Why DBKL’s liquor ban should be revoked

As the president of the Chiefs Circle, made up of retired armed forces chiefs, and former chairman of the Malaysian Armed Forces Trading Corporation (Pernama) running retail stores nationwide at military camps catering to personnel, veterans and their families, I strongly support Mohamed Arshad Raji of Patriot in opposing the ban on the sale of liquor from October next year by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) at sundry shops, grocery stores, convenience stores and Chinese medicine shops.While it is not my business to promote alcohol consumption, we must respect the rights of non-Muslims as we live in a multi-religious country where, for many generations, there have been no problems with the sale of liquor at these outlets.The Malaysian armed forces are also multiracial and consist of both Muslims and non-Muslims. The open purchase and drinking of liquor for non-Muslim officers and soldiers from the Pernama stores has never been a problem. In fact, it allows the senior officers to monitor the purchase and drinking behaviour of non-Muslim armed forces personnel under their watch.There have been no local studies and no evidence whatsoever to suggest that the sale of liquor at such outlets is linked to the problem of drink driving or even health. There are far more harmful things such as cigarettes being sold at these outlets and there must be no double standards involved in coming out with such a policy to curb the sale of liquor.Furthermore, the last thing that our economy needs in this or the post-pandemic period is further curbs on legitimate business activities.What is even more alarming is that Deputy Minister in charge of religious affairs Ahmad Marzuk Shaary has stated that the ban may be extended to other states.I would like to remind ministerial newbies not to be blindly overzealous in enforcing their religious beliefs on Malaysians of other faiths.That in itself is against the fundamental tenets of Islam which commands Muslims in authority to protect the rights and liberties of non-Muslims under their care.I would like to call upon the authorities concerned to rescind this liquor ban. Otherwise, it may undermine the spirit of our Rukun Negara, national unity and the cultural harmony and diversity that we have enjoyed between Muslims and non-Muslims.Hashim Mohd Ali is the former chief of the Defence Forces.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


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Madrid under new local lockdown, Paris on the edge as 2nd wave sweeps Europe

Countries across Europe are re-imposing local lockdowns and insisting on new restrictions to fight the second wave of infections sweeping the continent.Many of these local lockdowns are being vigorously opposed by the affected cities.Madrid city authorities tried to stop the country’s federal government imposing fresh lockdown restrictions by taking them to court.The courts rejected their pleas and the federal government has now put the city back in lockdown, with people unable to leave or enter the area.Madrid’s justice minister has now said the lockdown will cost the city’s economy €8 billion (RM40 billion).Spain is trying to control the most serious second wave of Covid-19 infections in Europe, with 10,000 new cases being registered every day.Over the past two weeks around 700 people out of every 100,000 in Madrid have been infected. By comparison, in the hard-hit UK the infection rate is roughly 100 per 100,000, according to the BBC.Madrid may be the worst hit but other cities are not far behind.The French government is saying the pandemic is getting worse in Paris, and so the capital is now in danger of having to go back into lockdown.French Health Minister Olivier Véran said that if the deteriorating situation is confirmed over the weekend, “we will not have any choice but to place Paris and its closest suburbs in maximum alert category as soon as Monday”.


China, EU expected to ink markets and investment deal

The EU and China are close to reaching a long-awaited business investment deal, according to media reports.The agreement, expected to be finalised this week, will give EU firms better access to the Chinese market and improve competition conditions.Talks on the investment deal began in 2014 but have been stalled for years over a number of issues.However, rising trade tensions between Beijing and Washington may have helped change the Chinese position, making them more amenable to a deal with the EU, the BBC reports.The deal comes hot on the heels of the UK’s post-Brexit trade agreement with the EU, announced on Dec 24.The agreement would open up China’s manufacturing sector to EU companies, as well as construction, advertising, air transport and telecoms.One of the biggest sticking points was China’s demands for access to the EU’s energy market given European sensitivities over security. The deal is expected to give Beijing access to a small part of the European renewable energy sector on a reciprocal basis.The pact is also designed to remove barriers to investment in China such as joint-venture requirements and caps on foreign ownership in certain industries.Once the expected deal is reached, it will need to be ratified by the European parliament, a process that may not begin until the second half of 2021.On Monday, the European Commission reported progress in the talks with Beijing but analysts say many significant stumbling blocks remain.One bone of contention is the core issue of workers’ rights in China.This is contentious due to reports that China uses Uighur Muslims detained in large numbers in Xinjiang province as forced labour. Beijing denies these claims.Under the agreement, China is being asked to pledge to subscribe to the International Labour Organisation’s rules on forced labour.An EU-China agreement is expected to cause friction with the incoming administration of US president-elect Joe Biden.Earlier this month the EU published a transatlantic strategy in which it urged the US to work with it to meet the “strategic challenge” posed by China.China and the US have been locked in a trade war since 2018 and the Trump administration has targeted a number of Chinese tech companies as threats to national security.EU-China relations themselves have been strained this year, over China’s imposition of a new security law in Hong Kong and accusations it spread disinformation about the coronavirus.


Sharing stock accounts against the law, says securities commission

The Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) today said that Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki had gone against the law in sharing central depositories accounts (CDS), a day after the anti-graft body’s advisory board cleared him of any conflict of interest in the purchase of shares from certain companies in 2015.In a statement to MalaysiaNow, the SC said under Section 25 of the Securities Industry (Central Depositories) Act 1991 or Sicda, every securities account opened with a central depository must be in the name of the beneficial owner of the deposited securities or the name of an authorised nominee.“The SC will be in touch with the parties involved, including Azam Baki, for an explanation and to verify the statements made, as well as to gather any relevant evidence,” it said.Yesterday, the Anti-Corruption Advisory Board said the board members were satisfied with Azam’s explanation on the matter, and that no further investigation would be conducted.Azam himself said he would take legal action against those who had levelled accusations at him over the ownership of shares in certain companies.He also said the shares in question had been transferred to the account of his brother, Nasir Baki.“Regarding the claim that I control many companies, it is a lie spread to destroy my reputation,” he said at a press conference.“I strongly deny it, and once I have obtain advice from a lawyer, I will take legal action against those who tarnished my reputation.”


I'm sorry too, says Amanah's Khalid after Umno anger over Najib pardon remarks

Amanah's Khalid Samad says he too has apologised to Umno following anger from the Malay party over his call against granting a royal pardon to jailed former leader Najib Razak.
"I agree and accept Salahuddin Ayub's statement because I did not intend to offend or hurt Umno. I have also apologised," Khalid said in a short message to MalaysiaNow.
He however added that his apology was for having a different stand.
"It's more important to move on and focus on the coming state elections," he said.
Amanah deputy president Salahuddin had earlier issued a public apology to Umno over Khalid's remarks.
"Sometimes we get carried away and there is no shame in apologising if we have hurt, and we hope this issue can be resolved. Myself, the Umno president, and just now as I visited the Umno deputy president, also said the same thing," Salahuddin was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini.
Khalid had defended his criticism of Umno's move to campaign for Najib's freedom by petitioning for a pardon from the Agong, saying it was not his personal opinion but a party stand.
This was later disputed by party chief Mohamad Sabu, who said the statement by the former Shah Alam MP, who is the party's communications director, was his personal view.
Khalid said among others that a pardon for Najib would send a negative message to the people, the country's justice system and the entire world about Malaysia's attitude towards corruption and abuse of power.
His remarks drew a strong reaction from Umno leaders, including Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi who lashed out at Amanah, labelling it as an untrustworthy friend in the current government.
It also prompted Kelantan Umno, set to become allies with Amanah in their bid to capture the PAS-held state at the coming polls, to demand a public apology from Khalid.


Agong undergoing treatment for leg pain

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is undergoing treatment for leg pain at a hospital in Kuala Lumpur, with all programmes scheduled for today and the days to come postponed to a later date, the palace says.In a statement, it said the king was generally in good health, and that his situation was not of concern.Sultan Abdullah is also scheduled to return to Istana Negara once his treatment is complete.“We ask the people to pray for His Majesty’s speedy recovery and long health,” it added.


Iran tightens Covid curbs as cases, deaths surge

Iran on Saturday announced new curbs to combat the spread of Covid-19 as deaths and infections surge and as the country tries to speed up its vaccination campaign.The Islamic republic is struggling to the contain what officials have called a “fifth wave” of the virus driven by the highly infectious Delta variant.Hit by the Middle East’s deadliest outbreak, Iran has officially recorded more than 97,000 deaths and over 4.38 million infections, with numbers breaking daily records several times this month.Health authorities acknowledge that the official figures underestimate the country’s real toll.Iran’s national coronavirus task force announced Saturday that government offices, banks and non-essential businesses must close their doors countrywide from Monday until the end of next Saturday.A ban on car travel between provinces will be in force from noon on Sunday until Aug 27, task force spokesman Alireza Raisi told Irna state news agency.The new measures coincide with two Shiite religious commemorations set for next week, though authorities said the restrictions would not impact ceremonies held in the open air.Iran has avoided imposing a full lockdown on its 83-million-strong population, instead resorting to piecemeal measures such as temporary travel bans and business closures.Authorities have recently tried to speed up the country’s inoculation campaign amid criticism that it began too late and as Iran’s exhausted health system struggles to cope with rising case numbers.‘Unfavourable’ situationA few thousand Iranians lined up on Saturday at a vaccination centre at Tehran’s sprawling Iran Mall, AFP journalists said.“The vaccination pace is accelerating every day, thank God,” said Bahare Karimi, a health ministry representative at the vaccination centre, adding that health workers were “very tired now”.She told AFP that the centre was currently distributing Sinopharm vaccines, but that the type of jab being administered might differ from day to day.More than 14.7 million people have received a first vaccine dose, but only 3.8 million have received the required second jab, the health ministry said Saturday.As well as China’s Sinopharm, Iran is also administering Russia’s Sputnik V, India’s Bharat Biotech and the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccines, according to the health ministry.Authorities have approved the emergency use of two locally made vaccines, but the only mass-produced one, COVIran Barekat, is in short supply.Pharmacy worker Hamed Rahmati complained as he waited in line for his jab.“They didn’t (import vaccines) when they were supposed to and now it’s too late,” he said.President Ebrahim Raisi said that Iran needed an addition 60 million vaccine doses to “control the unfavourable coronavirus situation”, according to the government’s website.Raisi told a Covid-19 task force meeting on Saturday that 30 million doses would be imported and made available “in a short time”, without elaborating.Choked by US sanctions that have made it difficult to transfer money abroad, Iran has said that it has struggled to import vaccines.In January, supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei banned the use of jabs made by the US and Britain, calling them “completely untrustworthy”.


DAP critic Ridhuan Tee axed from RTM's Islamic forum

A Muslim preacher known for his criticism of DAP politicians has been barred from appearing on a popular Islamic talk show by public broadcaster RTM, in a move set to raise questions on the new government's commitment to free speech.
Ridhuan Tee Abdullah said an invitation to appear as a guest panellist on Forum Perdana Ehwal Islam tomorrow was revoked "on the instruction of the minister".
"I think this is an immature move. Those who fight for freedom of speech suddenly are the ones who take action to block people from speaking," he told online news channel TV Pertiwi.
It also quoted Ridhuan as saying that the move to bar him from a forum that had featured him for so long showed that the new government "was afraid of its own shadow".
"Listen first to what we have to say. We have barely started talking, but we're already gagged. Strangely, these are the same people who used to fight for freedom of speech and all kinds of other freedoms," he said.
Ridhuan is known for his staunch criticism of DAP and has in the past used the "ultra kiasu" label on the party's leaders.
The latest development is bound to increase criticism against Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil, who has come under the spotlight since he was appointed to the portfolio which also has jurisdiction over RTM and other government communication agencies.
Fahmi has drawn fire for a series of statements threatening the critics of the coalition government headed by Anwar Ibrahim.
Less than a week after he began his duties, he began questioning social media platforms for hosting "provocative" and "extremist" content, raising questions from critics who said that the new minister was confused about the real scope of his job.


Singapore dad pleads guilty to sexually abusing daughter from age 3, raping her from 9

A man has pleaded guilty in the Singapore High Court to multiple counts of sexually assaulting and raping his young daughter for a period of up to eight years.On Friday, he was charged with three counts of rape of a minor, and a further 19 charges will be considered at sentencing, including another four charges of rape and three charges of sexual assault by penetration.At the time, the 44-year-old permanent resident from Europe was employed in Singapore as a product manager. He cannot be named in order to protect his victims’ identities.The court heard that the man and his wife, who has since divorced him, moved to Singapore in 2010 and took up residence in a rented condominium with their young daughter.When his wife was not at home, he began abusing his daughter at the end of 2011 when she was just three years old.He claimed she had seen people drowning on television and had grown afraid of showering alone, so to comfort her he started showering with her and became aroused. This was when he began to sexually abuse her.The court was told that while the girl’s mother was at work, her father showed her pornography, including videos purporting to show a father and daughter having sex.When he forced himself on her, she said no but he told her just to try it for a few minutes and the assaults continued, turning into rape by the time she was nine.She never told anyone what was happening to her as she did not want her parents to divorce over the matter.When the girl’s best friend, a nine-year-old foreigner who lived in the same condominium, came to play, her father kissed her friend on the lips and told her to keep it a secret. Once, he molested both girls at the same time. Eventually, the friend stopped coming to play.The abuse was finally discovered when her friend was vacationing with her family in their home country. While there, before taking her first communion, her friend had to confess her sins to a priest.When the family returned to Singapore, her parents took her to lodge a police report.On July 1, 2019, police officers went to the man’s condo. His daughter, who was alone at the time, admitted that her father had repeatedly abused her sexually. Later that evening, her father was arrested.He was examined by the Institute of Mental Health and diagnosed with a paedophilic disorder.In court, the father admitted to raping his daughter between 10 and 20 times. He also admitted he had forced her to perform oral sex on him more often than he raped her.Deputy public prosecutor Yvonne Poon told the court that the father had fallen utterly short in his duty as his daughter’s guardian and protector. She is seeking a prison sentence of 30 years and 24 strokes of the cane.“She tolerated years of abuse despite knowing what the accused did to her was wrong and disliking it,” she said. “She obeyed him each time and she continues to write him letters now, to tell him that she loves and misses him.”Defence counsel Amarjit Singh Sidhu told the court that the father “concedes that what he did was wrong”.He is seeking a prison sentence of 24 to 26 years.Sentence will be passed by High Court judge Mavis Chionh on April 19.


South Korea recovers part of rocket used in North's failed satellite launch

South Korea has recovered from the sea part of a rocket used in North Korea's failed attempt to launch its first military satellite last month, the Joint Chiefs of Staff said on Friday.
The debris was salvaged on Thursday evening, the military said, adding that they continued to search for additional objects from what the North claimed was a space launch vehicle.
On May 31, North Korea tried to launch its first spy satellite, but the flight ended in failure with the booster and payload plunging into the sea.
South Korea found debris off its west coast soon after the launch, and began a salvage operation in the hopes of studying the new rocket.
Photographs released by the South Korean military showed a large cylindrical object marked "Chonma," meaning a winged horse in Korean. North Korea had said the rocket was named "Chollima-1."
"The salvaged object will be thoroughly analysed by expert organisations, including the Agency for Defense Development," the military said in a statement.
South Korea's Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup had said the debris appeared to be the second stage of the rocket, and that the military would continue searching for the payload and the third stage.
Chinese warships had also conducted salvage operations in waters where the North Korean rocket crashed, South Korea said on Monday. It was not immediately clear whether the Chinese military was continuing its search.
Seoul and Washington have condemned the launch as a provocation and violation of UN Security Council resolutions banning the North's use of ballistic missile technology.
Pyongyang said it was exercising its right to space development to counter what it described as US "aggression" and vowed to stage another launch soon.
On Friday, a US submarine arrived in South Korea in a show of force, a day after North Korea fired two short-range missiles off its east coast, warning of an "inevitable" response to military drills staged by South Korean and US troops.


20 wounded, at least 2 dead in US shooting

Two people were killed and at least 20 injured Sunday when three shooters fired indiscriminately into a crowd outside a concert in Miami, Florida, local police said.Gunfire erupted during the early hours outside a billiards hall in a row of businesses near Miami Gardens, northwest of the coastal city’s downtown.People crowded the venue, which was “hosting a scheduled event and several patrons were standing outside”, the Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement.When a Nissan Pathfinder SUV approached the scene, it added, “three subjects exited the vehicle and began shooting indiscriminately into the crowd”.The trio then got back in the car and fled the scene.When authorities arrived, they found two people dead, according to the statement. At least 20 people were hospitalised, with at least one in critical condition.In a tweet, the department’s director, Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III, condemned the “targeted and cowardly act of gun violence”.“These are cold-blooded murderers that shot indiscriminately into a crowd, and we will seek justice,” he said.Police were seeking help from the community to identify and arrest the shooters.43,000 gun-related deathsFlorida remains marked by the 2016 shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, in which a gunman killed 49 people and wounded at least 68 others.Gun-related homicides have surged across the United States over the past year.On Wednesday, a public transit worker shot dead nine people at a California rail yard before turning his gun on himself as police arrived.A search this week of the shooter’s home – which was set ablaze shortly before the attack – turned up 12 guns, some 22,000 rounds of ammunition and suspected Molotov cocktails.The coronavirus pandemic provided a pause in this deadly workplace violence, but the reopening of many companies has brought a return of shootings.Mass shootings have occurred in recent months at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, an office building in California, a grocery store in Colorado and at several spas in Atlanta.The US has a long and painful history of deadly gun violence, with a steady daily toll of shootings as well as high-profile mass killings that have targeted schools, workplaces and shopping centres.President Joe Biden last month branded US gun violence an “epidemic” and an “international embarrassment”.There were more than 43,000 gun-related deaths in the United States last year, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.In 2017, 458 people died in workplace shootings, according to the latest official statistics, but only 77 of these fatalities were committed by workers. The others were done by burglars, relatives of employees or disgruntled customers.


Civil servant wages to be reviewed when country's coffers improve, says PM

The salaries and wages of civil servants will be discussed again when the country’s coffers improve and the nation’s fiscal deficit can be reduced, says Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
He said although he was personally dissatisfied with the salary and wages of public servants when compared to their duties and commitments, the rate of increment needed to be assessed based on the country’s financial capabilities.
"If our coffers improve and the deficit reduces, then we can (increase salaries and wages).
"When I look at civil servants doing good work in the states, and the revenue increases, the process (of raising salary and wages) can be expedited.
"Just that for today, I think it’s difficult. We will discuss it first," he said at a press conference after delivering the mandate to state and federal civil servants in Kota Kinabalu yesterday.
Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Armizan Mohd Ali.
Speaking at the ceremony to deliver the mandate, Anwar said the country was facing a fiscal deficit of 5.6% and a total debt of about RM1.5 trillion, which needed to be given priority in order to ensure the country’s prosperity, especially from an economic point of view.
"These few months, when our return of two billion, three billion, eight billion (ringgit) entered the country’s coffers, not even one sen leaked. If it leaks you all know the things I will do.
"If the country’s coffers are sufficient, civil servants can trust me that I will give priority to your fate… because your service and dedication deserve better salaries and wages," he said.
Anwar urged civil servants to practise integrity and good governance to ensure that the country can be managed well and its finances revived.
"All of you do your work well because there is so much more that we have not resolved, for example the issue of poverty, the Pan Borneo Highway... we will solve it for our people immediately," he said.
Asked about the call to return Labuan to Sabah at the press conference, Anwar said what was important now was for the federal government to work together with the Sabah government to revive the territory as a strong financial centre.
"It is not an issue (returning Labuan back to Sabah). The main issue is, we see some sluggish development in Labuan so we must take measures to try and revive Labuan," he said.
Asked about the proposal to build a bridge between Sabah and Labuan, Anwar said it must be looked into from an economic point of view.
For now, he said, the federal government's stand was "to spend on what we are able to".
On Jan 26, Labuan MP Suhaili Abd Rahman claimed that the federal government was not serious about developing Labuan and that the call for the territory to be returned to Sabah was not out of place considering that the island’s economy had weakened greatly since becoming a federal territory about 38 years ago.


Klang Valley hit by floods after heavy rain

Continuous heavy rain around the Klang Valley since last night has affected several districts in Selangor, including Sepang, Hulu Langat, Petaling and Klang.
According to the Selangor Civil Defence Force disaster management committee secretariat, seven temporary evacuation centres (PPS) have been opened since early this morning, to accommodate more than 800 people from 200 families.
These PPS are at the Gemilang community hall, Taman Gemilang in Sepang; SK Ulu Semenyih; the Pekan Bangi Lama community hall in Hulu Langat; Dewan Camelia in Putra Height and Putra Height Mosque in Petaling; and the Kampung Johan Setia Mosque and Kampung Jalan Kebun MPKK hall, Batu 7 in Klang.
Meanwhile, the PPS at SMK Jeram in Kuala Selangor, and Dewan Bagan Nakhoda Omar and Dewan Simpang 5 in Sabak Bernam, have remained in operation since Nov 11.
Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis meanwhile said a landslide occurred early this morning in Taman Sri Jelok, Kajang, involving a two-storey terrace house.
Four victims, aged 19 to 26, were safely evacuated.
Meanwhile, a Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue station spokesman said the situation around the capital was still under control despite heavy rain early this morning, but that monitoring, especially in hotspot areas, continued.
In Melaka, the number of evacuees remains unchanged, at 37 people from 12 families as of 8am, involving residents from Kampung Bukit Tambun, Kampung Bukit Balai, Kampung Pulau, Kampung Belimbing and Kampung Panchor.
The Melaka disaster management committee secretariat said in a statement that the evacuees had been housed at the PPS at the Durian Tunggal state constituency development and coordination committee office.
In Johor, three districts are still affected by flash floods: Tangkak, Kluang and Segamat. The number of evacuees dropped slightly to 325 people as of 8am, compared with 327 reported last night.
The district disaster management committee, in a statement, said that the evacuees, from 80 families, were still being housed at five PPS.
"A total of 39 people are placed in the Kampung Batu Badak hall and 14 people are still accommodated at the Tasek community hall, Segamat, while 32 people are being housed at the Kampung Ithnin Maarof hall in Kluang.
"Currently SK Simpang 5 Darat and Sekolah Agama Simpang 5 Darat in Tangkak are accommodating 132 and 108 evacuees respectively," it said.
It said that the water level in Sungai Lenik (Ladang Cha'ah), Segamat, was at the danger level, with a reading of 6.09m.
In Penang, state APM assistant director (operations) Kamal Jakarinah said the PPS at the Desa Puri hall was closed yesterday afternoon.
In Perak, a total of 540 people from 153 families were still at seven PPS as of 9am, a drop from 579 people from 159 families reported three hours earlier.
The evacuees are being housed at seven PPS, including a PPS at the Kampung Kuak Luar community hall in Hulu Perak which was opened at 11.30pm last night.
The number of evacuees, especially from Kampung Kuak Luar, Kampung Kuak Tengah, Kampung Ayer Panas and Kampung Raja Kayu, recorded a drop to 79 people from 19 families compared to 118 people from 25 families.
In Kelantan, 1,483 people from 509 families were still housed at seven PPS this morning, a decrease from the 1,677 people from 557 families reported yesterday.
According to the Disaster Info portal of the Social Welfare Department, all of the evacuees are currently placed at the PPS in the Pasir Mas district.


Welcome for Chinese DCM may not mean swing in support for SUPP, says Sarawak analyst

While Chinese support for DAP appears to have shifted during the recent Sarawak election, it remains to be seen whether votes will swing towards the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and its umbrella coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak at the next general election, an analyst says.James Chin, an observer of politics in the state, said the Chinese in Sarawak were happy with the appointment of SUPP president Dr Sim Kui Hian as one of three deputy chief ministers in the new state Cabinet.While the appointment may be seen as merely symbolic, he said, the Chinese were hopeful that Sim would be able to help rejuvenate the economy in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.He also spoke of hopes that Sim would bring improvements in other areas as well.“The Chinese in Sibu, particularly, would expect him to address the long-standing flood issue,” he said to MalaysiaNow.But Chin, of Australia’s University of Tasmania, also said that a close examination of the voting patterns in the election would show that the Chinese had not returned to SUPP despite their apparent rejection of DAP.“Voter turnout was less than 50%,” he said.Acknowledging that the Chinese were “very disappointed” with DAP, he said it would nevertheless take time for them to shift their support to SUPP which they had criticised as politically weak since the 2006 state polls.“The Chinese in Sarawak know that without an opposition in the state legislative assembly, SUPP will be complacent and arrogant,” he said.“That is why they were supportive of DAP, as a form of checks and balances. But at the same time, they are also still disappointed with DAP. So they would rather not go out to vote. No voter turnout means no votes for DAP.”Sim is one of a handful of Chinese to serve as deputy chief minister in the Sarawak government. Others include James Wong Kim Min who served from 1963 to 1966, Stephen Yong (1970-1974), Sim Kheng Hong (1974-1991), Wong Soon Kai (1991-1996) and Dr George Chan (1996-2011).Sim’s appointment as a deputy chief minister followed SUPP’s victory in 13 seats during the Sarawak state election on Dec 18, nearly double the number of seats won at the previous polls five years earlier.SUPP retained seven seats – Batu Kawah, Batu Kitang, Simanggang, Repok, Meradong, Piasau and Senadin – and regained six others – Opar, Kota Sentosa, Bukit Assek, Pelawan, Tanjong Batu and Pujut.DAP, on the other hand, won only two of the 22 seats it contested in the state polls, with Sarawak chief Chong Chieng Jen admitting the loss of support due to the party’s failure to meet voters’ expectations.Many Chinese-majority areas had recorded low voter turnouts of between 30% and 40%. In Padungan and Pending, the only seats won by DAP, voter turnout was 44% and 43% respectively.Richard Wee, a prominent figure in Sarawak’s Chinese community, said the Chinese were happy with Sim’s appointment as deputy chief minister.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the winds of change were coming for SUPP amid the political tussles at the federal level.He, too, said Sarawak DAP’s failure to fulfil its promises had caused a shift in support, dealing the party a heavy blow at the recent election.Chin said it was too early to tell if the low Chinese turnout would continue at the next general election, adding nevertheless that it would take time for DAP to regain the confidence of voters in the community.Judging by the current voting trend, he said, DAP might end up with only one or two urban Chinese-majority parliamentary seats if a general election is called this year.“The Chinese are still very disappointed with DAP,” he said. “Much depends on when GE15 is called. If it is called this year, the Chinese voters will not return to DAP.”


A better Malaysia still a far-off dream

From the days of the Reformasi movement, it has been my dream and my family's that one day, Pakatan Harapan (PH) under Anwar Ibrahim's leadership will be the government of the day.
Our dreams came true in 2018 but were quickly shattered following the Sheraton Move.
One would have thought that following the move, PH leaders would have learnt their lesson and been more careful and tactful this time around, having been given a second chance.
However, nothing much has changed, and they seem to be once again digging their own graves.
In just a short period after coming into power, their human resources minister is already embroiled in a mess, and if you ask us, the voters, he should be replaced.
Then we have the likes of other ministers who to us voters, are non-performers and to this day are clueless about what is going on.
These include our health and education ministers - two important portfolios which are sadly terribly underperforming or not performing at all.
Also, it is disheartening to see Anwar going back on his promises, especially in regard to vote-buying.
He had hit out hard at others for their alleged vote-buying and pledged that he would never do it to gain favour.
However, everyone knows just how crucial the upcoming six state elections are and that they could well spell the downfall of PH.
With this in mind, Anwar is going in with guns blazing and doing exactly what he said he would not do.
Take for instance, the promises he made to voters in Kedah, Penang and Negeri Sembilan recently with regard to the Penang LRT project and the budget for the other two states.
Is this not vote-buying? Something he said he would stay away from?
Voters like my family and I had lots of hope and were looking forward to a cleaner, better Malaysia, but sadly, this remains a dream.
For us normal citizens of Malaysia, the unity government has done nothing to alleviate our sufferings, and we continue to dream of a better tomorrow.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


3 killed, 11 wounded in latest US mass shooting

Three people were killed and 11 others wounded late Saturday in the US city of Philadelphia after multiple shooters opened fire into a crowd on a busy street, police said.The nighttime barrage marked the latest mass shooting to jolt the US, a country in the grips of a gun violence epidemic that shows no signs of abating even as lawmakers scramble for ways to reduce the carnage that has already claimed several thousand American lives this year.Philadelphia police inspector DF Pace told reporters that two men and a woman were killed, adding that officers responding to the incident “observed several active shooters shooting into the crowd.”“You can imagine there were hundreds of individuals enjoying South Street, as they do every single weekend, when this shooting broke out,” Pace said.Numerous officers patrolling the popular nightlife area were already on the scene when the first shots were heard, a police deployment that Pace described as “standard” for the area on summer weekend nights.A responding officer fired at one of the shooters, who dropped his gun and fled, though it was unclear whether the man was hit, Pace said.Local media reported that no arrests had been made, and that as of Sunday morning the streets where the chaos erupted remained closed.Pace said two semi-automatic handguns, one with an extended magazine, were recovered at the scene.He added that police would have to wait until morning to review surveillance footage from nearby businesses that were closed on Saturday night.Pace described the investigation as “fluid,” saying there were still “a lot of unanswered questions.”The US has been rocked by a series of high-profile mass shootings in recent weeks, including at a school in Uvalde, Texas, a church in California, a grocery store in New York and a hospital in Oklahoma.The incidents have collectively left dozens dead.Bystander Joe Smith, 23, told The Philadelphia Inquirer that his mind had flashed to the recent incidents when he heard the first shots ring out on Saturday.“Once it started, I didn’t think it was going to stop,” he told the outlet.“There was guttural screaming,” he added. “I just heard screams.”Another witness, Eric Walsh, described to the Inquirer scenes of people fleeing the shooting “coming off the street with blood splatters on white sneakers and skinned knees and skinned elbows.”The Inquirer reported that another person was fatally shot just blocks from the scene about two hours later, but police said that the two incidents were not believed to be linked.During warmer months, gun violence tends to spike in the US, where there were an estimated 393 million guns in circulation in 2020, more than the number of people.US President Joe Biden last week forcefully called for new gun control legislation in response to the recent violence, lamenting the “everyday places that have become killing fields, battlefields here in America.”Over the last two decades, “more school-age children have died from guns than on-duty police officers and active duty military combined. Think about that,” Biden said.A bipartisan group of US senators met on Thursday to discuss a package of firearms controls, but Republicans have historically resisted tougher gun laws.Gun violence in the US has killed 18,564 so far in 2022, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which tracks shootings nationwide.Nearly 10,300 of those have been suicides, it reported.Since the Uvalde massacre on May 24 at least 26 new mass shootings have taken place, according to the archive.


Malays and Muslims will support Umno, says Zahid

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has expressed confidence in the party's chances at the coming state polls, saying it has a strong team to fight off rivals.
Zahid also played down talks that 10 Umno leaders would be joining other parties in the polls, saying it would not weaken the support of voters for the party.
"That situation has happened several times (leaders leaving the party), (but) God willing, Umno will remain Umno. The people, especially Malays and Muslims, will continue to support Umno," he was quoted as saying by Bernama at the World Trade Centre where Umno is holding its general assembly today.
He said Umno and its allies in the government will employ the "retain and regain" strategy in the polls, where they will not only fight to defend their incumbent seats but will also work hard to regain the constituencies lost previously.
"We will carry out the retain and regain plan with our other political partners and when the state legislative assemblies are dissolved by the end of this month, we will intensify our groundworks," he added.


Ahead of polls, villagers at Tambun Malay enclave fret over education

Behind the alleys of the houses in the Manjoi enclave on the outskirts of Ipoh in Perak stand a number of schools known as sekolah pondok where religious classes are held.
Built over the past few years, they are an established feature and were enthusiastically welcomed by those from outside the state, especially the middle-aged group and senior citizens who wished to attend such classes in a peaceful environment away from the hubbub of city life.
But for the locals themselves, joining these religious classes is a distant dream.
"Let me be frank," one of them, Abdul Hamid, told MalaysiaNow.
"These schools are not for the B40 group. Here in the village, we can't afford to pay such expensive fees. So they're not popular among the locals."
Instead, the villagers organise their own religious classes which are given free of charge or for a voluntary fee.
There are about six mosques throughout the enclave as a whole.
But despite their inability to attend the religious classes at the pondok centres, the locals acknowledge the tremendous help these schools have been to their socio-economic situation.
Even the real estate market has benefited from the influx of visitors who come flocking from various parts of the state.
Education for the youth
According to Hamid, the villagers place a high premium on education and the academic development of their youth.
He said most families are from a middle-class background but have many children, meaning that chances of providing all of them with high-quality education are limited.
Domestic problems such as divorce and family conflict also lead to a number of youth falling into crime and drug-related activity.
"The problem is a lack of education," Hamid said. "This is why we want to focus on education issues.
"When people are educated, their attitudes and behaviour are different."
There are perhaps four schools, both primary and secondary, in the Manjoi enclave.
For now, the villagers are doing what they can to launch tuition classes for mathematics and English.
Through the programme, which they hope to begin next month, several teachers will be paid to teach these subjects several times a month.
Hamid said the community leaders believed that these two subjects were important in raising the standard of education and, in turn, improving the lives of the generations to come.
"Education is important," he said. "The students shouldn't have to worry about money. They do have financial problems, but we should be the ones worrying about that."
His hope as political parties gear up for the election campaign period is that the villagers will benefit in terms of funds and moral support for their initiative.
"Whoever wins, we hope they will channel some funds for our project," he said.
"We don't want to see anymore children from broken families being sent to the orphanage, or falling into crime and drugs.
"Education is their only chance to change their lives for the better."


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Google says ready to shut off search engine in Australia if forced to pay for news

Google says it will disable its search function in Australia if parliament passes a law to force it and Facebook to pay news providers for their journalism.The proposed law follows a 12-month review into Google and Facebook by the Australian competition watchdog, echoing a push by many global governments to rein in the power of digital monopolies.Australia is on course to pass the law that would make the Big Tech giants negotiate payments with local publishers and broadcasters for content.Under the law, if the parties involved can’t strike a deal, a government-appointed arbitrator will decide the price.The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Google Australia managing director Mel Silva told a Senate hearing on Friday that the proposed “news media bargaining code” remains “unworkable”, and the company is ready to exit the Australian market if necessary.“If this version of the code were to become law, it would give us no real choice but to stop making Google Search available in Australia,” Silva told the inquiry.She described her ultimatum as a “worst case scenario”, adding: “It’s not a threat. It’s a reality.”She repeated Google’s long-running argument that the code would “break” Google’s business model by forcing it to pay news outlets for links to their news content – a move the trillion-dollar company claims undermines the concept of a free and open internet.Reuters reports that the US government this week asked Australia to scrap the proposed law, which has broad political support, and suggested Australia should pursue a voluntary code instead.Google’s threat to limit its services in Australia came just hours after the internet colossus reached a content-payment deal with some French news publishers.Peter Lewis, director of the Australian Centre for Responsible Technology, said, “Google’s testimony is part of a pattern of threatening behaviour that is chilling to anyone who values our democracy.”Google’s comments drew a sharp rebuke from Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison who said the country makes its own rules for “things you can do in Australia”.He told reporters “People who want to work with that in Australia, you’re very welcome. But we don’t respond to threats.”


New cases dip below 2,000 but 11 more deaths recorded

Another 1,704 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 119,077.Selangor recorded 673 cases, of which 509 or 75.6% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Sabah (316), Johor (179), Kuala Lumpur (112) and Penang (103).Perak recorded 75 cases, Negeri Sembilan 72, Kedah 53, Kelantan 47, Pahang 21, Putrajaya 17, Labuan 16, Sarawak 10, Melaka six and Terengganu four.Nine new clusters were detected: Lintas Seraya (Kota Kinabalu and Penampang in Sabah; 16 cases), Tapak Bina Perdana Avenue (Petaling in Selangor; 202 cases), Osmo Jaya (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 46 cases), Belati (Johor Bahru, Kota Tinggi, Kulai and Pontian in Johor; 44 cases), Wawasan Gading (Batu Pahat in Johor; 13 cases), Rengit Sentral (Kota Tinggi, Kluang and Johor Bahru in Johor; 10 cases), Manik (Kuala Krai in Kelantan and Dungun in Terengganu; 22 cases), Paloh Tumpat (Tumpat in Kelantan; 15 cases) and Stutong (Kuching in Sarawak; five cases).Six others ended, leaving 232 active clusters throughout the country.Active cases stand at 21,365 with 124 in the ICU and 51 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 2,726 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 97,218.However, 11 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 494.


Ambush kills Italian ambassador to Congo

Italy’s ambassador to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was killed on Monday along with his bodyguard and a UN World Food Programme driver when their convoy was ambushed in the east of the country.The attackers stopped the UN convoy and were leading captured passengers away into the forest when a patrol of park rangers opened fire, the governor of North Kivu province, Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, told Reuters.The ambassador, Luca Attanasio, 43, was hit in the stomach. Photos shared on social media showed him lying bleeding in the arms of a man in a park authority jeep. He died several hours later in the UN hospital in the regional capital Goma.“The circumstances of this brutal attack are still unclear, and no effort will be spared to shed light on what happened,” Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said in a statement.There was no immediate claim of responsibility. Congo’s interior ministry blamed a Hutu militia called the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), one of dozens of armed groups operating in and around Virunga National Park, which lies along Congo’s borders with Rwanda and Uganda.The FDLR kidnapped two British tourists in the same area in May 2018, leading the park to close to tourists for nine months.“I promise the Italian government that my country’s government will do everything to discover who is behind this awful murder,” Congo’s foreign minister Marie Ntumba Nzeza said.The UN World Food Programme (WFP) said the delegation was on its way to visit a school feeding programme and the road had been okayed for travel without a security escort.Attanasio had been ambassador to Congo’s capital Kinshasa since 2019. He was married and had three young daughters.The driver, Milambo, leaves behind four children. Jean-Mobert Senga, a Congolese rights activist said. “He joins thousands of Congolese who have lost their lives in this region, and whose tragedies rarely make the headlines and comments from politicians in Kinshasa.”According to the BBC, the attack may have been aimed at kidnapping the ambassador for ransom.


Daily caseload tops 2,400 as another 4 deaths logged

Another 2,425 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,547,051.There were 1,550 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,484,284.There are now 27,026 active cases, of which 25,972 or 96.1% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, four (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,020 (3.8%) have been hospitalised.A total of 30 are in ICU with 16 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 59.9%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 6.9%.Another four deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,741.


Google Doodle honours Malaysian doctor who created precursor to N95 mask

Google Doodle today featured the late Chinese-Malaysian epidemiologist Dr Wu Lien-teh, who created the surgical face covering widely considered to be the precursor to the N95 mask.Google Doodle paid tribute to Wu on what would have been his 142nd birthday.It said Wu became the vice-director for China’s Imperial Army Medical College in 1908, following his doctoral studies.“When an unknown epidemic afflicted north-western China in 1910, the Chinese government appointed Wu to investigate the disease which he identified as the highly contagious pneumonic plague that spread from human to human through respiratory transmission.“To combat the disease, Wu designed and produced a special surgical mask with cotton and gauze, adding several layers of cloth to filter inhalations,” it said.Wu then advised people to wear the mask and worked with government officials to establish quarantine stations and hospitals, restrict travel and apply progressive sterilisation techniques.This contributed greatly to bringing about the end of the pandemic, also known as the Manchurian plague, which was brought under control by April 1911, within four months of Wu’s appointment.Google also said that Wu, who was a Penangite, was the first student of Chinese descent to earn his MD from Cambridge University.“In 1915, Wu founded the Chinese Medical Association, the country’s largest and oldest non-governmental medical organisation. In 1935, he was the first Malaysian – and the first person of Chinese descent – nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for his work to control the pneumonic plague.“A devoted advocate and practitioner of medical advancement, Wu’s efforts not only changed public health in China but that of the entire world. Happy birthday to the man behind the mask, Wu Lien-teh!” it said.


Disney adds new racism disclaimers to older streaming titles

Disney has added extended disclaimers to classics including “Peter Pan” and “Aristocats” on its streaming platform to warn viewers that the films contain derogatory stereotypes about minorities.Disney+ subscribers will be shown a text disclaimer before watching Peter Pan don a “redskin” headdress in the 1953 cartoon fantasy, or listening to a slant-eyed and buck-toothed “East Asian” cat singing in the 1970 animated feline movie.While previous disclaimers on the streaming platform already acknowledged “outdated cultural depictions”, the new warning says certain Disney film stereotypes “were wrong then and are wrong now”.“This programme includes negative depictions and/or mistreatment of people or cultures,” reads the message, which cannot be skipped.It adds: “Rather than remove this content, we want to acknowledge its harmful impact, learn from it and spark conversation to create a more inclusive future together.”“Swiss Family Robinson” and “Dumbo” – which contains a “Jim Crow” homage to racist minstrel troops – are also among the films that will carry the new disclaimers, created after consulting with groups including the African American Film Critics Association.It is Disney’s latest measure to address bigoted tropes after growing criticism over the continued availability of some of its more controversial decades-old products.In June, the company said “Splash Mountain” rides at its theme parks will be rebranded with a film featuring the company’s first black princess.The popular attractions at Disneyland and Disney World are based on the controversial 1946 film “Song of the South” – a movie long accused of peddling racist tropes about the post-Civil War South.They will soon instead tell the story of 2009’s “The Princess and the Frog”, which starred an African-American Princess Tiana.The film “Song of the South” was entirely excluded from Disney+. The theme park attraction had been the subject of anti-racism online petitions.


New cases top 19,000 with 113 severe infections

Another 19,090 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,975,422.Another 5,712 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,835,464.Meanwhile 158 are in the ICU, including 86 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 78 are in need of respiratory assistance including 35 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 19,090 cases reported today, 113 (0.59%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 18,977 (99.41%) are in Category One and Two.A total of 4,898 (25.66%) are in Category One, 14,079 (73.75%) in Category Two, 79 (0.41%) in Category Three, 28 (0.15%) in Category Four and six (0.03%) in Category Five.


Indian troops join Russian military exercise despite US concerns

Soldiers from the Indian army have landed in Russia for a week-long military exercise, India's defence ministry said on Thursday, days after the US said it had concerns about any country exercising with Russia now.
The Indian government said that its forces have regularly participated in multilateral exercises in Russia, along with a number of other countries. Russia is the biggest supplier of military hardware to India.
An Indian Army contingent "arrived at the exercise location and over the next seven days will undertake joint manoeuvres to include joint field training exercises, combat discussions, and firepower exercises", the Indian defence ministry said in a statement.
Moscow announced in late July that it would hold the "Vostok" (East) exercise in the east of the country, despite waging a six-month-long war in Ukraine, where it has suffered heavy losses of personnel and equipment. China, Belarus, Mongolia and Tajikistan are the other participants.
The US, which has deepened its military partnership with India in recent years, has indicated its discomfort with Indian troops joining the exercise in Russia.
"The US has concerns about any country exercising with Russia while Russia wages a unprovoked, brutal war against Ukraine," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
"But, of course, every participating country will make its own decisions."
The previous Vostok drills in 2018 took place on a massive scale with nearly 300,000 troops reported to be involved, including for the first time from the Chinese army.


No additional SOPs for interstate travel, says Khairy

There will be no additional SOPs for interstate travel once it is allowed, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.However, he said the existing SOPs will still be used, with the Op Patuh operation on compliance to be continued by the authorities, although no roadblocks will be mounted at state borders to check if members of the public have performed self-tests for Covid-19.“How can we have roadblocks to check everyone who comes out, and if they are not vaccinated, we ask them to take a test? I think the people will be angrier if there is (traffic) congestion,” he said at a press conference after an official visit to Hospital Kuala Lumpur today.He said the situation was not the same as the Langkawi tourism bubble as the number of people involved there is not as large as those involved in interstate activities throughout the country.Khairy also said that his ministry had discussed with the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry about further reducing the price of Covid-19 self-test kits, with an announcement on the matter to be made later.He said a transition period would need to be factored in, to be fair to suppliers who have already purchased their stock.“We will take into account some transition time so that suppliers who have already bought (their stock at previous prices) can sell them off first.“Some (suppliers) felt that there was not enough time to clear their stock when we previously lowered the price. We are discussing the ceiling price with the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry. Let’s be fair to both consumers and suppliers,” he said.The ceiling price of Covid-19 self-test kits is currently set at RM16 for wholesale and RM19.90 for retail.On individuals who have yet to receive a vaccination appointment, Khairy said a new feature would be introduced in the MySejahtera app where the public can book a date themselves.Meanwhile, he said booster doses would not affect the status of those who are currently categorised as fully vaccinated.He said taking a booster shot is not mandatory although it is highly recommended for fully vaccinated individuals, six months after their last dose.


Umno sec-gen Ahmad Maslan slams SOPs for Melaka polls

Pontian MP Ahmad Maslan today spoke out against the SOPs for the Melaka state election next month, saying they are difficult to accept.The Umno secretary-general also said that the hyper-contagious Delta variant had been made an excuse for the implementation of these SOPs although, according to him, infections due to the strain rarely occur among vaccinated individuals.“The SOPs for Melaka are unacceptable,” he said when debating the emergency ordinances in the Dewan Rakyat.“I myself, although I am a member who supports the government, cannot accept them.”He was referring to the recent statement by Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin that no election-related activities, gatherings or social events, including the launch of election machinery, are allowed from today onwards.Khairy said the decision was made under Act 342.He also said the health ministry was upset that many political events before the campaign period began did not adhere to SOPs.Ahmad today said that the definition of election-related activities was too wide.“We want to have an election, but we aren’t allowed to hold any activities related to elections,” he added.He urged the government to reconsider the SOPs to allow several matters including small gatherings for ceramahs and house-to-house visits.Kota Raja MP Mohamad Sabu and Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP Saifuddin Nasution Ismail had earlier stated their opposition to the Melaka SOPs as well.The state polls will be held on Nov 20, with campaigning to run for 12 days from Nov 8.


Don’t use secondary schools as polling centres during SPM, education ministry says

The education ministry remains adamant that secondary schools should not be used as polling centres during the Johor state election next month.Education Minister Radzi Jidin said using secondary schools as voting centres would throw preparations for the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination into disarray.He added that the current batch of SPM candidates were the ones whose lessons were most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.Also taken into account were the tables in examination hall or rooms which had been arranged according to a complete and orderly index, he said, adding that any changes could affect the examination results.“In total, almost all of the rooms in schools are being used for the SPM examination and on the Thursday before polling day, the Mathematics examination has been scheduled. This will involve all SPM candidates nationwide, including in Johor,” he said in a video uploaded on Facebook.He said there was also the Science paper to consider which involves many students and that any changes made for the election would make rescheduled arrangements more tedious later.Radzi said this stance was also to allow the ministry to arrange new examination dates for students under quarantine.“It will be the same as last year – if students are unable to sit for the examination due to quarantine, new dates will be given and that is why the seating arrangements are very important and there should not be any changes,” he said.Radzi however said that the ministry had no issues if primary schools are used as polling centres.Radzi previously said the ministry had sent an official letter to the Election Commission, asking it not to use secondary schools as polling centres in the Johor election to allow the smooth running of the SPM examination from March 2 to 29.


The reality of Malaysia

Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s comment on the usage of chopsticks has been blown out of proportion and politicised without understanding the context behind the remark.First and foremost it was not intended to offend any Malaysian. It was a response to whether or not Malaysia should take the extreme route to assimilate similar to Indonesia. The analogy was brought up to show examples of how it’s different in Malaysia because Malaysians very much define and associate themselves with their original roots.The real issue we should take from the comment is how ready we are to assimilate as a nation working together without bringing the Malay Malaysian, Chinese Malaysian, Indian Malaysian, and other sentiments. Instead, just define ourselves with one single Malaysian narrative without having to go through the extremities that other countries have gone through.As long as we all draw barriers and have these differences, the struggle to unite races and the people will still be far from reality.We can all pretend that these issues don’t create a barrier among us, but the reality isn’t always pretty.Look around us, we still have people refusing to rent to different races, companies refusing to hire different races. This is all because we still define ourselves based on our race instead of as a Malaysian.The truth is sometimes bitter but one way or another we need to address the elephant in the room. The topic may be a taboo, but if we don’t address it, we will still be clouded in denial. The discourse should happen to ensure a better future for the nation.Ulya Aqamah Husamudin is Pejuang information chief.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Prosecution agrees to give copy of Sri Ram’s appointment letter to Rosmah’s defence team

The defence team in Rosmah Mansor’s corruption case will be provided with a copy of Gopal Sri Ram’s appointment letter as senior deputy public prosecutor after the prosecution conceded to furnish the document today.Deputy public prosecutor Ahmad Akram Gharib conceded for Rosmah’s appeal to be allowed and also for the prosecution to give the appointment letter dated July 8, 2020 to the defence with the exception of omitting certain portions irrelevant to Rosmah’s case.The three-member Court of Appeal bench led by justice Suraya Othman allowed Rosmah’s appeal for Sri Ram’s appointment letter as senior deputy public prosecutor in her trial relating to a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.She acceded to Akram’s request for a copy of the document to be given to the defence by Monday.The other judges presiding on the bench were justices Abu Bakar Jais and Ghazali Cha.Rosmah brought the matter up for appeal after the High Court dismissed her application for Sri Ram’s appointment letter on Aug 19 last year.Rosmah, 69, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, faces one count of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving RM6.5 million in bribes from Jepak Holdings Sdn Bhd’s managing director, Saidi Abang Samsudin, in connection with the solar energy project.The bribes were allegedly received through her former assistant Rizal Mansor as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the Hybrid Photovoltaic Solar System Integrated Project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel gen-sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools worth RM1.25 billion from the education ministry through direct negotiation.The offences were allegedly committed at Lygon Cafe, Sunway Putra Mall, Jalan Putra; Rosmah’s residence at Jalan Langgak Duta, Taman Duta; and at Seri Perdana, Persiaran Seri Perdana, Precinct 10, Putrajaya between January 2016 and September 2017.Earlier, Suraya had asked Akram whether there was a letter of appointment for Sri Ram, to which he said yes.After perusing the letter of appointment, Suraya said from the court’s observation, the document did not satisfy two of the three requirements that Rosmah’s lawyers had requested.She said the appointment letter was not dated on or before Nov 15, 2018, the day when Rosmah was charged in court, and was not signed by then attorney-general Tommy Thomas.Instead, she said the letter was dated July 8 last year and signed by the current attorney-general, Idrus Harun.Rosmah’s defence team, led by lawyer Jagjit Singh, earlier asked the court to see when the appointment letter was dated, who signed it and whether the letter contained the particulars pertaining to the charge against Rosmah.Outside the court, Jagjit told reporters that when Rosmah was charged, there was no such letter of appointment for Sri Ram to conduct himself as senior deputy public prosecutor.He said the conduct of Sri Ram throughout the case of the prosecution, in his view, was a nullity because he was never appointed.“Now the issue that is disturbing us is whether to apply for a retrial,” he said.


High Court rules vernacular schools are constitutional

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today ruled that the existence and establishment of vernacular schools and the use of Chinese and Tamil languages in these schools are constitutional.Judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali ruled that vernacular schools are not a public authority and that the use of a non-Malay medium of instruction for teaching in Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools is not for an official purpose.Thus, he said, they do not infringe Article 152 (1) of the Federal Constitution.He said there are currently more than 1,800 vernacular schools throughout the country, with about half a million students of different racial composition.“Such use of the language is therefore not unconstitutional and is protected under the constitution by virtue of both provisos (a) and (b) to Article 152 (1).“A true and proper interpretation of these provisos in Article 152 (1) does not prevent the establishment and maintenance of vernacular schools as national-type schools which also use the national curriculum as adopted by all schools in the national education system,” he said.He made the ruling in dismissing a lawsuit brought by the Federation of Peninsular Malay Students (GPMS), the Islamic Education Development Council (Mappim) and the Confederation of Malaysian Writers Association (Gapena) for a declaration that the existence of vernacular schools is against provisions in the Federal Constitution as Article 152(1) defines Malay as the national language.Nazlan held that there was no basis to contend that the establishment and existence of vernacular schools was inconsistent with or infringed Articles 5, 8, 10, 11 and 12 of the Federal Constitution, or violated the fundamental liberties of any person guaranteed in the said articles.“Enrolment in a vernacular school is after all a matter of choice. It is difficult to see in what fashion the establishment and existence of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools would infringe the fundamental liberties or rights of any person under the constitution,” he said.Nazlan also said the court would generally lean towards the constitutionality of a statute on the premise that Parliament understands and correctly appreciates the needs of the people.“This has also been described as judicial deference that the court should accord to the judgment of the democratically elected legislature on matters that are placed within the domain of the legislature. It is also an important facet to the doctrine of the separation of powers,” he added.He said the judgment was focused predominantly on the interpretation of Article 152 (1) and did not delve into the role of the national language in the promotion of national identity and unity, or in nation-building.He said critical questions on the standard of learning and teaching in schools, such as whether the national education system is sufficiently inclusive and whether academic progress and excellence take priority over all else, are matters best dealt with by the executive and the legislature.In the suit filed in December 2019, the three plaintiffs had named the government and 13 other defendants.Among them were Chinese educationist groups Dong Zong and Jiao Zong, Persatuan Thamizhar Malaysia, Persatuan Tamilar Thurunal (Perak) and four political parties – MIC, MCA, Gerakan and Parti Bumiputera Perkasa Malaysia.


‘Trespassing’ US Navy destroyer ‘expelled’ from South China Sea, says China

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has said it “expelled” the USS John S McCain from the South China Sea after the US destroyer “trespassed” in the disputed waters of the Spratly Islands.China claims historic rights over almost all of the islands in the South China Sea and their surrounding waters.In a statement released on Tuesday, the PLA’s Southern Theatre Command, accused the US Navy of entering the disputed waters “without Chinese government authorisation”.It then claimed that the ship “was warned and expelled from the area by China’s navy and air force”.The US Navy denies that it was expelled from the area, according to UPI, noting in a statement on Tuesday that, “US forces operate in the South China Sea on a daily basis, as they have for more than a century”.The destroyer, part of the US Seventh Fleet, was shadowed by Chinese warships as it sailed through the Spratly Islands, according to NBC.The reefs the US warship sailed past are claimed by China and contain PLA military fortifications.Reefs in the Spratly Islands are claimed not only by China, but also Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.While China has accused the US of trespassing and undermining security in the South China Sea, the Americans claim they are exercising their navigational rights in accordance with international law.It was the ninth time in 2020 the US Navy had conducted “freedom of navigation” operations near Chinese-controlled reefs.The latest maritime dispute comes just days after China’s newest aircraft carrier Shandong alarmed observers by sailing to the South China Sea via the narrow Taiwan Strait.


PM gives posts to 2 Umno MPs who backed Najib in pulling support for Muhyiddin

Two MPs from Umno who had backed former leader Najib Razak in revoking support for Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister have been given posts in the government and at a government-linked company.Pengerang MP Azalina Othman Said, who recently resigned as deputy Dewan Rakyat speaker, was appointed as special adviser to the prime minister for law and human rights.Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub meanwhile was appointed as chairman of Felcra Bhd.Jazlan announced his withdrawal of support for Muhyiddin on Jan 9. The Kelantan Umno chief also resigned from his post as chairman of the Malaysian Palm Oil Board after expressing his dissatisfaction with the Perikatan Nasional government.Machang MP Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub receives his letter of appointment as Felcra chairman from Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob. Photo: FacebookAzalina, on the other hand, resigned as one of two deputy speakers on Aug 23.She cited conflict between her party role and being a ruling MP, while calling for the post of speaker and deputy speaker to be filled by those who are impartial and who hold no political posts.Her withdrawal of support as well as Jazlan’s helped thin down Muhyiddin’s fragile majority, causing him to lose the support of the majority and resulting in his resignation as prime minister in August.


Afghan universities reopen, but women still barred

Male students trickled back to their classes Monday after Afghan universities reopened following a winter break, but women remain barred by Taliban authorities.
The university ban is one of several restrictions imposed on women since the Taliban stormed back to power in August 2021, and has sparked global outrage – including across the Muslim world.
"It's heartbreaking to see boys going to the university while we have to stay at home," said Rahela, 22, from the central province of Ghor.
"This is gender discrimination against girls because Islam allows us to pursue higher education. Nobody should stop us from learning."
The Taliban government imposed the ban after accusing women students of ignoring a strict dress code and a requirement to be accompanied by a male relative to and from campus.
Most universities had already introduced gender-segregated entrances and classrooms, as well as allowing women to be taught only by female professors or old men.
Several Taliban officials say the ban on women's education is temporary, but despite promises, they have failed to reopen secondary schools for girls, which have been shuttered now for over a year.
They have wheeled out a litany of excuses for the closure – from a lack of funds to the time needed to remodel the syllabus along Islamic lines.
The reality, according to some Taliban officials, is that the ultra-conservative clerics advising the country's supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada are deeply sceptical of modern education for women.
Since taking power the Taliban authorities have effectively squeezed women out of public life.
Women have been removed from many government jobs or are paid a fraction of their former salary to stay at home.
They are also barred from going to parks, fairs, gyms and public baths, and must cover up in public.
Rights groups have condemned the restrictions, which the United Nations called "gender-based apartheid".
The international community has made the right to education for women a sticking point in negotiations over aid and recognition of the Taliban regime.
No country has so far officially recognised the Taliban government.


Malaysia can’t risk failing women further

Conversations about women’s empowerment inevitably take centre stage on International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8. Yet, as public figures, multinational corporations and policymakers alike rush to extend words and repeat platitudes in commemoration of IWD, one question looms large: are these well-crafted corporate messages just exercises in self-promotion, tokenism and corporatisation?
For Malaysia, which trailed far behind its regional peers in the 2022 Global Gender Gap Index, ranking 103rd out of 140 countries, there is an urgent need to move beyond symbolic acts of celebration towards meaningful, impactful and sustainable support for women.
While there have indeed been recent wins for women’s empowerment, they have been hard won and long delayed. In February, the Cabinet agreed to amend the constitution to allow automatic citizenship for the children of Malaysian mothers born abroad, following prolonged battles in court.
Amendments to the Employment Act 1955 also kicked in this year, bringing into effect family-friendly policies like longer maternity and paternity leave alongside restrictions on the termination of pregnant women. Sexual harassment was also finally recognised as a crime with the passing of the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022. Allocations for women in Budget 2023 have also been relatively comprehensive, ranging from childcare assistance to grants that encourage their return to work.
But as always, more can be done. Progress over the last few decades means that Malaysian women now outnumber men at all levels of education and demonstrate higher educational attainment, but this has yet to translate into higher labour force participation rates or equal pay.
Women were also reported dropping out of the workforce because of housework and family obligations long before the pandemic disproportionately devastated their labour market outcomes. Women’s political representation also leaves much to be desired. Nearly half of the population are women but they make up only 14% of MPs.
It defies logic that the target of 30% of women in leadership positions in companies does not extend to decision-making at the federal level. Meanwhile, the previous governments had at times served to entrench gender roles rather than subvert them.
This year’s IWD is an opportunity for the new government to engage in more substantial policy commitments to further equity and introduce nuances into policymaking. The most crucial step is implementing a strategy called gender mainstreaming, which integrates a gendered perspective into all levels of policies, projects and programmes.
Gender mainstreaming is not just about women. It recognises that men and women have different concerns and experiences and aims to integrate these in every stage of the policymaking process, from design to implementation to evaluation.
This is not a new concept in Malaysia. There had been top-down acknowledgement from the previous government of the need for gender-responsive budgeting. The previous government also established gender-focal teams (GFTs) to disseminate the responsibility for gender equity across all ministries. But questions about implementation need to be raised.
With no official framework on gender mainstreaming in place, it is difficult to ascertain what kinds of views on gender equity drive the GFTs' action. There has also been little to no reporting on whether the personnel staffing GFTs have been trained to understand how gender inequity may be perpetuated by poorly designed policies, nor has there been reporting on the key success indicators GFTs aim to achieve. Ultimately, this is where the women, family and community development ministry needs to institute mechanisms on accountability.
It is also important that the ministry reports publicly on progress and adopts a comprehensive gender mainstreaming strategy framework in a national blueprint. Effective action needs to begin at the highest levels of policymaking before it can cascade down. Without a more critical approach to gender mainstreaming, policy commitments to women’s empowerment would be rendered purely symbolic.
But it is not just policymaking that needs restrategising when it comes to gender equity. Firms also have an organisational duty to support women in the workplace. The extent to which Malaysian employers understand the importance of gender equity is questionable. For example, the latest amendments to the Employment Act 1955 saw an increase in maternity leave from 68 days to 90, in line with international standards.
Survey results indicate that as a result, firms are now choosing not to hire women due to the costs incurred. Ideally, this is addressed by laws on hiring discrimination alongside sustainable financing arrangements like tripartite funding where the cost of leave is shared among employers, employees and the government.
But policy solutions aside, the results point to the failure of firms to recognise how even beyond social justice and ethical imperatives, there is a strong business case for gender equity in the workplace. Research indicates that firms benefit from instituting more gender-sensitive practices. These benefits include better financial performance, improved employee engagement and loyalty, the facilitation of more diverse opinions and, as a result, more innovative decision-making, enhanced attraction and retention of talent.
This is where government policy can hold employers accountable. For example, gender pay gap reporting, as mandated in countries like the UK for firms with more than 250 employees, has revealed consistent patterns of men earning more than women and highlighted industries where the pay gap is the largest.
Mandated gender pay gap reporting is an example of a data-driven approach towards transparency that is worth emulating in Malaysia. Providing incentives to establish family-friendly policies – like shared parental leave, flexible work and on-site childcare centres – is equally important as benefits accrue, not only to women, but all adults with caregiving responsibilities.
At the crux of it, IWD is an opportunity to engender change that is both ambitious yet specific enough to be achievable, data-driven and measurable, publicised for transparency and accountability, and regularly monitored and reported.
The pathway towards gender equity – in policymaking and at the workplace – has already been laid out across the world with a wealth of available resources that can be adapted to the Malaysian context. It is now time for Malaysia to play catch up or risk falling behind and failing its women.
Lee Min Hui is an analyst at the Institute of Strategic and International Studies (Isis) Malaysia.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


No rift in Umno, no bad blood with Zahid, says Ismail

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today dismissed alleged talk by Barisan Nasional (BN) rivals of a rift and conflict in Umno and other BN component parties as well as between him and BN chairman Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
He said the narrative played by these rivals that the BN candidate for prime minister after the 15th general election (GE15) was Zahid, the Umno president, was slander deliberately created to confuse the people and cause a rift in the coalition.
He also expressed the hope that the slander could be countered by the statements made by top BN leaders, including Zahid, MCA president Wee Ka Siong, MIC president SA Vigneswaran and Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, all of whom had dismissed talk of a change in BN poster boy for GE15.
"The perception that these rivals are trying to create is false and slanderous and is intended to cause a rift and conflict in Umno.
"The solidarity in Umno is sound and we are not influenced by the perception brought on by the rivals.
"There is no rift in the Umno leadership, and there is no problem between me and Zahid," Ismail told a press conference in Kampung Bohor Baharu, Kuala Bera.
Yesterday, Zahid had reiterated BN's stand that Ismail remained the coalition’s sole candidate for prime minister in GE15.


US woman arrested for hate crime against Indians in viral video

Police in Texas arrested a woman who they said shouted racial abuse at four Indian women in a viral video, telling them to "Go back to India," in an incident brought to the attention of federal authorities.
"This incident is a hate crime in accordance with Texas laws," police in Plano, Texas, where the incident occurred, said in a statement on Saturday.
"This incident may also be a hate crime based on federal law, and we are working closely with the FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division on this case."
In a video of the incident, which was shared on social media and got millions of views, the woman was seen shouting racist comments in a parking lot at a group of four women of Indian origin.
"Go back to India, we don't want you here," she said in the video. "I hate you f***ing Indians," the woman, who identified herself as Mexican-American in the video, added.
The arrest of the woman took place on Thursday. The video of the incident from Wednesday went viral on social media, particularly in India and the US.
Police said the woman, Esmeralda Upton, was arrested on one charge of "assault bodily injury" and one charge of "terroristic threats." She was held on a total bond amount of US$10,000.
One of the Indian women, Rani Banerjee, said she and three of her friends had just finished dinner at a restaurant when the woman confronted them in the parking lot.
"Suddenly, we heard this woman yelling at us and started coming toward us. We were shocked by the racial slurs that she used and combative attitude," Banerjee told an ABC News affiliate. Banerjee started recording the incident with her phone.
The video also appears to show Upton hitting the women.
"What was so very scary is she came very close and not only verbally assaulted us but started physically assaulting us. She started hitting me," Banerjee said.
A representative of Upton could not immediately be reached for comment.


Petronas units in Luxembourg seized again in US$15 billion dispute linked to Sulu heirs

Luxembourg court bailiffs issued fresh seizure orders for two units of state oil firm Petronas this week, following a bid by descendants of a former sultanate to enforce a US$15-billion (RM66 billion) award they had won against Malaysia, according to the heirs' lawyer and court documents seen by Reuters.
The Filipino heirs of the last sultan of Sulu are seeking to enforce a US$14.9-billion award granted to them by a French arbitration court last year, amid a long-running dispute with the government over a colonial-era land deal.
Malaysia, which did not participate in the arbitration, maintains the process is illegal. It obtained a stay on the award in France but the ruling remains enforceable overseas under a United Nations treaty on arbitration.
Petronas has said it will contest any claims made on its assets and the government has vowed to use all legal measures to prevent its assets, including state-linked companies, from being seized overseas.
The Petronas Azerbaijan (Shah Deniz) and Petronas South Caucasus units were first seized in July 2022, but the government said last month that the order had been set aside by a Luxembourg district court.
On Tuesday, Luxembourg court bailiffs issued a second seizure order on the units and related bank accounts, court documents shared by the heirs' lawyer, Paul Cohen, showed.
Cohen, of British law firm 4-5 Gray's Inn Square, told Reuters the Luxembourg district court had indeed lifted the first seizure order on a minor issue that has since been addressed, but had not made a judgment on the merits of the arbitration.
"There was a technical ruling that has now been effectively dealt with, and the freezing orders are once more in place on the Petronas assets in Luxembourg," he said via email.
The Luxembourg court could not be immediately reached for comment. Petronas and law minister Azalina Othman Said did not respond to requests for comment.
The dispute stems from a deal signed in 1878 between two European colonists and the sultan of Sulu for use of his territory in present-day Malaysia – an agreement that independent Malaysia honoured until 2013, paying the monarch's descendants a token sum annually.
The government stopped the payments after a bloody incursion by supporters of the former sultanate who wanted to reclaim land from Malaysia. The heirs say they were not involved in the incursion and sought arbitration over the suspension of payments.


Selangor MB confident of retaining two-thirds majority at state polls

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari is confident that the state government's performance and strong administration highlighted by Pakatan Harapan (PH) can help them defend the current administration in the coming state polls.
Amirudin, who is also the Selangor PH chairman, said that throughout the five years since the 14th general election (GE14), there were no big issues at the state level, thus showing the state's strong administration.
"Not impossible for us to repeat our 2018 (GE14) success by winning more than 50 seats. So far, we are very positive and confident. Insha Allah, we can retain (the administration) with a two-thirds majority," he told a special media conference in conjunction with the fifth anniversary of his administration at Bangunan Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah in Shah Alam today.
However, Amirudin said Selangor PH will not underestimate the efforts and dreams of Perikatan Nasional, which wants to wrest the state in the coming polls.
The Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah today consented to dissolve the 14th Selangor state assembly on June 23 to pave the way for the Selangor state elections to be held.
Meanwhile, Amirudin said that he and the state executive council members will form a caretaker government after the state assembly is dissolved on Friday until a new government is formed after the state polls.


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TikTok chief faces US Congress as lawmakers mull ban

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew will fight for the survival of the hugely popular video-sharing app in the US on Thursday, as he faces skeptical Washington lawmakers over the company's alleged ties to the Chinese government.
The 40-year-old Singaporean will address the powerful House Energy and Commerce Committee at 10am (1400 GMT) and endure hours of serious grilling by both Republicans and Democrats who fear that Beijing could subvert the site for spying or to promote propaganda.
Tiktok, owned by Chinese company ByteDance, is under immense pressure across Western countries, with government officials in the US, at the EU commission, as well as the UK and Canada forced to delete the app from their devices.
British broadcaster BBC on Tuesday advised its staff to remove TikTok from their phones.
TikTok's gravest threat is from the US, where the administration of President Joe Biden has set an ultimatum that the company either dump its Chinese ownership or face an outright ban.
A ban would be an unprecedented act on a media company by the US government, cutting off 150 million monthly users in the country from an application that has become a cultural powerhouse – especially for young people – and the nation's most viewed source of entertainment after Netflix.
"Let me state this unequivocally: ByteDance is not an agent of China or any other country," Chew will say, according to prepared remarks released ahead of the House committee hearing.
"TikTok has never shared, or received a request to share, US user data with the Chinese government. Nor would TikTok honor such a request if one were ever made," Chew will add in his opening statement on Thursday.
Despite his assurances, the cards in Washington seemed to be dealt against Chew, with several pieces of legislation, including one bill backed by the White House, already paving the way for a ban of the app.
"Americans deserve to know the extent to which their privacy is jeopardized and their data is manipulated by ByteDance-owned TikTok’s relationship with China," Cathy McMorris Rodgers, chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said.
"What's worse, we know Big Tech companies, like TikTok, use harmful algorithms to exploit children for profit and expose them to dangerous content online," added the Republican.
'Stop suppressing'
In the final months of his term, former president Donald Trump also attempted to ban the app, but his effort was ultimately blocked by a US judge.
During that battle, a potential sale to Microsoft or spinoff to Oracle never got off the ground due to the opposition of China.
Beijing last week urged Washington to "stop unreasonably suppressing" TikTok and said the United States has no evidence that TikTok threatens US national security.
In a TikTok post earlier this week, Chew asked US users to defend their favorite app by sharing "what you love" about the platform with elected representatives.
On Wednesday, a group of around a dozen teenagers, teachers and business owners rallied at the US Capitol to express their opposition to a potential ban.
"Are there other platforms out there? Absolutely – I'm on them. But none of them have the reach that TikTok has," aspiring soapmaking entrepreneur @countrylather2020 told her 70,000 followers in a video recorded after she arrived in Washington.
A sale, even if all parties agreed, would be very complicated.
The success of the platform is due to its powerful recommendation algorithm, and "separating the algorithm between TikTok and ByteDance is like a Siamese twins operation," analyst Dan Ives of Wedbush told AFP.
TikTok still hopes to appease the authorities.
Chew's testimony will promote the company's elaborate plan – known as Project Texas – to satisfy national security concerns in which the handling of US data will be ring-fenced into a US-run division.
He will tell the lawmakers that TikTok has already spent US$1.5 billion (about RM6.6 billion) on the project and hired 1,500 US-based staff to launch it.


'Letters' make way into news portals as tobacco lobby steps up war against Khairy's 'endgame' bill

Tobacco firms in Malaysia have embarked on an intense letter-writing campaign in the media, in an effort to thwart Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin's hard-fought bill to weed out the smoking habit, MalaysiaNow has learnt.
Using various pseudonyms, some of the letters provide a seemingly "objective" argument to counter the health ministry's "tobacco generational endgame", while others mock Khairy's battle to get the Tobacco Product and Smoking Control Bill passed in the Dewan Rakyat.
"Letter writing is the cheapest form of media warfare, but also as effective, if not more, than the costly branded content that companies normally put up in newspapers and online portals," an individual who claimed he was hired by a tobacco company to engage with local media outlets told MalaysiaNow.
Examples of the "branded content" to which he referred are paid placements of articles and written advertorials in newspapers, a growing trend with companies around the world in an age where direct brand marketing is becoming increasingly unpopular.
"But the downside of such placements is that the sponsor's name has to be mentioned at the bottom for reasons of transparency," the writer, who only wanted to be known as Ting, told MalaysiaNow.
"That is something tobacco companies are not allowed to do."
Malaysia prohibits all forms of advertisement by tobacco companies, including those in disguise such as the sponsorship of events and brand stretching, where non-tobacco products use the names of cigarette brands.
In recent days, several news portals have carried identical letters in both English and Malay, criticising Khairy's plans while being careful to avoid being seen as promoting smoking.
In one such letter published by a local news site, the writer said the bill was "cobbled together in a rushed fashion that typifies poorly thought-out Malaysian projects waiting to implode".
"There’s really no need to rush things through. If we can’t even effectively implement the ban on smoking in eateries, how can we possibly execute an even more ambitious plan to introduce a generational ban on smoking, that has not yet been done anywhere else in the world?
"At the risk of coming across as a tobacco advocate, I wish to clearly state that I am all for curbing smoking for health reasons. What I am against is a rushed job that is not properly thought out, which can blow up in our face in time to come."
Lobbying by tobacco companies also appeared to have spilled over to Parliament house, where Khairy tabled the Tobacco Product and Smoking Control Bill 2022 for a first reading yesterday.
This drew strong words from a medical expert involved in drawing up the health ministry's anti-smoking policies.
Dr Helmy Haja Mydin slammed representatives from tobacco companies whom he said were spotted at Parliament, and reminded MPs of their obligation to public health.
"What are they doing here?" asked Helmy, a respiratory specialist at a private hospital in Kuala Lumpur, who also acts as adviser to the health ministry on tobacco and smoking laws.
"This is directly impacting our democratic process, and against FCTC regulations. I call upon all MPs to declare if they have met these lobbyists," Helmy said on Twitter, referring to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, an international treaty adopted in 2013 on the right to better health standards.
MPs have been split over the bill, with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim among those questioning it.
His claim that the government was "bulldozing" the bill through drew fire from former health deputy director-general Dr Lokman Hakim, who said the PKR leader should know better on how a bill takes form as he was once in the government.
"This bill is one of the longest bills to be drafted in the health ministry before reaching this stage. I know because I was involved in re-legislating as the health deputy director-general (public health). It was accelerated after we failed to get Cabinet approval in 2016 to ban vaping, which instead just wanted it to be controlled," he said.
If passed, the bill will criminalise the consumption of any tobacco product or substitute tobacco product by those born after 2007.
It will also prohibit the possession and use of smoking devices as tobacco and smoking substances, with offenders liable to a fine of up to RM5,000.
Khairy said the bill was to protect future generations from becoming involved in smoking and addiction, and to reduce the percentage of smokers in Malaysia to less than 5% by 2040.
Government statistics from 2019 show that one in five Malaysians aged 15 and above are smokers.
It also found that 17% of those aged 13 to 15 are smokers, as are 9% of children aged 12 and below.