No cooperation with Bersatu already decided at general assembly, says Zahid

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says there is no issue of delay in deciding on the party’s cooperation with Bersatu as the matter had been determined during the last general assembly.“For Bersatu, we have made a decision. We will never work with them… period. We made our decision during the Umno general assembly.“That is our decision and we have decided not to work with Bersatu,” he told reporters after holding a meeting with Hang Tuah Jaya Umno Division in Melaka last night.Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, said earlier that the coalition would not be able to wait too long for “its friends” to decide on cooperation so as to avoid contesting against each other in the Melaka state election.Meanwhile, Zahid said he was confident that Barisan Nasional would be able to win the Melaka election given “the other side’s problems” at this time.The Election Commission has set Nov 20 for the state election, with nominations on Nov 8 and early voting to take place on Nov 16.


Nearly 200,000 vaccine jabs given in new daily record

The National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) yesterday recorded its highest daily tally of vaccines administered with 197,963 doses, fast approaching the government’s target of 200,000 doses per day.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba in a Twitter post said 142,890 individuals received their first dose of vaccine yesterday while 55,073 others received a second dose, bringing the total doses of Covid-19 vaccine administered so far to 4,688,233.A total of 1,413,039 individuals in Malaysia have been fully vaccinated, he said.The five states with the highest number of individuals who are fully vaccinated are Selangor (180,605), followed by Sarawak (159,920), Johor (135,621), Perak (135,435) and Kuala Lumpur (127,174).Adham also said 13,811,642 registrations for vaccination were recorded yesterday, with Selangor having the most at 3,510,783 followed by Johor (1,723,619), Sarawak (1,321,651) and Kuala Lumpur (1,167,136).PICK coordinating minister Khairy Jamaluddin was previously reported as saying that the government is targeting the daily administration of 200,000 doses of vaccine from July and 300,000 a day from August.


What makes a crypto asset a security in the US?

Determining whether digital tokens are securities will be central to the high-stakes case brought by US regulators alleging crypto platforms Coinbase and Binance violated the law by failing to register as a securities exchange, broker and clearing agency.
What is the SEC alleging?
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Coinbase on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court and accused the largest US cryptocurrency platform of operating illegally by evading disclosure requirements.
The SEC said Coinbase allowed users to trade at least 13 crypto assets that should have been registered as securities, including tokens such as Solana, Cardano and Polygon.
The regulator is seeking financial penalties and wants a judge to order Coinbase to follow US securities law.
While others, including the European Union, have started to craft regulation for the crypto industry, the US has led a regulatory crackdown.
The SEC has brought more than a hundred enforcement actions in the past decade, claiming various cryptocurrencies are securities.
But the Coinbase case will be the biggest test yet of the regulator's jurisdiction over the industry.
The regulator this week also sued Binance, claiming the world's largest crypto exchange engaged in "an elaborate scheme to evade US federal securities laws."
Coinbase has denied listing any securities. Binance has called the case disappointing and said it plans to defend against the claims.
Coinbase and other industry players have been adamant that most cryptocurrencies - which operate on a database shared across a network of computers, known as a blockchain - do not fit the definition of securities under US law.
They have also called for new regulation or laws, saying the SEC has been vague and inconsistent in determining whether digital assets are securities and unhelpful to market participants seeking guidance.
What is a 'security' under US law?
To argue that crypto assets are securities, the SEC has relied on a US Supreme Court case from 1946. The case dealt with investors in Florida orange groves owned by the WJ Howey Co.
The court ruled that "an investment of money in a common enterprise with profits to come solely from the efforts of others," is a kind of security called an investment contract.
The SEC had jurisdiction to seek to prevent Howey from selling to out-of-state investors fractional land interests with a contract to provide profit from the harvest, the court said.
Securities, as opposed to other assets such as commodities, are strictly regulated and require detailed disclosures to inform investors of potential risks.
What makes a crypto asset a security?
Many of the SEC's crypto-related cases have ended in settlements, with companies paying fines and agreeing to follow US law. In some cases, this has meant exiting the US market or closing a cryptocurrency project.
In the few cases that have been decided in court, judges have agreed with the SEC that specific crypto assets are securities.
Those rulings said developers' statements tying the value of their digital assets to efforts to grow or maintain the associated blockchain systems showed that investor profits depended on the "efforts of others."
Courts have also decided that investors in those assets participated in a "common enterprise" because the funds they spent were pooled by the token issuer and used to develop relevant systems.
The SEC's case against Ripple Labs over XRP, currently the world's six-largest cryptocurrency, is likely to be the next case decided.
Ripple has said there was no common enterprise, since the blockchain associated with the cryptocurrency was fully operational before XRP was ever sold.
What about bitcoin?
Bitcoin is not considered a security because its anonymous and open-source origins mean investor profits are not dependent on the efforts of developers or managers, said Carol Goforth, a law professor at the University of Arkansas.
Some blockchain projects have tried to fund their operations in two stages, by offering securities under SEC regulations and later giving or selling those investors cryptocurrency after building a functional blockchain.
Goforth said the developers hoped that approach would remove the "comment enterprise" element, but she added the SEC has never clarified what it would take to convert a security to a non-security.
How will the coinbase case unfold?
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong said on Twitter after the lawsuit was filed that the company is "proud to represent the industry in court to finally get some clarity around crypto rules."
But a ruling on the central issue could take years.
The Ripple case, which involves only one cryptocurrency, has taken two-and-a-half years to reach the point where a ruling is possible. The SEC has alleged in the Coinbase case that 13 different digital assets sold on the platform are securities.


A taste of hypocrisy as Malaysia awaits a new government

Yet again, Malaysians wait in trepidation to learn who will become the next prime minister.
And yet again, Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah is thrust into a political drama before naming a prime minister. What his brother rulers of the past had probably only done once, or never at all, he has done three times in a span of just over two years.
As in the past, Sultan Abdullah has asked political parties to submit the names of their prime minister candidates, supported by statutory declarations. A first clear deadline was given: 2pm on Nov 21, 2022.
The Agong is exercising his powers under Article 43(2) of the Federal Constitution, where he can determine which candidate commands the support of the Dewan Rakyat.
But this time, we have seen an avalanche of legal pundits and commentators, citing everything from pluralism to Westminster, accompanied by a cacophony of sermons that have laid bare their hypocrisy.
Some took it upon themselves to add a condition that Pakatan Harapan (PH) should be invited to form the government first as they have the largest shares of seats at 82 – the usual "experts" – Ambiga Sreenevasan, Tommy Thomas, Gurdial Singh Nijar and Syahredzan Johan, the latter now a PH MP with a legal background.
Granted, these individuals have a history of being pro-PH. But let us judge them for their opinions, not for who they are. Let us set aside their political allegiances.
Thomas says Anwar’s PH must get "the first bite of the cherry" and be made the prime minister. "That is what happened in the UK," he says.
Ambiga says as PH has the most seats, they have the strongest mandate of the people "of all parties" and therefore "should be invited to form the government".
And it gets better. Gurdial and Syahredzan say the party with the most seats should be asked to form the government, and then they can get others to join them to obtain a sufficient majority!
As legal practitioners, their loyalty is to the constitution.
So we wonder why this particular pack of expert commentators and sermonisers did not take the same view that the biggest winner should be invited to form the government in Perak and Pahang.
In Perak, Perikatan Nasional won 26 seats, followed by PH (24) and BN (nine). In Pahang, PN got 17, BN 16 and PH eight. But in the end, we are seeing state governments formed by BN and PH.
On this matter, there is absolute silence from these legal eagles, as opposed to the noise they are making about the current process leading up to the formation of the federal government.
But then again, perhaps they hold to what someone once famously said: consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds.


Sorry.


Ex-PM Ismail decries double standards by Umno leadership

Umno vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob has launched a scathing attack on the party leadership over what he says were double standards in the way they treated him when he was the prime minister for 16 months before last year's general election.
In comments believed to be directed at Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Ismail compared Umno's representation in the Cabinet he led with the current one led by Anwar Ibrahim.
He said during his time at the head of the coalition government comprising Barisan Nasional (BN), Perikatan Nasional (PN) and Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), ministers from Umno made up almost half of the Cabinet despite the party having only 38 MPs at the time.
In contrast, he said, only six Cabinet slots were given to Umno in the current coalition government.
"They say this is a big achievement for us. There are six Umno ministers, including one deputy prime minister. Whereas under me, there were 14 BN ministers, including the prime minister.
"Today, no one in the Umno leadership criticises the government. I used to be heavily criticised. But today, the leaders of other parties are praised so highly," Ismail told Utusan Malaysia in a recent interview.
He also questioned the silence of the Umno leadership even when the current government did something wrong.
"Just look at all the praises now. They (Umno leaders) have been defending the unreasonable actions sometimes taken by the government.
"I had expected that they would defend me – whenever I was criticised too harshly, they could have shielded me. But they themselves joined in the attacks against me," he added.
Ismail likewise recalled how the media was used by Umno leaders to attack fellow party comrades who served as members of his Cabinet.
"I was pressured by the Umno leadership, as if I was not from Umno. When something happened, the pressure on me was too strong.
"This I can say: why couldn't they use the proper channels to relate the party's views and instructions? The Supreme Council held meetings every month, they could have told me what to do. There was no need to lambast me in the newspapers. In the media, I was openly attacked," he said.
Ismail became the prime minister in August 2021 following a string of defections engineered by Zahid and former leader Najib Razak which forced then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin to step down.
Ismail had managed to trump Anwar, the Pakatan Harapan candidate for prime minister, after receiving the backing from a majority MPs including some 50 from PN and 18 from GPS.
But the months that followed saw Ismail coming under intense pressure from Umno leaders, especially party president Zahid and his deputy Mohamad Hasan, who wanted him to dissolve Parliament without delay to ride on what they believed was the return of BN's popularity.
After months of resistance, Ismail dissolved Parliament to pave the way for the 15th general election in November last year, ending his tenure as the shortest serving prime minister.
He then joined several other Umno leaders in resisting Zahid's plan to back Anwar as prime minister.
He was also among the top Umno leaders who opposed Zahid's recent move to purge the party of several prominent leaders and members.
In the same interview with Utusan Malaysia, Ismail predicted a repeat of Umno's losses in upcoming state elections in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu.
"We may face the same problem as we did in the recent election, when we were ultimately rejected by the people, especially the youth and professionals because of (our) attitude," he said.
"If during the general election they rejected us, there is no reason why they would change their minds at the state elections."


Myanmar families plead for help after 7 students sentenced to death

Relatives of some of the seven Myanmar students sentenced to death by a closed court in the military-ruled country called on Tuesday for global help, as critics slammed the ruling as a new bid by the junta to stamp out dissent.
The students, all under 25 years old, were sentenced by a military court for their alleged involvement in a shooting in April that killed a former military officer. They are among more than 130 people put on death row since the military seized power in a coup last year, according to the United Nations.
"All the family members are heartbroken. Our kids have an amazing future. I want to request the world to help us," a sister of one of the students, who asked not to be named, said by telephone.
Last month's sentencing of the Dagon University students comes after Myanmar's military was condemned globally for executing four democracy activists in July who had been accused of aiding "terror acts". They were the country's first executions in decades.
Rights activists say the junta is now regularly using the death penalty as a "political tool", and called for a moratorium on capital punishment with the aim of abolishing it altogether
"By resorting to use death sentences as a political tool to crush opposition, the military confirms its disdain for the efforts by ASEAN and the international community at large to end violence," the UN's human rights chief Volker Türk said in a statement on Friday.
More than 16,500 people have been arrested and more than 13,000 of them remain in detention since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), a human rights organisation that documents violations by the Myanmar military.
Thein Shwe, the father of another condemned student, was in tears as he called the punishment "unfair".
"We understand he is in prison but we just want him to be alive," he said.
A junta spokesperson did not respond to requests for comment. The military has said Myanmar's courts are independent and those arrested are receiving due process.
It was unclear when the students would be executed.


2020 worst year on record for international tourism, says UN

Globally, international arrivals fell by 72% over the first 10 months of 2020, with restrictions on travel, low consumer confidence and a global struggle to contain Covid-19  all contributing to the worst year on record in the history of tourism.According to the latest tourism data from the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), international destinations welcomed 900 million fewer international tourists between January and October when compared with the same period of 2019.This translates into a loss of US$935 billion in revenue from international tourism, more than 10 times the loss in 2009 under the impact of the global economic crisis.UNWTO secretary-general, Zurab Pololikashvili, told reporters, “Our data show the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on global tourism. Even as news of vaccines boosts traveller confidence, there is still a long road to recovery.“It is ever clearer that tourism is one of the most affected sectors in this unprecedented crisis. We thus need to step up our efforts to safely open borders while supporting tourism jobs and businesses.”Based on the current evidence, UNWTO expects international arrivals to decline by 70-75% over the whole of 2020 meaning global tourism will have returned to levels of 30 years ago, with one billion fewer arrivals and a loss of over US$1 trillion in international tourism receipts.Such a massive drop in tourism is likely to result in an economic loss of US$2 trillion in world GDP.Asia and the Pacific, the first region to suffer the impact of the pandemic and the one with the highest level of travel restrictions to date, saw an 82% decrease in arrivals in the first ten months of 2020.The Middle East recorded a 73% decline, while Africa saw a 69% drop. International arrivals in both Europe and the Americas declined by 68%.


Prosecution allowed to file additional submissions in Rosmah’s graft case

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today allowed the prosecution’s application to file additional submissions in the case of Rosmah Mansor, who is facing corruption charges linked to a hybrid solar project for 369 rural schools in Sarawak.Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn told reporters this after the case proceedings, held in chambers before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan, and also attended by Rosmah’s lawyer, Akberdin Abdul Kader.Poh said the prosecution would have to file the additional submissions on April 22 for the defence to answer by May 12.“May 12 was also set for mention of the case and clarification,” he added.The court had been scheduled to hear oral submissions from both parties today with Rosmah herself present at the proceedings.On Feb 23, the defence closed its case after calling two witnesses, Rosmah and former director of the First Lady of Malaysia division, Siti Azizah Sheikh Abod.Judge Zaini set tomorrow for the hearing of oral submissions from both the prosecution and defence.On Feb 18 last year, Rosmah, 70, was ordered to enter her defence for three charges after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case against her.She faces one charge of soliciting RM187.5 million and two counts of receiving bribes totalling RM6.5 million from Jepak Holdings Sdn managing director Saidi Abang Samsudin.The bribes were allegedly received through her former aide Rizal Mansor, as a reward for helping Jepak Holdings secure the hybrid photovoltaic solar system integrated project as well as the maintenance and operation of diesel generator sets for 369 Sarawak rural schools worth RM1.25 billion from the education ministry through direct negotiation.


MCA, MIC back under the thumb of Big Brother Umno – and the court cluster

The achievements of MCA and MIC in winning seven seats at the Johor state election yesterday prove that both parties need to follow the tone of the Umno “court cluster” in order to stay alive, observers say.Political analyst Mazlan Ali said former prime minister Najib Razak had received an encouraging response from non-Malay voters while campaigning for Barisan Nasional (BN), especially the Chinese community.“Although Najib has been charged in court and even convicted, it looks like he is still very popular,” Mazlan of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia said to MalaysiaNow.He said the outcome of the elections could be a sign that the people are tired of politics and want stability instead.“Even though these Umno leaders have integrity problems, they might think that only BN is capable of giving them that stability.”BN scored a comfortable victory in Johor yesterday despite only some 55% of eligible voters casting their votes.The victory came four years after the coalition was ousted in the 14th general election, and two years after it was forced to share power with Perikatan Nasional, the coalition led by Muhyiddin Yassin.MCA won four of the 15 seats it contested while MIC won three out of four.For years since the “political tsunami” of 2008 which saw BN denied a two-thirds majority, MCA and MIC, two race-based component parties under BN, had struggled to match Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) popularity, especially in mixed constituencies and those with non-Malay majorities.Mazlan believes the two parties will follow the lead of the “court cluster” as they do not care about the criminal charges hanging over its leaders.“The important thing is their survival with the seats they currently hold, and that they can serve the non-Malay communities that they represent.”Azmil Mohd Tayeb of Universiti Sains Malaysia said MCA and MIC would attempt to play down the role of the court cluster in their resurgence due to the stigma attached to it.“They will focus more on development, vernacular education, jobs and other bread-and-butter issues,” he said.‘Big Brother’ Umno again?With BN also clinching a two-thirds majority in the Johor legislative assembly, Umno is seen as on its way back to its “Big Brother” position, sidestepping the role played by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.Mazlan said this could be seen in the level of confidence shown by Umno leaders who have become increasingly bold despite being embroiled in criminal charges in court, while some like Najib have already been found guilty and sentenced to jail.“We see leaders like Najib and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi openly calling for a general election to be held at once,” he said.“It’s as though they are forcing Ismail to hold a general election.”Azmi agreed that a “Big Brother” had emerged in the political arena.“BN 2.0 is making a comeback with a similar power arrangement as before,” he said, referring to the strategies used in the state elections prior to the Johor polls.


Bank Negara hikes OPR again to 2.5%

Bank Negara Malaysia today raised the overnight policy rate (OPR) by another 25 basis points to 2.5%, in its third hike this year.
At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in July 2020, BNM reduced the OPR to 1.75% – Malaysia's lowest level ever.
It maintained this level until May 11 this year, when it raised the OPR by 25 basis points or 0.25% to 2.00%.
On July 6, the central bank raised the OPR again by another 25 basis points to 2.25%.
In its monetary policy statement today, it said the ceiling and floor rates of the OPR corridor were correspondingly increased to 2.75% and 2.25%.
“The global economy continues to expand, albeit at a slower pace, weighed down by rising cost pressures, tighter global financial conditions and strict containment measures in China.
“However, global growth continues to be supported by improvements in labour market conditions and the full reopening of most economies and international borders,” it added.
It also noted that inflationary pressures had remained high due to elevated commodity prices and tight labour markets, despite continued easing in global supply chain conditions.
Consequently, it said central banks were expected to continue adjusting their monetary policy settings, some at a faster pace, to reduce inflationary pressure.


UN aims to launch new Afghanistan cash route in February

The UN aims to kickstart this month a system to swap millions of aid dollars for Afghan currency in a plan to stem humanitarian and economic crises and bypass blacklisted Taliban leaders, according to an internal UN note seen by Reuters.Since the Taliban takeover in August, foreign financial assistance has stopped and international banks are wary of testing UN and US sanctions on the hardline Islamist group, leaving the UN and aid groups struggling to obtain cash even as they continue to receive humanitarian donations.The UN explanatory note, written last month, outlines an “urgently needed” Humanitarian Exchange Facility (HEF). The UN has warned that more than half of Afghanistan’s 39 million people are suffering extreme hunger and the economy, education and social services are collapsing.“The overall objective is to have the HEF up and running in February,” the note said. “Prior to the full establishment of the facility, we seek to facilitate several trial swaps, to demonstrate exactly how the mechanism will work.”UN and humanitarian officials warn that the facility can be only a temporary measure until Afghanistan’s central bank begins operating independently and some US$9 billion in foreign reserves frozen abroad are released.But when that could happen is uncertain. The reserves held by the US are tied up in legal action and Western governments are reluctant to release funds unless they see the Taliban show greater respect for human rights, especially those of women and girls.The HEF would allow the UN – which is seeking US$4.4 billion for humanitarian assistance this year – and aid groups access to large amounts of the national currency, the afghani, held in the country by private businesses.In exchange, the UN would use aid dollars – potentially tens of millions – to pay the businesses’ foreign creditors, thereby bolstering the flagging private sector and critical imports.“The facility’s flow of funds would not require the movement of funds across the Afghan border,” the UN note said.While the money bypasses the Taliban, the note says the HEF will need the approval of the Taliban-run central bank for “the flow of funds and the exchange rate used and the withdrawal of AFN cash deposited into AIB (Afghanistan International Bank) without any restriction.”‘Starvation crisis’The UN does not comment on leaked documents, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said of the note. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said Afghanistan is “hanging by a thread” and long pushed for international action to combat the economic crisis hampering aid efforts.Afghanistan’s economy has continued to deteriorate, with inflation for basic household goods reaching nearly 42% in January, compared to the year-earlier period, the World Bank said on Wednesday. Wages and demand for labor continued to decline, as did imports, which were down 66% compared to a year earlier, it said.Aid groups and UN officials have been advocating for a cash swap mechanism, but the UN note seen by Reuters provides new details on how it will work.Graeme Smith, a senior consultant for the International Crisis Group think tank, told the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday that an exchange facility is needed quickly, but only as a stopgap measure.“It is not sufficient,” he said. “Nobody should be under any illusions that this substitutes for the normal functioning of a central bank.”Complicating the response, Taliban leaders have banned the use of foreign currency in a country where US dollars were common. The UN has flown in shipments of US$100 bills, but the central bank has not converted them, leaving the world body sitting on about US$135 million in cash that it cannot use, a UN official said last week.Those funds are held in Kabul in the vaults of AIB, the official said, the private bank that would play a role in the new cash swap system.The security of the cash flights and limits on how much can be delivered are key reasons for starting the new exchange facility, the note said.World Bank and UN officials have been working to finalise the HEF, including completing a risk assessment, seeking a US Treasury license to protect international banks from sanctions, and hiring a private company to vet participants and guard against money-laundering, the note said.David Miliband, head of the International Rescue Committee, said the consequences of Afghanistan’s economic crisis could be devastating, and he called for a change in US and international policy toward the country.He told the Senate committee on Wednesday: “Current policy will indeed mean that a starvation crisis kills… more Afghans than the past 20 years of war.”


London police chief resigns after scandals rock force

London’s police chief announced her resignation Thursday after a string of scandals rocked the British capital’s force, including racism, sexism and a serving officer murdering a young woman.Cressida Dick, who became the first woman to head London’s Metropolitan Police in 2017, said she had “no choice but to step aside” after London mayor Sadiq Khan said he no longer had confidence in her leadership.“I say this with deep sadness and regret,” the UK’s most senior police officer said in a televised statement, wearing her uniform.The Scotland Yard chief defended her role and the work of her service, concluding by thanking her fellow officers for the “extraordinary efforts you make each and every day.”Khan said Thursday he was “not satisfied with the commissioner’s response”, after a meeting last week where he insisted broad changes were needed to “root out the racism, sexism, homophobia, bullying, discrimination and misogyny” in the force.Dick said she felt “huge sadness”, but it was “clear that the mayor no longer has sufficient confidence in my leadership to continue”. She had been set to stay as head of the service until 2024.Her sudden announcement comes as her police force investigates the “Partygate” scandal swirling around Prime Minister Boris Johnson over alleged parties held in breach of coronavirus restrictions.Dick said she would stay on for a short while to “ensure the stability of the Met”.‘Damaged confidence’Johnson and Home Secretary Priti Patel praised her achievements in tweets.“I thank her for her role protecting the public and making our streets safer,” Johnson said, while Patel said Dick served in “challenging times” and had shown “steadfast dedication to protecting our capital city and its people”.The 61-year-old had long faced calls for her resignation after high-profile scandals including the rape and murder of Sarah Everard, who was kidnapped by then-police officer Wayne Couzens in March 2021.Dick has acknowledged that the case “brought shame” on the force.Couzens snatched the 33-year-old marketing executive after falsely arresting her for breach of coronavirus restrictions. He has been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in jail.Dick also faced criticism over the police response during a vigil for Everard in a London park, when police scuffled with the predominantly female crowd and physically restrained demonstrators, arresting four people.Dick referred to “the murder of Sarah Everard” in her resignation statement, saying this and “many other awful cases recently have, I know, damaged confidence in this fantastic police service”.But the force “has turned its full attention to rebuilding public trust and confidence”, she said, adding she was “very optimistic about the future for the Met and for London”.Khan said earlier this month he was “utterly disgusted” after an independent watchdog said London police had sent each other “shocking” racist, sexist and homophobic messages.Dick grew up in Oxford and studied at its university before joining the Met in 1983. She revealed in her first interview as commissioner that she was in a same-sex relationship with a Scotland Yard inspector.


Najib wore many different hats to commit crimes in SRC, court told

The Federal Court was today told that all actions taken by Najib Razak in the SRC International case were to achieve his personal desire to attain wrongful gain for himself and wrongful loss for the company.
Ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram submitted that there was no evidence whatsoever that Najib had ever acted to protect and preserve the interests of SRC International, as he was legally obliged to do.
"Najib was the prime minister, finance minister and also advisor emeritus of the company. It was plain and obvious that he used all of his positions to extract financial gain from the RM4 billion Retirement Fund Inc (KWAP) loan to SRC International.
"The criminal intention of the appellant was executed by the appellant, wearing different hats.
"What the appellant’s plan was for the billions standing frozen in a Swiss bank is anybody’s guess. It was the mens rea of the appellant in executing the criminal intent in various capacities that enabled him to commit the seven offences charged.
"No artificial demarcation of the role of the appellant in various capacities should be entertained as it was his sole intention to commit crimes in the varied roles played by him in the country’s administration and in SRC International," the deputy public prosecutor said at the hearing of Najib’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.
Sithambaram said the combined roles Najib played enabled him to execute his game plan to benefit from the funds of SRC International as he placed himself in a position where the board of directors acted on his instructions rather than as independent directors.
"While the law requires that the SRC board of directors should always act in the best interests of SRC, it was actually acting (unknowingly) in the best interests of the appellant.
"The RM4 billion KWAP loan to SRC has disappeared while the debt is still being paid by the government from public funds. It was unusual when the newly established company (SRC) was given such a huge loan.
"The loan approval was done very quickly, and it was approved by the Cabinet chaired by Najib at that point of time," he said before the five-member bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
The other judges on the bench were Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abang Iskandar Abang Hashim and Federal Court judges Nallini Pathmanathan, Mary Lim Thiam Suan and Mohamad Zabidin Mohd.
Sithambaram also said that a total of RM50 million was transferred out of SRC International to its subsidiaries Gandingan Mentari Sdn Bhd (GMSB) and Ihsan Perdana Sdn Bhd (IPSB) in two separate transactions of RM40 million in December 2014 and RM10 million in February 2015.
He said of the total sum, RM42 million was transferred to Najib’s accounts in three transactions of RM27 million, RM5 million and RM10 million.
The hearing continues tomorrow.


Brave Morocco advance as Spain flop in shootout

Achraf Hakimi calmly converted a penalty to send Morocco through to the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time with a 3-0 shootout win over former champions Spain after a cagey last-16 clash ended goalless on Tuesday.
The Spanish-born Hakimi chipped in the decisive penalty, prompting a deafening roar of joy and celebration from the Morocco supporters, after their side became the first Arab nation ever to qualify for the tournament's quarter-finals.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, who plays for Spain's Sevilla, saved spot-kicks from Carlos Soler and Sergio Busquets after Pablo Sarabia had hit the post and Hakimi, a product of the Real Madrid youth system, held his nerve to earn his team a quarter-final against either Portugal or Switzerland.
Morocco became only the fourth African nation to reach the last eight of the tournament, 12 years after Ghana did so in South Africa.
After a scrappy match finished 0-0 after extra time with few shots on target for either side, Morocco fed off the raucous support of their red-clad fans in the shootout as Spain crumbled.
Spain enjoyed more than 75% of possession and completed almost 1,000 passes but Morocco caused problems for them on the counter-attack and goalkeeper Unai Simon made some good saves.
"We fought and made the Moroccan people happy, we made history and Morocco deserve it, Moroccan people made us united on the pitch," coach Walid Regragui said.
Morocco defender Jawad Yamiq was proud of his team's performance.
"We honoured the Arab and African football, coach Regragui gave us the confidence that we needed in this game, a big boost in morale," he said.
"We knew that Spain depend on their ball possession and we played with that in mind. They didn't impose any danger."
It was the fourth time Spain have been knocked out of the World Cup on penalties and the second in a row.
It was a huge blow for Luis Enrique's team, who arrived in Qatar as one of the favourites after reaching the Euro 2020 semi-finals and the Nations League final last year.
"We completely dominated the match, it's a shame it went that way," the Spain coach told TVE.
"It's the most difficult thing, playing against a team like Morocco who are hard workers.
"The penalties cost us, but I am very proud of the team and all the players. I’m very sorry about the result but I congratulate Morocco."
Few shots
Spain spent big chunks of the match orbiting around the Morocco penalty area without attempting any shots, through balls or moves to break down their well organised opponents.
They tried to play the possession-style game that was the trademark of the great Spanish sides who won two European Championships and the World Cup between 2008 and 2012.
But they lacked a cutting edge and Morocco allowed them possession while trying to exploit the pace of Hakim Ziyech and Soufiane Boufal.
A foul on the latter gave the African side the first scoring opportunity as Hakimi blazed over a free kick.
In a tight first half, the only other chances came when defender Nayef Aguerd headed over and Marco Asensio hit the side-netting for Spain.
Dani Olmo had Spain’s first shot on-target in the 54th minute with an angled shot which Bounou palmed away.
Luis Enrique sent on Alvaro Morata and Nico Williams to inject a bit of life into his team and Morocco had to dig deep to get through extra time without conceding.
They managed to do so and Spain's collapse in the shootout prompted wild celebrations among the ecstatic Morocco supporters who will get at least one more chance to make their presence felt in Qatar.


The Ukraine war toll on East Asian economies

In today’s hyper-connected world, with our interlinked economies, migrant diasporas and 24-hour news channels, it’s no surprise that the war in Ukraine is being felt across the globe. The war has upended the fragile economic recovery from the pandemic, not only triggering a devastating humanitarian crisis, but also increasing food and commodity prices and globally exacerbating inflationary pressures.A new forecast released this week by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs shows how far global prospects have declined. According to the World Economic Situation and Prospects, as of mid-2022, the global economy was projected to grow by only 3.1% in 2022, down from the 4.0% growth forecast released in January. Global inflation is projected to increase to 6.7% in 2022, more than twice the average of 2.9% during 2010-2020, with sharp rises in food and energy prices.Overall, the deterioration of growth prospects is broad-based, including for the world’s largest economies – the US, the European Union, and China – and the majority of developing economies.Why is this happening? Rising geopolitical and economic uncertainties are dampening business confidence and increasing borrowing costs are weakening investment prospects. Additionally, there are major downside risks from further escalation of the war in Ukraine, new waves of the pandemic and faster-than expected monetary tightening in developed economies.All of this puts our efforts to achieve the world’s sustainable development goals (SDGs) further off the 2030 target.For China, growth prospects have been clouded by the rising numbers of Covid-19 cases and the corresponding measures put in place. The economy is now set to expand by 4.5% in 2022 – 0.7 percentage point lower than the previous forecast, and lower than its 8.1% growth in 2021.Prolonged supply chain disruptions and soaring commodity prices have contributed to higher manufacturing costs across the region, making it tougher for people in many countries to get the goods they need.Furthermore, while China has been actively easing its monetary stance, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Singapore have already entered or are expected to enter a tightening phase in 2022. Other central banks remain hesitant to tighten policy, taking into account that higher interest rates will likely negatively impact growth and recovery. With the exception of Lao PDR, Mongolia, and Myanmar, inflation in the region is projected to remain below 5%.However, the expected rebound of the Chinese economy by the end of 2022, and a recovery in international tourism, should bolster growth in the region in 2023. Developed East Asian economies, while still lagging behind other countries in the region, are forecast to register resilient economic growth in 2022, with GDP increasing by 2.7% in Japan and 3.1% in the Republic of Korea.As ever, it is the most vulnerable people in Asia and around the world who suffer the greatest from slow growth, rising inflation, and the energy and food system disruptions stemming from the war in Ukraine. The decline in real incomes is particularly worrying in developing countries where poverty is more prevalent, wage growth remains constrained, and fiscal support measures to alleviate the impact of higher oil and food prices are more limited.In these countries, many of which are still struggling to recover from the economic shocks of the pandemic, food insecurity is getting worse, and many risk falling into poverty. In these situations, women and children are often the most vulnerable, particularly when poorer nutrition results in life-long impacts on health and well-being.To counter this, governments need to provide targeted support to alleviate the effects of higher food and fuel prices on vulerable populations, while pursuing medium-term fiscal and debt sustainability. This will require strengthening social protection, accompanied by comprehensive debt restructuring and debt relief for poorer countries, particularly the least developed countries. Bridging the financial divide, while ensuring that resources catalyse the necessary transformations, will be key for putting the SDGs back within reach.Finally, the war in Ukraine unfolds at a time when global CO2 emissions have reached a record high. The conflict will significantly impact the global fight – for better or worse – against the climate emergency by driving up energy prices and placing energy security at the heart of policymaking in many places.Asian countries are well positioned to be leaders in climate action by accelerating the adoption of renewable energy sources, reducing fossil fuel consumption and increasing energy efficiencies – moves that would benefit their economies in the long run, and secure their energy futures.Shantanu Mukherjee is director of the Economic Analysis and Policy Division, United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Tian Chua, 4 others sacked from PKR

Former PKR vice-president Chua Tian Chang, better known as Tian Chua, and four other PKR members have been sacked from the party for contesting the 15th general election (GE15) and the Sarawak state election last year without the party's consent.
The four others are Puah Chee Haur from the party’s Parit Buntar branch, Ahmad Tarmizi Mohd Ghazali (Gopeng), M Mohganan (Taiping) and Nur Khairunisa Abdullah (Sadong Jaya).
PKR disciplinary board chairman Tan Yee Kew, when contacted by Bernama, said the decision was reached during the party's central leadership council (MPP) meeting on Jan 7.
"Yes, that's right, yesterday the MPP did have a meeting and we decided to sack him (Tian Chua) and four other members for contesting elections (GE15 and state election) as independent and other party candidates," she said, adding that the termination letters would be delivered to them the next day.
In GE15, Tian Chua, the former Batu MP, contested the seat as an independent candidate, while Puah and Tarmizi represented Warisan to contest the Keranji and Chenderiang state seats, both in Perak.
Meanwhile, Mohganan contested the Taping parliamentary seat on an independent ticket, while Nur Khairunisa ran in the Sadong Jaya state constituency during the Sarawak state election under Parti Sarawak Bersatu.


US regulators to vet audits of Alibaba, other Chinese firms, sources say

US regulators have selected e-commerce majors Alibaba Group Holding Ltd and JD.com Inc among other US-listed Chinese companies for audit inspection starting next month, people with knowledge of the matter said.
The selection follows a landmark audit deal between Beijing and Washington on Friday allowing US regulators to vet accounting firms in mainland China and Hong Kong, potentially ending a long-running dispute that threatened to boot more than 200 Chinese companies from US stock exchanges.
The tech duo along with Yum China Holdings Inc - owner of KFC, Taco Bell and Pizza Hut restaurants in China - have been notified that they are among the first batch of Chinese companies whose audits will be inspected in Hong Kong by US audit watchdog, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), the people told Reuters, declining to be identified due to confidentiality constraints.
The respective accounting firms of Alibaba, JD.com and Yum China - PwC, Deloitte and KPMG - have also been notified of the inspection, the people added.
Alibaba, JD.com, Yum China and the China Securities Regulatory Commission did not respond to requests for comment.
Spokespeople for PwC and Deloitte said it was company policy not to comment on client matters. KPMG declined to comment on the matter.
A PCAOB spokesperson said the board did not comment on inspections.
Alibaba's US-listed stock closed down nearly 3% on Tuesday after Reuters' report, having been up about 1% in pre-market trade. Its Hong Kong shares closed down 1% on Wednesday, after slumping more than 3% in the morning.
US regulators have for more than a decade demanded access to audit papers of US-listed Chinese companies, but Chinese authorities have been reluctant to let US regulators inspect accounting firms in China, citing national security concerns.
Alibaba, which went public in New York in 2014 in what was at the time the largest listing in history, is the most valuable Chinese firm listed in the US with a market value of US$248 billion as of Tuesday.
No special treatment
The PCAOB on Friday said it had notified the selected companies, without naming them, and that it expects its officials to land in Hong Kong, where the inspections will take place, by mid-September.
The regulator, which oversees audits of US-listed companies, said it selects companies based on risk factors, such as size and sector, and that no companies could expect special treatment.
Reuters could not immediately determine how many and which other Chinese firms were in the first batch of US inspections.
Alibaba was founded in 1999 with e-commerce as its key business. It has expanded into fast-growing sectors such as cloud services and internet of things in recent years and also owns AutoNavi, a large Chinese digital mapping and navigation firm.
In July, Alibaba was added to the US Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) list of Chinese companies that might be delisted if they did not comply with audit requirements.
The list now has more than 160 Chinese companies including JD.com, Yum China and electric vehicle maker Nio Inc.
Current US rules stipulate that Chinese companies that are not in compliance with audit working papers requests will be suspended from trading in the US in early 2024.
Days before being added to the SEC's delisting watchlist, Alibaba said it planned to add a primary listing in Hong Kong to its New York presence, targeting investors in mainland China.
Already present on the Hong Kong bourse with a secondary listing since 2019, the tech behemoth said it expects the primary listing to be completed by the end of 2022.
Yum China in mid August said it had also applied for a primary listing in the city, as it looks to circumvent a risk of delisting from New York.
The company expects conversion from its current secondary listing status to primary to be completed in October, subject to shareholder approval.


Germany’s Merkel gets different second jab as countries study effects of mixing shots

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has received a dose of the Moderna Covid-19 vaccine as her second shot after having had Oxford-AstraZeneca as her first.A government spokesman said the 66-year-old leader was vaccinated a few days ago after getting her dose of AstraZeneca in April.Many experts now believe mixed dosing of Covid vaccines could be a good idea.In March, Germany, along with other European countries, halted use of the AstraZeneca vaccine after a small number of blood clotting cases were reported.Germany had previously restricted the use of the jab to over-60s but is now set to offer it to all adults, German broadcaster Deutsche Welle reports. After a slow start, Germany’s vaccination rollout has accelerated in recent weeks, and more than half of the country’s population has now received their first dose of a vaccine.Some countries have been looking at mixing vaccines in the face of supply shortages and to improve protection, Reuters news agency reports.One study on the mixing of different vaccines in the UK found that adults were more likely to report mild and moderate side effects after mixing doses of the AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.The Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec have both said they plan to mix vaccines in the near future, amid uncertainty over shipments of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab and concerns about rare blood clots.Experts believe mixed dosing of Covid vaccines may give broader, longer-lasting immunity against the virus and new variants of it, as well as offering more flexibility to vaccine rollout.Studies are underway, but some countries are already allowing it within their national immunisation programmes.A growing number of countries are looking at switching to different Covid vaccines for second doses amid supply delays and safety concerns that have slowed their vaccination campaigns.Several medical studies to test the efficacy of switching Covid vaccines are underway, reports the Irish Independent.China’s top disease control official said in April the country was “formally considering” mixing vaccine doses developed with different technologies to boost their efficacy.France is recommending that people under 55 injected with AstraZeneca first, should receive a second dose with a so-called messenger RNA vaccine such as Pfizer, although dose-mixing has not yet been evaluated in trials.South Korea said in May it would run a mix-and-match trial, mixing AstraZeneca doses with those developed by Pfizer and other drugmakers.Spain will allow those under 60 who got an AstraZeneca shot first, to receive a second dose of Pfizer’s vaccine following preliminary results of a study which found that this combination was safe and highly effective.


India boosts facilities at Delhi airport to ease year-end travel congestion

A surge in travel that overwhelmed India's busiest airport this week as the holiday season sets in has eased after authorities added staff and security equipment to cope with the surge in travellers.
Passengers queued for hours to pass through check-in and security at the main domestic and international terminal of Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi, leading to some flight delays.
Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said more x-ray machines and staff were added to Terminal 3. A video on Thursday showed passengers appearing to check-in smoothly.
He said additional measures were also being taken at other airports, including those in the western city of Mumbai and Bengaluru in the south.
"In the last 24 to 36 hours, all agencies have swung into action to mitigate congestion at every checkpoint at all major airports. Congestion at entry points and check-in counters at T3 has eased," Scindia said in a post on LinkedIn.
Indian infrastructure conglomerate GMR Group, which leads a conglomerate that owns and operates the airport, did not respond to a request for comment.
Like in other countries, air travel in India has picked up as Covid-19 restrictions have eased.
The congestion at Delhi airport prompted India's biggest airline IndiGo to ask passengers to arrive at Delhi airport for check-in at least 3-1/2 hours before their flight, instead of the usual two hours. Other airlines had to delay flights, a Reuters journalist who travelled from Terminal 3 said.
December is a busy month for the global aviation sector and traffic is expected to be higher this year after two years of restricted travel due to the pandemic.


Can Najib retake the Malay vote for BN?

Analysts and political observers have played down the odds posited by some in Umno that former prime minister Najib Razak would be able to win back Malay support for the party and give the coalition government an edge in the state elections to come.
Najib, who led the country for nearly a decade before his ouster at the 2018 polls, was credited with helping turn the tide for Barisan Nasional (BN) at the Johor and Melaka elections in 2022 and 2021.
He began serving a 12-year jail sentence last August for the misappropriation of tens of millions in SRC International funds.
He lost his final bid in court last month for a review of his case, conviction and sentence, sparking fresh efforts by Umno to get him a royal pardon.
But analyst Kartini Aboo Talib said "only those in Umno" were "still confused" about the shift in Malay support witnessed at last year's general election.
"The majority of the Malays who now support Perikatan Nasional (PN) do so not because of Najib, but because they have rejected Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi," she said.
Najib and Zahid, who was appointed as one of two deputy prime ministers in Anwar Ibrahim's Cabinet, are both part of the Umno court cluster, a reference to party leaders facing charges of corruption and abuse of power.
Zahid was recently acquitted of 40 charges in connection with the foreign visa system but still faces a string of others linked to charity foundation Yayasan Akalbudi
While he retained his seat of Bagan Datuk at the Nov 19 polls, it was only with a majority of some 300 votes.
The development was part of an overall shift in Malay support towards PN, including in areas traditionally held by BN, which won just 30 seats compared to PN's 74.
BN's loss, its worst ever, was blamed by some on former prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob who had dissolved Parliament after Najib was jailed.
The federal government is currently made up of BN, PH and several other coalitions from Sabah and Sarawak.
But questions about Malay support continue to dog the coalition government ahead of crucial elections to be held in six states this year.
Analysts previously said that Anwar could lose the top office if he refused to help Umno's efforts to free Najib.
Political analyst Azizi Safar said any release of the former Pekan MP by way of a royal pardon would only give PN the advantage.
"Only Najib's supporters in Umno would be happy if he was given a royal pardon," he said.
"If the Malays as a whole believed that his imprisonment was an act of tyranny, Umno would have won big at GE15."
Azizi, a former executive secretary of Penang BN, also questioned Umno's claim that Najib had ensured victory for the party at the state polls and by-elections following GE14.
"Umno-BN's victory then had more to do with public disappointment in the PH government," he said, referring to the administration which collapsed 22 months after the election.


Sorry.


Parliamentary bungle turns into political drama

A parliamentary bungle that saw government MPs including Cabinet members being absent for a vote on a crucial bill tabled by the home minister is rapidly turning into a political drama, against a backdrop of two agreements signed by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob involving two opposing camps.Yesterday, a government bill on the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012 was shot down after MPs from Pakatan Harapan (PH) voted against it.The vote was called at a time when almost all of the bigwigs from the ruling blocs including Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional (PN) and GPS were absent from the Dewan Rakyat, giving opposition MPs the numbers needed to defeat the bill.Sources close to several government backbenchers questioned what they said was a communication breakdown which led to many MPs not being informed, with at least two of them saying they were not made aware that they needed to be present in the Dewan Rakyat for a pending vote.“Normally we would be briefed, but this time, there appeared to be some miscommunication.”A DAP source told MalaysiaNow that the opposition had not expected the bill to be defeated, a rare occurence in the Malaysian parliament.“The largely absent bloc on the government’s side allowed this victory for us.”The aftermath of the bill’s rejection, however, was more focused on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed between PH and Ismail in September last year, where the opposition MPs had pledged to either support or abstain from voting on government bills in return for a list of “transformations” to be implemented.The move to vote against the bill yesterday has been described by some quarters as a breach of the MoU, which could leave Ismail with no choice but to succumb to pressure from the so-called “court cluster” leaders in Umno to dissolve Parliament and call for an early general election.The court cluster is led by former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, both of whom are facing scores of corruption charges that could see them doing time in jail as well as being banned from politics.Last year, about a dozen Umno MPs aligned with the duo retracted their support for then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in what was thought to be a response to the Bersatu leader’s refusal to help court cluster leaders in their criminal trials.This resulted in the collapse of the PN government, amid warnings by some in PH that it would resurrect an Umno-led government answerable to the court cluster.Eager to avoid the same fate, Ismail, the Umno vice-president who became prime minister after Muhyiddin committed the support of about 50 PN MPs, has been walking a thin line.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob (centre) at the signing ceremony of the memorandum of understanding with Pakatan Harapan leaders at Parliament on Sept 13, 2021, together with (from left) Amanah president Mohamad Sabu, PKR president Anwar Ibrahim, Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Harun and DAP’s Lim Guan Eng. Photo: BernamaIt is understood that Muhyiddin’s support is contingent on several matters, one of which is the date of the 15th general election, which Ismail must decide after consultation with PN.Since coming to power, he has sought to consolidate his position by offering to fulfil some demands by PH, in exchange for the opposition coalition’s assurance that it will not attempt to disrupt major government bills such as the budget.But yesterday’s move to shoot down the government bill has threatened Ismail’s position since some view it as a PH breach of the MoU.Following the vote, even Annuar Musa, seen as one of the Umno leaders opposed to the court cluster’s call for early polls, urged Ismail to dissolve Parliament to pave the way for the general election, saying PH had violated the spirit of its MoU with the prime minister by opposing the bill on Sosma.PH leaders including its chairman Anwar Ibrahim insist that there was no such breach.DAP said PH MPs were only expected to support or abstain from government bills related to the budget and insofar as they had an impact on Ismail’s position as prime minister.Still, a source from PKR told MalaysiaNow that there had been discussions on whether the move to reject the bill on Sosma yesterday would backfire.“If this is seen as breaching the MoU and giving a reason for Ismail to dissolve Parliament, then the worry is the big election defeat staring at PH at a time when voter turnout and sentiments do not appear to be on our side,” said the source who had been among those tasked with organising the inking of the MoU between PH and Ismail last year.The MoU signed with PH stated among others that Ismail would not call for a general election before July 31 this year.A delay in polls would be seen as a breather for PH amid widespread expectations of electoral losses for the coalition if a general election is held long before the current mandate expires in May 2023.Another source familiar with the drafting of the MoU told MalaysiaNow that the move by PH leaders to pile pressure on Ismail over issues such as an anti-hopping law, that would effectively ban MPs from crossing over, could work against the coalition.“The biggest threat to PH now is a general election and voter apathy. The dismal performance in Melaka and Johor, especially for PKR, not to mention in the Sarawak election, has only confirmed such worries,” the PKR source added.Last week, Ismail diplomatically fought off calls in the Umno general assembly for the dissolution of Parliament.Confident of BN making a recovery on the back of voter apathy, Najib and Zahid have been ramping up pressure for a general election, hoping to improve their chances of escaping their legal predicaments under a government they control.Najib faces 12 years in jail after being convicted of the misappropriation of RM42 million linked to SRC International. This would cause him to lose his eligibility to contest coming elections.Meanwhile, Zahid’s corruption trial is set to play out this year.Both Muhyiddin and former leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad have said that Zahid approached them when they were prime ministers in the hope of getting their help to drop the charges against him.


Vaccine ‘donor’ can’t show proof, says Khairy

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin today said the man who claimed to have offered the Penang government two million doses of Sinovac vaccine for free had no proof of the donation.In a series of Twitter posts, Khairy who yesterday labelled the offer as a scam job said his officer had gotten in touch with “a person claiming to be Yong Chee Kong”, the man who had signed the letter to the Penang government.“She asked him if he had proof of the donation so we can facilitate it (eg. order with Sinovac). He said no. He said he has money in an account in Hong Kong.“She then told him he can either show proof of the donation or make an official donation to the government of Malaysia which we will pass to the Penang government. NOT for him to pay to any company. Which he refused.”He also reiterated his willingness to facilitate the donation if Yong could prove his ability to procure the vaccines, or make an official contribution to the government.Khairy, who is in charge of the national vaccination programme, yesterday said investigations had found that the company cited in the letter, Xintai Development Enterprise Ltd, did not exist.Likewise, the investigation with Sinovac China revealed no proof or documents received by the company, he said.“This donation or offer is bogus. Look at the offer, there’s not even a letterhead,” he said at a press conference.He also said he had instructed the Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force to file a police report on the matter.Yong had reportedly responded to Khairy’s statement, insisting that the offer was genuine and that the donation was made in his personal capacity.


China lashes back as Biden labels Xi a 'dictator'

China hit back on Wednesday after US President Joe Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a "dictator", saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, in an unexpected spat immediately following efforts by both sides to lower tensions.
Biden's comments came just a day after top US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited Beijing to stabilise bilateral relations that China says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established.
Attending a fundraiser in California, Biden said Xi was very embarrassed when a suspected Chinese spy balloon was blown off course over US airspace early this year, making a personal comment on the Chinese leader when Blinken said on Monday the "chapter" should be closed.
"The reason why Xi Jinping got very upset in terms of when I shot that balloon down with two box cars full of spy equipment in it was he didn't know it was there," Biden said.
"That's a great embarrassment for dictators. When they didn't know what happened. That wasn't supposed to be going where it was. It was blown off course," Biden added.
Xi became China's most powerful leader since Mao Zedong after securing a precedent-breaking third term as president in March and head of the Communist Party in October.
Biden also said China "has real economic difficulties."
A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said Biden's remarks were "extremely absurd" and "irresponsible".
Expressing China's strong dissatisfaction, foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning said Biden's comments seriously violated facts, diplomatic protocol and China's political dignity.
"They're an open political provocation," she told a news conference.
It was unclear why Biden said Xi was unaware of the whereabouts of the balloon, and when asked whether Xi knew its location, Mao reiterated China's previous explanation that the passage of the balloon through US airspace had been unintended and caused by circumstances beyond its control.
Biden's comments came after Blinken and Xi agreed in their meeting on Monday to stabilise the intense rivalry between Washington and Beijing so it did not veer into conflict.
While no breakthroughs were made during the first visit to China by a US secretary of state for five years, both sides did agree to continue diplomatic engagement with more visits by US officials in the coming weeks and months.
Biden said later on Tuesday that US climate envoy John Kerry may go to China soon.
A day earlier, on Monday, Biden said he thought relations between the two countries were on the right path, and he indicated that progress was made during Blinken's trip.
Biden said on Tuesday that Xi had been concerned by the so-called Quad strategic security group, which includes Japan, Australia, India and the US. The US president said he had previously assured Xi that the United States was not trying to encircle China with the Quad.
"He called me and told me not to do that because it was putting him in a bind," Biden said.
Later this week, Biden will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and China is expected to be a topic of discussion between the two leaders.


Injunctive orders and the deportation of Myanmar nationals

There has been a great hue and cry about the immigration department deporting 1,086 Myanmar nationals, even though a court order was issued a few hours before that which prohibited the government from deporting them at least until 10am on Feb 24.Based on reports, the High Court was hearing an application for leave for judicial review brought by rights groups Amnesty International Malaysia and Asylum Access Malaysia. In the judicial review, the immigration director-general, the home minister and the federal government were named as the three respondents.An application for leave is made ex parte to a judge in chambers. The grant of leave will not, unless the judge so directs, operate as a stay of the proceedings in question. Therefore, a stay order is permissible. The word “stay” here would mean a stay of the process by which the decision that is sought to be challenged has been reached, including the decision itself.But in a proceeding against the government, an injunctive order will not be available directly or indirectly against the government or against a private person if it would result in restraining the government or its officers from performing their duties. The court has no jurisdiction to award an interim injunction against the government in view of s 29 of the Government Proceedings Act 1956 (GPA) and s 54 of the Specific Relief Act 1950 (SRA).In the case of Haji Ismail bin Che Chik v State Commissioner, Penang [1975] 1 MLJ 271, the High Court in Penang held that by virtue of s 29 GPA, the court has no jurisdiction to entertain an application for an injunction against the government or an officer of the government which would have the effect of an injunction against the government.There is a line of cases with similar decisions.It may be argued that an order of stay is not equivalent to an injunctive order or injunction and is not caught by s 29 GPA. But it may also be argued that an interim order of stay is in the nature an injunction since its effect is to prevent government officers from enforcing their administrative decisions.The nature and difference between a stay order and injunctive order is explained by the authoritative text, Nelson’s Law of Injunction, as follow:“An order of stay… is in the nature of a prohibitory order and is addressed to the court that is carrying out execution. It is not of the same nature as an order allowing an appeal and quashing execution proceedings… All that it does is to prohibit the court from proceeding with the execution further, and the court unless it knows of the order cannot be expected to carry it out…. In effect, therefore, a stay order is no more or less in the same position as an order of injunction with one difference.“An order of injunction is generally issued to a party and it is forbidden from doing certain acts. It is well settled that in such a case the party must have knowledge of the injunction order before it could be penalized for disobeying it.“In the case of a stay order, it is addressed to the court, and prohibits it from proceeding further, as soon as the court has knowledge of the order it is bound to obey it and if it does not, it acts illegally, and all proceedings taken after the knowledge of the order would be a nullity. That is the only difference between an order of injunction to a party and an order to stay a court.”Thus, if the stay order is to prevent the immigration department from deporting the Myanmar nationals, then it is an order issued to the government that prohibits it from committing a certain act.Simply put, it is an injunction which should not be available against the government.Although the Rules of Court 2012, under which the application for judicial review is made, does not contain anything that bars the granting of an interim injunction against the government, it is a general procedural law applicable to all proceedings before the court.The GPA is a specific law governing all proceedings by and against the government. In case of conflict, the GPA prevails.This is not to say that the government must not answer for the deportation of the Myanmar nationals. But it is tenuous to rely on a stay order to prevent the government from deporting them.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


In future, thieves can keep the money they stole, Dr M says on RM114 million returned to Najib

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today said he feared that a recent decision to return more than RM100 million confiscated from former prime minister Najib Razak could be good news for those accused of stealing.“In the future, if you steal and you can prove that it (the money) is not from somebody, that it is yours, and that somebody has given you a gift of a billion dollars, then if the court says there is no proof that you have stolen, you keep the money.“So I think in the future, thieves might take that advantage. If they cannot prove that you have stolen, the money is yours,” he told a press conference today.He was asked to comment on a report that some RM114 million was returned to Najib in June, after the Kuala Lumpur High Court dismissed the government’s forfeiture suit for the money said to have been misappropriated from state investment fund 1MDB.The court ruled that the prosecution had failed to prove that the money was obtained from illegal activities or that it had originated from 1MDB.Najib had claimed that the money – part of hundreds of millions in cash confiscated during raids by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission weeks after his fall from power three years ago – was being kept by him on behalf of Umno.MalaysiaNow earlier reported that it could not be confirmed whether Najib had returned the money to his party.In the 2018 raids on properties linked to Najib, authorities also confiscated a stash of luxury items including jewellery, watches and handbags valued in the hundreds of millions of ringgit, which investigators believe are linked to the 1MDB scandal.On July 28 last year, the High Court sentenced Najib to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty of seven counts of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of power involving RM42 million in funds from former 1MDB unit SRC International.Mahathir was also asked for his comment on a question recently posed by DAP MP Tony Pua, on whether the opposition should tolerate the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government in order to stop Umno “kleptocrats” from coming back to power.“It is up to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and the MPs.“If they give majority support to Umno, then Umno becomes the government. But if no one gets a majority, it is up to the Agong, or it will be decided through an election. But elections cannot be held,” he said.Yesterday, Pua said any return of Umno to the prime minister’s post would see the party consolidating its political power “to emerge even stronger” after the next general election.“And when any Umno leader becomes PM, wouldn’t all the kleptocrats be set free (or possibly even regain power)?” Pua asked, adding that the opposition could alternatively tolerate the PN government “just a little while longer” to prevent Umno’s return.


Apec summit marred by suspected North Korea missile test, protest

Asia-Pacific leaders gathered in Bangkok on Friday for a two-day summit to focus on global economic woes but North Korea marred the opening of the talks with a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile test.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, the host, urged participants at the Asia-Paciﬁc Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit to seek sustainable growth and development after economic and social challenges from Covid, climate change and geopolitical rivalries.
"We can no longer live like we did. We need to adjust our perspective, ways of life and ways of doing business," he said to an audience that included China's President Xi Jinping and US Vice President Kamala Harris.
Established to promote economic integration, Apec groups 21 economies that account for 38% of the global population, and 62% of gross domestic product and 48% of trade.
Prayuth did not refer to North Korea's missile, which Japanese officials said landed just 200km off Japan and had sufficient range to reach the mainland of the US.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is in Bangkok for the Apec meeting, told reporters that North Korea had "repeated its provocations with unprecedented frequency".
The White House said in a statement Harris would coordinate with regional leaders at the Apec meeting on the missile test.
The Apec gathering is the third summit in the region in the past week. A Southeast Asian summit that included China, Japan and the US was held in Cambodia while the Group of 20 (G20) nations met on the Indonesian island of Bali.
The earlier meetings were dominated by the war in Ukraine as well as tensions over Taiwan and the Korean peninsula.
Campaigners are keen to see leaders address food insecurity, surging inflation, climate change and human rights.
A reminder of such grassroot demands came as Thai anti-government protesters clashed with police about 10km from the summit venue after trying to overturn a police car plastered with posters of Prayuth and Xi, witnesses said.
Police were seen advancing on the protesters with riot shields and beating them back with batons. Some activists accused the police of firing rubber bullets but that was denied by officials.
"We arrested some protesters because they hit the police car and other official assets and they also threw things towards the police," a senior police official told Reuters.
'Deliver hope'
Thailand's Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai said on Thursday the Apec meeting was taking place at a "pivotal juncture" with the world facing multiple risks.
"That's why Apec this year must rise above these challenges and deliver hope to the world at large," he said in a statement.
Xi, warning against Cold War tensions in a region that is a focus for competition between Beijing and Washington, said on Thursday the Asia-Pacific was no one's backyard and should not become an arena of big power rivalry,
"No attempt to wage a new cold war will ever be allowed by the people or by our times," Xi said in written remarks prepared for a business event linked to the summit.
Relations between the world's two largest economies have been strained in recent years over issues like tariffs, Taiwan, intellectual property, the removal of Hong Kong's autonomy and disputes over the South China Sea, among others.
In a move that may be seen by Beijing as a provocation, a senior US official said Vice President Harris will visit the Philippine islands of Palawan on the edge of the disputed South China Sea on Tuesday.
The trip will make Harris the highest-ranking US official to visit the island chain adjacent to the Spratly Islands. China has dredged the sea floor to build harbours and airstrips on the Spratlys, parts of which are also claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.
At the G20 meeting, countries unanimously adopted a declaration saying most members condemned the Ukraine war, but that also acknowledged some countries saw the conflict differently.
Russia is a member of both G20 and Apec but President Vladimir Putin has stayed away from the summits. First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov will represent him at Apec.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is among those also attending the main meeting, while French President Emmanuel Macron is a special guest.
Xi held a rare summit with Kishida in Bangkok, the first leadership-level meeting between China and Japan in nearly three years, after which Kishida said he conveyed concerns about peace in the Taiwan Strait.
China's CCTV reported that Xi told Kishida the Taiwan issue involved the political foundation of ties between their two countries, and territorial disputes should be properly managed. The meeting came a day after tensions simmered in Bali, where Xi criticised Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau over alleged leaks of their closed-door meeting, a rare public display of annoyance by Xi. Trudeau is also in Bangkok.


New cases drop below 2,000 mark

Another 1,924 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 293,698.Selangor recorded 666 cases, Johor 257, Sarawak 219, Kuala Lumpur 218, Penang 162 and Perak 120.Sabah recorded 93 cases followed by Negeri Sembilan (62), Kelantan (44), Kedah (29), Melaka (22), Pahang (19), Terengganu (six), Labuan (four), Putrajaya (two) and Perlis (one).Active cases stand at 28,837 with 205 in the ICU and 91 in need of respiratory assistance.Eight new clusters were detected:1. Industri 19 (Petaling and Gombak in Selangor; 84 screened, 34 positive)2. SS Lapan (Klang, Kuala Selangor and Petaling in Selangor; 600 screened, 36 positive)3. Industri Jalan Empat (Hulu Langat, Klang and Sepang in Selangor; 193 screened, 12 positive)4. Jalan Ho Pin (Samarahan, Kuching and Serian in Sarawak; 120 screened, 14 positive)5. Jalan Putra Silang (Kepong, Cheras and Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur; 50 screened, eight positive)6. Lorong Murni (Seberang Perai Utara in Penang; 112 screened, 21 positive)7. Kampung Mak Teh (Batang Padang in Perak; 150 screened, 16 positive)8. Tapak Bina Indera Mahkota (Kuantan in Pahang; 208 screened, 10 positive)Eighteen others ended, leaving 499 active clusters across the country.Another 3,752 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 263,761.However, 12 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,100.


All EPF contributions to be credited into Account 1 to boost savings after pandemic withdrawals

All new Employees Provident Fund (EPF) contributions of members who have made withdrawals will be credited into Account 1 until the total amount withdrawn has been replenished, Deputy Finance Minister Mohd Shahar Abdullah said today.Only after that will 70% of the contributions be credited to Account 1 and 30% to Account 2, he said.“This is the government’s effort to increase the savings of members who had made withdrawals through the i-Sinar and i-Citra schemes to ease their burdens following the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the Dewan Rakyat today.He said that based on current statistics and taking into consideration the withdrawals made under the i-Sinar and i-Citra schemes, only 27% of active members aged between 18 and 55 are expected to have savings in Account 1 that exceed the basic savings quantum stipulated according to age.He was answering a supplementary question by Che Abdullah Mat Nawi (PAS-Tumpat) on the government’s efforts to ensure that EPF savings in Account 1 are sufficient to tide contributors over after retirement.Earlier, Shahar told the Dewan Rakyat that the government would also continue to study other methods to ensure that the people’s retirement social safety net could return to the proper level.


China reports 76 virus cases, highest daily rise since January

China on Monday reported 76 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily rise since January, including 40 domestic transmissions prompting authorities to test millions in eastern Jiangsu province.Beijing has a zero-risk approach to the virus, which emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in late 2019. It locks down cities and mass tests whenever small clusters appear.Tens of thousands of people are under lockdown in Jiangsu’s provincial capital Nanjing as authorities test the city’s 9.2 million residents after an outbreak linked to its airport last week.“Of the 40 domestic cases, 39 were from Jiangsu province and one from Liaoning,” the national health commission said in a statement Monday, adding there had been no new deaths.Contact tracing also found five individuals who travelled through the Nanjing airport and tested positive after arriving in neighbouring Anhui and three other provinces, sparking fears that the cluster could lead to a fresh nationwide outbreak.This prompted Nanjing officials to announce a second round of mass testing for all residents starting Sunday to identify patients who may take longer than usual to show symptoms.Beijing has rushed to curb recent mini-outbreaks in border provinces, aware of the risks of the fast-spreading Delta variant.One new case was reported Monday in the northeastern province of Liaoning that borders North Korea, bringing the total number of local transmissions in the region to five since Thursday.Yunnan in the southwest has reported a spike in infections traced to neighbouring Myanmar, where the military government that seized power in February is struggling to contain a coronavirus surge.The province has reported 79 cases since June 20 with nearly half linked to Myanmar.Beijing has tightened border controls and even supplied over 10,000 Covid-19 vaccines to the Kachin Independence Army, a spokesman for the rebel group said Saturday.The border town of Ruili in Yunnan is using facial recognition to track people’s movements and health status as they enter and exit residential areas, supermarkets, transport hubs and other public places to squash the virus spread.The southern manufacturing hub of Guangdong is building a quarantine clinic for international arrivals with 5,000 beds after being hit by a recent virus outbreak.China has recorded 92,605 virus cases and 4,636 deaths since the initial outbreak in late 2019.


French parliament adopts vaccine passports law despite protests

France’s parliament voted to make vaccine passports a key part of daily life in the battle against Covid-19 on Sunday, after a compromise between lawmakers from the upper and lower houses.The breakthrough in talks came a day after France was again shaken by protests against the rules that saw over 160,000 rally and dozens arrested.President Emmanuel Macron last week ordered that the health pass – proof of full vaccination or a negative test – would be required for the French to visit venues such as cinemas or nightclubs.The announcement was a move by Macron to make vaccinations the top weapon against Covid-19 as new variants emerge, essentially requiring people to become vaccinated if they want to continue daily routines.Those changes were implemented by decree, but parliament has been engaged in a marathon session since Tuesday debating whether to extend them.Vaccine passports have encountered fierce opposition from some, who believe they erode civil liberties.The ruling party has faced a tough task pushing the legislation through parliament. Pro-Macron MPs control the National Assembly, but the Senate – the upper house – is dominated by the opposition right.The Senate had approved the legislation but added numerous amendments that the government feared risked limiting its impact.The two sides held three hours of talks Sunday, finding a compromise to pass the bill that evening by a large majority – 156 votes for, 60 against and 14 abstentions.The legislation still needs to be approved by France’s highest administrative authority, the Constitutional Council, before becoming law – an extra step requested by Prime Minister Jean Castex.Compromise dealMacron’s announcement had already made the health pass compulsory for cinemas, museums and any venue gathering more than 50 people.The new legislation would make it compulsory from August for air travel and inter-city trains, as well as for visiting cafes and restaurants.It would also make vaccinations obligatory for health workers and carers.The Senate wanted the legislation to be more mindful of civil liberties.Parliamentary sources said the compromise means the system will only continue after Nov 15 following a new vote.The deal also limits the enforcement role of the police, and makes clear that health workers and carers who refuse vaccinations will not automatically be sacked but have their salary suspended.“Covid is temporary, but firings are final,” argued one Republican member of the Senate, Philippe Bas.Some 161,000 people, including 11,000 in Paris, had protested Saturday against the pass.Seventy-one people were arrested and 29 members of the security forces were injured, the ministry of the interior said.‘Irresponsibility and egoism’Macron scoffed at how slogans of freedom were being brandished at the protests.“Everyone is free to express themselves calmly with respect for the other,” he said. “But freedom where I owe nothing to someone else does not exist.”Macron said that under such logic, relatives could be infected by someone who is not vaccinated, or the person could themselves end up in hospital.“I don’t call this freedom, I call this irresponsibility and egoism.”By maximising vaccinations, the French government wants to minimise the impact of the fourth coronavirus wave.Some 40 million people should have received at least one shot by Monday.France recorded almost 23,000 new Covid-19 cases on Saturday, twice as many as last week, as the Delta variant caused a surge.But in figures the government credits to vaccinations, there are 878 Covid-19 patients in intensive care, compared with a peak of almost 6,000 at the end of April.


No turning mosque prayer halls into vaccination areas, says deputy minister

Prayer halls in mosques cannot be used as Covid-19 vaccine dispensing areas, Deputy Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Ahmad Amzad Hashim said today.He said any vaccination centre (PPV) opened on mosque compounds should be in accordance with the SOPs set by the National Covid-19 Immunisation Task Force (CITF).“The SOPs, among others, disallow prayer halls in mosques to be used as vaccine dispensing areas.“A PPV can be opened at a mosque only if it has the facilities suitable for the purpose, such a lecture hall, a library or even its own clinic.“If not, it shouldn’t be allowed to operate as a PPV,” he said in a statement today.Amzad, who is Kuala Terengganu MP, said the issue of mosque PPVs arose after certain states launched their own vaccination outreach programmes in mosques without referring to the SOPs set by the CITF.“Pictures of prayer halls in mosques being used as vaccination areas have been widely circulated. In fact, there were also pictures of other areas in the mosques being used as a waiting area with chairs.“I have contacted the state health councillors to take the necessary measures to avoid negative public perceptions of this noble effort,” he said.However, he said using prayer halls because there was no other empty space in the mosque area was an unacceptable excuse.“We don’t ask for all mosques to be turned into PPVs. We have many other places that can be used for that purpose such as community halls and health clinics,” he said, adding that instructions have been given to ensure that such incidents do not recur.


Education ministry mulls hiring assistants to trim teachers' workload

The education ministry is studying the need to hire teaching assistants to reduce the workload of teachers, the Dewan Negara was told today.
Deputy minister Lim Hui Ying said the ministry had also implemented seven measures to ensure that the issue of teachers' workloads can be addressed immediately, from the 2023-2024 academic session.
She said the seven measures include discontinuing any form of competition, celebration or ceremony with no major impact on student learning at all levels, as well as reducing the review frequency of school management elements of the Malaysian Education Quality Standard involving teachers to only once a year.
"Also, a more flexible lock-in time for student attendance records which is 12 noon for morning sessions and 5pm for afternoon sessions, and the appointment of public examination invigilators is now open to those other than serving teachers, such as government retirees, students from the Institute of Teacher Education or institutions of higher learning.
"Another step is limiting the organisation of the annual Teacher's Day to the national and school level only. In addition, the autonomy of teachers in planning the implementation of teaching and learning as well as classroom assessment has been strengthened by using the standard curriculum and assessment document as a reference," she said.
She was responding to Arman Azha Abu Hanifah about the ministry’s measures to resolve the problem of teacher workload leading to the early retirement of educators, during the oral question-and-answer session.
Lim also said that early retirement would reduce the number of experienced teachers, but could not be prevented as it was the right of every teacher.
"We cannot force them to continue serving, but the education ministry will try its best to encourage teachers to continue teaching until their mandatory retirement at the age of 60," she said.


Jump in daily cases past 22,000

Another 22,642 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 1,616,244.Selangor recorded 6,325 cases, Sabah 3,224, Kedah 2,279, Johor 1,832, Sarawak 1,667, Penang 1,427, Kelantan 1,424, Perak 1,390 and Kuala Lumpur 1,128.Terengganu recorded 744 cases, Pahang 522, Melaka 342 and Negeri Sembilan 269.Perlis recorded 44 cases, Putrajaya 21 and Labuan four.Active cases stand at 264,292 with 1,003 in the ICU and 490 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 20,798 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 1,337,134.However, 265 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 14,818.


Air Selangor seeks water tariff hike to cover rising operational costs

More than 9.1 million consumers in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya would see an increase in their water bills if a proposal by water supply company Air Selangor to increase the domestic water tariff this year is accepted by the government.
Harian Metro reported that Air Selangor acting CEO Abas Abdullah said the tariff review is being implemented for the first time after 17 years without any increment.
This comes despite the company recording revenues of RM2.45 billion, an increase of 12.38% from RM2.18 billion in the previous year.
"However, this increase is insufficient to cover operational costs and capital expenditure, and this will impact Air Selangor's long-term operations.
"Therefore, it is time to review and raise the domestic water tariff at a reasonable rate after 17 years without any increases," he said at a media briefing today.
He said the increase is a result of Malaysia's economic recovery post the Covid-19 pandemic and the adjustment of tariffs for domestic and special categories, effective from August 2022.
He added that the review was discussed with the National Water Services Commission (SPAN), which will determine the new tariff rates, and hoped a decision will be reached by the end of the year.
Abas also said the new rates aim to accommodate the increased operational costs and capital expenditures as most of the expenses are used for water supply infrastructure.
"Air Selangor does not receive any subsidies, and we hope that the water tariff can be increased gradually every three years so that sustainable water supply and water project management can continue for the benefit of consumers," he said.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari has denied that the water tariff would be increased.
"The water tariff is a policy matter that requires the decision and approval of the state administration.
"So far, the state government has not made any decision to increase the water tariff in Selangor," he said in a statement.


Varsities’ ranking race akin to Macau scams, says academic

A lecturer has hit out at the culture of pressuring academics to produce articles for publication in international databases such as Scopus or the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) as a measure of success, comparing it to Macau scams.Ahmad Murad Merican, a professor at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM), also urged the higher education ministry to have the courage to overhaul the publishing system for academic works, in particular for public universities.He said the move by public universities to boost their rankings in the international arena through the mass publication of journals in Scopus and ISI was akin to Macau scam activities which have seen Malaysians swindled out of millions of ringgit.“Macau scams cheat people out of money, but this involves the spread of knowledge that will be used by generations to come,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Every lecturer is forced to meet a key performance index (KPI) in preparing journal articles. If they fail, they will be punished including through the receipt of poor evaluations by the university management.”MalaysiaNow earlier reported the findings of two economists 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.“Macau scams cheat people out of money, but this involves the spread of knowledge that will be used by generations to come.”A 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.Prominent former academic Chandra Muzaffar later said the deterioration of Malaysia’s higher education standards was attributed in part to an obsession with world rankings as well as the absence of efforts to eradicate academic fraud.Universities not corporate companiesMurad, who teaches social and intellectual history at IIUM’s International Institute of Islamic Thought and Civilization, said lecturers already have a duty to educate, and that unversities need to realise the difference between fulfilling KPIs in the academic versus coroporate world.“This system should be discarded as it is not suitable for academics,” he added.“A study takes several years to complete, but universities ask lecturers to prepare four or five within a year, which is unreasonable.”“Lecturers are not factories to churn out journals according to the quotas set by universities.”He also voiced dissatisfaction with universities which reject submissions by lecturers who are not verified or indexed by Scopus.He said the obsession with publishing journals could be seen as a type of corruption as each publication costs anywhere between RM1,000 and RM5,000.“Lecturers are not factories to churn out journals according to the quotas set by universities,” he said.“It’s impossible to finish four or five journals a year as one study alone can take years to finish in detail.”If journals are published only for the sake of status and promotions, he said, lecturers would not be sincere in their task.“They will think that the study is only to achieve their personal goals when the original purpose is to impact society and bring about change.”He questioned the credibility and integrity of universities which mandate the publication of journals with the funding and support of the higher education ministry.“I don’t know where the brains of vice-chancellors and professors are,” he said. “I don’t know how they think.“In truth, they are the ones who are destroying the country’s universities.”