Floods swamp harvest festival at Sarawak longhouses

Around the beginning of each year, the interior area near the Ulu Baram river in Sarawak would be filled with the sounds of singing and laughter as the Kenyah people celebrated their harvest festival.The festival known as Mamat would usually take place between February and April, depending on when the padi or rice was planted.It was and still is an important part of their culture although the years have seen a gradual shift away from the tradition among the younger generation. To the Kenyah people, a consistently good rice harvest is a reflection of the overall morality of a longhouse and a way for them to improve their social and economic status as well as their influence in the community.During good times, it is the most eagerly awaited event of the year.But this most recent harvest season was not a good time.Kenyah women from the Lio Mato longhouse, dressed in traditional attire, celebrate the Mamat harvest festival during better times.Last month, the longhouse of Long Moh which is home to some 200 Kenyah was pounded by torrential rain which hit the interior and upper Baram region particularly hard.On May 18, the water level of the Ulu Baram river rose so high that low-lying longhouses in the area, including Long Moh, were flooded.A house at the Lio Mato longhouse area stands partially submerged in flood water.Alex, a padi farmer, said many houses were toppled but those living in the longhouses were not evacuated despite the floods which rose to a metre in depth.“The next morning, the heavy rain continued, so much so that the water level reached Uma Kelebang, a longhouse nearby ours,” he told MalaysiaNow.“The villagers could only watch helplessly as the rushing water carried away our boats and other property.”A man stands on the roof of his porch as flood waters which have completely covered the lower level lap near his feet.Needless to say, their padi fields were completely destroyed as well.With no harvest, in addition to the constraints brought on by the health measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, there were no celebrations this year.It was a double blow for the community as similar floods had also occurred in January.Alex’s cousin William now works in Miri but he recalls the sound of people pounding the rice with wooden pestles on the eve of Mamat – a signal to everyone who heard it that a celebration was around the corner.“On the eve, the women would sing to the rhythm of the pounding of the pestles.“As with so many things in the Ulu, pounding rice is a communal affair,” he told MalaysiaNow.But such activities are now a memory, thrown into sharp relief by the present reality.Kenyah women at the Lio Mato longhouse make ketupat ahead of the harvest festival on a normal year.For one, food supply has become a problem. At the Lio Mato longhouse, Johana Engge said essential items like sugar and salt are running low.They can venture out for more supplies but the need for travel permits during the ongoing lockdown makes things more difficult.“We need to prepare food, especially for our elders and those who are sick,” she said.“Now we have to depend on our relatives and family members who work in town to deliver food to us.”This is not easy as anyone looking to reach the longhouse must do so by four-wheel drive. Lio Mato is also a long way from the city of Miri – six to eight hours by timber road.Beautiful but remote: it takes six to eight hours to reach Lio Mato from Miri by four-wheel drive on the timber road.To reach Miri from Long Moh meanwhile takes nine to 12 hours of hard driving.Back at the Lio Mato longhouse, Johana is worried about the well-being of the community.“I hope the authorities can give more focus to people like us, who live in the interior and in remote areas,” she said.Replanting their crops is about their only option but even this is made difficult by the persistent flooding in the area.William and Alex said it had become easier for floods to occur due to the river’s water levels.“It can happen twice a year,” they said. “It was easier back then for us to look for food. Now, the forest is being destroyed by logging companies.”


Anwar’s letter-writing campaign to palace points to ignorance of Agong’s constitutional role

Eyebrows have been raised within the legal fraternity over a petition launched by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim to get MPs to send letters to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to revoke the declaration of emergency, saying it points to an ignorance of the Federal Constitution.Several senior lawyers approached by MalaysiaNow also expressed surprise at the move, saying it was possible that the opposition leader had been “ill-advised by his legal team”.Anwar, who heads the three-party Pakatan Harapan coalition, today said he had prepared a draft letter to guide MPs when they write to the palace.He told the MPs that Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s move to declare a Covid-19 emergency was not valid, adding that the movement control order (MCO) was enough to fight the pandemic, which has been infecting thousands of people daily and killed 578.Anwar said the Agong should cancel the emergency declaration and order for a parliamentary session convene at the end of this month, adding that MPs should send their letter by today.But a senior lawyer expressed surprise that the “constitutionally improper” move “was coming from an opposition leader”.He said the Agong in declaring or revoking a state of emergency was bound to act on the Cabinet’s advice, as stated in Article 40(1) of the constitution.“In short, the king does not have the constitutional power to revoke the emergency as urged by Anwar.”He said the power of the Agong to act at his own discretion is explained in Article 40(2).“But declaring or revoking an emergency does not fall under 40(2),” the constitutional lawyer told MalaysiaNow on condition of anonymity, fearing that the matter would drag him into “unnecessary politics” on social media.“In short, the king does not have the constitutional power to revoke the emergency as urged by Anwar,” he added.The MCO and state of emergency were announced back to back this week amid a continuous surge of new virus cases, as authorities warned that the country’s public health system is at a breaking point.Muhyiddin had assured that the state of emergency would not lead to military rule, but would suspend Parliament to ward off any threat of snap polls that experts said would be disastrous to efforts to contain the pandemic.Another constitutional lawyer meanwhile told MalaysiaNow that Anwar’s petition campaign to revoke the state of emergency was akin to urging the Agong to act in a manner inconsistent with the powers and duties of a constitutional monarch.“Making the letter public as a media statement also puts the palace in an awkward position, particularly since the issue has become the subject of political bickering.“The king is above politics, and should not be dragged into such matters,” he added.


GE15 to proceed whether or not state assemblies dissolve, says PM

The 15th general election (GE15) will still proceed even if several states refuse to dissolve their state legislative assemblies, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.
He said every state had the right to dissolve its state assembly at any given time.
"I strongly suggest and highly recommend that this (dissolution of state assembly and Parliament) be done simultaneously, but six states have made their decision (not to follow suit).
"So, GE15 will proceed as it should," he told reporters in Jasin.
Yesterday, PAS announced that it would not seek the dissolution of the state assemblies for the states under its rule – Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah.
Ismail also said that holding GE15 and state elections separately would only inconvenience the people, who would have to come out twice to cast their votes, and would incur higher costs for the Election Commission.
On PAS’ decision to strengthen its cooperation in Perikatan Nasional (PN), Ismail, who is also Umno vice-president, said Umno had expected it.
PAS has every right to make its own decision, he said, adding that Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi had also announced that Umno and Barisan Nasional would go solo in GE15.


Pakistan flood toll rises with 25 children among 57 more deaths

The toll from cataclysmic floods in Pakistan continued to climb on Saturday with 57 more deaths, 25 of them children, as the country grapples with a relief and rescue operation of near unprecedented scale.
A high-level body set up to coordinate the relief effort met in Islamabad on Saturday for the first time, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to take stock of the disaster.
Record monsoon rains and melting glaciers in northern mountains brought floods that have affected 33 million people and killed at least 1,265 people, including 441 children. The inundation, blamed on climate change, is still spreading.
The proportion of children's deaths has raised concern. On Friday, the United Nations children's agency (Unicef) said there was a risk of "many more" child deaths from disease after floods.
The floods that have inundated a third of the country were preceded by four heatwaves and multiple raging forest fires, the disaster management chief told the high-level meeting, highlighting the effects of climate change in the South Asian nation.
"The year 2022 brought some harsh realities of climate change for Pakistan," the chief of the National Disaster Management Authority Lieutenant-General Akhtar Nawaz told a briefing for the country's top leadership.
"This year we did not witness a spring season – we faced four heatwaves which caused large-scale forest fires across the country," he said.
The fires were particularly severe in the southwestern province of Balochistan, destroying swaths of pine-nut forests and other vegetation, not far from areas now underwater.
Balochistan has received 436% more rain than the 30-year average this monsoon.
The province has seen widespread devastation, including a washing away of key rail and road networks as well as breakdowns in telecommunications and power infrastructure, the meeting was told.
The country has received nearly 190% more rain than the 30-year average in the quarter through August, totalling 390.7mm (15.38 inches). Sindh province, with a population of 50 million, was hardest hit, getting 464% more rain than the 30-year average.
Aid has flowed in from a number of countries, with the first humanitarian assistance flight from France landing on Saturday morning in Islamabad. But Pakistan's largest charity group has said there were still millions who had not been reached by aid and relief efforts.
Initial estimates of the damage have been put at US$10 billion, but surveys are still being conducted along with international organisations.
The United Nations has appealed for US$160 million in aid to help tackle what it said was an "unprecedented climate catastrophe" as Pakistan's navy has fanned out inland to carry out relief operations in areas that resemble a sea.


E-hailing service providers told to explain reports of fare hikes

The transport ministry is looking into e-hailing services and holding discussions with service providers following complaints that the increasingly expensive fares are becoming a burden to consumers.Minister Wee Ka Siong said he had instructed the top management to call the companies involved to provide an explanation and clarification of the alleged increase in fares.“An increase from RM20 to RM70 in the current situation is seen as burdensome to the people, so I think as a policymaker, we will see if any party is taking advantage to make a profit.“I’ve also asked the Land Public Transport Agency to review, and to ask the companies to explain what really happened. In a day or two I expect them to give an explanation so that we can see in terms of what we should do and whether to encourage more competition,” he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.Wee also said his ministry would not compromise with any company found trying to take advantage by increasing fares or companies seeking to manipulate e-hailing fares to make a profit.Fares were recently reported to have increased by up to 400% during peak hours, sparking discontent from consumers who called for government intervention.


103 deaths as new cases shoot past 7,600

Another 7,654 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 792,693.Selangor recorded 3,260 cases, Kuala Lumpur 1,550, Negeri Sembilan 698, Kedah 337, Johor 313, Sarawak 286, Melaka 230, Sabah 225, Penang 185, Pahang 180 and Kelantan 118.Perak recorded 94 cases, Labuan 82, Terengganu 61, Putrajaya 33 and Perlis two.Active cases stand at 72,201 with 943 in the ICU and 450 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 4,797 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 714,815.However, 103 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 5,677.


Radzi Jidin named PN's candidate in Putrajaya

Bersatu vice-president Radzi Jidin was yesterday announced as Perikatan Nasional’s (PN) candidate for the Putrajaya parliamentary seat in the 15th general election (GE15).
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Bersatu president, announced this in his speech at an event in Putrajaya last night.
"The candidate for Putrajaya is Radzi… never have any doubt, this is our candidate and we want him to work," he said.
In GE14, Radzi contested the Ketereh parliamentary seat but was defeated by Annuar Musa. He was appointed as a senator on July 17, 2018.
The incumbent for Putrajaya is Umno treasurer Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, who in GE14 won the seat against PAS’ Zainal Abidin Kidam and PKR candidate Samsu Adabi Mamat with a 3,372-vote majority.
PN comprises Bersatu, PAS, Gerakan, Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) and Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP).
The Election Commission has fixed Nov 19 as polling day and Nov 5 for nominations while early voting will take place on Nov 15.


South Korea says retrieves wreckage of North Korean spy satellite

South Korea's military said on Wednesday it has retrieved the wreckage of a North Korean spy satellite that plunged into the sea in May after a botched launch and found that it did not appear to be capable of military surveillance.
The military last month recovered parts of the rocket used in the North's failed launch of its first military satellite, after the booster and payload crashed into the sea soon after takeoff.
"After detailed analysis on major parts of North Korea's space launch vehicle and satellite which were salvaged, South Korean and US experts have assessed that they had no military utility as a reconnaissance satellite at all," the military said in a statement.
The South's military said it had ended its salvage operations on Wednesday.


GLC chiefs, judges required to declare assets to MACC

CEOs of government-linked companies (GLCs) and government-linked investment companies (GLICs) as well as members of the judiciary must declare their assets to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.
He said this was decided by the Special Cabinet Committee on Anti-Corruption (JKKMAR) at its meeting today and that further details would be tabled again by MACC at the next meeting.
"JKKMAR also decided that the MACC mechanism for the declaration of assets by members of the administration, MPs and senators will be strengthened to enhance the credibility and integrity of the government administration," he said in a statement issued after chairing the meeting.
He said amendments and enhancements to the existing Code of Ethics for Members of Administration and Members of Parliament would be implemented and a new code of ethics introduced for MPs in the Houses of Parliament (Privileges and Powers) Act 1952 (Act 347) by considering the need to maintain the principle of separation of powers between the executive and legislative bodies.
Ismail said officers of local government authorities (PBTs) who had served in a particular place for a long time could be transferred to another PBT to avoid the risk corruption and power abuse as well as the creation of Little Napoleons at the field stage.


Apex court declares Selangor shariah law criminalising unnatural sex unconstitutional

The Federal Court today declared as void and unconstitutional a provision in the Selangor shariah law criminalising unnatural sexual intercourse.A nine-member bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat held that Section 28 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Selangor) Enactment 1995 relates to a matter that falls under the federal list in the Federal Constitution, under the Parliament’s power to enact laws.She said Section 28 was enacted in contravention of Item 1 of the state list which stipulates that state legislatures have no power to make laws on matters that are included in the federal list.In a unanimous decision, the court granted a declaration sought by a 35-year-old man that Section 28 is invalid on grounds that it makes provision with respect to a matter in which the Selangor state legislature has no power to make laws and is therefore null and void.Section 28 of the enactment makes it a shariah offence for any person to perform sexual intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, with the person liable to a fine not exceeding RM5,000 or a maximum three-year jail term or whipping not exceeding six strokes or any combination, upon conviction.The other judges who presided on the bench were Court of Appeal president Rohana Yusuf, Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed, Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judges Mohd Zawawi Salleh, Nallini Pathmanathan, Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Zabariah Mohd Yusof and Hasnah Mohammed Hashim.The man obtained leave from the Federal Court to commence proceedings by way of a petition against the Selangor government to seek a declaration that Section 28 of the enactment is invalid.The man, whose identity is being withheld on the request of lawyers, was charged in the Selangor Shariah High Court in 2018 with attempting to commit sexual intercourse against the order of nature with certain other male persons in a house in Selangor.He pleaded not guilty to the charge and his trial at the Shariah High Court has been stayed pending the outcome of his legal challenge.


New cases top 11,000 for second day as another 118 deaths logged

Another 11,618 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 867,567.Selangor recorded 5,051 cases, Kuala Lumpur 1,749, Negeri Sembilan 1,537, Melaka 526, Kedah 504, Pahang 400, Johor 396, Sarawak 289, Sabah 286, Kelantan 236, Penang 210, Terengganu 189 and Perak 164.Putrajaya recorded 40 cases, Labuan 38 and Perlis three.Active cases stand at 101,359 with 878 in the ICU and 432 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 6,377 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 759,705.However, 118 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 6,503.


The effect on Umno if Pejuang joins PN

Umno, once the pinnacle of Malay political power, may find itself in a difficult position as the only Malay party in the government bloc following the unexpected surge of support for Perikatan Nasional (PN), already home to PAS and Bersatu and being courted by would-be newest member Pejuang.
Political analyst Oh Ei Sun said Pejuang's move towards PN would have an impact among conservative voters in the Malay community.
However, he said it would not have much effect on voters from more progressive and reformist backgrounds.
"They may or may not like Umno, with all of its political baggage over the years," Oh, of the Singapore Institute of International Affairs, told MalaysiaNow.
"But many of them shudder even more when contemplating a country ruled by 'green wave' parties," he added, referring to Islamist party PAS which won 49 of the 70 seats it contested at the recent general election – the most of any political party.
Pejuang, founded by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, applied to join PN earlier this month.
At last year's general election, it fielded some 60 candidates under the Gerakan Tanah Air coalition, all of whom lost their deposits.
Mahathir himself, who likewise failed to retain his Langkawi seat, left Pejuang for Putra where he said he would continue championing Malay rights.
Political observer Azizi Safar said even if PN accepted Pejuang into its fold, it would have no major impact on Umno which he added would likely form an electoral pact with Pakatan Harapan (PH) at the six upcoming state elections.
"Pejuang is looking for something to cling to, so that it can survive as a political party," he said.
"It's seeking to join PN in the hope of getting seats to contest at the state elections, particularly in Kedah."
Fellow political observer Mak Khuin Weng meanwhile said that Umno's public perception had taken a hit from the intervention of Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail in the party's dealings with the Registrar of Societies.
Saifuddin said on March 7 that he had used his ministerial power to exempt Umno from a clause in the Societies Act, allowing the party to forgo elections for its top two posts.
"To the Malays, it's actually more of a castration and making Umno into a eunuch," Mak said.
"MCA was made out to be a eunuch of Umno. The Chinese hated it too, and swung wholesale towards DAP.
"Now it's Umno's turn to be that eunuch."


Sorry.


Global Covid-19 deaths hit 5 million as Delta sweeps the world

Worldwide deaths related to Covid-19 surpassed five million on Friday, according to a Reuters tally, with unvaccinated people particularly exposed to the virulent Delta strain.The variant has exposed the wide disparities in vaccination rates between rich and poor nations, and the upshot of vaccine hesitancy in some western nations.More than half of all global deaths reported on a seven-day average were in the United States, Russia, Brazil, Mexico and India.While it took just over a year for the Covid-19 death toll to hit 2.5 million, the next 2.5 million deaths were recorded in just under eight months, according to a Reuters analysis.An average of 8,000 deaths were reported daily across the world over the last week, or around five deaths every minute. However, the global death rate has been slowing in recent weeks.There has been increasing focus in recent days on getting vaccines to poorer nations, where many people are yet to receive a first dose, even as their richer counterparts have begun giving booster shots.More than half of the world has yet to receive at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine, according to Our World in Data.The World Health Organization (WHO) this week said its Covax distribution programme would, for the first time, distribute shots only to countries with the lowest levels of coverage.Co-led by WHO, Covax has since January largely allocated doses proportionally among its 140-plus beneficiary states according to population size.“For the October supply we designed a different methodology, only covering participants with low sources of supply,” Mariangela Simao, WHO assistant director-general for access to vaccines, said in a recording of a conference presentation last week posted on WHO’s website.The US, which has been battling vaccine misinformation that has caused about one-third of the population to avoid inoculations, surpassed 700,000 deaths on Friday, the highest toll of any country.US cases and hospitalisations have been trending lower, but health officials are bracing for a possible resurgence as cooler weather forces more activities indoors.Russia reported 887 coronavirus-related deaths on Friday, the largest single-day death toll it has recorded since the pandemic began and the fourth day in a row it has set that record. Only 33% of Russia’s eligible population has received a first vaccine dose.As a region, South America has the highest death toll in the world accounting for 21% of all reported deaths, followed by North America and Eastern Europe contributing more than 14% of all fatalities each, according to Reuters analysis.However, India, one of the first countries ravaged by the Delta variant, has gone from an average of 4,000 deaths a day to less than 300 as its vaccination campaign is rolled out.About 47% of India’s eligible population has received a first shot, with officials administering around 7,896,950 doses per day over the past week, a Reuters analysis of Our World in Data showed.The Delta variant is now the dominant strain around the globe and has been reported in 187 out of 194 WHO member countries.


Cabinet line-up almost finalised, Anwar says ahead of audience with king

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim says discussions on the appointment of the Cabinet line-up are nearly complete and hopes it can be announced soon.
Anwar, who is Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman, also confirmed that Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah has granted him an audience at Istana Negara at 8am on Friday.
"I apologise for having to rush to resolve the issues with all of the component parties because we have to quickly form the Cabinet and get the consent of the king.
"I hope to announce it in two or three days’ time," he said at a meet-and-greet session in Sungai Long, Kajang, last night.
Anwar will be in Perak today for an audience with the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah, at Istana Kinta at 10am.
After that, he is scheduled to hold a walkabout and a meet-and-greet session at the Tanjung Rambutan market, visit the Manjoi health clinic site as well as perform Friday prayers and attend a kenduri at Masjid Muhammad Al Fateh at Taman Jati in Ipoh.


Najib, Rosmah to inspect seized bling with Lebanese jeweller

Former prime minister Najib Razak, his wife Rosmah Mansor and the owner of Lebanese jewellery firm Global Royalty Trading SAL, Samer Halimeh, are scheduled to inspect 11,991 pieces of jewellery being kept in more than 90 boxes at Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) next month.The jewellery was among the valuables seized by the police from premises belonging to Obyu Holdings Sdn Bhd at Pavilion Residences in May 2018.Deputy public prosecutor Faten Hadni Khairuddin, when contacted, said the parties had agreed to carry out the inspection from Oct 25 to Nov 5.“The inspection will be carried out according to BNM’s SOPs, as well as the National Security Council’s SOPs, due to the spread of Covid-19,” she told Bernama after case management before High Court judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin today.The inspection had been postponed several times due to Covid-19 pandemic.Najib, Rosmah and Global Royalty are the third parties staking claim to the jewellery in the forfeiture application against Obyu Holdings, which is owned by Bustari Yusof.On July 25 last year, Najib and Rosmah inspected a total of 306 handbags, 401 watches, 16 watch accessories and 234 spectacles which were also seized from the same premises.In 2019, the prosecution filed a forfeiture application against Obyu Holdings to seize various items, including 11,991 items of jewellery, 401 watch straps and 16 watch accessories, 234 pairs of spectacles and 306 handbags as well as cash in various denominations amounting to RM114,164,393.44.The money and jewellery were confiscated by the authorities for their alleged links to the 1MDB scandal.


Let us buy our own jabs, say Argentine oil workers

Argentina’s largest oil workers union is eager to buy coronavirus vaccines on its own, warning that it will be forced to go on strike to protect the health of its members if the government in Buenos Aires doesn’t quickly authorise the sale.The union, which has 24,000 members, is insisting that it will only wait until June 11 for permission to go ahead.“Then we are going to withdraw from our jobs to protect the health of all our colleagues,” Guillermo Pereyra, the union’s leader, warned in a statement on Wednesday. “We have raised this situation with the health authorities and so far we have not achieved anything.”The vaccines purchased by the government are currently being given to senior citizens and priority workers. So far, nearly 13 million doses have been administered in a population of 45 million.Pereyra said the union cannot wait and would rather buy its own vaccines.“We don’t want to be assigned vaccines intended for the elderly, educators, health personnel or people at risk. We are willing to pay for them,” he told local media.The union is considering purchasing 50,000 unused doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine from Israel.Argentinian port workers went on strike on May 20, over lack of access to vaccines, bringing the nation’s ports to a halt. They returned to the job a week ago after the government included them in the priority group.In early April, Argentinian leader President Alberto Fernandez, tested positive for Covid even though he had previously received the Russian Sputnik V vaccine.Fernandez, who turned 62 the day before, said he had a “slight headache” and fever, but reassured the Argentinian people that he was “physically well” and “in good spirits”.In a further headache for the whole country, Brazil will now host football’s Copa America for the second consecutive time after Colombia and Argentina were stripped of hosting rights for the tournament because of their Covid-19 numbers.This prompted local health experts and politicians to criticise the decision to hold the event in one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic.Argentina and Chile’s football coaches on Wednesday also hit out at the decision to play the Copa America in coronavirus-wracked Brazil, reports AFP.With less than two weeks before the tournament kicks off on June 13, Brazil took over last Sunday.South America is currently the worst affected region in the world by the pandemic.The six countries currently experiencing the highest relative Covid-19 death rates in the world are all in South America.With more than 465,000 Covid deaths, Brazil is second only to the US, while its 16.5 million infections is the third highest in the world.Argentina, with only 20% of Brazil’s population, has recorded 78,000 deaths and 3.8 million cases.


Pfizer seeks Covid vaccine green light for 12 to 15-year-olds in US

Pfizer-BioNTech asked for authorisation Friday to use their Covid-19 vaccine on 12 to 15-year-olds in the US, which could mark a crucial next step toward achieving herd immunity.The mass vaccination of teenagers would also relieve an enormous strain on parents who are juggling the demands of homeschooling their children while keeping up with jobs.The companies said in a statement that they plan to make similar requests of other regulatory authorities worldwide in coming days.Their request to the US Food and Drug Administration comes after Phase 3 clinical trials of the Pfizer vaccine in 12 to 15-year-olds showed it was 100% effective in warding off the disease, according to the companies.In late March they published the results of trials carried out with 2,260 adolescents in the US whom the companies said showed “robust antibody responses”.The vaccine was “well tolerated with side effects generally consistent with those observed in participants 16 to 25 years of age”, the companies said Friday.For now the vaccine has emergency authorisation for use in people aged 16 and over.Children are less likely to develop severe Covid so vaccinating them has been less of a priority than getting older people inoculated.But they do make up a large part of the community that will need to be inoculated in order to achieve herd immunity, when the proportion of people with antibodies largely prevents the spread of the virus.Experts do not know precisely what percentage of the population needs to be vaccinated to get to that point, but one of the leading US immunologists, Anthony Fauci, has put it anywhere between 70% and 85%.In February, he said that US children aged 12 or under could very likely be vaccinated by the start of 2022.The BioNTech/Pfizer shot is based on new mRNA technology and was the first Covid-19 vaccine to be approved in the West late last year.In March, the US biotech company Moderna said it had started trials on children aged between six months and 11 years. Johnson & Johnson, whose vaccine was the third approved for US use, has also started trials on the 12 to 17 age group.


North Korea fires three ballistic missiles hours after Biden leaves Asia

North Korea fired three ballistic missiles off its east coast on Wednesday, Seoul’s military said, just hours after US President Joe Biden left the region following a trip in which he agreed to boost measures to deter the nuclear-armed state.South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the three ballistic missile launches were fired in the space of less than an hour from the Sunan area of the North’s capital Pyongyang.North Korea has conducted a flurry of missile launches this year, from hypersonic weapons to test firing its largest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) for the first time in nearly five years. It also appears to be preparing to test a nuclear weapon for the first time since 2017.US and South Korean officials had recently warned that North Korea appeared ready for another weapons test, possibly during Biden’s visit, which was his first trip to Asia as president.A White House official said that Biden, who departed Japan on Tuesday evening, had been briefed on the launches and would continue to receive updates.Japan reported at least two launches, but acknowledged that there may have been more. One of the missiles flew a distance of about 750km (465 miles) to a maximum altitude of 50km and appeared to be capable of shifting its trajectory in flight, Japan’s defence minister said. Another missile flew about 300km and reached a maximum altitude of 550km, he said.Japanese broadcaster NHK said the missiles appeared to have fallen outside Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).The US military’s Indo-Pacific Command said it was aware of “multiple” launches. They highlighted the “destabilising impact of the DPRK’s illicit weapons programme” but did not pose an immediate threat, it said in a statement, using the initials of North Korea’s official name.In Seoul over the weekend, Biden and his South Korean counterpart Yoon Suk-yeol agreed to hold bigger military drills and deploy more US strategic assets if necessary to deter North Korea’s intensifying weapons tests.But they also offered to send Covid-19 vaccines to North Korea as the isolated country battles its first confirmed outbreak, and called on Pyongyang to return to diplomacy.There had been no response from Pyongyang to the diplomatic overtures or offers of aid, Biden said at the time.The waning hours of Biden’s visit to the region also saw Russian and Chinese bombers flying joint patrols near Japanese and South Korea air defence zones on Tuesday in a pointed farewell.


South Africa nearing end of daily power cuts, minister says

South Africa's electricity minister said on Sunday the country was closer to ending daily power cuts as warmer weather returns towards the end of the year, but declined to give a specific date.
South Africa is on course to see its most blackout days in history this year with daily power cuts extending to almost 10 hours a day, affecting businesses and households in an economy already hobbled by high interest rates and inflation.
The power cuts, called loadshedding locally, is expected to shave off 2 percentage points from GDP this year, the central bank said last month.
Blackouts have eased in the past few weeks but there is a fear that as the southern hemisphere winter takes deeper hold in July and August, higher heating demand could trip many power plants. By September, the temperature starts to climb once more.
"I know when we get into summer conditions, then at the current rate, generation will far exceed demand," Electricity Minister Kgosientsho Ramokgopa said in a news conference.
Due to interventions on system maintenance and availability and efforts from businesses and households, the worst case scenario of peak winter demand of 34,000 megawatts (MW) has not materialised, he said.
The capacity available is plateauing around 29,000MW, giving enough room to bring the power cuts down to Stage 3, where 3,000MW are taken off the grid, leading to between two and fours hours of daily power cuts, the minister added.
South Africa implements power cuts in stages from one to eight with eight being the highest and translating into over 10 hours of daily power cuts.
Ramokgopa said the country was reaching a stage where power generation was beginning to keep up with demand, with blackouts coming down from Stage 6 to Stage 3 in the space of six weeks.
South Africa could soon have no blackouts for 24 hours, he said.
"I want to say to the South African people we are much, much closer to that date," he said.


What is aspartame, the 'possible carcinogen' in diet sodas, sugar-free juices?

Aspartame, a popular artificial sweetener found in Diet Coke, chewing gum, yoghurt and other food products, is set to be declared a possible carcinogen next month by a World Health Organization arm, Reuters reported on Thursday.
What is aspartame?
Discovered in 1965 by American chemist James Schlatter, aspartame is about 200 times sweeter than the regular table sugar. It was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1974 for use as a tabletop sweetener and as an additive in chewing gum, breakfast cereals and dry bases for foods.
Why aspartame?
Despite its intense sweetness, aspartame has an almost zero calorific value and no bitter aftertaste like saccharin, and grew in popularity as a more diet-conscious consumer emerged.
What products contain aspartame?
The low-calorie sugar substitute can be found in soft drinks, gelatin, confectionery, desserts, and sugar-free cough drops. It is also used to enhance flavoring of baked and canned foods, powdered drink mixes, candy and puddings.
Have companies moved away from aspartame?
Aspartame's use in food products has been debated for decades and has also prompted some companies to remove the compound from their products.
PepsiCo removed aspartame from some US diet sodas. Although the company brought it back a year later, it again removed the ingredient in 2020.
General Mills' Yoplait also removed aspartame from its yogurts in 2014. The brand's low-sugar products now contain alternative sweeteners like sucralose.
What other artificial sweeteners are in use?
Saccharin, sucralose and neotame are among five other artificial sweeteners alongside aspartame authorised by a WHO expert committee on food additives.
The FDA has also approved usage of three types of plant- and fruit-based sweeteners, including extracts obtained from the stevia plant, swingle fruit extracts and a group of proteins called Thaumatin.
Is aspartame used outside of the US?
More than ninety countries, including the UK, Spain, France, Italy, Denmark, Germany, Australia and New Zealand have reviewed aspartame and found it to be safe for human consumption and allow its use.
While the FDA pins the acceptable daily intake for aspartame at 50mg/kg of body weight per day, the European regulatory body recommends a slightly lower ADI at 40mg/kg/day.


PM negligent in claiming 'Allah' ruling only for Sarawak, says Hamzah

Former home minister Hamzah Zainudin has become the latest to question Putrajaya's decision to drop its appeal against a 2021 high court decision allowing the term "Allah" to be used in Christian publications, as government leaders defended the move which subsequently sparked angry reactions from Muslim groups.
The opposition leader took Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to task for saying that the 2021 high court ruling favouring Sarawak Christian, Jill Ireland Lawrence Bill, who mounted a challenge against the customs' confiscation of her Christian religious material containing the word "Allah" in 2008, was only applicable in Sarawak.
Hamzah said the incident where Jill's material was confiscated took place in Selangor.
"The confiscation of eight CDs containing Christian material with the word 'Allah' on May 11, 2008, took place at the low-cost carrier terminal in Sepang, not in Sarawak, and the Kuala Lumpur High Court's decision to grant the three certioraris was not limited to Sarawak," he said.
The Kuala Lumpur High Court in its decision in 2021 affirmed Jill's constitutional right to education and to practise her religion, and her constitutional guarantee against discrimination on religious grounds.
It also declared the home ministry's prohibition on the use of the word "Allah" in Christian publications as unlawful and unconstitutional.
The ruling was followed by an appeal filed by the home ministry, then headed by Hamzah under the Perikatan Nasional government led by Muhyiddin Yassin.
The seizure by the home ministry was carried out under Section 9(1) of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984.
Hamzah reminded Anwar that as a federal minister in 1986, the latter, alongside the late Ghafar Baba and James Peter Ongkili were part of a committee tasked with deciding on terms that cannot be used in other religious publications.
"He should have understood more about the sensitivity and avoid such misleading statements that could lead to greater harm," he added.
Hamzah said Anwar's explanation that the court ruling was only applicable in Sarawak showed the prime minister was negligent and did not bother to examine the judgment.
Echoing Muhyiddin, Hamzah said the "Allah" dispute should take its course in the country's courts so that any final decision should be respected.
"The question is, why is it that the PH-BN coalition government suddenly does not want to allow the legal and judicial process based on the constitution?
"Why was the legal and judicial process blocked and why did the home minister act without waiting for the Court of Appeal's decision first, as the issue of the term 'Allah' is extremely sensitive?" he asked.


Two-hour limit for customers at retail premises including shopping malls

Customers will be allowed to spend a maximum of two hours at all retail premises including shopping complexes beginning May 25, says Domestic Trade and Customer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.He said this was among the updated SOPs for the trade sector including retail, wholesale and distribution following the announcement by Senior Minister for Defence Ismail Sabri Yaakob to tighten the implementation of the movement control order (MCO).Another updated SOP concerns the operating hours of the distributive trade sector, which includes all retail, wholesale and distribution premises as well as restaurants, which have been shortened to 8am to 8pm.“For pharmacy and personal care outlets, the hours remain from 8am to 10pm except activities which are not allowed, such as spa and wellness, as well as manicure and pedicure services,” Nanta said in a statement today.Nanta said other improvements to be implemented include a rule to limit the total number of customers at retail premises including shopping complexes at any time, based on the space of business premises with a rule of one person for every four square metres.Employee limits at all retail, wholesale, distribution and shopping complexes, including management, operation and support staff is fixed at 60%, he said.Retail premises listed under the Hotspot Identification for Dynamic Engagement (HIDE) system which are still at high-risk levels after assessment by the health ministry will be closed immediately for three days for sanitisation, he said.“The improvement and additional restrictions will only be enforced from May 25 nationwide,” said Nanta, who also asked industry players in the distributive sector to ensure SOP compliance by staff and customers.“Business premises owners must always be proactive, alert and constantly ensure SOP compliance at the maximum level to ensure the safety of their premises and the public,” he said.Nanta said the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry would mobilise 2,262 enforcement officers nationwide to ensure compliance with the tightened SOPs at all related premises.“Enforcement officers will also intensify inspections at business premises including during weekends and holidays,” he said.He said the ministry as one of the agencies empowered to enforce the MCO under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342) would not compromise in taking stringent action, including issuing compounds.“The ministry will also not hesitate to propose to the National Security Council to immediately close any premise found not adhering to the tightened MCO SOPs,” he said.


Najib admitted to hospital as non-emergency case, discharged in good health, says DG

Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah today said that former prime minister Najib Razak was admitted to Hospital Kuala Lumpur (HKL) on Sept 9 as an elective, non-emergency case to ensure that his health was at "a good and optimum" level.
In a statement, he said the checks and tests conducted on Najib were done by senior experts who were the heads of clinical services in their respective fields.
"HKL also held family conferences twice, which were attended by the former prime minister and his family.
"The results of the tests were announced during these conferences in accordance with professional medical practices.
"They were also informed of the unanimous decision by the experts that he be given the green light for discharge from HKL," he said, adding that Najib had been in good health prior to his discharge.
"The medication prescribed to him at the time of his admission was also of the same type and included in the health ministry's medication list."
Najib's 1MDB trial earlier today was cut short after the court was told that the former prime minister needed medical attention as the high blood pressure medication he was prescribed was having adverse effects.
Senior deputy public prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram, who is leading the prosecution team, told the judge that he was informed by a Kajang Prison Department officer that Najib’s condition was "quite bad".
"The accused’s medication for blood pressure has been changed and it has had adverse effects on him," he said.
In the 1MDB case, Najib faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from the state investment fund and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The Pekan MP was sent to Kajang Prison on Aug 23 to begin serving a 12-year jail term for his SRC International case, after the Federal Court dismissed his final appeal against his conviction for the misappropriation of RM42 million.


Over 7 million jabs given, 1.9 million fully vaccinated

A total of 5,072,714 individuals had received a first dose of Covid-19 vaccine as of yesterday, says Health Minister Dr Adham Baba.He said 1,966,358 had also received a second dose.“A total of 215,968 Covid-19 vaccine injections were given yesterday, taking the cumulative total of Covid-19 vaccine doses administered so far to 7,039,072,” he said in a Twitter post today.Of the total vaccine injections given yesterday, 148,380 were first doses while 67,588 were second doses.Adham said the five states with the most fully vaccinated people are Selangor with 262,635 followed by Sarawak (202,741), Johor (201,340), Perak (181,545) and Kuala Lumpur (170,594).


2 Malaysian IS fighters captured by Taliban in Kabul

Taliban authorities are interrogating two Malaysians fighting alongside IS-K, the Afghan chapter of the IS terrorist group which has been fighting against both the Taliban and US forces, Britain’s The Times reports.It quoted the Taliban’s intelligence chief Maulawi Saifullah Mohammed as saying that the pair had been captured alongside four other IS-K fighters during a gun battle on Thursday night.“Four are Afghans but it seems the other two are Malaysian,” the paper quoted Saifullah as saying.The report did not identify the Malaysians.Saifullah said the IS prisoners would eventually “crack” during interrogation.“They aren’t as tough as they think they are. We’ve just beaten the armies from 36 Nato countries so we know we can capture and kill the Daesh [IS] wherever we find them,” he said.This came as a raging battle between the Taliban and IS fighters continued in Kabul after a suicide attack by IS at the Kabul airport which left more than 200 dead, including about a dozen American troops.IS-K was established by disgruntled members of Taliban, and aims to establish an Islamic caliphate in what was once known as the Khorasan region, made up of present-day northeastern Iran, parts of Afghanistan and some parts of Central Asia.Malaysians are among the thousands of foreign fighters who joined IS at the peak of the war in Iraq and Syria.Authorities previously said that a total of 102 Malaysians were known to have left the country to join IS, and that some 40 of them had died in battle.


Company data from SSM offered for sale online

Profiles of some 1.4 million companies in Malaysia have been offered for sale online on a hackers forum, a day after authorities denied a similar massive data breach involving the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN).A user said the data siphoned from the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) included company profiles as well as particulars of directors and shareholders.“We sell data of SSM ROC,” the post said. “If you looking for 8millions data for ROB, do not hesitate to PM.”According to the post, the data is priced at 0.3 bitcoin for individual buyers and 1 bitcoin “if you crony (crossed out) owner of www.ssm-einfo.my (and we take down/stop selling this data)”.0.3 bitcoins equals to RM52,400.This comes a day after an IT expert claimed on Twitter that the personal data of four million Malaysians being kept by the National Registration Department (JPN) was apparently put up for sale online for about RM35,000.Adnan Shukor also shared a screenshot showing the seller offering the data leaked through LHDN, which is one of 10 government bodies on a shared platform called myIDENTITY where data from JPN is shared.According to the screenshot, a total of 32GB of data in 19 files contain the information of those born between 1979 and 1998, with details such as addresses, mobile numbers and photographs, as well as race, religion and MyKad identification numbers.The police later said they had launched an investigation into the claim, which is being investigated under Section 4 (1) of the Computer Crimes Act 1997.LHDN meanwhile denied any leak of personal data, adding that it regretted the claim which it said could erode public confidence in the security of users’ information and data.


Twitter suspends accounts of journalists who covered Musk

Twitter Inc on Thursday suspended the accounts of several journalists, including ones from the New York Times and the Washington Post, with the site showing "account suspended" notices for them.
Reuters could not immediately ascertain why those accounts were suspended. All the suspended reporters have in recent months written about Twitter's owner, billionaire Elon Musk, and changes at the platform since he bought it.
Responding to a tweet on the account suspensions, Musk tweeted: "Same doxxing rules apply to "journalists" as to everyone else," a reference to Twitter rules banning sharing of personal information, called doxxing.
He added: "Criticising me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not."
Twitter did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
On Thursday, Twitter suspended @elonjet, an account tracking Musk's private jet in real time, a month after he said his commitment to free speech extended to not banning the account.
The accounts of Times reporter Ryan Mac (@rmac18), Post reporter Drew Harwell (@drewharwell), CNN reporter Donie O'Sullivan (@donie), and Mashable reporter Matt Binder @MattBinder were suspended. The account of independent journalist Aaron Rupar (@atrupar), who covers US policy and politics, was also suspended.
A spokesperson for The New York Times said: "Tonight's suspension of the Twitter accounts of a number of prominent journalists, including The New York Times's Ryan Mac, is questionable and unfortunate. Neither The Times nor Ryan have received any explanation about why this occurred. We hope that all of the journalists' accounts are reinstated and that Twitter provides a satisfying explanation for this action."
The other reporters could not immediately be reached.
The official account of social media company Mastodon (@joinmastodon), which has emerged as an alternative to Twitter since Musk bought the company for US$44 billion (about RM195 billion) in October, was also suspended. Mastodon could not immediately be reached for comment.
Twitter is now leaning heavily on automation to moderate content, doing away with certain manual reviews and favoring restrictions on distribution rather than removing certain speech outright, its new head of trust and safety Ella Irwin told Reuters this month.


Ringgit slips to new 24-year low against US dollar

The ringgit slipped further to a fresh 24-year low against the US dollar at the opening on Wednesday, in line with lower oil prices as more investors shifted towards safe-haven assets.
At 9.05 am, the local currency slid to 4.5200/5220 against the greenback from 4.5070/5085 at yesterday’s close.
ActivTrades trader Dyogenes Rodrigues Diniz said the US consumer price index (CPI) data showed higher-than-expected inflation at 8.3%, versus the forecast of 8.1%.
“This higher reading left investors wondering about how big an interest rate hike we could see at the next Federal Reserve meeting on Sept 21.
“Prior to the release of the CPI data, the market was predicting a 0.5-0.75 increase, but now many have raised their forecast to a 0.75-1.0% hike,” he told Bernama.
Diniz said the markets had responded strongly to the data, resulting in another strong appreciation of the US dollar against other currencies.
He also noted that the oil benchmark Brent crude price fell by 0.08% to US$93.10 per barrel.
Yesterday, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz was reported as saying that Malaysia was not experiencing an economic crisis just because the ringgit is trading at a low level against the greenback.
He said that the ringgit’s performance should be viewed holistically, not just in comparison with the US dollar, as the local note has also strengthened against other currencies.
Meanwhile, the ringgit was traded higher against a basket of major currencies.
The local unit rose against the Singapore dollar to 3.2153/2174 from Tuesday’s close of 3.2320/2333 and appreciated against the Japanese yen to 3.1282/1301 from 3.1690/1703.
It had also advanced against the British pound at 5.1989/2012 from 5.2768/2786 yesterday and increased against the euro to 4.5105/5125 from 4.5818/5833 previously.


Sorry.


No misuse of emergency ordinance, govt says on combating fake news

The government today assured that individuals suspected of spreading fake news are being investigated with caution despite the emergency ordinance implemented to combat misinformation on the Covid-19 pandemic.Communications and Multimedia Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the ordinance was enacted to allow swift action in investigating reports.However, he said the government still needs to ensure that appropriate action is taken against those accused of spreading fake news.“I understand the public wants us to take quick action over these reports.“Although the police have received many reports on fake news, we still need to be cautious to ensure we are taking actions according to the law,” he said at a press conference today.As of today, he said, only 18 reports are being investigated with two people charged so far under the emergency ordinance for spreading fake news related to the virus and the vaccines against it.Those found guilty under Section 4(1) of the Emergency Ordinance (Essential Powers) (No.2) 2021 face a maximum fine of RM100,000, a jail term of up to three years, or both.“I assure that the government will not misuse this ordinance,” Saifuddin said.


In first, GPS to face Sarawak election as a team

The ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition today said it would face the upcoming state election as a united front, fielding 82 candidates including 24 new faces.GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg who is also Sarawak chief minister said this would be a first for the coalition.“All of us will go for GPS as a team,” he said after handing over the letters of authorisation to the 82 candidates.“This is the first time we will go into an election as GPS.”Speaking at a press conference in Kuching, he said GPS stands for “Sarawak first”.“The political landscape in Sarawak, only the people of Sarawak know,” he added.Abang Johari also said GPS had made a bold move in introducing 24 new faces.“By fielding new faces, they will be able to learn and we can train them,” he said.“This will be exposure for young candidates and of course, they will have their own way.”He said the new faces also comprise those who are experienced and who can perform their duties as elected representatives in their respective constituencies.“The rationale behind this is to guarantee continuity for Sarawak. For the past four years, we have continued what Tok Nan promised,” he said, referring to former chief minister Adenan Satem who died in January 2017.Abang Johari, who holds the Satok seat, also confirmed that he would be contesting in Gedong while a new candidate, Ibrahim Baki, would run in Satok.


All eyes on second most powerful position, and it's not the deputy prime minister

There are signs that the "unity government" led by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim may soon struggle to live up to its name, as speculation mounts over who will be named to helm the finance ministry – arguably the second most important portfolio in the Cabinet, MalaysiaNow has learnt, based on conversations with several Umno and PKR leaders.
This comes as an online campaign using various social media platforms slowly gathers steam among the supporters of PKR number two, Rafizi Ramli, who was thought to be eyeing the post if Pakatan Harapan (PH) came to power.
But for Umno, the lifeline that the party appears to have received by agreeing to join a PH-led coalition government could end if Anwar decides that the finance portfolio will not go to any of its 28 MPs.
"Now, having ignored its 'No Anwar, no DAP' stand, the least that Umno could do in order to salvage whatever credibility it has among its members is to be in the driver's seat of the government.
"In Malaysia, that seat is either the prime minister's or the finance minister's," an Umno MP told MalaysiaNow.
He was likely alluding to Mohamad Hasan's speech at the Umno general assembly in March last year, where the Umno deputy president insisted that the Malay party must be in the driver’s seat in any future cooperation.
"What is important is, any party that wants to work with us must believe in Umno’s ability to be in the driver’s seat. Not a second player who is simply picked up to fulfil the quota, or the number of seats required," Mohamad had said at the party's congress which, among others, decided that it would not make any deal with either Anwar or DAP, the party that currently has the biggest share of seats in PH.
"There is no party or individual who can tell or direct Umno how and with whom we should negotiate to form a government."
Mohamad, better known as Tok Mat, is himself seen as among the top contenders for the finance portfolio, alongside newly elected Titiwangsa MP Johari Abdul Ghani.
Tok Mat was also said to be among the favourites to replace Tengku Zafrul Aziz in 2021, following a coup which saw Umno man Ismail Sabri Yaakob named as prime minister. Zafrul was however retained.
Tok Mat and Johari, the former once a corporate figure and the latter having served as the second finance minister in Najib Razak's government, carry with them decades of financial and corporate experience, dwarfing that of the 45-year-old Rafizi, a former accountant with Petronas.
Long before the election, critics had already begun comparing Rafizi to Johari, with an extract from a TV3 panel discussion on the 2023 budget making the rounds to show how the latter was more articulate in matters of finance and economy.
The footage showed Johari giving an in-depth explanation when asked about the the ringgit's declining value, as compared to Rafizi, whom critics said avoided the question after remarking that it was something that even the finance minister would not be able to answer.

Johari Abdul Ghani and Rafizi Ramli speak in a TV3 panel discussion on the 2023 budget.

Since the early 90s, the finance portfolio has been seen as the last stepping stone towards the prime minister's post.
In 1991, then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad appointed Anwar as finance minister in what was seen as preparation for him to take over the government after serving five years as the education minister – another job seen as a stepping stone to the top  office.
Two years later, Anwar was named the deputy prime minister in the clearest sign that he was Mahathir's annointed successor. But the succession failed to materialise following Anwar's sacking in 1998, as well as his arrest and conviction of sodomy.
Since the Asian economic crisis of the late 90s, the finance minister has been viewed as a position more powerful than that of the deputy prime minister.
"In fact, there is no point getting the deputy prime minister's post if Umno does not head the finance ministry," said a BN MP who wanted to remain anonymous.
"A government can run without a deputy prime minister," he added.
The finance portfolio is one of several crucial posts in Malaysia's government structure. For the better half of BN's six-decade rule, the position was given to Umno.
At the heart of its power is its stranglehold on a plethora of critical institutions such as the dozens of Malay economic powerhouses, as well as lucrative government-linked companies.


Middle East states executed most in 2020, says Amnesty report

Four of the world’s five top executioners in 2020 were Middle East countries, Amnesty International said on Wednesday in its annual report on the use of the death penalty.The report by the human rights group says Iran, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia accounted for 88% of the 483 reported executions worldwide.Shooting, beheading and hanging remain the chief methods, according to the London-based rights group that campaigns for the abolition of the death penalty.It accuses those countries of showing “a ruthless and chilling persistence” in putting people to death despite the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.However, the global total was the lowest in a decade, but it did not include China which is believed to execute thousands of people each year. Accurate numbers are impossible to find for China as the data is a state secret.The overall number of executions recorded in the Middle East and North Africa fell from 579 in 2019 to 437 in 2020.That was largely driven by an 85% drop in recorded executions in Saudi Arabia, where 27 took place, and a 50% reduction in Iraq, which carried out 45.However, the report says the decreases were overshadowed by a 300% rise in Egypt, which put 107 people to death and became the world’s third most frequent executioner.Twenty-three of those people were convicted in cases relating to political violence, after what Amnesty said were grossly unfair trials marred by forced “confessions” and other violations.Iran, which carried out at least 246 executions increasingly used the death penalty as “a weapon of political repression” against dissidents, protesters and members of ethnic minority groups and religions.Iran also executed three people for crimes that occurred when they were below the age of 18, in violation of international humanitarian law.A government body in Saudi Arabia, long notorious for its public beheadings, attributed the sharp decline in executions there in part to “a moratorium on the death penalty in drug-related offences”. But Amnesty said it might also have been due to a desire by the kingdom to avoid criticism over the issue overshadowing its G20 presidency.Mideast countries that had not put anyone to death in years also did so in 2020. The sultanate of Oman reversed course by putting four people to death and Qatar resumed executions for the first time in over two decades with the hanging of a Nepali migrant worker convicted of murder.Heba Morayef, Amnesty’s Middle East director, said “Despite a clear global trend showing most countries moving away from use of the death penalty, these countries make up the majority of an increasingly isolated group of entrenched executioners out of step with the rest of the world.“The Middle East stands out as a region that clings to the use of the death penalty after deeply unfair trials.”By law or in practice, the death penalty is now abolished in 144 countries, though Amnesty says it expects no such change in the Middle East.


‘Possible’ for Zahid to attend court on Sept 6, says doctor

A medical specialist told the High Court in Kuala Lumpur today that Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is in hospital for the treatment of a slipped disc.Dr Mohd Shahir Anuar, from Avisena Specialist Hospital in Shah Alam, told presiding judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah that due to his condition, it was only “possible” for the Umno president to attend court proceedings on Sept 6 for his corruption case involving funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.Sequerah: In your opinion, doctor, would the patient in this position come to court on Sept 6? He is required to sit during the proceedings, he also can take a break.Shahir: Possible, but not longer than 40 minutes. He cannot sit for so long, he must do some stretching as well.Yesterday, the court was scheduled to hear submissions at the end of the prosecution’s case.However, it was postponed as the accused was hospitalised on Aug 22 due to injuries sustained as a result of a fall.Sequerah had then issued a subpoena to the doctor to come to court to explain the medical condition of Zahid as well as the procedure he would have to undergo, and to ascertain the recovery period.Asked about the admission process, Shahir said Zahid informed him that he had slipped in the toilet on Wednesday, Aug 18, shortly after the asar or late afternoon prayer, causing him to suffer from neck and thoracic pain.“He has no spine fractures. Yesterday, he underwent a pain intervention procedure to alleviate the pain for his slipped disc,” he added.When asked how long it would take for Zahid to walk as usual, Shahir said: “He can walk normally, but cannot sit for so long. He cannot put pressure by sitting for so long.”Sequerah: Then how long he can sit?Shahir: Usually every 30 to 45 minutes, he needs to stand up and stretch his body.


Sarawak family braces for Hari Raya without mum

For two years, 21-year-old Nurul Fariha Abdullah has been doing everything she can to take care of her three siblings, all of whom are younger than she is.Every morning, she gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for them and their father.After that, she sweeps and mops the floor and cleans the small house in Kampung Penan Islam, Bintulu, putting things in order and making sure everything is tidy and in its place.Every so often, she takes a break to give her youngest sister who is four a bottle of milk. Once the child is finished, she continues with her chores.This has been Fariha’s routine ever since her mother died from a severe fever just two weeks after celebrating Hari Raya – the last occasion that the family would spend together.Two years later, the thought of celebrating Hari Raya without her mother still brings tears to her eyes.“Of course, I am not happy about celebrating Hari Raya Aidilfitri this year,” she said in a recent interview with MalaysiaNow.“Although I still have my father, we are still grieving over the death of my mother.”For Fariha, it is doubly difficult as she has had to take on the role of being a mother to her three siblings.“It’s hard,” she said. “When my mother passed away, it felt like because I am the oldest, I had to take on more responsibilities.”Nurul Fariha Abdullah’s father, Abdullah Asa’ri, stands at the bakso stall outside their house. He came to Bintulu from Kalimantan in Indonesia more than 30 years ago in search of a better life.Before her mother died, they would celebrate Hari Raya and other festive occasions together as a family at home. Without her mother, nothing has been the same.As Hari Raya approaches this year, Fariha’s longing for her mother has grown. It is especially painful when she sees other children preparing to celebrate Hari Raya with their parents.“Although our previous celebrations were not so grand, my siblings and I were really happy,” she said.“We would play together and eat our favourite dishes, like the delicious chicken curry that my mother used to make.”This year, the celebration is likely to be even smaller as the family has less money to spare.Fariha’s mother had worked as a tailor to supplement the household income. Without the extra money she brought in, the family must rely on what Fariha’s father can earn selling bakso, an Indonesian dish of noodles and meatballs in soup.These days, he earns about RM2,000 a month. This is barely enough to cover the family’s expenses, which is why Fariha has had to give up her dream of continuing her studies to stay home and look after her siblings.“I have to take care of my sister and help my father sell bakso in front of our house,” she said.Her brother, meanwhile, is doing what he can to help finance the family’s cost of living and school fees for their two younger siblings.Still, Fariha is not giving up on her dream of becoming an immigration officer one day although for now she can only hope for a better future for her and her siblings.“My father doesn’t earn much these days, just enough to pay the bills and school fees.“But I’m hoping for an opportunity to work, so that I can help my father,” she said.


Man charged with murdering mother, hacking body into 15 pieces

A man was charged at the Parit Buntar Magistrate’s Court yesterday with murdering his mother and hacking her into 15 pieces which were disposed of in a septic tank at a house.No plea was recorded from Ng Yu Lim, 42, after the charge was read out to him before magistrate Muhammad Syaiful Akmal Mohamad Razi.He was charged with murdering Ong Suan Bee, 68, at a house in Taman Kerian between 2.30am and 3am on May 26.The charge, framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code, provides the death sentence upon conviction.The court fixed July 27 for the procurement of a medical report.On June 4, police arrested Ng after the detection of a foul stench which led to the discovery of 15 dismembered body parts of an elderly woman in a septic tank. They also seized a machete, two knives, and other items believed to have been used by Ng.Ng, the eldest of three siblings, had received treatment as a mental patient at a private hospital in Penang 20 years ago.He had not received any follow-up treatment for his condition since then, police said.


US hits over 200,000 Covid-19 cases in 24 hours

The US on Tuesday far exceeded its previous daily record of new Covid-19 cases, adding 201,961 cases in 24 hours, according to the tally compiled by Johns Hopkins University.The high number, partly due to data delayed over the weekend, took total cases in the US to 10,238,243, with a total of 239,588 deaths, as of 8.30pm.In the 24-hour period, 1,535 deaths from Covid-19 were registered, a record in recent months as the US struggles to contain the spread of the pandemic.For a week now, the number of new infections has trended at over 100,000 each day.Coronavirus hospitalisations have also hit an all-time high, with more than 60,000 people hospitalised across the country, according to the Covid Tracking Project.President Donald Trump, who has refused to concede defeat in the Nov 3 election, has repeatedly mocked people for wearing masks and claimed the virus would go away by itself.But his victorious opponent Joe Biden has vowed to take a more proactive approach, telling the nation this week that face coverings are the single best way to get the virus under control.US pharma giant Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech announced Monday that their vaccine candidate was 90% effective in preventing Covid-19, marking a major breakthrough in the search for a vaccine.


Govt to consider Section 18C of Societies Act in drafting anti-hopping bill, says law minister

Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar has assured that the government will take into account all relevant and related provisions including Section 18C of the Societies Act 1966 when drafting the anti-party hopping bill to stop MPs from jumping ship.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he also repeated assurances that the amendment to Article 10 of the Federal Constitution would be subject to it specifically addressing MPs who switch parties, the proposal to repeal Article 48(6) of the constitution, and the enactment of legislation related to the ban on MPs switching camps.“The select committee will look at what needs to be done,” he said when asked if the next draft would consider Section 18C of the Societies Act.Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said yesterday that MPs who are sacked from their parties should not be included in the definition of party hoppers.“There is no room for such MPs to challenge their parties’ decision in court because of the ouster clause in Section 18C of the Societies Act 1966,” he had said.“Appeals can only be made to the Supreme Councils which are controlled by the party leaders. Is this fair?”This follows MalaysiaNow’s report on April 9 that the anti-hopping bill could benefit the Umno court cluster due to a separate law giving political parties a blanket right when it comes to the expulsion of members.The bill in its present form, aside from causing elected representatives to lose their seats if they switch party loyalties after being elected, could see those sacked from their parties losing their seats as well, even if the sackings were wrongful, unfair or done under controversial circumstances.The court cluster, a euphemism for a group of former government leaders and MPs facing criminal charges, is led by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak.Late last year, Najib lost his appeal to overturn his corruption conviction over RM42 million in his personal accounts. He is currently awaiting his final bid at the Federal Court to avoid his 12-year jail term.Meanwhile, the corruption trial of Zahid, who has been told to enter his defence for 47 charges involving millions of ringgit from a charity foundation, is due to start late this month.Last month, Najib and Zahid led a campaign at the party’s general assembly to have the election called earlier, hoping that its recent victories in the Melaka and Johor state elections could be replicated at the national level, restoring the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government which was toppled in 2018.


Maximum 30% public service staff allowed at office until CMCO ends

Heads of public service departments in Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya, Labuan, Selangor and Sabah must ensure a maximum of 30% staff present at the office from tomorrow until the conditional movement control order (CMCO) ends.Public Service Department director-general Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman however said this would not apply to those in essential services.He said the move was to strengthen efforts to contain the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic in these areas, and to ensure that the basic services of these departments continue.“For this purpose, all department heads are instructed to ensure that officers at the management and administrative level who are not required to be in the office full-time are scheduled to work from home, either on a rotational or full-time basis, so that their attendance at the office is optimised during the CMCO period,” he said in a statement today.He said the directive in the circulars, namely Surat Edaran JPA.SARAAN(S)256/6/31 JLD.6 (2) dated March 17, 2020, and Surat Edaran JPA.SARAAN(S)256/6/31 JLD.6 (6) dated May 2, 2020 still applies.Khairul also said all face-to-face activities such as meetings, discussions or trainings would be prohibited. These must be conducted online while official confidential documents are not to be brought out of the office during this period.“However, the department head can give permission for the official confidential documents, whether hard copies or soft copies, to be brought out of the office based on the guidelines set by the Chief Government Security Office,” he said.He also reminded department heads to ensure full compliance with all rules, guidelines and circulars issued by the National Security Council, health ministry and Public Service Department.“These instructions are also extended to all state public services, statutory authorities, and local authorities affected by the CMCO,” he said.


Wreckage of passenger plane found in eastern Russia

Search teams on Tuesday found wreckage of a passenger plane carrying 28 people that had disappeared in Russia’s remote far eastern Kamchatka peninsula.The search for survivors would be paused due to the onset of darkness, emergency ministry sources said. Initial reports by Russian news agencies suggested no survivors would be found.The governor of Kamchatka, a vast peninsula popular with adventure tourists for its abundant wildlife and live volcanoes, said search teams had found parts of the fuselage along the coast and in the Okhotsk Sea.“There was a catastrophe during the go-around approach for landing,” Vladimir Solodov said in a video released on the government website.In comments to the Interfax news agency, he said there were still no signs of the aircraft’s passengers or their luggage.Russia’s aviation agency said in a statement that the plane’s debris had been found at 9.06pm local time (0906 GMT).Earlier Tuesday, Valentina Glazova, a spokeswoman for the local transport prosecutor’s office, told AFP that the An-26 plane was flying from Kamchatka’s main city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the coastal town of Palana when it disappeared at 2.40pm (0240 GMT).Officials said that communication with the plane had been lost 9km from Palana’s airport and 10 minutes before its scheduled landing time.Search pausedRussian news agencies quoted local officials as saying most of the passengers were from Palana – which has a population of about 3,000 – including four local government officials and the town’s head Olga Mokhiryova.Kamchatka’s government published a list of 28 people who were on board, including Mokhiryova and one child born in 2014.Interfax cited Russia’s Pacific Fleet as saying that some of the wreckage was found on the slope of a hill and other parts in the sea four kilometres from the coast.News agencies cited emergency ministry sources as saying that the plane had struck a cliff after twice trying to land amid poor visibility and a strong crosswind.The Kamchatka government said the peninsula has five An-26 planes servicing remote areas.The regional transport ministry and the local aviation company said the plane – built in 1982 – was in good condition and had passed safety checks.Soviet-era planesAn-26 planes, which were manufactured from 1969 until 1986 during the Soviet era and are still used throughout the former USSR for civilian and military transport, have been involved in a number of accidents in recent years.Most recently four people died in March when an An-26 plane used by ex-Soviet Kazakhstan’s military crashed while landing at an airport in the country’s largest city of Almaty.Two recent Russian military accidents have also involved An-26 aircraft, resulting in the deaths of 40 people.While Russia has improved its air traffic safety record in recent years, poor aircraft maintenance and lax safety standards still persist.Flying in Russia can also be dangerous in the vast country’s isolated regions with difficult weather conditions such as the Arctic and the Far East.Palana last saw an aircraft go down when an An-28 passenger plane struck trees during a premature descent in September 2012, killing 10 people.The last major passenger plane accident in Russia took place in May 2019, when a Sukhoi Superjet belonging to the flag carrier airline Aeroflot crash-landed and caught fire on the runway of a Moscow airport, killing 41 people.


Mahathir to blame, too, for Sheraton 'conspiracy', says Kit Siang

DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang today responded to concerns aired by Dr Mahathir Mohamad about Anwar Ibrahim's ability to lead the country, saying the former prime minister himself bears at least some responsibility for the so-called Sheraton Move which saw the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government in early 2020, just 22 months after it took control of Putrajaya.
In a statement, Lim said Anwar, who was sworn in as prime minister early this month, should "ignore Mahathir" and "learn the most important lesson of the 22-month PH government: carry out as many of the 'reformasi' institutional reforms in the early months of the new government as he may not have five years".
"Mahathir missed the historic opportunity to make Malaysia great again and this is a mistake which Anwar should not repeat," he added.
"Although the Mahathir PH government was toppled unconstitutionally and illegally by the Sheraton Move political conspiracy, Mahathir cannot fully absolve himself of responsibility for the Sheraton Move conspiracy."
Mahathir, Anwar's long-time nemesis who joined hands with PH to lead the coalition to a historic victory over Barisan Nasional (BN) at the 2018 election, had questioned Anwar's ability to steer Malaysia out of its economic woes and to resolve other post-pandemic challenges.
He also said the PH chairman appeared focused on maintaining his support in the Dewan Rakyat, through the disparate coalition of political blocs that came together to back him after the inconclusive results of the Nov 19 polls.
Mahathir, who completed an unprecedented two stints as prime minister, said the PKR president had been unable to come up with a solution in the face of the 1997 financial crisis, and was now facing more complicated problems.
"At that time, it seemed that he could not find a way to overcome the crisis," he said in an interview with Berita Harian.
"Whether in the future, he can find a way to deal with the country's problems, we cannot yet determine. But based on his experience when he was the deputy prime minister, I'm afraid.
"Right now, the country is facing many problems such as the effects of the pandemic, the declining economy and an unstable political situation.
"The people are still not happy with the state of the country. There are many problems that Anwar's government needs to deal with," he added.
Lim however urged Anwar to fulfil his promise not to compromise on good governance, the anti-corruption drive, judicial independence, and the welfare of the people.
"He should be aware that there are political forces which are conspiring to end his premiership as early as possible," the former Iskandar Puteri MP added.


Manchester United boss Ten Hag calls for more investment

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag has called for more investment in the club so they can challenge for trophies after the team finished third in the Premier League this season.
United sealed the third place, finishing the season with 75 points, after they came from behind to defeat Fulham 2-1 in the last game of the league season on Sunday.
The Old Trafford club, which won the League Cup in February, has the chance to add to their silverware when they face Manchester City in the FA Cup final on Saturday.
"We are in the right direction, but we are not there where we have to be, there's still a long way to go, there's potential in this team and individual players," Ten Hag told reporters on Sunday.
"We showed during the season we made progress, that's a compliment to the players and the coaches, we worked really hard, but we have to make an investment.
"The club knows if you want to play top four, compete for trophies in this tough league then you have to invest otherwise you don't have a chance because other clubs will do."
United last won the league title in 2012-13 under Alex Ferguson.


Malaysia to issue its own refugee card, says home minister

The government is planning to issue its own refugee card through the relevant agency, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said today.He said the Malaysian authorities were the ones who were supposed to decide whether refugees could remain the country and be given the card issued by the Malaysian government agency responsible.“Suddenly, there are other agencies that are conducting registration (and issuing cards) in our country,” he said at a media conference after an event in Putrajaya today.Hamzah was reported to have said in April 2020 that the government would not acknowledge the refugee status of Rohingya and would classify them as illegal immigrants who hold United Nations High Commission on Refugees (UNHCR) cards.He said Malaysia was a non-signatory to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, and therefore lacked a legal or administrative framework to manage the status and rights of refugees in the country.Currently, only the National Registration Department is qualified to register individuals to stay legally in Malaysia.In other developments, Hamzah said the authorities were still tracking down 61 Rohingya refugees who escaped from the Relau temporary immigration detention centre in Sungai Bakap, Penang.He said the authorities were identifying their location, believed to be in Selayang, Selangor.On April 20, 528 detainees escaped from the detention facility. Over 460 were recovered, while seven were killed while trying to cross the North-South Expressway.


Spanish toddler dies after being hit by giant hailstone

A 20-month-old girl died after being struck on the head during a violent hailstorm that caused havoc in Catalonia, northeastern Spain, authorities said on Wednesday.
Fist-sized hailstones up to 10cm (4 inches) in diameter rained down on Tuesday on an area around the village of La Bisbal d'Emporda. They caused injuries - mostly broken bones and bruising - to around 50 other people, broadcaster TV3 said.
"People started screaming and hiding", said musician Sicus Carbonell, who filmed the storm's destructive aftermath in Castell d'Emporda, a nearby hotel where his band was playing a canvas-covered terrace when everyone was forced to run for cover.
"There was chaos, with little boys and girls running around alone, some parents were able to grab their children," he told Reuters.
"There was a little girl of around three or four who was not sheltering under the parasol. I ran out and grabbed her...
"Then a hailstone broke though the fabric... and I told my group that either we get into the restaurant or one of those tennis balls would land on us and we wouldn't make it."
The toddler who was struck in the head in La Bisbal d'Emporda died at Girona's Trueta hospital, authorities there said.
The hailstones were the biggest recorded in two decades in Catalonia, according to meteorological agency Meteocat. Parts of the region remained on storm alert on Wednesday.


Friday sermon in Selangor condemns LGBT, warns Muslims against supporting their cause

The Friday sermon at mosques in Selangor today warned Muslims against supporting the LGBT cause, describing those who practised homosexuality as indulging in "perverted habits" that would invite the wrath of God.
"It is compulsory for Muslims who believe and fear God to reject LGBT and liberal groups that support such perverted habits," said the sermon, referring to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender movement.
"Those who practise and defend LGBT must repent and not repeat such haram acts. Any inclination towards perverted sexual relationships can be changed with the continuous control of the lust," said the text of the khutbah, titled "LGBT is a perverted habit".
The sermon followed the cancellation of an entertainment event planned at a night club in Kuala Lumpur which organisers said would feature "hot men" wearing women's underwear.
Following strong protests from PAS and Muslim leaders who condemned such shows for going against local culture and sensitivities, the organisers said they were calling off the event.
Earlier this month, meanwhile, a Women's Day march in Kuala Lumpur saw a group of LGBT activists calling for equal rights, prompting criticism from PAS as well as a police investigation.
The march was organised by Sisters in Islam (SIS), among others. On March 14, SIS lost an appeal to dismiss a fatwa in Selangor labelling the group as deviating from the teachings of Islam.
Today's sermon also attacked SIS, calling on Muslims to follow the correct teachings of Islam that were "pure and unadulterated".
"It is compulsory for Muslims to steer away from liberal thinking and ideology, in accordance with the findings of the Selangor Fatwa Committee that SIS and any individual, organisation, or institution subscribing to liberalism and pluralism are misguided and have strayed from Islamic teachings.
"It is haram for any individual or group to openly support LGBT rights, for supporting sinful acts can destroy the belief (aqidah)," it added.
The sermon also warned Muslims in Selangor against promoting or being associated with LGBT.
"His Majesty the Sultan of Selangor disapproves of any type of activities or gatherings to defend and demand LGBT rights being held within the state of Selangor," it said, adding that Muslim jurists were unanimous that homosexuality was a heinous act.
"What will happen when a man marries another man, a woman marries another woman? Are we willing to endure the severe divine punishment as was afflicted on the people of Prophet Lot?" it asked.


Lively debate in town hall session on Auku

A town hall session and open dialogue with students on the amendment of the Universities and University Colleges Act 1971 (Auku) saw a lively discussion today on a number of issues.
The public discussion session, which ran for about three hours, was attended by Higher Education Minister Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Deputy Minister Mohammad Yusof Apdal, academics, representatives of university administrators, and student representatives.
One question of interest was whether limits would be placed on the authority of the deputy vice-chancellor of student affairs – considered an authority in the control of student movements, especially in the organisation of activities on campus.
Questions were also raised on the freedom of representation and the independent management of student group funds without the control of university administrations, and whether these would be guaranteed in the latest Auku amendment.
Some student representatives meanwhile asked why the higher education ministry was still debating the amendments instead of moving to repeal it.
"Given the political commitment, we could abolish Auku," said a representative from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) student association.
The ministry during a question-and-answer session in the Dewan Rakyat on March 16 had said that amending the act would be better than directly repealing it.
Today's session was one of a number expected to be held on the matter at universities across the country.
Khaled assured that students would be given the freedom they wished for within the next year, through the latest amendment – the eighth over some five decades.
He said it was important for students to be able to move on their own, in tolerance and cooperation with parties within and outside of the university.
"We want collaboration, not opposition," he said.
"That is not what we are looking for in our students, rather the values needed to suceed when we leave university."
Representatives from university administrations meanwhile asked about the freedom of association and student representatives who received financial contributions, including from politicians.
Guests were also given the opportunity to share their views and experiences with Auku while at university themselves.
A former Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) student representative who had attended the university in the 1980s said they had not felt constrained as the act had influence even over the community outside of the campus.
"As long as you don't touch the ceiling, you are free to move," he said.
Independent speaker Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, who was also a student representative at UKM, said students during the Auku era had been clever in organising activities, to the point that their influence exceeded the act.
Universiti Utara Malaysia lecturer Azizuddin Sani meanwhile said that the image of Auku as an iron-fisted act was only the perception of students.
He said the act had been amended seven times already, giving students more freedom to move and participate in politics.
"What else do they want?" he said.
Sivamurugan Pandian of USM meanwhile said the dilemma of students was that they wanted freedom of space, access, infrastructure and money.
"The question is, is Auku bigger than the university board or the other way around?" he said.


Thousands of Australians defy virus rules to mark ‘Invasion Day’

Thousands of Australians defied coronavirus rules on Tuesday to protest the country’s national day, held on the anniversary of British colonisation of the vast continent that its indigenous population marks as “Invasion Day”.Officially recognised as Australia Day, Jan 26 also sees annual rallies drawing attention to the injustices faced by indigenous people and calling on the government to change the date of the national holiday.The celebration of the origins of the modern nation is a time of mourning for indigenous Australians, who have inhabited the land for 65,000 years and view the arrival of British settlers in 1788 as the beginning of two centuries of pain and suffering.Thousands of people gathered at a central Sydney park in defiance of police threats of fines and arrests for breaching a 500-person limit on public gatherings, though organisers called off a march through the city that usually follows.Police said five people were arrested, including one who was charged with assaulting a police officer, but praised the crowds as largely peaceful.Authorities earlier refused to waive the cap on numbers, despite no new cases being detected in Australia’s biggest city for more than a week.Chants of “Sovereignty was never ceded” and “No justice, no peace” rang out while others held up placards with slogans including “Not a Date to Celebrate” and “Black Lives Matter”.“For us it represents cultural genocide. Our families being ripped apart. Years and years of disease and famine. And the intergenerational impacts of that are still being felt today,” Gomeroi man Dylan Booth told AFP.Australia last year failed to meet most key targets on closing the health and well-being gap between aboriginal Australians and the rest of the population, with soaring incarceration rates among Indigenous people and a life expectancy about eight years lower than the national average.‘Stolen land’Thousands also attended protests in other major cities across the country, with rally organisers encouraging attendees to wear face masks and maintain physical distance where possible.In Australia’s second-biggest city of Melbourne, where an estimated 10,000 turned out to march through the streets, attendees walked in 100-person groups to comply with coronavirus rules.Some waved Aboriginal flags, while others held aloft signs including “No Pride in Genocide” and “You are on Stolen Land”.“People (are) having barbecues and shrimp on the barbie and celebrating the death and destruction of these people, the oldest continuing living culture in the world,” The Age reported indigenous Senator Lidia Thorpe as telling the crowd.Police in Melbourne detained one counter-protester, a man wearing an Australian flag as a cape and a shirt supporting the violent US far-right group Proud Boys, according to an AFP photographer.The push to change the date – or even abolish the celebration entirely – remains divisive.On social media, supportive hashtags #InvasionDay2021 and #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe were trending but a poll of more than 1,000 people conducted for Fairfax newspapers showed 48% opposed the change while just 28% supported it.The debate around Australia Day – which was only formally established as a national holiday in 1994 – has grown increasingly heated debate in recent years.The occasion is staunchly defended by right-wing commentators and retains strong support from the country’s conservative government.Official celebrations this year were muted amid the pandemic, with many towns and cities cancelling or scaling down events due to coronavirus restrictions.Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who earlier in the week chided Cricket Australia for dropping the name from promotions for its Jan 26 matches, said history “changed forever” when the First Fleet arrived in 1788 and there was “no escaping or cancelling this fact”.“For better and worse, it was the moment where the journey to our modern Australia began,” he told an official ceremony in Canberra.“And it is this continuing Australian journey that we recognise today.”