Khairy qualified to be PM one day, Ismail says

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said that Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin is qualified to be the prime minister in the future.
The Bera incumbent said the Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Sungai Buloh only had to get the support of Umno and BN and win in a general election in the future.
"Okay, that’s what KJ (Khairy) said (desire to lead Umno and become PM), but not for now. It’s in the future.
"Of course, he is qualified to be prime minister in the future. If we win an election, get the support of the party, KJ is definitely is one of those qualified to be appointed as prime minister one day," he told reporters in Taman Suria, Ayer Hitam, near Kluang.
Also present were MCA president and Ayer Hitam incumbent Wee Ka Siong, Johor BN chairman Hasni Mohammad and Johor Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi. Ismail was commenting on the Rembau incumbent's statement that he wanted to lead Umno and become prime minister in the future.
Khairy was reported as saying at a ceramah in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, last night that if the voters there gave him the mandate now, he aspired to eventually lead Umno and become the prime minister.
"If Allah wills, I want to lead Umno one day with the support of these friends. In the future, I want to become your prime minister to develop this country, but I must win here first," Khairy said, in his first public declaration of his desire to assume the top post.
"I have never said this before… but the time has come for me to declare it," he added.


42.7% of adults given booster jab

A total of 258,337 adults in Malaysia received a Covid-19 vaccine booster dose yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of booster jabs administered to adults in the country to 10,002,472 or 42.7%.According to the CovidNow portal, 22,911,629 or 97.9% of adults have completed their vaccination, while 23,189,939 or 99.1% have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.In terms of adolescents, a total of 2,776,837 individuals or 88.2% have completed their vaccination while 2,862,423 or 90.9% have received at least one dose.A total of 264,635 vaccine doses were administered yesterday, including 1,981 as first shots and 4,317 as second jabs.This brings the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 61,540,069.Meanwhile, according to the health ministry’s Github portal, 13 Covid-19 deaths were reported yesterday with Kuala Lumpur, Sabah and Penang recording two cases each, and one case each in Selangor, Perlis, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Kedah, Johor and Kelantan.


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If CM says fight, GPS will fight, Nancy Shukri says on giving way to Bersatu in polls

Batang Sadong MP Nancy Shukri says the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition is prepared to fight for its traditional parliamentary seats in the event of an election, whether at the state or federal level, with any decision on giving way to Bersatu dependant on Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg.“Whatever our chief minister decides, as our leader, we will follow,” she told MalaysiaNow when asked about the possibility of the peninsula-based Bersatu matching GPS in terms of parliamentary seats.“If Abang Johari says fight, we will fight.”GPS, comprising Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), the Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and the Progressive Democratic Party (PDP), is widely seen as a kingmaker in federal politics.Nancy, who is vice-chief of the PBB women’s wing, described GPS as an “independent force”, saying guidance on the matter of elections would come from Abang Johari.“We are on our own,” she added. “We do not interfere with any of the peninsula-based parties.”The arts, culture and tourism minister however assured that GPS would continue to work with the federal government for Sarawak’s best interest.“Our stand is, we will remain united, and we have to make decisions as one GPS,” she said.MalaysiaNow previously reported that Bersatu would respect any stand by GPS in the event that the coalition decides not to make way for friendly parties from the peninsula.“We acknowledge that we are not big. We understand their stand and we respect that, and we want to make sure that our relationship is harmonious because we are in the same boat,” Sarawak Bersatu chairman, Jaziri Alkaf A Suffian, who doubles as the state’s Perikatan Nasional (PN) chief, had said.He also assured that Bersatu was no threat to GPS, saying he had personally told Abang Johari that the party was “here to assist”.PN had extended its cooperation to GPS following the maiden official visit of its chairman and then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, pledging to mobilise its resources to help its Sarawak ally win in the impending state election, as well as the future general election.Muhyiddin was replaced by Ismail Sabri Yaakob in August after losing the support of the majority.


As buyers demand it, Bangladesh garment factories go green

When Shefali Akter first sought a job at a garment factory near Bangladesh's capital, the crowding, heavy workload and poor salary led the 19-year-old to resign after a year and return to her rural home in northern Bangladesh.
But when she came back to the garment factory region west of Dhaka with her new husband a few years later, she found conditions at some factories had dramatically changed for the better.
At the Snowtex Group plant where the 26-year-old now works, she earns US$1,350 (about RM6000) a month, gets extra pay for overtime, a nutritious free lunch and a day off each week.
The well-ventilated factory - along with a sister facility nearby - has seen solar panels installed, cutting energy costs by half.
Rainwater storage facilities and measures to cut waste have slashed water consumption by 30%, factory officials say.
The plant's grounds, heavily planted with trees, also have their own vegetable gardens, offering employees the chance to buy inexpensive organic tomatoes, cabbage, cauliflower and red amaranth.
Bangladesh's garment factories have long been known for producing low-cost garments in often harsh working conditions, but international pressure for more green and sustainable clothing production is starting to change that.
Bangladesh now has 186 factories certified as green by the US Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standard, up from three in 2014.
Of those, 62 have earned a platinum rating, 110 a gold rating and 10 a silver rating, for progress toward lowering carbon emissions, water and energy use, and waste, and making transport and materials more sustainable, according to the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA).
Points are also awarded for improvements in worker health and the quality of indoor work environments.
Business analysts say that after the collapse of the Rana Plaza garment factory, which killed more than 1,130 people in 2013, factory owners facing foreign and domestic criticism have stepped up efforts to provide a safer working environment.
As part of that push, some have also become interested in creating more environmentally friendly factories - a shift that is spreading, particularly as international buyers trying to meet their own green commitments seek out more climate-friendly factories.
Today, Bangladesh has the highest number of eco-friendly factories among the world's garment exporting countries, according to the BGMEA.
Going green
At Snowtex Group's pair of LEED-platinum-certified factories about 25km west of Dhaka, workers now enjoy grounds set with a water-storing pond, nutritionist-approved free lunches, salaries paid online and well-ventilated factory floors.
"We ensure the safety and security of workers," said SM Khaled, managing director of the firm, which sells to brands such as Colombia, Decathlon and C&A and has 19,000 workers and an annual turnover of US$250 million.
Khaled said workers, through an app, can message management if they face problems and "we investigate the issue with the highest priority".
While greener factories help the environment, he noted, the company has also found they save money, with energy use 50% lower compared to more traditional factories Snowtex Group owns.
Khaled said solar panels on the factories can generate 25 megawatts of energy a month, providing about 10% of energy needed to run the facilities.
Another 86% of power for the Snowtex plants is bought from other solar providers, with just 4% coming from fossil fuels such as diesel, he said.
Building green factories is 30-35% costlier than building a traditional factory, he noted - but utilities are then cheaper each year and buyers easier to line up.
Other garment factory owners are also making changes.
Fazlul Haque's Plummy Fashions plant south of Dhaka, for instance, has one of the largest factory solar plants in Bangladesh and transparent glass walls and skylights that cut lighting costs and create more natural light for workers.
Such shifts have cut the plant's carbon emissions by 35% compared to a more traditional factory, and water-saving faucets and rainwater-capture reservoirs have reduced the factory's water demand by 40%, Haque said in an interview at the factory.
"The Rana Plaza incident shocked me. At that time I promised that if I started a factory it would not be a high-rise building but it must be a green factory”, he said.
A larger number of clothing brands seeking climate-smart and worker-friendly products are also making investments in better factories pay off, said Haque, whose factory sells to fashion labels such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Next.
"Big brands are interested in buying clothes from green factories," Haque said. Now "we are in an advantageous position in bargaining".
Shima Akter, a labourer at the Plummy Fashions plant, said her workfloor wasn't "suffocating like other factories around" - and other parents in her community envied her job at a "green factory".
Buyer demands
Md Ashraful Al Amin Khan, Bangladesh manager of GIII Apparel Group, a buyer for fashion brands such as Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger, said his firm had signed long-term contracts with some of the green factories.
"We often visit those factories and are satisfied with the workers' wages and the working environment," he said, noting that "every prominent brand is considering the green garments issue and Bangladesh is really doing well.”
Faruque Hassan, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, said the country already had more LEED-certified garment factories than any other country with 52 out of the top 100 rated factories.
One, a Green Textile Limited factory in Mymensingh, in February was named the highest-scoring LEED-certified garment factory in the world, according to the BGMEA.
Altogether, Bangladesh is now home to nine of the top 10 LEED-certified garment plants in the world, the association said.
Ridhwanul Haq, a business administration professor at Dhaka University, said manufacturing of ready-made garments had dominated Bangladesh's economy for four decades but greener plants were positioning the country "for the next level of competitiveness" - and helping Bangladesh meet its own climate goals.


Russian shopping malls lose up to 30% of footfall, developer’s son says

Russian shopping malls are “de-energised” and have lost up to 30% of their footfall following the exodus of Western brands, the son of one of Russia’s most prominent property developers was quoted as saying on Monday.Emin Agalarov, a pop star and first vice president at the Crocus Group founded by his billionaire father Aras Agalarov, was quoted by the RBC media outlet as saying the loss of key tenants could spell the end for shopping malls altogether.“If you have a luxury shopping centre, you need Prada, Chanel, Louis Vuitton; if it’s the middle category – Zara, H&M, Reebok, Adidas,” RBC quoted Emin Agalarov as saying in an interview. “And if you don’t have them, then the venue becomes depersonalised.”He estimated that Crocus Group’s huge flagship Vegas and Crocus City shopping centres on the outskirts of Moscow had lost 30% of their traffic. Crocus might have to open a bowling alley or a warehouse if it was left with vast spaces that it was unable to lease.A press number for Crocus was not answered and the group did not immediately respond to a request for comment.Many Western brands have exited Russia or suspended operations since Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine on Feb 24. A handful of former McDonald’s Corp restaurants reopened on Sunday under a new brand in one of the most high-profile examples of a Western brand exiting.Many retailers have opted simply to close for now, leaving Russians with fewer stores to choose from at shopping centres and in Moscow’s central luxury district.


Oil price rises even as Opec boosts output more than expected

Oil prices rose Thursday despite an agreement by major crude producers to boost output more than expected, while US stocks rallied ahead of closely-watched employment data seen as a key input to the inflation debate.In Vienna, the Opec+ group decided to add 648,000 barrels per day to the market in July, up from the 432,000 bpd increases in recent months, and a shift from the cartel’s recent stance of sticking to a planned pace of monthly production hikes.“The meeting highlighted the importance of stable and balanced markets for both crude oil and refined products,” the group said of the move.The announcement came after European Union leaders agreed to ban more than two-thirds of Russian oil imports as part of a sixth package of sanctions on Moscow over the Ukraine war.But the action by producers did not appear to be enough to calm oil markets, with futures contracts rising more than 1%.The jump in prices reflects “doubts the cartel members can deliver on their promises,” TD Securities’ Bart Melek said in a note.He who warned that oil prices could spike “well above” US$120 a barrel in the peak summer period amid tight inventories, geopolitical risk and uncertainty over Opec.Meanwhile, Wall Street stocks pushed higher after two down sessions in which worries over inflation stymied buying.Payroll services firm ADP said private US employment rose by 128,000 positions last month, far less than economists expected and well below April’s total.While the ADP data is not necessarily a harbinger of Friday’s government jobs data, some market watchers think a Labor Department report showing weakening hiring and less wage pressure might be welcomed by investors.“Some traders expect to see cooler labor demand, which could slightly ease some inflation worries,” Oanda’s Edward Moya said.European shares also closed higher, with Paris leading the way at 1.3% and Frankfurt rising 1.0%. London’s FTSE 100 was shut for a holiday.Equities fell in Asia as traders grow increasingly worried that central bank moves to rein in inflation could tip economies into recession.Hong Kong shed 1%, while Tokyo, Sydney, Seoul, Singapore, Wellington, Manila, Jakarta and Taipei were well down. Shanghai and Mumbai edged up.Large tech companies had a banner session on Wall Street, with Amazon and Google-parent Alphabet each winning 3.2%, while Netflix jumped 6.3%.Dow-member Microsoft fell short of those levels but still gained 0.8%, despite lowering its profit and sales outlook due to the hit from the strong dollar.Boeing was another standout, jumping 7.5% after the head of Delta Air Lines said the carrier was hoping for a deal to buy planes from the aviation giant.


Ismail will be made Umno president if party polls are held now, says Nazri Aziz

Umno veteran Mohamed Nazri Aziz today said he believed that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob would be elevated to party president if Umno elections are held at the end of the year.
The Padang Rengas MP said this was not out of the question given Umno's track record in which those who are appointed as deputy prime minister are made deputy president at the party polls.
At the moment, he added, Ismail was not even the deputy prime minister but the prime minister.
"Logically, if we have party elections this year, he should be the president," he said at a forum with the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore.
"I mean, the president of the party does not necessarily have to be the prime minister in the present circumstances because we have to get the support of our coalition.
"For example, like Zahid today. He is the president. Why is he not the prime minister? For obvious reasons, right, there are cases in court," he added when asked if Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi could be defeated if party elections are held in the near future.
A number of Umno members had previously called for the party to speed up its polls instead of calling for an early general election.
The latter move has been seen by analysts as part of efforts to save leaders embroiled in court cases including Zahid and Najib Razak.
Nazri said if Umno chose to maintain Zahid as party president in the event that elections are held, the situation would not change as he cannot be appointed as prime minister.
In May, Umno amended its constitution to allow party elections to be held a maximum of six months after a general election.
Nazri said the understanding of the amendment was that the party would have to elect a new president and delegation instead of adding another 18 months to Zahid's presidency.
When asked what would happen if the results of the Umno polls remain favourable towards the court cluster, he said this would depend on the secret ballots cast by the delegates.
He said Umno members rarely spoke up but would express themselves through their votes.
"They don't like to speak up," he said. "When votes are secret, I think they will do the right thing.
"They don't have to say anything. They just vote. That's it."


There’s light at the end of the tunnel, PAS says on Umno-Bersatu dispute

PAS today expressed confidence that the dispute between Umno and Bersatu will be amicably resolved.“There is still light at the end of the tunnel,” PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man told reporters in Pasir Mas when asked if the party was worried about the tussle between Umno and Bersatu.On the PAS-Umno meeting last week, he said the topics of discussion included strengthening the cooperation in Muafakat Nasional.“We have indeed been having meetings twice a week. In our meetings we do touch on the general election but only indirectly,” he added.On talk that Kuala Langat MP Xavier Jayakumar had quit PKR because he was involved in a corruption case and wants to avoid prosecution, Tuan Ibrahim said the matter should be left to the authorities for further investigation.“Leave the investigations to the authorities. We (PAS) must make it clear, there will be no compromise and every allegation must be proven. The court must investigate if it is true that he was involved.“However, don’t make such an accusation each time someone switches party, because several Amanah members had also jumped ship (left PAS),” he said.Last Saturday, Xavier the former water, land and natural resources minister and PKR vice-president, announced his immediate resignation from his post citing frustration with the current political situation.He said he had decided to become an independent MP who would support the government bloc under the leadership of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.


Detention without trial against human rights, Suhakam says on Sosma

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) voiced concern today about Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution's position on the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act 2012, maintaining that detention without trial is against the core principles of human rights.
In a statement, Suhakam chairman Rahmat Mohamad acknowledged that the controversial law, known as Sosma, was created pursuant to special powers under Article 149 of the Federal Constitution.
"However, Suhakam is concerned by Section 4 of Sosma in which arrest, detention and renewal of the detention period does not require judicial oversight.
"The absence of judicial oversight allows the executive and the police free rein to abuse such power against citizens, human rights defenders and political dissidents," he said.
Saifuddin said at a press conference on Dec 13 that the government had no intention of reviewing Sosma.
He said Sosma allowed the court process to take place, and compared it to its predecessor, the Internal Security Act, saying that under Sosma, the period is "only 28 days".
He also said that arrests under Sosma were only done on "reliable intelligence and evidence".
His remarks sparked a chorus of concerns, including from his colleague in Pakatan Harapan, Gobind Singh Deo, who said they were against the stand of the coalition which had all along acknowledged Sosma as an oppressive law.
Saifuddin however maintained his stance, saying on Dec 15 that there was no current need for amendments to be made.
Rahmat said an appropriate balance must be struck between national security and the maintenance of human rights.
"Suhakam maintains a consistent position on security laws relating to detention without trial, that detention without trial goes against the core principles of human rights.
"Freedom from arbitrary detention, the right to a fair trial and the right to social and international order in which all rights can be fully realised are guaranteed by Federal Constitution and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights."


Nearly 4,000 copies of Romanised Quran from Indonesia seized

Some 3,823 copies of the Quran, as well as materials and other publications on the Quran, estimated to be worth RM110,221.19, mostly from Indonesia, were seized in an operation code-named “Op Naskhah” conducted in Selangor from Oct 1 until yesterday.
Home ministry director (enforcement and control) Ahmad Hilmi Said said the seizure, which also included 943 digital video discs, was made possible following intelligence work and operations.
The seized materials were found without the approval of the Quran Printing Control and Licensing Board and the Lajnah Tashih al-Quran.
"The seizure also included copies of the transliteration of the Quran in Roman script which is not allowed in Malaysia and has been declared illegal by the National Fatwa Committee," he told a press conference in Shah Alam today.
He said the transliteration of the Quran in Roman script was sold online for between RM40 and RM100 depending on the size.
Hilmi said the division would continue to carry out checks at the country's entry points, including KLIA, Port Klang, and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, Subang, as well as shops selling publications on the Quran.
He urged the public to channel information on the sale of Quranic publications that are not approved by the home ministry to 03-55190349 or Instagram @pkkselangorkdn as well as its official Facebook.


New Covid cases down 5.2% from week before

The number of new Covid-19 cases in the 39th epidemiological week (ME 39) from Sept 25 to Oct 1 dropped 5.2% to 12,291 from 12,963 during the previous week from Sept 18 to 24, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.
He said during ME 39, there were 12,260 cases compared to 12,934 during ME 38, while imported cases increased by 6.9% to 31 in ME 39 from 29 in ME 38.
"Deaths due to Covid-19 in ME 39 decreased by 35% to 26 from 40 in ME 38, while average daily active cases for the same week decreased by 2.5% to 24,713," he said in a statement today.
He said recoveries dropped by 8.4% to 12,534 cases in ME 39, from 13,677 the week before.
Based on physical Covid-19 assessment centres (CACs) reported for ME 38 and ME 39, he said, the number of patient arrivals to CACs dropped by 9% while the number of Covid-19 cases undergoing home monitoring decreased by 53.5%.
On the trend of daily active cases being monitored virtually, he said this dropped to 27,486 at the end of ME 39, from 30,819 at the end of ME 38.
He said the number of Covid-19 cases referred by CACs to hospitals increased by 8.2% last week, while the number of Covid-19 admissions to public hospitals per 100,000 population in ME 39 decreased by 7.7% for Category One and Two patients and 13.0% for patients in Category Three and above.
The usage of Covid-19 beds in ME 39 dropped by 1% for non-critical beds and 3% for ICU beds, and remained at 0% for beds at low-risk treatment and quarantine centres.
The number of patients requiring breathing assistance meanwhile decreased by 0.4%.


Surprise entries create chaos in race to succeed Philippines’ Duterte

The Philippines’ presidential race got more crowded with the last-minute entry of Rodrigo Duterte’s long-time aide, in another twist to an election likely to be dominated by powerful family dynasties rather than reforms.Duterte loyalist, senator Christopher “Bong” Go, registered to run for president after withdrawing his application to run for the No. 2 post, pitting himself against several rivals, including the son of late Philippine strongman Ferdinand Marcos.Go admitted he didn’t want to run against Duterte’s daughter, Sara Duterte-Carpio, who made a surprise move earlier on Saturday by filing her candidacy for the vice presidency, ending months-long speculation about her 2022 election plans.But with the deadline to switch candidates for the May 2022 polls two days away, political analysts suspect there could be more surprises and even changes in alliances in what is becoming an unpredictable election.Duterte’s communication secretary, Martin Andanar confirmed media reports that the 76-year old leader, who last month promised to retire from politics, would officially throw his hat in the vice presidential ring on Monday and run against his daughter.“That is his plan, we don’t know if that is going to change,” Andanar told Reuters.Duterte is barred by the Constitution from seeking a second six-year term, but nothing is stopping him from vying for another post.In the Philippines, the president and the largely ceremonial position of vice president are elected separately.Ferdinand Marcos Jr, the only son of the late dictator who ruled the Philippines for almost two decades until his 1986 overthrow, has adopted Duterte-Carpio, eldest daughter of the autocratic and capricious Duterte, to be his running mate.Duterte-Carpio, 43, who belongs to a political party controlled by former president Gloria Arroyo, another dominant force in Philippine politics, will release a statement soon, her spokesperson, Mayor Christina Garcia-Frasco said.“The rivalries of the political families have really been dramatised in this case,” said political analyst Temario Rivera. “It looks like they are the only ones deciding on the country’s fate. It is infuriating because they are making a fool of the Filipino people.”The Southeast Asian nation of 110 million people holds elections in May 2022 for positions from president down to governors, mayors and local officials. The next government faces the uphill task of reviving a pandemic-battered economy.Before announcing her vice presidential bid, Duterte-Carpio, in an opinion poll remained the most preferred candidate to succeed Duterte, and placing second was Marcos.Political analyst Edmund Tayao said a possible team up of Marcos and Duterte-Caprio, two powerful political families in the Philippines, could be a “game changer.”“Both of them are very popular. It is easy to assume they are the team to beat,” Tayao said.But the prospect of a Marcos-Duterte-Carpio team taking the reins of government next year has stirred anger in the human rights community.“What is in the offing are dire threats to democracy and freedoms in the country,” rights group Karapatan said.Marcos and Go are up against other presidential aspirants, including former boxing champion Manny Pacquiao, vice president Leni Robredo, Manila mayor Francisco Domagoso, and senator Panfilo Lacson.Duterte’s former police chief turned senator Ronald dela Rosa quit the presidential race on Saturday to give way for Go.Analysts said a loyalist successor to Duterte could insulate him from potential legal action at home or by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating thousands of killings since 2016 during his war on drugs.His government has denied wrongdoing and has said it will not cooperate with the ICC.


Free toll initiative to cost govt RM93 million

The government will have to bear about RM93 million to implement the free toll initiative for four days from today, says Deputy Finance Minister I Ahmad Maslan.
He said the free toll initiative, applicable on 33 highways and for all classes of vehicles, was one of the government's aspirations to reduce the cost of living for the people.
Ahmad said the amount was a preliminary estimate calculated by the National Budget Office to be paid to the concessionaires involved.
"Think of it as 'duit raya'... to give highway users the opportunity to return to their home towns or visit family members in conjunction with Aidilfitri," he said after an event in Kuching today.


The global supply trail that leads to Russia’s killer drones

The hundreds of Russian drones hovering ominously over the Ukrainian battlefield owe their existence to an elastic, sanctions-evading supply chain that often runs through a shabby office above a Hong Kong marketplace, and sometimes through a yellow stucco home in suburban Florida.
The "Sea Eagle" Orlan 10 UAV is a deceptive, relatively low-tech and cheap killer that has directed many of the up to 20,000 artillery shells that Russia has fired daily on Ukrainian positions in 2022, killing up to 100 soldiers per day, according to Ukrainian commanders.
An investigation by Reuters and iStories, a Russian media outlet, in collaboration with the Royal United Services Institute, a defence think tank in London, has uncovered a logistical trail that spans the globe and ends at the Orlan's production line, the Special Technology Centre in St Petersburg, Russia.
Based on Russian customs filings and bank records, the investigation marks the first time a supply route for American technology has been traced all the way to a Russian manufacturer, whose weapon system is used in Ukraine.
The Special Technology Centre, which once made a variety of surveillance gadgets for the Russian government and now focuses on drones for the military, was first targeted by US sanctions after President Barack Obama said it had worked with Russian military intelligence to try to influence the 2016 US presidential election.
The sanctions, which took effect in 2017, barred any American citizen or resident or US company from supplying anything that might end up with the Special Technology Centre. In March of this year, the US government tightened those restrictions by blocking all sales of any American products for any military end user, and effectively blocked all sales to Russia of high-technology items like microchips, communications and navigation equipment.
None of that has stopped the production of the Orlan drone.
The Special Technology Centre did not respond to a written request for comment. But one top scientist, who is also a major shareholder, said in an interview with Reuters that the company was experiencing a "high demand" for its drones.
Russia's Ministry of Defence did not respond to questions from Reuters about the impact of sanctions and its relationship to the Special Technology Centre.
The US Department of Commerce, which enforces controls on the export of US technology, would not comment on its knowledge of the Special Technology Centre, or of US parts supplying Russia's drone program.
In a statement to Reuters, a Commerce spokesperson said the department cannot comment on the existence or non-existence of investigations. The spokesperson added: "We will not hesitate to use all the tools at our disposal to obstruct the efforts of those who seek to support Putin's war machine."
Among the most important suppliers to Russia's drone program has been a Hong Kong-based exporter, Asia Pacific Links Ltd, which, according to Russian customs and financial records, provided millions of dollars in parts, though never directly. Many of the parts are microchips from US manufacturers.
Asia Pacific's exports to Russia were primarily delivered to one importer in St Petersburg with close ties to the Special Technology Centre, those customs records show. The import company, SMT iLogic, shares an address with the drone maker and has numerous other connections.
Asia Pacific's owner, Anton Trofimov, is an expatriate Russian who graduated from a Chinese university and has other business interests in China as well as a company in Toronto, Canada, according to his LinkedIn profile and other corporate filings.
According to public records, Trofimov is a resident of a modest East York neighborhood of Toronto. He did not respond to questions sent by email and LinkedIn. A woman who answered the door identified herself as Trofimov's wife and said she would pass along a message for him to contact Reuters. He never did.
The neighborhood is a world away from Asia Pacific's office in a shabby and narrow office building off a side alley and pedestrian market in Hong Kong's business district.
No one was at the Hong Kong office when a Reuters journalist visited recently. The company shares a partitioned room with three other tenants, according to the building's receptionist.
Despite appearances, business has boomed this year. In the seven months between March 1 and Sept 30, since Russia's February invasion, Asia Pacific increased its business sharply, exporting parts valued at about US$5.2 million (about RM23 million), up from about US$2.3 million in the same period of 2021, making it iLogic's biggest supplier, according to Russian customs records. Many of the components were made by US tech firms, the records also show.
Among the parts sent by Asia Pacific to iLogic in the same period of 2022 were US$1.8 million of chips made by Analog Devices, US$641,000 made by Texas Instruments, and US$238,000 by Xilinx, according to the Russian customs data. The supplies also included model aircraft engines made by a Japanese company, Saito Seisakusho, that are used in the Orlan 10, as shown in photos of drones recovered in Ukraine. Saito said it was unaware of the shipments.
Asked about the shipments to Russia in recent months, Analog Devices didn't reply to emailed questions. Texas Instruments and AMD, the owner of Xilinx, said their companies had not directly shipped or approved shipments into Russia for many months and were complying with all US sanctions and export controls.
AMD added that it requires its authorized distributors to implement end-use screening measures to track the potential sale or diversion of AMD products into Russia or restricted regions. "SMT iLogic and Asia Pacific Links are not authorized AMD distributors," AMD said.
The supplier next door
Financial records provided by a Russian official and reviewed by Reuters show the Special Technology Centre relies on a number of suppliers, but most notably iLogic. According to a record of iLogic's own bank receipts and payments seen by Reuters, iLogic works almost exclusively for the drone maker.
Since 2017, iLogic has imported about US$70 million of mostly electronic products into Russia, according to customs records. And according to financial documents examined by iStories and Reuters, nearly 80% of the company's income is from its business with the Special Technology Centre.
In turn, those same financial records show the Special Technology Centre's biggest customer is Russia's Ministry of Defence, which paid it nearly US$99 million between February and August of this year. The examined records list all transfers to and from the company's bank accounts during that period.
Reached by phone, Alexey Terentyev, a top scientist and major shareholder at the Special Technology Centre, said the war has forced it to focus on making drones.
"Due to the high demand for Orlans, we do not have the resources to do something else now. The demand for it is much bigger than we can produce," he said.
US sanctions had caused the company problems, he said, but it always found someone in the world to sell it what it needed. "Sanctions were imposed on us by one of the most powerful countries in the world," Terentyev said. "We should be proud of this."
Terentyev declined to say if iLogic was one of those suppliers. Asked about iLogic, he said, "You ask me about a company I don't know." Reminded that he was listed as one of iLogic's founders in Russian corporate records, he said that if his name showed up in documents, it was "likely correct" he was a shareholder. "Yes, I remember something," he said. But he could not recall what iLogic did. "I have lost connection with this company," he said.
Those corporate records show iLogic is based at the same St Petersburg office address as the Special Technology Centre. Russian corporate records show it was founded by Terentyev and other senior executives of the drone maker or their relatives.
In a brief telephone interview, Roman Agafonnikov, chief executive officer of the Special Technology Centre, said he didn't know anything about iLogic.
Florida
On the coast of southeast Florida, living in a smart suburban house just behind a nature reserve, is another individual who has supplied Russia's drone program.
Igor Kazhdan, a 41-year-old US-Russian citizen, owns a company, IK Tech, that sold about US$2.2 million worth of electronics to Russia between 2018 and 2021, Russian customs records show, over 90% of which were sold to iLogic.
Russian custom records show that IK Tech sold iLogic about 1,000 American-made circuit boards between October 2020 and October 2021, at a time when federal law banned the supply, whether directly or via another company, of any such technology to the Special Technology Centre.
The boards, valued at about US$274,000, were made by a California manufacturer, Gumstix. The California company told Reuters it is "very concerned" to hear of the shipments and would investigate. It said it does not have customers located in Russia nor any products or services intended for Russia, adding, "We will take all appropriate action to address any identified diversion of products from lawful end use."
Photos taken by Ukraine officials of the inside of a captured drone and seen by Reuters show a Gumstix board that is almost identical to the boards shipped by IK Tech. According to a list of components found on another drone supplied to RUSI and Reuters by the Ukrainian government, the board is part of the Orlan 10's control unit.
Kazhdan's activities drew the attention of US authorities. Just two weeks before Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine and Orlan drones started buzzing overhead, federal agents arrested Kazhdan. He was later indicted on 13 counts of smuggling and evading export controls when selling electronic components to Russia between December 2021 and February 2022.
The indictment related to selling sophisticated amplifiers made by US-based Qorvo that required an export license for Russia. It is not clear from court documents if US authorities were aware of the ultimate destination of the products. The Qorvo amplifiers, which are often used in radar, communications and radio equipment, have been found in the radio communication circuits of Orlan drones, according to Ukrainian officials. In a statement to Reuters, Qorvo said the "declared destination" of the parts mentioned in the case was a distributor in Florida. It added: "Qorvo has never conducted business or had any relationship with IK Tech or Igor Kazhdan, and the Company's products were exported and used without our knowledge."
In November 2022, after Kazhdan pleaded guilty to two charges, a federal judge sentenced him to three years of probation, fined him US$200 and ordered him to forfeit about US$7,000. If convicted on all counts, Kazhdan could have faced 40 years in prison.
Speaking on the doorstep of his Dania Beach, Florida, home, Kazhdan, wearing a scruffy beard in shorts and short-sleeve shirt, said the scale of his exports to Russia was minimal compared to other companies when it was put to him that he may have been assisting Russia's drone program.
"I just don't think that whatever this is, it's a big deal that you should be writing this story," Kazhdan said. "This is just comical."
Beyond that, he would not speak about the case or his shipments to Russia.
At his November 2022 sentencing hearing, Kazhdan told the Southern Florida District judge that he started doing business with Russia after making contact with importers at a 2016 satellite conference. Soon after, the importers convinced him to skirt reporting and licensing requirements, he said.
The US Department of Justice declined to comment on the case.


Khairy blasts Anwar's gambling funds claim against PN

Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin today hit out at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim for making false accusations after the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) was unable to verify his claims that Perikatan Nasional (PN) had received funds from gambling companies during the 15th general election last year.
In an episode of his "Keluar Sekejap" podcast with former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan, Khairy said that while Anwar is a leader with many positive qualities, those strengths, if used to make accusations, particularly against political opponents, can raise suspicions about others.
"If you want to make serious accusations, if Party X specifically took gambling funds, then I don't think you should make insinuations. You have to back it up."
Khairy also said that while the accusations made by Anwar against PN are serious, no evidence has been presented by the leader so far.
"If I were in PN's position, I would be angry.
"I don't like this kind of politics. If there are accusations, conduct an investigation and disclose its results," he said.
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin previously demanded an apology from Anwar and Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, saying that the coalition would consult their legal team on further actions.
PN's component party, PAS, also urged Anwar to apologise for spreading false accusations.


Sri Lanka's ousted president expected to fly to Thailand, sources say

Sri Lanka's ousted president, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is expected to arrive in Thailand on Thursday, seeking temporary shelter in a second Southeast Asian country after fleeing his island nation last month amid mass protests, two sources said.
Rajapaksa fled to Singapore on July 14, via the Maldives, following unprecedented unrest triggered by Sri Lanka's worst economic crisis in seven decades and days after thousands of protesters stormed the president's official residence and office.
The retired military officer then resigned from the presidency, becoming the first Sri Lankan president to quit mid-term.
The former president is expected to leave Singapore and go to Thailand's capital Bangkok on Thursday, two sources said, asking not to be named.
Sri Lanka's foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Thai government spokeswoman Ratchada Thanadirek told Reuters “no comment”.
Rajapaksa has not made any public appearances or comments since leaving Sri Lanka, and Singapore's government said this month that the city-state had not accorded him any privileges or immunity.
A member of the influential Rajapaksa family, the 73-year-old served in the Sri Lankan military and later as defence secretary.
During his time as defence secretary government forces finally defeated Tamil Tiger rebels in 2009 to end the Sri Lankan civil war. Some rights groups now want accusations thatRajapaksa committed war crimes to be investigated. Rajapaksa has previously strenuously denied the allegations.
Some critics and protesters also accuse Rajapaksa and his family of mishandling the economy during his term as president, leading to the country's worst financial crisis since independence from Britain in 1948.
His elder brother, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a former president and prime minister. Their younger sibling, Basil Rajapaksa, served as finance minister till earlier this year.
Rajapaksa's successor, Ranil Wickremesinghe, has previously indicated that the former president should refrain from returning to Sri Lanka in the near future.
"I don't believe it's the time for him to return," Wickremesinghe told the Wall Street Journal in an interview on July 31. "I have no indication of him returning soon."
If Rajapaksa returned to Sri Lanka, he might not be protected under law if any charges were filed against him, legal experts have said.


Ukraine says begun counter-offensive to retake Russian-held south

Ukraine announced on Monday the start of a long-awaited counter-offensive to retake territory in the south seized by Russian forces since their invasion six months ago, a move reflecting Kyiv's growing confidence as Western military aid flows in.
The news came as a team from the UN nuclear watchdog headed to Ukraine to inspect the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant - captured by Russian forces in March but still run by Ukrainian staff - that has become a hotspot in the war.
Moscow and Kyiv have traded accusations of shelling in the vicinity of the nuclear plant, Europe's largest and close to front lines, amid fears of a radiation disaster in a country still haunted by the 1986 Chornobyl disaster.
"Today we started offensive actions in various directions, including in the Kherson region," Ukrainian public broadcaster Suspilne cited southern command spokeswoman Natalia Humeniuk as saying.
Russia rapidly captured swathes of Ukraine’s south near the Black Sea coast, including the city of Kherson, in the early phase of the war in stark contrast to its failed attempt to capture the capital Kyiv.
Ukraine has been using sophisticated Western-supplied weapons to hit Russian ammunition dumps and wreak havoc with supply lines. Humeniuk told a briefing on Monday that Ukraine had struck more than 10 such ammunition dumps in the past week, adding they had "unquestionably weakened the enemy".
She declined to give details of the counter-offensive, saying Russian forces in southern Ukraine remained "quite powerful".
The governor of Ukraine's Russian-annexed Crimea Peninsula, Sergei Aksyonov, dismissed her announcement as "another fake of Ukrainian propaganda". Crimea is adjacent to the Kherson region.
Russia's RIA news agency, quoting local official Vladimir Leontiev, reported that people were being evacuated from workplaces in Nova Kahokva, a town 58km (36 miles) to the east of Kherson, after Ukrainian forces carried out more than 10 missile strikes there.
Nuclear safety
Earlier, the head of the International Atomic Agency (IAEA) said he would lead a team of inspectors this week to the Zaporizhzhia plant, on the Dnipro river in southern central Ukraine, without specifying the expected day of their arrival.
"We must protect the safety and security of Ukraine's and Europe's biggest nuclear facility," Rafael Grossi said in a post on Twitter.
The IAEA tweeted separately that the mission would assess physical damage, evaluate the conditions in which staff are working at the plant and "determine functionality of safety & security systems". It would also "perform urgent safeguards activities", a reference to keeping track of nuclear material.
On Monday Russian-installed officials said a Ukrainian missile strike had punched a hole in the roof of a fuel depot at the Zaporizhzhia plant.
Russia's defence ministry said its forces had shot down a Ukrainian drone that was trying to attack the nuclear power station, Russian news agencies reported. It said there was no serious damage and radiation levels were normal.
Reuters could not independently verify either report.
The Kremlin said the IAEA mission was "necessary" and urged the international community to pressure Ukraine to reduce military tensions at the plant.
The United Nations, US and Ukraine have called for a withdrawal of military equipment and personnel from the nuclear complex to ensure it is not a target. But the Kremlin again ruled out vacating the site.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the IAEA mission must carry out its work in a politically neutral manner. "They must be objective," she told Rossiya 24 television channel.
Russian forces fired at Enerhodar, the Dnipro riverside town where the plant is located, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's chief of staff said late on Sunday on his Telegram channel alongside a video of firefighters dousing burning cars.
"They provoke and try to blackmail the world," Andriy Yermak said.
Liliia Vaulina, 22, among a growing number of refugees from Enerhodar arriving in the Ukraine-held city of Zaporizhzhia, some 50 km (30 miles) upriver from the plant, said she hoped the IAEA mission would lead to a demilitarisation of its area.
"I think that they will stop the bombing," she told Reuters.
Two of the plant's reactors were cut off from the electrical grid last week due to shelling. Read full story
'Every shell matters'
In the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, Russian forces shelled military and civilian infrastructure near Bakhmut, Shumy, Yakovlivka, Zaytsevo, and Kodema, Ukraine's military said early on Monday.
Russian strikes killed eight civilians in Donetsk province on Sunday, its governor Pavlo Kyrylenko said.
Moscow denies targeting civilians.
Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special military operation" to demilitarise its southern neighbour. Ukraine, which won independence when the Russian-dominated Soviet Union broke up in 1991, and its Western allies have dismissed this as a baseless pretext for a war of conquest.
The invasion of Ukraine has touched off Europe's most devastating conflict since World War Two.
Thousands of people have been killed, millions displaced and cities blasted to ruins. The war has also threatened the global economy with an energy and food supply crisis.
On Monday, Zelensky accused Russia of trying to prevent European nations from filling their gas storage facilities enough to cope with the coming winter.
Sweden, which along with Finland plans to join Nato in response to Russia's invasion, announced nearly US$50 million worth of additional military aid to Ukraine on Monday during a visit to Stockholm by Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba.
Kuleba urged Sweden to provide weapons such as howitzers and shells. "Every euro, every bullet, every shell matters," he said.
Germany will also send more arms to Ukraine in coming weeks and help upgrade Kyiv's artillery and air defence capacities, Chancellor Olaf Scholz told a conference in Prague, where he also reaffirmed German support for Ukraine and several other ex-Soviet republics to join the European Union.


Malaysia tops Asean countries in democracy index

Malaysia has been ranked highly among Asian countries in an annual study on democracy by London-based financial journal The Economist, although it is still grouped as a “flawed democracy” alongside the US and several major Western democracies.Malaysia emerged tops among the 10 Southeast Asian nations with an overall score of 7.24 in the annual Democracy Index issued by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), the Economist’s research division.It was also ranked sixth among 28 countries in Asia and Australisia, coming behind New Zealand, Taiwan, Australia, South Korea and Japan.Its Asean neighbour Timor-Leste was not far behind with a score of 7.06, followed by Indonesia (6.71), the Philippines (6.62) and Singapore (6.23).Globally, Malaysia is ranked 39th out of 167 countries, topped by Norway, New Zealand and Finland, with North Korea, Myanmar and Afghanistan placed at the bottom.The index is based on five areas to reflect a country’s democractic process: elections, functioning of government, political participation, political culture and civil liberties.Malaysia was given a high score of 9.58 for electoral process and pluralism, 7.86 for functioning of government, 7.22 for political participation, 6.25 for political culture, and 5.29 for civil liberties.The index also classifies countries into four types of regime: full democracy, flawed democracy, hybrid regime or authoritarian regime.It said that while less than half of the world’s population live in “a democracy of some sort”, only 6.4% live in a “full democracy”.Malaysia has been categorised as a flawed democracy, alongside 53 other countries including the US.The index defines a flawed democracy as a country that has free and fair elections and where basic civil liberties are respected despite problems such as infringements on media freedom.It said many countries were given lower scores this time due to the various restrictions and curbs on freedoms to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic.In Asia, it said, the quality of governance had been undermined by continued restrictions on individual freedoms as a result of the pandemic.“In some places this has undermined public trust in institutions and weakened motivation for political participation,” it added.In Malaysia’s case, it cited the nationwide state of emergency declared from January to August to curb the spread of Covid-19.“This led to the suspension of Parliament and delayed the collapse of the government headed by then prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who at the time faced a vote of no confidence,” it added.Globally, the study found that democratic standards fell in 2021 amid the pandemic and what it called growing support for authoritarianism, leaving just over 45% of the world’s population living in a democracy.In the case of the US, it said “intense levels of political and cultural polarisation” had affected the world’s most powerful democracy.“Pluralism and competing alternatives are essential for a functioning democracy, but differences of opinion in the US have hardened into political sectarianism and institutional gridlock,” the survey added.


Trump pleads not guilty in govt secrets case

Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to dozens of criminal counts for mishandling some of the US government's most sensitive secrets and scheming to prevent their return, in a historic appearance Tuesday in federal court.
The former president – and the favourite to fight next year's election for the Republicans – gave himself up to US Marshals in Miami for a brief hearing that set up the unprecedented scenario of a White House race litigated from the courtroom as well as at the ballot box.
On the eve of his 77th birthday, Trump appeared before a magistrate judge to be formally presented with 37 charges brought by a special counsel probe that opened after an FBI raid of his Florida mansion.
"We are certainly entering a plea of not guilty," Todd Blanche, his attorney, told the hearing.
The hearing – just weeks after Trump denied state level financial fraud charges in a separate case in Manhattan – came with the former reality TV star's mounting legal woes threatening to derail his bid to return to the Oval Office.
The US government accuses Trump of violating the Espionage Act and other laws when he removed classified documents upon leaving office in 2021 and failed to give them up to the National Archives.
Authorities say he conspired to thwart investigators and knowingly shared national security secrets with people who did not have the requisite clearance.
Trump was heading back to his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey, to deliver an evening speech protesting his innocence – but not before stopping to greet supporters at a Cuban restaurant in Miami's Little Havana, where they sang happy birthday in his honour.
"We have a country that's corrupt," Trump told the gathering, railing at the charges brought against him.
"A country in decline like never before," he said. "I think it's a rigged deal here."
Miami officials were preparing for large scale protests, and police had ramped up security well in advance of what turned out to be a few dozen Trump supporters converging near the courthouse.
Some wore "Make America Great Again" baseball caps and one with a sign reading "Indict Jack Smith" – the special prosecutor who brought the charges.
Trump himself lashed out at Smith on his Truth Social network earlier, calling the prosecutor a "thug" and a "lunatic."
'Ridiculous'
The runaway frontrunner in the 2024 Republican primary has vowed to stay in the race regardless of the outcome of the documents case.
The 49-page indictment, dismissed by Trump as "ridiculous," includes photographs showing boxes of documents stacked at Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach residence, in a ballroom and in a bathroom and shower.
Trump, who leads the Republican race for president by more than 30 points, has been impeached twice over allegations of misconduct in office and was recently found liable for sexual abuse.
He faces indictment or ongoing scrutiny in four criminal probes – in Washington, Florida, Georgia and New York – and could find himself on trial in multiple cases as he campaigns to return to the White House.
The pugnacious billionaire continues to defend and even praise the rioters who ransacked the Capitol to halt the certification of the 2020 election, and has promised pardons for many if he is reelected.
Trump – who has repeatedly complained that the investigations against him amount to a baseless "witch-hunt" – vowed Monday to appoint a special prosecutor on his return to office to investigate President Joe Biden and his family.
He appeared in court with strong backing from Republican voters, 81% of whom believe the charges against the former president are politically driven, according to a new Ipsos poll.
"In recent years we have seen the rise of politically motivated prosecutors who don't care for impartiality, who don't care for due process or equal protection of laws," Trump lawyer Alina Habba told CNN.
"They have been quietly but aggressively cultivating a two-tiered system of justice where selective treatment is the norm."
Republican leaders in Congress and Trump's rivals for the party's presidential nomination have largely glossed over the gravity of the allegations against him, instead attacking the Justice Department.
The pro-Trump super PAC Maga Inc launched an ad Monday noting that an ongoing investigation into Biden's own handling of classified documents has not yielded an indictment.
The two cases bear few similarities as Biden is not accused of refusing to return classified documents or suspected of thwarting government attempts to recover them.


Judge who convicted Najib elevated to appeals court

High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali who convicted former prime minister Najib Razak of corruption in the SRC International case was today promoted to the Court of Appeal.Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah presented the instrument of appointment at a ceremony at Istana Negara.Nazlan was a judicial commissioner from April 10, 2015 until he was appointed as a High Court judge on Jan 30, 2017.In July 2020, Nazlan sentenced Najib to 12 years’ jail and fined him RM210 million after convicting him of seven charges related to the misappropriation of funds from SRC International.In December of that year, meanwhile, Nazlan gave former federal territories minister Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for a charge of accepting a RM1 million bribe in 2013, after the prosecution inform the court of new details on the case.He was transferred back to the civil court in March last year.


Singapore execution toll set to climb after inmates' complaint of no access to counsel dismissed

A Singapore court has thrown out the lawsuit filed by 24 death row inmates who said their access to counsel had been hampered after a climate of fear sparked by the heavy penalties imposed on lawyers who represented prisoners like them, a day after they were told to submit elaborate paperwork in support of their case despite their lack of consel.
The decision last night automatically paves the way for two more hangings tomorrow, which would bring the city-state's execution toll to 10 this year, the highest in Southeast Asia for 2022.
In their suit, the 24 inmates had referred to the recent cost orders awarded to the attorney-general, including against lawyers Charles Yeo and M Ravi who were charged with "abusing the process" in representing death row prisoners.
They cited instances where prisoners, including those who have been executed in recent months, had to represent themselves because lawyers were fearful of similar actions against them by the attorney-general.
But the judge said the cost orders were justified, adding that lawyers might have "perfectly valid and legitimate reasons" for refusing to take up inmates' cases.
The judge also accused the prisoners of relying on "hearsay evidence" from "unidentified lawyers" as well as "family, friends and activists assisting their families".
He gave the prisoners a deadline of this morning for their request for a stay of execution for Abdul Rahim Shapiee, in part of an apparent pattern of judges in Singapore issuing tight deadlines for death row inmates to submit complex legal documents in support of their applications.
Two days ago, the group was given until the end of the business day to send further submissions to support their suit, leaving them with only hours to work through complex legal terminology and procedures.
Singapore has come under increasing international scrutiny over its spate of executions, which has seen eight inmates hanged in just four months for drug offences, most recently a Malaysian and a Singaporean on Aug 2.
The United Nations was the latest to join the condemnation from rights groups and activists, with its Human Rights Office saying it "deplored" the latest executions and was deeply troubled by the other two scheduled for tomorrow.
"We also call on the government of Singapore to end the use of mandatory death sentences for drug offences, commute all death sentences to a sentence of imprisonment and immediately put in place a moratorium on all executions, with a view to abolishing the death penalty," it added.
The Singapore government has scoffed at those who question its death penalty for drug offences, despite statistics showing that most individuals hired to courier drugs are from poor families.
Instead, the PAP-led regime insists that the death penalty has been a deterrent against drug crimes.


Press union hits out at Fahmi after rant over news report

The National Union of Journalists Peninsular Malaysia (NUJM) today hit out at Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil over his remarks on a report about the central bank's overnight policy rate (OPR), saying such reports are a typical form of news coverage by news agencies nationwide.
"It is also the norm for media agencies to publicise their stories on their respective social media platforms which are open to the public in delivering the latest news," it said.
"As minister in charge of media, Fahmi should have been aware of this common practice where the media will run stories based on the opinion and projections of industry experts."
Fahmi had expressed anger at a report by Berita Harian quoting analysts' prediction of a hike in the OPR by July, based on economic forecasts driven by strong domestic demand following recovery in the employment sector.
"This is a lie," he said in comments posted on Facebook, adding later that he would meet with the management of the Malay daily.
His remarks were met with scepticism by some users who pointed out, among others, the report's use of the word "expected".
NUJM said Fahmi's actions had undermined the story, adding that his comments could give rise to a negative public perception about the media.
"Where is the press freedom as promised by the new government if the media’s own 'minister' labelled an article by a local media on financial projection as 'slander'?
"NUJM hopes that the minister can be more understanding of the stories that the local media work produces as the country’s reliable, trusted, and credible news sources."


Council recommends March 1 for quarantine-free international travel

The National Recovery Council (MPN) today said it recommends that the country’s borders be reopened as soon as possible to facilitate further recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.MPN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin said the council had agreed for the borders to be fully reopened without mandatory quarantine as early as March 1.Speaking at a press conference, however, he said Covid-19 tests must still be conducted before departure and upon arrival, in line with the health ministry’s recommendations.“The reopening of the country’s borders must be done in a planned manner and according to current risk assessments,” he said, adding that detailed information about SOPs would be announced by the health ministry.Malaysia’s borders have been largely closed to international travellers since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic in early 2020.A Vaccinated Travel Lane was recently opened with Singapore, allowing a fixed number of land and air travellers to move between Malaysia and the city-state.Responding to questions today, Muhyiddin said Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin had said that even if Malaysia wished to reopen its borders on a targeted basis, the ultra contagious Omicron variant had already spread throughout the world.“So we cannot choose,” he added. “But an announcement will be made about the rules to be set down.”


Sorry.


Lokman Adam deletes posts on alleged sexual harassment by chief shariah judge

Former Umno Supreme Council member Lokman Noor Adam has deleted all defamatory posts on the alleged sexual harassment by Chief Syarie judge Mohd Na’im Mokhtar from his Facebook and YouTube channels.Lawyer Akberdin Abdul Kader, representing Na’im, when contacted by reporters said Lokman had deleted the posts within 24 hours as ordered by the court after allowing the ex-parte injunction application by Na’im in his suit against Lokman during an online proceeding on Jan 20.In the defamation suit filed on Jan 17, Na’im had sought an injunction order for the defendant to remove the videos and posts, and an injunction to prevent him from republishing them.Akberdin said in today’s proceedings, judge Rozana Ali Yusoff allowed Na’im’s application for the ex-parte injunction to be extended until the inter-parte injunction hearing on March 22.The hearing was initially slated for today but was postponed after Lokman’s lawyer requested more time to file the affidavit in reply.Na’im, 54, filed the suit in his personal capacity naming Lokman, 49, as the defendant, over allegations of sexual harassment against several women, including one with a Datin title.Based on the statement of claims, Na’im, who is also the director-general of the Department of Syariah Judiciary Malaysia claimed that the defendant had defamed him by making statements through two live streams on the “Lokman Noor Adam Official” Facebook page on Jan 10 and Jan 13.He also claimed that the defendant had uploaded the live streams on his YouTube channel on Jan 10 and 14 respectively, besides uploading three defamatory posts against him on Facebook on Jan 11 and 13.He claimed that the statements implied that he was a spiritual opportunist, had failed to be a credible leader or to set a good example for the community, and had tarnished the good image of the Syariah Judiciary Department.Na’im claimed that the live broadcast and other posts had been spread to third parties, as the defendant’s Facebook and YouTube could be viewed and commented on by the general public.He sought an injunction for the defendant to delete the videos and the posts, as well as to prevent the defendant from republishing them, besides an apology from the defendant to be uploaded on social media.He also sought general damages to be assessed by the court, apart from exemplary, aggravated and punitive damages amounting to RM10 million each, with 5% interest per annum calculated from the date of judgment until full settlement, as well as other relief deemed fit by the court.


Rising automation doesn’t mean robots will steal your job, experts say

While the idea of robots in the workplace is often associated with the displacement of human labour, experts say the opposite is in fact more likely to occur even as technological advances spur a rise in the deployment of machines, especially in the manufacturing industry.For years, the world has been turning more and more to automation, especially in China where robots are now being used in delivery services as the Covid-19 pandemic fuels demand for contactless courier services.In neighbouring Taiwan and South Korea, meanwhile, robots have been deployed in cafes, performing tasks such as preparing and serving food.Such robots, known as collaborative robots or cobots, are very different from their traditional counterparts in the industrial sector.Although concerns abound about robots taking over jobs and leading to massive unemployment, cobots are in fact designed to work alongside humans.An example of a cobot is the UR5, created by Universal Robots and deployed, among others, at a bubble tea chain in Taiwan.There, they are tasked with making drinks, serving customers, and cleaning up afterwards.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Universal Robot’s Asia-Pacific regional director James McKew said the rise of cobots would allow humans to opt for other jobs.“Cobots relieve human employees from strenuous and repetitive tasks so that they can take on better, more exciting roles within the company,” he said.He added that cobots could increase productivity and encourage upgrades in skillsets.“In fact, a World Economic Forum study suggests that robots have the potential to create 58 million jobs globally in the next five years.”Robots are more likely to be used in developed countries with an ageing workforce such as South Korea and Germany, which are among the world’s fastest adopters of robots based on the number of robots per human worker.This could soon become an issue in Malaysia, too, which expects to become an ageing nation by 2030.McKew also pointed to Singapore, which he said has the highest robot density by far with 918 units per 10,000 workers compared to Malaysia’s 34.“Malaysia has become a prime target for robotics deployment,” he said. “In the age of collaborative automation, the job prospect in Malaysia remains promising as the job losses will be offset by the new labour demand.”He also moved to allay fears, particularly in developing countries, about the adoption of robots in the workplace as an existential threat.Referring to China, which he said was a pioneer in this area, he said the successful implementation of robots there demonstrates that they can be used to create new jobs instead of eliminating them.“Now, China has a robot density of 187 units per 10,000 workers, ranking 15th in the manufacturing industry worldwide. As the world’s largest population in the world, the labour force in China is one of the most important factors driving economic growth,” he said.Che Fai Yeong, an associate professor at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s School of Electrical Engineering, acknowledged that the use of robots would result in unemployment in certain job scopes.However, he said this does not necessarily translate into a bad situation.He said robots are mostly taking over low-skill, repetitive and boring jobs that human workers generally avoid.“Humans are still in the equation to provide high-level guidance and precision tuning as these are not able to be performed by robots.“Cobots are creating more new jobs including robot designers, programmers, maintenance, site engineers and system integrators, among others,” he said.McKew agreed.While many believe that automation will take over most aspects of jobs, he said, no machine will ever replace human dexterity, critical thinking, decision making, and creativity.


FBI hunting flying man at California airport

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it looks like some guy in a jet pack. Could be James Bond.People flying drones near airports are posing an ever-increasing danger to aircraft landing and taking off.Now it appears people flying themselves over airports may also start becoming a threat to planes.Two airline flight crews say they have seen what appeared to be someone flying near their flight path in a jet pack as they approached Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), in California.The Federal Bureau of Investigation is working to figure out what happened.Fox 11 published a recording of the conversations between the LAX control tower and the pilots.“Tower, American 1997, we just passed a guy in a jet pack,” an American Airlines pilot said.A controller asked whether the jet-pack flier was on his right or left.“Off the left side, maybe 300 yards or so, about our altitude,” the pilot said.Another person, identified as a SkyWest pilot, corroborated the claim. “We just saw the guy passing by us in the jet pack,” he told controllers.The tower warned an incoming JetBlue pilot of the danger.“Jet Blue 23, use caution, a person in a jet pack is reported 300 yards south of the LA final, at about 3,000 feet, 10 mile final,” he said.The pilot replied, “Jet Blue 23, we heard, and we are definitely looking.”Another pilot summed it up best, with the time-honoured phrase: “Only in LA.”This incident raises the questions of whether sustained flying at such altitude is possible in a jet pack, and if so, whether it is currently illegal or needs to be made so very quickly.


AirAsia top duo paid RM4.8 million each in 2020

The annual reports for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2020 (FY20) for AirAsia Group Bhd, now known as Capital A Bhd, and AirAsia X (AAX), show that Tony Fernandes and Kamaruddin Meranun received an annual salary of RM4.8 million each, while board members were given fees in the hundreds of thousands of ringgit, even as the airline dealt with the impact of Covid-19 following the worldwide freeze on air travel.Meanwhile, according to AAX’s annual report for the financial year ended June 30, 2021, former minister Rafidah Aziz, who is a senior independent non-executive chairman, was paid RM401,500.Other board members received annual fees ranging from RM150,000 to RM280,000 as well as meeting and travel allowances amounting to tens of thousands of ringgit.The reports came as the carrier posted a series of losses due to the Covid-19 pandemic.In September 2021, AAX posted a record quarterly loss of RM24.6 billion for the April-June period, eight times more than the previous year. It was the airline’s ninth successive loss.Last year, the group posted a net loss RM887 million for the third quarter ended Sept 30, 2021, up 4% from RM851.78 million in the corresponding quarter in 2020.AAX, meanwhile, faces the issue of refunds demanded by passengers whose flights were cancelled over the past two years since the onset of the Covid-19 crisis.MalaysiaNow understands that many have yet to receive their money back.In April last year, Fernandes assured some 450,000 customers waiting for refunds would get their money back, adding that AAX had been facing financial problems.“AirAsia X is in deep, deep financial difficulty because it just hasn’t been able to fly anywhere. Plus it has had to deal with very unfair competition over the many years,” he said.On Nov 12 last year, AirAsia said that its RM33.65 billion debt settlement scheme for AAX had been approved by 99% of its creditors through a vote at a meeting held that day.“A lot has also been written about the classification of passengers as creditors. In a financial statement, besides being a shareholder, there are only two categories. A party is either a debtor if they are owing money to the company or a creditor if the company owes them money. It is clear that the company owes the passengers who have outstanding amounts owed to them, and hence the classification as creditors.“We assure all passengers affected by the restructuring that it is the firm intention of AAX to put in place travelling privileges in the form of travel credits, which can be utilised for future purchases of flight tickets once international borders reopen on top of the 0.5% they will receive and other cash based entitlements based on annual revenue performance over three years as explained in the explanatory statement issued to all creditors recently.“Please note that these entitlements and the travel credits can only take place if AAX is successfully restructured pursuant to the terms of the scheme. If the terms of the scheme are not complied with and the scheme fails, AAX will go into liquidation and the passengers will not receive anything in return. It is not the intention for AAX to place the passengers in this situation,” it said.On March 16, AAX in a separate statement said the company had lodged a sanction order for its debt restructuring with the Registrar of Companies with the formalities of the restructuring now completed.It said the lodgement of the sanction order meant that the financial effects could be recognised in the financial statements of the company and that, as a result, AAX would be able to reverse RM33 billion in liabilities and provisions for liabilities which have been waived under the scheme.


Amanah man chides DAP's Ramasamy over Cabinet line-up

An Amanah leader has hit out at Penang Deputy Chief Minister P Ramasamy over his criticism that the Cabinet line-up announced by Anwar Ibrahim has only one minister from the ethnic Indian community.
Razak Ridzuan, the deputy Amanah Youth chief, urged Ramasamy to be big-hearted, saying the latter should emulate his party DAP which was willing to make sacrifices for the sake of the government's stability.
Razak also advised Ramasamy not to make public his criticism, saying the current political situation was unprecedented and needed every coalition making up the government to set aside their own interests.
"Ramasamy should also learn from the 22-month experience of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, whose leaders were often seen clashing in public, until it was exploited by political enemies," said Razak.
Ramasamy meanwhile has defended his views amid a barrage of comments from PH supporters condemning him.
He said that his request for another minister from the Indian community was a call for "recognition and respect".
In a Facebook post defending his stand, he said he was not speaking from the viewpoint of ethnic nationalism, but from the perspective of recognising the basic ethnic and cultural rights of the Indian community.
"It is not that an additional post is going to fundamentally alter the development status of the community," he said.
"It is merely one small step in the right direction saying that the present unity government pays attention to the powerless numerically small ethnic communities in the country."


After MCA's Wee, egg importer now slams Azmin and threatens suit

The sole company given a special contract to import eggs from India has attacked Bersatu's Mohamed Azmin Ali, threatening to sue the former international trade and industry minister just days after serving a letter of demand on MCA president Wee Ka Siong.
The latest threat by the company, J&E Advance Tech Sdn Bhd, comes two days after a speech by Azmin in which he said a company linked to controversial businessman Deepak Jaikishan was awarded the contract through direct negotiations.
In a statement laced with attacks on his politicial leanings, the company said Azmin, desperate "to create a diversion", was "taking his favourite 'backdoor' approach by using a 'lame spin' of a normal egg importation into a fake scenario of direct negotiations by the government of Malaysia to 'buy imported eggs' from us".
The company said it had only imported the eggs as a "stopgap measure" during the festive season to address the shortage in the market "that led to us requesting permission from the government of Malaysia to import eggs".
Checks with the Companies Commission show two shareholders in the company, Jeena Giri and Shahrizal Ahmad, both of whom hold shares worth a total of RM850,000.
Azmin did not name J&E Advance Tech in his speech at the PAS centre in Gombak during an event attended by top Perikatan Nasional leaders on Saturday night.
Last month, the same company sent a letter of demand to MCA's Wee over a speech in Parliament questioning the quality of eggs from India.
Wee expressed surprise at the time, saying he had made the remarks in the Dewan Rakyat in his capacity as an MP without naming any party.
"I made no mention of names but I was still issued a summons," he said.
Last week, a blog questioned Deepak's links in the move to import eggs from India, publishing photographs of him with Agriculture and Food Security Minister Mohamad Sabu during what it claimed was a trip to Chennai, India.
Neither Mohamad nor Deepak has responded to MalaysiaNow's attempts to verify the pictures.
Deepak's name entered the spotlight after his claim that former prime minister Najib Razak and Rosmah Mansor were involved in the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
He also sued Najib and Rosmah over an alleged conspiracy which he claimed led to him suffering losses.


Indonesians mourn governor’s son found dead in Swiss river

Tens of thousands of people filled streets in the city of Bandung Monday to mourn a governor’s son, who was found dead in a Swiss river last week after a search that captivated Indonesia.The disappearance of Emmeril “Eril” Kahn Mumtadz last month gained national attention, with Indonesians posting images and videos online of the eldest son of Ridwan Kamil, the governor of Indonesia’s most populous province West Java.The 22-year-old disappeared in the Swiss capital Bern’s Aare River on May 26 while swimming with his sister and friends.Swiss authorities retrieved his body from a dam after a 12-day search and repatriated it to Indonesia on Sunday.Massive crowds gathered Monday in Bandung, the capital of West Java, to bid goodbye to the politician’s son ahead of a burial broadcast on national television, where sobbing mourners were seen waving to his family as they travelled to a cemetery alongside his body.Some mourners travelled from other Indonesian islands to pay their respects, local media reported.“I believe Eril is very happy now and he is at peace. We are also at peace and we have accepted what happened,” his father told reporters outside the cemetery.Kamil is a former mayor of Bandung and one of the most popular politicians in Indonesia, frequently named as one of the figures expected to run in the 2024 presidential election.President Joko Widodo on Friday said he contacted the governor to pay his “deepest condolences”.Cabinet ministers and politicians also paid their respects, welcoming his son’s body on arrival in Jakarta and meeting Kamil before the funeral.“Eril was a good person. God willing, Eril will be granted the best place next to God,” Ganjar Pranowo, the Central Java governor who is also a favourite to win the presidential election, tweeted Monday.


Of WFH and #KitaJagaKita

When I started my first job some seven years ago, the idea of working from home was an alien concept.I remember coming home from the office after completing my first month on the job and telling my parents that I was allowed to work from home now. They were understandably sceptical. “How will they keep track of whether or not you’re getting things done?” they asked. “Perhaps they’re just being nice.” And, words of wisdom from the treasure trove of every Asian parent ever, “You’d better go to office and use their aircon, not yours.”Their concerns were completely justifiable. In a world where dogs eat dogs and rats run laps to see who comes out first, working from home was considered the height of luxury, perhaps even frivolity. An office presence was necessary to make a good impression on superiors and, truth be told, I like my aircon cold.Fast forward to today, and working from home is suddenly the new norm. From dogs and rats, we’ve moved to a world where Covid-19 stalks the streets and anything that can be uprooted from its physical location and transplanted to the intangible domain of the world wide web has been moved post-haste.At first, it’s fun. Work from home? In pyjamas the whole day, the fridge just around the corner and the TV remote within easy reach? No more fighting traffic at 7am, no more paying through the nose for parking, and no more forking out for overpriced mixed rice. Humanity reaches the peak of civilisation.After a while, though, it gets to you. Not that you miss endlessly circling for parking at ungodly times of the morning or fighting rush hour traffic only to reach home at 10pm. But you miss the back and forth conversations in the office and heading out for lunch in groups. You miss wearing something other than ratty old T-shirts and, if you’re a parent, you miss working with other grown-ups. Not that you would ever admit it because it might make you sound like someone social workers would come after, but working from home only really works if you can sit down in front of your laptop without finding that someone with small fingers covered in peanut butter has already been there and left copious amounts of evidence behind.There’s a certain pressure that comes with working from home, and if you’re a parent with young children, it’s compounded by a million and one other things. The challenge to deliver takes on much greater proportions, especially if your boss is nervy about allowing employees a longer leash. The line around working hours become blurred as the laptop turns into a permanent fixture on the dining room table (you alongside it), and you’re fortunate if you make it through the day without your children breaking something – a plate, a cup, the TV, a bone.From the frazzled parent working from home to the woman selling pisang goreng by the side of the road, this is where the full strength of the KitaJagaKita hashtag needs to come into play. We do not only watch out for each other in terms of health, although that is certainly a main priority at the moment. Covid-19, which has killed over 600 in the country so far and more than two million worldwide, is no joke.But neither are the hundreds of thousands struggling to get by both physically and mentally because of the pandemic and the various preventive measures which have taken a toll on their jobs as well. For some, these jobs have been taken away, and for others, they have been changed perhaps beyond recognition along with the environment in which their holders must continue to perform.By all means, we should be free to express concern about the health situation in the country, especially with government hospitals pushed to the brink and private centres now roped in to help. But it does no good to focus only on one side of the problem without also taking into consideration all the rest. Calls for a lockdown need to be tempered with the acknowledegment that any move of the sort would be only a flawed solution to a situation with no win-win outcome for anyone. At best, locking down is simply the lesser of two evils although this too could be debated.Those who are in a position to call for lockdowns with apparent impunity should count themselves fortunate. But any truly mature and inclusive society which claims KitaJagaKita as its tagline will understand that decisions of such magnitude are rarely if ever clear-cut and always prove Newton’s Third Law of provoking equal and opposition reactions.


‘Revenge Raya’ ahead after 2 years of pandemic restrictions

Anticipation is building ahead of Hari Raya Aidilfitri tomorrow with celebrations expected at levels unseen since the onset of Covid-19 and the accompanying swathe of restrictions on social events.As the country eases into what the government describes as the transition towards endemicity, signs of celebration are even now evident throughout the capital city where families eager to spend the occasion with their loved ones once more are heralding what might aptly be called the “revenge Raya”. Traffic congestion has been ongoing throughout the month of Ramadan, especially at shopping hotspots such as Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman in Kuala Lumpur. Visits to the popular shopping district found it buzzing with activity, with entire families, children in tow, staying out late to take in the sights and purchase clothes and essential goods ahead of the celebration.Such shoppers, keen to celebrate after two years of restrictions, are a boon to traders whose businesses suffered badly throughout the pandemic. Aziz Muhammad, who runs clothing outlet Lat’s Collection in Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, said sales had dropped by up to 80% throughout the movement control order periods, forcing him to let go of nearly half of his workers. “Last year, we had some business but not as much as this year because only those in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor could come,” he said, referring to the restrictions on interstate travel which were only lifted late last year. “This year, all of Malaysia is coming to shop,” he added. And the difference is clear to see. In just one week, his store had more sales than it did the whole of last year. Even so, things are still far from normal, pre-pandemic levels. “Before 2018, we could make up to RM60,000 in sales on Friday alone,” Aziz said. Still, with the economy reopening and SOPs at mosques and suraus gradually lifted on the back of a successful vaccination programme, this year’s Raya celebration promises to be a break from that of the past two years. The reopening of state borders has also meant a flurry of activity by so-called personal shoppers who help customers purchase items in the capital city which are not available in their home towns. Nur Atikah, from Kota Samarahan in Sarawak, is one of them. Speaking to MalaysiaNow, she said she helps customers who, for example, want household items from Swedish furniture giant Ikea.She charges a small service fee of several ringgit per item and arranges for the goods to be sent directly to their front doors. “I have a lot of fun,” she said, adding that such work helps reduce her feelings of stress. “I get to go to the stores and earn some money at the same time.” Aleya from Miri said she, too, had seen a surge in demand for her services as a personal shopper – up to twice the normal number of requests. More requests mean that she must take extra care with the orders to avoid making a mistake or providing unsatisfactory services.“I always look carefully when it comes to buying branded products like handbags, clothes and accessories to make sure that the quality is good and the price is appropriate,” she said. “I also keep myself up-to-date with the latest products on the market.” Meanwhile, hotels are gearing up for a surge in occupancy rate of up to 40 or 45%. Yap Yip Seng, CEO of the Malaysian Association Of Hotels, said this could rise to 60 or even 70% in Melaka and east coast states. “However, the industry is also expecting Malaysians to travel overseas instead, since our borders are open,” he said.


No collaboration with PH in GE15, says Bersatu

Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin today said the party was firm in its decision not to collaborate with Pakatan Harapan (PH) in facing the 15th general election (GE15).
The Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman said Bersatu also noted the PH Presidential Council’s stand not to collaborate with Bersatu.
"In line with the principles of democracy and the freedom of the people to choose, Bersatu is ready to face a multi-cornered contest in GE15 involving PN, Barisan Nasional, PH and other political parties that will be competing," he said in a statement.
Muhyiddin said Bersatu would focus on efforts to strengthen PN together with PAS, Gerakan, Parti Maju Sabah (SAPP) and Parti Solidariti Tanah Airku (STAR) Sabah as a multiracial political coalition that aims to offer corruption-free, efficient and caring leadership for the sake of the people's prosperity.


Samsung chief won’t appeal 2.5-year jail term, says lawyer

The de facto chief of South Korea’s Samsung business empire will “humbly accept” the court ruling that sentenced him to 2.5 years in prison for corruption and will not appeal, his lawyer said Monday.Lee Jae-yong, vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics, the world’s biggest smartphone and memory chip maker, was found guilty of bribery and embezzlement in connection with the scandal that brought down former president Park Geun-hye.The Seoul Central District Court jailed him in a retrial last week, the latest step in a long-running legal process that has hung over Samsung for years.But the decision not to appeal could mean that Samsung is looking to draw a line under the issue: with time already served, Lee will be eligible for parole as soon as September – as long as prosecutors do not successfully appeal for a longer sentence.“Vice-chairman Lee will humbly accept the ruling and has decided not to appeal,” his lawyer Lee In-jae said in a statement.The 52-year-old was first jailed for five years in 2017, after Park’s ouster.He walked free the following year when an appeals court dismissed most of his bribery convictions and gave him a suspended sentence, but the Supreme Court later ordered Lee to face a retrial.Given Lee has served around a year in prison he is due for release in July 2022, even without parole, a presidential pardon or a commutation.Samsung is by far the biggest of the family-controlled conglomerates, or chaebols, that dominate business in the world’s 12th-largest economy.Its overall turnover is equivalent to a fifth of the national gross domestic product and it is crucial to South Korea’s economic health.Experts have warned a prolonged leadership vacuum could hamper its decision-making on future large-scale investments of the kind that have been key to its rise.


Ku Li needs a police permit for his press conference, says health DG

Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah must obtain a police permit before holding the press conference scheduled for 3pm tomorrow at his home in Jalan Langgak Golf, Kuala Lumpur, says health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah.He said under the SOPs of the full lockdown enforced on June 1, no gatherings can be held even with a limit on the number of attendees.“He has to get a police permit,” Noor Hisham told MalaysiaNow.A media invitation was sent out to reporters this afternoon, informing them of Razaleigh’s press conference tomorrow.MalaysiaNow understands that the number of reporters allowed to attend the press conference has been limited to 10 to prevent a crowd.The press conference is also expected to be broadcast online, whether through Facebook Live or Zoom.Last week, Putrajaya extended the lockdown which was initially scheduled to end today to June 28.According to the National Security Council website, any activity that could cause large gatherings which make physical distancing and adherence to health measures difficult is prohibited.


Ex-Tabung Haji chairman in bid to quash graft, money laundering charges

Former Lembaga Tabung Haji chairman Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim has filed a notice of motion seeking an order for the 12 corruption charges against him pertaining to road projects in Perak and Kedah, as well as for money laundering, to be quashed.His lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik said the application was filed at the High Court in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 11.“The court has fixed Dec 23 for case management, so we are requesting for a postponement of today’s hearing,” he said at the trial of Azeez and his brother, Abdul Latif Abdul Rahim, before Sessions Court judge Azura Alwi today.Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) deputy public prosecutor Adam Mohamed raised no objection to the application to postpone today’s hearing.However, Azura dismissed it, saying that while the court would not stop the accused from making any application, today’s trial must proceed as there is no order from any other court to suspend proceedings.The trial continued with the fifth prosecution witness, Road Transport Department (JPJ) enforcement officer Azrin Abdul Razak, who is based at the JPJ headquarters in Putrajaya, reading out his witness statement.Azrin, 46, told the court that he had received an application from MACC investigation division commandant Muhammad Afnan Abdullah for information on a white Toyota Vellfire belonging to Azeez to facilitate investigations.“I then did some checks and passed on the information to Muhammad Afnan,” he said.Azeez, 53, is charged with three counts of accepting bribes totalling RM5.2 million in connection with road projects in Perak and Kedah, and nine counts of money laundering involving nearly RM140 million.His brother, Latif, 62, is accused of abetting him.Azeez is accused of committing the offence at CIMB Bank, Jalan Tun Perak in Kuala Lumpur on Dec 8, 2010, and at Affin Bank, Pusat Bandar Puchong in Selangor on June 13, 2017, and April 10, 2018.The money laundering offences were allegedly committed in the Klang Valley area between March 8, 2010 and August 30, 2018.Latif is accused of abetting his brother in obtaining a RM4 million bribe from Mohammad Redzuan Mohanan Abdullah, director of Syarikat Menuju Asas Sdn Bhd, as gratification to help the company secure road projects through limited tender from the works ministry.The project involved the Pantai Baru Coastal Expressway Project and upgrading works of Federal Road FT005 (Teluk Intan to Kampung Lekir, Perak) valued at RM644,480,000.The offence was allegedly committed at Affin Bank Bhd in Setiawalk, Persiaran Wawasan, Pusat Bandar Puchong, Petaling, Selangor, on June 13, 2017, and April 10, 2018.The charges were framed under Section 16(a)(A) and Section 28 (1) (c) of the MACC Act 2009.The trial continues on Feb 8.


Calling Najib ‘VIP criminal’, Dr M questions case delay, passport returns for Umno leaders

Dr Mahathir Mohamad today questioned a series of court decisions allowing senior Umno leaders and those connected with them to travel abroad.The former prime minister also questioned the long delay in concluding the appeal process of Najib Razak pertaining to his conviction and 12-year jail sentence over the SRC International case.“Justice delayed is justice denied. But this appeal was supposed to be heard in April, six months ago. It is now October.“But everyone else can attend court, be tried and convicted, and even sent to jail. This person has been convicted, but has not been sent to jail, in fact he is escorted around like a VIP.“The first VIP criminal in Malaysia,” Mahathir said at a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today.His comments came as the Kuala Lumpur High Court this month allowed Najib to travel to Singapore to visit his daughter, one of a series of decisions which saw several VIPs accused of corruption being given temporary access to their passports.Others whose passports have been temporarily released include Najib’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, his lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, and Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.Najib, who is appealing to quash a conviction for seven high-profile charges related to RM42 million from 1MDB-linked SRC International, later applied to amend the date of his trip in order to focus on Umno’s campaign in the upcoming Melaka state election.