How the Covid-19 lockdown brought out environmental awareness in people

At the height of the movement control order (MCO) earlier this year, during which millions of Malaysians were forced to stay home to contain spread of Covid-19, pictures of nearly crystal clear water in the Klang and Gombak rivers were making the rounds.The two rivers, which flow through the Kuala Lumpur city centre, were among the dirtiest in Malaysia but the lockdown which saw industries shuttered and daily lives put on hold gave them a new lease of life.What decades of public awareness campaigns on the need to protect the environment failed to do was achieved in just a few months during the stay-home order.A local ecotourism expert said the change in daily routines during the MCO had made more people aware of the need to care for nature as well as to embrace sustainability.“There seems to be an increase in awareness and interest in outdoor activities. Hopefully, this is a growing trend that will catch on beyond Covid or post-Covid where people get used to being eco-friendly at home and outdoors,” Andrew Sebastian, who heads the Ecotourism and Conservation Society Malaysia, told MalaysiaNow.The pandemic has forced people to adapt to what is now known as the “new normal”, with daily activities governed by health SOPs such as physical distancing and the culture of working from home.“Hopefully, this is a growing trend that will catch on beyond Covid or post-Covid where people get used to being eco-friendly at home and outdoors.”There are fewer cars on the road and similarly fewer outdoor activities.Sebastian also noted a shift in mindset among the middle class, who are generally more enlightened on the importance of sustainable living.Still, he said, much needs to be done in terms of public cleanliness.During the first phase of the MCO, which began in March, Malaysians participated in activities such as farming and gardening.One couple in Kepong started growing chillies in their backyard, sharing their experience on Facebook.School teacher Suhana, 47, and her husband Abu Rashid, 53, are now the proud owners of a sustainable garden comprising about 10 chilli plants, a mini cabbage farm, and three types of traditional salad plants.They plan to venture into growing fruits next.For Suhana and Rashid, this is their new lifestyle – being conscious about sustainable living – and they plan to keep it that way.They said they are now used to staying indoors unless there is a pressing matter to attend to.Sebastian said it remains to be seen if the change in people’s behaviour is here to stay.He said the authorities should take the opportunity to encourage the public to continue with environmentally friendly practices, including by introducing new laws.Activist Nurul Syakila Zen said the government had succeeded in enforcing SOPs such as the use of face masks to prevent infection, and the same could now be done to prevent environmental deterioration.While there has been a shift in mindset among some, much remains to be done in terms of public cleanliness, says ecotourism expert Andrew Sebastian.She gave the example of Thailand and Indonesia, where strict rules ensure that hikers do not pollute or litter the forests and mountains.In September, authorities in Khao Yai, Thailand’s third largest national park, warned tourists that they would send rubbish back to litterers, with offenders to be registered with the police.Visitors to the park are also asked to provide their addresses for rangers to track them down if they leave rubbish behind.“Your trash – we’ll send it back to you,” Thailand’s environment minister Varawut Silpa-archa said in an online post accompanied with pictures of litter collected in cardboard parcels ready to be shipped.The items brought by jungle trekkers and mountain climbers are also weighed before and after their trips.A fine is imposed if their belongings weigh less at the end of the trip, as it is presumed that they disposed of some items along the way.“Malaysia should implement this rule at all its tourist destinations,” said Nurul Syakila.


PM denies Parliament dissolved due to pressure from Umno

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today denied that the dissolution of Parliament was due to pressure from Umno.
While admitting that Umno had been pushing for the dissolution of Parliament ever since Barisan Nasional (BN) won big in the Johor election in March, Ismail said he never felt pressured.
"If I was pressured, I might have dissolved Parliament sooner. Everybody was talking about it after the Johor election, even at every party meeting... it’s just that it was not the right time and I personally didn’t have any reason to find the right time.
"But there was an issue that made it impossible for me to go on, that’s why I dissolved it," he told reporters in Shah Alam.
Ismail said it was difficult for him to continue leading the government when his Cabinet ministers could not see eye to eye, especially after Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin, whose party was part of the government, said that the government had failed to manage the country well.
"How can I manage the country well if I am not confident in the spirit of solidarity among my Cabinet ministers?" he said.
As such, and to ensure stability and economic recovery post Covid-19, as well to achieve a bigger agenda for the country, Ismail said the mandate had to be returned to the people to elect a new, stable government through the 15th general election.


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China tells Taiwan ‘independence means war’, Taiwan says it’s preparing

Taiwan needs to be clearly aware that its future lies in “reunification” with China and that it cannot rely on the US, China’s military said on Thursday.Beijing was responding to questions on a massed incursion by Chinese warplanes last week, Reuters reports.Twenty-eight Chinese aircraft, including fighters and nuclear-capable bombers, entered Taiwan’s air defence identification zone (Adiz) last Tuesday, the largest number to date reported by the democratic island’s government.The incident came shortly after Group of Seven leaders issued a joint statement underscoring the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, comments which China condemned as “slander”.Asked about the number of aircraft involved last week, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said what he termed exercises were “a necessary action for the current security situation across the Taiwan Strait and safeguarding national sovereignty”.Taiwan independence means war, he added, employing the more aggressive language the ministry began using in January.“The US should fully understand that China’s development and growth cannot be stopped by any force,” Ren said. “The future of Taiwan lies in national reunification.”He reminded Taipei that “any attempt to rely on the US for independence is doomed to failure”.China believes that Taiwan’s democratically elected government is moving the island towards a declaration of formal independence, although Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen has repeatedly said it is already an independent country called the Republic of China, its formal name.Taiwan’s Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said in an interview with CNN on Wednesday that China’s escalating military intimidation of Taipei shows that the island “needs to prepare” for a possible military conflict.He said, “As Taiwan decision makers, we cannot take any chances. We have to be prepared. When the Chinese government is saying they would not renounce the use of force, and they conduct military exercises around Taiwan, we would rather believe that it is real.”Wu was accused by China last month of being a “diehard separatist” after remarks he made during a news conference that Taiwan would fight “to the very last day” if attacked by China.In response, Wu told CNN he is “honoured” to be targeted by communist authorities in Beijing. “Authoritarianism cannot tolerate truth. If they continue to say that they want to pursue me for the rest of my life, I’m not really concerned about that,” he said.Wu emphasised that Taiwan cannot accept unification with China, especially as events in Hong Kong have shown that safeguarding Taiwan’s sovereignty is crucial to protect its position as the world’s only Chinese-speaking democracy.


I served him for so long, it’s Anwar in audio, says Azmin

Former PKR deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali today became the latest politician to openly state his belief that the two individuals in a leaked audio file of a phone conversation discussing the Umno general assembly are indeed Anwar Ibrahim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.“As someone who had served Anwar for so long, and as his (former) private secretary, I am confident the audio is authentic, that will be proven in the upcoming investigation,” he told reporters while attending a mosque event in his parliamentary constituency of Gombak.Several senior politicians have openly said that they are convinced the recording is authentic, identifying the Umno and PKR presidents.Zahid however has denied that it was his voice in the recording, while Anwar said the clip was the work of Bersatu.Yesterday, Anwar said he had committed no crime even if the clip was authentic, stopping short of denying its authenticity.In the four-minute clip revealed by MalaysiaNow, Anwar is heard congratulating and giving instructions to Zahid in the aftermath of the Umno general assembly which accepted his proposal to cut ties with the Perikatan Nasional government.Zahid in return thanked Anwar for his moral support.MalaysiaNow has been able to verify that the clip is authentic, and that the voices are those of Anwar and Zahid.While Anwar and Zahid said they would instruct their officers to lodge police reports, Inspector-General of Police Abdul Hamid Bador said the two politicians would be called up as part of an investigation into the clip.Former PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin and former Umno secretary-general Annuar Musa previously said they believed the voices in the clip belonged to Anwar and Zahid.Azmin today described the contents of their conversation as Anwar’s “biggest betrayal” of PKR and Pakatan Harapan partners.“We hope these two individuals will be honest at least to their party members.“I think this is the biggest betrayal committed by Anwar Ibrahim, not only to his own party but also to members of the Pakatan Harapan components, for secretly conducting negotiations and discussions (with Zahid).”


Najib files bid for representation by Queen’s Counsel from UK

Jonathan Laidlaw, a Queen’s Counsel (QC) from the UK, is seeking to represent Najib Razak in the former prime minister’s appeal in the RM42 million SRC International case.The notice of originating motion involving the UK lawyer was filed by law firm Messrs Shafee & Co at the Kuala Lumpur High Court ahead of the deadline yesterday.According to a copy of the application made available to the media, Laidlaw is seeking to be admitted and enrolled to practise in the High Court in Malaya or Peninsular Malaysia to appear as Najib’s lead counsel in the SRC appeals at the Federal Court and all other related causes or matters.One of the reasons for Laidlaw’s application was stated as being that Najib’s SRC appeal at the Federal Court would involve serious, complex and/or novel issues related to several branches of criminal and civil laws, practice and evidence, the constitutional rights of the appellant, the conduct of proceedings by the prosecution, the adjudication of criminal cases by a trial court and the administration of a criminal justice system.The application also stated that Najib wished to engage Laidlaw’s professional services to act as his lead counsel in the SRC appeal, and that the law firm and lawyer representing the accused Messrs Shafee & Co and Muhammad Shafee Abdullah had given these instructions to Laidlaw.It also said that Laidlaw possessed special qualifications, experience and expertise not available among lawyers in Malaysia, for the purposes of Najib’s SRC appeal at the Federal Court.On Jan 25, law firm Messrs Shafee & Co submitted a six-page letter to the secretariat of Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat on Najib’s intention to appoint a QC to assist him in complex issues and legal questions in his SRC appeal at the apex court.On April 29, the Federal Court fixed 10 days in August to hear Najib’s final bid against his conviction and jail sentence for the misappropriation of RM42 million in SRC International funds.On Dec 8, 2021, the Court of Appeal upheld Najib’s conviction and 12-year jail sentence as well as his RM210 million fine for misappropriating RM42 million belonging to SRC International.Judge Abdul Karim Abdul Jalil, who presided with Has Zanah Mehat and Vazeer Alam Mydin Meera, unanimously dismissed Najib’s appeal against the High Court’s decision on July 28, 2020.The Federal Court will be the final avenue for the Pekan MP to appeal against his sentence and conviction involving the SRC International case.


The media’s role in a pandemic

Earlier this month, a local daily reported the death of a medical frontliner who had suffered a fatal heart attack. On a regular news day, this would not be notable but the frontliner had received the Covid-19 vaccine and the translated headline read simply as “Nurse who received vaccine dies of heart illness”.While not incorrect, the arrangement of the headline and the fact that it was presented as news would invariably lead people to the false conclusion that the death may have been caused by the vaccine. This incendiary headline drew ire from the coordinator of the National Covid-19 Vaccination Programme, Khairy Jamaluddin, who condemned the news outlet for spreading misinformation and damaging public confidence in the vaccination process. The daily then posted a retraction with an apology.This is an interesting case as it highlights the role and importance of the media in presenting relevant news and information that shapes public interest. The headline could be seen as semantically correct, but its publication as news and headline arrangement could only be interpreted as intentional to allude to a particular meaning if read hastily. It is important to note that the daily technically did not lie but was reckless and careless in its presentation.At present, public engagement with the vaccine is low which indicates that there is a strong case of vaccine hesitancy prevalent among Malaysians. For readers who are hesitant, headlines like this can result in snap judgments that lead to the spread of misconceptions and misinformation about the vaccine.It is important to note that the article itself did not state that the vaccine was the cause of death and anyone who read it would not have arrived at that conclusion, but this alludes to a larger problem where Malaysians generally make snap judgments just by reading the headlines. The media is of course aware of this which results in the use of clickbait headlines like this to draw clicks and traffic to their sites. The media needs to stop this unethical practice that sows public discord for the sake of profits.Despite the inflammatory nature of the story, that does not mean that the media must blindly support the health policy mandate to improve the acceptance of vaccinations. In playing its part to assist in increasing public support for vaccinations, it must also continue to play a role in monitoring the government. This includes doing in-depth investigations, scrutinising government policies and highlighting important information that the public needs to know.If indeed there were deaths that were caused by the vaccine, then it would be the media’s responsibility to report it to the public and not suppress that information to ensure public compliance with the vaccine. The people have a right to know of the risks involved if there are any.The media plays an important role in setting the agenda for public discourse and is instrumental to ensuring the efficacy of comprehensive health policies, especially in a pandemic. But the media also needs to remember that it must remain vigilant in the event that certain parties take advantage of these conditions for their own selfish gains. When the public knows that the media is keeping the government accountable and honest, their support and trust in the government and its pandemic-related policies will grow.There are existing media outlets that are doing their part to serve as the vanguard for the public, but this is not enough. Without enough reliable media, people seek information from less reputable sources, further eroding trust in government pandemic policies as conspiracies and fake news start to dominate public discourse. That cannot be allowed to happen, and the media needs to step up to protect public interests.Benjamin Loh Yew Hoong teaches media studies at a private institution.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Kidnapped women and children freed in Nigeria

Authorities in north-west Nigeria say they have freed 100 women and children who were seized by bandits in a raid during which four people were killed, the BBC is reporting.The group, mainly mothers nursing babies, were abducted on June 8 in Zamfara state.The state government said the victims were released without any ransom being paid, but gave no further details.The group will now be given medical checks and debriefed before they return to their homes.A spate of kidnappings has taken place in the region during recent months.Since December 2020, more than 1,000 people have been abducted. Most have later been freed, reportedly after ransoms were paid, but some have been killed.Authorities have blamed the incidents on bandits, a loose term for kidnappers, armed robbers, cattle rustlers and other armed militia operating in the region who are largely motivated by money. Many of the gangs are former cattle herders.“The herders now see kidnapping and pillaging as more lucrative than the herding,” security analyst Kabiru Adamu told the BBC. “The biggest cow would go for 200,000 naira but one kidnapping would fetch millions.”Since the well-publicised abduction in 2014 of 276 schoolgirls from Chibok secondary school by Boko Haram Islamist militants in Borno state, more armed groups have resorted to mass abduction of students.President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the military to flush out criminals in Zamfara and the neighbouring states of Kaduna and Katsina.Earlier this week, during a raid against a criminal gang, a Nigerian air force plane was shot down on the border of Zamfara and Kaduna states. The pilot survived the attack by ejecting from the plane and fleeing to safety.The air force said it had mounted day and night air operations against the bandits in collaboration with ground forces. It was in one of the operations that the fighter jet was brought down on Sunday.“Through these intensive air operations, hundreds of bandits have been neutralised and several of their hideouts destroyed,” the Nigerian Air Force said in a statement.While there have been several military plane crashes this year, this is the first reported case of armed gangs downing one.


Cambodia charges environmental activists with plotting, insulting king

A Cambodian court has charged four environmental activists with insulting the country’s king and conspiracy to plot, a prosecutor said on Monday, following the arrest of three of them last week as they documented waste discharge into a Phnom Penh city river.Plang Sophal, deputy prosecutor of Phnom Penh Municipal Court, confirmed the charges in a text message but did not specify how the activists, from the group Mother Nature, had broken the laws.“The evidence collected by the police was an insult to the king,” he told Reuters, without elaborating.Though filed often in Thailand, charges of lese majeste, or insulting the monarchy, are rare in Cambodia.The four face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of plotting and up to five years in jail for royal insults.Mother Nature’s Spanish founder Alejandro Gonzalez-Davidson is not in Cambodia and was charged in absentia. He told Reuters the charges were “completely fabricated” and reflected government paranoia about its own citizens.“As for the charges against me, I see them as further recognition that the regime sees my peaceful activism as a threat,” he said in a text.Mother Nature’s Sun Ratha, 26, Ly Chandaravuth, 22, and Yim Leanghy, 32, were detained on June 16 while documenting runoff into the Tonle Sap river in Phnom Penh, Cambodian human rights monitors Licadho said.“The Cambodian government has relentlessly targeted Mother Nature Cambodia,” said Naly Pilorge, Licadho’s director. “This marks an escalation with the outrageous charges of plotting.”Government spokesman Phay Siphan said the government was applying the law and the defendants should “find a good lawyer to challenge this issue in the courtroom instead of fabricating the news”.The US last week scrapped a wildlife conservation programme with Cambodia for what it said was a failure to tackle logging and intimidation of environmentalists.The US embassy in Phnom Penh said in a statement that it had invested more than US$100 million to combat deforestation and despite some progress, high rates of illegal logging had continued in the Prey Lang Wildlife Sanctuary.It accused the Cambodian authorities of not adequately prosecuting wildlife crimes or stopping illicit activities, the Straits Times reported.“In addition, the government continues to silence and target local communities and their civil society partners who are justifiably concerned about losing their natural resources,” the US statement said.In February, the authorities detained and later released environmental activists protesting inside the sanctuary.“As a result of these unresolved concerns, the US is ending assistance to government entities under the Usaid Greening Prey Lang project,” the embassy said, adding that aid will instead be redirected to support civil society, private sector and local efforts.


Halt imminent drug executions, UN tells Singapore

The UN on Tuesday urged Singapore to halt the imminent executions of two men held for drug offences – and furthermore end its use of the death penalty altogether.The UN rights office voiced alarm at the case of Pausi Jefridin and Roslan Bakar, who were both arrested in 2008 and convicted two years later on drug trafficking charges.The men have been on death row for the past 12 years and were reportedly informed only last Wednesday that they would be executed one week later, on Feb 16.“The use of the death penalty for drug-related offences is incompatible with international human rights law,” UN rights office spokesman Ravina Shamdasani told reporters in Geneva.She stressed that capital punishment was only permitted under international law for the “most serious crimes, which is interpreted as crimes of extreme gravity involving intentional killing.”Making matters worse in this case, Shamdasani said, were concerns that one or both men have intellectual disabilities.She said Jefridin, reportedly a Malaysian national, had been shown to have an IQ score of just 67.She also lamented that Jefridin’s family, based in Malaysia, had struggled to visit him due to Covid-19 restrictions.A last-minute appeal Tuesday was rejected, she said, adding that if the executions go ahead as planned on Wednesday, they will be the first in the city-state since November 2019.Rights group Lawyers for Liberty said another legal challenge was lodged late Tuesday in Singapore, and urged the city-state not to proceed with the executions until that appeal has been heard.Singapore, which has some of the world’s toughest drugs laws, insists the death penalty is an effective deterrent against crime.Shamdasani however stressed that “globally, the death penalty has not been proven to be an effective deterrent.”At the same time, she warned, individuals on death row, as well as their families, have suffered a range of human rights violations.”“We call on the government to commute their sentences, and to reform Singapore’s legislation to bring an end to the imposition of the death penalty.”Amnesty International’s Singapore researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard agreed, saying the planned executions this week were “appalling”.“It is high time for Singapore to re-establish a moratorium on the death penalty as a first step towards full abolition,” she said in a statement.


Israel claims it was behind killing of Iranian colonel, report says

Israel has told the US it was responsible for the killing of an Iranian Revolutionary Guards colonel last week, The New York Times reported Wednesday.Colonel Sayyad Khodai was shot dead on Sunday by a gunman on the back of a motorcycle as he sat in a car outside his home in Tehran.Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has vowed to avenge the killing, and the Revolutionary Guards blamed it on “elements of global arrogance” – a reference to the US and its allies, including Israel.On Wednesday, the Times reported that “according to an intelligence official briefed on the communications, Israel has informed American officials that it was behind the killing.”The source, who spoke to the Times on condition of anonymity, said Israel told US officials the killing was meant as a warning to Iran to halt the operations of a covert group within the Quds Force – the foreign operations arm of the Revolutionary Guards, Iran’s ideological army.Iran’s state broadcaster has described Khodai as a member of the Quds Force.It had previously reported that the colonel was “known” in Syria, where Iran has backed the government during an 11-year civil war and where it acknowledges deploying “military advisers”.Thousands attended Khodai’s funeral on Tuesday in central Tehran.Funeral prayers were led by the capital’s top imam, and Khodai’s coffin was draped in the Iranian flag. Posters hailed him as a “martyr”.Khodai’s killing came with negotiations between Iran and world powers to restore a frayed 2015 nuclear deal stalled since March.One of the main sticking points is Tehran’s demand to remove the Guards from a US terrorism list – a request rejected by Washington.


US basketball star Griner freed in swap for Russian arms dealer

American basketball star Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison on Thursday in a swap for an arms dealer known as the "Merchant of Death" after what President Joe Biden called "painstaking and intense" negotiations.
Griner, 32, who was arrested in Russia in February on drug charges, and Viktor Bout, 55, who was serving a 25-year sentence in a US prison, were exchanged at an airport in Abu Dhabi.
In footage released by Russian state media, Griner, shorn of her distinctive dreadlocks, and a relaxed and animated Bout could be seen crossing paths on the airport tarmac and heading towards the planes that would take them home.
Biden announced Griner's release in an address to the nation at the White House. "She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home," he said.
The president said he had spoken to her and she was in "good spirits" after suffering "needless trauma."
Griner, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, WNBA champion and LGBT trailblazer, was arrested at a Moscow airport nine months ago against a backdrop of soaring tensions over Ukraine.
She was accused of possession of vape cartridges with a small quantity of cannabis oil and sentenced in August to nine years in prison.
Bout, who was accused of arming rebels in some of the world's bloodiest conflicts, was detained in a US sting operation in Thailand in 2008, extradited to the US and sentenced in 2012 to 25 years behind bars.
While Griner's family and friends celebrated her release, another American held in Russia, Paul Whelan, a former US Marine detained in 2018 and accused of spying, was not part of Thursday's exchange and he told CNN he was "greatly disappointed."
"I don't understand why I'm still sitting here," Whelan told the US television network in a phone call from the Russian penal colony where he is imprisoned.
Biden pledged to obtain Whelan's freedom, saying "we will never give up."
"Sadly, for totally illegitimate reasons, Russia is treating Paul's case different than Brittney's," he said.
As for Griner's release, Biden said "this is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time. It took painstaking and intense negotiations."
'Family is whole'
Biden made the announcement flanked by Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner, Vice-President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
"I'm just standing here, overwhelmed with emotions," Cherelle Griner said.
She also acknowledged Whelan's fate, saying: "Today my family is whole, but as you all are aware there's so many other families who are not whole."
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said there was a "collective wave of joy and relief" in the women's professional league where the 6'9" (2.06m) Griner has been a star for a decade with the Phoenix Mercury.
Biden thanked the United Arab Emirates for helping "facilitate" Griner's release and the UAE issued a joint statement with Saudi Arabia saying it was the result of "mediation efforts" by leaders of the two Arab nations.
White House spokesman Karine Jean-Pierre said, however, there was "no mediation involved" and "the only countries that negotiated this deal were the US and Russia."
"We are grateful to the UAE… for facilitating the use of their territory for the exchange to take place," Jean-Piere said, and to other countries such as Saudi Arabia for raising the issue of detained Americans with Russia.
'Rescue our compatriot'
At the time of her arrest, Griner had been playing for a professional team in Russia, as a number of WNBA players do in the off-season.
She pleaded guilty to the charges against her, but said she did not intend to break the law or use the banned substance in Russia.
Griner testified that she had permission from a US doctor to use medicinal cannabis to relieve pain from her many injuries.
The use of medical marijuana is not allowed in Russia.
The Russian foreign ministry said it had been negotiating with Washington to secure Bout's release "for a long time" and that initially the US had "refused dialogue" on including him in any swap.
"Nevertheless, the Russian Federation continued to actively work to rescue our compatriot," it said. "The Russian citizen has been returned to his homeland."
The 2005 film "Lord of War" starring Nicolas Cage was based in part on Bout's arms trafficking exploits and he has been the subject of several books and TV shows.
Asked about Bout's release, a senior US defence official said "there is a concern that he would return to doing the same kind of work that he's done in the past."


PH MPs gather at Parliament to call for Dewan Rakyat sitting

Only about 65 of 88 Pakatan Harapan MPs turned up at the parliament house today, calling for the Dewan Rakyat to convene and for an end to the emergency period.The meeting was planned by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to coincide with a briefing on the government’s Covid-19 vaccination programme by Khairy Jamaluddin this morning.MalaysiaNow previously reported that a group of opposition MPs were planning to gather at the Parliament building to push for a Dewan Rakyat sitting during the emergency.This followed a message from Khairy to Anwar, asking the opposition leader to set a date and venue for a briefing for key leaders of the coalition about the national immunisation programme.PH leaders however insisted that the briefing be delivered to all MPs, including those outside the coalition.The briefing was conducted in two sessions earlier today, with government MPs briefed in a morning session and opposition MPs briefed in the afternoon.


Indigenous tribes first for Covid-19 jabs in Canadian rollout

Canada’s sparsely populated and remote northern territories are seeing much higher Covid-19 vaccination rates than its more populous southern provinces despite geographic challenges.An official outreach to indigenous communities is seeking to overcome mistrust arising from decades of ill treatment of native people by the Canadian government.The harsh terrain of the territories makes up 40% of Canada’s huge landmass but is home to just 125,000 people, the majority of whom are indigenous, many living in communities only accessible by air.Despite this, the authorities are shipping more doses per capita to these communities.Almost 17% of their populations have received at least the first dose of the two-dose vaccines, compared to the national figure of 2%, according to government data.The territories say they are on track to have at least 75% of their adult populations vaccinated by April, compared to the September target the federal government has set for the rest of the country.Vaccinating the indigenous communities is important to help keep Canadian Covid-19 deaths in check because the risk of an outbreak in remote areas is seen as high and hospitals are scarce.Dr Brendan Hanley, Yukon’s chief medical officer, told Reuters the territories share common features – remote, small and largely indigenous populations dispersed over large areas with limited healthcare availability. He called it “gratifying” that the provincial and federal governments have recognised these factors and are addressing them.Vaccine hesitancy is a global problem, but mistrust of authorities has deep roots among these indigenous people, who represent 5% of Canada’s population and have experienced centuries of mistreatment and genocide at the hands of the Canadian government.


New York holds breath over expected Trump indictment

With barricades set up near Trump Tower and police on high alert, New York was holding its breath Wednesday for the likely indictment of Donald Trump, but the timing remained uncertain.
The ex-president himself claimed he would be arrested on Tuesday over hush money paid to a pornographic actress, but the day came and went and there were no signs of an indictment or arrest.
Some US media speculated that the grand jury hearing the case could vote to indict on Wednesday, but that it may be next week before Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg announces any charges and Trump is arraigned before a judge.
Bragg, an elected Democrat, has not confirmed any plans publicly and grand juries operate in secret to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trials, making it virtually impossible to follow their proceedings.
The DA has put key witnesses in front of the panel in recent weeks and offered Trump the opportunity to testify, hinting that an indictment is close.
The 76-year-old Republican would become the first former or sitting president to be charged with a crime if an indictment is filed – a move that would send shock waves through the 2024 White House race, in which Trump is running to regain office.
The New York Police Department has geared up for an unprecedented arrest or self-surrender, which would see an ex-leader of the US booked, fingerprinted and possibly even handcuffed, by erecting barricades outside Bragg's office and Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.
'Witch hunt'
NBC News reported that every NYPD officer was ordered to wear their uniforms and prepare for deployment starting from Tuesday.
"While you will see an increased uniformed presence throughout the five boroughs, there are currently no credible threats to New York City," an NYPD spokesperson said in a statement.
Trump called over the weekend for mass protests if he is indicted, but there has so far been no indication of any large movement. Leading Trump figures such as his sons have not openly urged action in the streets as they did after the 2020 election, when President Joe Biden defeated Trump.
A Monday evening protest in lower Manhattan organised by the New York Young Republican Club attracted only a couple dozen Trump supporters.
Around 40 supporters rallied outside Trump's Florida residence in Mar-e-Lago Tuesday in support of him.
"I think the end result of this will just be that his support will grow," said 18-year-old Colton Mccormick, dressed in the colors of the American flag.
Bragg's inquiry centers on $130,000 paid weeks before the 2016 election to Stormy Daniels to stop the porn star from going public about an affair she says she had with Trump years earlier.
Trump's ex-lawyer-turned-enemy Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, told Congress in 2019 that he made the payment on Trump's behalf and was later reimbursed.
The payment to Daniels, if not properly accounted for, could result in a misdemeanor charge for falsifying business records.
That might be raised to a felony if the false accounting was intended to cover up a second crime, such as a campaign finance violation, which is punishable by up to four years behind bars.
Legal experts say the argument would be difficult to prove in court, however, and any jail time is far from certain.
An indictment would begin a lengthy process that could last several months, as the case would face a mountain of legal issues and move toward jury selection.
Trump has denied having had an affair with Daniels and has blasted the investigation as a "witch hunt."
"Our enemies are desperate to stop us because they know that we are the only ones who can stop them," Trump said in a video posted on his Truth Social platform overnight into Tuesday.
He is facing several criminal investigations at the state and federal level over possible wrongdoing that threaten his new run at the White House, including his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia.


Heed protest to battery manufacturing plant, green group tells Selangor authorities

Environmentalist group Sahabat Alam Malaysia (SAM) has backed protests by residents in Jenjarom, Selangor against the resumption of operations at a battery manufacturing plant shut down by the state government in 2019, citing past experiences of pollution detrimental to public health.It said according to the district council, the previous occupant of the plant, Leoch Accupower (M) Sdn Bhd, had had its operating licence revoked and was ordered to relocate to a heavy industrial area.Citing a letter dated Dec 19, 2019, it said the revokation of the licence and relocation order were in line with a decision by the Selangor state executive council on Oct 16.“The decision taken at this meeting proves that heavy industry and battery-based industry are not suitable to be carried out in the vicinity of Kampung Jenjarom or any site with small and medium industry status.“Although the new applicant, Federal Power Holdings Sdn Bhd, has assured in a media statement that it will not manufacture products that endanger health including causing pollution that could threaten the local community in Jenjarom, this is not a guarantee and justification to allow the company to resume operations at the site.”In a statement signed by its president Meenakshi Raman, SAM urged the state government and other related authorities to thoroughly vet the new application, voicing concern that the activities conducted could be similar to those previously carried out by Leoch Accupower.“Furthermore, factories manufacturing batteries and dry cells are included in the heavy industry category, thus it is not appropriate for the state government or local authority to permit Federal Power Holdings Sdn Bhd to take over and conduct the same operations in the factory at the site,” it said.SAM also asked if Federal Power Holdings was backed by Leoch Accupower, a question it said had been raised by the community itself.“The state government, local authority and government agencies should not compromise on matters involving environmental pollution that threaten the health and well-being of the people.“Do not allow heavy industry in areas zoned for small and medium industries, close to residential areas and public facilities such as schools.”


The royal touch in Johor politics

As political parties from across the divide scramble to rally support ahead of the Johor election this weekend, the influence of one quarter remains evident among a number of voters: the state palace.In Kampung Melayu Majidee, a villager who called himself Arin said the assistance given by Johor ruler Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar over the years had truly been felt by the people.Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the aid included food and cash assistance.“We don’t need to wait for a flood before food arrives,” he said.“Ahead of the fasting month each year, people will come to the village asking if we need rice and cooking oil. When we ask, they say they are from the palace.”He contrasted this with what he described as a less attentive attitude by the state’s elected representatives.“I don’t remember the last time any of them came to give us dates,” he said.Arin and his mother were both born and raised in Johor, and none of his family members have ever migrated to other states.In Taman Desa Tebrau, Nabila Mustafa agreed that the palace was more conscientious about the people’s welfare than the assemblymen.The 29-year-old said Sultan Ibrahim always kept a watchful eye on the well-being of his people, adding that this was how the state government was able to carry out its duty efficiently and effectively.“Since I was in school, I received student donations and zakat aid,” she said.“I have never had any bureaucratic troubles, unlike my friends in other states.”Nabila, who studied at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, said she had never experienced any problems there either.“Especially when it came to food,” she added. “As soon as the fasting month rolled by, the queen would hold all sorts of programmes for the breaking of fast, with food and kuih.”Nabila went on to work in the private sector but continued receiving assistance from the palace, to the point that she was able to buy a house through the Rumah Impian Bangsa Johor programme under the auspices of Yayasan Sultan Ibrahim Johor.“The house only cost about RM80,000 and is expected to be finished next year,” she said.“I contacted a housing agent and was told that I would receive RM3,000 from the foundation before even setting foot in the house.“What else can I say? The palace truly takes care of us in Johor.”Palace influence In Johor, the influence of the palace is seen as able to influence even the pattern of politics in the state.Those seen as friendly with the palace are more likely to gain the support of the people.During the campaign period for the Johor election, some politicians were seen approaching the palace with photos of party leaders together with crown prince Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim spread on social media.Among them were former prime minister Najib Razak of Umno and PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim.Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin who leads the Perikatan Nasional coalition meanwhile was seen having an audience with the sultan at the palace.While the narrative of Johor as the birthplace of Umno remains strong, the party was nonetheless overthrown at the last general election, which saw Najib toppled and Johor itself among the states that fell to Pakatan Harapan.At the Kolam Ayer mosque, a man who introduced himself as Hanif said the palace never made any ado over its assistance, unlike politicians who often leverage their good deeds in order to gain support.“In Johor Bahru, after the Friday prayers, sometimes those who go to fill up their petrol get it for free because someone pays for it,” he said.“When we ask, they say it is ‘TMJ’s people’,” he added, referring to the initialism for the Johor crown prince.“But no one makes a big deal out of it. Those who receive aid know how the palace helps the people.”But Yusnin Yahya, a local activist, said voters need to be rational and logical in assessing the situation as the state administration depends on the federal government.He acknowledged the palace’s attention to public welfare but said the elected representatives are the ones who convey the people’s needs and wishes.“I don’t agree with those who say that we don’t need politicians,” he said.“But personally, we in Johor appreciate the intervention by the palace because the sultan doesn’t like the charades by politicians.“He is quite firm and he monitors our welfare – he takes great care of the people.”While politicians represent the people, he said, the sultan also played a major role in speaking on their behalf.“He is like the eyes of the people for the Johor excos,” he said. “At exco meetings, they implement policies that are closely monitored by the sultan.“And he always reminds those who are not excos that they have a duty to go down to the ground themselves.”


Nearly 27,500 evacuated as floods slam five states

The number of flood victims in five states climbed to 27,467 this morning, with Johor, Pahang, Negeri Sembilan and Melaka continuing to record an increase in the number of evacuees.
In Johor, the state disaster management committee (SDMC) said there were 25,213 people at relief centres this morning, compared to 9,162 at 8pm last night with Batu Pahat becoming the tenth and latest district to be hit by floods.
"Segamat is the worst affected district with 2,050 families evacuated to 55 relief centres, followed by Kluang with 1,559 families at 39 centres; Kota Tinggi with 769 families at 18 centres; Johor Bahru with 607 at 12 centres and Pontian involving 58 families at five centres," the SDMC said in a statement today.
Also affected was Muar with 445 families housed at 12 centres, Kulai (242 families at six centres), Mersing (146 families at five centres), Tangkak (254 families at 13 centres), and Batu Pahat (883 families at 22 centres).
The water levels at 17 rivers in the districts of Segamat, Muar, Tangkak, Batu Pahat, Kluang, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Mersing were meanwhile reported to have exceeded their danger levels.
This includes Sungai Muar in Segamat Kecil (Segamat) which recorded a reading of 37.71m; Sungai Muar in Kampung Awat (Segamat) at 20.94m and Sungai Siam (Kulai) at 20.96m. In Pahang, the number of evacuees in five districts rose to 1,375 people from 374 families this morning, from 293 people last night. They are being housed at 26 relief centres.
According to the Social Welfare Department Info Bencana portal, Rompin had the highest number of evacuees at 627, followed by Maran (489), Jerantut (94), Pekan (88) and Raub (77).
In Negeri Sembilan, state Civil Defence Force director Mohd Nazri Mes Kam said the number of evacuees increased from 145 to 704 as of 4am today. They are taking shelter at 10 relief centres. In Sabah, the SDMC secretariat said 108 people from 24 families remained at the centre at Dewan Mini Kampung Simpang Entilibon in Tongod this morning.
In Melaka, the number of evacuees rose to 67 people from 21 families as of 8am today compared to 22 people from eight families at 8pm yesterday.
The Melaka SDMC said the victims were evacuated to three relief centres: Balai Raya Bukit Tambun in Alor Gajah, as well as SK Asahan and SK Chohong in Jasin.


Sri Ram appointed in 2018 to handle high-profile cases, says ex-AG Thomas

Former attorney-general Tommy Thomas says he appointed Gopal Sri Ram as deputy public prosecutor in 2018 to handle high-profile criminal cases including Rosmah Mansor’s corruption case involving a RM1.25 billion solar hybrid project for rural schools in Sarawak.Thomas, 69, said the appointment was in accordance with Section 376 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC), as Sri Ram was under his general control and directive and was in a position to exercise all the powers of the public prosecutor.“I myself empowered him (Sri Ram) in my capacity as public prosecutor for him to conduct other prosecution cases.“This includes the case of Rosmah, who has been charged with offences under the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission Act 2009, the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Act 2001 and the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activities Act 2001.“Therefore, the allegation that when I instructed Sri Ram to lead the criminal proceedings in this case, I had to give him another written letter as required under Section 379 of the CPC, is a misconception of the law,” he said in a sworn affidavit on behalf of Sri Ram filed in the High Court yesterday.Thomas’ affidavit was in response to Rosmah’s application seeking to nullify her entire trial, in her bid to be acquitted of all three charges, as well as to remove Sri Ram as lead prosecutor.Thomas, who was appointed as the attorney-general on June 4, 2018, in his affidavit said Rosmah’s application to challenge Sri Ram’s appointment was done with malinten and was baseless and an abuse of the court process.“If Sri Ram did not have the authority, which has already been confirmed by my successor (Idrus Harun), would the prosecution team which serves permanently in the Attorney-General’s Chambers accept and work under his leadership on behalf of the prosecution?” he said.Thomas said on Aug 30, 2018, he had also appointed Sri Ram as deputy public prosecutor to prosecute in the 1MDB case involving Najib Razak, and the appointment was challenged by the former prime minister, in which the latter failed at all levels including in the Federal Court.Rosmah’s application, which was filed on May 6, will be heard before judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan on June 30.Rosmah, 69, filed the application after the Court of Appeal on April 8 allowed her appeal to get a copy of Sri Ram’s appointment letter, after the prosecution agreed to provide it to the defence team.Rosmah brought the matter up for appeal after the High Court dismissed her application for Sri Ram’s appointment letter on Aug 19 last year.The appointment letter was not dated on or before Nov 15, 2018, the day when Rosmah was charged in court, and was not signed by Thomas. Instead, the letter was dated July 8 last year and signed by Idrus.On Feb 18, 2021, Zaini ordered Rosmah to enter her defence on all three corruption charges and fixed nine days, namely on June 9,10,15,16,17,22, 23 and July 12 and 15, to hear evidence from Rosmah and other defence witnesses.


Zahid tells Umno MPs to revoke support for Muhyiddin

Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi today urged MPs from his party to revoke their support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, in the wake of a rebuke from the Yang di-Pertuan Agong who said he had not consented to the revocation of emergency ordinances announced by the government earlier this week.In a statement, he said Umno MPs must carry out the decision made by the party’s Supreme Council on July 7 to withdraw their support for Muhyiddin.“This decision is to fulfil their oath of office as MPs who should show their allegiance to His Majesty the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and preserve, protect and defend the Federal Constitution at all time,” he said.He added that such a stand would be in line with the basis and goal of Umno’s establishment to maintain and defend the institution of the Malay rulers as enshrined in Clause 3 of the party’s constitution.This comes in the wake of a statement issued by the palace expressing the Agong’s disappointment that the government had announced the revocation of emergency ordinances despite not yet receiving royal consent.It said Article 150(2B) read together with Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution clearly states that the power to enact and repeal emergency ordinances lies with the Agong, adding that law minister Takiyuddin Hassan’s statement in the Dewan Rakyat on July 26 was inaccurate and had confused MPs.Zahid said the move to revoke the emergency ordinances without royal consent was a clear form of treason towards the Agong and had ignored the principles of the Federal Constitution.“In relation with that, Umno will ask Muhyiddin and Takiyuddin to resign honourably,” he added.On July 7, Zahid had announced an immediate revocation of the party’s support for Muhyiddin, saying the prime minister had failed to fulfil several conditions as the basis of Umno’s support for the Perikatan Nasional government.However, it is understood that the vast majority of Umno MPs had stood by with their decision not to revoke support for Muhyiddin, despite Zahid’s announcement.


More likely for BN supporters to shift to PN than PH at coming polls, says Khairy

Former Umno leader Khairy Jamaluddin predicts that at least 50% of Barisan Nasional (BN) supporters will vote for Perikatan Nasional (PN) in the upcoming elections in six states.
He said while Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters may vote for BN as they find PN an "existential threat", the chances of BN supporters reciprocating by voting for PH candidates are very remote.
Component parties in the coalition government have reached a consensus to avoid contesting against each other in the state elections.
This means only one component party, either PH or BN, will field candidates against PN in the upcoming polls in Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Kedah, Terengganu and Kelantan.
"PH supporters do not want to vote for PN because they see it as an existential threat or a threat to their lifestyle," he said on the latest edition of "Keluar Sekejap", a podcast he co-hosts with former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.
The former health minister, however, said that the situation could be different for BN supporters as they would have no problem casting votes and shifting support to PN, a Malay-Muslim-based coalition.
"Will the original Umno voters, the original BN voters, vote for PH?
"I believe the likelihood of that happening is much lower than the contrasting situation."
PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin previously said he is confident that the coalition could win up to 80% of the votes, especially from the Malays, in the upcoming state polls.
He cited a study conducted by the coalition that showed that Bersatu, Gerakan and PAS were leading in terms of popularity and leadership.
The former prime minister also said that the coming state elections will set a new benchmark for the future of Malaysia's politics.


Top SC officials, politicians implicated in RM28.2 million graft report

A report has been lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on alleged misconduct and corruption by the top management of the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) and its board.According to a report by Utusan Malaysia, the report was lodged by an NGO which claimed that it had strong evidence of the offences.It also did not deny that they involved politicians holding important government positions.A representative of the NGO was quoted as saying that three cases would be referred, including one involving conflict of interest by a board member totalling RM28.2 million in which the board member had interests in a company with work ties with the SC.The group also cited a case involving the child of an individual linked to the SC’s top management whom the group claimed had been given the highest position in a company under investigation, with the probe later closed by the SC.It said the third case involved high-ranking SC officials who received bribes in order to close an investigation into a public listed company involved in insider trading.“We are concerned citizens who wish to ensure that government agencies are clean and are not used for personal interests or involved in corruption,” the spokesman said, adding that all evidence related to the case would only be given to MACC.


Splinter groups to fuel fierce fight in Sarawak polls?

With residents in Melaka gearing up for their appointment at the polls booth later this month, across the way in Sarawak, preparations are also underway with a fierce fight expected for all 82 seats in the country’s largest state legislative assembly.The assembly was dissolved on Nov 3 after the king consented to the revocation of the extended state of emergency, paving the way for the long-awaited Sarawak state election.Polls must be held within 60 days of this date, and local parties are already doing the spadework ahead of the election which is expected to be held soon after the Nov 20 election in Melaka.Before the dissolution of the state assembly, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) had held 68 seats – 47 belonging to PBB, 11 to PRS, seven to SUPP and three to PDP.On the opposition bench, SUPP splinter PSB had held six seats while Sarawak DAP held five and Bersatu one. There was also one seat held by an independent and one vacant.This did not reflect the results of the previous state election in 2016 in which Barisan Nasional (BN) had won 72 of the 82 seats.Then, the four ruling parties – PBB, SUPP, PRS and PDP – had won 67 seats while UPP, another SUPP splinter party which was friendly to GPS at the time and whose candidates had contested under the BN banner, retained its five seats.The remaining 10 seats were held by Sarawak Pakatan Harapan (PH) – seven by DAP and three by PKR.But the political tsunami that swept across the country during the 2018 general election saw a number of lawmakers switching allegiance.The shock defeat of the BN federal government also witnessed the departure of four parties from the state chapter which went on to form GPS in July of that year.A year later, GPS ally Wong Soon Koh who was UPP president resigned from the Cabinet. PSB at this point was still loyal to GPS although its relationship gradually became more strained.It eventually parted ways with GPS, taking with it five seats and leaving GPS with 67.PSB deputy president Jerip Susil who was Mambong assemblyman meanwhile resigned from the party and joined PBB, pushing GPS’ seat count to 68 and leaving PSB with four.The subsequent collapse of the PH federal government last year saw the three Sarawak PKR assemblymen – Baru Bian, Ali Biju and See Chee How – leaving the party.Baru and See joined PSB while Ali joined the peninsula-based Bersatu, which only recently spread its wings to Sarawak.Sarawak PKR thus lost all of its representatives in the legislative assembly while PSB gained two more, pushing its total number of seats to six.Meanwhile, DAP was left with five seats after losing Pujut and Padungan. The Pujut seat has remained vacant since Dr Ting Tiong Choon, who won it in the 2016 state election, was disqualified over his dual citizenship.It lost Padungan when its assemblyman Wong Kin Wei quit the party to become an independent.Multi-cornered fightsWith the state election looming around the corner, it remains to be seen if Sarawak’s fragmented opposition will be able to present a united front against GPS.The scattering of opposition parties can be traced to the 1970s and the breakaway of the Sarawak National Party or SNAP, which gave rise to splinter parties from the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) to Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) and then Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS).A power struggle in PRS meanwhile led to the launch of a new party, the Sarawak Workers Party (SWP).With so many parties seeking to represent the Dayak community, Dayak politics has been in disarray ever since.The 2016 state election saw three-way fights in 28 constituencies, four-cornered fights in 12 and five-cornered fights in five.The five-way fights mostly took place in the Chinese-majority seats of Batu Kitang, Bukit Semuja, Dudong, Bawang Assan and Jepak.The four-way fights took place in the Dayak-majority seats of Opar, Serembu, Sadong Jaya, Balai Ringin, Simanggang, Engkilili, Meluan, Ngemah, Murum, Bekenu, Pujut and Mulu.With the emergence of new local splinter groups such as Parti Bumi Kenyalang, Gasak – an alliance of local political groups Sarawak People’s Aspiration Party, SWP, leaders from the deregistered PBDS and Sarawak for Sarawakians and the Sarawak Independence Alliance – competition is expected to be stiff in the upcoming polls.And whether candidates from peninsula-based parties such as PAS and Amanah will be able to secure a seat will depend on local sentiment.


Putin says West wants to 'tear apart' Russia

President Vladimir Putin has blasted the West for trying to "tear apart" Russia and said in an interview aired on national television that his offensive in Ukraine aimed to "unite the Russian people".
Meanwhile in Kyiv, a day after deadly shelling in southern Ukraine, residents held Christmas services on Sunday, defying Russian spiritual leaders who celebrate it on Jan 7.
Putin has used the concept of "historical Russia" to argue that Ukrainians and Russians are one people – undermining Kyiv's sovereignty and justifying his 10-month offensive in Ukraine.
He said Russia's "geopolitical opponents (were) aiming to tear apart Russia, the historical Russia".
"Divide and conquer, that's what they have always sought to accomplish and are still seeking to do," Putin added.
"But our goal is different: it's to unite the Russian people," he said.
Putin declared his government was acting "in the right direction... protecting our national interests, the interests of our citizens, of our people."
He repeated that Moscow was ready to negotiate and appeared unfazed when asked about the new air defence system the US will deliver to Ukraine.
"Of course we will destroy it, 100%!" Putin said, referring to the Patriot missile battery promised to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
Kherson 'terror'
Earlier this week, in his first trip outside Ukraine since the offensive began, Zelensky earned firm pledges of support from US President Joe Biden, including the Pentagon's most advanced air defence system.
Western military and financial aid has been crucial for Ukraine's pushback of Russian troops – including from Kherson, the only regional capital that was held by Russia.
Despite Russia's retreat from the city, it remains within reach of Moscow's weaponry and under constant threat.
The Ukrainian army counted 71 strikes on the partly recaptured Kherson region on Saturday, including 41 on the city.
This included deadly shelling on a busy market in the city centre that left 10 people dead and 55 injured.
The Russian-installed head of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said on Telegram the shelling was "a disgusting provocation" by Ukraine used to blame Russia.
In his daily address on Sunday, Zelensky condemned Russian "terrorists" and thanked all his compatriots – including soldiers, doctors, volunteers – involved in defending Ukraine.
"Thank you... to everyone who came to Kherson to help. To save the wounded from the terrorists' strike on Christmas. Artillery and mortar against ordinary Kherson streets... monsters!" Zelensky said.
Defiant Christmas
On Sunday, church bells pealed throughout Kyiv as Orthodox Christians attended Christmas services, in break with the Russian spiritual leaders who will mark the holiday in two weeks.
At a service in central Kyiv, worshipper Olga Stanko told AFP she supported any move that would distance Ukraine from Russia.
"The war has brought us so much grief," she said. "We cannot do this with Russia, remain under its influence."
Also attending the service, Olena Zakharova-Gorianska said she was happy to be celebrating Christmas on Dec 25 for the first time – describing it as an obvious choice after surviving Russian occupation in the town of Gostomel, north of Kyiv.
"I do not want to have anything to do with the occupiers, with the enemy," she said.
The decision by some Ukrainian churches to observe Christmas on Dec 25 highlights the deepening rift between religious leaders in Kyiv and Moscow.
An Interfax-Ukraine poll showed an increasing number in favour of moving the Christian holy day to Dec 25, jumping from 26% in 2021 to 44% in 2022, though 31% were still against it.
Ukraine had been under Moscow's spiritual leadership since at least the 17th century, but part of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church broke with Moscow in 2019 over Russia's annexation of Crimea and support for separatists in the east.
In May, the Russia-backed branch of Ukraine's Orthodox Church also severed ties with Moscow.
From the St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Pope Francis called for an end to the conflict.
"May the Lord... enlighten the minds of those who have the power to silence the thunder of weapons and put an immediate end to this senseless war!" the Argentine pontiff said.


US, allies lambast Russia over Ukraine at UN Security Council

The US and its allies rounded on Russia during an emergency Security Council session Monday, denouncing Vladimir Putin’s recognition of rebel-held areas in Ukraine and his ordered deployment of troops as a gross violation of international law and “pretext for war.”Addressing the session, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield heaped scorn on Putin’s assertion that the Russian troops would take on a peacekeeping role in the Donetsk and Lugansk areas.“He calls them peacekeepers. This is nonsense. We know what they really are,” Thomas-Greenfield said.Ukraine’s ambassador Sergiy Kyslytsya insisted that his country’s borders remain “unchangeable” despite Russia’s actions.Moscow is still “open to diplomacy for a diplomatic solution,” said Russia’s ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya.“However, allowing a new bloodbath in the Donbass is something we do not intend to do,” he added, referring to the region encompassing Donetsk and Lugansk.Putin’s order has been widely seen as paving the way for an operation to deploy part of the potential invasion force he has massed on Ukraine’s borders.In a lengthy televised national address announcing his recognition of the rebel-held areas, Putin railed against Ukraine as a failed state and “puppet” of the West, repeatedly suggesting it was essentially part of Russia.Thomas-Greenfield said the speech amounted to a “series of outrageous, false claims” that were aimed at “creating a pretext for war.”Her remarks came just before a White House spokesperson told AFP that Washington on Tuesday would impose sanctions on Moscow following Putin’s order.‘Critical’ momentRussia, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council, had wanted the session to be closed but the US insisted it be public.The Under Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, voiced “regret” that Russian troops were ordered to Eastern Ukraine.“The next hours and days will be critical,” DiCarlo said. “The risk of major conflict is real and needs to be prevented at all costs.”Putin’s recognition of the separatist republics effectively buries a fragile 2015 peace plan for the conflict, and opens the door for direct Russian military involvement.Moscow provided no details or date for any deployment of the “peacekeeping” forces, only saying that it “comes into force from the day it was signed.”British envoy Barbara Woodward said the council must be united in urging Russia to “deescalate” and “respect its obligations.”“Russia has brought us to the brink. We urge Russia to step back,” Woodward said, as Martin Kimani of Kenya said Russia’s move “breaches the territorial integrity of Ukraine.”“Multilateralism lies on its deathbed tonight. It has been assaulted today, as it as it has been by other powerful states in the recent past,” Kimani said.


Iran accuses Israel, Western spy services of plotting Iranian civil war

Iran on Thursday accused its-arch enemy Israel and Western intelligence services of plotting to start a civil war in the Islamic Republic, now gripped by some of the biggest anti-government protests since the 1979 revolution.
"Various security services, Israel and some Western politicians who have made plans for civil war, destruction and the disintegration of Iran should know that Iran is not Libya or Sudan," Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian tweeted.
Tehran accuses Western adversaries of stoking nationwide unrest, which has been joined by Iranians from all walks of life since the Sept 16 death of young Iranian Kurdish woman Mahsa Amini. She died while in custody after morality police arrested her for allegedly flouting the strict Islamic dress code.
The activist HRANA news agency said 362 people had been killed in the two-month-long protests, including 56 minors. It also reported that 56 members of the security forces had been killed, in addition to 16,033 people who were arrested.
Police Colonel Hassan Yousefi was stabbed to death on Thursday in Sanandaj, a city in the northwestern Kurdistan region, state media reported.
A video posted by the state news agency IRNA showed protesters attacking a municipality building and other public properties in the West Azerbaijan region.
Iran was hit by a spate of attacks on Wednesday.
Seven people were killed in the southwestern city of Izeh in what state media described as a "terrorist attack".
Elsewhere, gunmen riding a motorcycle shot several members of the security forces in the central city of Isfahan, killing two people and injuring eight, according to state television.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks, which state TV blamed on "rioters".
Amini's death and the protests that followed have drawn international condemnation of Iran's clerical leadership, which has struggled to suppress the unrest and blamed foreign enemies and their alleged local agents.
Five people detained during protests have been sentenced to death, according to the judiciary's Mizan news agency.
Amnesty International, in a Twitter post, said Iranian authorities were seeking the death penalty for at least 21 people "in sham trials designed to intimidate those participating in the popular uprising that's rocked Iran since September & deter others from joining the movement".


New cases over 9,000 for third day

Another 9,105 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 836,296.Selangor recorded 4,682 cases, Kuala Lumpur 1,247, Negeri Sembilan 541, Johor 392, Kedah 382, Pahang 300, Melaka 278, Sabah 271, Sarawak 270, Penang 243, Perak 207 and Kelantan 150.Labuan recorded 54 cases, Putrajaya 49, Terengganu 38 and Perlis one.Active cases stand at 87,841 with 961 in the ICU and 455 in need of respiratory assistance.Another 5,194 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 742,297.However, 91 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 6,158.


Charlie Hebdo cleaver attacker named and charged

The man who allegedly attacked two people with a meat cleaver in Paris last week has been charged with “attempted murder with relation to a terrorist enterprise”, French anti-terrorist prosecutors told AFP on Tuesday.The man has now been identified as Pakistani-born Zaheer Hassan Mehmood, 25.He had lied to investigators about his name and age, but they found a photo of an old identity document on his phoneIn a video filmed before the attack, he said he was going to avenge the recent  republication of cartoons of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad by the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo. Their original publication in 2015 prompted avengers to massacre staff in the magazine’s offices.Charlie Hebdo now operates from a secret location but Mehmood mistakenly believed they were still in their old offices.The trial of 14 alleged accomplices in that attack is currently underway in Paris.


Final decision on death penalty soon

The special committee formed to look into the proposal to abolish the death penalty in the country will soon submit its findings to law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar, who will in turn present them to the Cabinet.The government will make a final decision after the Cabinet has been briefed, with the bill to amend the laws on the death penalty and other relevent legislation expected to be tabled in Parliament by the third quarter of 2022.Wan Junaidi said the committee, formed in 2019, had been asked to look at the issue from several aspects, taking into consideration the views of various stakeholders.“One critical remit was to evaluate the effectiveness of capital punishment as a deterrent,” he said.“We also need to see if the rehabilitation of convicts, if possible, would be the better option and in the best interest of the greater society.”In a statement, he said the study by the committee was in line with the government’s aspirations to rehabilitate criminals where possible and to later assimilate them back into their communities as valuable members of society.“If they have done their time, paid their dues, show genuine remorse for what they have done, and have been completely rehabilitated, we should not close the door on them,” he said.


North Korea fires 'unidentified ballistic missile', Seoul says

North Korea fired a ballistic missile Tuesday, Seoul said, Pyongyang's second launch in three days and the first since South Korea and the US began their largest joint military drills in five years.
Washington and Seoul have ramped up defence cooperation in the face of growing military and nuclear threats from the North, which has conducted a series of increasingly provocative banned weapons tests in recent months.
"North Korea fires unidentified ballistic missile towards the East Sea," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement, referring to the body of water also known as the Sea of Japan.
The launch comes just days after Pyongyang fired two "strategic cruise missiles" from a submarine in an apparent protest over the US-South Korea drills.
Known as Freedom Shield, the drills started Monday and will run for 10 days as part of the allies' drive to counter North Korea's growing threats.
In a rare move, Seoul's military this month revealed that the allies' special forces units were staging military exercises dubbed "Teak Knife" – which involve simulating precision strikes on key facilities in North Korea – ahead of Freedom Shield.
The Freedom Shield exercises focus on the "changing security environment" due to North Korea's redoubled aggression, the allies said.
They will "involve wartime procedures to repel potential North Korean attacks and conduct a stabilisation campaign in the North", the South Korean military has said.
It emphasised that the exercise was a "defensive one based on a combined operational plan".
But North Korea views all such exercises as rehearsals for invasion and has repeatedly warned it would take "overwhelming" action in response.
More to come
Last year, North Korea declared itself an "irreversible" nuclear power and fired a record-breaking number of missiles.
Leader Kim Jong Un earlier this month ordered his military to intensify drills to prepare for a "real war".
Washington has repeatedly restated its "ironclad" commitment to defending South Korea, including using the "full range of its military capabilities, including nuclear".
South Korea, for its part, is eager to reassure its increasingly nervous public about the US commitment to so-called extended deterrence, in which US military assets, including nuclear weapons, serve to prevent attacks on allies.
Analysts previously said North Korea would likely use the drills as an excuse to carry out more missile launches and perhaps even a nuclear test.
"More missile launches with variations in style and scope should be expected, with even a nuclear test. More acts of intimidation from North Korea should not come as a surprise," said Chun In-bum, a retired South Korean army general.
It is also an opportunity for Pyongyang to try and show that its "reason for developing missiles is for self-defence purposes," said Go Myong-hyun, a researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.


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More bad weather ahead for some states

Thunderstorms have been forecast in a number of states where the bad weather is expected to last until 8pm tonight.The affected areas include Kuala Lumpur, which was subject to flash floods yesterday following heavy rain in the afternoon.Specific locations in Kuala Lumpur expected to experience storms include Batu, Wangsa Maju, Setiawangsa, Titiwangsa, Bukit Bintang, Cheras and Bandar Tun Razak.Storms are also expected in Hulu Selangor, Gombak and Hulu Langat in Selangor, and Seremban, Kuala Pilah, Rembau and Jelebu in Negeri Sembilan.Further north, Yan, Pendang, Sik, Baling, Kuala Muda, Kulim and Bandar Baharu in Kedah are likely to experience bad weather, along with Seberang Perai in Penang.In Perak, Larut Matang Selama, Kuala Kangsar, Kinta, Kampar, Perak Tengah, Batang Padang, Muallim and Hilir Perak have been advised to brace for storms, along with Tangkak, Muar, Batu Pahat, Pontian, Kulai and Johor Bahru in Johor, and Raub, Bentong and Bera in Pahang.Kuala Lumpur was hit by flash floods in 29 areas yesterday, with Kuchai Lama and Pudu particularly affected.Videos and pictures shared on social media showed cars stranded in rising waters while the SMART Tunnel and Kuchai tunnel were both closed to traffic.Three landslides have been reported in the capital city since then, while hundreds of flood victims were relocated to temporary relief centres.


IS sympathiser behind attack on Indonesia police HQ, says official

An armed woman shot dead at Indonesia’s national police headquarters Wednesday was an Islamic State (IS) sympathiser, authorities said, citing social media posts she made shortly before the fatal gun battle.Indonesia has been on high alert in recent days after two suicide bombers – alleged members of a pro-IS extremist group – blew themselves up at a church in Makassar city on Sulawesi island, wounding about 20 people.Police outposts have been frequent targets of Indonesian extremists in the past.On Wednesday afternoon, the 25-year-old woman wearing a niqab face veil and a long black gown entered the police complex in downtown Jakarta and opened fire on officers at the entrance, authorities said.Images broadcast by local media showed the woman falling to the ground as shots rang out, before lying motionless as police surrounded her body.“She was a lone wolf who supported the IS ideology and this has been proven by her social media posts,” chief of the Indonesian National Police Listyo Sigit Prabowo told reporters Wednesday evening.Authorities said they had identified the woman as a university dropout who had left a suicide note at her family home in Jakarta, which they raided after the shootout.She had posted the IS flag and writings about becoming a martyr on a recently created Instagram account, Prabowo said.Authorities would probe whether the woman had links to Muslim majority Indonesia’s myriad extremist groups.Nation on edgeThe country, which has long struggled with attacks by Islamist militants including the 2002 Bali bombings, has been on edge after the weekend cathedral attack.A newlywed couple who belonged to pro-IS extremist group Jamaah Ansharut Daulah (JAD) was behind the cathedral blast, police have said.More than a dozen others suspected in the plot have been arrested in recent days.The couple were members of an Islamic study group along with several of the other suspects, police said.Sunday’s explosion at the main Catholic cathedral in Makassar took place just after congregants finished celebrating Palm Sunday, the first day of Holy Week in the run-up to Easter Sunday.The attack came after the arrest of dozens of suspected militants in recent months by Indonesia’s counter-terror squad.Indonesia’s security forces regularly arrest suspected militants and attacks have often been low-level and have targeted domestic security forces.Before Sunday, one of the country’s last major deadly attacks was in 2018, when a dozen people were killed after a family of suicide bombers blew themselves up at churches during Sunday services in Indonesia’s second-biggest city Surabaya.The family – including two daughters, aged nine and 12 – and another family of five, which carried out the suicide bombing of a police headquarters, all belonged to the same Quran study group and were linked to JAD, which has pledged allegiance to the so-called IS.Formed in 2015, JAD gained notoriety the following year for a gun and suicide bomb attack in the capital Jakarta that killed four civilians and four attackers – including one who blew himself up at a Starbucks outlet.It was the first attack claimed by IS in Southeast Asia.JAD was also implicated in a 2019 cathedral suicide bombing in the Philippines committed by a married Indonesian couple which killed worshippers and security forces.Indonesia’s deadliest terror attack was the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings, which killed more than 200 people, mainly foreign tourists.


Cops nab 43 foreigners at illegal Klang disco

Police arrested 43 foreigners in a raid on a three-storey building which had been converted into an illegal disco in Bayu Perdana, Klang, on Sunday.South Klang district police chief Shamsul Amar Ramli said the suspects, aged 20 to 40, had been engrossed in their entertainment activities when the raid took place at about 11.30pm.He said 40 of those detained were Indonesian men (25) and women (15) while the other three were Bangladeshis believed to be the caretakers of the illegal disco.“Further examination found that some of them were illegal immigrants and some had committed various wrongdoings under the Immigration Act 1963,” he told reporters at the South Klang district police headquarters today.He said the illegal disco, which began operating a few years ago, had been raided several times before. However, the activities still continued.He said further investigations found that only individuals with an invitation from the organisers were allowed to enter and participate in the entertainment activities as most of those detained did not live in the Klang district.“The visitors of the illegal disco are those who receive invitations (from the organisers) through social media. If they do not have an invitation, they are prohibited from entering the premises,” he said.He added that further investigations were underway to track down the mastermind. The foreigners meanwhile have been remanded until Sept 13.


Rift widens in PH over Melaka quartet

DAP’s Ramkarpal Singh has spoken out against Anwar Ibrahim over the latter’s defence of four Melaka assemblymen whose defection triggered the collapse of the state government, as a rift within Pakatan Harapan (PH) threatens to grow ahead of the Nov 20 election.Ramkarpal questioned Anwar’s defence of the quartet, even as a loyalist of the PKR president insisted that it was Amanah which wanted PH to field them.Anwar had suggested that the four assemblymen, including two who previously defected from PH, should not be viewed in the same way as those who were behind the so-called Sheraton Move which ousted PH from Putrajaya in 2020.But Ramkarpal, who heads DAP’s legal bureau and had also acted as Anwar’s lawyer, said it was wrong to say that the four had defected in order to return PH rule in Melaka.“Accepting them would be a grave mistake by PH which may result in the wrath of voters in the coming Melaka state election as well as GE15, which it must avoid,” he said.He also said the claim that the defection by the four assemblymen was to return the people’s mandate was an afterthought.“In fact, two of the four were from Umno and were never part of PH.“To say that the two non-Umno members of the said four were not complicit in the Sheraton Move is wrong as they would have remained in PH after the said move last year if they were not,” he said.Ramkarpal’s statement appears to contradict PKR vice-president Rafizi Ramli’s attack against Amanah leader Mohamad Sabu, accusing him of wanting PH to field the four assemblymen as candidates.Rafizi also questioned the silence of Amanah leaders on the issue when in fact they were the ones who wanted PH to take in the defecting assemblymen.“In public, they (Amanah) are silent because it has become a norm that PKR is the one who will take the hit by having to explain the issues,” Rafizi said.The four who triggered the dissolution of the Melaka state assembly were Idris Haron (Sungai Udang), Nor Azman Hassan (Pantai Kundor), Noor Effandi Ahmad (Telok Mas) and Norhizam Hassan Baktee (Pengkalan Batu).Ramkarpal warned that PH’s supporters will punish the coalition if it accepts the four assemblymen.“I have said before that PH cannot accept the said four and at the same time push for anti-hopping laws pursuant to the memorandum of understanding that it recently signed with the government as this would be incongruous,” he said.


Health ministry suggests no interstate travel for Hari Raya

The health ministry has proposed that interstate travel for the upcoming Aidilfitri celebrations be postponed as the Covid-19 situation in the country remains worrying.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba said the proposal also followed complaints and appeals from various quarters for the government to postpone the lifting of the interstate travel ban.“As we all know, most states are under CMCO (conditional movement control order) and RMCO (recovery movement control order) until April 28.“As daily cases are still rising and not yet stable, interstate travel needs to be postponed. The vaccination programme is also still ongoing,” he said at a press conference at his office in Putrajaya today.Malaysia recorded 1,889 Covid-19 cases yesterday compared to 1,767 cases on Tuesday. This climbed to 2,148 cases today.


Umno info chief throws spanner in tie-up with Anwar

An Umno leader appears to have broken ranks with calls to engage with Pakatan Harapan, saying the party should not be dancing to the tune set by others.Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan said the party’s refusal to work with Bersatu in the next general election should not be seen as acceptance of its other political enemies.He reminded Umno that it was still bound by the decision reached at the party’s general assembly in 2019, rejecting cooperation with PKR and DAP.“If Anwar is still talking about political negotiations and official cooperation with Umno, that is his right to speak, just as he has been relentlessly claiming to have a majority in Parliament,” Shahril said.“We don’t have to dance to the tune of others but should instead focus fully on strengthening the party internally, while working hard to win the confidence of the people.”Anwar Ibrahim recently admitted that his party and Umno had been in negotiations for a possible alliance, on the back of statements by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and former prime minister Najib Razak seen as in alignment with the PKR leader.“It is something positive. Because we will understand them more and they will understand us more,” Anwar said in a recent interview.


Pandemic will end but so will EPF savings

As a kid, my mother always advised me against making decisions when I am angry. Decisions made in an emotion-driven state of mind often bring about awful results, be it starting wars or a pointless quarrel with a loved one.This is why we must exercise restraint and caution over the calls to allow EPF depositors to withdraw savings from their Account 1. While I can understand where the depositors are coming from, their requests are often driven by knee-jerk reactions.First of all, I understand that many EPF depositors are going through tough times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, especially the B40 and M40 groups. Many have lost jobs, had their salaries slashed or face the prospect of either, with the pandemic showing no signs of abating until a vaccine is found.There is a sense of desperation and despair among those who find it difficult to make ends meet, as the moratorium on bank loans came to an end while savings in banks are fast depleting, if they have not already.There is also anger all around – anger at the state of the economy, anger at being holed up at home, anger that Covid-19 cases are shooting up just as we were making headway, just to cite a few examples. And when anger mounts, we tend to throw caution to the wind.In the throes of desperation, many see their EFP savings as their only lifeline to tide them over during these trying times. “It’s my money anyway and it’s better for me to survive the present than to worry about my future” is a common line of thought.This is a flawed argument that goes against the grain of financial prudence and discipline, no matter what the circumstances are. EPF savings are for depositors’ old age.Even before the pandemic, experts had already projected that most Malaysians would not have enough savings in their EPF accounts to get through their golden years. Removing this financial safety net reeks of economic recklessness and is nothing more than a populist move to score brownie points.The pandemic will be over eventually and as “normalcy” returns, the 15 million-odd EPF depositors may face the spectre of insufficient retirement funds, if Account 1 withdrawals are allowed.With an ageing population, a healthcare crisis cannot be ruled out if current depositors do not have enough savings post-retirement. Public hospitals could be overrun and the labour market in disarray as the elderly cling on to jobs, knowing that their retirement savings will dry up soon.More than ever, there has to be financial discipline. Just as a general at war needs to be level-headed to map out battle strategies and not get distracted by exploding mortars or groans of men dying in combat, our policymakers need to be steadfast and rational in mapping out the road ahead, post-Covid-19.The last thing we want is to pander to emotionally-charged sentiments that are not grounded on sound socio-economic principles. At the end of the day, the pandemic will end. And there is no point in winning the Covid-19 battle but losing the war through the reckless decision to allow EPF Account 1 withdrawals.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Apex court sets March 31 for verdict on Najib's SRC review bid

The Federal Court has set March 31 for its verdict on former prime minister Najib Razak’s bid for a review of his conviction and sentence in his RM42 million SRC International case.
The date was confirmed by Najib's lawyers Muhammad Farhan Muhammad Shafee, as well as deputy public prosecutor Mohd Ashrof Adrin Kamarul when contacted by Bernama.
The five-man Federal Court bench led by Chief Judge of Sabah and Sarawak Abdul Rahman Sebli had reserved its decision on Feb 28 after hearing submissions for six days from Najib's lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah and ad hoc deputy public prosecutor V Sithambaram.
The other four judges on the bench were Federal Court judges Vernon Ong Lam Kiat, Rhodzariah Bujang and Nordin Hassan, and Court of Appeal judge Abu Bakar Jais.
On Aug 23, 2022, Najib was sent to Kajang Prison to begin serving his jail sentence after losing his appeal to set aside his conviction, 12-year jail term and RM210 million fine for the misappropriation of SRC International funds. The former Pekan MP filed a review application under Rule 137 of the Rules of the Federal Court 1995, in a bid to overturn the decision by a five-member bench led by Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat upholding his conviction, jail sentence and fine.
Najib was convicted of seven charges on July 28, 2020 by then High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Ghazali.
Nazlan, who is now a Court of Appeal judge, sentenced Najib to 12 years in jail and fined him RM210 million in default of five years imprisonment. His decision was upheld by the Court of Appeal on Dec 8, 2021.
Throughout the six-day proceedings, Shafee argued that the previous Federal Court bench hearing Najib’s appeal had made a fundamental error in law by not allowing the adjournment of the trial and not allowing Najib’s former counsel Hisyam Teh Poh Teik to discharge himself.
Sithambaram however submitted that there was no breach of natural justice or miscarriage of justice or abuse of the court process in the case as the defence was given all opportunity to submit its final appeal but Hisyam chose not to take the opportunities given on the pretext that he was not prepared.


Groups converge at Parliament as pressure mounts against execution of mentally disabled Malaysian in Singapore

Pressure is mounting on Putrajaya to intervene in the impending execution of a Malaysian death row prisoner in Singapore on Nov 10.Dozens of activists today gathered at the Parliament building to hand over a memorandum to highlight the plight of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, who was convicted of a drug offence 10 years ago but diagnosed as intellectually disabled.They said the execution of Nagaenthran, who has been diagnosed with mental impediments, would be a violation not only of international treaties but also of the Singapore constitution, adding that Malaysia too has an obligation to live up to the human rights principles by which it must abide following its recent appointment to the United Nations Human Rights Council.Nagaenthran has been diagnosed with mental disabilities and a low IQ level, as well as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).He was convicted in 2011 of illegally importing 42.72g of diamorphine and sentenced to death under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act, a controversial law that the city-state’s leaders have defended as an effective deterrent against drug trafficking.Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam is scheduled to be executed in Singapore on Nov 10.Critics of Singapore’s death penalty say the law has over the decades victimised drug mules from poor families, who were promised lucrative rewards by crime syndicates in exchange for carrying drugs into the republic.Medical documents tendered during Nagaenthran’s trial said he could also have had little regard for the long-term consequences of his actions, while noting severe alcohol use disorder that would affect his judgment and decision making.In the memorandum, the groups raised concerns surrounding Nagaenthran’s arrest in 2009 and the subsequent investigation, citing a complaint by him that he had been threatened by a third party who handed him the drugs, as well as assaulted by officers.“It can be said that it would not only be wrong to execute Nagaenthran because of the circumstances surrounding the case and the official sentiments shared by these esteemed organisations and bodies, but also that it is incredibly excessive to administer the death penalty to an intellectually disabled individual given their personal culpability,” the memorandum said.They also highlighted the obligation of both Singapore and Malaysia to adhere to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which prohibits the execution of mentally disabled persons.“In respect to this matter, Malaysia should recognise the urgency of this issue and carry out its obligations as implemented in the convention by taking all necessary or appropriate measures to either delay or stop this imminent execution scheduled on Nov 10.”They also said Nagaenthran’s crime cannot be categorised as among the “most serious crimes” as stated under the the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), a treaty prohibiting capital punishment.“While Malaysia and Singapore are not signatories to the ICCPR, the interpretation and limitation to the implementation of the death penalty for drug offences cannot be dismissed as it has gained traction and acceptance among the international community,” they said.A Singapore court will hear on Nov 8 a constitutional challenge filed by prominent rights lawyer M Ravi in a last-minute bid to stop Nagaenthran’s execution.Ravi is seeking an interpretation of Article 9 in line with its international obligations, citing a judgment in 2010 on the importance of adhering to the treaties a country has signed, as well as a constitutional clause on the right to equality and equal treatment.


Govt to ensure win-win situation, Zahid tells contract doctors amid strike plans

The government will ensure the implementation of a win-win solution so that no party is at a loss or feels left out in the contract doctor issue, says Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid, who is also chairman of the high-level committee to resolve the issue, said he would present the details of the situation to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim soon.
He said that contract doctors should be accorded fair treatment and their welfare protected according to government service procedures and schemes.
"We do not have a problem discussing and solving the issue. I know this is a long-standing problem but I am confident it can be solved," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.
Zahid, who is also rural and regional development minister, said the special committee involving the health ministry, Public Service Department and Public Service Commission had been discussing several proposals including granting permanent employment to contract doctors.
"Several conditions of the new scheme will be discussed, so I hope they (contract doctors) will give me the chance in my capacity as chairman of the committee to resolve it," he said.
A group of contract doctors who associate themselves with an online account named "Mogok Doktor Malaysia" (Malaysian Doctors Strike) was reported as planning a strike from Monday to Wednesday to protest what they call an unfair contract system and low wages.


Sabah Umno, BN withdraw support for Hajiji as CM

Sabah Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN) today announced their withdrawal of support for Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) leader Hajiji Noor as chief minister.
Sabah Umno liaison committee chairman Bung Moktar Radin, who is also the state BN chariman, said the decision, made at a party meeting in Kota Kinabalu tonight, was due to a loss of confidence in Hajiji’s position as chief minister and a breach in agreement between BN and Perikatan Nasional (PN).
Bung Moktar said BN and PN had agreed to form the state government following the Sabah election in 2020, but that Hajiji and other leaders of Sabah Bersatu, which is a component of PN, left the party, causing the state government to lose its legitimacy.
“Hajiji also threatened us with a Cabinet reshuffle without any discussion. We have also lost confidence after Hajiji lost his locus standi, and qualifications to be selected as Sabah chief minister.
“According to the Sabah state constitution, the chief minister must be chosen from a party with the majority. He (Hajiji) is without a party, his standing is under GRS, which is a grand coalition party,” he said in a media conference at the Sabah Umno building in Karamunsing tonight.
Bung Moktar said the agreement between BN and PN to form the state government had mentioned the appointment of state Cabinet members and state government-linked companies from Umno or BN.
“Today Hajiji, besides announcing the Cabinet reshuffle without discussion, also terminated Salleh Said Keruak (BN assemblyman for Usukan) as Qhazanah Sabah Bhd chairman without negotiations with the Sabah BN chairman,” he said.
Bung Moktar said he would seek an audience with Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin in the latter’s capacity as a state leader to review Hajiji’s appointment as chief minister.
On whether the decision was supported by all Sabah BN assemblymen, he said five out of 18 of them did not support the decision. However, he did not name the five.
“We act based on the party, even though the assemblymen do not support it, to me, that’s fine because the party’s decision is final and we will take whatever stern action, including disciplinary action, against assemblymen who choose not to support the decisions of the party,” he said.