysian men married to foreign women to citizenship through the operation of law for children born abroad.The suit was filed on Dec 18 last year by the Association of Family Support & Welfare Selangor & Kuala Lumpur (Family Frontiers) and six Malaysian women married to foreigners.They sought six specific court orders, including a declaration that Section 1(b) and Section 1(c) of the Second Schedule, Part II of the Federal Constitution be read harmoniously with Article 8 (2) to include Malaysian mothers as a condition for children born abroad to be given automatic Malaysian citizenship.They also sought, among others, a court order for all relevant government agencies, including the National Registration Department, immigration department and Malaysian embassies, to issue all documents relating to citizenship – including passports and identity cards – to children born abroad to Malaysian mothers with foreign spouses.The government through the Attorney-General’s Chambers had applied to strike out the suit, saying it was scandalous, frivolous and vexatious, and an abuse of court process.However, the High Court on May 16 dismissed the application. The Court of Appeal on Aug 20 also dismissed the government’s bid, sending it for full trial at the High Court.Gurdial Singh Nijar, who represented the Malaysian women, hailed a “momentous decision”, saying the rules had “disrupted family structures”, AFP reported.There was no immediate reaction from the government.


US hails first signs of vaccine success even as cases plateau

US health authorities on Wednesday welcomed falling emergency hospitalisation rates among the elderly and a decline in health workers becoming infected as the first signs of the Covid vaccination campaign’s success.“We now see significant declines in emergency department visits among people over 65 as that age group has gotten vaccinated,” Rochelle Walensky, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said.According to the latest figures, 502 over-65s were hospitalised with Covid in the week ending March 13, compared with 3,384 in the week ending Jan 9 – about an 85% decline.More than 38 million people in this age group, or 70%, have now received at least one dose of Covid vaccine while 43% are fully vaccinated.The US is currently administering around 2.5 million shots per day.Anthony Fauci, President Joe Biden’s chief adviser on the pandemic, meanwhile presented real world research of the impact of vaccines that was published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.One study concerned 23,234 employees of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center who were eligible to receive the vaccine from Dec 15, 2020 through Jan 28, 2021.The data showed 234 of 8,969 employees who were unvaccinated went on to be infected – that is 2.61%.Among the partially vaccinated, the figure was 112 of 6,144, 1.82%. And among the fully vaccinated, four of 8,121 became infected, or 0.05%.“These findings should be a jolt of hope for all of us, and to serve as a catalyst for everyone to roll up their sleeves when the vaccine is available,” said Walensky.Asked whether the country was finally turning a corner in its pandemic, Fauci remained cautious.“My response is really more like we are at the corner, whether or not we’re going to be turning that corner still remains to be seen,” he said.The positive news was partly offset by the now weeks-long plateau of the nationwide infection rate, which remains high at some 55,000 new cases per day.Most of these involve younger people who are not yet vaccinated, as states continue to loosen coronavirus restrictions and as virus variants establish themselves, including the UK variant and a newer one that has emerged in the northeast.“When you are at that level, I don’t think you can declare victory and say you’ve turned the corner,” concluded Fauci.


Israeli PM held secret talks in Saudi with US state secretary, crown prince: reports

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held secret talks in Saudi Arabia Sunday with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, media said, in the first reported trip by an Israeli premier to the kingdom.US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was in Israel last week, was also at the reported talks, a diplomatic correspondent at Israeli public broadcaster Kan said on Monday.The broadcaster cited unnamed Israeli officials as saying that Netanyahu and the head of the Mossad spy agency, Yossi Cohen, “flew yesterday to Saudi Arabia and met Pompeo and MBS in the city of Neom”, referring to the often used initials of Prince Mohammed.The reported meeting comes weeks after Israel agreed historic US-brokered deals to normalise ties with two Saudi allies in the Gulf, the UAE and Bahrain, pacts known as the Abraham Accords.Multiple other Israeli media outlets reported on a Netanyahu trip to Saudi Arabia, including prominent diplomatic correspondent Barak Ravid of Walla News and Axios, who reported Netanyahu and Cohen flew on a plane belonging to Israeli businessman Udi Angel.Ravid also cited flight tracker data that apparently showed Angel’s plane leaving Israel at 8pm (1800 GMT) on Sunday, heading to Neom on the Red Sea and returning to Israel five hours later.Netanyahu’s office was not immediately available to comment on the reports.The Saudi royal court and media ministry did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment on the reported meeting between Netanyahu, Prince Mohammed and Pompeo.Pompeo had travelled to Neom on Sunday from the UAE as part of a Middle East tour.The Abraham Accords were brokered by outgoing US President Donald Trump’s administration.US and Israeli officials have repeatedly indicated that more Arab states were set to forge ties with Israel. Sudan has agreed to do so in principle.In late August, Netanyahu said Israel was holding secret talks with multiple Arab countries.Publicly, Saudi Arabia has said it would stick to the decades-old Arab League position of not having ties with Israel until the Jewish state’s conflict with the Palestinians is resolved.Israeli experts have raised questions about the prospects of expanding the Abraham Accords under US president-elect Joe Biden’s administration, particularly with respect to Saudi Arabia.Trump’s administration downplayed the role of human rights in international diplomacy, and in particular was cautious about criticising Saudi Arabia’s rights record, notably over the murder by Saudi agents of prominent journalist and Saudi royal critic Jamal Khashoggi.Multiple Israeli analysts have said that a Biden administration, which will face pressure from the progressive left in the Democratic party, would suffer a backlash if it pushed for an Israeli-Saudi peace deal without any meaningful rights reforms agreed by Saudi Arabia.With Trump’s term set to end on Jan 20, some Israeli experts have speculated that Washington would lobby hard for an Israeli-Saudi deal before Biden takes office.Israel and the Arab Gulf state have engaged in quiet diplomacy for years over their common foe Iran.


Govt appoints new auditor-general

The government has appointed a new auditor-general, Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali announced today, a week after questions were raised about the continued vacancy in office.
In a statement, he said that following discussions with the Conference of Rulers, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had consented to the appointment of Wan Suraya Wan Mohd Radzi effective June 13.
"Her appointment is based on her leadership skills and extensive experience throughout 29 years of service in the public sector," he said.
Wan Suraya's last post was CEO of the Malaysian Institute of Integrity.
MPs from opposition pact Perikatan Nasional last week questioned the vacancy, noting that the position had remained unfilled since the retirement of Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid in February.
They said the matter deserved to be given priority as many national affairs could not be handled without an auditor-general.


No guarantee incumbent BN reps will be fielded in GE15, says Perak chief

There is no guarantee that incumbent Perak Barisan Nasional (BN) assemblymen will be fielded again in the 15th general election (GE15), state BN chairman Saarani Mohamad says.The Perak menteri besar said it would depend on the situation as there might be new faces who could replace the old candidates, as was the case in the Melaka state election.“We (Perak BN) have started to get the names from the divisions. At the same time, we need to do a study from the relevant parties so that the candidates are winnable ones,” he said after launching the Parit BN election machinery in Seri Iskandar last night.Asked about the right time to hold the election, the Kota Tampan assemblyman said it would be best to hold it this year, after taking into consideration the readiness of the BN machinery throughout the state.Meanwhile, Parit MP Mohd Nizar Zakaria said his division was “ready for battle” to regain the mandate of the voters in GE15.“Alhamdulillah, the commitment of party members and the machinery is very high to ensure the victory of BN candidates, for both the parliamentary and the two state constituencies in it, namely Belanja and Bota,” he said.The Perak state legislature has 59 assemblymen with 25 from BN who are all from Umno. The rest are from Bersatu (seven), PAS (three), DAP (16), Parti Amanah Negara (five) and PKR (three).


FBI sought nuclear documents in search of Trump's home, report says

US federal agents were looking for documents relating to nuclear weapons when they raided former President Donald Trump's home in Florida this week, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.
It was not clear if such documents were recovered at the former president's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, the Post said. Reuters could not immediately confirm the report.
The US Justice Department asked a judge on Thursday to make public the warrant that authorised the FBI search of Mar-a-Lago, after Trump, a Republican, portrayed it as political retribution.
The request means the public could soon learn more about what investigators were looking for during the unprecedented search of a former president's home.
The move was part of an investigation into whether Trump illegally removed records from the White House as he left office in January 2021, some of which the Justice Department believes are classified.
Attorney General Merrick Garland, the country's top law enforcement officer and an appointee of Democratic President Joe Biden, told a news conference that he had personally approved the search. The Justice Department also seeks to make public a redacted receipt of the items seized.
"The department does not take such a decision lightly. Where possible, it is standard practice to seek less intrusive means as an alternative to a search, and to narrowly scope any search that is undertaken," Garland said.
His decision to publicly confirm the search was highly unusual. US law enforcement officials typically do not discuss ongoing investigations in order to protect people's rights. In this case, Trump himself announced the search in a Monday night statement.
Garland said the Justice Department made the request to make public the warrant "in light of the former president's public confirmation of the search, the surrounding circumstances and the substantial public interest in this matter."
A source familiar with the matter said the FBI retrieved about 10 boxes from Trump's property during the search.
Trump was not in Florida at the time of the search.
Will Trump's lawyer object?
It was unclear whether Trump's legal team would object to the release of the warrant.
The government has until 3pm ET (1900 GMT) on Friday to let the court know whether Trump's attorneys will object to unsealing the warrant. The case is before US Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who reviewed the warrant to ensure the Justice Department had sufficient probable cause for the search.
While seeking to unseal the warrant, the Justice Department has not asked the judge to unseal the sworn statement in support of the warrant, the contents of which could potentially include classified information.
Two of Trump's attorneys, Evan Corcoran and John Rowley, did not respond to a request for comment.
In a statement on his Truth social network, Trump said: "My attorneys and representatives were cooperating fully, and very good relationships had been established. The government could have had whatever they wanted, if we had it."
Escalating probe
The unprecedented search marked a significant escalation in one of the many federal and state probes Trump is facing from his time in office and in private business, including a separate probe by the Justice Department into a failed bid by Trump's allies to overturn the 2020 presidential election by submitting phony slates of electors.
The investigation into Trump's removal of records started earlier this year, after the National Archives made a referral to the department.
Former Archivist David Ferriero has previously said that Trump returned 15 boxes to the government in January 2022. The archives later discovered some of the items were "marked as classified national security information."
A couple of months prior to the search, FBI agents visited Trump's property to investigate boxes in a locked storage room, according to a person familiar with the visit.
The agents and Corcoran spent a day reviewing materials, the source said. A second source who had been briefed on the matter told Reuters the Justice Department also has surveillance footage from Mar-a-Lago in its possession.
Garland's Justice Department has faced fierce criticism and online threats since Monday's search. Trump supporters and some of his fellow Republicans in Washington accuse Democrats of weaponising the federal bureaucracy to target Trump.
In Cincinnati, Ohio, on Thursday, an armed man suspected of trying to breach the FBI building later died following an exchange of gunfire with law enforcement officers, an Ohio State Highway Patrol official said.
Garland condemned the threats and attacks against the FBI and Justice Department. "I will not stand by silently when their integrity is unfairly attacked," he said.
Some Democrats have criticised Garland for being overly cautious in investigating Trump over his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Biden.


Health ministry has 2-3 weeks to present proposals, SOPs for border reopening, says PM

The health ministry has been given two to three weeks to present to the Cabinet proposals and SOPs for the reopening of the country’s borders.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said a decision on whether to open the borders must be made carefully as the government has been receiving a lot of feedback on the matter, including public views for more intervention on behalf of the government, especially with regards to SOPs and the like, due to concerns over Covid-19 transmission.“Given a choice, we would like to open up the economy, especially since tourism income is huge, which would help the nation.“But at the same time, we need to protect the people… so a balance is what is being sought by the health ministry.“We have given the health ministry two to three weeks, and they have to present (their proposals) for the Cabinet to decide… whether to fully reopen the borders or with restrictions (involving) selected countries,” he told reporters after attending an event in Iskandar Puteri today.He was responding to National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin’s statement yesterday on the importance of reopening the country’s borders on March 1.On Feb 8, Muhyiddin announced that MPN had agreed to proposals for Malaysia to fully reopen its borders, as early as March 1, without the need for mandatory quarantine.The former prime minister however said this must be implemented with careful planning and based on current risk assessments.


Azam welcomes SC decision on conflict of interest probe

Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki today welcomed the outcome of the Securities Commission (SC) investigation clearing him of allegations of conflict of interest in the ownership of company shares.In a statement, he said he was thankful for the SC decision that he had not committed any offence.“With that, I will continue my responsibility as chief commissioner MACC to fight corruption in the country without fear or favour,” he said.The SC earlier today said it had closed its inquiry file on Azam after being unable to conclusively show that a breach of securities law had occurred under Section 24(4) of the Securities Central Depository Act 1991 (Sicda).The provision in question states that a trading account must be opened in the name of the beneficial owner or the authorised nominee.Azam had been due for questioning by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, a committee comprising MPs from Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional as well as GPS and Warisan.He was under investigation over claims of conflict of interest in the purchase of company shares following a series of blog articles by an activist linked to local NGO C4 Center.He later issued a demand letter to the writer of the articles, Lalitha Kunaratnam, with the MACC lodging a police report against her describing her claims as false and unsubstantiated by evidence.He had also been under fire from top Pakatan Harapan leaders who called for him to go on leave and for MACC’s Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang to be investigated after the latter cleared Azam of allegations of conflict of interest.


China mulls mixing vaccines to improve efficacy of jabs

China is considering the mixing of different Covid-19 vaccines to improve the relatively low efficacy of its existing options, a top health expert has told a conference.Authorities have to “consider ways to solve the issue that efficacy rates of existing vaccines are not high”, Chinese media outlet The Paper reported, citing Gao Fu, the head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.His comments mark the first time a top Chinese expert has publicly alluded to the relatively low efficacy of the country’s vaccines, as China forges ahead in its mass vaccination campaign and exports its jabs around the world.China has administered around 161 million doses since vaccinations began last year – most people will require two shots – and aims to fully inoculate 40% of its 1.4 billion population by June.But many have been slow to sign up for jabs, with life largely back to normal within China’s borders and domestic outbreaks under control.Gao has previously stressed the best way to prevent the spread of Covid-19 is vaccination, and said in a recent state media interview that China aims to vaccinate 70% to 80% of its population between the end of this year and mid-2022.At the conference in Chengdu on Saturday, Gao added that an option to overcome the efficacy problem is to alternate the use of vaccine doses that tap different technologies.This is an option that health experts outside China are studying as well.Gao said experts should not ignore mRNA vaccines just because there are already several coronavirus jabs in the country, urging for further development, The Paper reported.Currently, none of China’s jabs conditionally approved for the market are mRNA vaccines, but products that use the technology include those by US pharma giant Pfizer and German start-up BioNTech, as well as by Moderna.China has four conditionally approved vaccines, whose published efficacy rates remain behind rival jabs by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, which have 95 percent and 94% rates respectively.China’s Sinovac previously said trials in Brazil showed around 50% efficacy in preventing infection and 80% efficacy in preventing cases requiring medical intervention.Sinopharm’s vaccines have efficacy rates of 79.34% and 72.51% respectively, while the overall efficacy for CanSino’s stands at 65.28% after 28 days.


14-day campaign period to come to an end

The 14-day campaigning period for the 15th general election (GE15) which began on Nov 5 will end at 11.59pm tonight.
This means that after midnight, all activities to appeal for votes will be disallowed in 222 parliamentary seats, and state seats in Perak (59), Pahang (42) and Perlis (15) as well as the Bugaya state seat in Sabah.
However, the status of the Padang Serai parliamentary seat has yet to be decided, whether voting will continue following the death of the Pakatan Harapan contesting incumbent, M Karupaiya. The Election Commission (EC) will hold a meeting today to determine the matter.
Karupaiya was set to defend the seat in a six-cornered clash against Hamzah Abd Rahman (Pejuang-Putra), C Sivaraajh (Barisan Nasional-MIC), Mohd Bakhri Hashim (Warisan), Azman Nasrudin (Perikatan Nasional-Bersatu) and independent candidate Sreanandha Rao.
According to the EC's previous statement, the commission will enforce Subsection 26 (1) of the Election Offences Act 1954, which prohibits holding, calling or arranging any form of meeting, gathering, show, entertainment or giving public speeches. The law, among others, also prohibits the supply of loudspeakers for political purposes as well as the opening of offices or booths in polling stations on polling day.
This election made history with a record total of 945 candidates from various parties confirmed as eligible to contest for 222 parliamentary seats nationwide.
It has also witnessed an increase in the number of voters, with 21.1 million eligible to cast their ballots, compared to 14.9 million in the previous 2018 election.


Calls to replace Santiago renew debate on ethnic, dynastic politics in DAP

A silent campaign within DAP to stop three-term Klang MP Charles Santiago from contesting the seat again at the next general election has renewed a long-held view on the dominance of the so-called "Lim dynasty", a reference to Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng, the father-and-son team who for decades have symbolised the top leadership in the party.
MalaysiaNow, who spoke to senior DAP sources, has also been able to confirm a recent news report speculating that Selangor DAP branches were keen to replace Santiago with Seri Kembangan assemblyman Ean Yong Hian Wah.
Santiago has never directly addressed the claims, merely saying that he has no plans to vacate the parliamentary seat which he has held since 2008, when Barisan Nasional was ejected from Selangor by a three-party coalition comprising PKR, DAP and PAS.
One party source said the call to field Ean Yong had created unease within a section of Selangor DAP leaders who were "not in the good books of Lim".

Klang MP Charles Santiago.

It cited a flurry of messages, mostly anonymous, from party members who questioned Ean Yong's track record as an assemblyman.
"It is unacceptable to have one that held high office for more than 10 years but without any proven track record compete here," read one message written in Mandarin.
When contacted, Ean Yong said he had no comment on speculation about his candidacy.
Some also felt that Santiago was targeted due to his race, based on a familiar claim that DAP had sidelined its ethnic Indian leaders despite its claim to multiracialism.
Santiago himself was quick to dismiss such allegations.
"DAP is a social democratic party that promotes justice, fairness and equality. And I strongly believe that there is no place for racism in the party," he told MalaysiaNow.
Those familiar with DAP's domestic issues said it was known that Santiago had not been in the "good books" of party stalwart Guan Eng, while Ean Yong, on the other hand, was the "blue-eyed boy".
They said it was rare for an MP to be transferred to contest at the state level, especially if he or she could not add any value by sitting in the state assembly.
"In some cases, it is understandable when an ethnic Malay candidate from DAP is preferred to contest for a state seat rather than Parliament, as it is thought that in the event of a lack of MB candidates, a Malay DAP rep could be offered," said a Perak DAP source.
A former senior DAP politician said he was not surprised by the calls for Santiago's replacement, adding that nepotism and cronyism in the party was an "open secret".
"Teng Chang Khim is a classic example," he said, referring to the veteran DAP member who is currently the assemblyman for Bandar Baru Klang.
"For the past 20 years at least, he has been active, and interacts with the people very well. But what happened? He was sidelined. He started in the state, but he couldn't move.
"If you are a crony, you will move very fast," he added.
On the other hand, he said, some DAP leaders had seen a meteoric rise in the party despite having joined the party only in 2008.
"One of them failed to make the cut in DAP’s central executive committee election this year, but he continues to be appointed to senior posts that could influence party decisions."


Australia looks to rest of world even as China trade ties heal

Australia will encourage businesses diversify their trade into new and emerging markets, Trade Minister Don Farrell will say in a speech on Thursday, even as ties heal with China, its largest trading partner.
"It’s why this government has spent the last year working to diversify our trading relationships," he will tell the National Press Club in Canberra.
"We’ve learnt valuable lessons over the last few years, and I encourage all Australian businesses to continue with their diversification plans – and take advantage of new and emerging markets," according to Farrell, who recently returned from a visit to China.
More than two years after China first slapped tariffs and unofficial bans on a range of commodities including coal and barley, Beijing has begun removing restrictions. But Australia, chastened by the experience, is developing other trade relationships.
A free trade agreement with Britain will kick in on Wednesday and a deal that lifts most tariffs with India entered into force last December. In a visit to Sydney last week, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed a more comprehensive agreement.
Farrell will also burnish the centre-left Labor government's credentials as a trusted trade partner that plays by the rules in his speech, amid concerns from domestic gas suppliers and their customers in Asia that repeated interventions could curb investment.
"We will continue to be the government of free, fair and open trade. Where the rules of the game are known and respected," Farrell will say.


5 more bodies recovered after migrant boat capsize

Authorities recovered today the bodies of five more people who had been missing since their boat capsized off Johor a day earlier, officials said, bringing the death toll from the accident to 16.The dead included 10 men and six women, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said in a statement.Fourteen people were found safe, while 20 remain missing, as search and rescue operations continued for a second day.All those aboard the boat, which overturned in bad weather yesterday, were Indonesians suspected to be undocumented migrants travelling to Malaysia, the MMEA has said.The accident is the latest in a string of disasters recorded in the waterways between Indonesia and Malaysia in recent years, often involving overloaded boats ferrying labourers seeking work in Malaysian factories and plantations.According to Jakarta-based rights group Migrant CARE, between 100,000 and 200,000 Indonesians travel illegally to Malaysia each year for work, many of them recruited by trafficking gangs.


SPM 2021 to begin next February

The 2021 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exam for students in Form Five will be held in February and March next year in light of the disruptions to school sessions due to the spread of Covid-19.Education Minister Radzi Jidin said the oral exams and practical tests for science would take place in February while the written exams would be held in March.“The education ministry made this decision taking into account the current situation and challenges faced by the candidates for SPM 2021,” he said at a press conference today.“Our experience in managing SPM 2020 allows us to shift the exam period for 2021 to 2022. We are confident that all processes related to SPM 2021 will go smoothly, as was the case with SPM 2020.”When asked about the possibility of allowing schools to open for students taking examinations, Radzi said: “If schools are opened, pupils sitting for exams will be given priority to attend classes face to face.”On claims by the Pakatan Harapan education committee that the government had failed to manage SPM last year, he said the situation then had required in-depth study including on the aspects of physical distancing, the number of staff on duty and schedules for lunch.“After that, we looked into how to carry out the marking process,” he said. “Previously, teachers gathered at certain places.“We decided that for SPM 2020, for the first time, SPM exam papers would be checked online. More than five million exam papers needed to be scanned.”He said judging from the time needed to release the SPM results last year, results could be issued more quickly than in pre-pandemic years.“For this year, SPM certificates will be printed a month after the results are out.“This shows that during this short period of time, we have achieved great success in ensuring improvements to SPM 2020.”


Biden, Modi hail new era for US-India ties

US President Joe Biden and Narendra Modi hailed a new era in their countries' relationship after the White House rolled out the red carpet for the Indian prime minister on Thursday, touting deals on defence and commerce aimed at countering China's global influence.
"Two great nations, two great friends, and two great powers. Cheers," Biden told Modi in a toast at a state dinner. Modi said in reply: "You are soft spoken, but when it comes to action, you are very strong."
Though the countries are not formal treaty-bound allies and India has long relished its independence, Washington wants Delhi to be a strategic counterweight to China. While neither leader criticised Beijing directly in official statements, they alluded to the Xi Jinping-led government.
"The dark clouds of coercion and confrontation are casting their shadow in the Indo Pacific," Modi told Congress. "The stability of the region has become one of the central concerns of our partnership."
After Biden and Modi spoke privately for more than two hours, a joint statement included a warning of rising tensions and destabilising actions in the East and South China Sea and stressed the importance of international law and freedom of navigation.
"The challenges and opportunities facing the world in this century require that India and the US work and lead together, and we are," Biden said as he welcomed Modi to the White House.
The state dinner, held in a large, elaborately erected tent on the White House South Lawn, featured a number of Silicon Valley executives on the guest list, including Apple's Tim Cook, 23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, among others.
With the slightly Indian-accented dinner, the Bidens followed a White House tradition of serving guests from abroad food that has faint echoes of home with a strong American bent.
Modi is seeking to raise the status that India, the world's most populous country at 1.4 billion and fifth-largest economy, has on the world stage as a manufacturing and diplomatic powerhouse while navigating strained ties with China.
His participation in a White House press conference itself was a reflection of contrasting political traditions, marking the first time Modi has taken questions in such a format in his nine-year tenure. He took one question apiece from an American and an Indian journalist selected in advance, and dismissed criticism about India's human rights record.
Washington has been frustrated by India's close ties with Russia while Moscow wages war in Ukraine. Modi avoided direct mention of Russia, but told lawmakers the conflict was "causing great pain in the region. Since it involves major powers, the outcomes are severe."
Boycotts and welcome crowds
Modi's visit was not without controversy. The speech to Congress, normally a bipartisan affirmation of a visiting leader from an allied nation, was boycotted by some liberal lawmakers, who cited the Modi government's treatment of India's Muslim minority.
"I encourage my colleagues who stand for pluralism, tolerance and freedom of the press to join me in doing the same," representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted on Wednesday.
Modi's speech to the Congress also drew a crowd of on-lookers who chanted "Modi, Modi" at applause lines.
As some 7,000 well-wishers gathered for a colourful opening ceremony at the White House, a far smaller group of demonstrators gathered blocks away to protest the Biden administration's cosiness with Modi, who leads the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party.
Asked by a US reporter about what steps he would take to improve the rights of Muslims and other minorities, Modi said "there's absolutely no space for discrimination" in India.
Biden told reporters he and Modi had a straightforward discussion about democratic values.
Deals
The two countries announced agreements on semiconductors, critical minerals, technology, space cooperation and defense cooperation and sales.
Some are aimed at diversifying supply chains to reduce dependence on China. Others are aimed at cornering the market in advanced technologies that may feature on the battlefields of the future. They also ended disputes at the World Trade Organization, and India removed some tariffs on US goods.
The US is India's largest trading partner but the US has much larger trading relationships with China, the EU, and North American neighbours.
Biden and Modi signed off on a deal to allow General Electric to produce jet engines in India to power Indian military aircraft, through an agreement with Hindustan Aeronautics.
US Navy ships in the region will be able to stop in Indian shipyards for repairs under a maritime agreement, and India will procure US-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones.
US chipmaker Micron Technology's plans a US$2.7 billion (RM12.62 billion) semiconductor testing and packaging unit, to be built in Modi's home state of Gujarat. The US will also make it easier for skilled Indian workers to get and renew US visas.
India also agreed to join the US-led Artemis Accords on space exploration and to work with Nasa on a joint mission to the International Space Station in 2024.
Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said the visit so far had been "truly pathbreaking" and New Delhi is confident it will help take the relationship with Washington to "higher reaches".
"The richness of form and substance of the visit clearly tells you that it’s an exceptional, landmark, pathbreaking visit," Kwatra told reporters.
"The decisions taken during the visit are truly transformative across a wide range of areas. Naturally, it is something which is possible when the countries have deep trust in each other and are in it for long term."


Xi critic jailed 18 years for embezzlement

A Chinese billionaire who criticised President Xi Jinping’s handling of the pandemic has been jailed for 18 years on corruption charges, CNN reports.Ren Zhiqiang, 69, a retired real-estate tycoon with close ties to senior Chinese Communist Party officials, disappeared in March after he allegedly criticised Xi’s handling of the coronavirus epidemic in an online article.The anonymous author of the article criticised the party’s crackdown on press freedom and its intolerance of dissent.Xi was not mentioned by name, but the country’s leader was described as a power-hungry “clown”. There were other apparent references to the children’s story of the emperor’s new clothes.The essay went on to accuse the Communist Party of putting its own interests above the safety of the Chinese people.On Tuesday, a court in Beijing found Ren guilty of charges ranging from embezzlement of public funds, to accepting bribes and abuse of power.The court said he “voluntarily confessed all of his crimes”.Judges sentenced him to 18 years in prison and imposed a fine of more than US$600,000.China’s courts have a conviction rate of around 99% and corruption charges are often used to punish Communist Party insiders who fall from grace.Ren had been disciplined by the leadership before for criticising Xi’s demands that Chinese state media must stay loyal to the party, but this time seems to have been his last chance as he will be an old man by the time he is released.Ren’s heavy-handed treatment appears designed to send a tough message to other members of the Chinese elite that any public criticism or defiance of Xi will not be tolerated.


More could have been helped without 1MDB debt legacy, Zafrul schools Najib

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz today dismissed claims by former prime minister Najib Razak that the country owed over RM115 billion from January to May this year.He said government loans as of April had totalled RM81.8 billion, reaching RM99.3 billion in May, not RM115.53 billion as Najib had claimed.“All government loans are based on the expenditure approved in Parliament during the debate on Budget 2021,” he said in a video uploaded on Facebook.“The government has never used the emergency ordinance to raise or add to spending beyond the ceiling approved in Parliament in August 2020.”He also said the country is still burdened with debts of more than RM40 billion carried over from Najib’s administration.He said the RM15.5 billion debt of 1MDB and SRC International had been paid so far⠀although there remained a debt balance of over RM42.3 billion.“Imagine, if this amount of nearly RM58 billion could have been used, how many of our people could we have helped during this pandemic?“This is not to leverage the situation, but the issue is very relevant to that of the country’s debts and the government’s fiscal ability to help the people,” he said.Najib had previously questioned the government’s right to borrow RM115.3 billion from the beginning of the year up until May 22.He said the loan was “spent at will”, after the Finance Act which controls and monitors government spending was suspended through an emergency ordinance.Zafrul also challenged Najib’s claim that government loans had amounted to RM115.3 billion, saying the former finance minister had also included loans by government-linked companies such as Petronas and Khazanah.“Frankly, I don’t know why he included loans made by Petronas and Khazanah as well as the proceeds from the sale of silterra or telecom shares as government loans,” he said.“In the list of government loans presented by Najib, there are loans made by Petronas and Khazanah.“These are loans for their respective capital and cash flow needs. These are their debts, not the debts of the federal government.”


Insurers look to ease UN climate alliance rules after member exodus, sources say

The remaining insurers in a United Nations-backed coalition aimed at tackling climate change are poised to loosen the alliance's membership requirements, after a recent exodus of members, according to two people familiar with the discussions.
The UN-convened Net-Zero Insurance Alliance (NZIA) is set to remove a six-month deadline for members to publish greenhouse gas emissions targets alongside other changes to make membership less prescriptive, the sources said.
The hope is to "steady the ship" and create space for ex-members to consider returning later, they said.
The NZIA has lost more than half its members including AXA, Lloyd's of London and Tokio Marine since attorneys general from 23 Republican-run US states sent a May 15 letter seeking information about insurers' membership and threatening legal action.
The attorneys general said the NZIA's requirements for members to publish and meet greenhouse gas emission-reduction targets appeared to violate antitrust laws, and that the alliance's actions had pushed up insurance and other costs for consumers.
Launched in 2021 to drive insurers' efforts to hit zero emissions on a net basis by 2050 in their underwriting portfolios, the NZIA is one of several industry coalitions under the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ) umbrella group.
The NZIA now has 12 members, down from a peak of 30. Other GFANZ alliances have also faced US political pressure but have not seen many members leave.
Concern from campaigners
The NZIA's 'target-setting protocol' published in January required insurers to publish their initial 2030 targets for reducing emissions by end-July, or within six months of joining for newer entrants, and then report their progress against the targets annually.
But remaining members, among them Britain's Aviva, Italy's Generali and South Korea's Shinhan Life, want to avoid insurers publishing targets simultaneously, which could invite fresh accusations of anti-competitive collaboration, the first source said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.
An NZIA spokesman declined to comment.
The potential for looser rules was met with concern by environmental campaigners, who say insurers are already doing too little to curb emissions and that aggressive collective action is needed.
"The NZIA has had very minimal requirements and expectations of membership from the start," said Peter Bosshard, coordinator of the Insure our Future campaign.
The alliance, Bosshard said, developed less stringent requirements - such as not restricting fossil fuel underwriting - than another investor coalition, the Net Zero Asset Owners Alliance, precisely to avoid accusations it was breaching anti-trust laws.
"The target-setting is the only thing left," he added. Without such requirements "the NZIA would just become another industry talking shop".
Other proposals being discussed include making the alliance a broader forum where insurance industry bodies participate in areas like target-setting best practice, the first source said.
The changes under discussion have not been finalised, the sources said, and it's not clear how the alliance would deal with insurers that drag their feet in publishing targets.
US exposure
Insurers inside and outside the NZIA say they remain committed to their net-zero pledges despite the backlash in the US.
They are convinced they are not violating antitrust rules, but companies departing the coalition were concerned about their exposure to regulatory and litigation risks, given US states are the industry's primary regulator.
Insurers with little US exposure have also been quitting, threatening the alliance's viability.
Insurance Australia Group declined to explain its exit last month. Canada's Beneva said the US political debate around environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria was "a distraction from the actions around which the company wishes to rally".
Remaining members believe the NZIA still has a valuable role, and point to methodologies it developed for assessing and reporting on underwriting-linked emissions.
France's AXA, which chaired the NZIA before quitting in May, last week published its first emissions goals for its insurance portfolio.


China says tracking Covid cases now 'impossible' as infections soar

The true scale of Covid-19 infections in China is now "impossible" to track, the country's top health body said Wednesday, as officials warned of a rapid spread in Beijing after the country abruptly dropped its zero-tolerance policy.
China last week loosened restrictions for mass testing and quarantine after nearly three years of attempting to stamp out the virus, prompting officially reported infections to fall quickly from the all-time highs recorded last month.
And with testing no longer required for much of the country, China's National Health Commission on Wednesday admitted its numbers no longer reflected reality.
"Many asymptomatic people are no longer participating in nucleic acid testing, so it is impossible to accurately grasp the actual number of asymptomatic infected people," the NHC said in a statement.
The statement comes after Vice Premier Sun Chunlan said the capital's new infections were "rapidly growing", according to a state media readout.
Chinese leaders are determined to press ahead with opening up, with Beijing's tourism authorities saying on Tuesday that it would resume tour groups in and out of the capital.
But the country is facing a surge in cases it is ill-equipped to manage, with millions of vulnerable elderly still not fully vaccinated and underfunded hospitals lacking the resources to deal with an expected influx of infected patients.
And as the country steers a tricky path out of its zero-Covid policy towards living with the virus, many with symptoms have opted to self-medicate at home.
Residents of Beijing have complained of sold-out cold medicines and long lines at pharmacies, while Chinese search giant Baidu said that searches for fever-reducing Ibuprofen had risen 430% over the past week.
Soaring demand for rapid antigen tests and medications has created a black market with astronomical prices, while buyers resort to sourcing the goods from "dealers" whose contacts are being passed around WeChat groups.
Authorities are cracking down, with market regulators hitting one business in Beijing with a $43,000 (about RM190,000) fine for selling overpriced test kits, the local Beijing News reported Tuesday.
And in a sea change in a country where infection with the virus was once taboo and recovered patients faced discrimination, people are taking to social media to show off their test results and give detailed descriptions of their experiences being sick.
"When my body temperature went past 37.2 degrees, I began to add some sugar and salt to my lemon water," Beijing-based Xiaohongshu social site user "Nina" wrote in one account intended as advice for those not yet infected.
"I've been resurrected!!" wrote another account owner in the caption to a photo showing a row of five positive antigen tests and one negative.


Sorry.


New cases surge past 6,000 again

Another 6,849 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 646,411.Selangor recorded 2,558 cases, Kuala Lumpur 884, Sarawak 699, Negeri Sembilan 685, Johor 426, Sabah 309, Kelantan 248, Penang 205, Labuan 176, Melaka 170, and Perak and Kedah 161 each.Pahang recorded 89 cases, Terengganu 66, Putrajaya 10 and Perlis two.Active cases stand at 78,864 with 912 in the ICU and 458 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 7,749 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 563,779.However, 84 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 3,768.


UK accelerates vaccine rollout with end of lockdown in sight

The UK government on Sunday vowed to offer a first coronavirus vaccine dose to every adult by the end of July, as it readied to announce a gradual easing of its third lockdown in England.Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who will outline the lockdown review in parliament on Monday, said the faster inoculation campaign would seek to offer a first dose to everyone aged over 50 by mid-April.The previous targets were to inoculate over 50s by May, and all adults by September.“We will now aim to offer a jab to every adult by the end of July, helping us protect the most vulnerable sooner, and take further steps to ease some of the restrictions,” Johnson said, while stressing the exit would be “cautious and phased”.Britain, one of the hardest-hit countries in the world by the Covid-19 pandemic with more than 120,000 deaths, was also the first nation to begin a mass vaccination campaign, in December.More than 17 million people have now received at least a first dose – one third of the adult UK population.But with infection rates and hospitalisations soaring after an easing of restrictions over Christmas, the government imposed a third lockdown at the start of January, closing schools, non-essential businesses and hospitality venues across England.Case numbers are falling again and early evidence suggests the vaccinations are helping to reduce serious illness, while political pressure is building on the government to return to normality.Johnson was meeting with senior ministers on Sunday to finalise his House of Commons statement, which is expected to endorse the reopening of English schools on March 8 – although teaching unions say allowing all pupils to return on the same day is “reckless”.‘Last lockdown’Johnson is expected to lay out a gradual easing more widely after March 8, including for outdoor activities. But the full reopening of retail and pubs, and attendance at sporting events, will be delayed until later.“All of us understandably want to go back to normal, but it is right to be cautious,” Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News television on Sunday, noting that nearly 20,000 people remain in hospital with Covid.Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour party, said he disagreed with the teaching unions’ opposition but urged the government to widen extra-hours access so that children can catch up ahead of summer exams.“We all want this to be the last lockdown so we’ve got to come out of it in a measured way, but make sure we are not back where we started in a number of weeks or months,” he added on Sky News.The devolved governments of Scotland and Wales, which administer their own health policy, are letting some younger pupils return to school this week. In Northern Ireland, the administration is resuming younger classes on Mar 8 but has extended its overall lockdown to April 1.‘Risk of resurgence’John Edmunds, an epidemiologist and government adviser from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told the BBC: “The vast majority of us are still not immune.“Easing up too quickly will increase pressure, cases will increase again. We’re not through this yet.”Edmunds also called for the acceleration of vaccine trials on children, stressing “there is significant risk of a resurgence” until the entire population is inoculated, not just adults.The government and expert advisors are also watching carefully for the emergence of new Covid variants, such as ones first detected in Brazil and South Africa, which may be more resistant to vaccines.Hancock’s health ministry said Sunday it was introducing mass testing in an area of Essex, east of London, after a single case of the South Africa variant was confirmed there.The UK’s predominant strain is one that emerged in the southeast county of Kent last September and then spread rapidly, after the first wave of Covid-19 had waned.


Muhyiddin trumps Dr M, Anwar in new survey

The Perikatan Nasional (PN) government appears to enjoy a higher rate of endorsement for its policies now compared to when it first took power, with some 65% giving the thumbs-up to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, according to a recent survey conducted by a think tank.Emir Research, whose poll in August involved over 2,000 respondents nationwide, said Dr Mahathir Mohamad came in second as “the prime minister of choice” with 10% of support, followed by Anwar Ibrahim with 8%.The two leaders have in the past openly declared their interest for the top post.The poll said 73% of female respondents had thrown their support behind Muhyiddin, who also gained more support among the younger age groups.While he had more support among the Malays and other Bumiputera ethnicities, approval for the prime minister was also strong among the Chinese (50%) and Indians (49%), the poll said.In comparison, Mahathir had 9% of Malay support and 25% from the Chinese-Indian ethnic groups. Meanwhile, Anwar had only 5% of support from Malays and 38% from Chinese and Indians.Emir Research also noted that the non-Malay support for Muhyiddin as “prime minister of choice” contradicts the communities’ lower support for the government.“One possible explanation for these perplexing results could be the unanimous yearning for government stability which was one of the most pronounced themes in our qualitative research study,” it added.“As one of the discussants sums it up: ‘Many people said that this current government is the government that we need, not the government that you want, not the government that we have chosen’,” said a report released by the think tank.Muhyiddin was sworn into office just days after the Pakatan Harapan government collapsed following Mahathir’s resignation.His nine-month rule has been dominated by the battle against Covid-19, with the government forced to announce multi-billion ringgit rescue packages to cushion the pandemic’s impact on the economy.Satisfaction with the governmentThe poll said PN scored a Government Satisfaction Index (GSI) of 0.67 in the third quarter of this year compared to 0.45, indicating a 49% increase.Emir Research said the GSI score is “above average”, and a marked increase from a similar survey it conducted late last year which gave the government a score of 0.45 in the first quarter of 2020.“The respondents’ sense of confidence and optimism for the future, and hence a higher satisfaction towards the government, is likely due to their endorsement of the government’s effort to balance lives and livelihoods by reopening the economy and announcing stimulus packages, while at the same time balancing the measures to mitigate Covid-19 infections and searching for vaccines,” the research house said in the latest series of its survey titled “Pulse From The Ground”.The survey results also showed an emerging pattern of more Malaysians ignoring party affiliations in their political choice.Some 29% of them said they would support principle-based politics, slightly more than those who look out for parties (25%) and individuals (24%).The report said the trend of “principle-based politics” was “interesting”, although it was more apparent among urban Malaysians.The survey also offered a glimpse of political loyalties among respondents, with most Malays (51%) favouring Umno.DAP received the bulk of support from Chinese and Indian Malaysians, while Bersatu enjoyed greater support among the Sabah and Sarawak Bumiputeras.The report said most of the support for Umno (49%) comes from the lower income group, or those earning below RM1,500, while the more affluent Malays back Bersatu and PAS.The bulk of Umno’s support also comes from those with lower academic qualification, the survey said.


GPS ties with PN still intact, says Sarawak leader

The relationship between Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Perikatan Nasional (PN) is still intact even though PN is contesting four parliamentary seats in Sarawak at the 15th general election (GE15), Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah says.
"This (PN’s decision to contest in Sarawak) is just politics. Just because they are contesting in Sarawak, it doesn’t mean that they have become our (GPS) enemy.
"In fact, we have been with PN (in forming the federal government) long before the dissolution of Parliament, and our relationship is still intact," he said at a press conference in Kuching today.
GPS comprises PBB, the Sarawak United People’s Party, Parti Rakyat Sarawak and the Progressive Democratic Party.
Karim said in the spirit of democracy, GPS would have to go up against PN in the four parliamentary constituencies, namely Saratok, Lubok Antu, Bintulu and Batang Lupar.
"Even with a heavy heart, we have to go up against them and we will give the chance for the voters to decide," he said.
The Election Commission has set polling on Nov 19 and early voting on Nov 15.


Thai protesters call for royal reforms after court ruling

Hundreds of protesters rallied in Bangkok on Sunday against a decision by a top court that ruled calling for royal reforms amounted to a bid to overthrow Thailand’s ultra-powerful monarchy.The Constitutional Court – which critics have long said is politicised – announced Wednesday that three prominent protest leaders had made speeches that “aim to overthrow the constitutional monarchy”.While the court’s decision does not result in criminal penalties for the protest leaders, observers say the ruling could shrink an already narrow space for activists campaigning for reform of the monarchy.Defying a ban on gatherings, hundreds of protesters assembled in Bangkok’s main shopping district to rail against the decision, holding signs that said they do not want an absolute monarchy.“We are not overthrowing this country. The reform is to make it better,” shouted protest leader Thatchapong Kaedam, as demonstrators waved placards that said “reform does not equal overthrow”.“The Constitutional Court is seizing power from the people,” he said.Protesters flung effigies of the Constitutional Court’s judges off a bridge and later burned them, while a small group of saffron-robed monks flashed a three-fingered salute for democracy.Police briefly clashed with some demonstrators, firing rubber bullets which hit at least one protester who was bleeding from his chest, according to an AFP reporter on the ground. The injured man was rushed into an ambulance.The city’s Erawan Emergency Centre said at least two people were injured, though no details were given about their condition.Earlier in the day, police had warned rallygoers against gathering.“We want the public to focus on how to use their rights and freedoms but not violate laws which were ruled by the Constitutional Court,” said Bangkok police spokesman Jirasant Kaewsangake.Letter to the embassyBy nightfall, protesters had marched to the German embassy – a commentary on the king’s frequent stays in the European country.They submitted a letter to the embassy expressing concerns about a return to absolutism, and the rally dispersed soon after.King Maha Vajiralongkorn flew to the country this week, according to German media – his first trip abroad in over a year.Thailand has been a constitutional monarchy since the end of absolute royal rule in 1932, but democracy has been punctuated by regular military coups, most recently in 2014.The current protest movement kicked off mid-2020, with student-led rallies calling for Premier Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and for reforms to the monarchy.The controversial call for royal reforms sent a lightning bolt through Thai society, which has long regarded the king as sacrosanct.Any criticism of the royal family opens a person up to criminal prosecution under lese majeste laws.Tens of thousands thronged the streets at the height of the demonstrations but now scores of protesters and their leaders are facing multiple criminal charges including royal defamation.


‘Straight to hell’: Ukraine, Russia spar during heated UN meet

A visibly emotional Ukrainian ambassador traded barbs with his Russian counterpart during a heated late-night emergency Security Council meeting on the Russia-Ukraine crisis Wednesday.Sergiy Kyslytsya implored the council, chaired by Russia, to “do everything possible to stop the war” against his country.“It is the responsibility of these bodies to stop the war,” Kyslytsya told the meeting of the 15-member council, which began shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a military operation in Ukraine.Kyslytsya urged UN ambassador Vassily Nebenzia of Russia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the council, to “call Putin, call (Foreign Minister Sergey) Lavrov to stop (the) aggression.”Kyslytsya told Nebenzia to “relinquish your duties as chair.”“There is no purgatory for war criminals. They go straight to hell, ambassador.”In a series of heated exchanges, Nebenzia said Russia was merely carrying out “a special military operation.”“This isn’t called a war,” he told his Ukrainian counterpart.Nebenzia later added: “I wanted to say in conclusion that we aren’t being aggressive against the Ukrainian people but against the junta that is in power in Kyiv.”After the meeting, Kyslytsya described the Moscow envoy’s comments that Russia’s incursion wasn’t a war “lunacy.”“You want me to dissect the crazy lunatic semantics of a person whose president violates the charter, whose president declared a war and he’s playing with words,” Kyslytsya said in response to a question by a reporter.“And you’ve asked me to interpret. It’s lunacy. It’s lunacy.”


Malaysia can’t afford more lockdowns, says Khairy

Malaysia cannot afford another lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says.In a Twitter post, he said this was from the economic aspect as well as the welfare of the people.He said the government’s strategy to contain the spread of the virus was to implement mitigation strategies.“There is no doubt that China’s approach (to enforce a lockdown) has been effective,” he said.“However, their containment and ‘Zero Covid’ strategy also means a total lockdown (is enforced) when there are only three positive cases.”He also included a screenshot of a news report titled “Yuzhou: Second Chinese city forced into Covid lockdown”.Khairy said Malaysia, after having successfully achieved high vaccination rates, had managed its Covid-19 cases effectively, besides constantly reminding the people to continue adhering to SOPs to ensure the fatality rate, use of ICUs and hospital admissions can be reduced.Khary also expressed his full support for Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah as health director-general.This followed Bintulu MP Tiong King Sing’s statement on Facebook questioning Noor Hisham’s background and expertise as a surgeon and not in the field of public health.


97.3% of adults, 86.5% of teens fully jabbed

A total of 22,774,778 individuals or 97.3% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, 98.7% of adults or 23,096,370 individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine.Meanwhile, 86.5% of teenagers or 2,724,110 individuals have completed their vaccination while 2,825,229 individuals or 89.7% have received at least one dose.A total of 67,376 doses were administered yesterday, 63,889 as booster shots, 2,005 as second jabs and 1,472 as a first dose.This brings the total number of vaccine jabs administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 54,891,289 including 3,663,587 booster shots.


Negeri Sembilan proposes June 1 dissolution of state assembly

Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun has proposed that the Negeri Sembilan legislative assembly be dissolved on June 1 to pave the way for the 15th state election.
Aminuddin, who is also PKR vice-president, however said the proposed date would need discussions and the endorsement of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) Presidential Council.
"We have yet to discuss this with the Presidential Council, but the proposed date is June 1.
"This is just a proposal. We will have discussions after this and the date could change. We also have the meeting of menteris besar (and chief ministers) at the end of February, and we will have informal discussions, insha Allah.
"It is up to the Election Commission whether to hold an election within 60 days… meaning, having it simultaneously with the other states should not be a problem," he told reporters in Seremban today.
Yesterday, Kedah Menteri Besar Muhammad Sanusi Md Nor hinted that the Kedah legislative assembly would be dissolved after June 18.
He said this was based on several factors, including the arrival of the fasting month, Aidilfitri celebration, haj season and Aidiladha celebration.
Apart from Negeri Sembilan and Kedah, state elections are due this year in Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Terengganu.


Sarawak to allow walk-in Covid jabs as well

Sarawak has given the green light for those who have yet to receive an appointment for vaccination to walk in at jab centres, in its latest push to boost the Covid-19 immunisation drive in the state.“The Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force has given permission to all vaccination centres to carry out vaccination on a ‘walk-in’ basis,” the Sarawak disaster management committee said in a statement today.It said those who have yet to receive an appointment should contact their divisional disaster management committee from July 23 to Aug 5 in order to make a walk-in appointment.“Sarawak would like to emphasise the importance of completing the vaccination doses according to the type and time interval that has been set,” it added.This follows the move to allow walk-in vaccinations for senior citizens in the Klang Valley as part of a pilot programme which Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said could be expanded to other states as well.


Najib finds safe haven in PM Ismail as he steers clear of Zahid

A long-simmering fallout between two top leaders in Umno now threatens to play out in the open despite their close cooperation in engineering the downfall of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government two months ago, a senior party leader has revealed to MalaysiaNow.It is said that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and his predecessor Najib Razak, who were united by their legal fate in facing dozens of corruption charges following their downfall three years ago, have now split after the latter decided that “he could only survive by joining hands with Ismail Sabri Yaakob”.“The prime minister is also actively looking for allies in his quest for the Umno presidency, so Najib’s support system within Umno is crucial,” said the source who is based in Pahang.“It is a win-win arrangement for as long as Ismail is prime minister. The next one year leading to the general election will see a solid cooperation between him and Najib,” it added.Ismail was among the Umno leaders who resisted Zahid and Najib’s campaign to topple Muhyiddin, staying put in the government despite a psywar to get Umno MPs to revoke their support for the Bersatu president.Despite his earlier defiance which saw him gathering Umno and Barisan Nasional Cabinet members to stop any attempt to bring down the Perikatan Nasional government at the height of the pandemic, Ismail obtained support from Zahid and Najib after an earlier plan to install Anwar Ibrahim faltered due to a failure to muster support from Umno MPs for the PKR chief.The source said Najib understood Ismail’s incumbency as prime minister and the impact it would have on Umno leaders.“This is an era where you control the party by first controlling the government, unlike a few years ago when controlling Umno was the path to becoming the prime minister. Najib understood that, which is also why he is abandoning Zahid who appears to be the weakest Umno president in the party’s history,” it said.Najib, who is appealing to quash a conviction for seven high-profile charges related to RM42 million from 1MDB-linked SRC International, has no choice but to throw his support behind Ismail’s bid to take over Umno.Ismail achieved the rare reputation of becoming prime minister even though he is only one of three vice-presidents of the party.Umno has postponed its election for its top posts to sometime towards the end of 2022, a move criticised by anti-Najib party leaders who occupy ministerial posts under Ismail, such as Khairy Jamaluddin and Reezal Merican Naina Merican.It also got the party into problems with the Registrar of Societies which ruled a decision on July 7 this year as invalid as the Umno Supreme Council had already reached the expiry of its term a week earlier.Zahid, who beat Khairy for the top post in 2018, has been a strong proponent for a delay in polls as he continues to face rebellion over a myriad of issues, including his corruption, money laundering and criminal breach of trust cases, his secret deals with Anwar and his refusal to cooperate with other Malay-based parties in the upcoming Melaka state election.“All these negative vibes about Zahid will translate into misfortune for Najib, as both are seen as one team. They both supported Anwar, they both waged war against PN and they both have their personal freedom hanging in the balance.“So Najib’s only strategy is to switch sides and support the prime minister of the day,” the source added.


US says China expanding nuclear arsenal faster than anticipated

China is expanding its nuclear arsenal much more quickly than anticipated, the US has said, but Beijing on Thursday slammed the Pentagon report as overhyping the threat.The US has declared China its principal security concern for the future, as Beijing works to build the People’s Liberation Army into “world-class forces” by 2049, according to its official plan.The People’s Republic of China (PRC) could have 700 deliverable nuclear warheads by 2027, and could top 1,000 by 2030 – an arsenal two-and-a-half times the size of what the Pentagon predicted only a year ago, according to the Pentagon report published Wednesday.Like the US and Russia, the two leading nuclear powers, China is building a “nuclear triad,” with capabilities to deliver nuclear weapons from land-based ballistic missiles, from missiles launched from the air, and from submarines, it said.Beijing is also “building the infrastructure necessary to support this major expansion of its nuclear forces,” according to the assessment, which came in the Pentagon’s annual report to Congress on Chinese military developments.But the report argued China was likely not seeking a capability to launch an unprovoked atomic strike on a nuclear-armed adversary – primarily the US – but looking to deter attacks by maintaining a credible threat of nuclear retaliation.Beijing has dismissed US fears over its military development, and on Thursday accused the Pentagon report of aiming to “hype up talk of the China nuclear threat.”“The report released by the US Department of Defense, like previous similar reports, ignores facts and is full of prejudice,” said Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.Main US rivalA year ago, the Pentagon’s China report said the country had about 200 deliverable warheads and would double that by 2030.Independent researchers have in recent months published satellite photographs of new nuclear missile silos in western China.The developments come as China expands and upgrades its military, seeking the capability of projecting power globally, much as the United States has done for decades.The rivalry has increased concerns about a possible US-China clash, especially over Taiwan, which is closely supported by Washington but claimed by Beijing as its territory – to be seized one day, by force if necessary.By 2027, the latest report said, China aims to have “the capabilities to counter the US military in the Indo-Pacific region, and compel Taiwan’s leadership to the negotiation table on Beijing’s terms.”FlashpointThe report also confirmed recent reports that in October 2020, Pentagon officials were forced to quell real concerns in Beijing that the United States, driven by domestic political tensions related to the presidential election, intended to instigate a conflict with China in the South China Sea.Underscoring its fears, the PLA had issued intensified warnings in state-controlled media, launched large-scale military exercises, expanded deployments and put troops on heightened readiness, the report said.After senior Pentagon officials moved to directly speak to Chinese counterparts, the concerns eased.“These events highlighted the potential for misunderstanding and miscalculation, and underscored the importance of effective and timely communication,” the report said.It also questioned the PLA’s intent in biological research into substances that potentially have both medical and military uses.“Studies conducted at PRC military medical institutions discussed identifying, testing, and characterizing diverse families of potent toxins with dual-use applications,” the report said, raising concerns over compliance with global biological and chemical weapons treaties.Such concerns have mounted since Covid-19 emerged in Wuhan, central China, an area also home to a biological research lab with PLA connections.China has denied the facility had anything to do with the Covid outbreak, but has limited access to it for investigators.