The man who stood his ground against AirAsia

When Nagendran bought flight tickets to Cambodia for a family trip last year, he had no idea that what was supposed to be a relaxing retreat would turn into a gruelling court journey.He and his family had planned to visit Cambodia in August. But due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions under the movement control order, they were forced to cancel their trip.They were disappointed, but given the circumstances they understood the need to close the country’s borders.What they did not understand was the airline’s handling of the situation.According to Nagendran, AirAsia Bhd failed to handle the matter professionally from the start, telling them only through an informal email that their flight had been cancelled.And instead of a refund for the nearly RM5,000 they had spent on their tickets, they were only offered ticket credit for future trips.“When you pay for a service and it is not provided, the money should be refunded in full without any excuse,” Nagendran said in a recent interview with MalaysiaNow.“I am not a creditor but a consumer who had purchased a service. Keeping the money and giving alternatives is equitable to misleading sales and not an ethical business practice.”MalaysiaNow contacted AirAsia for a response but has yet to receive any.Nagendran filed a demand at the Tribunal for Consumer Claims in July last year. After some delays due to Covid-19, the hearing was scheduled for January this year.But he was again disappointed to be told that the court could not hear his case as it did not come under its purview. Instead, he was told to seek mediation by the Malaysian Aviation Commission or Mavcom.Mavcom acts as the intermediary party between aviation companies and consumers, and one of its functions is to provide a mechanism for the protection of the latter.“Mavcom said they would take action, but it was just talk. No real action was taken to force AirAsia to make the payment,” Nagendran said, describing the body as “a tiger without fangs”.When an opportunity arose, he went to the Small Claim Court in Shah Alam in April this year. He had no legal counsel as plaintiffs at this court must represent themselves. But he was determined to continue fighting for his rights as a consumer.A hearing was set for May, but AirAsia was a no-show despite being notified through registered post.The magistrate then awarded Nagendran repayment of RM4,727.20 plus RM100 in costs. Once again, though, there was no response from AirAsia although notification was sent on June 9 and a reminder on July 30.Undaunted, Nagendran went to court once more to file for a show-cause letter. The case was set for Oct 13 but yet again, there was no representative from AirAsia.As AirAsia had by then missed court hearings twice, the magistrate issued instructions for a warrant of arrest.Speaking to the person in charge at the court, Nagendran said he would go to the airline’s headquarters himself to see if anyone responsible would undertake the remedial process.Upon his arrival, he met AirAsia’s legal officer whom he told of the situation.“I did not want anyone to get arrested just because of the company, but it was my money,” he said. “It was my right to get my money back.”Given the amount he had spent, he said, anything else was not an option.“I didn’t know about my future or if I would be taking flights in the next two to three years.”The legal officer took copies of the related documents from him, and later emailed Nagendran informing him that the payment would be made within three to seven working days.Happily for Nagendran, his money was refunded within the promised time frame.Looking back at his ordeal, he said it had taken hard work to prepare the court documents and to file them himself.But given the outcome, it was all worth it.“It was just terribly wrong,” he said. “But at the end of the day, after all this trouble, I managed to stand my ground against a local giant.”


Appeals court upholds acquittal of Mat Sabu's son

Ahmad Saiful Islam, the son of former defence minister Mohamad Sabu, remains free of the drug abuse charge made against him three years ago.
This follows a decision by a three-member Court of Appeal panel led by justice Kamaludin Md Said, rejecting the prosecution’s appeal against the High Court’s decision to acquit and discharge the 34-year-old of the charge last year.
"After weighing the submissions from both parties, the court does not agree with the prosecution’s argument that the High Court judge had erred factually and legally in allowing Saiful's appeal.
"The court is also satisfied that the High Court judge had weighed thoroughly all of the statements and this court finds no doubts in the judge’s decision to acquit and discharge Saiful.
"Therefore, the prosecution’s appeal is rejected and the High Court’s decision stays," said Kamaludin who sat with M Gunalan and Hashim Hamzah. Saiful was charged with using a THC-type drug at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur at 2.05am on Jan 5, 2019.
On Oct 27 last year, the High Court acquitted and discharged him of the drug abuse charge after allowing his appeal to quash the conviction and jail sentence imposed by the Magistrate’s Court on June 24, 2020.
Justice Collin Lawrence Sequerah in his judgment said the taking of only one bottle of urine had left open the possibility of contamination as the same sample was used both by the police for the screening test and the chemist for the confirmatory test.
He said the failure of the police to abide by the guidelines in omitting to take two bottles of urine had rendered the conviction flawed.
Prior to that, magistrate Mohamad Aizat Abdul Rahim sentenced Saiful to eight months’ jail after finding that the defence had failed to raise a reasonable doubt in the prosecution’s case.
Deputy public prosecutor K Mangai prosecuted, while Saiful was represented by lawyers Nicholas Kow, Nasar Khan and Emile Ezra Hussain.


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Opec upbeat over 2024 oil demand outlook despite slowdown

Opec will likely maintain an upbeat view on oil demand growth for next year when it publishes its first outlook later this month, predicting a slowdown from this year but still an above average increase, sources close to Opec said.
Opec's forecast for 2024 will likely be lower than the growth it expects to this year of 2.35 million barrels per day, or 2.4%, an abnormally high rate as the world moved out of the coronavirus pandemic.
Even so, it would still be well above the annual average of the past decade with the exception of the pandemic years and above predictions by the International Energy Agency which sees a major slowdown in demand growth next year to 860,000 bpd.
Opec and the IEA have repeatedly clashed in recent years with Opec criticising the IEA, which advises industrialised countries, for what it sees as irresponsible predictions and subsequent data revisions.
Oil demand growth is an indication of likely oil market strength and forms part of the backdrop for policy decisions by OPEC and its allies, known as Opec+. The group in June extended supply curbs into 2024 to support the market as concern of weakening demand pressured prices.
For 2024, three Opec sources said that while demand growth was likely to show a slowdown it would not be as severe as the IEA predicts and growth will likely be above 1 million bpd and likely below 2 million bpd.
"It can be expected that the increase in oil demand in 2024 will be much lower than 2023," one of the Opec sources said, adding that it could be between 1.5 to 1.7 million bpd.
Opec is expected to publish its first demand forecast for 2024 in its monthly report on July 13.
"It will be more bullish than the IEA," another source said of Opec's 2024 demand view.
Top officials from Opec countries at a conference this week such as Amin Nasser, chief executive of state-owned oil producer Saudi Aramco, expressed optimism over the oil demand outlook despite economic headwinds weighing on prices.
"Asia is growing. China alone between 2019 and 2023, 3 million bpd growth, India 1 million bpd growth, so there is a pickup in demand," he said.
Oil demand forecasters often have to make sizeable revisions given changes in the economic outlook and geopolitical uncertainties, which this year included China's lifting of coronavirus lockdowns and rising interest rates.
Opec originally forecast demand growth in 2023 of 2.7 million bpd in its first forecast published in July 2022, later revising it down to 2.35 million bpd.


EC denies only fully vaccinated allowed to vote in Melaka polls

The Election Commission (EC) has denied that only fully vaccinated voters will be allowed to take part in the upcoming state polls in Melaka.In a statement, the EC also said it had yet to finalise the Covid-19 SOPs for the Nov 20 election.“The SOPs will be guided by the views and advice of the National Security Council, health ministry and police from time to time,” it said.Earlier, at least two news portals had reported that the state election would only be open to voters who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19.When contacted, a source in the EC told MalaysiaNow that the reports were not true.“We cannot stop eligible voters who are not vaccinated from voting. This would be unconstitutional since the government has not mandated vaccination,” it said.


Nasa's mega-moon rocket ready for liftoff on eve of debut Artemis mission

Launch teams at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida spent a final full day of preparations ahead of Monday's planned liftoff of Nasa's giant next-generation rocket on its debut test flight, kicking off the agency's Artemis moon-to-Mars program 50 years after the end of the Apollo era.
Nasa officials said on Sunday that all systems appeared "go" for liftoff, and weather forecasts called for an 80% chance of favorable conditions at the top of Monday's two-hour launch window, starting at 8.33am EDT (1233 GMT), diminishing to 60% toward the end of that period.
If the countdown clock is halted for any reason, Nasa has set Sept 2 and Sept 5 as potential backup launch dates.
"Everything to date looks good from a vehicle perspective," said Jeff Spaulding, senior Nasa test director for the landmark mission, called Artemis I. "We are excited, the vehicle is ready, it looks great."
Although lightning rods at the launch site were struck during a storm on Saturday, Spaulding said he has not "seen anything on the ground systems that give us any concerns." Nasa said there was no damage to the spacecraft or launch facilities.
The Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is set to propel an uncrewed capsule named Orion around the moon and back on a six-week test flight designed to put both vehicles through their paces before flying astronauts in a subsequent mission targeted for 2024. The SLS-Orion combo, standing 322 feet (98 meters) tall, form the centerpiece of the US space agency's successor to the Apollo moon program of the 1960s and 1970s.
Billed as the most powerful, complex rocket in the world, the SLS represents the biggest new vertical launch system Nasa has built since the Saturn V flown for Apollo, which grew out of the US-Soviet space race of the Cold War era.
If the first two Artemis missions succeed, Nasa is aiming to land astronauts back on the moon, including the first woman to set foot on the lunar surface, as early as 2025, though many experts believe that time frame is likely to slip by a few years. The last humans to walk on the moon were the two-man descent team of Apollo 17 in 1972, following in the footsteps of 10 other astronauts during five earlier missions beginning with Apollo 11 in 1969.
The Artemis program seeks to eventually establish a long-term lunar base as a stepping stone to even more ambitious astronaut voyages to Mars, a goal that Nasa officials have said will probably take until at least the late 2030s to achieve.
SLS has been under development for more than a decade, with years of delays and cost overruns. But the Artemis program also has generated tens of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in commerce under the primary contractors Boeing Co for SLS and Lockheed Martin Corp for Orion.
One issue Nasa officials were eyeing on Sunday before the maiden flight of SLS concerned a potential - but minor - helium leak in launch pad equipment, though Spaulding told reporters during a launch-eve news conference that he did not expect any technical show-stoppers to the countdown.
"This is a test flight, remember that," Nasa chief Bill Nelson said in a Reuters interview that was interrupted by an unexpected phone call from US Vice President Kamala Harris, who will be in Florida to see the rocket launch in person.
"She's excited!" Nelson said after the call.


25 Umno MPs won’t back Zahid in toppling the govt, says Nazri

The 25 Umno MPs who signed statutory declarations (SDs) electing Hishammuddin Hussein as their spokesman will not support Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s efforts to topple the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government, party veteran Nazri Aziz says.Nazri, the Padang Rengas MP, said he and his fellow MPs were aware of the move by Zahid and several of his allies to “force” Umno MPs into signing SDs to withdraw their support for the PN administration by Aug 1.“As far as I know, I and my fellow MPs, the 25 of us will not sign,” he told MalaysiaNow.Nazri said it was because of Zahid’s move that he and the 24 others had chosen Hishammuddin to explain their position to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.“Among the 25 of us, we took note that Zahid wanted to obtain the signatures of MPs. That is why we prepared by giving Hishammuddin the mandate to speak on our behalf,” he said.MalaysiaNow understands that since Thursday, Umno has been calling its MPs in stages to acquire their pledge to leave the PN government en masse before Aug 1.More than 10 MPs who are members of the party’s highest decision-making body, the Supreme Council, have also been called to meet with Zahid and his deputy, Mohamad Hasan, as well as Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan at the Umno headquarters.The move is at odds with the decision reached at the party’s general assembly in March for Umno to remain with the PN government until the 15th general election (GE15).Umno won 54 parliamentary seats at the last general election on May 9, 2018. However, 15 of its MPs later jumped ship to Bersatu.Of the 39 remaining MPs, 25 chose Hishammuddin as their spokesman, leaving Zahid with only 14 including himself.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Nazri said he had re-established his support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the PN government until GE15.“I have retracted my announcement in January withdrawing my support for PN,” he said.“Now I support Muhyiddin and his administration until GE15, as was decided at the Umno general assembly in March.”Nazri previously told MalaysiaNow that he was tricked by Zahid into withdrawing his support for PN, adding that the move had been orchestrated by the Umno president.“He (Zahid) was the one who planned it. After that he himself did not retract his support,” he said.“He lied. Otherwise why would I want to withdraw my support for no reason? I honestly feel I was tricked.”


New law on drug offences to cut overcrowding at prisons, says home minister

The government is formulating a new law called the Drug and Substance Abuse (Treatment and Rehabilitation) Act in an effort to reduce overcrowding at prisons, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the law was being drafted and was expected to be tabled this year.
"When this law has been passed by the Dewan Rakyat, then the Dewan Negara and gazetted for implementation, cases like the self-administration of drugs will be directly sent for rehabilitation under the National Anti-Drug Agency (AADK).
"At the treatment institution under AADK, (under the new law) the offender will be placed for two years, and then for another two years at community rehabilitation centres.
"If the offender is sent to community rehabilitation centres, it will be for three years... under the existing laws, the offender may end up in jail," he added.
Saifuddin was responding to a question from Wong Chen (PH-Subang) about the government's commitment to decriminalising minor drug offences in an effort to reduce the prison population in the country.
"There are 39 prisons in the country with 74,459 remand detainees and convicts, while the actual capacity of our prisons is only around 65,000 people," he said.
He also told Parliament that the home ministry had put in place several measures to reduce overcrowding in prisons, including giving parole and implementing compulsory attendance orders and release on licence to offenders.
Through these initiatives, the government was able to save about RM17 million last year, he added.


Body of third victim recovered from SUKE construction site

The body of a Chinese worker who died at the construction site of the Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE) on Monday was recovered early this morning after two days of efforts by the fire and rescue department.Department chief Nordin Pauzi said efforts began again at 2.15am, with the body recovered half an hour later.“Recovery efforts were hampered by the unstable condition of the beam,” he said in a statement.“It was only after the contractor stabilised the beam that we had the space to extract the body.”He added that various factors had been taken into consideration as well, chief of which was the safety of the rescue team.The body which was received by the police at 4am was sent to Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz in Kuala Lumpur for post-mortem.The worker, one of three who died in the incident, was pinned between a launching gantry and a beam after a crane collapsed at the construction site near Alam Damai.A driver was also injured when the crane crashed above his car.


Agong, queen to make special visit to London

Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah and Raja Permaisuri Agong Tunku Azizah Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah will be on a special visit to London from tomorrow until Oct 16.
Comptroller of the Royal Household for Istana Negara Ahmad Fadil Shamsuddin said during the visit, their Majesties will have an audience with Britain’s King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Oct 12.
He said the audience reflected Sultan Abdullah's closeness with King Charles.
"His Majesty’s friendship with King Charles spans over four decades. They had played polo together during his teenage years in various international competitions.
"The audience is also a testimony of the close bilateral relationship between Malaysia and the UK since Malaysia's independence 65 years ago," Fadil said in a statement today.
Also on Oct 12, Sultan Abdullah and Tunku Azizah are scheduled to officiate the opening of the Battersea Power Station, Malaysia’s iconic project in London. The 16.99-hectare real estate project is a joint venture between Sime Darby Property, SP Setia Bhd, the Employees Provident Fund and Permodalan Nasional Bhd which began in 2012 with a gross development value of RM51.53 billion.
Fadil said the Agong and Raja Permaisuri are scheduled to end the special visit and depart for Malaysia on Oct 16.
In terms of bilateral relations, the UK was Malaysia's 18th largest trading partner in 2021 with total trade between the two countries recorded at RM17.17 billion, an increase of 2.9% compared to 2020.
The value of Malaysian exports to the UK last year was RM9.78 billion while the value of imports from the UK amounted to RM7.39 billion.


Altantuya made police report saying to look for Razak Baginda if anything happened to her, court hears

The Shah Alam High Court was told today that murdered Mongolian woman Altantuya Shaariibuu had lodged a police report the same day she went missing almost 16 years ago, stating that “if something were to happen to her, they should look for Razak Baginda”.Supt Tonny Anak Lunggan, 42, the investigating officer in Altantuya’s murder, said on Nov 3, 2016, DSP Gan Tack Guan contacted him by phone to inform him that a police report had been lodged by Altantuya at the Tun HS Lee police station at 1.08pm on Oct 19, 2006.“I checked on the police report through the police reporting system (PRS) and printed it out. I found it to be true that the police report was made by Altantuya and informed DSP Gan and Supt Zainol Samah about the report.“I remember one thing very clearly. Altantuya stated in the report that if something were to happen to her, to look for Razak Baginda,” he said, referring to the political analyst as he read from his witness statement today.Tonny, the 26th witness, said this at the hearing of a RM100 million suit filed by Altantuya’s father, Dr Setev Shaariibuu, and his family against former policemen Azilah Hadri and Sirul Azhar Umar, as well as Razak and the Malaysian government.To a question from counsel Sangeet Kaur Deo, representing Altantuya’s family, Tonny said inspector Zamilah Mamat had been assigned as the investigating officer to investigate the police report, but did not get the opportunity to record a statement from the late Altantuya.Tonny, who is currently working in the Bukit Aman prosecution and legal division, said it was important for an investigation to be carried out into the police report, as it was lodged by the deceased herself, and was directly related to her disappearance.“Furthermore, the report was made on the same day as her disappearance (Oct 19, 2006).“Although I am not the investigating officer for the report, I will still take the report into consideration because it is directly related to my investigation, especially with regard to Namiraa Gerelmaa’s report on the disappearance of her friend (Altantuya),” he said.According to Tonny, the contents of Namiraa’s police report stated that on Oct 19, 2006, at 7pm, while she and Altantuya were at a hotel, Altantuya had received a phone call from a man telling Altantuya that her husband had asked him to escort her to a house in Damansara Heights.“At about 8pm, Altantuya called Namiraa and stated that she had arrived at the house of her husband named ‘Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda’.“Namiraa stated that she tried to contact her friend, but failed. She lodged a police report for fear of her friend’s safety,” he said.Tonny said that based on the investigation and the contents of the police report, Gan had instructed ASP Lim Meng Seah to arrest Razak. Razak was then arrested on Nov 7, 2006.Meanwhile, Tonny said Razak had also lodged a police report on Oct 23, 2006, regarding threats by Altantuya – also known as Amina – on Oct 17, as well as a report on harassment by a man and two foreign women, made on Oct 20 the same year.Asked by Sangeet whether he knew why the police report was made seven days after Altantuya went to Razak’s house on Oct 17, Tonny said he did not know why the report by Razak was made late, and that he was not given an explanation.On June 4, 2007, Altantuya’s parents, Setev and Altantsetseg Sanjaa, and their two grandsons Mungunshagai Bayarjargal and Altanshagai Munkhtulga, filed a RM100 million suit against former policemen Azilah and Sirul, as well as Razak and the Malaysian government.Altanshagai’s name was removed from the plaintiff’s list when he passed away in 2017.In their statement of claim, the family said Altantuya’s death had caused them to suffer mental shock and psychological trauma. They also sought compensation as well as exemplary and aggravated damages.The trial before judge Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera continues tomorrow.


Kremlin yet to decide on Black Sea grain deal as UN calls for extension

Russia said on Wednesday that it has not taken a final decision on whether to extend the Black Sea grain deal, while the United Nations pledged to make every effort to prolong the pact before it expires on July 17.
"We have not yet officially announced the decision, we will announce it in a timely manner," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said of the deal, which allows for the safe export of grain from Ukraine despite the conflict now in its 17th month. Russia has consistently said it sees no grounds to renew the agreement beyond July 17 because of obstacles to its own exports of grain and fertilisers. But Peskov said there was still time for the West to address those issues.
"There is still time to fulfil that part of the agreements that concerns our country. Until now, this part has not been completed, and, accordingly, at the moment, unfortunately, there are no particular grounds for extending this deal," he said.
Under the Black Sea grain deal, Russia guaranteed the safety of grain ships heading to and from Ukrainian ports through waters it controls.
When it was signed in July 2022, the United Nations and Russia also signed a memorandum of understanding committing the UN to facilitate unimpeded access of Russian fertilisers and other products to global markets.
Speaking to reporters in Geneva, top UN trade official Rebeca Grynspan said both agreements were crucial.
"We need both to continue bringing down prices and have stable markets of food and fertilisers in the world," Grynspan said. "The UN remains committed to making every effort for the continuation of the agreements."
Grynspan said she may travel to Moscow to meet with officials before the deal expires.
To fulfil the memorandum, Russia says several conditions must be met, including the readmission of the Russian Agricultural Bank (Rosselkhozbank) to the Belgian-based international banking payment system, Swift.
The Financial Times reported on Monday that the European Union was considering a proposal for the bank to set up a subsidiary to reconnect to the global financial network, as an incentive for Moscow to extend the deal.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova rejected that idea on Tuesday, saying there was no substitute for restoring Rosselkhozbank's full access to Swift.


Top 10 Covid scams around the world

From the sophisticated to downright strange, the pandemic has set off a wave of scams around the world from bogus doses and fake vaccine passes to criminal cremations.Here are 10 of the most outrageous and nefarious frauds of the last few months:‘Vaccination is optional’Since the French government made proof of vaccination mandatory to enter cafes and other public places this month, a black market selling fake health passes for hundreds of euros has flourished.Go to the social media app Snapchat, type in “fake health pass” and hey presto. Accounts that rarely last for more than a few days openly advertise counterfeit documents.Among the ads are “Vaccination is optional thanks to our service” or, “Say no to the vaccine and get a health pass without getting vaccinated.”Forgers making fake vaccinations certificates are also thriving in Russia.Bleed the richAt least 800 people were given fake vaccines in Uganda last month in a scam involving “unscrupulous” doctors and health workers who targeted people looking to pay for immunisation, including corporate employees asked to pay between US$25 and US$120 for a fake shot.Just waterA bigger scale scam in India’s commercial capital Mumbai in June conned 2,000 people who thought they were being vaccinated.In fact they were injected with shots of a saline solution.Criminal cremationFive gang members in the Indian city of Agra donned full protective gear to cremate a man they had murdered, pretending he had died from Covid-19, in a morbid case exposed in June.“To avoid being caught… they wore PPE kit and used a body bag to pack and transport the body to the cremation ground,” police said.Uncivil servantA man posing as a civil servant with a master’s degree in genetics was nabbed in Kolkata in southern India in June for allegedly running as many as eight spurious vaccination camps.At least 250 disabled and transgender people were injected at one site and nearly 500 people in total are believed to have been given counterfeit jabs.The scam came to light after an actress and politician Mimi Chakraborty, who received a shot at one of the camps to raise awareness, became suspicious and alerted police.Mean millionairesA rich Canadian couple got their comeuppance after travelling to a remote community to receive a vaccine intended for vulnerable and elderly Indigenous people. In June they were fined C$2,300 (US$1,800), but many felt they had got off too lightly and called for a harsher sentence.Anti-vaxxer’s revengeA vaccine sceptic pharmacist at a hospital in Wisconsin was jailed for three years in June after pleading guilty to tampering with hundreds of Moderna doses in a case that affected 57 people.The pharmacist had removed vaccine vials from their refrigerator and left them outside for hours before returning them to be administered the next day.Robbing prisonersFour people were arrested in Indonesia for allegedly stealing vaccines earmarked for prisoners and selling them to the public.The suspects took more than 1,000 doses of China’s Sinovac jab and offered them to buyers in the country’s capital Jakarta and in Medan, North Sumatra, for around 250,000 rupiah (US$17) each.Dirty cotton swabsSpare a thought for passengers who passed through Medan airport where health workers had been recycling cotton swabs from Covid tests by washing and repackaging them.Police said the scheme could have affected thousands of passengers.Anti-wrinkle creamFraudsters selling fake doses of Pfizer’s vaccine for as much as $2,500 a shot had earlier been nabbed in Poland and Mexico.The bogus vials were stored in beer coolers in a Mexico clinic while in Poland the confiscated doses contained a cosmetic substance thought to be anti-wrinkle cream.


Demand from Indonesian K-Pop fans forces McDonald’s branches to shut

Several Indonesian branches of burger giant McDonald’s found themselves so overwhelmed with demand for the newly launched BTS Meal they had to close.So many people wanted the meal inspired by the Korean boyband that there were fears it could cause a new Covid hotspot.“We temporarily closed four of six McDonald’s stores here in Semarang for a couple of days,” Fajar Purwoto, the Indonesian city’s public order agency head, told reporters. “I don’t want Semarang to be in the Covid-19 red zone again.”The BTS special meal consists of 10 chicken nuggets, fries, a Coke, plus sweet chilli and Cajun sauces.The enormous and devoted fanbase of the seven-member K-Pop phenomenon that is BTS, ensured the takeout meal would be devoured with ecstasy by those lucky enough to score the fastest and most determined Gojek delivery rider.The band’s phenomenal followers helped the band’s last single Butter to break global records when it was released last month.The boys also beat superstars like pop royalty Taylor Swift to be named best-selling album of 2020.Their fans – and there are millions around the world – are exceedingly loyal, and protective. Using their brand in the wrong way can mean trouble, as one South Korean MP found out this week.Ryu Ho-jeong, the country’s youngest MP, used an image of tattooed BTS member Jungkook on Tuesday to make a point about easing restrictions on tattooing. South Korean laws mean only doctors are allowed to do tattoos.But fans were angry she had used the picture, saying she had dragged the star into politics. She apologised on Thursday, after facing widespread criticism on social media.However, when fans approve, like the partnership with McDonald’s currently being rolled out in 49 countries, it can mean massive success.According to news site Business Insider, footfall in US branches increased by 12% in the first week it was launched.So it was no surprise that when the meal launched in K-Pop-mad Indonesia on Wednesday, it was an immediate hit.Because of Covid-19, however, people could not go to the branches themselves. Instead, they used delivery services, sending riders to the outlets in droves.Photos show riders cramming into branches, with some in the capital Jakarta saying they had waited more than two hours to collect their orders.Police in Jakarta said in a statement that a total of 32 branches were temporarily closed across the city. There were also closures in other parts of the country.However, McDonald’s was quick to remind people that the meal will still be available for the next month so there is no need to rush.McDonald’s Indonesia associate director, Sutji Lantika, said that the safety of customers remained the highest priority.Indonesian Covid cases are currently on the rise, with nearly 8,000 infections reported on Wednesday – the highest since 26 February.


Boris Johnson tells lockdown party hearing: 'I did not lie'

Boris Johnson said "hand on heart" he did not lie to parliament over rule-breaking Covid-19 lockdown parties as the former British prime minister fought for his political career at a hearing with lawmakers on Wednesday.
Parliament's Committee of Privileges is investigating whether Johnson, who was ousted from Downing Street in September, intentionally or recklessly misled the House of Commons in a series of statements about the gatherings.
If the committee finds Johnson deliberately misled lawmakers, then he could be suspended. Any suspension longer than 10 days could prompt an election to remove him from his parliamentary seat and end his political career.
The former leader, who considered an audacious bid for a second stint as prime minister last year, launched a lengthy defence at the hearing, saying statements he made to parliament had been done in good faith.
"I'm here to say to you, hand on heart, that I did not lie to the House," said a defiant Johnson, who has accused the committee of bias. "When those statements were made, they were made in good faith and on the basis of what I honestly knew and believed at the time."
The so-called partygate scandal contributed to the ultimate downfall of Johnson, after months of reports that he, alongside other senior government figures, had been present at alcohol-fuelled gatherings in Downing Street during 2020 and 2021 when much of the rest of Britain was forced to stay at home.
Britain had one of the highest coronavirus death tolls in the world with more than 175,000 deaths by the time Johnson said he would step down as prime minister.
Johnson was fined by police for attending an event to celebrate his birthday in Downing Street in June 2020, making him the first prime minister found to have broken the law while in office.
The outcry and repeated allegations of lying over the over parties and allegations that a Conservative lawmaker had drunkenly groped two men eventually prompted the resignations of most of his top team of government ministers, including the current prime minister, Rishi Sunak.
Thanking staff
Harriet Harman, the chair of the committee, stressed the importance of ministers telling the truth, saying this went to the heart of the way Britain's parliamentary system functions.
At the start of the hearing, Johnson was made to swear an oath to tell the truth on a bible before giving his evidence.
He said the inquiry had not found any evidence he deliberately misled parliament and said he was banned by the committee from publishing a "large number of extracts" he relied on in his defence.
Asked about events in May and November 2020 when he was pictured talking to colleagues who were drinking, Johnson said he felt his presence was necessary to thank staff for their hard work during the pandemic.
"People who say that we were partying in lockdown simply do not know what they are talking about," he said, crossly.
Earlier on Wednesday, the committee published 110 pages of evidence, showing that some Downing Street officials said Johnson must have known that parties had taken place despite his denials.
In that evidence, the cabinet secretary Simon Case said he had never given Johnson any assurances that Covid rules had been followed in Downing Street - and that he did not know any officials who did either.
Another Downing Street aide said Johnson had the opportunity to "shut down" the parties, but he instead joined in making speeches and drinking with staff.
"I didn't think that those events were an issue. Nobody had previously raised them with me as being things that I ought to be concerned about," Johnson said. "Call me obtuse or oblivious, but they did not seem to me to be in conflict with the rules."


Daily cases dip below 11,000

Another 10,915 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,268,499.Sarawak recorded 2,121 cases, Selangor 1,386, Kelantan 1,288 and Johor 1,124.Perak recorded 862 cases, Terengganu 818, Sabah 784, Penang 768, Kedah 574, Pahang 504, Melaka 216, Negeri Sembilan 211 and Kuala Lumpur 171.Perlis recorded 58 cases, Putrajaya 26 and Labuan four.


Rebellion brews in PKR Youth as showdown between Anwar proxies continues

A rebellion against PKR Youth chief Akmal Nasir is brewing days after heads rolled in several state chapters, in what is seen as a battle for influence between two blue-eyed boys of party boss Anwar Ibrahim.In the latest development, four youth leaders from Melaka joined their colleagues from Selangor in demanding Akmal’s replacement, after he summarily dismissed state Youth chiefs and key figures in the wing’s central leadership.The sacking of the youth chiefs in Selangor and Perlis, as well as the dissolution of entire state leadership committees, have been seen as a showdown between Rafizi Ramli and Farhash Wafa Salvador, both staunch loyalists of Anwar.Rafizi, who has been out of the limelight since losing a bitter battle for the deputy president’s post with former number two Mohamed Azmin Ali, is widely seen as Akmal’s mentor.Since the exit of the faction aligned with Azmin and other leaders who are opposed to Anwar’s leadership of the party, the former MP has openly urged Anwar to purge his office of what he describes as a cartel that will betray the party president again.The statement took clear aim at Farhash, the Perak PKR chief who through his position as Anwar’s political secretary has been building his political fortunes in the party.The dismissals of those aligned with Farhash were followed by meetings attended by division leaders to choose a new leader.It is learnt that a move to replace sacked Selangor Youth chief Najwan Halimi with Chua Wei Kiat only received endorsement from three division youth leaders.A joint statement by 13 Selangor division youth chiefs yesterday rejected the move to appoint Chua.Instead, they called for an extraordinary meeting to be held to replace Akmal, saying the youth chief had lost their trust.A similar call was made today by youth leaders in Melaka who blamed Akmal for his failure to unite the party in the aftermath of the political crisis last year which saw PKR booted out of federal power.They also called for the removal of their state youth chief Prasanth Kumar, saying he was only dancing to Akmal’s tune.“We also demand that an extraordinary youth congress be held immediately to elect a new national Youth chief to ensure the stability of the youth wing and strengthen the party,” said a statement issued by four PKR Youth leaders in Melaka.A PKR source told MalaysiaNow that the youth protests in Selangor and Melaka pointed to a larger rebellion against Akmal.“It will be a showdown between the proxies of proxies, but then again that has always been how PKR operates, through the use of proxies linked all the way to the top household,” the source said in an apparent reference to Anwar’s family members who have been largely in control of PKR.


ICU bed usage for Covid-19 patients at 104%, says Noor Hisham

The usage of beds by Covid-19 patients in the ICUs of government hospitals nationwide increased from 96% on May 24 to 104% on June 6, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.He said the usage of more than 100% of ICU beds was a worrying situation as not all patients in need of critical care could be placed in the ICU.“However, the usage of beds by Covid-19 patients in general wards showed a slight decrease in the past two weeks, from 99% to 89%.“Similarly, the bed occupancy rate at the Covid-19 quarantine and low-risk treatment centres (PKRC) is at 54%,” he said in a statement.He said hospitals nationwide also faced an increase in categories four and five patients requiring oxygen and breathing assistance, especially among the vulnerable groups such as senior citizens and those with comorbidities.He said these patients need a longer time to recover due to serious health complications caused by Covid-19.Statistics from the National Crisis Preparedness and Response Centre show that the average treatment period for category four patients is between 14 and 16 days while that of category five patients is 19 to 26 days.“The spread of Covid-19 and the capacity of hospitals (especially ICUs) to handle Covid-19 cases are at critical levels and can continue to increase if we become complacent even for a day.“This situation cannot be taken lightly, especially if there are parties spreading inaccurate interpretations of the current situation,” he said.Noor Hisham said statistics also show that the total number of positive Covid-19 cases in the 22nd epidemiology week dropped by 2.6% or 1,379 cases compared to the previous week following the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) 3.0.However, during the same period, from May 30 to June 5, the number of active cases increased following a surge during the 20th and 21st epidemiology weeks.“There were 57,022 active cases at the beginning of the 21st epidemiology week and, at the start of the 22nd epidemiology week, it rose to 78,017 cases, which is an increase of 20,995 cases or 37%,” he said, adding that as of yesterday, a total of 82,797 active cases were still undergoing treatment and observation.


Daily caseload tops 32,400 as another 86 deaths reported

Another 32,467 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,528,557.Of the total number of cases recorded yesterday, 231 (0.71%) were in Category Three and above. The remaining 32,236 (99.29%) were in Category One and Two.There were 27,629 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 3,197,298.A total of 2,048 cases were admitted to hospital yesterday, with 745 (36.4%) in Category Three and above and 1,303 (63.6%) in Category One and Two.Of the 231 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 60 (25.98%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 115 (49.78%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 56 (24.24%) had received a booster jab;* 127 (54.98%) were aged 60 and above;* 74 (32.03%) had comorbidities; and* 1 (0.43%) was a pregnant woman.There are now 298,231 active cases, of which 286,097 or 95.9% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 3,457 (1.2%) are at quarantine centres while 8,322 (2.8%) have been hospitalised.A total of 355 are in ICU with 208 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 59.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 40.5%.Another 86 deaths were reported, including 28 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 33,028.The country’s infectivity rate as of March 3 was 1.01.


Cargo flights soar thanks to Covid-19

At a time when most businesses are struggling to stay afloat, cargo planes are experiencing a surge in flights thanks to an increase in online shopping as movement restrictions implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19 keep many at home.The movement control order (MCO), administered for the second time across much of the country this month, means that most people can only leave their homes for groceries and other essentials, with the majority of retail outlets prohibited from opening for business.For those stuck at home, online shopping platforms have become the go-to replacement.An air traffic officer at KLIA said cargo planes used to make about 50 flights a day. Now, they make about 70.“Meanwhile, commercial flights appear to have become more limited, and only operate for those with letters of permission for work travelling to the peninsula from Sabah and Sarawak,” he told MalaysiaNow in exchange for anonymity.The officer, who has worked in the industry for 14 years, added that the increase in cargo flights is a positive development.He said demand for cargo flights had gone up two-fold since Covid-19 hit Malaysian shores last year.“Before this, nine officers would be stationed to monitor air traffic but because of the MCO, only five are allowed to be on duty now while the other four must work from home.“But the number of cargo flights is increasing and each one needs to be monitored, even though we have had to cut down on manpower and work according to a schedule.”Last year, low-cost carrier AirAsia Group Bhd recorded a net loss of RM803.85 million for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020 against a net profit of RM96.09 million in the corresponding period the year before.Quarterly revenue meanwhile declined 15.3% year-on-year to RM2.31 billion from RM2.73 billion.On the other hand, in September last year cargo flight operator MyJet Xpress Airlines Sdn Bhd posted profits of nearly double the amount seen in the two previous years.For 2021, it is targeting a three-fold increase in profit.Last year, Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi said e-commerce activity soared 28.9% in April, during the period of the first MCO which continued until June.


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US senator arrives in Taiwan, defying angry Beijing

A US lawmaker on the Senate Commerce and Armed Services committees arrived in Taiwan on Thursday on the third visit by a US dignitary this month, defying pressure from Beijing to halt the trips.
Senator Marsha Blackburn arrived in Taiwan's capital Taipei on board a US military aircraft, live television footage from the downtown Songshan Airport showed. She was welcomed on the airport tarmac by Douglas Hsu, director general of Taiwan's foreign affairs ministry, Blackburn's office said.
"Taiwan is our strongest partner in the Indo-Pacific Region. Regular high-level visits to Taipei are long-standing US policy," Blackburn said in a statement. "I will not be bullied by Communist China into turning my back on the island."
China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory against the strong objections of the democratically elected government in Taipei, launched military drills near the island after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited in early August.
Taiwan's foreign ministry said Blackburn was due to meet President Tsai Ing-wen during her trip, which ends on Saturday, as well as top security official Wellington Koo and Foreign Minister Joseph Wu.
"The two sides will exchange views extensively on issues such as Taiwan-US security and economic and trade relations," the ministry added in a brief statement.
Taiwan's presidential office said Tsai will meet Blackburn on Friday morning.
Spokesman for China's embassy in Washington Liu Pengyu vowed that Beijing would take unspecified "resolute countermeasures" in response to what he called the US "provocations."
"The relevant visit once again proves that the US does not want to see stability across the Taiwan Strait and has spared no effort to stir up confrontation between the two sides and interfere in China's internal affairs," Liu said in a statement.
Blackburn, a Republican from Tennessee, earlier voiced support for the trip by Pelosi, a member of US President Joe Biden's Democratic Party.
Pelosi's visit infuriated China, which responded with test launches of ballistic missiles over Taipei for the first time, and by cutting some lines of dialogue with Washington.
Pelosi was followed around a week later by a group of five other US lawmakers, with China's military responding by carrying out more exercises near Taiwan.
The Biden administration has sought to keep tensions between Washington and Beijing, inflamed by the visits, from boiling over into a conflict, reiterating that such congressional trips are routine.
"Members of Congress and elected officials have gone to Taiwan for decades and will continue to do so, and this is in line with our longstanding One China policy," a White House National Security Council spokesman said in response to a question about Blackburn's visit.
The US has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan but is bound by law to provide the island with the means to defend itself.
China has never ruled out using force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Taiwan's government says the People's Republic of China has never ruled the island and so has no right to claim it, and that only its 23 million people can decide their future.


Wait and see, Hishammuddin says on decision to request delay in royal audiences

The question of whether Barisan Nasional (BN) will request that the royal audiences with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, scheduled for today, will be postponed, will be made known, says Hishammuddin Hussein.
"It’s not our habit to talk in public. Whether or not we request a postponement, you will know tomorrow," the BN treasurer-general told reporters after a BN Supreme Council meeting in Kuala Lumpur last night.
Meanwhile, MIC deputy president M Saravanan said that BN still maintained its decision not to support any coalition to form the federal government.
"We hope it (the royal audience) can be postponed… don’t know if it’s possible or not. We don’t want to form the government, but to state our stand (during the audience)," he said.
Sultan Abdullah had summoned the 30 BN MPs for an audience at Istana Negara individually from 10.30am onwards today.


Court orders Hamzah to approve Muda registration

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today ordered the home minister to approve Muda’s registration as a political party within 14 days’ time.The court also ordered the ministry to pay costs of RM10,000, Muda said in a post on its official Twitter account.High Court judge Noorin Badaruddin made the order after allowing a judicial review application by Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and 12 others against a decision by the home minister and Registrar of Societies (RoS) rejecting their appeal to register Muda as a political party.Bernama reported that members of the media were informed of the court’s decision today by lawyer Lim Wei Jiet, representing Syed Saddiq and the others.“Judge Noorin allowed the application and revoked the decision by the home minister in rejecting Muda’s registration as a political party,” said Lim.When contacted by Bernama, federal counsel Mohammad Sallehuddin Ali, representing the home minister and RoS confirmed the court’s decision.Muda applied to the RoS to be registered as a political party on Sept 17, 2020. However, the RoS, which is under the purview of the home ministry, rejected its application on Jan 6.Muda appealed to Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin on Feb 4 and filed its first judicial review to challenge the RoS decision on April 26.Hamzah however rejected the application, following which Muda filed a fresh application challenging the minister’s decision.The court granted Muda leave to file the application on Sept 21, the hearing of which was granted today.MORE TO COME


‘Caught’ in ranking game, local unis miss what matters in research

One of Malaysia’s most controversial authors and academics agrees that the importance placed by some universities on attaining good global rankings in evaluations by agencies in the West is a form of academic imperialism.Faisal Tehrani, an associate fellow at Harvard’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs who has published dozens of papers on Malay history, described such rankings as a form of colonialism.“There is no doubt about that. And none other than Profesor Syed Husein Alatas had observed this,” Faisal told MalaysiaNow, referring to the late Gerakan founder and prominent academic who had authored works challenging notions long held by Western historians, including the famous title “The Myth of the Lazy Native”.Faisal, who is also a research fellow at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of the Malay World and Civilisation, was responding to a recent report by MalaysiaNow on a finding by two professors from the Czech Republic, placing Malaysian academics at the top of a list of authors whose works were published in more than 300 “predatory journals”, or publications with questionable content and editorial standards which often accept articles for a fee.Faisal TehraniA total of 324 such journals published from across the world were found to have infiltrated Scopus, a Netherlands-based global citation database used as a benchmark by global university ranking agencies in evaluating universities worldwide.The revelation re-ignited debate on the quality of Malaysian universities, which in recent times have come under pressure from critics over their low rankings in two annual global indices published in the UK.Every year, at least two organisations publish their lists of universities from around the world, ranking them according to scores using indicators.Last year, the Times Higher Education World University Rankings listed universities in Britain, the US and other European countries in the top 20 spots among more than 1,500 universities in 93 countries.But many have begun to question if universities should benchmark themselves against such rankings.Prominent former academic Chandra Muzaffar labelled such lists as “part of a larger imperial game” to perpetuate the dominance of some universities in the West.“Portraying these universities as the acme of excellence is aimed at ensuring that the ideas, individuals and courses associated with them remain as the standard bearers of knowledge,” Chandra had told MalaysiaNow.Science and technology as indicatorsFaisal said the modern West had gotten a head start due to more than 200 years of colonial adventure in the East where its wealth and heritage had been exploited.“This includes local wisdom,” said Faisal, the author of seven books banned by the Malaysian government during the Barisan Nasional era.He also questioned if methods used by QS were more liberal and subject to commercial interests, as its list had placed Malaysian universities higher than the one published by Times Higher Education’s ranking.“So in the end, we are deceived by these games. We are caught by it and we chase after it, when what we must aim for is something else.”But Faisal admitted that the higher ranking given to Western institutions could be due to the importance placed on science and technology.He said science and technology had been the cornerstone of the Industrial Revolution from the West, and that it was understandable that they had become the main factor in gauging a university’s performance.But he said the Industrial Revolution only came about due to reforms.“The Eastern and Muslim world, or the ‘Orient’, had already gone on such a path, but we turned back due to the colonial disruption.”He said a university could only be as good as the strength of the society around it to engage in creative and critical thinking.“These are the two core aspects of the culture of research.“To attain the culture of research is not easy as society itself must be taught how to think, not to be a yes man, so that it can have the courage to be creative.“The culture of research is more difficult than the culture of manufacturing and services which we emphasise so much in our society.”


Titanic tourist sub missing for third day as search teams race clock

Rescuers searched a vast swath of the North Atlantic for a third day on Tuesday, racing against time to find a missing tourist submersible that vanished while taking wealthy passengers on a voyage to the wreck of the Titanic in deep waters off Canada's coast.
The 21-foot-long Titan was built to stay underwater for 96 hours, according to its specifications - giving the five people aboard until Thursday morning before air runs out. One pilot and four passengers were inside the miniature sub early on Sunday when it lost communication with a parent ship on the surface about an hour and 45 minutes into its two-hour dive.
As Canadian and US authorities stepped up the search, previous questions about the safety design and development of the submersible by its owner, US-based OceanGate Expeditions, came to light.
The wreck of the Titanic, a British ocean liner that struck an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage in April 1912, lies about 1,450km east of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and 644km south of St John's, Newfoundland.
US and Canadian aircraft have searched more than 7,600 square miles of open sea, an area larger than the state of Connecticut, US Coast Guard Captain Jamie Frederick told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.
The Canadian military has dropped sonar buoys to listen for any sounds that might come from the Titan, and a commercial vessel with a remote-controlled deepwater submersible was also searching near the site, Frederick said.
Separately, a French research ship carrying its own deep-sea diving robot vessel was dispatched to the search area at the request of the US Navy and was expected to arrive Wednesday night local time, the Ifremer research institute said.
Those aboard Titan for a tourist expedition that costs US$250,000 (about RM1.1 million) per person included British billionaire Hamish Harding, 58, and Pakistani-born businessman Shahzada Dawood, 48, with his 19-year-old son Suleman, who are both British citizens.
French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet, 77, and Stockton Rush, founder and CEO of OceanGate Expeditions, were also reported to be on board. Authorities have not confirmed the identity of any passenger.
Rescuers face significant obstacles both in finding the Titan and in saving the people aboard, according to experts.
If the submersible experienced a mid-dive emergency, the pilot would likely have released weights to float back to the surface, according to Alistair Greig, a marine engineering professor at University College London. But absent communication, locating a van-sized submersible in the vast Atlantic could prove challenging, he said.
The submersible is sealed with bolts from the outside, preventing the occupants from escaping without assistance even if it surfaces.
If the Titan is on the ocean floor, a rescue effort would be even more challenging due to the extreme conditions more than 2 miles beneath the surface. The Titanic lies 3,810 meters underwater, where no sunlight penetrates. Only specialised equipment can reach such depths without being crushed by the massive water pressure.
"It's really a bit like being an astronaut going into space," said Tim Matlin, a Titanic expert. "I think if it's on the seabed, there are so few submarines that are capable of going that deep. And so, therefore, I think it was going to be almost impossible to effect a sub-to-sub rescue."
Safety issues raised before
The ability of the tourist sub's hull design to withstand such depths was questioned in a 2018 lawsuit filed by OceanGate's former director of marine operations, David Lochridge, who said he was fired after he raised safety concerns about the vessel.
OceanGate said in its breach-of-contract suit against Lochridge, who is not an engineer, that he refused to accept the lead engineer's assurances and accused him of improperly sharing confidential information. The two sides settled their court case in November 2018.
The company did not respond to requests for comment from Reuters and its attorney in the Lochridge case, Thomas Gilman, declined comment. An attorney for Lochridge declined comment except to say, "We pray for everyone's safe return."
Months prior to the suit, a group of submersible industry leaders wrote to OceanGate warning that the "experimental" approach" to the sub's development could result in "minor to catastrophic" problems, the New York Times reported.
US President Joe Biden was "watching events closely," White House national security adviser John Kirby said on Tuesday. Britain's King Charles asked to be kept apprised of the search, a Buckingham Palace source said, as Dawood is a longtime supporter of the monarch's charity, the Prince's Trust International.
OceanGate said it was "mobilizing all options," and US Coast Guard Rear Admiral John Mauger told NBC News the company was helping to guide the search efforts.
"They know that site better than anybody else," Mauger said. "We're working very closely with them to prioritise our underwater search efforts and get equipment there."
Billionaire aboard
OceanGate schedules five week-long "missions" to the Titanic each summer, according to its website.
David Pogue, a CBS reporter, rode aboard the Titan last year. In a December news report, he read aloud the waiver he had to sign, which noted the submersible had "not been approved or certified by any regulatory body" and could result in death.
In an interview on Tuesday, Pogue said OceanGate has successfully ventured to the wreck around two dozen times and that the company conducts a meticulous safety check before each dive.
"They treat this thing like a space launch," he said.
Harding, a UAE-based businessman and adventurer who is chairman of Action Aviation, posted a message on Facebook on Saturday, saying: "This mission is likely to be the first and only manned mission to the Titanic in 2023."
Fellow tourist Dawood is vice chairman of Engro, one of Pakistan's largest conglomerates.
The sinking of the Titanic, which killed more than 1,500 people, has been immortalised in books and films, including the 1997 blockbuster movie "Titanic," which renewed popular interest in the wreck.


Najib fails to intervene in Altantuya killer’s bid to set aside conviction

Former prime minister Najib Razak has failed in his bid to intervene in a case involving one of the two convicted murderers of Mongolian national Altantuya Shaariibuu to set aside the guilty verdict.Former chief inspector Azilah Hadri, now on death row in Kajang prison, is trying to set aside his conviction and death sentence in order to seek a retrial.Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed in announcing the decision in the Federal Court today however said Najib’s lawyer, Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, could hold a watching brief.He added that as Najib was connected to the subject matter, the court may rely on the applicant and prosecution.Azilah, alongside ex-policeman Sirul Azhar Umar and political analyst Abdul Razak Baginda, was charged with Altantuya’s murder in 2006.Razak, a former aide to Najib, was acquitted, while Azilah and Sirul were convicted.Sirul later fled to Australia, where authorities have refused to deport him as it is not allowed under the country’s laws to send back those fleeing the death sentence.Altantuya, with whom Razak had an affair, was shot dead and her body exploded with military-grade explosives at a forest in Puncak Alam, Selangor.The case attracted speculation and conspiracy theories, with many linking it to alleged kickbacks in Malaysia’s purchase of two military submarines from France.Apart from Azahar, other judges on the bench today were Mohd Zawawi Salleh, Vernon Ong, Zaleha Yusof and Zabariah Mohd Yusoff.


Flash floods kill dozens in Indonesia and East Timor

At least 50 people died in flash flooding and landslides on the Indonesian island of Flores and in East Timor on Sunday.Rescuers are still attempting to find survivors, and officials are warning the death toll will probably rise further.The disaster management agency BNPB said torrential rain sparked widespread destruction, with flood water from overflowing dams submerging thousands of homes.“On Adonara island to the east of Flores, a bridge collapsed, and rescuers were battling heavy rain, strong wind and waves,” the spokesman said.In neighbouring East Timor, a two-year-old child was among at least three people killed in a landslide on the outskirts of the capital, Dili, a Reuters witness said.Officials said on Sunday that another 11 people were killed by flooding in Dili.“Heavy rains and overflowing water have drowned people’s homes and have also claimed the lives of several victims,” East Timor deputy prime minister José Reis said in a statement.“There are roads that have collapsed, trees have fallen, and made it difficult to access some areas,” he said, calling the incident the worst in East Timor for 40 years.Power supplies were cut and the presidential palace was flooded as heavy rain and strong winds have lashed Dili since late on Saturday.Indonesia’s weather agency said a tropical cyclone is approaching the Savu Straits between the southern part of Nusa Tenggara province and East Timor’s north coast, warning that it could bring yet more rain, strong waves, and high winds.East Flores deputy regent Agustinus Payong Boli estimated that as many as 60 people in his municipality had died. “Many people died here because the village was hit by both landslides and flash floods,” he told reporters.Injured people on the islands have been evacuated to neighbouring villages that were unaffected, and to local hospitals and other health centres.Flash floods and fatal landslides are common across the Indonesian archipelago during the monsoon season, which usually runs from November to March.


Australia may open doors to some Asian tourists soon

Asian travellers may soon be welcome back in Australia, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Tuesday.At the start of the pandemic, Canberra closed Australia’s external borders, barring entry to all foreigners and permanent residents. Australian citizens were not allowed to leave the country without special permission and only allowed to return in limited numbers in order to accommodate quarantine requirements.Now the government is looking to revive its economy, battered by Covid-19.The plan to ease travel restrictions comes as Morrison announced Australia has gone three days without any locally acquired cases of Covid-19. All recent cases have been in quarantined locals who have recently returned from overseas, Reuters reports.Morrison ruled out entry from high-risk areas like the US and Europe, but said the country may allow travellers from low-risk places such as Taiwan, Japan, Singapore and even some provinces in China.“We are looking at what alternative arrangements could be had to channel visitors through appropriate quarantine arrangements for low-risk countries,” Morrison told reporters in Canberra.Tourism in 2019 accounted for just over 3% of the country’s gross domestic product and reviving it would give a much-needed boost to Australia’s economy, which shrank 7% in the three months ending in June, the biggest drop since records began in 1959.Interstate domestic travel is limited, although those restrictions are scheduled to be removed by the end of the year.


Shahidan questions PH on freedom of speech after TikTok account blocked

Arau MP Shahidan Kassim today questioned Pakatan Harapan's (PH) stand on freedom of speech, claiming that his TikTok account had been blocked while he was speaking in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
He said his account was blocked for about 10 minutes even though he had not spoken on any sensitive topics and was in fact praising the government.
"I should not be blocked because I was speaking in Parliament," he said in the Dewan Rakyat.
"My rights have been denied, and by TikTok as well because the government had held discussions with TikTok.
"I did not mention the royal institution, religion or race. If we talk about any of these things, there is no immunity in Parliament. But in all other matters, we are free to speak.
"Why do things this way? Why target those who are speaking about the people's problems, the Employees Provident Fund, or the rising cost of living?"
Shahidan also said that the freedom of speech had been one of the issues long championed by PH.
"They referred to Article 10 (1)(a) of the constitution which states that every Malaysian has the freedom of expression.
"They fought to the end on this issue. But after they became part of the government, the first thing they did was to hold discussions with social media platforms," he said.
Deputy Communications and Digital Minister Teo Nie Ching, in her response, denied that the government had been involved in blocking Shahidan's TikTok account.


Russia launches third attack on Kyiv in 24 hours

At least one person died and four were injured as a result of Russia's third attack on Kyiv in 24 hours, official said early on Tuesday, with Ukraine's air defence forces destroying more than 20 drones.
"The attack was massive, came from different directions, in several waves," Serhiy Popko, head of Kyiv's military administration, said on the Telegram messaging channel.
In the second deadly assault on the Ukrainian capital in May and 17th since the start of the month, one person died when falling drone debris hit a high-rise apartment building, sparking fire, officials said.
Two top floors of building in the Holosiivskyi district were destroyed, with emergency services continuing to search for people under the rubble. Kyiv's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said that four people were injured and 20 evacuated.
Photos from Kyiv's officials and Reuters' witnesses showed flames bursting out from the top floors of the building and smoke rising from the roof.
Russia has launched a series of attacks on the Ukrainian capital in May using a combination of drones and missiles, mostly at night in order to inflict psychological distress on people, Kyiv's official said.
According to preliminary information, Tuesday's attacks were carried out only with Iranian-made Shahed drones, Kyiv's military administration said.
Reuters was not able to independently verify the report. It was not immediately known how many drones Russia launched. There was no immediate comment from Moscow on the attack.
"The enemy continues to attack the capital," Klitschko said in a post on the Telegram message. "This night explosions rang out in many areas of the city."
Falling debris hit several districts, he added, including the historic Podil and Pecherskyi neighbourhoods and the Sviatoshyn district, in addition to Holosiivskyi district in Kyiv's southwest.
The full extend of the damage is still being clarified, officials said.


Triumphant Taliban targeting Afghanistan’s IT infrastructure

The Afghan IT sector, one of the few success stories from the war-ravaged nation, is now threatened by a resurgent Taliban.More and more Afghans have come online – 12.8 million Afghan internet users as of 2021 – and the industry has flourished over the last 20 years.“It was one industry where the public and private sector have been able to build a partnership to provide services to Afghans, while generating revenues for the government and private companies,” Mohammad Najeeb Azizi, the former director of Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority (Atra), told Al Jazeera.However, this potential is quickly ebbing away as the conflict worsens and Taliban retake control of the nation they used to rule with an iron fist.As the Taliban made sweeping gains across the country in the last two months, Afghanistan’s IT and power infrastructure have come under sustained attack.On July 5, Taliban fighters blew up fibre optic devices and system equipment in Islam Qala, a border city with Iran. The attack has left the city without internet connectivity.Last month, Atra reported that 28 telecoms antennas had been destroyed across the country in the last three months, while another 23 were partially damaged, seriously affecting digital and mobile communication services in the country.Simultaneously, the impoverished nation’s electricity infrastructure was also taken out, making the power supply extremely erratic even in Kabul.“In the last six months, many electricity pylons that bring imported power into Afghanistan have been damaged,” Sangar Niazi, the spokesman of Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS), the country’s national power supplier, told Al Jazeera. Afghanistan imports nearly 70% of its electricity.The lack of electricity has badly hit the country’s small IT sector, particularly young professionals like 30-year-old Ali Atayee.“People in Kabul get only a few hours of electricity per day, some not even an hour, which is only enough to charge your devices and it gets cut again,” he said.As a freelance web developer, Atayee has struggled to meet deadlines.“I have barely been able to get any work done lately, and all my tasks are piling up. The other day, my laptop charger got fried due to the unstable electric currents.”Atayee said a lack of proper infrastructure is also discouraging Afghan businesses from going online and opening websites he could design and operate.“They are hesitant to bring their business online or use technology to their advantage. It impacts both the customers and the professionals in the field,” he said. “We are so behind in the use of technology compared to other countries. We should have online payment capability by now.”Many businesses in Kabul’s IT sector have bought large power generators to ensure continued supply, but the costs eat into any small profit they may make.For smaller businesses and freelancers such as Atayee, work that previously seemed abundant is no longer available or pays little.Afghanistan’s business experts warn that if the conflict continues at the current pace, the additional infrastructure costs and risks will discourage new investments.“When warring factions shut down services, it affects the revenue generation of these companies. That leads to reducing investment in its upkeep, depriving locals of these essential services,” ATRA’s former director Azizi said.It is not only private businesses affected financially by Taliban attacks on IT and electricity infrastructure. DABS spokesman Niazi told Al Jazeera the cost of repairing the power pylons has been mounting, putting pressure on the almost bare government treasury.According to Azizi, it is ordinary citizens who are most affected by infrastructure destruction.“Afghans use communication services not only to improve their lives but to remain in contact with their loved ones in such critical times,” he said. “Telecoms is a public service infrastructure and a basic need of the Afghan public.”He appealed to the fighting factions to “protect essential services which are not only used by ordinary citizens but also by the warring parties themselves”.Niazi described the Taliban attackers as the “enemies of light”, who are turning an essential infrastructure into yet another casualty of never-ending war.“It is an attempt to not only push the country into physical darkness, but also intellectual darkness.”


Woman dies from Covid-19 on commercial airline flight

A Texas woman in her 30s died of Covid-19 while on a commercial jet flight in the US, the Dallas Morning News reports.Although the death happened in July, the news has only just been released and details of the case are still sketchy. For confidentiality reasons, the woman’s identity, the airline she was travelling on and other details have not been released.A spokeswoman for Albuquerque International Airport in New Mexico said the woman was on a flight from Las Vegas to Dallas when cabin crew and passengers were alarmed by an “unresponsive female” in her seat.After being unable to resuscitate her, the flight was diverted to Albuquerque, and the woman was found to be dead when the plane landed.Staff treated the situation as a typical medical emergency and were unaware until later that the woman had Covid-19. It is unclear whether the woman knew she had the illness.“The woman’s relative youth is a reminder that there is no age restriction in Covid,” a Dallas judge involved in the case said. “I strongly encourage people to not think they’re invincible to Covid because they don’t think they’re in a high-risk category.”The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that there are now more young people than older adults contracting Covid-19, marking a shift from the start of the pandemic. A CDC report stated that between June and August 2020, Covid-19 cases were highest in adults ages 20 to 29, who made up more than 20% of confirmed cases.


87.6% of adults, 63.1% of population fully vaccinated

A total of 20,621,994 individuals or 87.6% of the adult population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as of yesterday.Meanwhile 23,833,382 people or 94.3% of adults have received at least one shot, including of the single-dose CanSino vaccine.In terms of total population, 63.1% have been fully vaccinated while 73% have received at least one dose.A total of 206,574 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, taking the cumulative number of vaccine jabs given under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 44,352,079.


Over 65,500 HFMD cases so far but only 3 admitted to ICU

Of the 65,535 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) reported as of May 28, only three have been admitted to the ICU ward so far, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said today.He said the first and second cases were admitted to the ICU due to complications of encephalitis and were confirmed to be infected with EV71, while the third case was admitted to the ICU for monitoring after abdominal surgery.“The third case was transferred to the regular ward on May 27 for further monitoring while the first and second cases are still under close monitoring in the ICU,” he said in a statement.Noor Hisham said as of the last day of the 21st epidemiological week (May 28), a total of 65,535 cases of HFMD were reported – a 27-fold increase from the 2,333 cases recorded in the same period last year.Selangor still has the highest number of cases at 18,525 (28.27%), followed by Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya with 8,088 cases (12.34%), Perak with 5,810 cases (8.87%), Kelantan 4,905 cases (7.48%), and Sabah 4,077 cases (6.22%).Noor Hisham said a total of 1,505 outbreaks were reported in Malaysia so far with three states recording the highest number, namely Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya (502 outbreaks or 33.4%), Selangor (172 outbreaks or 11.4%) and Perak (168 outbreaks or 11.2%).“The majority of the outbreaks occurred at child nurseries, kindergartens and preschools (913 outbreaks or 61%) followed by private homes (526 outbreaks or 35%) and childcare centres (51 outbreaks or 3%),” he said.Outbreaks appeared to be exacerbated during the incubation period of HFMD.Noor Hisham stressed the importance of gatekeeping screenings of children at nurseries, kindergartens and preschools as well as other early childhood education centres to detect symptoms of infectious diseases including HFMD.He said as of May 29, a total of 1,174 nurseries, kindergartens and preschools were closed, 228 of which did so voluntarily and 946 of which were shut under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988.Of the total, 715 premises (61%) reopened after inspections by the district health office found that disinfection measures and other preventive controls had been implemented by the owners, he said.


Supporters chant outside as 47 activists appear in Hong Kong court

Democracy activists in Hong Kong have staged the biggest protest against a new national security law in months.Hundreds of people gathered outside the court in which 47 fellow activists appeared on Monday to face charges of conspiracy to commit subversion.Police told the crowds that they too were in breach of the controversial national security law, reports the BBC.The law came into force after a series of mass pro-democracy protests in 2019, some of which turned violent. Beijing says it is needed to bring stability, but critics say it is designed to silence dissent.The 47 pro-democracy activists appearing in court – 39 men and eight women, aged between 23 and 64 – were among a group of 55 people arrested in dawn raids last month.They had helped run an unofficial “primary” election last June to pick opposition candidates for 2020 legislative elections, which the government then postponed. Beijing and Hong Kong officials say the primary was an attempt to overthrow the government.On Monday, police officers were deployed to control the crowds outside the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court before the hearing, as pro-democracy supporters queued for seats at the court hearing. Most of them wore black, the colour of choice by protesters.Some chanted slogans including “Liberate Hong Kong, revolution of our times” and “Fight for freedom, stand with Hong Kong”. Slogans which the government says breach the National Security Law.A few pro-Beijing supporters were also present, in a celebratory mood. One of their banners read: “Severely punish traitors and those who sell out the country: all of them will be jailed after the National Security Law.”The court adjourned early on Tuesday after a democracy activist fainted during the marathon hearing, reports Reuters.Following over 12 hours of submissions from defence lawyers on bail applications that ran far into Monday night, district councillor Clarisse Yeung fainted in the courtroom and had to be taken to hospital by ambulance.The magistrate, Victor So, adjourned proceedings to later on Tuesday, with around half the defendants’ applications yet to be heard.


Giant rubber duck no match for Hong Kong's baking heat

Two giant yellow ducks meant to signify good fortune in Hong Kong ran into bad luck of their own after one was deflated Saturday to protect it from the heat.
The art installation by Dutch artist Forentijn Hofman, featuring twin 18m inflatable ducks, was unveiled to the public on Friday.
The exhibition came a decade after one of Hofman's air-filled avians first visited the Chinese city, with the artist saying the new work would bring "double luck".
But organisers had to let the air out of one bird due to high summer temperatures, which on Saturday reached highs of 33 degrees Celsius.
The "rubber duck skin had become strained because the hot weather has caused air pressure to rise", the organisers said in a statement.
The affected creature was drained of air to "avoid risk" and was pending repair, organisers said, leaving just one sitting duck in Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour.
Hofman's Rubber Duck series has made appearances in major cities since its 2007 debut, and made headlines in Hong Kong when it arrived in 2013.
That exhibit lasted 13 days before it, too, was deflated.


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Over 9,600 SPM candidates score straight As, 55% get pass in all subjects

A total of 9,696 candidates scored excellent results (A+, A and A-) in all of their subjects for the 2021 Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination, director-general of education Nor Zamani Abdol Hamid said today.Announcing the results for 2021 in Putrajaya, she said the national average grade (GPN) for this year was 4.86.The GPN in 2020 was 4.80. In 2019, it was 4.86, and 4.89, 4.90 and 5.05 in 2018, 2017 and 2016 respectively.A lower GPN value indicates better performance.“A total of 55.29% of the candidates obtained at least a pass in all subjects,” Nor Zamani said.She added that 336,630 or 88.09% of the total 407,097 registered candidates were eligible to be awarded the SPM certificate.“To receive a certificate, candidates must pass the Bahasa Melayu and history subjects,” she said, adding that a total of 975 or 69.10% of the 1,411 candidates with special needs were eligible to be awarded the SPM certificate.When asked if she was satisfied with the results, Nor Zamani said they were generally encouraging as the candidates were the first cohort to follow the Secondary School Standard Curriculum (KSSM) in Form One in 2017.“These candidates also went through a challenging learning experience in the new norm while they were in Form Four and Form Five due to the Covid-19 pandemic.“We admit that it was not easy to prepare to sit for the examination with limited face-to-face teaching and learning sessions,” she said.In line with the implementation of KSSM, the 2021 examination offered 95 subjects, namely 27 new subjects and 68 existing subjects, with a total of 180 examination papers.SPM candidates also sat for the Bahasa Melayu and English oral tests and the practical science tests, Nor Zamani said.She said the English subject was aligned with the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in line with the aspirations of the English Language Education Reform in Malaysia: The Roadmap 2015-2025.“CEFR is an international standard used to gauge the level of language proficiency of students. It is also included in the candidates’ SPM certificates,” she said.Nor Zamani also said that the examination board would conduct a detailed study on the 2021 results as this was the first time the exam had been implemented in a new format.“We did not compare the results from 2021 with the previous year because this was the first cohort to follow the KSSM,” she said.


PN hopes for fair campaign guidelines

Perikatan Nasional (PN) today urged the Election Commission (EC) to lay out the SOPs and campaign methods allowed for the Johor state election ahead of time, to allow candidates to begin going down to the ground.“In order to guarantee strong democratic principles and practices and a clean and fair election process, the EC is responsible for preparing a platform for the contesting parties to campaign smoothly, according to clear SOPs,” it said in a statement issued by its information chief Mohamed Azmin Ali.“This would not only ensure a democratic agenda, but also dynamic and robust principles and an appreciation of democracy,” it added.PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said earlier this week that the coalition was ready to face the state election in Johor.He also said that PN would contest all 56 seats in the state legislative assembly.


Putin vows to defend Russia amid soaring tensions with West

Russian President Vladimir Putin reviewed his country’s World War II victory parade on Sunday amid spiking tensions with the West.More than 12,000 troops took part in the traditional parade, as well as about 190 pieces of large military hardware and 76 military aircraft.Putin told the troops and veterans massed in Red Square: “Russia consistently defends international law. At the same time, we will firmly defend our national interests to ensure the safety of our people.”Recent tensions between the Kremlin and the West have escalated over the conflict in Ukraine, the fate of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, and a series of spy scandals in Europe which evoked memories of the Cold War.Putin denounced what he called a creeping return of ideologies of that time, when “slogans of racial and national superiority, of anti-Semitism and Russophobia, became ever more cynical”.Washington and Moscow have expelled each other’s diplomats in recent months in a series of retaliatory moves. Moscow and EU member states have engaged in a similar tit-for-tat diplomatic dispute.This year’s Victory Day parade was the second during the Covid-19 pandemic.Russia has lifted nearly all of its measures to limit the spread of virus, though a ban on mass gatherings remains in place in most regions.TASS news agency reported on Monday that 21.5 million Russians, 15% of the population, have been vaccinated against Covid-19.“We need to actively continue getting tested and getting vaccinated,” Putin said in comments posted on the Kremlin website.Putin also revealed that he was tested for Covid-19 antibodies on Sunday and the result showed a good level of antibodies. The 68-year-old received shots of a Russian-made vaccine in March and April.The president scored several goals in a game of ice hockey on Monday, appearing in an amateur league for the first time since the pandemic began.Russia reported 8,465 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours on Monday, taking the national tally to 4,888,727.


Kedah Umno leader resigns after GE15 debacle

Othman Aziz yesterday announced his resignation as deputy chairman of the Kedah Umno liaison committee, taking moral responsibility for the defeat of Barisan Nasional (BN), especially Umno, in Kedah in the 15th general election (GE15).
Othman, who lost the race for the Jerlun parliamentary seat, also urged Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi to resign due to the poor performance of Umno and BN.
"We have tried our best, and we accept that this is an absolute rejection of the Malays towards Umno at this time, so of course, we feel we need a revamp or overhaul in terms of Umno leadership.
"So I urge Zahid as Umno president to think openly and with a big heart, and resign from his post," he told reporters in Alor Setar yesterday.
Othman said the voters, especially the Malays, had given a clear sign in GE15 that they did not like the style and manner of the Umno leaders steering the party.
In GE15, BN lost all 14 of the parliamentary seats contested in Kedah.


After Seri Pacific Move, PH leaders haunted by campaign speeches

Videos, talks, and campaigns sprinkled with fiery anti-Umno speeches have come back to haunt Pakatan Harapan (PH), with social media users poking fun at the coalition's leaders following news of negotiations between them and Barisan Nasional (BN) amid the race for support to form the next government.
On Facebook, Twitter and TikTok, users appeared generally uneasy about today's meeting between PH and BN leaders at the Seri Pacific Hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
Many also shared previous statements such as PKR deputy president Rafizi Ramli's remarks that he would be the first to oppose any alliance between PH chairman Anwar Ibrahim and his Umno counterpart Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
"Congratulations PH voters, you've gotten bandits too," user Shalfarina Shahriman said in the comment section of the coalition's Facebook account.
"Of course, they say this is in the interest of 'the country and the people'," Al Syahid Syazwan added.
A song titled "Aduh Malaysia" by rapper Altimet has also been going viral as social media users mock PH's willingness to sit at the same table as Zahid, who is facing 47 criminal charges in court.
Politician Khairy Jamaluddin, meanwhile, who lost the contest for Sungai Buloh to PH candidate R Ramanan, uploaded a video of himself campaigning in the consituency with the caption: "1 vote for KJ = 1 vote for Zahid".
Nevertheless, many PH supporters also defended the coalition's move to cooperate with BN in order to form the federal government, describing such an alliance as more ideal than cooperation between PH and Perikatan Nasional (PN), or BN and PN.
For their part, a number of PH leaders normally active on social media have been staying mum.
This morning, pictures of PH leaders including Rafizi, Mohamad Sabu, and Saifuddin Nasution together with Zahid and Ismail Sabri Yaakob were widely shared ahead of Anwar's confirmation of the meeting at a press conference later in the afternoon.
Anwar and PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin have been locked in a race for support, with both claiming to have the numbers needed to form the next government.
But there has yet to be any official confirmation of the support for either side.
A 2pm deadline given by the palace yesterday for MPs to submit statutory declarations on their choice of prime minister candidate was today extended by 24 hours until 2pm tomorrow.


PTPTN loan repayments delayed another 3 months

The government has agreed to extend the loan repayment period of the National Higher Education Fund Corporation (PTPTN) for another three months for eligible borrowers.Higher Education Minister Noraini Ahmad said the decision was made as the government was concerned and had realised that there were PTPTN borrowers who were still affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and had not been able to repay their loans.“PTPTN borrowers who are affected can submit applications through the PTPTN official portal from Jan 5 to March 31, 2021.“The loan repayment postponement period starts from the month the extension application is approved,” she said in a statement today.She added that details on the implementation of the extension of the loanThe government previously postponed the repayment of PTPTN loans from March 19, 2020 to Dec 31, 2020 for all PTPTN borrowers in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.