Cops probing Ramadan surau activities that led to Kelantan cluster

The police have summoned two more witnesses from over 10 congregation members who conducted congregational prayers at a surau in Kampung Pauh Lima, near Kota Bharu, close together and in the dark during Ramadan.Kota Bharu district police chief ACP Abdul Rahim Daud said the two witnesses, between 50 and 60 years old, were summoned after completing their quarantine following suspicions of having Covid-19.To date, six witnesses have been called to give their statements and assist in the investigation following the incident which resulted in the Pauh Lima cluster.“They admitted to having conducted religious activities including performing congregational prayers during the whole of Ramadan under the movement control order (MCO) without physical distancing and with the lights at the surau switched off.“Most of them who have been summoned were in their 60s comprising pensioners while the rest have yet to turn up to give their statements as they are undergoing quarantine,” Rahim said when contacted today.Rahim said four individuals including an imam had had their statements taken on May 19.In their statements, he said they admitted that they had conducted congregational prayers, close together and in the dark.He said the investigation was still ongoing to obtain the statements of the other worshippers comprising residents of Kampung Pauh Lima.“The investigation is being conducted under Section 21A of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 and Regulation 17 (1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations 2021 (Act 342).“We will also conduct an investigation for flouting the SOPs. This case will be investigated under Section 269 of the Penal Code for negligence which can spread infection,” he said.The media previously reported that the residents of Kampung Pauh Lima had flouted the SOPs and were willing to perform the tarawih prayer in the dark to avoid detection by the authorities after the state government issued a directive that only four worshippers were allowed to pray in the surau during the MCO.Enhanced movement control order has been implemented in Kampung Pauh Lima, Mukim Gunong near Bachok and Kampung Pauh Lima, Mukim Banggu in Kota Bharu, from May 19 to June 1.


New vaccine halts latest Congo Ebola outbreak

The Democratic Republic of Congo on Monday declared the end of an Ebola outbreak that infected 12 people, killing six of them.“I am pleased to solemnly declare the end of the 12th epidemic of Ebola virus disease in North Kivu Province,” Health Minister Jean-Jacques Mbungani said in a statement.“Despite the security context and the Covid-19 pandemic, the rapidity and efficiency of the response put in place by the government and its partners made it possible to defeat this pandemic in less than three months,” he said.The outbreak was contained using Merck’s Ebola vaccine, which was given to more than 1,600 of the patients’ contacts and contacts of contacts, according to the aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).The cases were genetically linked to the 2018-20 Ebola epidemic that killed more than 2,200 people – the second-highest toll recorded in the disease’s history.The flare-up emerged on Feb 3 in the city of Butembo with the death of a woman whose husband had contracted the virus in the previous outbreak.Just a week after the DRC declared the Ebola outbreak in August 2019, healthcare workers were granted approval to use an unlicensed vaccine, brand name Ervebo, made by American drug company Merck & Co on a “compassionate basis”, which allows the use of an unapproved drug when no other options are available.It’s the first time the vaccine, which was still undergoing clinical trials during the West African outbreak earlier this decade, has been widely used and is being hailed as a “saviour” for healthcare workers in the Congo.Ebola first appeared in Africa in 1976. It causes fever, bleeding, vomiting and diarrhoea and spreads among humans through bodily fluids.It’s transmitted from animals to humans and is highly contagious among the human population from there – through direct contact, contamination of objects or even contact with the dead.Ebola hemorrhagic fever, as it’s known, “is a rare but severe, often fatal illness in humans” that kills about half of all people who become infected with the virus, according to the World Health Organization.Unicef heralded “the end” of the latest outbreak while vowing to “continue to work alongside the Congolese government, its partners and communities over the next 90 days” as the humanitarian organisation monitors developments.


New cases dip to 649, zero deaths

Another 649 cases were recorded today, pushing total confirmed infections to 30,090.Of these, 352 or 54.2% were reported in Sabah, followed by Selangor (135), Negeri Sembilan (43), Kedah (37) and Kuala Lumpur (23).Labuan recorded 17 new cases, Penang 13, Sarawak 10, Johor 10, Perak five, Terengganu one, Melaka one, Pahang one and Putrajaya one.Active cases now stand at 10,087 with 106 in the ICU and 23 in need of respiratory assistance.A total of 685 patients were also discharged, taking recoveries to 19,757.No new deaths were recorded, leaving the virus toll unchanged at 246.


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Dewan Rakyat passes bill on sexual offences against children

The Sexual Offences Against Children (Amendment) Bill 2023, aimed at providing clear and comprehensive protection for children, was passed in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
It was passed with more votes in favour after being tabled for a second reading by Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Azalina Othman Said and debated by 10 MPs.
According to Azalina, the bill, among others, as to replace the term "child pornography" with "child sexual abuse material" in the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 (Act 792).
"Although it looks like a replacement of terms only, this replacement has a great impact on the perspective and depiction of the level of seriousness, and the true nature of the crime of exploitation and sexual abuse of children," she said when winding up the debate on the bill.
Azalina also said that the word "pornography" does not only refer to sex but also the use of words that exist in technology. "Nowadays, the word 'porn' is not necessarily a dirty word. If we retain the word 'pornography', there are times when people can create, for example, in the minds of children, sentences that exist in technology.
"For example, 'food porn' is about food, or 'poverty porn', hence, it does not necessarily mean that pornography is only sexual.
"When dealing with children, it is their lack of understanding that sometimes leads them to be misled to understand that this is allowed," she said.
Earlier, when tabling the bill, Azalina said the new Section 15A which provides for the offence related to sexual performances, was intended to deal with the issue of live-streaming sex, which she said was becoming more prevalent.
Through the drafting of the new Section 15A, she said that all parties involved could be prosecuted, not only those who watch and participate in sexual performances involving children.
These include the organisers or hosts, middlemen, or any syndicate involved in committing the offence of child sexual performances.
She said the proposed punishment was imprisonment for a period not exceeding 20 years and a fine not exceeding RM50,000.
Meanwhile, Dewan Rakyat also passed the Evidence of Child Witness (Amendment) Bill 2023, which aims to improve the protection of child witnesses by raising the age of child witnesses from 16 years to 18 years.
The bill also aims to include provisions related to special hearings for child witnesses to give evidence and prohibit improper questions to child witnesses.


'Lim dynasty' debate returns to haunt DAP as Tanjong goes to chairman's sister

For decades, father-son duo Lim Kit Siang and Lim Guan Eng have been household names in DAP – the so-called "Lim dynasty" which long symbolised the party's top leadership.
But another Lim has entered the limelight in the run-up to the 15th general election (GE15): Lim Hui Ying, the Penang DAP secretary and sister of party chairman Guan Eng.
The announcement that Hui Ying would be fielded in Penang's parliamentary seat of Tanjong was seen by some as a consolidation of views painting DAP as a "family business".
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, political analyst Tang Ah Chai acknowledged a basis for such belief.
In DAP, he said, the role of secretary-general outweighs that of the national chairman.
While Guan Eng had held the top post since 2004, he was replaced by Anthony Loke Siew Fook in March after reaching the maximum three-term limit.
He was instead elected as the party's national chairman while his father, Kit Siang, announced his retirement from politics.
In the context of the upcoming election, Tang said, should Pakatan Harapan (PH) fail to secure Putrajaya, there would be little further influence from the former secretary-general.
"As the family influence slowly dilutes, it raises concerns and precautions, and Hui Ying was fielded in," he said.
Hui Ying, 59, was appointed as a senator in 2018. She has been tasked with defending the Tanjong seat previously won by Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow, while Chow will contest the Batu Kawan seat held by Kasthuri Patto.
On Loke's performance since taking over the top role from Guan Eng, Tang said the Seremban incumbent had received praise from both within and outside of the party.
"He's different from Guan Eng," he added. "His way with words is steady."
Analyst James Chin of Australia's University of Tasmania meanwhile said that while favouritism exists in DAP, this was the case with all political parties.
"You can't escape, this is just human nature," he added.
And while Chinese support for the opposition might have decreased, he said, DAP was still "in the game" in areas with widespread Chinese communities.
"It's very difficult to dislodge them," he said. "In other words, they will still win, but maybe with a smaller majority."
'Narrative of control'
A long-standing component of the PH coalition, DAP has often been tied to a narrative of control within the pact.
Such views are largely linked to the fact that DAP holds the most seats in PH, and that none of its MPs jumped ship after the Sheraton Move in 2020 which saw the collapse of the PH government.
Tang said DAP might be seen as the "controlling" factor in PH as fellow component Amanah was still relatively new and PH lynchpin PKR was beset with internal splits.
"But if it outshines PKR and Amanah, DAP alone won't be able to make a huge difference," he added.
He also noted that all three parties had made clear their support for Anwar Ibrahim as PH's candidate for prime minister.
"On this basis, they have a certain chemistry," he said.
Both Tang and Chin agreed that DAP's move to field Malay candidates was "the right choice" and might go some way in helping the party gain support from the Malay community.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Chin noted DAP's mantra of being a secular, non-racial party.
"You can't claim that you are a non-racial party if the majority of your candidates and supporters are from one race," he said.
In Bentong, for example, the party is fielding Young Syefura Othman, its incumbent assemblyman for Ketari, in place of environmental activist Wong Tack.
"She is seen as quite a people person, and I don't see why DAP shouldn't promote her," Chin said.
Tang meanwhile said he expected an increase in support for Young Syefura in Bentong.
"Wong's performance in Bentong was not outstanding," he said. "Strategically, (fielding Young Syefura) is the right move."


Another 134 deaths as daily cases surge past 13,000 again

Another 13,034 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 964,918.Selangor recorded 6,049 cases, Kuala Lumpur 1,611, Johor 791, Negeri Sembilan 711, Kedah 701, Sarawak 644, Sabah 497, Terengganu 391, Penang 371, Melaka 353, Perak 284, Pahang 261, Kelantan 240 and Putrajaya 100.Labuan recorded 24 cases and Perlis six.Active cases stand at 142,041 with 938 in the ICU and 459 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 8,436 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 815,293.However, 134 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 7,574.


Bill to ban smoking to be brought to Cabinet next week

The Tobacco and Smoking Control Bill will be brought to the Cabinet meeting next week for approval before being tabled in Parliament, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said today.
Khairy said at the Cabinet meeting, ministers would have the opportunity to exchange views and present their arguments, while he would also be able to provide explanations.
He said this was the first step to convincing the Cabinet and winning its support to enable him to table the bill in Parliament.
"If the bill is approved, Malaysia will be the first country in the world to pass it as a law banning smoking and the possession of smoking products including electronic cigarettes (vaping) for those born after 2005," he said at a press conference in Serdang.  Khairy said the proposed implementation of the generational endgame (GEG) provision in the bill was to protect Malaysia's younger generation from picking up the smoking habit and getting addicted to tobacco products, as well as to reduce the number of smokers in Malaysia to less than 5% by 2040.
"This will be able to reduce the risk of premature deaths, chronic diseases and treatment costs that have to be borne by the government due to smoking complications among the community," he said, adding that the prevalence of smokers in Malaysia was still high at 40.5% among men and 20% among women.
"Now is the best time to shut the door completely to smoking for young Malaysians as 97% of youths support GEG and do not see smoking as a lifestyle to which they aspire," he said.
Khairy said although many might not support the bill as they believe that the act would affect the country's source of income and the tourism industry, if left unchecked, the government would have to bear treatment costs of about RM8 billion to treat health problems linked to smoking.


Anger, sorrow in Greece after devastating train crash

Anger and sorrow grew in Greece on Thursday over a devastating train crash that killed dozens of passengers along with crew members near the central city of Larissa in the country's worst rail disaster.
Carriages were thrown off the tracks, crushed and engulfed in flames when a high-speed passenger train with more than 350 people on board collided head-on with a freight train on Tuesday. They were on the same track.
At least 46 people were killed, among them university students returning home after a long holiday weekend. Scores were injured.
Outside the hospital in Larissa, where many of the victims were brought, a woman called Katerina, searching for her missing brother, a passenger on the train, screamed: "Murderers! Murderers! I will leave tomorrow with a coffin!"
Katerina, whose anger was directed at the government and the rail company, had, like other relatives looking for loved ones, given a DNA sample to try and identify her brother.
"Pain has turned into anger for the dozens of dead and wounded colleagues and fellow citizens," the railway workers' union said. The union launched a strike in protest that ground train services to a halt across the country on Thursday.
The death toll was set to rise higher as ten people were still missing and there was no hope of finding survivors amid the charred and buckled rail carriages which rescue workers were scouring through.
"The most difficult moment is this one, where instead of saving lives we have to recover bodies," 40-year old rescuer Konstantinos Imanimidis told Reuters on the site of the crash, about 140 miles (230km) north of Athens.
"Temperatures of 1,200 degrees and more in the carriages cannot allow for anyone to remain alive."
Nearby, two brothers were crying, with 33-year-old Sokratis Bozos saying they had come to the site of the crash in the hope of getting some news of their father, after the hospital could not tell them whether his body had been recovered.
Anger
As many in Greece demanded answers, the Larissa station master who was working that evening has admitted to having a share of responsibility in the accident, his lawyer Stefanos Pantzartzidis said outside the courthouse.
"He is literally devastated," Pantsartzidis told reporters. "Since the first moment, he has assumed responsibility proportionate to him," he said, while hinting that the station master, whose name has not been made public, was not the only one to blame.
Much of the anger has been directed at authorities and the rail companies. On Wednesday evening, protesters hurled rocks at train company offices in Athens. More protests were planned on Thursday.
The government said it was sharing people's sorrow and promised to carry out thorough investigations and fix the ailing rail network's woes.
"We are all devastated by this tragic incident," government spokesman Giannis Oikonomou told a news conference.
"The loss and trauma this caused, the physical and mental trauma of survivors, and the angst of this country is huge, and its difficult to manage, particularly now."
He said authorities would look into the causes of the accident, and "chronic delays" in implementing rail projects.
"These delays are rooted in chronic ills of the Greek public (sector), to distortions going back decades," he said, adding that the government has tried to deal with this but "did not manage to eradicate it."
Nikos Tsouridis, a retired train driver trainer, said human error did not fully explain what happened.
"The station master made a mistake, he acknowledged it, but surely there should be a safety mechanism to fall back on," he said.
Greece sold railway operator Trainose under its international bailout programme in 2017 to Italy's Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane, expecting hundreds of millions of euros to be invested in rail infrastructure in the coming years.
The Italian operation has responsibility for passenger and freight, and the Greek state-controlled OSE for infrastructure.


In Bandar Tun Razak, BN supporters want an Umno candidate, not MCA

In the busy township of Bandar Tun Razak, two Malay villages stand out amid the towering skyscrapers, busy highways and bustling commercial centres that otherwise dominate the area.
At Kampung Malaysia Tambahan and Kampung Malaysia Raya, the residents are waiting to see who will represent them in Parliament once the dust settles on the Nov 19 polls.
Barisan Nasional (BN), for its part, will be fielding a candidate from MCA – Chew Yeen Kein – returning to its practice of choosing a representative from the Chinese party after departing from tradition to select an Umno candidate at the last general election.
Bandar Tun Razak Umno chief Razak Rizalman Mokhtar was supposed to contest, but BN changed its candidate to Adnan Seman following the former's nightclub controversy.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Razali Ismail said he would vote for BN again this time after supporting the opposition at the 14th general election (GE14).
"But since the BN candidate is from MCA, I am torn," he added. "I was expecting a candidate from Umno."
According to him, MCA is not very popular in either of the two villages.
The Bandar Tun Razak seat covers some 25 sq km and has a total population of 191,318.
Of these, Bumiputeras form the majority (69.4%) followed by the Chinese (23.2%) and Indians (6.7%).
Razali said MCA had been a force to reckon with in the constituency before PKR began making inroads there.
The seat was contested in 1999 by PKR's Chandra Muzaffar, who faced off against Tan Chai Ho.
Tan won the seat, successfully defending it at the 2004 general election although he lost to Abdul Khalid Ibrahim in 2008.
Khalid would go on to hold the seat for another term after that.
The incumbent, Kamarudin Jaffar, who contested on a PKR ticket, won with a comfortable majority of 19,930 votes.
Now a Bersatu representative, he will square off against former deputy prime minister Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.
Zainudin Amran, chairman of the Kampung Malaysia Raya residents, said he was looking forward to the nominations for the parliamentary seat.
"It's true that there are sentiments in favour of a Malay candidate," he said.
But he also expressed a preference for local faces, saying PH candidates were all "outsiders".
"From Chandra to Khalid and now Wan Azizah," he said. "But this time, they are fielding big names so this might not be much of an issue."
The issues occupying the residents include traffic congestion and noise pollution, the result of rapid development throughout the area.
Roslan Abd Rahman, a former PKR activist in the village area, said the Bandar Tun Razak branch of Bersatu had yet to fully accept Kamarudin.
"Wan Azizah might win this time, but with how much of a majority? This would depend on whether she faced an Umno candidate or MCA.
"She would have a big fight ahead if she were up against an Umno candidate, but with MCA, her majority will be bigger."
Based on his observations, he said, Wan Azizah's biggest challenge would be to mobilise the local machinery to help her campaign in Bandar Tun Razak.
A young man named Mohd Fadhil meanwhile said that while Wan Azizah was the bigger name, he preferred a more approachable candidate.
"We can talk to Rizalman," he said.


No need to use Sedition Act against Mahathir, says Saifuddin

There is no need to take action under the Sedition Act against Dr Mahathir Mohamad over the former prime minister’s criticism of the government, says Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
Saifuddin said he would leave it to the police to take the appropriate action, if necessary.
"For now, I don’t see the need (to take action under the Sedition Act against Mahathir).
"The most important thing is that anyone can express their opinions, but never cross the line and touch on matters related to religion, race, and the royal institution," he told reporters in Shah Alam yesterday.
He was responding to Padang Rengas Umno division chief Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz, who had called for action under the Sedition Act against Mahathir for criticising the government.
Saifuddin said his ministry took note of the organisation of a rally and the "Malay Proclamation" event which the former prime minister had been due to attend.
The event was organised following Mahathir’s claim that the Malays had lost more power under the current government administration.
"I believe the people can see for themselves whether the allegations are true... Tun (Mahathir) himself was in power for 22 years and 22 months.
"There were a lot of things he could have done to protect the Malays and prevent the things that he is concerned about from occurring.
"So it is unwarranted to worry that such a thing has happened during these four months," he said.


Hong Kong rolls out vaccine passport and tighter Covid measures

Hong Kong rolls out a vaccine passport on Thursday that requires people aged 12 and above to have at least one Covid-19 vaccination and also tightened restrictions in a city that already has some of the most stringent rules in the world.Residents will have to show their vaccine record to access venues including supermarkets, malls and restaurants. They will also have to wear masks for all outdoor exercise and will not be allowed to remove masks to eat or drink on public transport.On Wednesday, Hong Kong reported a record 8,674 new Covid-19 infections as the global financial hub prepares for compulsory testing of its 7.4 million people – part of its “dynamic zero Covid” strategy similar to mainland China.“Hong Kong is now facing a very dire epidemic situation which continues to deteriorate rapidly,” the government said in a statement on Thursday.“Hong Kong’s healthcare system, manpower, anti-epidemic facilities and resources, etc. will soon be insufficient to handle the huge number of newly confirmed cases detected every day.”With bars, gyms and other businesses already closed and shopping malls deserted while many residents work from home, Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Tuesday schools would break early for summer and resume the new year in August.Many in the city are growing fatigued with the situation, as most other major cities learn to live with the virus.As the urgency grows, construction work has started on a facility on Lantau Island to build about 10,000 community and isolation units, while private hospitals will take in patients from public hospitals.With the city’s testing, treatment and isolation capacity already stretched to the maximum, University of Hong Kong researchers predicted new infections could peak at 180,000 a day next month.


Pakistan cuts mobile phone service in bid to stymie protest organisers

Pakistan authorities have suspended mobile phone services in Islamabad and surrounding areas since early Sunday to prevent far right rally organisers from coordinating anti-France protests.However, hardline party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), known for its violent rallies, still managed to communicate enough to organise further demonstrations, causing authorities to seal off a main road into Islamabad a day after 5,000 people rallied in neighbouring Rawalpindi.Pakistan has seen scattered protests in recent weeks after French President Emmanuel Macron condemned the beheading of a teacher by an Islamist extremist at a school near Paris.Macron’s response triggered protests across the Islamic world, with tens of thousands in Pakistan, neighbouring Iran, Bangladesh and other Muslim countries flooding the streets and organising anti-French boycotts.Prime Minister Imran Khan accused the French president of being anti-Muslim and urged Islamic countries to work together to counter what he called growing Islamophobia in Europe.Blasphemy is a taboo subject in ultra-conservative Pakistan, where anyone deemed to have insulted Islam or Muslim figures can face the death penalty or simply mob lynching.In 2018, the country was paralysed by violent TLP protests across Pakistan following the acquittal of Christian woman Asia Bibi, who had been accused of disrespecting the Prophet Mohammed.Bibi and her family are now believed to be living in the West.


Aide denies fake news of ex-PM’s death

The office of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today refuted reports that the former prime minister had passed away, saying he remains in good health.“He is in good health along with his family,” it said in a statement, adding that it would take legal action against those who spread fake news.“We hope the people will check the validity of news with the authorities before spreading it, to prevent confusion.”A statement on Abdullah’s supposed death had made the rounds on social media this morning, claiming that he had just passed away and expressing condolences to his family.Abdullah, 81, was prime minister from 2003 to 2009. He was succeeded by Najib Razak.


Nagaenthran accorded full due process under the law, says Singapore

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan have replied to their Malaysian counterparts saying that the Malaysian awaiting execution for a drug offence in the republic has been accorded full due process under the law.This is according to a statement issued by the republic’s foreign ministry in response to media queries on the appeal letters from Malaysian leaders on the judicial execution of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, a 33-year old Malaysian from Perak.Both Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah had written to their Singapore counterparts, requesting for the discretion of the authorities in Singapore to grant presidential clemency to Nagaenthran.“In this case, I have to repeat, we can apply, through our means, (by) sending a letter, but we cannot interfere in terms of the affairs and legal processes in Singapore,” Saifuddin had told reporters, adding that Malaysia respects Singapore’s legal process.Nagaenthran was arrested by Singaporean authorities on April 22, 2009, for smuggling 42.72g of diamorphine. He was sentenced to death by the High Court of Singapore on Nov 22, 2010.The appeal process through the court was made by Nagaenthran’s family lawyer up to the final stage, which is the presidential clemency rejected on June 1, 2020.Nagaenthran, who has been on death row for 11 years and was scheduled to be hanged on Nov 10, obtained temporary respite on Nov 9 after the court was told he had tested positive for Covid-19 when he appeared for a last-bid attempt against his sentence.Nagaenthran was granted a further stay of execution by the Court of Appeal.


Beijing in ‘race against time’ to contain Covid surge

Authorities in China’s capital warned on Tuesday that a Covid-19 surge in cases linked to a 24-hour bar was critical and the city of 22 million was in a “race against time” to get to grips with its most serious outbreak since the pandemic began.The flare-up means millions of people are facing mandatory testing and thousands are under targeted lockdowns, just days after the city started to lift widespread curbs that had run for more than a month to tackle a broader outbreak since late April.Authorities announced on the weekend a “ferocious” Covid outbreak linked to the Heaven Supermarket Bar, which had only just re-opened after coronavirus curbs were eased last week.The outbreak of at least 287 cases has raised new worries about the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy. China is just recovering from a two-month lockdown in the city of Shanghai that had raised worries about global supply chains.“We should go all out, race against time,” He Lijian, spokesman for the Beijing municipal government, told a news conference, referring to efforts to contain the outbreak.Drinking and dining in most establishments in Beijing only resumed on June 6, after more than a month of measures such as take-out meals only and working from home, along with the closure of malls and stretches of the transport system.Authorities have refrained from restoring the toughest of the earlier restrictions, but about 10,000 close contacts of the customers of the bar have been identified and their residential buildings put under lockdown.Chaoyang, the city’s largest district in which the bar is located, began a three-day mass testing campaign on Monday for its roughly 3.5 million residents.People infected in the latest surge in cases live or work in 14 of the capital’s 16 districts, authorities have said.Police have launched a criminal investigation into the person in charge of the bar on suspected interference with epidemic prevention, Pan Xuhong, deputy director of the city’s Public Security Bureau, told the news conference.Pan said three other people, two of whom had visited the bar and the other a close contact of bar customers, had been put under criminal investigation after they insisted on going out despite being ordered to isolate at home.The three were later confirmed to have been infected, which resulted in dozens of people being put into quarantine and more than 2,000 under other Covid measures, Pan said.Earlier on Tuesday, the state-backed Beijing Daily said a team of officials would work to investigate and deal with the Heaven Supermarket Bar “quickly, strictly and seriously”.All of the city’s bars, nightclubs, karaoke venues, internet cafes and other places of entertainment were being inspected, the newspaper said, with those in underground spaces being shut as epidemic prevention work is “tightened”.The paper has repeatedly pointed the finger at an individual, dubbed Patient No. 1,991, for triggering the flare-up. Careless behaviour had turned the unidentified person into the “propagator” of the outbreak.Beijing authorities say the person did not take a Covid test between May 26 and June 8, despite visiting a number of restaurants, bars and crowded places at that time.The patient developed a fever by the evening of June 8, two days after a visit to the 24-hour bar at the centre of the cluster.But despite the fever, the person returned to the bar early on June 9, the same day a handful of other bar patrons were found to be infected.


Cabinet members reaffirm support for Muhyiddin

Ministers have reiterated their full support for Muhyiddin Yassin, following a Cabinet meeting today, further dispelling talk of rebellion against the prime minister.They also said that every government decision is made collectively by Cabinet members after taking into consideration the views of all parties.“The government’s priority at the moment is to ensure the success of the National Recovery Plan for the sake of the people’s welfare and the nation’s prosperity, as well as to bring the country out of the Covid-19 pandemic,” they said in a statement.Their declaration of support for the prime minister comes a week after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced an immediate revocation of the party’s support for Muhyiddin after chairing a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council.He said Muhyiddin had failed to fulfil several conditions as the basis of Umno’s support for the Perikatan Nasional government, urging the prime minister to step down and allow an interim leader to take over.However, MalaysiaNow later reported that the majority of Umno MPs were sticking with their decision not to revoke support for Muhyiddin despite Zahid’s announcement.


Once among Asia’s worst currencies, ringgit now on the road to recovery

Currencies across emerging markets strengthened against the weakening greenback at the start of the new year, with the Malaysian ringgit making its strongest gain in more than two years.The new year had ushered in optimism across all fronts, boosting sentiments and setting higher expectations after a year that saw economies worldwide ravaged.Last year, the ringgit was labelled as one of the worst-performing currencies in Asia.But it was the Indian rupee that ended the calendar year as Asia’s worst-performing currency, underperforming minor South Asian currencies such as the Pakistani and Sri Lankan rupee.An improving global economic outlook and the deployment of Covid-19 vaccines have boosted the ringgit’s appeal while rock-bottom US interest rates and ongoing federal reserve bond purchases dent the US dollar.The ICE US Dollar Index, which tracks the value of the greenback against six major currencies, reported that the US dollar had posted its biggest yearly loss since 2017, capping off a tumultuous 2020.The dollar, weakened amid the prolonged trade war with China, dropped on unprecedented Fed stimulus announcements. Additional fiscal stimulus and rising fiscal and current account deficits are additional headwinds that are likely to hurt the US currency over the coming years.The ringgit’s upward trendThe ringgit, meanwhile, has been steadily strengthening. Yesterday, it pushed past the 4.00 psychological barrier, trading at 3.997 on the dollar.It was the ringgit’s highest point since July 2018.Expectations of a gradual recovery in crude oil prices, Joe Biden’s US election victory, and the Fed’s commitment to maintaining its unprecedented accommodative monetary policy stance have generated expectations of a global economic reflation in 2021, reinforcing the ringgit.The heightened risk appetite also served as tailwinds for Asian currencies, with many reaching multi-year highs over recent weeks.However, some headwinds remain on the ringgit including political noise and the risk of a slower implementation of policies that may result in below-expectation GDP growth.Crude oil, surging above US$50 per barrel, was a major boost for the ringgit, which was also able to shrug off Malaysia’s weaker-than-expected October industrial production as external factors continue to act as the primary drivers.Boosted by the massive increase in government spending, investor confidence is returning to Malaysia despite downgrades by rating agencies, strengthening the notion that such agencies are indeed behind the curve.Bank Negara Malaysia said in its latest monthly report that the ringgit had appreciated while the FBM KLCI rose in November on an improved economic outlook amid greater clarity on the direction of US policies following the end of the US presidential election and positive developments surrounding the approval and deployment of Covid-19 vaccines.Stephen Innes, chief market strategist at global online trading company AxiCorp, said the market continued to build with optimism about a global growth recovery in 2021 and an accompanying downward trajectory for the US dollar.Innes said widespread optimism over the distribution of Covid-19 vaccines was also a massive booster shot for corporate profits.The approval granted to Pfizer Inc, BioNTech and AstraZeneca suggests the vaccines are being made available to the public and has allowed a more forceful reopening of the economy, seen in the resumption of interstate travel in Malaysia.This serves as a positive factor for a domestic economic recovery although its effectiveness depends entirely on containing the spread of Covid-19.


Selangor leads as new cases stay above 1,000

Another 1,285 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 355,753.Selangor recorded 374 cases followed by Sarawak (211), Penang (162), Kuala Lumpur (120), Sabah (106) and Johor (101).Kelantan recorded 87 cases, Kedah 31, Perak 24, Putrajaya 19, Negeri Sembilan and Pahang 12 each, Melaka and Terengganu 11 each, Labuan three and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 14,203 with 186 in the ICU and 81 in need of respiratory assistance.Four new clusters were detected:1. Jalan Taming (Petaling and Hulu Langat in Selangor; 19 screened, nine positive)2. Industri Parit Raja (Batu Pahat in Johor; 456 screened, 38 positive)3. Perusahaan Perai Tiga (Seberang Perai Tengah, Seberang Perai Utara and Timur Laut in Penang; 205 screened, 66 positive)4. Padang Manggis (Pekan and Kuantan in Pahang; 67 screened, 10 positive)Ten others ended, leaving 348 active clusters across the country.Another 1,175 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 340,242.However, four more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,308.


Will ‘kingmaker’ GPS decide to gobble up the seats it lost to ex-PKR MPs?

The likelihood of former PKR MPs in Sarawak clashing with candidates from the ruling GPS in the upcoming polls could affect GPS’ ties with the Perikatan Nasional (PN) federal government helmed by Bersatu, analysts say.They also see little likelihood of GPS, the coalition formed after the 2018 election by Sarawak parties which left the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition, giving way to other parties even if they are in the same camp at the federal level.Four of the five PKR MPs in Sarawak who quit their party have either joined Bersatu or GPS, or remain as independents friendly to the PN government.They include Saratok MP Ali Biju and Puncak Borneo MP Willie Mongin who crossed over to Bersatu together with several senior PKR leaders last year.Meanwhile, Lubok Antu MP Jugah Muyang and Julau MP Larry Sng have both declared themselves as independents friendly to PN.They provide a further boost for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who came to power in 2020 with critical support from GPS’ 18 MPs.But with GPS seen as being on strong footing amid a series of benefits reaped from its cooperation with Muhyiddin, including the procurement of billions of dollars in oil money denied to it under the previous government, analysts say the state coalition would be unperturbed about facing the ex-PKR incumbents should they stand again to defend their seats.GPS – comprising Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) – is widely seen as a kingmaker in federal politics.Its support, along with that of PAS, was also seen as crucial to the success of the so-called Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in February 2020.GPS candidates, who contested under the BN banner in the last election, were spared the political tsunami of 2018 which saw most states swept away by PH and those aligned with it, as was the case in neighbouring Sabah.Jayum Jawan of Universiti Putra Malaysia said GPS’ kingmaker status would allow it to contest the next general election from a position of national strength.“Like it or not, GPS is going to be the kingmaker in the formation of another new government after GE15,” Jayum told MalaysiaNow.For now, though, a clash appears unlikely if recent remarks by GPS’ Fadillah Yusof are anything to go by.Fadillah, GPS’ whip in Parliament and a federal senior minister, said the coalition would contest all 82 state seats and 31 federal seats in the next polls.But he hinted that GPS would avoid any face-off with Bersatu, its partner in Putrajaya.“There will be some understanding with those MPs currently with Bersatu. We will look into how we can accommodate them.“It is not for me (to decide), but the final stand will be announced by the chief minister,” he told reporters in Kuching on Friday.Seasoned Sarawak politics observer Jeniri Amir warned that any clash between GPS and Bersatu in the coming polls could affect the future of PN.He said MPs such as Willie and Ali should be planning their next move, and gave several scenarios that could play out, judging from past instances where former elected representatives clashed with their own parties.“Are they willing to come to some kind of compromise? Will they join PSB again? Or will they stand as independent candidates?“The kingmaker will have a very high value because whoever wants to form a government, they need the support of numbers,” he said.He said the ex-PKR MPs would need to be very influential on the ground in order to re-contest their seats, adding that Ali has more of an advantage in this than Willie.Jayum meanwhile said it would not be necessary for the incumbents to be allowed to contest only their current seats.He said this would encourage politicians to quit their parties and turn independent in the hopes of joining later on.Meanwhile, ties between Bersatu and GPS could swing either way, something being keenly observed by opposition parties.And how the two fight in the general election will be as important as the results.


Record cryptocurrency heist valued at US$600 million

A firm specialising in transferring cryptocurrency said Tuesday that hackers cracked its security, making off with a record-setting haul potentially worth US$600 million.Poly Network put out a plea for the stolen Ethereum, BinanceChain and OxPolygon tokens to be shunned by traders running “wallets” for storing cryptocurrency.“The amount of money you hacked is the biggest one in the defi history,” Poly Network said in a tweeted message to the thieves, using a reference to decentralised finance involving cryptocurrency.“The money you stole are from tens of thousands of crypto community members.”Poly Network threatened police involvement, but also offered the hackers the chance to “work out a solution”.The US Department of Justice and FBI did not immediately respond to requests for comment.“We are sorry to announce that #PolyNetwork was attacked” and assets transferred to hacker-controlled accounts, the company said in a series of tweets.Poly Network posted online addresses used by the hackers, and called on “miners of affected blockchain and crypto exchanges to blacklist tokens” coming from them.Poly Network did not reply to an AFP request for comment, but Twitter users weighed in with calculations valuing the hackers’ haul at some US$600 million.As of the end of April, cryptocurrency thefts, hacks and fraud so far this year totalled US$432 million, according to an analysis by CipherTrace.“While this number may appear to be small when compared to previous years, a deeper look reveals an alarming new trend – DeFi-related hacks now make up more than 60% of the total hack and theft volume,” CipherTrace said in a posted report.That compares to 2019, when defi hacks were virtually non-existent, according to CipherTrace.


Jakel store latest to get compound for breaching Covid SOPs

Textile department store Jakel has been slapped with a RM10,000 compound for failing to adhere to Covid-19 health SOPs, MalaysiaNow has learnt.When contacted, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah confirmed that the store’s outlet in Bangi, Selangor, had been compounded over five offences.Among others, the company failed to ensure only a single entrance point for customers to its store.It also failed to limit the number of people allowed in the store at any one time, and did not enforce social distancing rules.It likewise failed to ensure that customers use the MySejahtera app to facilitate contact tracing by the authorities.The compound was issued under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.The Hulu Langat district health office told MalaysiaNow that it would come down hard on Jakel if the outlet repeats the offences, including by issuing a two-week closure order.Jakel entered the spotlight after images of its store, packed with customers, went viral on social media with many questioning the lack of physical distancing and other SOPs.This came as Selangor continued to log more than 700 new cases each day, amid a surge of infections in several states including Kelantan and Sarawak.


Singapore's gig workers to get work injury, pension coverage

Singapore will extend work injury insurance and pension coverage to food delivery and ride-hailing workers under proposed legislative changes that it aims to implement as early as late 2024, the manpower ministry said.
The new rules will affect about 73,000 workers who deliver food or drive passengers for companies such as Grab, Gojek, Deliveroo and Delivery Hero's Foodpanda.
Workers would gain coverage under the national pension system, which collects contributions from both workers and companies, and receive work injury insurance covering medical expenses, income loss, and lump sum compensation for permanent disability or death.
Gig workers would not, however, be considered full-time employees entitled to paid leave and other benefits.
The changes, based on recommendations from an advisory committee set up to create standards for gig worker protections, were approved by the government on Wednesday.
Grab, Foodpanda and Deliveroo said in a joint statement that the roll-out should be "evenly paced" given the "complexities of business operations and economic pressures".
Rights groups and governments around the world have voiced concerns about the interests of contract workers, whose ranks swelled significantly during Covid-19 lockdowns but who do not typically receive benefits available to full-time employees.
A report released by the Institute of Policy Studies in Singapore early this month found that 16.1% of 1,002 food delivery riders it surveyed had been in an accident serious enough to require medical treatment.


Celebrating Merdeka with a mindset reset

As we celebrate the 64th anniversary of Merdeka – the seminal event that marked our breakaway from colonial rule and the creation of our nation-state – we should reflect on the core element that has shaped our identity and destiny as Malaysia. That key element or primal substance is none other than our diversity.Our nation would not exist if the diverse communities and political entities stretching across Borneo and the Malay peninsula did not find the will and creativity to forge a common vision to create something even better – that is Malaysia.We would not have created the rich Malaysian culture that we all enjoy today in the fusing and intermingling of our food, economies and social identities. And we would not have become a development success story that raised the standard of living of our population and transformed our society from low-income to one on the cusp of becoming a high-income nation.Our diversity is our strength as it is the source of our innovativeness and it is the foundation of our resilience. It has provided Malaysians with a huge pool of resources, both natural and cultural, that has helped us overcome multiple challenges and crises over the last six decades – from the armed conflicts of the 60s and 70s to the increasing volatilities of globalisation from the 80s until the present. And even today, we are able to hold ourselves together amid the Covid-19 pandemic because of the core strengths that unify us as a nation.Unfortunately, as we have become a more “developed” society, we have also lost sight of the important elements that bind us and have taken our diversity for granted. We have become obsessed with the notion of difference manifested in the parochial issues of race and religion while ignoring the broader and richer aspects that unify our society. This obsession with otherness and differences becomes fertile breeding ground for the purveyors of hate – those who would benefit from creating fear and division among the rakyat and who would benefit politically through the divide and rule of our society.It is imperative that we recognise this growing threat to our society and take important measures to snuff out the agents of division and strengthen the unity of our nation. We are all Malaysians and it is time to celebrate our Malaysian-ness and celebrate Merdeka with an important mindset reset.UnityThis is the key to stability and progress. While the National Economic Policy has contributed to reducing poverty and restructuring our economy, it has also raised some serious problems through the misapplication of the affirmative action policy.It had introduced rent-seeking crony capitalism which benefited many rich and connected at the expense of the rakyat.We have also ghettoised our education system by creating isolation instead of connectedness. We have not created an inclusive and high quality public school system, which has made parents seek out other forms of education in vernacular schools, religious schools and international schools.And we have ghettoised residential areas into rich gated communities and poor crowded low-cost housing communities.This isolation and separateness creates a false sense of security as we really cannot separate ourselves from the other Malaysians who provide us with food and services, or build our homes.The Covid-19 pandemic drives this message home, that we are all affected and connected, rich or poor, irrespective of race. We have to save all (including migrant workers) to save ourselves, in order to stop the spread of Covid-19.The rakyat must unite to create a Malaysian consciousness, and avoid communal politics. We are all in this together as Malaysians and we need to rethink our policies to create a united Malaysia, not a divisive one.Social justiceThe current economic policy based on growth and private profit has produced the ever-widening gross inequality and grave environmental crisis.We need to reset our policies and programmes to achieve human well-being and social justice so that all Malaysians share the wealth that we produce.Basic wages must increase to ensure that Malaysians can endure economic hardships during these uncertain times. We must be willing to pay more for uplifting other Malaysians but buy less for sustainable consumption.Social justice is a basic necessity to create a safe, peaceful and secure Malaysian society. We must be committed to wealth redistribution so that the basic needs of all Malaysians are met. When we have fairness, our social fabric will remain intact.The Government must work for the rakyat and not for corporations, developers, financiers and businessmen, whose main motives are profit and growth, not sustainability.An enlightened rakyat will create a political system which is harmonious, non-divisive and fair. They should not fall for the divide-and-rule tactic of politicians.Ecological justiceWe are in an environmental crisis that threatens our very existence. Our policy makers don’t seem to realise the magnitude of the problem and the need for radical change in the way we produce and consume goods and services. We need to develop in a way that does minimal damage to nature.We must only take what is necessary from nature, not conquering it for our greed. Nature is telling us in so many ways that we need to change our ways, but we are not heeding the advice. Pandemics, landslides, floods, logjams, toxic water supplies, unbreathable air, rising sea levels and climate change, affect us all and recur so often.Some blame it on nature, but we are the ones changing how nature behaves. It is sad and ironic that the victims of development are the marginalised poor and not the ones creating the problems.As Gregory Bateson, the famous thinker puts it, “The major problems in the world are the result of the difference between how nature works and the way people think.”We need to revive our traditional values of simple living and walking lightly on the planet and learn how to live harmoniously with nature.The authorities have to spend money and create jobs in environmental rehabilitation, to clean up and rejuvenate our natural environment to give us clean water, air and food.We also have to create more green areas in our concrete cities. To reclaim our cities from cars and highways and make cities more liveable and safer with community spaces, urban farms, parks, and less pollution. Cities should be made safe for children, families, cyclists and pedestrians as cities now are dominated and designed exclusively for cars.We must be looking at ways to encourage rural livelihood and development as the rural areas will be resilient and life-sustaining – providing us with food and natural resource security. The urban provides us wealth, but it is the rural which provides us life.New political culturePolitics must be rooted in ethics and not purely the pursuit of power.Corruption must be seriously eradicated with a fully independent corruption agency. Nepotism and cronyism must be fought without fear or favour.Communal politics must be eschewed. The rakyat should not entertain the divide-and-rule politics that makes a handful of people rich at the expense of the rakyat.Politics must be people-centred and not politician-, party-, or rich-centred. It must be policy-driven and not driven by greed, divisiveness, hate or race.The judiciary, civil service, police, and other state institutions must strictly safeguard their independence and integrity, and not bow to extraneous pressures and influence.CAP wishes our fellow Malaysians a meaningful Merdeka and hope they will put on their thinking caps to make Malaysia a peaceful, healthy and prosperous nation, living up to its full potential.Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers’ Association of Penang.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


New cases drop to 5,100

Another 5,162 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,546,309.Another 5,019 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,451,216.Meanwhile 524 are in the ICU, including 486 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 265 are in need of respiratory assistance including 197 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 5,162 cases reported today, 104 (2.0%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 5,058 (98.0%) are in Category One and Two.


Omicron wave expected to subside before Hari Raya, says Khairy

The health ministry expects the Omicron wave to subside in the next one to two months, allowing Hari Raya Aidilfitri to be celebrated in early May without movement restrictions.However, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said everything depends on public compliance with control measures, including the taking of booster shots and getting children vaccinated.“It’s all about behaviour. I know that there has been a lot of concern about the Raya celebration, but if we play our role, we expect to be able to stabilise the pandemic in another month or two, if Omicron subsides, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri,” he said at a press conference on Covid-19 developments yesterday.On Jan 23, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob gave the government’s assurance that there would be no movement control order or travel restrictions during Aidilfitri this year.Khairy said Malaysia was not alone in experiencing a spike in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant.He said Singapore had reported 13,208 new Covid-19 cases on Feb 4, a three-fold increase from the number reported a day before.On Feb 5, meanwhile, South Korea reported daily cases of 38,670 cases, followed by Indonesia (33,729 cases), Thailand (10,879 cases), the Philippines (7,469 cases), Australia (22,985 cases) and Japan with 102,275 cases.“The Omicron wave is not only in Malaysia. It is not a conspiracy by KJ to not allow Hari Raya to be celebrated again,” he said.Meanwhile, Khairy said that the country was still on track in managing Covid-19 infections and the Omicron wave.He said this was largely due to the high vaccination rate among adults.


Dr M prefers to believe crooked tycoon while I saved taxpayers’ money, says DAP’s Pua

DAP’s Damansara MP Tony Pua has identified himself as the person referred to by Dr Mahathir Mohamad in an upcoming memoir, and launched a scathing attack on the former leader for siding with a “crooked businessman” whom he said had made a false claim against him.This comes after a report by MalaysiaNow quoting Mahathir in his soon-to-be-launched book, “Capturing Hope: The Struggle Continues for a New Malaysia”, in which the former prime minister accused an aide to former finance minister Lim Guan Eng of interfering in government business including by making threats to a developer involved in a troubled project in the city centre.Pua said the project in question was Exchange106, a skyscraper which forms part of the Tun Razak Exchange in Kuala Lumpur, developed by Mulia Property Development Sdn Bhd, a company linked to controversial Indonesian tycoon Djoko Tjandra.But he said he was never involved in any negotiations with the company, adding that Lim had asked him to “monitor the progress and resolution” of issues surrounding the project.“The problem is, I could never have ‘threatened’ the property developer because I had never personally met or spoken to the developer!” said Pua, adding that negotiations with the company were carried out by then deputy treasurer-general Asri Hamidon and the finance ministry-owned TRX City Sdn Bhd, the master developer of Tun Razak Exchange.Pua said Djoko, angered by a due diligence requested by the finance ministry, had met with Mahathir in a meeting arranged by “one of Mahathir’s trusted advisers”.“Mahathir was furious when he was told by Pak Joe that Tony Pua had ‘threatened’ to take over Mulia’s 49% stake for only RM1 after the latter had invested more than RM1.1 billion in the project already.“It is unfortunate that he (Mahathir) prefers to believe the words of an extremely crooked foreign tycoon, previously convicted of cheating hundreds of billions of rupiah from Bank Bali in 2009, and subsequently convicted again for forgery in 2020 and bribery in 2021,” said Pua, referring to Djoko.The RM3 billion Exchange106 faced problems after the developer failed to obtain a loan for about half of the cost.Pua said the company had been offered funding by the Najib administration, in exchange for the government being given “temporary” ownership of 51% of the project.Pua said following the allegation against him, Mahathir summoned Lim in November 2018, some six months after the Pakatan Harapan government came into power.But Pua said Lim had defended his role in the dispute with the property developer, adding that the finance ministry’s action was endorsed after several Cabinet deliberations.Pua went on to say he was proud of his “little role… to protect the interest of Malaysian taxpayers”, adding that it ensured the project was completed without any loss on the part of the government.“Mahathir should have been proud that his government had successfully protected the interest of the rakyat in this multi-billion ringgit scandal and recorded that achievement in his memoirs.“Instead he has chosen to be petty and wrote about how he was able to ‘put a stop’ to the lowly political secretary of the minister of finance.”In his book, Mahathir, without naming Pua, said he had “put a stop” to a DAP leader whom he discovered had been participating in meetings in which he had no authority.“There were also occasions when this adviser spoke publicly on behalf of the government despite having no standing to do so,” said Mahathir.“It’s not the way a government works, and I put a stop to all instances of it that I was aware of, but it was this kind of behaviour that allowed the Umno cybertroopers to play up ethnic insecurities,” he wrote in the 304-page volume which will be available in bookstores this month.


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Bersatu women’s wing slams reports of ‘period spot checks’ at school

Bersatu’s women’s wing has called for an immediate investigation into reports of students being subjected to “period spot checks” during Ramadan in order to prove to their teachers that they are menstruating, labelling such acts as sexual harassment and abuse of power.In a statement, exco Ainie Haziqah said this would mean having their private parts touched without consent as well as their underwear removed to show their menstrual pads.“The fact that this mortifying misconduct is still happening to our students now without any measures being taken against the perpetrators is disgusting,” she said.“We must stand together and put an end to what seems so shockingly common in our society.”In one example of a debate on the matter that has been making the rounds on social media, a man by the name of Razif AR Al-Marbawi who claims to be a teacher asks in a Twitter post what other suggestions there are to ensure that female students do not lie about having their periods.Another Twitter user, @azizanhariz, replies in the thread saying: “As long as you are not their parents or their God, you have no right. End of story.”However, Razif, whose Twitter handle is @razif_rahim, responds saying: “As a teacher, I have the right to teach my students the right thing. End of story.”Ainie warned that the trauma of such experiences could last a long time and could be “shattering, leaving the victim feeling traumatised, depressed and ashamed”.“Sexual harassment has no place in a school,” she added. “If this persists, it will defeat the purpose of an educational institution entirely.”She also praised those who had come forward to report their experiences, saying this requires “a great deal of courage”.“Your voice is needed for the safety of other students in school and future generations to come,” she said.Women’s rights groups All Women’s Action Society, Sisters in Islam and Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kendiri Wanita dan Gadis had also called for immediate action, listing period spot checks among incidents of physically invasive checks experienced by students.“These incidents that are reported as happening in our educational institutions – kindergartens, primary schools, secondary schools, boarding schools including Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM), universities – reflect a systemic toxic culture of patriarchy, sexism, harassment, abuse, bullying and religious policing, with our nation’s young people on the receiving end.“This denotes a chilling prediction for our future adult citizens,” they said in a joint statement.They cited reports of religious teachers instructing girls to dab tissue or cotton buds on their private parts to show proof of blood, or to pull down their underwear to show them their sanitary napkins to ensure that they are not using periods as an excuse to skip prayers.“These are degrading and abusive treatments that violate the physical body and personal boundaries all without consent, made even worse by the fact that most survivors here are or were underaged when these incidents happened.“Under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 and outrage of modesty under Section 354 of the Penal Code, these cases would be considered criminal offences and are punishable by law.“By carrying out such actions or allowing such actions to be carried out by teachers/wardens/matrons, our Malaysian school authorities are teaching all students that it is okay to violate another person’s body without their consent and treat them without respect or dignity,” they said.


New poll finds half of Japanese back Olympics this summer

Half of Japan’s public favours holding the Tokyo Olympics this summer, a new survey showed Monday, suggesting support for the contentious Games is rising seven weeks before the opening ceremony.The latest poll by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily showed 50% of respondents want the Games to be held this summer, with 48% in favour of cancellation. Postponement was not given as an option.National polls have tended to show that a majority of respondents oppose holding the Games this summer, backing either a further postponement or cancellation.In early May the same paper found 59% of respondents wanted the Games to be scrapped, with only 39% calling for them to go ahead as planned.The latest figures come as Covid-19 infection rates in Japan gradually fall while emergency measures remain in place in several areas including Tokyo.Vaccinations are also on the rise after a cautious start to the rollout, although just over 3% of the population is fully inoculated so far.The same poll showed Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s approval rating has fallen from 43% to 37% – its lowest since he took office in September last year – while the government’s disapproval rating has gone from 46% to 50% since May.Suga’s government has taken a beating in opinion polls over perceived mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic, with authorities imposing multiple virus emergencies this year and facing criticism for not moving quicker on vaccinations.Olympic organisers are set to take a decision later this month on how many spectators – if any – will be allowed to attend the Games.Overseas fans have already been barred in an unprecedented move.The Yomiuri telephonic poll, carried out from June 4 to 6, found 26% of the 1,070 respondents want the Games to proceed without spectators, while 24% want a limited number of fans allowed in.The paper reported in May that 23% wanted the Games to be held without fans, while 16% backed limited attendance.A separate poll by Japan News Network on Monday found that 44% of respondents support the Games going ahead this summer.Another 31% were in favour of cancellation, while 24% called for another postponement, the poll found.Organisers have consistently ruled out another postponement, and Tokyo 2020 chief Seiko Hashimoto last week said only a catastrophe preventing most delegations from attending the Games would cause their cancellation.


After lockdown, Shanghai tries to mend fences with foreign firms

Shanghai officials are seeking to revive confidence among multinational firms bruised and frustrated by the city’s Covid-19 lockdown, by holding multiple meetings with foreign firms and easing a key border requirement for overseas workers.The image of China’s most cosmopolitan city and its biggest business hub was badly damaged by the two-month lockdown, with countless expatriates relocating and foreign businesses warning that they are reconsidering investment plans.The Shanghai government plans to hold 20 meetings this month with foreign firms engaged in key industries such as automobiles, trade, semiconductors and biomedicine, according to a report by the Jiefang Daily, a Shanghai-government backed newspaper, on Sunday. The report was reposted on the Shanghai city website.The firms would be picked from major investment countries and regions, including the US, Europe, Japan and South Korea.The first of two meetings held so far was attended by executives from US blue chips such as Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson, it said. The second included automakers including Tesla, General Motors and Ford.The companies did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday.In addition, the European Chamber of Commerce said on Tuesday it had been informed during a meeting with the city’s vice mayor that Shanghai will no longer require official invitation letters, so-called PU letters, for foreigners returning for work, and their dependents, addressing what had become a bugbear for the expat community.China began in early 2020 to require foreigners to obtain PU letters as part of their visa application as it dramatically tightened border controls since the start of the pandemic.Many firms had complained about the difficulties and long waits in obtaining the document, which impeded the hiring of foreign staff.The removal of this requirement was “an initiative from central government to encourage work and production resumption in Shanghai,” the European Chamber said.The Shanghai government did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Wednesday.Tom Simpson, managing director of the China-Britain Business Council, said it was expecting to meet with the Shanghai government in the coming weeks.Shanghai had provided its members some business resumption support including issuing logistics permits and reopening warehouses, but there had yet to be “more practical support”, he added.During the lockdown, Shanghai tried to keep factories open under “closed loop” operation but businesses said the arrangements posed numerous difficulties.The lack of flights into China – the vast majority have been cancelled for more than two years – also remains a key hindrance.China has resolutely stuck to a “zero-Covid” policy that aims to eradicate the spread of the virus, an approach that is increasingly out of step with the rest of the world.Joerg Wuttke, president of the EU Chamber, said the zero-Covid policy was not just denting Shanghai’s attractiveness, but China as a whole, especially as other rival markets open up and try to lure companies away from China to their shores.“The world is not going to wait for China to clean this mess,” he said.


Who Pakistan picks as army chief matters far beyond its borders

Pakistan's nuclear armed military is set to get a new supremo later this month when General Qamar Javed Bajwa's tenure as Chief of Army Staff comes to an end.
The military is the most powerful institution in a nation seldom far from its next crisis and the appointment could have a crucial bearing on the future of Pakistan's fragile democracy, and whether relations with neighbouring India are allowed to improve.
During the 75 years since independence and formation of Pakistan out of the Partition of India, the army has seized power three times and directly ruled the Islamic republic for more than three decades, fighting three wars with India along the way.
Even when a civilian government holds power, Pakistan's generals retain a dominant influence over security matters and foreign affairs. And the new chief could set the tone for the conduct of relations with the Hindu nationalist government in India, the Taliban in Afghanistan, and determine whether Pakistan tilts more toward China or the US.
Bajwa's legacy
Appointed chief in 2016, Bajwa sought to balance ties with China and the US. While Islamabad moved closer to Beijing, Bajwa also worked to thaw relations with Washington, with whom he worked closely during the evacuation of Kabul in 2021 when western forces pulled out of Afghanistan.
Bajwa also took an active interest in economic matters, as well he might given how much of the budget goes to the military.
He made highly-publicised visits to Beijing and the Middle East - helping to secure financial assistance for Pakistan. He also lobbied Washington to help strike a deal with the International Monetary Fund.
He even summoned Pakistan's top industrialists to a meeting at army headquarters to encourage them to pay more tax.
During his tenure, India and Pakistan fought air skirmishes in 2019, but he was a public proponent of better ties and avoided escalation when tensions ran high, such as when an Indian missile accidentally crashed into Pakistan's territory this year.
In early 2021, Bajwa sanctioned a restoration of a ceasefire agreement with Delhi in the disputed region of Kashmir.
Domestically, he was accused of political meddling. Politicians said he helped former cricketer Imran Khan become prime minister in 2018. In an about-turn earlier this year, Khan accused Bajwa of playing a part in his downfall.
How is a chief appointed?
The outgoing chief will give the prime minister a list of senior-most generals to choose from. Only on rare occasions has the baton been passed to someone outside the top four most senior officers in an army that, with just under a million personnel in 2019, was the sixth largest in the world.
An army chief's tenure is for three years, but they often obtain extensions, as did Bajwa. Despite assurances by the military that Bajwa will retire this time, there has been speculation that he could be given another extension due to the latest political and economic ructions in Pakistan.
The generals regarded as front-runners to replace Bajwa are Lieutenant-Generals Asim Munir, the army's quartermaster general and a former spy chief, Sahir Shamshad, commander of the Rawalpindi Corps, Azhar Abbas, the army's chief of general staff, and Nauman Mahmood, chief of the National Defence University.
Why it matters globally
Pakistan's army chief will play a key role in managing risks of conflict with nuclear-armed rival India on its eastern border, while dealing with potential instability and friction with Afghanistan on its western frontier.
Many world capitals, including Washington and Beijing, have direct ties with Pakistan's military, given the country's strategic location in a volatile neighbourhood, and a coastline close to major shipping lanes serving the oil-rich Gulf.
Foreign governments have periodically questioned the safety of a nuclear arsenal, that includes long-range missiles, in a country so frequently needing IMF bail outs and where anti-Western and anti-India militant groups have proliferated.
And internal security has been a near constant problem due to insurgencies in ethnic Pashtun and Baloch regions.
Despite all the risks, Pakistan and its military have dismissed foreigners' concerns over the command and control, and security of its nuclear weapons.
Why is this appointment important domestically?
The military has long been accused of manipulating the democratic process to maintain its dominance. Nineteen of Pakistan's 30 prime ministers were elected, but not one of them completed their five year terms.
Having recently admitted to its past meddling in politics, the army has said it would no longer interfere. Whether the new chief stands by that commitment could be key to Pakistan's democratic evolution.
Pakistan is in the midst of another bout of political uncertainty as Khan has led country-wide protests in an attempt to force Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif into early elections.
The incoming army chief could potentially play a key role in lowering the political temperature as Pakistan attempts to survive an economic crisis and recover from historic floods.


New infections at 2,022 as death toll up by 4

Another 2,022 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,986,294.
There were 1,819 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,922,435.
There are now 27,207 active cases, of which 25,117 or 92.3% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while XX (XX%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 101 are in ICU with 53 in need of respiratory assistance.
Four more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,652.


My letter that angered Mahathir

I clarified yesterday that I had never threatened the developer referred to by Mahathir, Djoko Tjandra, because I had never met or spoken to him. All discussions and negotiations sanctioned by the minister of finance, Lim Guan Eng, were led by top ministry officials and I was never present on those occasions. I am disappointed that Mahathir continues to believe the words of a crooked Indonesian businessman, who is now behind bars in Indonesia for fraud and corruption, instead of trusting his own members of Parliament.Based on the excerpt from his book published by MalaysiaNow, Mahathir also claimed that “there were also occasions when this adviser spoke publicly on behalf of the government despite having no standing to do so”.In this case, Mahathir would be referring a specific statement, or “open letter” (read here) which I had issued on Oct 10, 2018 to the “directors of MMC-Gamuda” with regards to the MRT2 project.I remember clearly that Mahathir was absolutely livid after the letter was published, summoning Lim to admonish him for my action. It was a letter that lived long in Mahathir’s memory. Even late in 2019, more than a year after the letter was published and the matters involved were long resolved, Mahathir was still griping about it in his conversations with Lim.The storyIt was well known in the industry even prior to 2018 that MMC-Gamuda had the inside track with the Najib Razak adminstration to be awarded the project delivery partner (PDP) of the extremely lucrative MRT projects via direct negotiation. The ministerial reply to me in Parliament then specifically confirmed that MMC-Gamuda was awarded the project because they were the first to propose it.Given the size and scale of the MRT2 project which would indebt the government by at least RM50 billion (inclusive of land acquisition costs and interest payments), Lim directed the ministry to carry out a study to determine if the cost of the project was a fair price and whether any significant savings could still be achieved, given that the project at that stage was already 40% completed.One of the largest engineering consulting firm in the region was appointed to carry out the review. The study concluded that there were very significant savings to be achieved via a re-negotiation, restructuring or a re-tender without sacrificing the functionality, viability and operations of the project. In fact, the study discovered that comparative figures with regional MRT or equivalent projects which purportedly showed that the Malaysia’s MRT1 and MRT2 projects were among the lowest price presented by the consulting engineers of the project were concocted.To be absolutely certain, the Ministry of Finance (MoF) even secured written confirmations by other large-scale contractors that they were prepared to bid at a lower price in the event of a re-tender for the balance of the project.Extensive negotiations took place with the top management of MMC-Gamuda. In the end, as stated in my open letter, the MoF accepted a 23% reduction of the cost of the MRT2 above ground works from RM22.64 billion to RM17.42 billion, saving the taxpayers RM5.22 billion.However, MMC-Gamuda was not prepared to significantly reduce the cost of the MRT2 underground (mainly tunnelling) works. They made the final offer of a RM2.13 billion “discount” to the cost of RM16.71 billion.The study by the consultants however estimated potential savings between RM4.2 billion and RM5.8 billion – after taking into consideration all penalties and potential financial settlement to MMC-Gamuda in the event of a termination per the terms of the contract. The question then was whether we were to give up an additional RM2 billion of savings.The above was presented to Cabinet for a decision, and it was decided on Oct 8, 2018 that the MRT2 underground contract with MMC-Gamuda would be terminated per the terms of the contract, and there would be an open tender issued to complete the remaining works.Stunned by the news, MMC-Gamuda immediately launched a massive public relations and social media campaign with the hashtags #pray4MRT2 and #save20kjobs. This was to gain public sympathy over the termination, in an attempt to reverse the Cabinet decision. In the process, it demonised the government as cold, heartless, irresponsible, reckless and perhaps even vindictive.Perhaps under the old BN crony-friendly regime, such a campaign would have immediately caused capitulation and ultimately a U-turn on the decision. However, this wasn’t a BN government and the additional billions of savings for the Malaysian taxpayers was well worth fighting for. The finance minister refused to take the public affront lying down and instructed that I refute the public allegations, which I duly did with the open letter to the MMC-Gamuda directors.The public support for my open letter was overwhelming. MMC-Gamuda responded immediately, halting their own campaign, to seek re-opening of negotiations with the MoF.To cut a long story short, we successfully reduced the cost of the MRT2 underground contract by an additional RM1.47 billion and reinstated MMC-Gamuda to complete the project.Overall, the MRT2 review exercise saved taxpayers a massive RM8.82 billion, excluding savings on interest cost. It must be emphasized that this was achieved without sacrificing functionality, viability and operations of the project, or causing any job losses for the workers. The project has since proceeded smoothly and is due for completion by January 2023, after some Covid-19 enforced delays.It proved beyond doubt the excesses of the past under the Umno-BN crony-capitalism regime. The billions saved could now be spent on even more projects creating even more benefits and jobs for Malaysians, boosting the economy further.Appeasing MahathirThe entire review exercise was completed in a little more than three months. (Yes, you can be assured that the then newly appointed finance minister worked his team really, really hard – and this obviously wasn’t the only project we were working on concurrently).However, things were not smooth behind the scenes. As was only to be expected, the directors of MMC-Gamuda had direct access to the prime minister. Throughout the entire negotiation process with the MoF, the directors made countless trips to lobby Mahathir. Mahathir was fed with many half-truths to justify the project cost. And each time, the PM would demand answers from Lim.This is where I must give full credit to Lim. Each time, the team would scramble to prepare the immediate formal and detailed response for the minister to bring to the PM. Each time, Lim would patiently and diligently explain these issues to Mahathir, even when some of the issues raised had already been previously (repeatedly) explained. It was a thankless task. It would have been so easy for the minister to just give up and move on. After all, whether we saved “only” RM1 billion or we saved RM8 billion, the rakyat would be none the wiser.As tedious and as frustrating as it was – this was obviously not the only issue Lim had to appeal or explain to the PM (e.g., The Exchange 106 project) – he persevered and he was determined to achieve the maximum possible savings for Malaysians. To do so would help reduce the country’s debt and to have more funds for more projects and social programmes for the people. I was genuinely “relieved” that I wasn’t the wearing his minister’s shoes, and that I had the much “easier” task of being his assistant to gather all the relevant facts and information for the cause.Ultimately, the finance minister succeeded in convincing the PM (perhaps, reluctantly), and subsequently the Cabinet, that the best course of action was to terminate and re-tender the MRT2 underground contract.However, when Mahathir read my open letter, he blew his top. The only reason why I was not fired as the political secretary to the finance minister, an appointment under the PM’s purview, was because Lim told him that I wrote the letter under his instructions (which was the truth).After MMC-Gamuda sought to re-open negotiations, Mahathir had advised Lim not to press too hard. He even told Lim how much was “enough”. Lim led the final negotiation with MMC-Gamuda himself and the final “discount” was arrived relatively quickly and amicably to the satisfaction of all parties. The directors even assured the minister that despite the significant cuts to the cost, the project would still be profitable.More than a year later, late in 2019, Mahathir still griped about the open letter to Lim. If I don’t recall wrongly, it was part of their conversation about being a “business-friendly government”. He took offence at the fact that I used the word “hell” in my statement, although he couldn’t remember the context in which the word was used.Even I couldn’t remember using the word when Lim relayed the conversation to me. I checked, and this was what I wrote: “RM2 billion is hell of a lot of money when I see my MoF colleagues who are struggling and scrimping to find RM50 million savings here, and RM80 million cuts there for the upcoming budget.” I’m pretty convinced that the term “hell” there was more than justified.I have no regrets writing the open letter, even if Mahathir is still pissed about it (so much so that he actually included it in his memoirs (insert roll-eyes emoji here). It says a lot about the man when he chose not to record the RM8.82 billion savings for the rakyat for the MRT2 project under his premiership in his memoirs, but to instead whine about an apparently irritating political secretary.On the other hand, I am extremely proud to have been part of the team that brought these mega-multi-billion ringgit savings to the people, all within a very short 20-month stint at the MoF. Even if it wasn’t instructed by the minister, I see nothing wrong with a political secretary or even a backbencher member of Parliament defending and explaining the policies of the government. Isn’t that precisely our role? In my personal view, if there was a particular weakness in Pakatan Harapan’s time in government, there were too few leaders who were willing to stand up and be counted in times of controversy, for fear of rocking the boat.But Mahathir would have none of it. Instead, he claimed that I “spoke publicly on behalf of the government despite having no standing to do so”. It is really odd, and admittedly very disheartening, that defending the Cabinet decision is deemed an offence. Perhaps it is so, if his circle of business friends were at the end of the stick.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


CMCO extended in KL, 5 states, interstate travel ban to remain

The conditional movement control order (CMCO) in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor, Kelantan, Penang and Sarawak has been extended for another two weeks, while interstate travel restrictions will remain in force.Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the extension of the CMCO in Sarawak would remain in effect until April 12, and until April 14 in the five other states.“The recovery MCO in Perlis, Kedah, Perak, Pahang, Putrajaya, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Terengganu, Sabah and Labuan is also extended, effective from the same date (April 1).“The ban on interstate travel also stays. Only interdistrict travel is allowed except in Sabah and Sarawak which is still restricted as per request from the respective state governments,” he said in a news conference.He said the decision was made after a special session by the National Security Council to listen to a presentation by the health ministry on the situation and risk assessment for the 14-day implementation of the CMCO and RMCO in states nationwide.


Rental demand on the rise amid inflation, increase in OPR

Rental demand remained on the uptick during the second quarter of 2022, registering a 12.89% increase quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) and a year-on-year (YoY) rise of 96.83%, Property Guru Malaysia revealed in its Malaysia Property Market Report Q3 2022 today.
The rental price index meanwhile saw an increase of 2.82% QoQ and 4.46% YoY in Q2 2022, a development which the property portal said would lead to growth in the supply of rental properties as landlords leverage the rising demand trend.
Given the rising inflation rate of 3.4% as of June and the increase in overnight policy rate to 2.25% earlier this year, it said, potential homebuyers might continue to exercise caution in making large purchasing decisions.
"With the ongoing inflation and worries of rising purchasing costs taking effect, potential homebuyers will gravitate towards rental as a short-term alternative, and the rental market will likely continue to expand to the year's second half," it said.
The report also registered upward trends in several areas such as the property sale market index, demand index and supply index, across both landed and high-rise sectors.
The overall demand index, which was in negative territory in the previous quarter, moved upwards by 7.93% QoQ.
According to the report, landed properties outperformed high-rise properties, with the landed sale price index moving upwards by 1.32% QoQ and 5% YoY in Q2 2022.
It said there was also an uptick of 1.91% QoQ and 7.31% YoY in supply, indicating a slight increase in confidence for both buyers and sellers.
This is consistent with the latest market report published by the Valuation and Property Services Department in April, stating that the overall volume of property transactions increased by a marginal 1.5%.
Property Guru also said that the reopening of borders had restored the prospect of the market's expansion, to appeal to foreign buyers.
"As expected, the property market in the second quarter of the year saw a gradual trend of improvements, although it may not be fully out of the woods yet," Property Guru country manager Sheldon Fernandez said.
Adding that ongoing factors such as the rising inflation, increase in OPR and affordability issues would weigh in on market conditions, he said it would take some time before consumers are confident in making large property decisions.
"The full impact of these factors will most likely be seen in the current quarter's performance," he said.


Quarantine rules eased for ministers returning from official trips

Ministers returning from official trips abroad are now exempted from the 10-day observation or home surveillance period.This was stated in the latest federal government gazette under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Disease (Exemption) Order 2021 published on the Attorney-General’s Chambers website yesterday.“Subject to Paragraph 3, the minister exempts Cabinet ministers who return from any official visits abroad from the application of Section 15 of the act.“Cabinet ministers who return from official visits abroad must undergo observation for three days or undergo surveillance until discharged without endangering the public,” it stated.The order, signed by Health Minister Dr Adham Baba, will be in effect from today until Aug 1.Section 15 of Act 342 pertains to the observation or surveillance of contacts, in which an authorised officer may order any contact to undergo observation in such place and for such period as he may think fit, or to undergo surveillance until he may be discharged without danger to the public.The government had before this shortened the mandatory quarantine period for travellers returning from abroad and close contacts of those who test positive for Covid-19 from 14 to 10 days.


Nasa releases first audio from Mars, video of landing

The US space agency Nasa on Monday released the first audio from Mars, a faint crackling recording of a gust of wind captured by the Perseverance rover.Nasa also released the first video of last week’s landing of the rover, which is on a mission to search for signs of past life on the Red Planet.A microphone did not work during the rover’s descent to the surface, but it was able to capture audio once it landed on Mars.Nasa engineers played a 60-second recording.“What you hear there 10 seconds in is an actual wind gust on the surface of Mars picked up by the microphone and sent back to us here on Earth,” said Dave Gruel, lead engineer for the camera and microphone system on Perseverance.The high-definition video clip, lasting three minutes and 25 seconds, shows the deployment of a red-and-white parachute with a 21.5-meter-wide canopy.It shows the heat shield dropping away after protecting Perseverance during its entry into the Martian atmosphere and the rover’s touchdown in a cloud of dust in the Jezero Crater just north of the Red Planet’s equator.“This is the first time we’ve ever been able to capture an event like the landing on Mars,” said Michael Watkins, director of Nasa’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which is managing the mission.“These are really amazing videos,” Watkins said. “We binge-watched them all weekend.”Thomas Zurbuchen, Nasa’s associate administrator for science, said the video of Perseverance’s descent is “the closest you can get to landing on Mars without putting on a pressure suit”.‘Perseverance is healthy’Jessica Samuels, Perseverance’s surface mission manager, said the rover was operating as expected so far and engineers were conducting an intensive check of its systems and instruments.“I am happy to report that Perseverance is healthy and is continuing with activities as we have been planning them,” Samuels said.She said the team was preparing for a flight by the rover’s small helicopter drone dubbed Ingenuity.“The team is still evaluating,” she said. “We have not locked in a site yet.”Ingenuity will attempt the first powered flight on another planet and will have to achieve lift in an atmosphere that is just 1% the density of Earth’s.Perseverance was launched on Jul 30, 2020 and landed on the surface of Mars on Thursday.Its prime mission will last just over two years but it is likely to remain operational well beyond that. Its predecessor Curiosity is still functioning eight years after landing on Mars.Over the coming years, Perseverance will attempt to collect 30 rock and soil samples in sealed tubes to be sent back to Earth sometime in the 2030s for lab analysis.About the size of an SUV, the craft weighs a tonne, is equipped with a seven-foot-long robotic arm, has 19 cameras, two microphones and a suite of cutting-edge instruments.Mars was warmer and wetter in its distant past, and while previous exploration has determined the planet was habitable, Perseverance is tasked with determining whether it was actually inhabited.It will begin drilling its first samples in summer, and along the way it will deploy new instruments to scan for organic matter, map chemical composition and zap rocks with a laser to study the vapor.One experiment involves an instrument that can convert oxygen from Mars’ primarily carbon dioxide atmosphere, much like a plant.The idea is that humans eventually won’t need to carry their own oxygen on hypothetical future trips, which is crucial for rocket fuel as well as for breathing.The rover is only the fifth to set its wheels down on Mars. The feat was first accomplished in 1997, and all of them have been American.The US is preparing for an eventual human mission to the planet, though planning remains very preliminary.


Daily caseload hovers below 3,200 as death toll up by one

Another 3,189 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,896,922.
There were 2,541 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,829,756.
There are now 30,702 active cases, of which 29,330 or 95.5% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,312 (4.3%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 60 are in ICU with 34 in need of respiratory assistance.
One more death was recorded, taking total deaths to 36,464.


Only Covid-19 saliva tests allowed at schools, says education ministry

The education ministry today said that Covid-19 screenings at schools within its purview must be conducted through the use of saliva test kits only.In a statement, it said the use of nasal swab tests is not allowed and not in accordance with the ministry’s instructions in a letter dated Nov 28.Referring to a photo titled “Teachers conduct practical training by swabbing students in a school” that went viral on social media, the ministry said investigations found that it involved a Covid-19 screening at a school in Pahang.A total of 16 students at the school were selected at random to undergo the Covid-19 screening test using saliva test kits, it said.“However, a nasal swab demonstration was also conducted and involved four students and four teachers who were assisted by two community nurses,” the statement added.


85.9% of teens, 96.8% of adults fully jabbed

A total of 2,702,748 or 85.9% of teenagers had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.Based on data from the CovidNow website, 2,818,165 individuals or 89.6% of the group have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of adult population, 22,659,382 individuals or 96.8% have completed their vaccination, while another 23,006,300 or 98.3% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 42,010 vaccine doses were administered yesterday with 2,030 as first doses, 3,214 as second shots and 36,766 as booster jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation programme so far to 53,231,117 doses.