Turkey struggles to push Russia, Ukraine into grain deal to avert food crisis

Turkish efforts to ease a global food crisis by negotiating safe passage for grain stuck in Black Sea ports met resistance as Ukraine said Russia was imposing unreasonable conditions and the Kremlin said free shipment depended on an end to sanctions.The war between Russia and Ukraine, the world’s third and fourth largest grain exporters respectively, has added to food price inflation and put global food supplies at risk.Russia has seized large parts of Ukraine’s coast in nearly 15 weeks of war and its warships control the Black and Azov Seas, blocking Ukraine’s farm exports and driving up the cost of grain.Ukraine and the West accuse Moscow of weaponising food supplies. Russia says Ukrainian mines laid at sea and international sanctions on Moscow are to blame.Speaking alongside his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, Turkey’s foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said talks on Wednesday in Ankara were fruitful and restarting Ukrainian grain exports along a sea corridor was reasonable.Lavrov said the onus was on Ukraine to de-mine its ports as a precondition for safe shipment.Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters Russian grain volumes could only be delivered to international markets if sanctions were lifted. He said there were “no substantive talks about this yet”.‘Insufficient force’The United Nations is working on plans with Kyiv and Moscow to restart grain exports from Ukraine’s Black Sea ports, with Turkey possibly providing naval escorts to ensure safe passage.“A food crisis that was already affecting several areas of the world risks, with the war in Ukraine, degenerating into a global food crisis if action is not taken now,” Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio told a news conference in Rome.Among the many challenges, Ukraine’s ambassador to Turkey said on Wednesday that Russia was putting forward unreasonable proposals, such as checking vessels.A Ukrainian official also cast doubt on Turkey’s power to mediate the free passage of blocked Ukrainian grain.“Turkey as a guarantor is an insufficient force in the Black Sea to guarantee the safety of cargo,” director of Ukrainian grain traders’ union UGA Serhiy Ivashchenko told an online conference on Wednesday.He said it could take at least two-to-three months to remove mines from Ukrainian ports and that the Turkish and Romanian navies should be involved.Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said this week Ukraine had discussed with Britain and Turkey the idea of a navy from a third country guaranteeing safe passage for Ukraine’s grain exports through the Black Sea.Ukraine exported up to 6 million tonnes of grain a month before Russia launched its invasion on Feb 24. Moscow calls its action a special military operation.Volumes have since fallen to about 1 million tonnes as Ukraine, which used to export most of its goods through seaports, has been forced to transport grain by train via its western border or via its small Danube river ports.Even with increased loading and handling capacity, the state railway Ukrzaliznytsia said Danube ports and trains cannot compensate for the lack of seaports.Valerii Tkachov, deputy director of Ukrzaliznytsia commercial department, told Wednesday’s online grain conference the maximum volume of grain it can deliver to exports could rise to 1.5 million tonnes a month over the coming weeks from around 800,000 tonnes in May.But he said the was a significant build-up of grain wagons at border crossings and the cargo might have to wait at least a month to cross them.


Singapore steps up virus curbs as infection clusters grow

Singapore announced a slew of new coronavirus restrictions Tuesday including a ban on spectators at sporting events as infections rise in the wealthy city-state.After a partial lockdown and rigorous regime of testing and contact tracing, Covid-19 had almost disappeared in Singapore, with authorities in recent months reporting hardly any local transmission.But cases rose last week with officials announcing several new clusters, and in the last seven days 60 locally transmitted infections have been reported.A cluster at one of Singapore’s biggest hospitals has grown to 40 cases, including an 88-year-old patient who died on Saturday.Gatherings will be limited to groups of five and more people will be required to work from home, officials said at a press conference on Tuesday.Indoor gyms and fitness studios will be closed and numbers further reduced for conferences, weddings and funerals.Travellers arriving from most countries will be required to quarantine for three weeks instead of two.“The next few weeks will be critical for us,” said Health Minister Gan Kim Yong.He warned of further measures if the situation deteriorates, including the possibility of another partial lockdown.“With this set of measures… I think we probably will be able to avoid having to get to a circuit breaker situation, but we cannot rule that out.”Singapore’s infection numbers have been very low compared with the rest of the world, but the new clusters have raised fears of a resurgence in the tiny city-state, whose economy suffered its worst ever recession last year due to the virus.There are also concerns the clusters could scupper a quarantine-free travel bubble between Singapore and Hong Kong, due to begin on May 26 after an earlier failed attempt.Singapore beat back serious coronavirus outbreaks last year when the illness surged through crowded dormitories housing low-paid foreign workers, infecting tens of thousands.But by global standards, its outbreak has been mild – officials in the city of 5.7 million have reported about 61,000 cases so far and 31 deaths.


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US capital to lift indoor mask mandate

Residents of Washington will no longer be required to wear masks indoors as of next week, except in certain places like public transport and schools, the US capital’s mayor said Tuesday, as the city’s coronavirus caseload levels off.“Beginning Monday, Nov 22, DC will lift the current indoor mask mandate,” Muriel Bowser announced on Twitter.Private businesses can continue to make their own rules, she said, adding that masks would also still be mandatory in ride share vehicles, libraries, nursing homes, prisons and some city government offices.Washington had put the mask mandate in place in late July, for both the vaccinated and unvaccinated, amid a surge in infections tied to the rise of the Delta variant.The city has implemented relatively strict measures to curb the spread of Covid-19, as compared with other places in the US.However, the new guidance appears to be at odds with the standards set by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).The CDC still considers Washington to be an area of “substantial” Covid-19 community transmission and suggests that everyone wear masks in “public, indoor settings.”


TikTok bumps up video length to 3 minutes

TikTok on Thursday began letting users post videos up to three minutes in length, tripling the prior cap to stay ahead of competitors.TikTok is believed to have one billion users worldwide including more than 100 million in the US, and is especially popular with young smartphone users.“With longer videos, creators will have the canvas to create new or expanded types of content on TikTok, with the flexibility of a bit more space,” product manager Drew Kirchhoff said in a post.The option to post videos longer than the previous time limit of one minute will roll out to all TikTok users in coming weeks, according to Kirchhoff.“Some of you might have come across a longer video on TikTok already – we’ve been letting creators around the world experiment with the expanded format,” Kirchhoff said.TikTok, which is owned by China-based ByteDance, remains one of the world’s most popular social media apps but faces competitors such as YouTube, Triller, and others.Facebook-owned Instagram will be experimenting with video features to ride the hot trend, chief Adam Mosseri said in a Twitter post.Video sharing and viewing is driving a lot of growth at online platforms, and Instagram needs to “lean into” it more, according to Mosseri.“We are no longer a photo-sharing app,” Mosseri said in a video shared at Twitter.“There is some serious competition now. TikTok is huge; YouTube is even bigger, and there are lots of other upstarts as well.”US President Joe Biden in June revoked executive orders from his predecessor Donald Trump seeking to ban Chinese-owned apps TikTok and WeChat from US markets on national security concerns.A statement said that instead of banning WeChat and TikTok, the Biden administration would carry out a “criteria-based decision framework and rigorous, evidence-based analysis to address the risks” from internet applications controlled by foreign entities.


Cyberjaya restaurant offers in-car dining as SOPs continue to pinch

While the movement restrictions implemented to curb the spread of Covid-19 have caused havoc on the food and beverage scene, one restaurant in Cyberjaya is rolling with the punches and taking the opportunity to give customers a new twist on eating out.Like many other food outlets, Padi House saw a drastic drop in business due to the movement control order (MCO) enforced on Jan 13 – as much as 80%, according to a spokesman.Most eateries were forced to close down or rely on takeaway and delivery, the only method of serving customers allowed until today.But Padi House decided to do things a little differently.“We saw people sharing on social media that they’re having their meals in their cars, with a board as a table.“So we thought perhaps we could have this too, and serve proper meals with plates and cutlery just like a dining-in experience,” the spokesman told MalaysiaNow.Customers simply drive up to the entrance where employees hand out laminated menus. Once the MySejahtera app has been scanned, orders are made from the car and a number placed on their windscreen.When their orders are ready, customers are given a table that latches on to the steering wheel. After that, they can sit back and enjoy their meal from the comfort of their car.A slight honk and a wave signals to the staff that they are done. The paraphernalia for their “dining-in” experience is collected and taken back to the restaurant to be cleaned and sanitised, ready for the next customer.The spokesman said the inspiration for the idea came from airline meals which can be served quickly and are easy to eat.But the in-car dining experience is not all that Padi House wants to offer its customers.“We are now adding an outdoor theatre experience to make it more enjoyable and not so boring,” the spokesman said.Under the current phase of MCO, expected to run until Feb 18, dining-in at restaurants was prohibited until today.Now, customers are allowed to dine in although seating is capped at a maximum of two people per table to allow for physical distancing and other health measures.


No decision yet on cooperation for Melaka polls, says Umno

Umno has yet to decide whether to work with any party or to contest independently in the Melaka state election, deputy president Mohamad Hasan says.Mohamad, who is also Umno’s election director, said what was important now was that the party be prepared to face any eventuality in the polls.“Let’s not expect outside help for us to win. We must build our own internal strength,” he told reporters after a meeting with the Melaka Umno machinery in Alor Gajah last night.Also present were state Umno liaison committee chairman Ab Rauf Yusoh and Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan.Asked about the willingness of Melaka Perikatan Nasional (PN) to hold talks with Umno to avoid three-cornered fights during the polls, Mohamad said it was up to the state division.“It is up to the state Umno, and it will need to propose to central Umno as it cannot make its own decision. Must get approval from central (Umno). If central (Umno) says okay then it’s okay (to work with the state PN),” he said.He said the party machinery at the polling district centre level had been instructed to make preparations to face the election.Meanwhile, Mohamad said the memberships of Sungai Udang assemblyman Idris Haron and Pantai Kundur assemblyman Noor Azman Hassan were automatically revoked after they were on stage with the opposition.He said the matter was stipulated in the amendment to the party’s constitution, made at the Umno general assembly last year.A notification letter on the revocation will be handed over to Idris and Noor Azman in the near future.


Umno elections to be held within 6 months of GE after constitutional amendment passed

The Umno special general assembly today unanimously approved a motion to amend its constitution, allowing among others for party elections to be held no more than six months after a general election.“The party’s constitutional amendment was approved unanimously by the delegates in #Dewan Merdeka, #PWTC, #WTCKL on 15/5/2022. Alhamdulillah,” Umno secretary-general Ahmad Maslan said in a post on Twitter.The motion for the amendment, which involves Clause 10.16, Clause 15.3 and Clause 18.2, was tabled by Umno vice-president Mohamed Khaled before the 2,586 delegates present at the special meeting.Umno had postponed the party elections at its branches, divisions and the Supreme Council levels for 18 months after the 2018/2021 term ended on June 30 last year.The 18-month period finishes by the end of this year, meaning that Umno would have needed to hold elections before Dec 30, 2022.


Umno can’t go it alone, analysts say

Umno risks repeating its misfortune in the last general election if it ditches the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition, analysts say in the wake of suggestions by some party leaders that the Malay party could go it alone in the coming polls to return to power.They say parties which support Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s leadership have no choice but to acknowledge his popularity and remain in the ruling coalition, to ward off a challenge by Pakatan Harapan (PH).“There is an impression within Umno that it can be strong on its own. This impression arose following its winning streak in by-elections such as the recent polls in Slim,” Hisommudin Bakar, who heads independent research firm Ilham Center, said referring to Umno’s latest by-election victory in Perak.That seat, he told MalaysiaNow, was already an Umno stronghold, similar to other constituencies where the party had won by-elections since losing power in 2018.“Umno will not win a general election if it contests alone.”He added that the Malay vote would be split if Umno decided to work without PN, thereby giving PH the advantage.In 2018, PH succeeded in toppling the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, largely on the back of strong support from the non-Malays.But the coalition with Umno and PAS in three-way fights for nearly all the seats caused a split in the Malay vote, which worked to PH’s advantage.Realising this, Umno and PAS, the country’s largest Malay-based parties, inked the Muafakat Nasional alliance to strengthen political unity among the Malays.This cooperation bore fruit in a series of by-elections including in Cameron Highlands, Rantau, Kimanis, Semenyih, Tanjung Piai and Slim where they emerged victorious.Pollster Merdeka Center agreed that PH would profit if PN was divided.“It will be difficult for Umno if it doesn’t join forces with PN because the competition might become like it was in GE14,” said the centre’s executive director Ibrahim Suffian, referring to the three-cornered fights that took place in the 2018 general election.“The results will also turn out like GE14.”Another analyst said while Umno had been the dominant party under BN rule, in the current PN government it merely played a supporting role.“In the context of politics and government, Muhyiddin is the head of PN and he leads the PN administration,” Al-Azharri Siddiq Kamunri told MalaysiaNow.He said Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi is a “follower because Umno is one of the parties that support the PN government”.“So Zahid has to understand that and follow protocol,” Al-Azharri added.“As long as Umno is in the PN government, both Umno and Zahid must follow protocol as a party that supports the PN administration, which is led by Muhyiddin and Bersatu.”Why MuhyiddinAlthough both parties came from “the same DNA”, he said, many changes had taken place which made Muhyiddin more apparent as a credible leader.“First of all, Muhyiddin was a credible leader during his time in Umno to the point that he was able to become the deputy president of Umno as well as deputy prime minister.“Secondly, Muhyiddin is more experienced and managed to prove his leadership skills, becoming the 8th prime minister in only a short time.”He said Muhyiddin’s leadership qualities became even more evident when he succeeded in building what he called “a new political perspective” through Bersatu.He said this was in contrast with Zahid and Umno, whose support among the Malays would decline if they contested alone.“Fortunately, there is Muafakat Nasional under which Umno can stand with pride with additional support from PAS and its supporters,” he added.Fazreen Kamal contributed to this report.


‘They sat there and laughed’: Shock as AirAsia bosses smile over Thai CEO’s F-word on staff

An AirAsia Thailand town hall meeting that saw its CEO berating staff and using the four-letter word has angered internet users in Malaysia, with many questioning the smiling response from the airline group CEO Tony Fernandes and digital president Aireen Omar.Many expressed shock that neither Fernandes nor Aireen attempted to castigate AirAsia Thailand CEO Tassapon Bijleveld after the latter used profanity when a staff asked a question on the company’s new partnership with Gojek.“What’s your f—ing question,” Tassapon was heard telling a female staff, before turning to Fernandes to let him answer the question.While this was going on, both Fernandes and Aireen were seen smiling, even as Tassapon told the staff to “shut up”.While Tassapon is believed to have issued an apology some days later, many continued to question the response from the AirAsia group top executives.AirAsia’s Aireen Omar and Tony Fernandes (bottom) reacting to Tassapon Bijleveld (top right) while the latter berates an employee during a town hall meeting.“A girl got bullied in your virtual town hall and nobody apologised?” said one in a post on Fernandes’ Instagram account.“He just sat there and laughed. Disgrace,” came the rejoinder.One AirAsia employee penned his disappointment with the episode, saying it contradicts the company’s “Allstars” label to denote the non-discrimination of its staff.“AirAsia takes pride in their people and culture, and we take pride in being Allstars. Why is it then that I struggle to understand what sort of a culture we are perpetuating in allowing this to happen, then swept under the carpet, and that none of our management addressed or acknowledged this as a problem?”On Twitter, a user questioned AirAsia’s treatment of its employees.“Is this how AirAsia senior management treat its staff during internal meetings? So much for the public display of caring for its employees.”“A display of toxic, misogynistic company culture that’s really inexcusable. And highest ranks playing along pouting face,” said another.


US military ‘days away’ from completing pull-out from Afghanistan

The US could complete its withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan within days, reports say, amid increasing Taliban territorial gains in resurgent fighting.President Biden set a deadline of Sept 11 for US troops to fully withdraw, but recent reports suggest the pull-out could be complete by mid-July, well ahead of time.US officials told Reuters that around 650 US forces are expected to stay to protect the US embassy and Kabul airport.The reports come as a top US commander warned that the country risks sliding into civil war as the last US troops leave.On Tuesday, General Scott Miller said Afghanistan could face “very hard times” if its leadership was unable to unite once international troops leave.The warning from the commander of the US-led mission in Afghanistan came just days after the UN warned of “dire scenarios” as the Taliban took hold of 50 of 370 districts since May, encircling many cities and closing in on the capital Kabul.Afghan President Ashraf Ghani insists the country’s security forces are fully capable of keeping insurgents at bay, but many believe the withdrawal risks delivering Afghanistan back into the hands of the Taliban.“The security situation is not good right now,” Miller said in a rare news conference. “Civil war is certainly a path that can be visualised if this continues on the trajectory it’s on right now. That should be a concern to the world.”He accused the Taliban of failing to reduce violence in line with the agreement it struck with the US.The militant group claims to have recently captured more than 100 districts across Afghanistan – something experts tie to the lack of US air support to Afghan forces.Miller did not rule out the US using air strikes against the Taliban, saying, “What I would like to see is no air strikes, but to get to no air strikes, you stop all violence,” he told reporters.Other countries have now fully withdrawn their forces from Afghanistan.The last Italian soldiers deployed as part of Nato-led foreign forces have now returned home. Italy’s defence ministry said it had deployed more than 50,000 troops to Afghanistan since 9/11.On Tuesday, Germany brought to an end almost two decades of involvement in the country. About 150,000 Germans served there following the invasion in 2001.


Nigerian boy jailed 10 years for blasphemy to go free after appeal

A 13-year-old boy who was handed a ten-year jail sentence for blasphemy last year will now walk free.He was convicted by an Islamic court in August for making uncomplimentary remarks about Allah during an argument with a friend in northern Kano state.A secular appeals court overturned the sentence on Thursday, saying the child was just a minor.The shariah court sentence sparked international condemnation.In September 120 volunteers offered to serve part of the 10-year jail sentence given to the boy.The UN children’s agency, Unicef, said at the time the ruling “negated all core principles of child rights and child justice that Nigeria has signed on to”.However, the authorities in Kano state appear unhappy with the dismissal of the case against the minor.The state Attorney-General Musa Lawan told the BBC that they would consider appealing against the ruling.The teenager’s parents have disassociated themselves from their son due to the shame his case has brought upon the family.Kano is one of 12 Nigerian states practising the shariah legal system alongside the country’s secular laws.Muslims form the majority in northern Nigeria, and only Muslims can be tried in shariah courts.The appeals court has also ordered a retrial in another blasphemy case, involving singer Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, which has aroused more passion in Kano than the boy’s case.The singer was sentenced to death by the shariah court for using lyrics deemed blasphemous against the Prophet and many are demanding his execution.


Two human heads left at Mexico polling stations

Two heads and other human remains were left at polling stations in the Mexican border city of Tijuana during elections on Sunday, authorities reported.An hour after elections got underway, a man hurled a head at one polling station, interrupting the vote as the police were called, prosecutors in the state of Baja California said.A couple of hours later, at another polling station in the same area, a man left another head and dismembered human remains inside a wooden box placed next to the ballot boxes.More human remains were discovered in bags near a third polling station, according to the Baja California Prosecutor’s Office.The elections have been marred by a wave of political violence that has seen more than 90 politicians murdered since the electoral process began in September.It is not the first time that Tijuana has witnessed gruesome discoveries of human remains, which have previously included mutilated bodies hanging from bridges.Across Mexico, more than 300,000 people have been killed in a wave of bloodshed since the government deployed the army to fight drug cartels in 2006.


No place in the world for stateless 4-year-old in Sarawak

In the corner of a room in a shoplot in Sarawak, four-year-old Rayyan (not his real name) sits playing with two small toy cars.He pushes them around on the floor, holding them in his chubby hands and imitating the noise of real cars on the road.Like most young children, he is protective of his toys and used to get upset whenever he saw his two-month-old cousin holding any of them.His uncle, with whom he lives, has been patiently encouraging him to share. Now, Rayyan is happy to hand over his toys to his cousin, whom he thinks of as his little brother.For Rayyan, his cousin, uncle and aunt are all the family he knows. He was sent to live with them after his mother one day vanished out of the blue.“His mother ran away with her boyfriend who was hooked on drugs,” Rayyan’s uncle, Zaid, told MalaysiaNow.“His father was already gone by then. He disappeared a few months before Rayyan was born.”Both Rayyan’s parents were Malaysian. His mother, the sister of Rayyan’s uncle, was Bajau and his father was Chinese. But the very big problem staring this small person in the face is the fact that they were not married when they had him.This means that Rayyan, who does not even have a birth certificate, is considered stateless.He lives with his aunt, uncle and cousin in a small rented room on the first floor of a shoplot in Bintulu.“He was born on the cement floor of the factory where his mother worked,” Zaid recalled.He and his wife do everything they can to raise the boy, but despite their best efforts, having entered the world in such bleak circumstances, Rayyan will live the rest of his life in limbo unless he can somehow obtain citizenship.These days, it is a struggle for Zaid just to put food on the table. As a day labourer, he did well enough until the arrival of Covid-19 and the ensuing lockdowns.For months, he did what he could to make ends meet until the next day.Each morning now, he walks to a spot beside an expressway where he waits for building and maintenance contractors who are looking for workers. If he is lucky, he can make RM50 to RM80 a day, carrying bricks, cutting grass and doing other menial labour.Most days, though, he comes home empty-handed. He is now three months behind in rent and his tiny family faces the daily threat of eviction.The pressure grew after his wife gave birth to their son, as his meagre wages now had to stretch to cover the expenses of a newborn as well.Zaid no longer knows how long he can continue raising Rayyan. He is considering sending the boy to Sabah, to live with his grandparents in their village which Zaid himself left seven years ago.“I could take care of him if I had a job with a steady income,” he said. “But with the baby and the financial constraints, I don’t think it would be a good idea for him to continue staying with me here in Bintulu.“If he goes back to Sabah, at least he will be safe and looked after.”But without a birth certificate, it is unlikely that Rayyan will be able to make the flight back to his mother’s hometown.Even in Bintulu, Zaid seldom takes Rayyan out of the house, fearing that the child will be arrested or deported for being stateless.While he wants to apply for citizenship for his nephew, his financial constraints make this next to impossible.“We do not want bad things to happen to him,” he said. “I hope that he will become a good man one day, because he is a bright boy who learns quickly.”Sitting in his corner, Rayyan shows how he can count from one to 10.“I like to watch Upin and Ipin,” he said. “And BoBoiBoy, too.”But no matter how smart he is, it remains to be seen how far he will be able to go in life in a country where, for all intents and purposes, he does not legally exist.


Homosexuality can be called a mental disorder, rules Chinese court

According to Chinese law, homosexuality may be considered “a psychological disorder”.A court in the eastern Chinese province of Jiangsu ruled that a textbook defining being gay as a disorder is “not factual error but a divergent academic view”, the South China Morning Post reported. The ruling, from the Suqian Intermediate People’s Court, upholds a lower court’s ruling.China’s LGBTQ community has criticised the decision. Ou Jiayong, 24, who filed the lawsuit as a college student in 2017 to get the textbook’s publisher to pull its “poor-quality work” from circulation, called the ruling “random and baseless”.Ah Qiang, a spokesman for a support group for the gay Chinese community and their families, accused the textbook’s editors and the courts of being out of touch with contemporary culture.Officially, homosexuality was decriminalised in China in 1997, and ceased classification as a mental illness in 2001.Ou, who prefers to be called Xixi, discovered the text in a 2013 edition of “Mental Health Education for College Students” during her first year at South China Agricultural University in 2016.The book described homosexuality among “common psychosexual disorders”, and stated same-sex relationships are “believed to be a disruption of love and sex or perversion of the sex partner”.Xixi sued the book’s publisher, demanding the company remove the reference and publicly apologise for the homophobic content, which has been disseminated throughout universities in China.The lower court’s ruling argued that the advocate’s case also lacked scholarly support, calling the matter a difference of opinion.In November, Xixi filed the appeal that just ruled against her. She disagrees that her evidence was lacking and plans to continue her fight.“Maybe this ruling is to reduce controversy,” she said. “But it has also allowed textbooks that pathologize homosexuality to continue circulating, which is a pity.”


Chief justice repeats call by Perak ruler for judges to be free from influence

Both judiciary and alternative dispute resolution (ADR) systems should strive to provide reasoned decisions while deciding cases independently, fairly and without fear or favour, says Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat.
She said the independence of the judiciary is a concept embossed into the very fabric of the justice system.
"Duli Yang Maha Mulia (DYMM) Sultan Nazrin (the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Nazrin Shah), too, has very recently spoken on this. To quote DYMM Tuanku: 'There should not be any doubt and a judge must be free from any influence or pressure.'
"Although Sultan Nazrin’s address was in relation to the Shariah Courts, the considerations in relation to the Malaysian judiciary and even the ADR systems remain the same.
"Both systems should strive to provide reasoned decisions while deciding cases independently, fairly and without fear or favour. In this regard, I can do no better than to humbly echo DYMM Tuanku’s sentiments," the top judge said in her address at the Fourth Asian ADR Week 2022 Conference of the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
During the event, Sultan Nazrin also delivered his keynote address.
Tengku Maimun also said the judiciary recognises the crucial role of arbitration and other ADR mechanisms.
She said the ADR mechanisms such as mediation, negotiation and arbitration offer parties the opportunity to resolve their disputes without the lengthy and tedious process of litigation.
Tengku Maimun however added that there were different views of how the relationship between the courts and arbitral institutions should be perceived.
"It can be argued that those avenues of dispute resolution belong to two competing realms, distinct from one another. However, I believe that these two avenues of dispute resolution are complementary to each other in the quest for justice," she said.
Tengku Maimun said parties believe that by having greater autonomy in resolving their disputes, they can reach a solution faster and more effectively in the forum of their choice.
"The courts are only there to preserve what the parties have agreed to in the first place. This is not to say that the courts are irrelevant. Their limited role is to respect the autonomy of the parties.
"After all, the parties cannot complain about the procedure if it is the procedure they have chosen. Nor can it be said that ADR is a zone of anarchy because of its flexibility," she said.
In this regard, Tengku Maimun said ADR tribunals remain subject to the law and are not immune to judicial review if warranted, thus upholding the rule of law and the role of an independent judiciary.
"The Malaysian judiciary will always support the growth of ADR. With the AIAC continuously promoting and facilitating ADR, and with constant support from the other relevant dispute resolution bodies, I am confident that the future of ADR is safe," she said.


Umno Youth stands by remarks on govt funds for Chinese schools

Umno Youth today maintained its position on the government's allocation for Chinese independent schools, saying this would not change despite calls by education group Dong Zong for action against the party.
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh also said that the wing's remarks on the RM15.7 million sum were not politically motivated.
"If Dong Zong talks about rights, we are talking about the same thing as well," he told MalaysiaNow.
"Go ahead and take action against me because my stand towards this issue will not change."
Akmal, the state assemblyman for Merlimau, had said that the amount received by each Chinese school was double what was allocated for religious institutions.
He also urged the government to absorb Chinese schools into the national education system if they were facing financial difficulties.
Dong Zong deputy president Tan Yew Sing however said that the allocation was nearly the same as that given by the previous government.
Chua Kim Boon, the president of Dong Zong's Selangor and Kuala Lumpur chapter, meanwhile accused Akmal of using the issue for political mileage and called on the government to act against such statements.
Akmal said no one could stop Umno Youth from communicating the voice of the people, regardless of which bloc formed the government.
He also said that Dong Zong did not need government assistance as it had successfully collected RM360 million in school fees for the schools under its purview.
"This is a big amount," he said. "They don't need further allocations from the government.
"For religious schools, meanwhile, it's hard to collect even RM100,000."
When asked about the ties among government parties in the wake of his remarks, Akmal said these would remain good as long as everyone respected the views of one another.


Disney streaming booms as theatres grapple with pandemic

US entertainment giant Disney said Thursday its online streaming services have boomed while it grapples with how to release films as the Delta coronavirus variant drives viewers from movie theatres.Disney+ subscriptions in the recently ended quarter more than doubled from the same period a year earlier to 116 million, while its Hulu and ESPN offerings also attracted more members, the company said.Disney chief executive Bob Chapek said on an earnings call that a priority is to tell “great stories” and win viewers by leveraging hit franchises such as its Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars movies and shows, and Pixar animated features and shorts.The pandemic prompted Disney to release some films on its streaming service when contracts and conditions allowed with a focus on remaining flexible, according to Chapek.“In light of the prolonged and unpredictable nature of the pandemic we needed to find alternative ways to bring our movies to consumers while theatres were closed,” Chapek said.“We will continue to utilise all available options going forward, learn from insights gained from each release and innovate accordingly.”Scarlett Johansson is suing Disney over its decision to release superhero movie “Black Widow” on streaming at the same time as in theatres, alleging a breach of contract which cost the star millions of dollars.Johansson, one of Hollywood’s biggest and top-paid stars, was entitled to a percentage of box office receipts from the much-anticipated Marvel film, according to a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court.The film was originally due for a big-screen release last year, but was delayed multiple times due to the Covid-19 pandemic and was eventually released in July simultaneously in theatres and on Disney+.“We value flexibility in terms of making as many last minute calls as we can,” Chapek said about the future of theatrical releases for films.“We did not anticipate the resurgence of Covid with the Delta variant that would have such a significant impact on the marketplace.”Disney’s tactics regarding theatrical releases of films will have a “big impact” on the industry, according to Third Bridge senior analyst Joe McCormack.Disney debuting all of its films simultaneously on its streaming service could potentially cut movie theatre revenue in half, he said.Covid costsDisney reported a net income of US$923 million in the quarter ending July 3, compared with a loss of about US$5 million during the same period last year when the pandemic closed its theme parks and other businesses.“We ended the third quarter in a strong position, and are pleased with the company’s trajectory as we grow our businesses amidst the ongoing challenges of the pandemic,” Chapek said.Disney’s portfolio of streamers ended the quarter with a combined 174 million subscribers, according to Chapek.“With Disney+’s launch in most major markets in the rearview mirror, the tough work has just begun,” said eMarketer senior analyst Eric Haggstrom.Disney said it was continuing to deal with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly on its theme parks, resorts and cruise ships.Theme parks and resorts have been able to reopen at various points, but with reduced capacity.Disney has delayed, shortened or canceled theatrical runs for films and stage plays, and as theatres re-open the company faces capacity restrictions and shifts in regulations as the pandemic ebbs and surges.“Although most film and television production resumed beginning in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we continue to see disruption of film and television production, as well as live sports events, depending on local circumstances,” the company said in the earnings release.“We have and will continue to incur additional costs to address government regulations and implement safety measures for our employees, talent and guests.”Disney expects costs related to the pandemic to total about US$1 billion in the current fiscal year.Disney shares were up more than 5% in after-hours trading that followed release of the earnings figures.


Mexico's ex-top prosecutor arrested on disappearance charges in missing students case

Mexican former attorney-general Jesus Murillo has been arrested on charges of forced disappearance, torture and obstruction of justice in the 2014 disappearance of 43 students, Mexican officials said on Friday.
The attorney-general's office said in a statement that federal police carried out an arrest warrant issued by a Mexico City judge against Jesus M, whom a source at the office confirmed was Murillo.
Murillo, who lives in the Mexico City area, was arrested outside his home and taken to an office of the attorney general, the office said.
Murillo was attorney-general from 2012 to 2015 under prior president Enrique Pena Nieto. In that time, Murillo oversaw the highly criticised investigation into the disappearance of the 43 students from the Ayotzinapa Rural Teachers' College in the southwest state of Guerrero.
International experts criticised the official inquiry as riddled with errors and abuses, and President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador took office in 2018 vowing to clear up what happened in the disappearance.
When questioned about the government's move to analyse the past investigation, Murillo said he was pleased it was being looked into and was open to being questioned, local media reported in 2020.
The arrest comes a day after Mexico's top human rights official, Alejandro Encinas, called the disappearance a "state crime" due to the government's involvement. He also said the highest levels of Pena Nieto's administration orchestrated a cover-up in the aftermath of the incident.
Mexico is attempting to extradite from Israel one of the former officials who served under Murillo and is accused of manipulating the investigation.


North Korea reports unknown fever cases near China border, denies Covid

North Korea's state media said on Thursday that a fever outbreak of unknown origin has emerged in a region bordering China, but it was not the novel coronavirus over which the country declared victory this month.
Four fever cases "suspected of being infected with malignant epidemic" were reported from Ryanggang Province near the border with China on Tuesday, prompting authorities to immediately lock down the area and mobilise medical teams, the official KCNA news agency said, citing the State Emergency Epidemic Prevention Headquarters.
But a detailed analysis of the nationwide epidemic situation showed that there have been no Covid-19 cases since the country's outbreak ended early this month, KCNA said.
Still, authorities have dispatched epidemiological, virology and test experts to the area to investigate the cause of the fever cases, while imposing measures to prevent their spread, it said.
Authorities are "taking steps to trace all persons, who connected with the suspect cases, and persons going to and from the relevant area and keep them under strict medical observation," KCNA said.
After North Korea declared victory over Covid-19, it blamed South Korea for causing the outbreak and vowed "deadly retaliation" against it. South Korea denied the claim as groundless.
Officials have since scrapped a face mask mandate and other restrictions including limits on the use of public facilities except in border regions.
North Korea has never confirmed how many people caught Covid, apparently because it lacks the means to conduct widespread testing.
Instead, it reported daily numbers of patients with fever, a tally that rose to some 4.77 million. But it said it had registered no new such cases since July 29.


Penang PH, BN done with seat talks for state polls

The Penang Pakatan Harapan (PH) and Barisan Nasional (BN) leaderships have settled their seat negotiations for the state polls due this year, says Penang PH chairman Chow Kon Yeow.
Chow however said that talks on seat distribution among parties in the coalition government would continue at the federal level.
"Meetings at the central level are continuing, and decisions for the state will be made at the federal level," the Penang chief minister told reporters after an event in George Town yesterday.
He said apart from defending its seats, BN might get to contest in a few more constituencies.
"Based on the principle of incumbency, they (BN) have two seats but there is still room for them to contest in seats previously won by the other side (PAS and Bersatu). "There is this space for distributing seats to BN and they have the potential to get more than the seats they are holding now," he added.
Chow said the allocation of seats for the state polls is expected to be announced simultaneously for Penang, Kedah, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Kelantan and Terengganu.
Last Thursday, Chow said that the state government planned to dissolve the Penang state assembly on June 28 to pave the way for the state election.
Penang has 40 state seats. At the 14th general election, PH won 37 seats including two by Bersatu which was then part of the coalition, while BN won two seats and PAS, one.
It was reported that these six states had reached an understanding to dissolve their legislative assemblies in the last two weeks of June to allow the state polls to be held simultaneously.


Activities that could affect Tasik Chini have been stopped, says Takiyuddin

Activities that could affect Tasik Chini, Pahang, including new approvals for sand and mineral mining have been stopped, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Takiyuddin Hassan said today.
He said the strict directive was issued to ensure that Tasik Chini could be conserved and restored to maintain its status as a biosphere reserve.
"Both the federal and state governments have taken measures to protect Tasik Chini," he told reporters after the launch of an event in Kota Bharu.
According to Unesco's first periodical review of the lake, recently released, Tasik Chini no longer meets the criteria to be part of the World Network of Biosphere Reserves.
Unesco has given the Malaysian authorities until Sept 30 to inform the world body on how it plans to nurse Tasik Chini and its surrounding wetlands back to health.


Women to sue Qatar over invasive airport searches

A group of women subjected to invasive gynaecological searches at Doha airport will sue Qatari authorities, seeking redress for an ordeal that sparked global condemnation, their lawyer told AFP Monday.Women on 10 Qatar Airways flights from Doha, including 13 Australians, were subjected to the examinations late last year as authorities searched for the mother of a newborn found abandoned in an airport bathroom.The incident caused outrage, and fuelled concerns about Qatar’s treatment of women as the Gulf state prepares to receive thousands of foreign visitors for the 2022 football World Cup.Damian Sturzaker, from Sydney-based firm Marque Lawyers, said seven affected passengers now plan legal action to “send a message to Qatari authorities that you can’t treat women… in this manner”.“The group of women have suffered enormous distress on the evening concerned, now just over a year ago, and they continue to suffer distress and ill effects and trauma as a result of what occurred,” he told AFP.Sturzaker said the women were seeking a formal apology, compensation, and protection for future passengers transiting through the airport.Qatar is an ultra-conservative Muslim monarchy, where sex and childbirth outside of marriage are punishable by jail.Ahead of the World Cup, the country has struggled to reassure critics that its promises on women’s rights, labour relations and democracy are credible.Facing potentially devastating commercial and reputational damage after the incident, Qatar vowed to guarantee the future “safety and security” of passengers.The country’s prime minister also issued an apology, while an airport police officer who oversaw the searches was reportedly convicted.But Sturzaker said the women had not been made aware of any improvements to airport procedures and their attempts to seek mediation had been unsuccessful.They now wanted to highlight their case ahead of the FIFA tournament, to ensure other travellers were well-informed before visiting Qatar, he added.“They should be aware that – whilst there is a guise of a highly developed, highly modernised airport and national carrier – these events have happened and there’s nothing preventing them from happening again,” he said.Qatar’s embassy in Canberra and Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Sturzaker said the lawsuit would be filed in Australia against the Qatar Civil Aviation Authority, Hamad International Airport, Qatar Airways and the country’s government within weeks.


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Was Goldman Sachs let off with a slap on the wrist for 1MDB crimes?

Late last month, the US Department of Justice (DoJ) announced a landmark settlement with banking giant Goldman Sachs over its participation in a massive bribery scheme that syphoned hundreds of millions from Malaysian public coffers.As a part of a deal with prosecutors, the Wall Street firm agreed to pay nearly RM3 billion to authorities in multiple countries, and agreed to have its Malaysian subsidiary plead guilty in a Brooklyn court to conspiring to violate US bribery laws.The fine, the largest ever under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act followed the indictment of two Goldman executives who US authorities alleged pushed the bribery ring.The scandal focused on a multi-billion dollar fund known as 1MDB, which was ostensibly devoted to developing the Malaysian economy.Instead, billions were illicitly syphoned from the fund, often through offshore accounts, to wealthy elites, politicians and Goldman bankers. Some of the looted money is suspected to have financed the film production of “Wolf of Wall Street”, the Hollywood feature starring Leonardo DiCaprio.In its action against Goldman, US authorities used a controversial tool called a deferred prosecution agreement, or DPA, in which an offending firm pays a fine and agrees to a period of probation in order to avoid the potentially ruinous prospect of being criminally prosecuted.Critics say that the US legal system’s increasing reliance on DPAs to address financial crime reflects its softness on corporate executives, who can often safely assume that they will not face jail time for white-collar misconduct.In September, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists published the FinCEN Files, a global investigation detailing trillions of tainted dollars moving through major US banks.In many cases, huge amounts of suspicious money flowed through institutions that had already been subjected to DPAs for money laundering.To some critics, the findings epitomised the toothlessness of DPAs and their inability to deter corporate crime.“They’ve become in effect the cost of doing business rather than a real punishment,” Jed Rakoff, a senior federal judge in Manhattan, told ICIJ.The Goldman DPA is part of a sprawling global enforcement action against the bank, and offers a mix of elements that reflect both unusually aggressive tactics by US prosecutors toward a financial firm while also containing classic hallmarks of prosecutorial timidity, according to experts.Paul Pelletier, a former federal prosecutor who has been a vocal critic of the heavy use of DPAs, says that the government’s action against Goldman has plenty to laud, even for a critic like himself.Pelletier says he is impressed that the government actually prosecuted two Goldman bankers who were allegedly at the heart of the bank’s involvement with 1MDB.In November 2018, the DoJ indicted Timothy Leissner, a former Goldman partner, and Roger Ng, a former Goldman managing director, for arranging bribes and laundering money in relation to their work with 1MDB. Leissner pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing while Ng maintains his innocence and is expected to take his case to trial next year, according to the Wall Street Journal.“When a company does a DPA, they are acknowledging that someone in the company was acting criminally,” Pelletier said. “The DoJ got a bad name because, in a lot of cases, no one in the company was being held to account, but this shows an effort to do that.”Yet others have questioned whether the DoJ’s action against Goldman ultimately amounts to a meaningful punishment, given the scale of the bank’s wrongdoing.What stands out about the DPA to Brandon Garrett, a law professor at Duke University who has extensively studied corporate prosecutions, is the size of the fine: he says it looks surprisingly small.US prosecutors, according to Garrett, took a number of steps favourable to Goldman in calculating the fine, including deducting penalties the bank had paid foreign regulators from its own fine.The Trump administration has vowed to grant corporations more of such deductions for what it calls the “piling on” of fines from multiple law enforcement agencies when a scandal engulfs a company. Such deductions are one reason for a dramatic reduction in corporate penalties in recent years, according to the New York Times.“It looks like a big payment, but it’s actually a fairly good deal for Goldman Sachs,” Garrett said. Last month it was reported that, in the third quarter of this year alone, Goldman Sachs earned US$3.6 billion in profits – more than the sum laid out in the DoJ’s DPA.Garrett said that the US portion of the fine was “far below” the federal guidelines on what the government could have fined Goldman for the massive theft it admitted to aiding.Garrett says that federal prosecutors granted Goldman “credits” for favourable behaviour during the investigation – although “it isn’t exactly clear what that credit was for”.The DPA states that Goldman had only partially cooperated with law enforcement during the investigation. At points, the bank dragged its feet on providing key information and failed to self-report FCPA breaches that it knew had occurred, according to the filing.“Self-reporting is incredibly important,” Garrett said. “There should be an identifiable consequence for failing to self-report. Here, I don’t think there was.”Spencer Woodman is a New York-based reporter for The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). This article was first published by ICIJ under the title “Goldman Sachs 1MDB settlement: a meaningful punishment for major financial crimes?”


Australia begins vaccine booster rollout as more curbs ease in Sydney

Australia will begin administering booster shots of Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine from Monday as millions in its largest city, Sydney, woke up to more freedom amid an accelerating immunisation drive against the coronavirus.Australia’s vaccination rate has picked up pace since July, after widely missing its initial targets, when its southeast was hit by a third wave of infections triggered by the highly infectious Delta variant forcing months-long lockdowns.Sydney and Melbourne, its largest cities and worst hit by the Delta wave, have been racing through their inoculations before gradually relaxing restrictions. Life will return close to normal on Monday in New South Wales, home to Sydney, as the state nears its 90% dual-dose vaccinations in people above 16.There will be no limit on the number of fully vaccinated guests at homes, while restaurants and entertainment venues can allow more patrons. Stadiums can operate at full capacity as organisers look to get more fans for the soccer World Cup qualifier between Australia and Saudi Arabia on Thursday.Amid a vaccine-driven shift to more freedom, Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said more than 173,000 booster shots have already been administered in aged care centres and for some health workers ahead of Monday’s formal rollout.“So we are off to a flying start… it’s a great start and good news for Australians,” Hunt told Seven News on Monday.The booster doses will be given to people 18 and over who took their second shot more than six months ago. Double-dose vaccination levels in Australia topped 80% over the weekend.With about 181,600 cases and 1,827 deaths, Australia’s coronavirus numbers are among the lowest in the developed world.Most new cases are being detected in Victoria, which logged 1,126 new cases on Monday. Neighbouring New South Wales reported 187 infections. Other states and territories are Covid-free or have very few cases.


New Bank Negara governor named

Abdul Rasheed Ghaffour has been appointed as central bank governor, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said today.
Rasheed, a career central banker who joined BNM in 1988, was appointed for a five-year term effective July 1, BNM said in a statement.
He takes over from Nor Shamsiah Mohd Yunus, who has served as governor since 2018.
"I look forward to continue and build on the work of governor Shamsiah," Rasheed said.
"Under her leadership, the bank has been steadfast in discharging its mandate to promote monetary and financial stability, even through many challenging periods which include the pandemic crisis."
Rasheed joined BNM in 1988, rising to the position of deputy governor in 2016.
He has held several senior positions at the bank and is currently a member of the Monetary Policy Committee and Financial Stability Committee, a role he has held since 2015.
Nor Shamsiah said it had been a privilege to have led the central bank and expressed confidence in Rasheed's appointment.
"I have full faith in his ability to lead the bank, and to continue delivering on the bank's mandate to promote monetary and financial stability that is conducive to the sustainable growth of the Malaysian economy," she said.


Earth receives first signal from Measat-3d satellite

The first Measat-3d telemetry signal was received exactly at 6.41am today, marking the complete successful launch of the satellite.The historic achievement was announced at Dewan Merdeka, World Trade Centre (WTC) in Kuala Lumpur, where Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob and 600 other guests had watched the live streaming of the launch of the satellite from the Guiana Space Center in French Guiana, South America earlier.The satellite was safely launched on the Ariane-5 rocket at 5.50am Malaysian time (6.50pm local time on June 22), after lift-off was delayed for 47 minutes for additional checks.Measat-3d’s first separation from the rocket occurred at 6.19am Malaysian time and the second, at 6.34am, before the first signal transmitted from space to Earth was received seven minutes later.Also present at the WTC to watch the launch of the most advanced satellite in Measat’s fleet were Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa and his deputy Zahidi Zainal Abidin, as well as several other Cabinet members.The satellite, which costs RM1.2 billion with a lifespan of 18 years, is expected to be able to bridge the digital connectivity gap and shape a better connectivity future for Malaysians in line with the government’s initiatives through the National Digital Network plan.It is expected to benefit not only Malaysia but also countries within the satellite’s footprint, including Indonesia and India.


In reverse role, former MACC chief turns defence counsel for ex-MP charged with money laundering

There have been concerns within the legal fraternity over a former chief commissioner of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) playing the role of defence lawyer to a politician charged with corruption.MalaysiaNow has learnt that Dzulkifli Ahmad, who served as MACC chief from 2016 to 2018, is part of the defence team for former Felda chairman Shahrir Samad in the latter’s money laundering case.Shahrir, the former Johor Bahru MP, faces a charge of money laundering for failing to declare his actual income in 2013 when he received RM1 million from former prime minister Najib Razak.Prior to heading the MACC, Dzulkifli was in charge of the National Revenue Recovery Enforcement, a multi-agency unit placed under the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), when it was involved in the 2015 1MDB investigation which was shortlived.The unit, which was disbanded by the Pakatan Harapan government in 2018, investigated tax evasion and the illegal outflow of funds, among others.Dzulkifli was also head of the AGC’s unit to fight money laundering, the same crime with which his client is charged.Shahrir is accused of breaching Section 113(1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967, as he did not report the RM1 million in his Public Bank account which he received from Najib in 2013.His charge comes under Section 4(1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001.The offence carries a maximum fine of RM5 million and a jail term of up to five years.Shahrir was among 80 individuals and entities to whom MACC issues compound notices in 2019 for receiving some RM420 million from Najib.Shahrir said in 2015 that it was normal to receive money from the Umno president.He refused to pay the compound, and instead filed for a judicial review to challenge the notice by MACC.Ethical questionsWhen contacted by MalaysiaNow, Dzulkifli confirmed that he is part of Shahrir’s defence team.However, he did not answer when asked if it was proper for him to represent a client facing a corruption case as he had been the MACC chief.A senior lawyer meanwhile warned of conflict of interest as Dzulkifli was involved in the very agencies which investigated 1MDB, the source of the money Shahrir received.“He puts himself in a clear conflict of interest as the defence lawyer to Shahrir, as he would have confidential and privileged information which came to him during the time he was in the AGC, and subsequently as chief commissioner of MACC,” the lawyer told MalaysiaNow on condition of anonymity.He also brought up the stringent rules of ethics and conduct set by the Malaysian Bar, adding that it could be seen as “unbecoming for an advocate and solicitor to accept a brief in these circumstances”.Meanwhile, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court today, Shahrir through another lawyer, Firoz Hussein Ahmad Jamaludin, applied to block High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali from hearing a transfer application as well as from presiding over the trial.In July, Nazlan delivered the guilty verdict on Najib over charges related to SRC International Sdn Bhd.Shahrir said due to that, there was “a real possibility of bias” against him.


'It's his privilege', Putrajaya tight-lipped on cost of PM's trips

The government has remained tight-lipped on the total expenses incurred from the use of private jets by Anwar Ibrahim since assuming the position of prime minister.
Alor Setar MP Afnan Hamimi from Perikatan Nasional requested the prime minister to disclose the cost of using the government's private jet, as well as its destinations and purposes from December 2022 until April.
In response, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Sabah, Sarawak and Special Functions) Armizan Mohd Ali said the use of the government's executive aircraft is a privilege enjoyed by all prime ministers.
Since becoming prime minister, Anwar has used the government's executive Airbus aircraft under the supervision of the Prime Minister's Department for official overseas missions on nine occasions, he said.
The countries Anwar has visited include Indonesia, Brunei, Singapore, Thailand, Turkey, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Cambodia, and China.
Armizan added that Anwar, who is also Tambun MP, has used the government's executive aircraft of the Global Express and Falcon types under the Royal Malaysian Air Force for official duties to 17 domestic destinations.
However, he did not provide details on the destinations and the associated expenses.
"The jet in question is a government official aircraft the prime minister uses for official or special businesses," he said in the response yesterday.
"All expenses incurred in these flights are estimated to be in accordance with the services and management of the respective aircraft."


Big crowds but little business for vendors at Ramadan bazaars

Azmi and his mother-in-law, Makcik Maimon, had looked forward to setting up shop at this year's Ramadan bazaar since January.
They spent hours discussing the menu they would offer, calculating their sales capital and looking for workers to help them at the stall.
Azmi's wife, meanwhile, was ready to handle affairs at home throughout the entire process.
They succeeded in getting a spot at the Presint 14 bazaar in Putrajaya, and were confident in their menu of tomato rice, nasi briyani and soto, which they had sold for more than 20 years at night markets.
But by the second day of Ramadan, their excitement had dimmed.
"By day two of Ramadan, I was looking for someone to share the rent with me," Azmi said.
"I've taken a lot of losses and can't afford any more. It would be better to share whatever profit I make with someone who wants to sell but couldn't get a spot."
While Ramadan bazaars are normally a highlight of the fasting month, Azmi and his mother-in-law are making daily losses of about RM300.
Each day, they end with packets and packets of unsold food which cannot be reused the next day.
They have resorted to donating the unsold food to those in need, or giving it to volunteers in the bazaar who deliver it to other locations.
Throughout the Klang Valley, the normal crowds are thronging bazaars as early as 4pm.
In Presint 14, the crowds reach a peak after the government offices close at about 4.30pm.
In Seri Kembangan and Subang Jaya in Selangor, meanwhile, parking is a struggle.
But the vendors who spoke to MalaysiaNow said the huge crowds were not translating into high sales.
Rahimi, who sells drinks, said many who came already had a list of what they intended to buy – mostly kuih and ready-cooked side dishes.
She said the kuih stalls were doing a roaring trade and could close shop at 5pm, even before the breaking of fast.
"Other vendors who sell things like murtabak, roti john and fried snacks are also doing well," she said.
"These things are cheap and can feed a lot of people."
But ever since the pandemic, she said, customers had not spent like they used to.
"At most, they spend RM10 to RM20, if they come with their families," she said.
"With a budget like that, they can get roti john or murtabak and some kuih."
Those who came alone, meanwhile, would go for rice sets, a drink and some dessert.
"But it's rare to see single people at bazaars," she said. "If they buy a lot, it's usually to take back and eat as a family at home."
Azmi and his mother-in-law said the traders had been warned by the authorities not to sell their food at too high a price, so they decided to cut down their menu to just tomato rice.
At any rate, he said, it was too expensive to prepare the rest of the food, and the costs would eat into their cash flow which they need to survive the next three weeks.
"Just some lamb can cost more than RM20 already," he said.
"If customers want to add on some chicken, that's another RM8 to RM10, depending on size. It's too expensive. They think that it would be better to cook it themselves.
"And I don't blame them," he added. "They're right."
Nur Syamila, who runs a stall beside Azmi's, agreed.
She said those who preferred to cook at home would not come looking for Menu Rahmah meals at Ramadan bazaars as they knew the cost of goods had gone up.
"They don't ask who is selling Menu Rahmah meals because they know it's hard to get even a rice set at a low price."
She added that many traders had begun to avoid Ramadan bazaars because of the high capital needed and the cost of renting a site.
"They prefer to open their own stall elsewhere, or take orders online," she said.


Sabah boosts security ahead of Saturday polls

Sabah police commissioner Hazani Ghazali says security in the state has been stepped up ahead of polling on Saturday to prevent any trouble by foreign parties including the possibility of kidnappings.He said the security forces would ensure that such threats are neutralised.“There have been attempts at kidnap (for ransom),” he told reporters during early voting at the state police headquarters in Kota Kinabalu today.“We received this information from our Philippine counterparts – there were attempts (by criminals) there to come over to commit this crime.”According to him, there were nine attempts by criminal groups from the Philippines since May to enter Sabah to commit acts of kidnap for ransom.Two days ago, Hazani said, police received information that elements from a neighbouring country were planning to enter Sabah in large numbers to create trouble during polling on Saturday.


European labour strife, staff shortages disrupt summer travel

Labour strife in Europe is driving expectations of more travel headaches during the busy summer season, with airports and airlines clamouring to find more workers, minimise cancelled flights and reduce delays for passengers.On Thursday, some 1,000 SAS pilots in Denmark, Norway and Sweden said they could go on strike from late June, even as workers at France’s Charles de Gaulle airport walked off the job, with a quarter of flights cancelled.Airlines, battered by a slump in travel during the pandemic, have been counting on a strong summer, with fares rising to offset higher fuel costs and pilots and cabin crews making a case for higher pay due to inflation.While budget carrier Norwegian Air reached a wage deal with the Norwegian union representing pilots for 2022 and 2023, crews from three budget carriers including Ryanair, walked off the job on Wednesday.Airport managers in Europe and Canada are struggling to quickly recruit and process new hires, even as the rebound in air travel from the pandemic-induced slump leads to cancelled flights and hours-long lines.On Wednesday evening, German flag carrier Lufthansa LHAG.DE and its subsidiary Eurowings said they were scrapping over 1,000 flights in July, or 5% of their planned weekend capacity, due to staff shortages amid the busy vacation period.The head of airline trade group the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has said heavy congestion also occurred before the pandemic and is now limited to certain airports, aggravated by delays to get security badges required for newly hired staff. Read full storyUS staffing crunchAlthough airports in the US have largely avoided such heavy congestion, a staffing crunch has forced airlines to cancel flights and trim summer schedules.Alaska Air Group Inc last month was forced to cancel 4% of its flights because of staffing woes. Delta Air Lines, which cancelled about 700 flights over the four-day Memorial Day holiday, plans to cut flights through August.Canada’s busiest airport is allowing some staff who have yet to obtain their badges to work temporarily under supervision by vetted employees, said Tori Gass, a spokeswoman for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority.The temporary pass was introduced at Toronto Pearson International Airport in response to the large volume of appointments for restricted area identity cards (RAIC), Gass said. It takes roughly 45 days to get the cards.Transport Canada said it received 13,722 applications nationally for clearances required for such employees as airport ramp agents or baggage handlers in the first quarter of 2022, up from 5,968 requests during the same period in 2021.Pearson is wrestling with planes stuck at gates and hours-long security lines due to staffing shortages.Canadian Transport Minister Omar Alghabra on Wednesday said he was working with partners to bring in more screening officers.The country’s largest carrier Air Canada cancelled almost 10% of flights from the airport during the first week of June, according to data from Cirium, an aviation analytics company. Air Canada said its overall flight completion remains high and a combination of factors, including air traffic control limitations have “forced airlines to cancel flights.”In Europe, Dublin and Heathrow airports are recruiting screeners, while Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam is raising wages for staff.Spain on Tuesday announced the hiring of 500 additional police to staff passport controls at busy airports and tourist destinations including Madrid.Spain’s interior minister attributed reports of congestion at border controls to multiple flights arriving at the same time. But CEHAT, the country’s largest business group for hotels and lodging, said officials should have prepared for the congestion, knowing that free travel of British citizens to Spain was ending due to Brexit.“This situation should not have caught us off guard,” CEHAT president Jorge Marichal said in a statement on Wednesday.


Australia extends ‘barbaric’ border rules, trapping expats who come home to visit

Australians living overseas could be “trapped” in Australia if they return to visit, after the federal government tightened its border rules without notice, in a move some expats have branded as “barbaric”, the BBC is reporting.Since March last year, the country has banned its citizens from leaving as part of its Covid-19 strategy, but that restriction has not previously applied to Australians who usually live in other countries.However, they will now need to apply for an exemption for outbound travel, in line with rules for other Australians, after claims the expat rule was a loophole.From Aug 11, a person will have to demonstrate to the Australian Border Force Commissioner a “compelling reason for needing to leave Australian territory”.The Sydney Morning Herald quotes the government statement saying the amendment, which cannot be disallowed, “will reduce the pressure on Australia’s quarantine capacity, reduce the risks posed to the Australian population from Covid-19, and assist in returning vulnerable Australians back home”.Exemptions can be granted for business travel, but the government has previously said it intends to clamp down on the number of them being granted.Australia’s tough border rules remain controversial and critics say this change will further punish families and deter citizens from returning.Alexandra Phelan, who lives in the US, tweeted she was “waking up to news that I’m effectively exiled from my country”.While the closed-border policy has been mostly supported in Australia, many have also criticised its impact on citizens.The BBC has been told of cases in the past year where Australians have been unable to leave to care for sick or dying loved ones, or to retrieve their children from relatives.Legal experts have questioned whether Australia’s rules contravene constitutional rights by effectively preventing some citizens from being able to return.The government has said Australia will not re-open until at least 80% of its population is vaccinated, which is likely to be sometime next year. The current vaccinated total is 19%.The SMH spoke to Australian citizen James Turbitt who recently flew back to Australia from Belgium to try and say goodbye to his seriously ill mother.He missed out on seeing her one last time because he was told to hire a charter flight worth tens of thousands of dollars to qualify for an exemption to leave hotel quarantine.He is currently still in the country sorting out her affairs before trying to leave and return home.Turbitt said the government’s changes were aimed at citizens like him and that it was “barbaric and counterproductive”.“I came back for the passing of my mother, I was locked in a hotel room while she passed away, denied an exemption to see her, and now I am subjected to proving my life overseas, in order to leave again?” the 35-year-old said.“My life is overseas, my work is there, my partner is there, I’ve just lost my mother, and now I can be denied to go back.”He complained that senior politicians fly in and out of the country with ease.“The Queensland Premier goes overseas to the Olympics, the Prime Minister goes to check out his family history in England. Now someone who doesn’t even want to be in this country is potentially going to be forcibly detained,” he said.


Sharp jump in number of people facing famine, says UN

The UN’s food agency said Monday the number of people on the edge of famine in 43 countries had risen to 45 million, as acute hunger spikes around the world.The jump from 42 million people earlier in the year was largely down to a food security assessment that found another three million people facing famine in Afghanistan, the World Food Programme (WFP) said.“Tens of millions of people are staring into an abyss. We’ve got conflict, climate change and Covid-19 driving up the numbers of the acutely hungry,” WFP Executive Director David Beasley was quoted as saying.“And the latest data show there are now more than 45 million people marching towards the brink of starvation,” he said after a trip to Afghanistan, where WFP is upping support for almost 23 million people.“Fuel costs are up, food prices are soaring, fertiliser is more expensive, and all of this feeds into new crises like the one unfolding now in Afghanistan, as well as long-standing emergencies like Yemen and Syria,” he added.WFP said the cost of averting famine globally now stands at seven billion dollars, up from 6.6 billion dollars earlier in the year, but warned that traditional funding streams were overstretched.Families facing acute food insecurity are being “forced to make devastating choices”, marrying off children early, pulling them out of school or feeding them locusts, wild leaves, or cactus.“Meanwhile media reports from Afghanistan point to families reportedly being forced to sell their children in a desperate attempt to survive,” it said.Multiple droughts in Afghanistan were combining with an economic meltdown to push families to the edge, while some 12.4 million people in Syria do not know where their next meal will come from – more than any time during the decade-long conflict, it said.Increases in acute hunger are also being seen in Ethiopia, Haiti, Somalia, Angola, Kenya, and Burundi, the Rome-based agency said.


Malaysians eager to hit the road after green light for interstate travel

Ticket sales and flight searches have been on the rise since Putrajaya lifted the restriction on interstate travel imposed early this year to curb the spread of Covid-19.Mohamad Kaharrudin Salleh, president of the Malay Peninsular Malaysia Express Bus Operators Association (Pembawa), said there had been an increase in ticket bookings both online at at physical counters.“At least 20 bus companies under Pembawa have recorded an average increase of 10% to 15%,” Kaharrudin, who owns Pancaran Matahari (M) Sdn Bhd, told MalaysiaNow.“It’s possible that ticket sales will continue to increase seeing as permission to cross state borders was just announced on Sunday,” he added.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had said in a live address yesterday that those who have been fully vaccinated would be allowed to travel interstate from today onwards.This permission does not apply to those in areas under enhanced movement control order.Kaharrudin said the majority of travellers who had bought bus tickets were those who wished to return to their home towns or to Kuala Lumpur from other states.He said bus operations would be increased as soon as possible to accommodate the numbers.“Through Pancaran, we had 50 buses and about 100 drivers before the pandemic,” he said. “Now, only 50% of that number remains.”Adding that the permission for interstate travel was welcome news, he reiterated that the group was prepared to boost bus operations.“Before, we could only make maybe one trip but now this has increased to five, so the number of drivers will also recover,” he said.Budget airline AirAsia meanwhile recorded a 140% increase in searches through its SuperApp application.An AirAsia spokesman told MalaysiaNow the most frequently searched destination was Kuala Lumpur, followed by Langkawi, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, Kota Bharu and Penang.AirAsia CEO Riad Asmat said in a statement that the airline had upped its flight schedule to cover 61 flights to 16 domestic destinations following the prime minister’s announcement.“AirAsia Malaysia’s weekly operations cover 63 flights from Kuala Lumpur to Langkawi, Alor Setar (10), Kota Kinabalu (35), Bintulu (two), Kuching (10), Labuan (14) and Miri (four),” he said.“Meanwhile, weekly flight operations from Kuala Lumpur to Penang are carried out 21 times and Kuala Bharu, 35 times, while operations to Kuala Terengganu and Tawau are conducted 28 times.”He said the number of flight routes would be increased based on demand and subject to approval by the authorities.Both he and Kaharrudin urged everyone to follow the SOPs in order to ensure the safety of all travellers.Malaysian Highway Authority (LLM) director-general Mohd Shuhaimi Hassan said traffic volume is expected to increase to four million vehicles a day over the weekend and the Maulidur Rasul public holiday on Oct 19, compared to 3.5 million a day at present.He said LLM had instructed its highway concessionaires to schedule maintenance work on weekends and public holidays and to avoid road closures, especially on the North-South Expressway, the KL-Karak Expressway, the East Coast Expressway and the Kajang Seremban Expressway.“Careful preparations must also be made at toll plazas to ensure the smooth flow of traffic,” he said in a statement.“Highway operators must also ensure that all rest stops along the highway are in good condition and in compliance with the SOPs.”


Meat supplying company, directors charged with using uncertified halal logo

A meat supplying company and two of its directors pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court in Johor Bahru today to charges of using the halal logo without certification by the authorities early this month.Raihanah Cold Storage Sdn Bhd was represented by its owners and directors, Rahman Sheikh Abdullah, 44, and his wife Raihanah Kasim, 42, who were also charged in their capacity as owners and directors of another company, Raihanah Enterprise.They pleaded not guilty to the charges before judge Mohamad Haldar Abdul Aziz.On the first count, Raihanah Cold Storage, which claimed to be offering halal services, was charged with using an uncertified halal logo on its Isuzu lorry.On the second charge, Rahman and Raihanah, as owners of Raihanah Enterprise, were charged with committing a similar offence on a Mitsubishi lorry.They were alleged to have committed the offence at Raihanah Cold Storage Sdn Bhd, Taman Perniagaan Setia in Johor Bahru at about 1pm on Dec 1.The charge against Raihanah Cold Storage was framed under the Trade Description (Certification and Marking of Halal) Order 2011, which provides for a fine of up to RM200,000 and up to RM500,000 for every second or subsequent offence upon conviction.Rahman and Raihanah, who were charged in their capacity as directors of the company, face a maximum fine of RM100,000, imprisonment of up to three years, or both. For every second or subsequent offence, they could be fined up to RM250,000 or face up to five years’ jail, or both, if found guilty.The prosecution, conducted by deputy public prosecutor T Ashvinii, requested bail of RM50,000 with one surety each for the second charge on the grounds that the issue had received wide media coverage and was also raised in Parliament.Lawyers Lau Kok Guan and Noor Liana Hashim, however, appealed for a lower bail, saying their clients’ company, which has 20 employees, is still in operation and that the couple has four children, aged between 10 and 20.The court allowed the couple bail of RM40,000 with one surety each and set Jan 19 for mention.


IPEF upskilling initiative hailed for opportunities for women and girls

The government today said Malaysia had received the honour of being selected as one of two Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF) partners to participate in the IPEF Upskilling Initiative, through which seven million training opportunities are made available to women and girls across the region to acquire digital skills that prepare them for high-quality jobs.
In a statement today, the international trade and industry ministry said the upskilling initiative, the first deliverable for IPEF, came about as a result of Malaysia’s proposal for the IPEF to offer tangible benefits to Malaysians through technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives.
“Additionally, Malaysia proposed a regional initiative as a possible solution for ensuring supply chain security, which would entail each country having a national stockpile of critical products of which the particular country has a comparative advantage relative to other trading partners,” it said.
Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali also suggested that Malaysia’s memorandum of cooperation with the US on semiconductor supply chain resilience signed earlier this year could be extended to regional platforms such as the IPEF.
He said the proposal was well received by US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, who commended it as an initiative that would help concretise gains.
Azmin, who attended the first high-level ministerial engagements on IPEF in Los Angeles from Sept 8 to 9, also engaged in bilateral meetings with his counterparts and held discussions with private sector representatives on the sidelines of the ministerial meeting.
The ministry said the discussions covered a wide range of subjects, including the latest developments in bilateral trade and investment, facilitating public-private sector collaboration as well as the expectations of the respective IPEF partners going forward.
Azmin said the engagements and exchanges would strengthen economic diplomacy between the US and other IPEF partners towards the shared goals of enhancing competitiveness, building economic resilience as well as realising the environmental, social, and corporate governance agenda collectively.
He said the 14 IPEF partners represent 40% of global gross domestic product and 28% of global goods and services trade.


Govt considering emergency to postpone by-elections in Gerik, Bugaya

The government is considering declaring an emergency in order to postpone the by-elections in Gerik and Bugaya, similar to the move taken earlier this month to defer the Batu Sapi polls in Sabah.Law minister Takiyuddin Hassan said the health ministry and National Security Council (NSC) are conducting a detailed study to determine the need to put off the Gerik and Bugaya polls in Perak and Sabah respectively.He added that the government is keen on postponing any election to prove its commitment to preventing further escalation of the Covid-19 crisis.“That is why, in line with Article 150 (of the Federal Constitution), the Cabinet decided to instruct the prime minister to advise the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to declare a state of emergency in Batu Sapi,” he said in the Dewan Rakyat today.“The same will be considered and implemented for the state constituency of Bugaya and the parliamentary constituency of Gerik if, according to the risk assessment by the health ministry and NSC, this is needed.”He also said there was a strong possibility that the SOPs set by the NSC would not be fully obeyed in Batu Sapi.Ahmad Maslan (BN-Pontian) had asked if the government intended to advise the Agong to declare a state of emergency in Bugaya and Gerik as was done in Batu Sapi.Takiyuddin also said the government would need to postpone the by-elections as many personnel from the Election Commission (EC) and health ministry were afraid to work due to the rising wave of Covid-19 infections.“Only 143 EC staff so far are willing to work when the number should be 837,” he said.“On these grounds, the government believes declaring an emergency would be the best move.”He added that any move by the Agong to this effect would be in line with the constitution, denying that it would be at odds with democratic practices.


Strict national lockdown for England as new variant virus rampages

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ordered England into a new national lockdown to contain a surge in Covid-19 cases which threatens to overwhelm parts of the health service before the vaccine programme can reach a critical mass.His announcement on Monday came just hours after Britain became the first country to begin rolling out the vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca.He said a new, more contagious variant of the coronavirus first identified in the UK and now present in many other countries was spreading at great speed and immediate action was needed to slow it down.“With most of the country already under extreme measures, it’s clear that we need to do more together to bring this new variant under control,” Johnson said in a televised address to the country, reported by Reuters.“We must therefore go into a national lockdown tough enough to contain this variant. That means the government is once again instructing you to stay at home.”Non-essential shops and hospitality venues will have to remain closed, while primary and secondary schools will close from Tuesday. It will not be possible for exams to go ahead this summer.Johnson said that if the vaccine rollout goes as planned and the number of deaths responds to the lockdown measures as expected, it should be possible to start moving out of lockdown by the middle of February. However, he urged caution about the timetable.As Britain grapples with the world’s sixth highest death toll and cases hit a new high, the country’s chief medical officers said the spread of Covid-19 risks overwhelming the health service within 21 days.The surge in cases is being driven by the new variant of Covid-19, officials say, but there is also light at the end of the tunnel in the form of vaccinations.But right now, even with the vaccines being rolled out, the number of infections and deaths keep rising. A record 58,784 new cases of the coronavirus were reported on Monday.Acting a few hours before Johnson, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon imposed the most stringent lockdown for Scotland since last spring.


New infections dip to 5,000 as death toll up by 4

Another 5,047 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,619,045.
There were 3,770 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,540,716.
There are now 42,481 active cases, of which 40,923 or 96.3% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 39 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,459 (3.4%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 60 are in ICU with 34 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 60.9%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 14.8%.
Another four deaths were reported, including one who was brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,848.


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Infrastructure, public space still a pain in 'modern' Shah Alam

In Shah Alam, the capital of Malaysia's richest state Selangor, residents are still grappling with infrastructure problems despite the city's image as a relatively modern urban area.
Once known as Sungai Renggam, it is host to well-known institutions of higher education like Universiti Teknologi Mara, Universiti Selangor, and Malaysia Science University, and has its fair share of factories and industrial areas.
But despite the hustle and bustle of economic development, residents remain peeved over a number of issues which they say have been a thorn in their side for a long time.
Luqmanul Arif Karim, 30, has lived in Section 16 since he was a child. For three decades, he has heard the same issues raised over and over again: the poor quality of roads and a lack of facilities for the locals.
"Even the playgrounds are old and no longer safe for use," he said.
"It's hard for me to bring my children anywhere. Sometimes we have to head to locations that are much further away from home."
There are also flood mitigation problems, with the roads in Taman Sri Muda – one of several areas submerged by floodwater last year – in dire need of maintenance and upgrading.
Dr Afif Bahardin, Perikatan Nasional's (PN) candidate for the Shah Alam seat, said infrastructure problems were a common grouse in the area.
"Shah Alam is divided into two," he said. "Section 1 to 15 consists of those in the middle-income bracket and above. They are educated and have different expectations.
"But those who live in Section 16 to 24, most of them are in the B40 group. They live in cramped housing areas with very little room to move about."
Afif, a Shah Alam local, said more attention needs to be given to public space in the area.
"Shah Alam used to be known for its lake," he said, referring to Tasik Shah Alam. "But is that all?
"We have to see how to improve the parks throughout the area."
Afif is one of four candidates vying for the Shah Alam seat in the upcoming general election.
The Seberang Jaya incumbent is up against Hizatul Isham Abdul Jalil (Barisan Nasional), Azli Yusof (Pakatan Harapan) and Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali (Gerakan Tanah Air).
Khalid Samad, the Shah Alam incumbent who has held the seat for three terms, has been fielded in Titiwangsa this time around.
Shah Alam is considered an urban seat, with a Malay majority and a significant number of non-Malay voters.
According to the 2020 census, it had a total population of 438,745 at the time.
Of these, 74% were Malay while the Chinese and Indians represented 17% and 8% respectively.
There are two state constituencies within Shah Alam: Kota Anggerik and Batu Tiga.
Political analyst Mazlan Ali said it was not impossible for PH to defend the seat come Nov 19.
"Voters in Shah Alam are urban Malays who are more free in determining their political stands," he said.
"And the non-Malay voters will be more inclined towards PH."
Mazlan, of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, also said that the issue of floods which reached a peak in December last year would affect neither the state administration nor the opposition as most people blamed the federal government for the delayed response.
Other problems in the constituency include frequent water cuts and traffic congestion.
Ahmad Ramlan Abdul Talib, who has lived in Shah Alam for 32 years, blamed the large number of traffic lights for the congestion from Jalan Subang from the Guthrie expressway until the Federal Highway in Batu 3.
"Some of them can't function as signalised junctions," he said.
He said he had raised the issue with the city council before, but was told that the matter lay within the jurisdiction of the federal government.


Ismail calls for more cooperation with Japan through Look East policy

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today called for the exploration of new areas of cooperation related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives by Malaysia and Japan through projects and programmes implemented under the Look East policy.
He said this included diversifying cooperation in the fields of disaster crisis, ageing societies, the digital economy, science, technology and innovation as well as green growth.
According to the World Economic Forum Global Risk Report 2022 on issues such as climate change, the social impact of an ageing population and social polarisation after the Covid-19 pandemic is expected to seriously affect the economy and livelihoods of most countries within the next 10 years, he said in his speech at the opening of the Business Seminar to Commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Look East Policy in Kuala Lumpur today.
The text of his speech was read out by International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali.
He said the implementation of the Look East policy also focused on the balanced flow of benefits to Malaysia and Japan, including through Malaysia's ability to increase cooperation in the development of the halal industry with Japan.
"Malaysia as a pioneer in the global halal industry can certainly help Japan which is very keen to develop its halal industry," he said.
"This year is very special for bilateral relations between Malaysia and Japan because it marks the 65th anniversary of diplomatic relations, and the 40th anniversary of the Look East policy," he said, adding that the Malaysian government introduced the policy in 1982 as a transition from Western-oriented modernisation to emulating Eastern values, especially from Japan.
The prime minister said the Look East policy had contributed greatly to human capital development, the sharing of expertise and technology transfer, especially in the manufacturing and industrial sector in Malaysia.
He also said he was proud that the economic relationship between Malaysia and Japan had been manifested through an encouraging increase in bilateral trade volume since the Look East policy was introduced.
"Japan is now the fourth largest trading partner and one of the main sources of foreign investment for Malaysia," he added.


Protests against Greece’s mandatory jabs for health workers

Thousands of people demonstrated on Wednesday in Athens and other Greek cities against plans to make Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for all health workers, with police using tear gas and water cannon to disperse some protesters.On the eve of a parliamentary vote on a government decree, protesters held up posters saying “No to mandatory vaccinations” and “Freedom”, along with Orthodox crosses and Greek flags, AFP photographers and cameramen reported.Police said 3,000 people demonstrated in Athens. AFP journalists reported that officers fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse around 120 masked people who were throwing projectiles.Police said another 2,000 people demonstrated in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city.Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said last week that all people working in retirement homes must be vaccinated by Aug 16, or they will be put on sick leave.Vaccination for health workers in both the public and private sectors will become mandatory from Sept 1.Faced with the spread of the Delta variant, the government wants to get as many people as possible vaccinated.In a population of 10.7 million people, more than 4.6 million have now been fully vaccinated.But the spread of the Delta variant is raising concerns. In only two weeks, the number of cases has increased from 800 to 3,000 per day.