Half of Chinese adults now overweight, new report finds

Over 50% of adults in China are now overweight and 15% of the population is obese, an official report released on Wednesday has found.The National Health Commission report found that more than half a billion Chinese adults are classified as overweight.The figures have expanded significantly since 2002, when nearly 30% of adults were overweight.The country’s rapid economic growth in recent decades has led to major changes to lifestyle, diet and exercise habits.The report blamed decreasing levels of physical activity for the country’s expanding waistlines, with less than a quarter of the adult population exercising at least once a week.Wang Dan, a nutritionist in the city of Harbin, told the AFP news agency that many adults in the country now “exercise too little, are under too much pressure, and have an unhealthy work schedule”.A growing appetite for meat and a low consumption of fruit were also identified as factors behind the rise.This does not bode well for the nation’s health as a higher body mass increases the risk for a number of diseases including heart disease, stroke and diabetes.In October, the Chinese government unveiled plans to tackle rising levels of obesity.The issue of obesity has come under renewed focus during the pandemic as studies showed that overweight or obese individuals are more likely to suffer severe complications or death from Covid-19.China is not the only country to have seen an increase in the number of overweight and obese people in recent years as nations exercise less and grow fonder of previously scarce Western fast food.Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that levels of obesity across the world had tripled since 1975, including in low and middle-income countries.Almost 40% of adults were overweight in 2016 and around 13% were obese, according to WHO’s own estimates.


Rumah Bonda founder told to enter defence on charges of neglect, abuse

Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali was today ordered by the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to enter her defence against charges of neglecting and abusing a 13-year-old girl with Down syndrome known as Bella.
Judge Izralizam Sanusi made the order after finding that the prosecution had succeeded in establishing a prima facie case against Siti Bainun at the end of its case.
Siti Bainun, 30, had pleaded not guilty to charges of neglecting and abusing the teenager to the extent that the girl suffered physical and emotional injuries, in a condominium unit in Wangsa Maju between February and June 2021.
The charges were framed under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 which carries imprisonment of up to 20 years, a fine of RM50,000 or both, upon conviction.
The prosecution was represented by deputy public prosecutors Nor Azizah Mohamad, Zilfinaz Abbas, Zahida Zakaria, Fazeedah Faik and Shakira Aliana Alias, while lawyers Nur' Aminahtul Mardiah Md Nor, Mohammad Farhan Maaruf, Nurul Hafidzah Hassan, Asiah Abd Jalil and Nur Ellena Mohamed Razif represented Siti Bainun.
Also present were lawyers Khairul Anwar Rahmat, Ikbal Salam and Mohd Radzi Yatiman who were appointed by the Regent of Johor Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim to hold a watching brief.


New infections at 360 as death toll up by one

Another 360 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 5,027,457.
There were 423 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,978,792.
There are now 11,807 active cases, of which 11,197 or 94.8% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0%) are at quarantine centres while 580 (4.9%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 30 are in ICU with 16 in need of respiratory assistance.
One more death was reported, taking total deaths to 36,858.


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Virtual Apec summit cost only 20% of allocated budget

Putrajaya managed to save RM233.4 million of the cost of organising the recent Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, using only about one-fifth of the allocated RM300 million budget to host the global conference, International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali said.Azmin said the hosting of Apec 2020 cost RM66.6 million of the RM300 million initially allocated by the previous government as all of the meetings were held virtually due to the Covid-19 pandemic.He also said his ministry had returned the unused allocation to the finance ministry.He said the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government had set aside RM350 million for hosting the summit, including the cost of preparation in 2019 and settlement of other commitments in 2021.He said of the RM66.6 million for Apec, RM13.1 million was spent by the finance, tourism and home ministries, while the remaining RM53.5 million was used for the series of international conferences involving various other ministries.The summit held 146 meetings and conferences, ending with the Nov 20 Economic Leaders’ Meeting involving the heads of states of Apec countries.The summit hosted by Malaysia marked the first time the 21-member bloc meeting was held digitally.It used to be held with much pomp, with a famous tradition where heads of states would have to be dressed in a national costume of the host country.The last Apec summit was held in Papua New Guinea in 2018. Last year, host Chile was forced to cancel the summit following anti-government protests.Malaysia last hosted the summit in 1998 during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s first term in power.In his second term as prime minister, Mahathir announced the Apec summit as part of a timeline for him to step down to allow the transition of power to PKR president Anwar Ibrahim.The PH government however collapsed in February this year.


Indonesia teacher gets life in prison for rape of 13 students

An Indonesian court Tuesday sentenced a teacher to life in prison for the rape of 13 students, in a case that has drawn national attention to sexual abuse in the country’s religious boarding schools.Bandung district court in West Java found Herry Wirawan guilty of raping 13 female students, all minors, and impregnating at least eight of them.During the trial, it was revealed he had raped the children – many from poor families attending the school on scholarships – over five years.The pattern of abuse came to light when the family of a female student reported Wirawan to the police for raping and impregnating their teenage daughter last year.The revelations have sparked national outrage, with a senior government official saying President Joko Widodo has paid special attention to the case.Wirawan, 36, arrived in court in handcuffs and kept his head down as judge Yohannes Purnomo Suryo Adi sentenced him to life in prison.He had asked the judge for leniency to allow him to raise his children.The court also said restitution for victims will be paid by the government.More than 25,000 Islamic boarding schools – known as “pesantren” – are dotted across Indonesia, with nearly five million students living and studying in the dorms.Teaching is often regimented – students attend regular classes during the day and continue Koranic studies and Islamic teachings into the evening.The Bandung rape case has shone a spotlight on the problem of sexual abuse in the schools, with 14 out of the 18 cases reported to the National Child Protection Commission last year taking place in pesantren.


Overshadowed by floods, Muhyiddin urges delegates at Bersatu congress to join relief efforts

Bersatu’s fourth general assembly today saw its president Muhyiddin Yassin urging delegates to join efforts to help flood victims after a night of heavy flooding which ravaged several states including the state capital of Selangor.The former prime minister also announced a flood donation drive by the party with an initial fund of RM1 million to help flood relief efforts nationwide.“If you have to go home after this meeting, or need to immediately head home, then it is alright. We will not stop you, what is important is the people.“We are a party that supports and is always concerned about the people’s problems,” he said in his presidential address to Bersatu delegates in Kuala Lumpur today.Muhyiddin said he sympathised with party members who had to attend today’s meeting despite the difficulty in getting to the conference venue.He said the party had no choice but to go ahead with the meeting as it is a requirement under the party constitution as well as the Societies Act.Large parts of Shah Alam and Klang were inundated with flood waters since Friday night as heavy rainfall continued for more than 24 hours, forcing the closure of roads and highways.Authorities expect rain to continue in the coming days, with the Malaysian Meteorological Department warning of thunderstorms and flash floods in Kuala Lumpur.


GRS member Armizan denies betraying Bersatu

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Sabah, Sarawak Affairs and Special Functions) Armizan Mohd Ali has denied double-crossing Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin by opting to become a direct member of Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS).
He said he chose to be a GRS member due to Sabahans’ sentiment of preferring to be led by a local party.
"Now the sentiment in Sabah is for us to move as a local party. Judging by the current political landscape in Malaysia, we can champion the Sabah agenda more effectively through a local coalition," he told reporters yesterday.
Last Saturday, Sabah Chief Minister Hajiji Noor, who is GRS chairman, said Sabah Bersatu leaders had unanimously decided to leave Bersatu but would remain under GRS.
Armizan, who was involved in drafting the GRS constitution, said the coalition had provisions for individuals to be direct members and for a union of parties.
He reiterated that he had joined GRS as a direct member in October, before the 15th general election (GE15).
Armizan won the Papar parliamentary seat on a GRS ticket at GE15.
Asked why he had joined GRS when he was still a member of Bersatu, Armizan said the Federal Constitution and Societies Act 1966 did not forbid people from joining several political parties.
Armizan said he had not received any notification from Bersatu regarding the status of his party membership.


Canada Covid surge sees 100,000 new cases in two weeks

Canada’s second wave of Covid-19 infections has led to 100,000 new cases reported in just the last two weeks, data compiled by public broadcaster CBC showed Friday.There has now been a total of 400,031 cases in the country of 38 million people. The illness has been blamed for 12,470 deaths.It took just 18 days to go from 300,000 to 400,000 cases in a second wave of Covid-19 that has prompted several regions to reintroduce measures to curb its spread.They include Quebec province cancelling Christmas plans for many people with new rules restricting holiday gatherings and Alberta looking to set up field hospitals to help treat patients.By comparison, Canada did not cross the threshold of 100,000 infections until June, three months after its first Covid-19 cases were reported.In the past month, the average number of new daily cases has doubled to about 6,000.Almost 75,000 people have been tested for the illness each day with 7.4 percent having tested positive.An average of 2,377 Canadians with severe infections have also been hospitalised each day, 466 of whom are being treated in ICUs.Both community transmission and outbreaks are contributing to the spread, chief public health officer Theresa Tam said in a statement.She noted that cases are increasing among older adults, with those aged 80 years and older currently having the highest incidence rate.More and larger outbreaks are occurring in long-term care homes and hospitals while also spreading to indigenous communities and other remote areas.“These developments are deeply concerning as they put countless Canadians at risk of life-threatening illness, cause serious disruptions to health services and present significant challenges for areas not adequately equipped to manage complex medical emergencies,” Tam said.


PH trio in emergency committee insist on Dewan Rakyat sitting

The three opposition representatives in the Independent Special Committee to advise the Agong during the virus emergency today said they would keep pressing for Parliament to convene.They said Dewan Rakyat sittings are critical to ensuring checks and balance as well as allowing MPs to debate the measures taken to contain Covid-19.“As such, we will consistently convey this view in meetings by the Independent Special Committee and hope it will be accepted by committee members as a collective stand to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong,” said a joint statement by PKR’s Saifuddin Nasution, Amanah’s Dzulkefly Ahmad and DAP’s Loke Siew Fook.The three are among 19 members of the bipartisan committee tasked with advising the Agong on measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic throughout the virus emergency.


FGV takeover plan could bring Felda back on track

For the past year, Putrajaya has been embarking on efforts to rescue the Federal Land Development Authority or Felda, the government agency under the Prime Minister’s Department tasked with resettling the rural poor and organising smallholder farms, by taking over Felda Holdings Bhd (FGV) in order to restore its financial footing.Felda chairman Idris Jusoh says it will not be long now before FGV is wholly owned by the agency.“Felda has succeeded in taking over 81% of FGV’s shares together with the state governments of Pahang (5%) and Sabah (4%).“Our stake has now exceeded 90%,” he told MalaysiaNow.In a statement on Tuesday, Felda said this move was to enable the integration of the management of FGV’s land lease agreement (LLA) estates and the oil palm mills to boost efficiency in order to benefit both Felda and FGV.“Felda’s acquisition of FGV is an important part of the recovery plan for Felda which has been approved by the government for the benefit of 112,638 settlers and two million in the wider Felda community,” it said.FGV was first listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia in 2012. The company’s initial public offering or IPO listing took place during the administration of former prime minister Najib Razak.In 2019, Mohamad Azmin Ali who was economic affairs minister at the time, presented a Felda white paper which revealed that before FGV’s listing, the agency had generated its operating profit through the management of some 400,000 hectares of commercial farms.The document said that from 2007 to 2011, Felda had recorded annual net profits of RM200 million to RM1.1 billion, and that for the purpose of listing FGV, the agency had handed over management of its commercial estates through the LLA for a period of 99 years.“After FGV’s listing, specifically from 2013 onwards, Felda’s financial standing began to fall.“Felda reported continuous losses which reached a peak of RM4.9 billion in 2017,” Azmin had said when presenting the white paper at the Dewan Rakyat on April 10, 2019.Felda, founded by the country’s second prime minister Abdul Razak Hussein, was once a global example of how the Malaysian government tackled the resettlement of the urban poor in newly developed areas to boost their economic status.It focused on the opening of smallholder farms for cash crops, not only for the poor Malays but for the Chinese and Indians as well.Some of the earliest settlements such as Felda LBJ and Felda Lurah Bilut had taken in those from various races while in Sabah and Sarawak, settlers were from various ethnic backgrounds as well.Fadila Awaludin contributed to this report.


GPS says will resolve overlapping claims for 3 seats ahead of Sarawak polls

Sarawak ruling coalition Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) has played down concerns over overlapping interests in seats ahead of the state election, saying talks will be held to resolve the issue.Its chairman Abang Johari Openg said GPS would continue to work as a team ahead of the election, including over the three seats – Opar, Mambong and Bawang Assan.“There might be a bit of a problem with Mambong,” he said when asked to comment on the dispute over the three seats.“But we will discuss this later. These are only three seats, meaning three out of 82, so 79 seats are still fine. We can solve the issue.”He also said that concerns were premature as the Election Commission will only meet on the Sarawak polls tomorrow.Opar, Mambong and Bawang Assan are seats traditionally allocated to SUPP.In 2014, Wong Soon Koh, who is the Bawang Assan incumbent, broke away to form a splinter party known as the United People’s party (UPP).Four assemblymen – Dudong rep Tiong Thai King, Opar assemblyman Ranum Mina, Mambong assemblyman Dr Jerip Susil and Engkilili rep Johnichal Rayong – joined him in UPP.UPP at that point maintained friendly ties with the ruling coalition, Barisan Nasional, with the five contesting the 2016 state election under the Sarawak BN banner.But the political tsunami that swept across the country during the 2018 general election saw a number of lawmakers switching allegiance.The shock defeat of the BN federal government also witnessed the departure of four parties from the state chapter which went on to form GPS in July of that year.A year later, GPS ally Wong, who was UPP president, resigned from the Cabinet and rebranded UPP as Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).PSB eventually parted ways with GPS while its former deputy president Jerip Susil who was Mambong assemblyman resigned from the party and joined Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu.With the 12th Sarawak election around the corner, the Mambong seat is now under dispute as its incumbent Jerip is with PBB but SUPP continues to claim its traditional seat.There is also speculation that PBB leaders and members in Opar and Bawang Assan are keen to take on PSB in both seats.


Study ranks Malaysia among top 20 countries which best handled Covid-19

Malaysia has been placed among the top 20 countries which have done well in managing the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a recent study in Australia.Lowy Institute, a policy research think tank based in Sydney, compared publicly available and comparable data on the virus from some 100 countries, with Malaysia ranked 16th ahead of Finland, Norway and South Korea, the latter of which had earned praise for battling the virus at the initial stage.There was no prize for guessing which country topped the list.New Zealand, which scored 94.4%, has earned global praise for its handling of the pandemic, with only 25 deaths and fewer than 2,000 confirmed cases in a population of five million.Among the Southeast Asian nations, Malaysia scored 71% while Singapore ranked three places above with 74.9%.Vietnam came out top in the region and second globally, behind New Zealand with a score of 90.8%.Another Asean country which made it to the top five was Thailand, ranked fourth in the world with a score of 84.2%.Indonesia, which was placed at the bottom half of the list, scored a lowly 24.7%, joining other large countries.Brazil was ranked the worst at 4.3%.The US, ranked at number 94, appeared to be the only developed nation placed in the bottom 10 of the list, among countries such as Panama, Bolivia, Colombia, Mexico and Iran.China, where the deadly pandemic was first detected, was excluded from the ranking due to a lack of publicly available data on testing.The countries were evaluated based on the number of cases, deaths, cases per million people, deaths per million people, confirmed cases as a proportion of tests, and tests per thousand people.Lowy Institute however said no single country could be regarded as the winner during the 36-weeks exercise.“Some countries have managed the pandemic better than others – but most countries outcompeted each other only by degrees of underperformance. The severity of the pandemic in many countries has also changed significantly over time, with infections surging again in many places that had apparent success in suppressing initial outbreaks,” the study said.It said while rich countries had more resources to fight the pandemic, many developing countries were able to cope with the initial outbreak better than advanced nations. However, these developing countries lost their lead by the end of 2020 with a resurgence in infections.Malaysia’s Covid-19 infections took a turn for the worse in the aftermath of the Sabah election in September last year, triggering a third wave which forced health officials to warn of a crisis in public hospitals.Earlier this month, Putrajaya brought back the movement control order in large parts of the country, coupled with a state of emergency aimed at giving authorities wider powers to fight the pandemic which has claimed more than 700 lives.Lowy Institute said governments in developing countries had a greater sense of urgency to put in place preventative measures.It said technology is not a critical factor in taking preventive measures, such as lockdowns and SOPs such as face masks and temperature checks.“The relatively ‘low-tech’ nature of the health measures used to mitigate the spread of the virus to date, including large-scale lockdowns, may have created a more level playing field between developed and developing countries in the management of Covid-19,” it added.


Japan PM to reshuffle cabinet in 'damage control' amid Unification Church furore

Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will reshuffle his cabinet, removing some ministers with links to the Unification Church in a bid to stem plunging support amid growing public outrage over the ruling party's ties to the controversial group.
Kishida, in office since last October, will announce his new government team later on Wednesday in a reshuffle that has come earlier than analysts had expected.
But in the month since former premier Shinzo Abe was gunned down, the Liberal Democratic Party's (LDP) long-standing ties to the church have emerged in polls showing falling approval ratings as a growing liability for Kishida. Abe's suspected killer has said his mother was a church member bankrupted by donating to it, and blamed Abe for promoting it.
That has brought a rare public focus in Japan on the group, which critics call a cult, with lawmakers from the conservative LDP having previously appeared at events sponsored by church affiliates. The issue has helped drive Kishida's public support rating to below 50%, its lowest since he became prime minister.
"He's basically doing damage control," said political commentator Atsuo Ito. "What people are really watching is the Unification Church."
The religious group itself is set to hold a rare news conference with foreign media late on Wednesday.
Kishida is set to remove several members from his cabinet, according to Japanese media reports, with the Mainichi newspaper saying as many as seven could be replaced. A number of cabinet members have publicly disclosed links to the church, such as speaking at events of church-affiliated organisations.
Defence Minister Nobuo Kishi, Abe's brother, is leaving the cabinet, although local media reports said that is due to his health problems.
Kishi has previously said Unification Church members worked on his election campaigns. He is due to be replaced by Yasukazu Hamada, who held the position once before, media said.
Koichi Hagiuda, the trade minister, will become head of the LDP's policy research council, a heavyweight job. That appointment is seen as an attempt to appease members of the Abe faction, the party's biggest.
Hagiuda has publicly acknowledged attending an event held by a church-related group.
Shunichi Suzuki, currently finance minister, will remain in his post, government and LDP sources told Reuters on Tuesday, while multiple media reports have said Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno will also stay on.
Kishida, who has said he himself has no with the Unification Church, has said new cabinet members and party officials will have to "thoroughly review" their links to the group, a sign he wanted to take a strict line.
He was originally expected to reshuffle his cabinet in September, but that was brought forward as his support tumbled.
In the latest public opinion polls, his support had fallen to 46% from 59% just three weeks ago, public broadcaster NHK said on Monday.


Heavy security, roads closed after farmer riots in India

Indian police imposed heavy security and closed several main roads around New Delhi on Wednesday a day after farmers went on the rampage in the capital, leaving one person dead and dozens injured.The violence marked a dramatic escalation in a standoff between the government and thousands of farmers camped out on the outskirts of the city since late November.The farmers, mostly from northern Indian states including Punjab, want new agricultural reforms scrapped that they fear will leave them at the mercy of big corporations.On Tuesday – during annual Republic Day parade – convoys of farmers on tractors smashed through barricades to converge on the city centre, seeing off police baton charges and volleys of tear gas.One farmer was killed in what police said was an accident after his tractor overturned after hitting a barricade. At least 86 police were injured, an official statement said.Around the city, security forces fought running battles with demonstrators. Farmers also laid into police with branches and metal bars and hijacked buses used to block their convoys.At the historic Red Fort landmark farmers broke through police lines and put up their own emblem on the flagpole to cheers from the large crowd before being dispersed from the ramparts by security forces.On one main road, people on rooftops threw petals on the tractor convoys. Elsewhere people cheered and applauded as farmers went past waving Indian flags and blowing horns.As night fell, the farmers retreated to the camps outside the city where they have been braving Delhi’s chilly winter nights since late November.Home Minister Amit Shah ordered 15 companies of paramilitaries to boost security forces in the capital, according to media reports.On Thursday morning a number of major roads were blocked by police and security forces set up barricades, leading to major traffic congestion. Riot police were stationed near the Red Fort.Blow for ModiSmaller farmer demonstrations were held in Mumbai and Bangalore and in the rural state of Haryana on Tuesday.The unrest was a major embarrassment for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, for whom the farmer protests represent the biggest challenge since coming to power in 2014.Farming has long been a political minefield, with nearly 70% of the population drawing its livelihood from agriculture in the vast nation of 1.3 billion people.The government has offered to suspend the reforms for 18 months, but farmer unions – who insist they did not condone Tuesday’s violence – want nothing short of the laws being binned.The government says that the farmers have been manipulated by opposition parties which have largely backed the protests.It insists the reforms will allow farmers to sell to private buyers instead of just at state markets.Ten rounds of talks between farm unions and ministers have failed to break the deadlock.Singh, a “Nihang” Sikh warrior wearing an electric-blue robe and a foot-high turban, had a clear message for the government.“We’re ready to die. This government has been ignoring us for long but they can no longer do that,” Singh told AFP at the 400-year-old fort.Majid Ali, 55, who lives near the Red Fort said he was appaled by what happened at the landmark but backs the farmers.“I’ve never seen this much security in my life… If the farmers don’t fight for their rights and lives, how will we eat? I am with the farmers,” Ali told AFP.


MySejahtera data fully owned by govt, Khairy tells Dewan Negara

The data and information acquired from the use of the MySejahtera application is fully owned by the government of Malaysia, the Dewan Negara was told today.Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said this was among the key terms in the non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between the National Security Council for the government and KPISOFT on April 1, 2020. He also assured that all of the data kept in the MySejahtera database was protected and only for the control of the pandemic by the health ministry.“In this regard, the usage and management of MySejahtera data is subject to the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases 1988 (Act 342) , the Medical Act 1971 (Act 50) and international standards.“Apart from that, the transaction data from the MySejahtera application uploaded into the cloud server network daily can only be accessed for the use of MySejahtera as well as the supporting applications related to Covid-19 pandemic,” he said when winding up the motion on the MySejahtera application at the Dewan Negara today.On the security of the application and data, he said the Malaysian Administrative Modernisation and Management Planning Unit (Mampu) and National Cyber Security Agency (Nacsa) had conducted various tests to ensure that the application was safe and passed the penetration and vulnerability test before it was launched.He said Nacsa also conducts monthly security audits and carries out penetration tests as well as audit trails to the server keeping the MySejahtera data.“If anyone attempts to log in and take data from our server, we will know who logged in the data,” he said.Nacsa via the Cyber Coordination and Command Centre (NC4) also monitors security continuously on MySejahtera to detect intrusions and reviews the MySejahtera application operator company which has also received the ISO270001 (ISMS) standard.Khairy said the standard was the specification recognised internationally for information security management systems covering policies and information security management, physical security and surrounding, communication security and human resource security.“Based on these facts I want to emphasise that all data and information acquired via the MySejahtera application is completely under the control of the government and its security and secrecy is assured.“I hope the people will continue to use MySejahtera without any doubts, and the health ministry  is always monitoring so that this aspect is not compromised,” he said.


8pm limit for food outlets to slow down night movement, but govt says ‘can revisit’

Putrajaya has defended the 8pm time limit for restaurants and food deliveries as able to reduce the movement of people at night, saying however that the ruling could be revised following appeals from businesses.“There will be less movement after this time with all business operations required to close at 8pm,” Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob told MalaysiaNow.The move drew criticism from a group of opposition MPs this week who said it was an incovenience to those who need to buy food after work as well as a hindrance to reviving the economy.They also called for eateries to be allowed to open for takeaway food according to their licensed hours.Ismail said allowing them to operate would mean that the movement control order (MCO) was no difference from the conditional MCO, under which Covid-19 cases had spiked.But he said the National Security Council (NSC), the main body tasked with managing the pandemic, would deliberate on the matter.“It will discuss with the health ministry,” he added.It is understood that the matter was raised during the NSC’s daily meeting yesterday, and that an announcement will be made soon.Former health director-general Dr Christopher Lee said he did not foresee more infections if only takeaways and deliveries were allowed.“The main concern is when people are dining in at restaurants,” he told MalaysiaNow.“But as far as takeaways and using food delivery services are concerned, the risk would be low.”The Medical Practitioners Coalition Association of Malaysia meanwhile proposed an extension of the closure deadline to 10pm.“We must take into consideration that there are also people working overnight and they may be hungry, especially frontliners,” said its president Dr Raj Kumar Maharajah.Ismail said the government was aware of the problems faced by businesses, and that the MCO this time had eased restrictions on more business categories.“During the first MCO, we closed all business activities, but now we allow them to operate subject to some limitations as we have taken into account the difficulties of business owners and the public,” he said.


Pilot blamed for Taiwan’s first virus transmission since April

Taiwan reported its first local coronavirus transmission Tuesday, blaming a foreign pilot for ending 253 days of being virus-free.Health authorities said a woman in her 30s had tested positive after contact with the pilot, a New Zealander working for a Taiwan airline.Health Minister Chen Shih-chung said the pilot had failed to “truthfully declare” his contacts and activities to authorities once he had been confirmed as a carrier.Authorities said the pilot – who faces a fine of up to US$10,600 – visited several establishments including a department store.The infection is a blow for an island that has been lauded for its pandemic response, having recorded just 770 coronavirus cases and seven deaths after it shut its borders early and implemented strict quarantine rules.Since April 12 all positive cases have been from a small number of locals returning to the island and also among the few foreigners and migrant workers allowed in for business reasons.The vast majority of arrivals have to quarantine for two weeks and must test negative, a measure which – until Tuesday – had successfully kept any carriers from introducing the virus to the local community.Pilots, however, currently undergo a less strict three days of self-quarantine after each overseas trip and the new case has already sparked debate about whether those measures should be tightened.Soon after the virus first emerged in central China, Taiwan shuttered its borders, ramped up mask production and rolled out a well-oiled track and trace programme.Within two months of its first outbreak, local infections had ceased.Throughout the year the island of 24 million has managed to avoid the widespread lockdown and closures that have blighted the rest of the world.It is on track to grow its economy by some 2.5% this year.


Najib's was the first individual account created with code name, witness tells court

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was today told that Najib Razak’s personal AmBank account was the first individual account created with a code name for the purpose of protecting information and preserving the sensitivity of the account.
Joanna Yu Ging Ping, 51, a former relationship manager at the bank, said Najib’s personal bank account ending with 694 was given the code name AmPrivate Banking - MR.
She said the idea of using the code name was both a request and suggestion by fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low.
"Jho Low also requested that this account be classified as in 'strictest confidence', where it was not easy to reveal Najib’s personal name to anyone, or anyone who had access to the account system at the bank’s branch.
"I recall being informed by former AmBank managing director Cheah Tek Kuang that this matter (code name) had been conveyed to the governor of Bank Negara Malaysia at that time.
"I would like to mention here that in all my dealings with private clients, this was the first time that an individual account was created with a code name," said Yu, adding that normally, code names were only assigned to certain corporate project accounts. Earlier, the 41st prosecution witness testified that some time in 2011, Jho Low informed her that Najib was keen to open accounts with AmBank and that Cheah should meet with the former prime minister to facilitate the opening of the accounts.
"Following the meeting that Cheah had with Najib on opening the accounts, I received the signed account opening forms from Cheah and passed them to the AmBank division to be processed.
"In relation to the opening of these accounts, I did not deal directly or meet with Najib himself. For all matters relating to Najib’s accounts, I dealt with Jho Low and later I dealt with former 1MDB CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil after receiving a mandate letter from Najib, listing Nik Faisal as his representative with the bank regarding his personal bank accounts," said Yu.
Reading her witness statement at Najib’s trial on the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB, Yu added that any instruction from Nik Faisal was taken as the instruction of Najib.
"This mandate letter only allowed Nik Faisal the authority to direct the transfer of funds between the accounts of Najib. He had no authority and could not make any transactions to any third party account or any cash withdrawals.
"All instructions relating to third party payments, transfers and all cheques drawn from Najib’s account could only be authorised with Najib’s signature," she said.
Najib, 69, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues on Nov 7.


Nearly 23% of population fully vaccinated as jab numbers top 22 million

A total of 22,152,367 doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered nationwide under the National Covid-19 Immunisation programme as of yesterday.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said 14,711,532 doses were administered as first doses, while 7,440,835 doses were administered to second-dose recipients.According to percentage, 45% of the country’s population has received a first dose and 22.8% have completed both doses of vaccination, he said.On the daily vaccination rate, 483,368 doses were administered yesterday with 240,394 doses as first doses and 242,974 doses as second doses.


Batang Kali landslide Malaysia's second worst disaster in terms of deaths

The landslide at the Father’s Organic Farm in Batang Kali on Dec 16 is Malaysia’s second worst disaster in terms of fatalities, after the Highland Towers condominium collapse in 1993 which claimed 48 lives, according to the Special Malaysia Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (SMART).
Thirty-one people were killed in the 2.30am landslide which saw tonnes of earth come crashing down on the campsite.
Eighteen of those killed were adults and 13 were children, with 20 bodies recovered from Sector A, one from Sector B and 10 from Sector C.
SMART commander Mohd Khairul Jamil said he was shocked by the number of victims in the landslide when they received an emergency call early that day.
"In previous landslides, only three or four people were involved, and when I was told that about 100 victims were involved this time, I was shocked. "I then ordered a team of 10 personnel led by SMART Heavy USAR sector head Mohamad Hafiezul Abdul Halim to go to the incident location. This Batang Kali incident is the second biggest in terms of the number of victims who perished, after Highland Towers," he said on a Bernama TV programme yesterday.
Hafiezul meanwhile said his team had been tasked with giving assistance in terms of expertise and advice to ensure that search and rescue work could be carried out more effectively.
He said the equipment carried by his team on the first day of the incident included structural movement sensors to monitor earth movements which could endanger the lives of the rescuers.
"Our team, among others, was tasked with giving advice regarding the use of heavy machinery in the area covered with sand and debris of about 20m deep," he added.
On preparations to tackle floods, Khairul said two SMART teams had been dispatched to help the related agencies in Terengganu and Kelantan.
He said the assets carried by the SMART teams to these two states include  boats, lorries and equipment to be used in the evacuation of flood victims.


Melaka Umno chief denies talk of leadership change

Melaka Umno liaison committee chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh has denied rumours of an impending change of party leadership in the state.The Tanjung Bidara assemblyman said there were currently no issues related to the state Umno leadership.“No issue. Up until today, the party is in its best condition,” he said when met by reporters at the Melaka Umno liaison body open house at his residence in Kampung Pulau, Masjid Tanah, last night.Yang Dipertua Negeri Melaka Mohd Ali Rustam and Umno vice-president and Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob also attended the event.Rauf, who is also the state’s investment, industry, entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman, described the rumours as part of the test of the political world.“I don’t consider that (rumour) as a threat to the position of Umno in the state. Everyone can express their feelings,” he added.


SRC International was a ‘one-man show’ by Najib, prosecution tells appeals court

Ad hoc prosecutor V Sithambaram today described the SRC International board of directors (BoD) as “puppets dancing to Najib Razak’s tune”, saying the running of the company was a “one-man show” by the former prime minister.“It was a one-man show… he kept everyone away and was in control of the SRC funds through the company’s CEO Nik Faisal Ariff Kamil.“Najib micro-managed the company to the extent of deciding on the appointment of SRC lawyers, auditors and which banks operated its accounts, functions usually carried out by the directors.“The appellant’s unique position in SRC, since its incorporation and subsequent conversion to an MoF Inc company, clearly proves that the appellant was not merely acting in an official capacity as part of the government mechanism.“The appellant’s control and dominion over SRC is evident from the fact that he had acted in his own name and not in the name of a principal, when he himself signed all the shareholder instructions that were subsequently executed by the SRC BoD,” he said.At the time in question, Najib was prime minister, finance minister and adviser emeritus of SRC International which was later placed under the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MoF).Sithambaram made his submission before a three-member bench led by judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil in the hearing of Najib’s appeal against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.The other two judges on the bench were Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera.The Penang-based veteran criminal lawyer said that the appellant, although not a formally appointed director, was in fact the shadow director of SRC International by virtue of the fact that the company’s BoD was accustomed to acting on his instructions.“It is pertinent to note that in any company, the shareholders appoint the BoD to manage the affairs and day-to-day running of the company which it shall do in the best interests of the company.“However, in the case of SRC International, the situation was reversed as the shareholder was instructing the SRC BoD through the shareholder minutes on operational, business aspects which are within the purview of the SRC BoD.“Former SRC chairman Ismee Ismail and former SRC director Suboh Md Yassin confirmed that the BoD had to follow the instructions from the appellant and execute them. Thus, the real shareholder of SRC was indeed the appellant,” Sithambaram said.“It is clearly evident from the shareholder minutes that, instead of allowing the SRC BoD to conduct the affairs of SRC, the appellant took charge of the company and gave specific instructions to divert the funds of SRC overseas, via Dubai, Hong Kong and Switzerland.“The purpose of the utilisation of these funds overseas had nothing to do with the purpose for which SRC obtained the funds from the Retirement Fund Incorporated (KWAP), namely for natural resources development,” he added.Sithambaram said Najib had acted solely for his personal benefit as SRC International did not utilise the RM4 billion loan from KWAP for the purpose for which it was granted and had nothing to show for it, as confirmed by the 45th prosecution witness, former treasury secretary-general Wan Abdul Aziz Wan Abdullah.“The evidence of PW45 did not show a single project that was undertaken or completed by SRC by utilising the RM4 billion loan given to it. The money just disappeared,” he said.The Kuala Lumpur High Court on July 28 last year sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and fined him RM210 million after finding him guilty on seven charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and abuse of position involving RM42 million in SRC International funds.The hearing of the appeal continues.


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Lawyer says Agong acts on advice of Pardons Board, including PM, ahead of fresh bid for Najib's freedom

A senior lawyer has disagreed with a claim that the power of pardon is ultimately the sole discretion of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, ahead of an audience by Umno to plead for the freedom of jailed former leader Najib Razak.
Zainur Zakaria, who was once part of Anwar Ibrahim's defence team, said the Agong was expected to act on the advice of the Pardons Board, which includes the prime minister.
"The YDPA (Agong) does not act as a court to review court decisions.
"The YDPA has no power and neither is it his role to review the decisions of the courts on the law and facts," said Zainur, believed to be in response to a claim by PKR MP Hassan Karim that the Agong would not need to listen to the prime minister or the Cabinet in granting a royal pardon to Najib.
Hassan had said that as long as Anwar does not interfere in the process of pardon, there was no question of his administration's survival coming under threat in the event of Najib leaving jail.
But Zainur said as a member of the Pardons Board, Anwar would be part of the decision-making process to advise the Agong on whether Najib should be granted a pardon.
Earlier today, Anwar said there was no conflict of interest despite his involvement in the process of considering a royal pardon for Najib.
Some analysts had warned that the renewed bid for a royal pardon for Najib could spell trouble for Anwar's coalition government, formed last year after Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi committed the 26 MPs from his party to back the PKR leader for the top office.
They also pointed out that Najib's influence in Umno was stronger than that of Zahid, and that the outcome of the pardon process would ultimately affect the Umno president.
The Umno Supreme Council yesterday criticised last week's Federal Court decision dismissing Najib's bid for a review of his conviction in the SRC International case, for which he is currently serving 12 years at Kajang Prison.
The five-panel bench headed by judge Abdul Rahman Sebli had dismissed the review application in a 4-1 majority decision.
Abdul Rahman, the sole dissenting judge, however opined that it was wrong for the Federal Court panel headed by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat not to allow more time for Najib's newly appointed counsel to prepare for the final appeal in August last year.
Zainur meanwhile said it would not make sense for Najib's lawyer to use Abdul Rahman's view in future appeals.
"Why should the Pardons Board and the Agong take into account this sole dissenting judgment and reject the four majority judgments in considering Najib's petition?" said Zainur, a former vice-president of PKR's predecessor Parti Keadilan Nasional.


After Covid-19 washout last year, Ramadan bazaar traders raring to go

After a year-long hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Ramadan bazaars have been given the green light to reopen this fasting month – and traders are champing at the bit.For Ros Sahilla Atira and her husband, Mohamad Hafiz, this year will mark their first ever Ramadan bazaar.The couple, who hail from Terengganu, specialise in local cuisine including nasi dagang and pulut nyior. They used to work at a canteen in a primary school but their contract was terminated in December as health measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 kept school gates nationwide closed.Even before that, they had struggled to turn a profit as most students were advised to bring their own food from home.Once their contract ended, they knew they could no longer stay in Terengganu. Armed with just their savings, they moved to Selayang in Gombak, Selangor, in search of a fresh start.“It was a last-minute decision,” Ros Sahilla told MalaysiaNow. “We couldn’t keep staying in Terengganu, so we decided to move here and start over.”They have only been in Selayang a month but already, they know they are happy.“Our business is performing better here than it did in Terengganu,” Ros Sahilla said.“I am so happy to have the opportunity to join the bazaar next week.”Each year, the bazaar gives her an opportunity to sell an assortment of finger food which brings her profits of up to RM10,000 a month.It’s no surprise that she refers to Ramadan as her “bonus month”.When the movement restrictions last year kept Ramadan bazaars off the calendar, she was forced to move her business online.The money she made was nowhere near what she would have earned at a traditional stall.“But we were more than grateful that we could still run our business.”This year, she hopes to attract more customers despite the strict physical distancing which she intends to enforce.Her ambitions are high: she aims to sell 1,000 pieces of samosa and 400 curry puffs when the bazaar opens next week.“We lost our opportunity when the bazaar was closed last year. So this year, I really hope we will have bigger crowds.”Ice-cold drinks are a must at any Ramadan bazaar, where many go to break their fast at the end of the day.Mindful of Covid-19 SOPs, the authorities have allocated each stall an additional three feet of space to ensure a sufficient distance between traders.“I’m sure there won’t be any challenge maintaining physical distancing,” Salwani said.Like Ros Sahilla and Hafiz, Amirul Ikmal Izhar will be running a stall at the Ramadan bazaar for the first time this year and he hopes to collect many good memories.Amirul, who sells blended ice flavoured with a variety of syrups, is looking forward to the crowds to come.“I am sure that everyone misses Ramadan bazaars a lot,” he said. “It’s an event that we all look forward to annually, and now it’s returning. So for this year, I do think we will see a massive crowd.”But he also hopes that buyers and sellers alike will not take the permission granted by the authorities for granted.“As sellers, we will definitely follow the SOPs as intended by the government. I hope the customers will follow them as strictly as we do. We have to take the precautions seriously.”


Anti-vaxxers could face public transport ban in France

People who fail to get a Covid-19 vaccination could be banned from using public transport in France, according to a draft law sparking angry protests from opposition politicians on Tuesday.Prime Minister Jean Castex on Monday got his cabinet’s backing for a bill that is designed to provide a legal framework for dealing with health crises, including the coronavirus pandemic.According to the text, which will now be submitted to parliament, a negative Covid test or proof of a “preventative treatment, including the administration of a vaccine” could be required for people to be granted “access to transport or to some locations, as well as certain activities”.The government’s vaccination campaign is to start on Sunday, and officials already face widespread resistance to a treatment developed in record time since the outbreak hit Europe early this year.A recent poll by the Journal du Dimanche newspaper found that 59% of respondents said they would not get a Covid shot, one of the highest rates in the European Union.President Emmanuel Macron has promised that coronavirus vaccinations, though strongly recommended, will not be mandatory, a pledge reiterated by Health Minister Olivier Veran on Tuesday.“I say it once again, vaccination is not mandatory,” Veran said, while also appearing to leave the door open to modifications of the bill as it “matures” during parliamentary debates.But opposition politicians condemned the draft law, with Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right RN party, calling it an “essentially totalitarian” measure.“In a backhanded way, this bill does not aim to make vaccinations mandatory, but will prevent anybody who doesn’t comply from having a social life,” she said.‘Suspend our freedoms’RN party spokesman Sebastien Chenu said Macron’s government was planning “a health dictatorship”.Guillaume Peltier, deputy leader of the centre-right LR party, said it was “inconceivable” that the government should be allowed to “get all the power to suspend our freedoms without parliamentary control”.Centrist senator Nathalie Goulet said the draft was “an attack on public freedoms”, while the far-left deputy Alexis Corbiere said “we could at least have a collective discussion if the idea is to limit our public liberties.”Laureline Fontaine, a law professor at the Sorbonne Nouvelle university in Paris, told AFP that the draft bill would effectively curb parliament’s powers, “because these exceptional measures could all be implemented by decree”.“It potentially gives nearly unlimited powers to the executive authorities,” she said.Public-sector minister Amelie de Montchalin tried to quell the opposition, saying the bill was “not at all made to create exceptional powers for the government” or “create a health state”.She said there would be a debate about the bill during which “everything that needs clarification will be clarified”.The EU gave the green light for a Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine on Monday, paving the way for the first inoculations to start across 27 countries just after Christmas.


Australia inquiry says former PM Morrison misled cabinet on debt recovery scheme

An Australian inquiry into an automated welfare debt recovery programme said on Friday former prime minister Scott Morrison, in an earlier ministerial role, had misled the cabinet about the scheme.
The report also recommended unnamed individuals be referred for civil and criminal prosecution over the "robodebt" programme designed to ensure welfare recipients were not under-reporting their income and over-receiving government payments.
Computer algorithms for the scheme, in place from July 2015 to November 2019, wrongly calculated that hundreds of thousands of Australians owed money and with little to no human oversight it recovered US$1.17 billion (about RM5.4 billion).
"The robodebt scheme was a gross betrayal and a human tragedy... it was wrong, it was illegal," Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said during a media briefing, after the release of the nearly 1,000-page report from a Royal Commission, the most powerful type of government inquiry.
The report said Morrison, who in 2015 monitored the rollout of the programme as the federal social services minister, took the proposal to the cabinet without necessary information.
"He failed to meet his ministerial responsibility to ensure that cabinet was properly informed about what the proposal actually entailed and to ensure that it was lawful," it said.
The commission also rejected some evidence by Morrison, calling it "untrue."
Morrison, who was prime minister from August 2018 to May 2022 and remains a member of parliament, did not immediately respond to a request seeking comment.
In 2020, he apologised in parliament for distress caused by the robodebt scheme but did not admit any legal liability.
A federal court in 2021 approved a A$1.8 billion settlement after Morrison's government agreed to settle a class action brought by the victims.
The report did not name the individuals it recommended for prosecution, but the commission said relevant parts of the report had been submitted to several federal agencies, including the Australian Federal Police.


Education ministry to provide lockers to address heavy school bags issue

The education ministry will provide lockers at primary schools in two phases starting this year as an approach to address the issue of heavy school bags for children.Education Minister Radzi Jidin said the first phase will involve Standard One, Two and Three students in schools operating in dual sessions, covering 323,186 pupils from 10,662 classes with an estimated allocation of RM37.3 million.The second phase, which is expected to start in 2023, will involve pupils in Standard Four, Five and Six in schools operating in dual sessions.For single-session schools, pupils will keep their books in the drawers of their desks, he said in a statement.Schools will also have timetables with three to four subjects daily, with the flexibility to prepare timetables according to a weekly rotational system.Radzi said exercise books will also be limited to two books per subject with each book not to exceed 80 pages.Pupils are only allowed to use activity books provided by the education ministry while workbooks can only be used as reference materials.“Teachers are encouraged to use a student-centred teaching and learning approach, namely thematic, modular and project-based learning, virtual lab or differentiated learning,” he said.He also said that the ministry would continue producing new textbooks in digital format, adding that to date, a total of 692 textbook titles have been uploaded on the Digital Educational Learning Initiative Malaysia platform.Meanwhile, Radzi said education ministry is in talks with the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) to give flexibility to students to wear their respective school uniforms during Kafa school sessions.“The ministry will closely monitor the implementation of all the approaches outlined. The monitoring will be done by a task force that will periodically report on the implementation of the initiatives to address the issue of heavy school bags,” he said.He added that the education ministry will continue to work closely with parents and guardians in resolving the issue, especially to ensure that students bring along books as required in their timetables, and enhance engagement sessions with parent-teacher associations.


White House imposes sanctions on Moscow for poisoning opposition leader Navalny

The Biden administration slapped sanctions on Russian officials and businesses on Tuesday, after the US intelligence community concluded that opposition leader Alexei Navalny was nearly killed by a nerve-agent poisoning attack carried out by a Russian spy agency, reports the New York Post.“The Kremlin’s use of chemical weapons to silence a political opponent and intimidate others demonstrates its flagrant disregard for international norms. We join the EU in condemning Alexei Navalny’s poisoning as well as his arrest and imprisonment by the Russian government,” Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement announcing the move.Administration officials did not identify who would be targeted by the sanctions, the first against Moscow by President Joe Biden.The action was taken in coordination with the European Union, which has already hit some Russian officials with sanctions over Navalny, a top rival of President Vladimir Putin.“The US is neither seeking to reset our relations with Russia, nor are we seeking to escalate,” an administration official said during a conference call with the press ahead of the announcementThe US intelligence community found with a high degree of confidence that Russia’s Federal Security Service poisoned Navalny last August using the Russian nerve agent Novichok.Navalny returned to Russia in January after recuperating in Germany and was immediately arrested on allegations he violated parole.The Trump administration leveled sanctions against Russia and expelled a number of diplomats in 2018 for using Novichok to poison Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Britain but did not impose sanctions for Navalny’s poisoning.Putin has always denied poisoning Navalny, saying if his security services had done the job Navalny would not have survived.The sanctions are the first of several steps the Biden administration will take to “respond to a number of destabilising actions”.The Biden administration is also expected to announce sanctions soon against Moscow for the SolarWinds attack in which Russian hackers breached the computer systems of more than a hundred private businesses in the US and scores of federal government agencies, including the treasury and justice departments.


Govt only helping EPF dig a deeper financial hole

The Consumers Association of Penang (CAP) has cautioned the government several times about allowing Employees Provident Fund (EPF) members to withdraw their savings through i-Lestari and i-Sinar in 2020, i-Citra in July 2021, and the special withdrawal in March 2022. However, these warnings fell on deaf ears.
EPF funds are meant for its members’ retirement and not for them to withdraw to tide over financial difficulties during the movement control orders. Such withdrawals will leave them impoverished.
Our concerns were proven correct when the media reported in early August that EPF members withdrew RM145 billion under the four withdrawal programmes, and almost RM10 billion from the impact of the employee share statutory contribution rate reduction programme, totalling about RM150 billion.
As a result of the withdrawals, a total of 6.62 million (52%) members of the total of 12.78 million EPF members under 55 years old had savings of less than RM10,000. Another 3.2 million (25.04%) of the age group had less than RM1,000 in EPF savings.
According to Deputy Finance Minister I Mohd Shahar Abdullah, EPF members can choose to contribute beyond the employee statutory contribution rate of 11% at any time. His suggestion is without basis, with no regard for the situation on the ground.
With the soaring inflation rate, people are finding it hard to survive each month and it will take the country a few years to recover. Is it realistic to expect the B40 and lower M40 EPF members to contribute more than the statutory 11% within the next few years?
According to the EPF, a person would need to save at least RM240,000 by the time he or she retires at 55 to cover basic needs such as food and everyday costs. That doesn’t take into account the depreciating value of the savings due to inflation.
In March, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said that EPF would have to “dispose of more overseas investments”. He also said it would have to cease domestic investments in the short to medium term if the special withdrawal of RM10,000 was allowed. This was not good news for the 14 million EPF members.
The combined effect of the employees withdrawing their savings and the reduction in their statutory contribution rate is to force the EPF to sell its assets to pay reasonable dividends. It paid a dividend of 6.10% for conventional savings and 5.65% for shariah savings for 2021, amounting to a total of RM56.8 billion. How can this go on? When the chickens come home to roost, there will be insufficient funds to pay dividends.
In these challenging times, the government must not allow eroding employees’ savings to help those who need financial aid. It must set up a fund and give financial aid to those who are in real need.
Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers Association of Penang.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Indonesian doctors, nurses protest proposed changes to healthcare laws

Hundreds of Indonesian doctors and nurses on Monday urged lawmakers to halt discussions on proposed revisions to healthcare laws that they said would dilute protections for medical practitioners.
Indonesia's Parliament in February proposed a host of revisions to current healthcare laws, including making it easier for patients to bring criminal charges against healthcare workers for malpractice and allowing foreign talent to make up for staff shortages in the Southeast Asian country.
The government has said the revisions are necessary to streamline the current laws. A health ministry spokesman, Siti Nadia Tarmizi, said the new law aims to improve services in the middle-income country.
But at least five unions have raised concerns, arguing health workers could be disadvantaged.
"Our fears are about legal certainty and protection," said Indonesia Medical Association chief, Mohammad Adib Khumaidi, who joined the protest outside parliament on Monday.
The head of the dentists' association, Usman Sumantri, questioned whether standards were in place to ensure that foreign doctors would improve the level of care in Indonesia, which already struggles with a shortage of health workers, especially specialists.
"We need to consider whether this could negatively impact Indonesian workers," he said.
It is unclear when parliament will finalise the law.


Daily caseload crosses 2,700 as death toll up by 4

Another 2,762 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,890,437.
There were 1,271 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,825,255.
There are now 28,720 active cases, of which 27,503 or 95.8% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,170 (4.1%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 47 are in ICU with 30 in need of respiratory assistance.
Another four deaths were reported, including two who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 36,462.


North Korea's Kim offers 'full support' to Putin on Russia Day

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered his country's "full support and solidarity" to Moscow in a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday, state media reported.
Kim sent the message of congratulations on the national day of Russia, one of a handful of nations that maintain friendly relations with Pyongyang.
His message, published by the official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA), did not directly mention the invasion of Ukraine or Moscow's involvement in an armed conflict, but praised Putin's "correct decision and guidance... to foil the hostile forces' escalating threats".
The North Korean people, it added, extend "full support and solidarity to the Russian people in their all-out struggle for implementing the sacred cause to preserve the sovereign rights, development and interests of their country against the imperialists' high-handed and arbitrary practices."
This is the latest message of support from Pyongyang to Moscow since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.
North Korea has described that conflict as a US "proxy war" to destroy Russia, and condemned Western military aid to Kyiv.
In January, the US accused North Korea of supplying rockets and missiles to the Russian mercenary group Wagner. Pyongyang denied that allegation.
And in March, Washington claimed to have proof that Moscow was looking to Pyongyang to supply weapons for its offensive in Ukraine, in return for food aid for impoverished North Korea.
As a permanent member of the UN Security Council, Russia has long held the line against increasing pressure on North Korea, which is under multiple UN and Western sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile programmes.


Reunion dinners under MCO a tall order for restaurants

With Chinese New Year just around the corner, restaurants are scrambling as they always do – only this year, they aren’t arranging tables to maximise their use of floor space, rushing to clean and decorate the place, or even hiring extra workers to deal with the flood of customers.Despite the recent easing of restrictions allowing two dine-in customers per table, they aren’t expecting many to come at all.This year, restaurateurs are racking their brains to deal with the unprecedented problem of how to serve customers who will be eating their reunion dinners at home, as the government’s movement control order (MCO) continues to see tight restrictions on nearly every aspect of social activities.While reunion dinners are an important part of Chinese New Year tradition, they are also a major source of income for restaurants which are usually booked out far in advance of the festival date.In recent years, some restaurants have even taken to serving customers in scheduled shifts in order to accomodate the crowds of people looking to enjoy dinner with their family members.All that has changed with the advent of Covid-19.The MCO, reinstated across most of the country on Jan 13, initially limited food businesses to takeaway and delivery services.A worker at a seafood restaurant in Kota Kemuning, Selangor, puts up a sign advertising set menus for delivery ahead of Chinese New Year.Restrictions were recently eased to allow customers to dine in, with a maximum of two per table.As reunion dinners generally involve a much larger group of people, those looking to share the meal with their family will still have to eat at home.This means that restaurateurs have been forced to rethink their existing marketing strategies and come up with a new plan for how to successfully promote their menus and sustain their businesses throughout the season.Vincent, who works at a restaurant in Damansara Jaya, told MalaysiaNow that some customers had made reservations for their reunion dinners as early as last year.“We had to contact these customers to check if they want to postpone their dinner reservations to sometime after Chinese New Year or have it taken away.“That’s all we can do for now,” he said.Stella, who manages another restaurant in Kota Damansara, said she was thankful that none of her customers cancelled their bookings even after the MCO was extended.“So far nobody has cancelled,” she told MalaysiaNow.This could be because people want to avoid the hassle of cooking at home, or because they prefer the option of ordering takeaway food and enjoying their meal in the comfort of their own home, she said.The restaurant is also sending out Chinese New Year promotions to customers which seem to be working well in securing orders.No customers are in sight but workers at a seafood restaurant in Kota Kemuning, Selangor, are hard at work processing orders made online.For Wong Wenshi, a restaurateur in Shah Alam, the game plan is to put a special twist on normal Chinese New Year fare and to be more flexible in order to restrategise.“Various special menus are catered for different target customers to cope during this challenging period,” she said.For example, the restaurant is providing combo set menus and festival menus for small and medium-sized families, as well as individual set menus tailored for corporate staff purchase and those who work from home.The restaurant’s signature crab and fish promotions also help reel in the customers.Given the restrictions under the MCO, the menus are offered at promotion price so that customers can enjoy their Chinese New Year meals despite the difficult situation.Another restaurant owner in Shah Alam said she too is focusing on offering small dinner sets.“We try to change our menu to simple sets so that it’s easy for customers to take out,” she told MalaysiaNow.It is also more convenient for customers to place orders and enjoy their meal with their family without having to fork out for large and expensive dinner sets, she added.A takeaway meal prepared at Wong Wenshi’s restaurant, complete with serving plates and cutlery.For now, the main options for takeaway and delivery are services such as GrabFood and FoodPanda. But some, like Wong, have additional plans for this as well.“We offer free doorstep delivery for those within a 5km radius of our restaurant for a minimum order value,” she said.“Customers can also make free arrangements for delivery service through phone calls and social media platforms like WhatsApp and Messenger.”But it’s one thing to deliver the food to the customers – preparation and presentation are an entirely different matter.“We have thought of several ways to enhance this by thinking from the customer’s point of view, so that we can provide close to the actual dining experience for them upon request,” Wong said.For example, steamed fish is delivered on the same serving plate used at the restaurant, accompanied by a portable gas stove so that customers can enjoy it as they would have if dining in.Serving customers well throughout this MCO-Chinese New Year will be a tall order, but they are willing to take on the challenge.


US aims to ramp up international tourism hit hard by Covid

The US Commerce Department on Monday will unveil a new strategy aimed at boosting international tourism hit hard by Covid-19 and government travel restrictions by streamlining the entry process and promoting more diverse destinations.The “National Travel and Tourism Strategy” sets a goal of 90 million international visitors by 2027 who will spend an estimated US$279 billion annually, topping pre-pandemic levels, the department told Reuters.“There are a lot of industries that are well past Covid – travel and tourism is not,” US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said in an interview.The federal government must do more to support the resurgence of travel and tourism to ensure the industry rebuilds to be “more resilient, sustainable and equitable,” according to the draft strategy document seen by Reuters.In 2019, the US had 79.4 million international visitors, a figure that plummeted to 19.2 million in 2020 as the pandemic hit and rose to just 22.1 million in 2021.International visitors spent US$239.4 billion in 2019, but just US$81 billion in 2019, the Commerce Department said.Before Covid, tourism supported 9.5 million US jobs and generated US$1.9 trillion in economic output.One of the strategy’s goals is to modernise entry procedures for visitors to enter and travel within the US.“We need to streamline the entry process,” Raimondo said. “It’s cumbersome and very paper-based and we want to move to a more digital process.”Other goals include promoting more diverse US tourism experiences beyond coastal states, reducing tourism’s contributions to climate change and building a sector that is resilient to natural disasters, public health threats and the impacts of climate change.One reason tourism fell so sharply was the US lagged many other countries in lifting Covid border restrictions that barred much of the world from entering. The US rules were not eased until November 2021.The US still requires foreign nationals to be vaccinated against Covid and nearly all international air passengers to test negative before travel. US airlines say nearly all other countries they serve are not requiring testing.Raimondo acknowledged testing is a “barrier” to tourism and that the US is an “outlier” but did not forecast when those rules might be relaxed.“I hear a lot about it from industry and I have been expressing that to the administration,” Raimondo said.


Aussie police take control of Solomon Islands capital after days of unrest

Australian police began taking control of the Solomon Islands capital Honiara on Friday after days of violent protests in the South Pacific island nation, witnesses said.Tear gas was deployed in Chinatown where looting and the burning of buildings continued on Friday morning and a new curfew was expected to be imposed later in the day, a resident told Reuters.Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who requested help from Australia, on Friday blamed foreign countries for stoking the violent protests, but did not name any.Many of the protesters come from the most populous province Malaita and feel overlooked by the government in Guadalcanal province and oppose its 2019 decision to end diplomatic ties with Taiwan and establish formal links with China.“I feel sorry for my people in Malaita because they are fed with false and deliberate lies about the switch,” Sogavare told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.“These very countries that are now influencing Malaita are the countries that don’t want ties with the People’s Republic of China, and they are discouraging Solomon Islands to enter into diplomatic relations and to comply with international law and the United Nations resolution.”China and Taiwan have been rivals in the South Pacific for decades with some island nations switching allegiances.China views Taiwan as a wayward province with no right to state-to-state ties, which the government in Taipei hotly disputes. Only 15 countries maintain formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan. The last two to ditch Taipei in favour of Beijing were the Solomon Islands and Kiribati in September 2019.Taiwan foreign ministry spokesman Joanne Ou said in a statement to Reuters: “We have nothing to do with the unrest.”Solomon Island resident Transform Aqorau said more than a hundred people were on Friday looting shops, before Australian federal police officers arrived.“The scenes here are really chaotic. It is like a war zone,” Aqorau told Reuters by telephone on Friday morning.“There is no public transport and it is a struggle with the heat and the smoke. Buildings are still burning.”He said later Australian police were “taking control of Chinatown”.A statement on the Solomon Islands government website said public servants with the exception of essential workers should stay at home “due to the current unrest in Honiara City”.Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne said Australia was sending 100 police personnel and was “clearly focused on stability in our region”.Australian police were previously deployed to the Solomon Islands in 2003 under a peace keeping mission authorised by a Pacific Island Forum declaration and stayed for a decade.Severe internal unrest and armed conflict from 1998 to 2003 involved militant groups from Guadalcanal and the neighbouring island of Malaita, and fighting on the outskirts of Honiara.


Turkey to talk with reluctant Taliban on Kabul airport plan

Turkey’s president said on Tuesday his country will talk with the Taliban regarding Ankara’s bid to operate and secure the airport in the Afghan capital, Kabul.Speaking after Eid al-Adha prayers in northern Cyprus, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan acknowledged that the hardline Islamist group had some “discomforts” over Turkey’s proposed plans for Hamid Karzai International Airport.“This process will also be discussed with the Taliban,” he said, adding that the group had previously negotiated with the US and “should hold these talks much more comfortably with Turkey.”He stressed that Turkey has always stood with Afghanistan, saying “imperial powers” have been there for decades, including in the past 20 years – an apparent reference to the US deployment that is drawing to a close.Erdogan’s comments follow Taliban warnings last week that Turkey should withdraw its troops from Afghanistan, along with other foreign forces.Nato-member Turkey has over 500 troops in Afghanistan and already plays a significant role at the airport. Its troops have not served on combat missions.The group called Turkey’s airport proposal “reprehensible”.On Monday, Erdogan called on the Taliban to end its “occupation of its siblings’ lands” and said the Taliban’s stance in Afghanistan did not fit how Muslims should treat other Muslims.The Taliban have been taking strategic border posts and pushing to gain territory in recent weeks, driving tens of thousands of Afghans to flee their homes. Many have been trying to get to Turkey, with more than 1,450 migrants found by authorities in eastern Van province.Afghan government forces have regained some posts and are refocusing their resources on strategic points and provincial centres.Turkey has been negotiating with the US over a proposal to operate and secure the airport. Erdogan reiterated that Turkey would do so only if certain conditions are met and said Washington had asked Turkey to stay on.“First, America will stand with us at the point of diplomacy and diplomatic relations,” he said. The other conditions are logistical and financial support.An agreement on the protection of the airport has become increasingly urgent as the final withdrawal of the remaining US troops and Nato soldiers nears a conclusion.Turkish-American relations have been rocky for the past few years over a host of problems, including Turkey’s human rights issues, Ankara’s purchase of a Russian-made missile system, Washington’s support of a Syrian Kurdish group Turkey considers terrorists, and the continued US residence of a Muslim cleric whom Turkey accuses of masterminding a bloody failed coup.Erdogan was speaking during a two-day visit to Cyprus’ breakaway north for celebrations to mark the 47th anniversary of the Turkish invasion that split the island.


Daily caseload dips to 2,200 as 3 more deaths reported

Another 2,239 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,478,112.There were 1,263 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,411,762.There are now 30,735 active cases, of which 29,516 or 96.0% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, four (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,170 (3.8%) have been hospitalised.A total of 45 are in ICU with 23 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 56.3%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 7.3%.Another three deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,615.


Cops reject Anwar’s ‘strange’ request to meet 2 hours before royal audience

Bukit Aman has rejected a request by PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim to be questioned on the same day he meets the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.This comes as police investigate at least six reports by Umno MPs who deny a list making the rounds claiming they will support Anwar to topple the federal government.Bukit Aman’s Criminal Investigation Division (CID) said the PKR leader had been called to give a statement today at 11am.“But his private secretary informed us that Anwar could only come on Oct 13, at 9am,” CID director Huzir Mohamed said in statement.He said police have postponed their appointment with Anwar and will announce a new date soon.A source privy to the matter said Anwar’s request to have his session with police just two hours before his royal audience at Istana Negara was “strange”.“It would not give him enough time to be dressed for the occasion, and it could also complicate police investigations which would normally take more than a couple of hours,” it said.Police have postponed their appointment with Anwar and will announce a new date soon.Last week, Anwar said Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had consented to a royal audience tomorrow, at which he would furnish details of his claim to having “formidable and convincing” majority support from MPs to form the government.Anwar three weeks earlier declared that Muhyiddin Yassin’s government had fallen, and that he was on the verge of forming a strong new administration.There have since been claims of several Umno MPs crossing over to Anwar’s Pakatan Harapan bloc.At least 10 MPs have denied suggestions that they would back Anwar for the prime minister’s position, including Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Ahmad Maslan, Bung Moktar Radin, Mahdzir Khalid, Idris Jusoh, Tajuddin Abdul Rahman and Shahidan Kassim.A few of them have also lodged police reports.Police have opened investigations under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.


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Ismail less savvy about PM-ship than Muhyiddin, says Mahathir

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob has less experience and knowledge about how to lead a country than his predecessor Muhyiddin Yassin, according to Malaysia’s longest serving leader Dr Mahathir Mohamad.Mahathir, who held the nation’s top office for two tenures across a total of 24 years, said Muhyiddin was more experienced than Ismail as he had held positions in various government ministries including as deputy prime minister before being sacked in 2015.“Muhyiddin might have the experience but it was Ismail who became prime minister this time,” he said in an interview with MalaysiaNow.“He is used to being a minister so he has less experience and knowledge than those who are used to being prime minister, and who have equipped themselves with the knowledge that comes with years. Their performance is better,” he added.Ismail was sworn in as prime minister on Aug 21 after Muhyiddin lost his fragile majority due to a group of MPs from Umno known as the “court cluster” who, led by former prime minister Najib Razak and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, withdrew their support for him.Before becoming prime minister, Ismail had held the position of deputy prime minister for about two months. He was also the senior minister in charge of the defence portfolio for a year and five months under Muhyiddin’s leadership.Muhyiddin meanwhile held a variety of portfolios before becoming prime minister, including home affairs, education, international trade and industry and agriculture.He was also menteri besar of Johor from 1986 to 1995.Together, he and Mahathir formed Bersatu in 2016 to counter Umno, led by Najib who was then embroiled in the 1MDB scandal.Bersatu worked with PKR, DAP and Amanah in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition which succeeded in toppling Najib at the historic general election on May 9, 2018.However, the PH government collapsed after 22 months due to internal pressure on Mahathir to resign as prime minister and make way for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim as agreed.Mahathir’s resignation in February last year triggered the fall of the PH administration. It was succeeded by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government led by Muhyiddin which saw Umno’s return to federal power.However, Mahathir and several other MPs refused to join the PN government, instead forming the Pejuang bloc.


‘Like prison’: Singapore migrant workers suffer under Covid curbs

Bangladeshi migrant worker MD Sharif Uddin used to spend his days off with friends outside his cramped Singapore dormitory, but coronavirus curbs have for 18 months left him stuck inside during his spare time.More than 300,000 migrant workers, many of them from South Asia, live in dorms in the prosperous city-state, where they are typically packed into shared rooms and sleep on bunk beds.The vast complexes were hit by Covid-19 and locked down at the start of the pandemic, while restrictions were introduced across the whole country for a period to prevent a broader outbreak.Curbs have been eased for most in Singapore, where – despite currently facing a renewed virus wave – vaccinated people can go out shopping and to restaurants, and borders are gradually re-opening.But it is a different story for the low-paid migrants, who remain subject to far more onerous restrictions that mostly allow them to travel only between their work and accommodation.“It’s a very painful life… like prison,” said construction site worker Uddin, adding that before the pandemic he used to meet friends at the weekend to drink coffee, recite poetry and gossip.“We’re only allowed to go to work and home, back and forth, and nowhere else. It’s like living under house arrest,” added the 43-year-old, who has worked in Singapore for 13 years and written two books about his experiences.Beyond heading to work, the migrants are allowed occasional trips to specially-built “recreation centres” that typically comprise shops set around a square, and sports facilities.‘Economic commodity’When the dormitories – self-contained and usually in out-of-the-way parts of Singapore – became the epicentre of the city’s first Covid-19 wave last year, it sparked national soul-searching.Calls mounted to improve the livelihoods of migrants who have for decades done the back-breaking work of constructing the financial hub’s gleaming skyscrapers, cleaning housing estates and maintaining public transport.The government pledged to take steps such as building new dormitories with more modern facilities and more space for residents.But the continued restrictions faced by the workers – who typically earn from S$500 to S$1,000 (US$370 to US$740) a month in one of the world’s most expensive cities – highlight how little has changed in reality, critics say.“Our government doesn’t quite see them as fully human,” Alex Au, vice-president of migrant rights group Transient Workers Count Too, told AFP.Authorities treat the migrants like “an economic commodity”, and fail to “accord them the same rights, the same freedoms that our citizens have,” he said.As criticism mounted, authorities in the city-state of 5.5 million started a scheme that allows a limited number to make organised trips to designated areas.About 700 participated in the scheme’s first month in September, and it was expanded at the end of last month to allow up to 3,000 workers a week from the dorms to participate.But this still represents only a tiny proportion of the workers.‘Psychological problems’The government maintains that continued curbs on migrants – who come from countries including Bangladesh, India and China – are necessary as there is a higher risk of virus transmission due to their living conditions.This is despite the fact 98% of dorm residents have been fully vaccinated, higher than the city-state’s overall rate of 85%.“Any easing of movement restrictions will need to be done in a careful and calibrated manner,” Minister for Manpower Tan See Leng told parliament last week.He also said authorities have improved access to mental health services.But this is little comfort for dorm resident Amir from Bangladesh, who longs to have the freedom to go where he wants.“I miss nature, open space,” said the 32-year-old construction site supervisor, who spoke using a pseudonym.“We can only see our dormitory life and our construction site. We cannot travel… cannot see outside.”For Uddin, change can’t come soon enough for the increasingly stressed migrant workers.“We are facing psychological problems,” he said, adding their “fundamental rights as workers and human beings” had been breached.“This imprisoned lifestyle won’t let a person live a healthy life.”


No healthcare personnel under probe over strike, say cops

Police say no investigation papers have been opened on healthcare personnel who participated in the Hartal Doktor Kontrak protests at various hospitals in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur on Monday.Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Abu Kassim said no healthcare personnel were under investigation in connection with the protests at several hospitals, including Hospital Kuala Lumpur.“So far no investigation has been initiated,” he said when contacted today.Selangor police chief Arjunaidi Mohamed also said no investigation papers had been opened in connection with the gatherings which involved contract doctors.However, he said the police had taken statements from some healthcare personnel in connection with alleged trespassing by media practitioners at the Integrated Covid-19 Quarantine and Treatment Centre (PKRCB) at the Malaysia Agro Exposition Park (MAEPS) Serdang.Arjunaidi said the police launched the investigation after receiving a report on the alleged issue.Sepang police district deputy chief Supt Md Noor Aehawan Mohamed said the MAEPS hall had been gazetted as a PKRCB, which is out of bounds for those not authorised to enter the place.“One of the journalists made a live coverage while inside the hall. So far, the police have recorded statements from 17 healthcare personnel comprising doctors and nurses who were on duty at the time of the incident to help in investigations to confirm the presence of the media practitioner,” he said in a statement.He said the case was being investigated under Section 448 of the Penal Code for trespassing.Police are also investigating the case under Regulation 17(1) of the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Regulations 2021 for the violation of SOPs, and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 for making a live recording in a prohibited area and showing patients receiving treatment.On Monday, police received a report that six media practitioners from various agencies had allegedly trespassed into the MAEPS PKRCB.


Booming illicit trade casts pall on hopes to ban smoking, even with tougher laws

These days, Muhammad Nazleen smokes anywhere from three to five cigarettes a day. Sometimes, the number of sticks varies and he ends up finishing seven instead.
For Nazleen, who goes by the nickname Naz, smoking has been a way of life since he was 16.
He began smoking due to the influence of his friends at school. At that point, he could only afford to buy one cigarette a day from his friends who would sell them to him at RM1.50 per stick after school.
"After I finished school, I bought my own cigarettes at the store," he said in a recent interview with MalaysiaNow.
"Now, I smoke about 20 boxes each month."
Naz currently lives in Bandar Baru Salak Tinggi Sepang and works as a salesperson at KLIA, earning RM2,050 a month. Of this, he estimates that RM400 to RM650 is spent on cigarettes.
Each box costs him about RM21, and he buys 20 or sometimes as many as 30 boxes each month.
The health ministry recently proposed the tabling of a bill to control tobacco use and smoking in the country. The bill includes a ban on the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2005, as part of a bid to curb the smoking habit among the future generation.
The proposal was met with mixed reactions, with strong objection from a number of associations and restaurant operators.
Others meanwhile say that banning cigarettes and vape products can help protect the low-income groups which are more prone to the habit than those in the higher income bracket.
In Malaysia, the highest percentage of smokers comes from the B40 or Bottom 40 group who have a household income of RM4,850 or less.
Concerns have been raised about the financial burden of smoking on the B40 group, especially amid the rising cost of living.
Rural folk disagree
In Gemas, Negeri Sembilan, a group of villagers said they were against the health ministry's move to ban smoking.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, they said it was akin to coercion.
Instead of enforcing a ban, they said, the health ministry should focus its efforts on educating the youth about why they should avoid smoking.
Zali, a rubber tapper in his 30s, said prohibiting smoking and vaping did not mean that an entire generation would stop or forget about the activity.
Instead, he said, it would open up opportunities for certain quarters to sell and distribute cigarettes on the black market.
"Right now, there's no way that villagers can buy cigarettes at stores," he said. "Only the rich can afford to do that.
"Most people here buy cigarettes that are smuggled in. They bring in cheap cigarettes from Thailand."
Zali estimates that a single box of illicit cigarettes costs between RM7 and RM10.
At these prices, the villagers spend only about RM150 a month on cigarettes.
"The old ones smoke after they finish work at the rubber and oil palm plantations," Zali said.
"At most, they smoke two sticks a day. Ten boxes a month is considered a lot. The young ones might smoke a bit more."
He said the villagers rarely heard complaints about the price of cigarettes as the supply of illicit cigarettes was always there.
Illicit cigarettes
Malaysia has been ranked as the country with the highest position in the illicit cigarette trade.
Some 64.5% of cigarettes in the country are illegal, and an estimated 12 billion cigarettes smuggled into the country are sold each year.
A food stall owner in Gemencheh who called himself Ashraf said even if the health ministry's bill is accepted and passed, it might not be obeyed given how difficult it is to confirm the age and identity of customers.
Citing his experience of running a business during the pandemic, he said he had dealt with many customers who refused to show him their vaccination status on MySejahtera.
"If you want them to show their ICs to prove their age, I think this will be even harder," he said.
"The majority of traders might just let it slide. That, too, is a risk," he added.
"How is the government going to make sure that traders in the rural areas and villages follow the rules? It's all a lot of trouble."
The health ministry has yet to release details on how it intends to implement its proposal, although the tabling of the bill in Parliament is expected to shed more light on its enforcement strategy.


Company director charged with offering Annuar Musa bribes to speed up KL Tower deal

Hydroshoppe Sdn Bhd director Abdul Hamid Shaikh Abdul Razak Shaikh was charged at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court today with offering RM500,000 a year for 15 years for the benefit of Annuar Musa regarding the takeover of the KL Tower concession last year.
Hamid, 49, pleaded not guilty and claimed trial to the charge of offering the bribe through Tan Ser Lay, 60, as an inducement for the then communications and multimedia minister to expedite the takeover process of the KL Tower concession by the company.
He was alleged to have committed the offence at the communications and multimedia ministry in Putrajaya between July and August 2022.
The charge, framed under Section 16(6)(B) of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) Act 2009 and punishable under Section 24(1) of the same act, provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years and a fine of RM10,000 or five times the value of the bribe, whichever is higher, upon conviction.
Hydroshoppe, as a commercial organisation, was also charged with committing the same offence with the same intention.
The company was charged under Section 17A(1)(a) of the MACC Act which carries a fine of RM1 million or 10 times the value of the bribe, whichever is higher, or a maximum jail term of 20 years, or both, upon conviction.
Hamid also pleaded not guilty and claimed trial on behalf of the company.
The court set June 2 for mention.
MACC deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat prosecuted, while Hamid was represented by lawyer Shu Ivy.


New infections fall to 2,500, death toll unchanged

Another 2,527 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,571,355.There were 2,359 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,505,199.There are now 30,385 active cases, of which 28,701 or 94.5% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 24 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,617 (5.3%) have been hospitalised.A total of 43 are in ICU with 22 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 63.0%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 9.6%.No new deaths were reported, leaving the toll unchanged at 35,771.