The Covid-19 recession: Rough times for young Malaysians

The Covid-19 recession has compounded employment and income difficulties for Malaysia’s young workers. They experience higher unemployment and are more adversely impacted than other age groups in terms of wage decrease and under-employment. This has contributed to greater political restiveness among Malaysia’s youth.Like most of the world, Malaysia grapples with the challenges of educating and employing its youth. Following convention, this study classifies youth or young workers as 15-24 years old. In Malaysia, this age category numbered 2.6 million, or 16.7% of the labour force, in 2020.The Covid-19 recession of 2020 and the continuing travails of 2021 have compounded the already difficult conditions for young workers and fresh graduates. Prior to 2020, the unemployment rate of Malaysia’s youth in Malaysia was under the global average of 13%, but exceeded the unemployment rate of the adult working population (aged 25-64) by a relatively high factor of six (compared to the global average of three). The ratio of youth unemployment to the national average has been rising over the past decade, and graduate unemployment has persisted as a national concern, including problems of disparity in access and quality of higher education perpetuating class stratification (Lee 2020a, 2020b).Young workers bore the brunt of the 2020 recession caused by a shocking and unprecedented economic shutdown. Youth unemployment reached 12.5% in 2020, up from 10.5% in 2019 and 10.7-10.9% in 2015-2018. Beyond this headline figure, however, other data shed important light on the tribulations of Malaysia’s youth. Employment declined most markedly for young workers and disproportionately affected those in lower income situations. Evidence points to larger contractions of youth employment in middle- and low-skilled occupations.Young workers holding tertiary-level qualifications have not been spared, with the number of unemployed graduates in Malaysia rising by 22.5% in one year to over 200,000 in 2020. They have also withdrawn more significantly from labour participation, and have been more steeply compelled into self-employment – which has no doubt been a policy objective in line with structural changes in the economy and labour market, but has now transpired through an abrupt, crisis-induced shift. Available evidence also points to disproportionately larger salary declines among young workers.Malaysia’s policy responses, launched under the various Covid-19 stimulus packages, have prioritised the retention of the existing workforce, with some attention to job creation, which benefits new labour market entrants, and a few programmes specifically targeted at fresh graduates and young workers, most of which have fallen short of the targeted number of beneficiaries. It is fair to say that the efforts have mitigated labour market woes, although the effects are difficult to quantify. What is clear is that Malaysia’s youth have become restive, and more vocal about their pandemic-deepened plight. The incoming government will need to respond decisively and effectively on this matter.Labour market impactsUnemployment and withdrawal from the labour forceThe unemployment rate remains the macro yardstick of the labour market impacts of an economic recession. Quarterly figures trace out the job displacing effects of economic closures enforced to contain the pandemic. Malaysia’s extensive lockdown – the first movement control order of March-June 2020 – resulted in a staggering 17.1% GDP contraction in Q2 2020. Correspondingly, overall unemployment rose from 3.2% in 2019-Q4 to 5.1% in 2020-Q2. Unemployment for 15-24 year-olds increased from 9.9% in 2019-Q4 to 12.5% in 2020-Q2, from 2.9% to 5.2% for the next age bracket (25-34 years), and rose relatively steeply as well for older workers (Figure 1). Based on these data, unemployment levelled off by end 2020, and even moderated in 2021 for youth.There may be some undercounting of job loss, caused by certain factors. First, the number of foreign worker permits plummeted by about half a million in 2020, and the vast majority have not been replaced by Malaysian workers. Official unemployment rose from 3.5% in 2019 to 4.6% in 2020 for Malaysians, and more markedly for non-citizens, from 1.7% to 4.2%, but in terms of number of workers, there was a net decrease of only 146,000 non-Malaysian workers. Second, in announcing the Pemulih stimulus package on June 28, 2021, the government noted that, based on EPF and Socso data, one million account holders in social protection institutions had incurred income losses and would be offered cash assistance.The extent to which these income losses derive from unemployment was not disclosed, but the overall figure far exceeds the official increase in the number of unemployed, which registered the widest margin of 300,000 between February 2020 and May 2020. Whether youth unemployment has been more severely undercounted than other age groups is also hard to ascertain. It suffices at this juncture to note that the labour market downturn for all, including youth, is probably more severe than the official account.Following international convention, Malaysia defines the unemployed as those who are not working but are looking for work, and the labour force is defined as the population aged 15-64 who are either working or unemployed. Those who withdraw from the labour force – who are not working and are not seeking a job – are omitted from the statistics. In the first three quarters of 2020, at the peak of economic downturn and job loss, young Malaysians withdrew from labour force participation at a relatively high rate (Cheng 2021).The labour force participation (LFP) rates, capturing the share of the working age population (15-64 years old) that are either working or looking for work, fell marginally from 68.9% (2019-Q3) to 68.4% (2020-Q3). Among youth (15-24 years), however, the LFP decline was substantial, from 46.0% (2019-Q3) to 41.8% (2020-Q3). Some patterns based on educational qualifications are also noteworthy. The decline in labour force participation among the young, from 2019 to 2020, was steepest among male degree holders (85% to 75%) and female diploma holders (64% to 56%). The increased numbers of youth not even looking for work, and hence are excluded in the unemployment equation, underscore the need to look beyond the official unemployment rate.Employment: Amount and distribution of jobsEmployment data, which tells us how many jobs exist and where they are located, are instructive. Young workers experienced a precipitous drop in the number employed, on a year-on-year basis, at a far steeper rate than for other age brackets (Figure 2). In the third quarter of 2020, the number of employed 15-24 year-olds was 11.6% lower compared to the third quarter of 2019. The latest figures, for 2021-Q2, however, show that the number of employed stayed the same over the preceding year (zero percent change from 2020-Q2) for workers under 35 years, but grew for workers aged 35 and above.Variations based on employment status and occupationDisaggregating these data further by employment status and occupation yield further insights. These data are only available on an annual basis, but we may observe the 2018-2020 interval to deduce Covid-19 recession impacts. Based on employment status (Figure 4), we can see marked differences in the decrease of young employees alongside growth in the self-employed, who operate solo without any employees. The drastic slowdown in recruitment has induced young workers to start their own businesses, whether as a new enterprise or perhaps in subcontracting or outsourcing arrangements.Patterns of employment growth by occupation concur with the realignment toward more self-employment, confirming that young workers have generally borne the brunt of the economic downturn. In almost all occupation groups, employment of 15-25 year-olds either expanded or remained stable between 2018 and 2019. However, the number of managers, which includes employers and the self-employed, grew noticeably in 2020 – and even more so for the 25-34 year category, as expected, due to their greater capacity to venture into new business. Simultaneously, in categories typically filled by employees – professionals, technicians, clerical workers, craft workers, machine operators, and elementary jobs – employment of young workers declined, with the exception of service and sales workers (Figures 4a and 4b). The decline in youth employment has therefore affected all levels of skills and educational qualifications, but is more pronounced in lower skilled occupations.Steady demand for skilled labour, based on job advertisements, are consistent with this impression that more skilled labour – especially those suited to technological transformation – are disproportionately benefiting in the current milieu. Comparing the last three quarters of 2020 with the corresponding period in 2019, the number of employed with tertiary education grew by 8.7%, while those with only primary education declined by 13.5% (Cheng 2021).Data breakdowns by industry show that worse-affected sectors have tended to reduce youth recruitment. Looking at sub-sectors, particularly services most impacted by the Covid-19 recession and the succession of MCOs, is quite instructive. In general, the GDP of services sub-sectors contracted, with a select few enjoying growth. Employment of 15-24 year-olds in food and accommodation sectors plummeted in 2020, while wholesale and retail and transportation barely changed, registering zero to 1% growth. Transport services took a -21.9% impact in terms of GDP, but also saw a surge in the “postal and courier” category – amounting to a bonanza 16.6% growth – reflecting the proliferation of delivery services. However, the ability to engage in these new activities is largely contingent on owning or accessing motorised vehicles. These factors likely explain the higher growth in employment in transport among workers above 35 years.Under-employmentA further aspect of labour market impact on the young pertains to under-employment, of which there are two varieties: time-related under-employment, referring to those who are working less than 30 hours per week, and skill-related under-employment, referring to those who are holding a job that is below their qualifications, most saliently degree holders in routine low-skilled jobs (Figure 7). The rise in time-related under-employment in 2020 was widest among young workers, but appears to have recovered by 2021-Q1. These patterns capture transitory impacts of the economic downturn. Skill-related under-employment, however, raises more concern if it translates into structural, enduring problems of skills mismatch. There was an increase in skill-related under-employment in 2020, and the incidence remains high, although in view of some fluctuation in recent quarters, it is hard to tell whether the problem will stabilise or worsen in the near future.Young workers’ incomeThe dreary employment scenarios above can be expected to correspond with declining income, and various journalistic and local investigative accounts attest to family hardships. However, the impact of the Covid-19 recession on income is harder to gauge on a national scale.Graduate tracer studies, based on disclosures about employment status and the salary range of employed fresh graduates who report these data prior to their graduation ceremonies – typically 3-6 months after completing their studies – provide one available reference. We can observe patterns consistent with a modest decline in fresh graduates’ salaries from 2019 to 2020, but not a drastic drop. The proportion of degree graduates earning under RM2,500 rose marginally, from 69.4% to 70.3% (Figure 6). What is of concern is the sizeable decline in the share of degree graduates earning RM2,001-2,500, from 18.7% in 2019 to 16.7% in 2020, while the share earning under RM1,500 increased from 32.6% to 35.2%. Among diploma graduates, those earning below RM1,500 increased from 6% in 2019 to 64.3% in 2020. The increase may be slight, but the staggeringly large share in these low salary brackets reflects chronic labour market issues.The severer drop in youth employment and in lower-skilled jobs exerts downward pressure on wages in these categories. Statistics from the just-released Salaries and Wages Survey Report 2020 concur (Figure 7). This survey specifically captures the salaries of Malaysian employees or fixed income recipients, in both private and public sectors. Employees aged 15-24 encompassing all education levels endured the widest decline in mean salary, registering a -13.7% change from RM1,793 in 2019 to RM1,547 in 2020. The next most affected is the 25-34 age group with a -12.9% change, from RM2,916 to RM2,538. The decline for both age groups significantly exceeded the overall average of -9.0%.Based on educational attainment (of all ages), the evidence suggests that employees with tertiary education have been more able to weather the storm, compared to those with only secondary or primary education. While the salary figures for educational attainment do not differentiate by age, we can presume that the effects apply across the board. In line with the relatively greater contraction in lower-skilled employment, we may deduce that the wages of lesser-educated youth have declined by wider margins.Youth-relevant and youth-targeted stimulus programmesMalaysia introduced various programmes to relieve economic distress, retain existing jobs and stimulate new jobs. The unique adversities of the pandemic have inclined policies to prioritise job protection and income protection, which do not target by age and would relatively benefit more experienced workers. The discussion that follows highlights measures that explicitly designate fresh graduates or young workers, or that are more likely by design to benefit them. The Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat cash assistance primarily benefited households but also provided for non-married Malaysians. However, the meagre RM100 provided can barely qualify as relief. The following, however, merit an overview, with a summary in Table 1.Penjana hiring incentivesThe Penjana stimulus package of July 2020, succeeding the Prihatin package of March 2020 which focused on preserving jobs, introduced a menu of allowances for employers to generate jobs. This is especially pertinent to youth, who comprise a large segment of new labour market entrants, whereas the massive wage subsidy programme focused on already hired workers, and reportedly benefited 2.5 million employees. Penjana incentives have not explicitly targeted workers by age group, but young adults are poised to benefit from the Penjana Kerjaya (work generator) programme that boosts recruitment, especially in the form of apprenticeships. Youth may also be better matched, in terms of being able-bodied and suitably skilled, for the Malaysianisation scheme seeking to induce employers to hire locals in place of non-citizens.Information on these programmes’ outreach have been disclosed, including by age bracket, but the efficacy of these programmes remains difficult to appraise. Penjana Kerjaya 2.0, a continuation of the programme for January-July 2021, reportedly benefited 153,000 workers under 40 years at end July, surging from 25,000 at end-March. Clearly, the full lockdown from June drove participation in Penjana Kerjaya, but the adequacy will need to be rigorously evaluated. As a general reference, the unemployed in the age range of 15-34 numbered 546,400 in the second quarter of 2021 (April-June). Take-up of the apprenticeship also saw a spurt in June-July, counting 34,000 participants by end July, a steep rise from about 13,300 in mid-May. Again, participation has not reached the target of 50,000. Malaysianisation, a slim prospect given the low pay and exacting work conditions imposed on foreign workers, unsurprisingly drew a meagre 2,870 by end July (EIAS 2021a, 2021b).Ministry of Higher Education – Career Advancing Programme (MOHE-CAP)Under the Penjana stimulus package of June 2020, the Ministry of Higher Education (MOHE) implemented a RM100 million Career Advancing Programme (CAP) to reduce unemployment among graduates. Under the scheme, each participant would be given a choice to be equipped with job competencies or geared up for self-employment in one of the following three pillars namely, Place and Train, Entrepreneurship and Gig Economy. Trainers were to be recruited from universities and industry players, and the programme cost of RM4,000-5,000 per participant fully borne by MOHE. While this programme is on paper commendable for retraining graduates and enhancing their employability, the ministry has not provided follow-up data on whether participants have secured employment or their salary incomes. In addition, based on the expenditure required per participant, CAP is estimated to benefit only 20,000 unemployed graduates or a mere 10% of the overall unemployed graduates in Malaysia.Place and Train by Human Resource Development (HRD) CorpThe Place and Train programme was further boosted in the recently announced Pemulih stimulus package whereby HRD Corp was allocated with RM125 million to assist school leavers between the age of 18 and 40 and graduates who are unemployed. Apart from a month-long training course, participants would have six months of Placement Job Training (PJT) with a firm. Companies participating in the Place and Train programme can receive up to six months of PJT allowance, as an incentive to participate and offset the cost of hiring trainees. Candidates in the programme would be hired by the company for at least a year, inclusive of the six months PJT period. The programme has targeted 30,000 beneficiaries, but it is as yet too soon to evaluate its impact.The Covid-19 recession of 2020 and continuing sluggish conditions in 2021 have compounded employment and income difficulties for Malaysia’s young workers. Youth experience higher unemployment, and greater withdrawal from labour participation. Contraction in the number of young workers from occupational and sectoral angles show more adverse impacts in lower-skilled jobs and in most industries except wholesale and retail. Young workers have also, on average, experienced worse impact than other age groups in terms of wage decrease and under-employment.The higher priority accorded to the already-employed is an appropriate response to the economic shock of the lockdown, and in view of the fact that older workers are more likely to be supporting dependents. Nonetheless, it is also imperative to buffer the adverse effects on young workers and fresh graduates. Malaysia has implemented various programmes, mostly for the general populace but with a few addressing young worker concerns.It is difficult at this still early stage to ascertain the efficacy of these policy responses, specifically on youth. Available evidence shows some inadequacies in the extent and amount of assistance, and reveals possible structural labour market challenges in the years ahead. Malaysia’s youth have boldly expressed their discontent with Malaysia’s political dysfunction and economic exclusion, and the burden now falls on the new government to pay due attention to the capability, employment, wages and economic security of the nation’s young.This is an adapted version of Iseas Perspective 2021/116 published on Sept 3, 2021. The paper and its footnotes can be accessed at this link.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Turkey cull to kill bird flu at British Christmas fattening farm

All 10,500 turkeys will be culled at a farm in North Yorkshire after bird flu was confirmed at the site on Saturday, reports the BBC.The H5N8 strain of avian influenza was found at the farm where the turkeys are being fattened for family Christmas dinner tables.The birds will be humanely culled to stop the disease spreading, the Department for Rural Affairs (Defra) said, as it investigates the source. The disease can spread to poultry and other captive birds when wild birds migrate from mainland Europe during winter.Risk to public health from the virus is very low, Public Health England (PHE) added.A temporary control zone is currently in place: a 3km protection zone immediately around the location of the outbreak and a 10km surveillance zone around that.Defra’s chief veterinary officer, Christine Middlemiss, said, “We are urgently looking for any evidence of disease spread associated with this farm to control and eliminate it. Bird keepers should remain alert for any signs of disease on their premises.”Health advice is being offered to people working on the farm.H5N8 is the same strain that was also found earlier this month at a non-poultry farm in Gloucestershire, as well as farms in Cheshire and Kent.Middlemiss said a nationwide avian influenza prevention zone is in place to ensure the disease can be eradicated “as quickly as possible”.Dr Gavin Dabrera, consultant in acute respiratory infections at PHE, said the World Health Organization has never confirmed any cases of H5N8 in humans to date.


Press freedom in Macau under pressure as Beijing issues unexpected ‘guidelines’

In March, Beijing issued the Portuguese unit of Macau’s public broadcaster TDM new editorial “guidelines” requiring them to promote “patriotism, respect and love” for mainland China.This marked the first time that Portuguese language media in the former colony have been directly targeted by authorities.Since then, at least six journalists have resigned, sources told Reuters.Macau, the world’s biggest gambling city, has always been held up as an exemplar of Beijing’s “one country, two systems” style of governance. The system promises wide-ranging freedoms not seen in mainland China, including a free press.“We knew things might change one day, but this came as a total surprise to us,” said a Portuguese journalist.Beijing’s new guidelines came roughly two weeks after Hong Kong authorities announced an overhaul of public broadcaster RTHK, amid accusations by authorities that it had an anti-government bias.Portuguese media in Macau provided extensive coverage of Hong Kong’s protests in 2019, while Chinese-language media from the enclave largely stayed away.Pressure is now mounting on Macau’s Portuguese and English media.Macau’s government maintains all news organisations in Macau have the freedom to set their own editorial guidelines and that it continues to respect and uphold the principle of the freedom of the press.In a public statement in March, TDM said its editorial policy remained unchanged and it will continue to “perform its media social responsibility and adhere to the principle of patriotism and love for Macau”.More than half of Macau’s population arrived from China in recent decades, which has helped foster a stronger affinity for the mainland than in Hong Kong, where the bulk of residents were born in the territory.Beijing typically lavishes praise on Macau while issuing stark warnings to Hong Kong that it will not tolerate any challenge to its authority.But Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests entangled Macau’s media through their coverage and attracted Beijing’s scrutiny, Macau sources said.Macau’s Portuguese and English Press Association expressed concern over the new TDM guidelines, in particular that staff are not allowed to “relay information or opinions contrary to the policies of the central government of the PRC”.Reporters without Borders condemned the moves at Hong Kong and Macau’s public broadcasters and urged both governments to “cease their attacks against press freedom”.Connie Pang, former head of the Macau Journalists Press Association, said what Portuguese journalists are experiencing now is what local Chinese journalists have been seeing over the past 10 years.“They don’t want us to be neutral, to be balanced. They want us to support the Chinese Communist Party,” said another senior journalist.Editorial staff and reporters at many small Macanese media outlets are cautious, as they rely heavily on government subsidies.Jose Dinis, publisher of Jornal Tribuna de Macau, a Portuguese-language newspaper, said he had not felt additional pressure. “I am not willing to say the wolves are coming. For the moment I don’t see any problem,” he said.However, many see the TDM crackdown as the first step in a wider censorship of English and Portuguese-language media.


Heat and haze expected from July to September

A rise in temperature along with the haze phenomenon is expected to hit the country from July to September this year.Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) director-general Muhammad Helmi Abdullah said the influence of external factors like tropical storms in neighbouring countries such as the Philippines could cause dry condition in the peninsula.“In Indonesia, the possibility of forest fires occurring is high because of the dry weather with the wind blowing from the southwest (bringing with it smoke) to our country in the form of haze,” he said in a talk show interview with Bernama yesterday.MetMalaysia recently issued a statement regarding the southwest monsoon which is expected to begin this Saturday and continue until mid-September.Helmi said the situation would result in a reduction in the formation of rain clouds and cause most places across the country to experience more days without rain than other seasons, as well as low rainfall distribution.However, heavy rain with strong winds and lightning due to the squall line phenomenon might still occur on the west coast of the peninsula and western Sabah.


US sanctions people, companies and boats over China-based illegal fishing

The US on Friday imposed sanctions on people and companies, including Nasdaq-listed Pingtan Marine Enterprise, over what Washington says are human rights abuses linked to China-based illegal distant water fishing.
The US Treasury Department said the measures hit Li Zhenyu and Zhuo Xinrong, both Chinese nationals, and 10 entities linked to the two, including Dalian Ocean Fishing Co and Pingtan Marine Enterprise (PME).
PME and its founder, Zhuo, Dalian Ocean Fishing and China's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The designation of PME marks the first time the US has imposed sanctions on an entity listed on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
Washington also targeted 157 China-flagged fishing vessels linked to the sanctioned entities, it said.
US President Joe Biden in June signed a national security memorandum to fight illegal fishing, part of pledged efforts to help countries combat alleged violations by fishing fleets, including those of China, which has the world's largest deep water fishing fleet.
Countries around the world chafe at China's fishing practices, arguing its vessels often violate their 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zones (EEZ) and cause environmental damage and economic losses.
China says it is a responsible fishing country that has been cooperating internationally to clamp down on illegal fishing, and that it fishes in relevant EEZs according to bilateral agreements.
"Treasury condemns the practices of those sanctioned today, which often involve the abuse of human rights, undermine fundamental labour and environmental standards, and harm the economic prospects of local populations in the Indo-Pacific," the Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian Nelson, said in the statement.
“These designations demonstrate how seriously we take the problem of illicit fishing and our commitment to holding the perpetrators of serious human rights abuses to account.”
Friday's move freezes any US assets of those designated and generally bars Americans from dealing with them.
The Treasury issued a general license authorising US persons to engage in certain transactions related to debt or equity of PME until March 9.
A senior Treasury official said Washington on Friday would issue a second set of sanctions targeting people and entities across the globe over corrupt activity and serious human rights abuses. The will include nearly 50 targets and spans about nine countries, the official said.


Some Perak cops found to be involved in drugs, says state police chief

Several policemen attached to the Perak contingent have been found to be involved in drug abuse with some as repeat offenders, Perak police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid says.
He said the matter was discovered when they failed a random urine test on July 20.
"We will take stern action because some of them have failed (tested positive) before and were charged in court and then released," he said without disclosing the exact number of offenders.
He told reporters this after launching an event in Ipoh yesterday.
He said those detained were being investigated under the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952 and would face disciplinary action under the Public Officers Regulations Act (Conduct and Discipline) 1993. Earlier, Mior said in his speech that based on statistics, online scam cases were more rampant than other commercial crime cases.
He said within the first six months of the year, a total of 1,094 commercial crime cases were recorded while a total of 2,021 cases and 1,919 cases were recorded last year and in 2020 respectively.


Amazon deforestation surges to 15-year high, undercutting Brazil govt’s pledge

Deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest soared 22% in a year to the highest level since 2006, the government’s annual report showed on Thursday, undercutting President Jair Bolsonaro’s assurances that the country is curbing illegal logging.Brazil’s space research agency, INPE, recorded 13,235 sq km of deforestation in the world’s largest rainforest in its Prodes satellite data, an area nearly 17 times the size of New York City. The official deforestation data covers a period from August 2020 through July 2021.The surging destruction comes despite Bolsonaro’s efforts to show his government is serious about protecting the Amazon, considered critical to staving off catastrophic climate change.The far-right former army captain still calls for more mining and commercial farming in protected parts of the rainforest.At the UN climate summit in Glasgow this month, COP26, Brazil’s government brought forward a pledge to end illegal deforestation by two years to 2028, a target that would require aggressive annual reductions in the destruction.The INPE report, dated Oct 27, showed deforestation rising in each of the last four cycles – a first for the data series since at least 2000.“Notice the date on the INPE note. The government went to COP26 knowing the deforestation data and hid it,” wrote Brazilian advocacy group the Climate Observatory on Twitter.A source with knowledge of the matter confirmed that the government had the data in hand prior to the UN summit.In the run-up to the summit, Brazil’s government had touted preliminary monthly data pointing to a slight decline for the annual period as evidence it was getting deforestation under control. The more refined final data instead showed a dire picture.“The numbers are still a challenge for us and we have to be more forceful in relation to these crimes,” Environment Minister Joaquim Pereira Leite said at a news conference on Thursday.He told reporters the data did not reflect recently stepped up enforcement against illegal deforestation, while conceding the government must do more to fight the destruction.The data also casts doubt on Brazil’s signing up to a global pledge with more than 100 other nations to eliminate deforestation worldwide by 2030, also announced during the summit.Brazil, as home to the majority of the world’s largest rainforest, was seen as crucial to that global pact. The Amazon’s trees absorb vast amounts of carbon dioxide that would otherwise warm the planet.But some scientists warn that if enough of the forest is destroyed, it could cross a tipping point, dry out and turn into savannah.That would release huge amounts of carbon, virtually ensuring the world cannot hit the targets laid out to avoid the worst effects of climate change.Yet Bolsonaro’s moves to show the government is protecting the forest have fallen short. He has regularly deployed the military to the Amazon since 2019 to aid in policing deforestation. But a Reuters investigation showed military missteps and incompetence failed to rein in the environmental damage.Mauricio Voivodic, head of environmental group WWF in Brazil, said the numbers laid bare “the real Brazil that the Bolsonaro government tries to hide with imaginary discourses and greenwashing efforts abroad.”“What the reality shows,” he said, “is that the Bolsonaro government has accelerated the course of the Amazon’s destruction.”


Taiwan announces new inward travel curbs to halt imported infections

After recent rises in imported Covid-19 cases, Taiwan, widely praised for its efforts to control the coronavirus, will from the start of December require almost all visitors to have negative tests before arriving.The Taipei government also announced it will increase the number of places where people must wear masks.Taiwan has not reported any domestic transmissions of the virus for more than 200 days and has the pandemic under control thanks to early and effective prevention which has earned the island nation praise from other countries.However, the government has watched nervously as imported cases have increased although at a far lower rate than most other places. Last Friday, eight new cases were reported, all of them imported, the most in a single day since April.Health Minister Chen Shih-chung announced that between Dec 1 and Feb 28 next year, everyone entering Taiwan will be required to have a negative Covid-19 test, taken within three days of setting out to travel, though exceptions will be made for international mariners and in individual humanitarian cases.The planned enforcement period may be extended, he told reporters.Previously during the pandemic, Taiwanese citizens and Taiwan residence permit holders did not need to present negative coronavirus tests before being allowed in, though most other travellers did.Masks are already widely worn in Taiwan, but from December the government will also require people to wear them in more places, including temples, art galleries and bars, Chen said. Fines for flouters will be in the order of RM2,000.Some public places such as night markets may have to limit the number of people who can enter, according to new guidelines.Taiwan, with a population of 24 million, has reported a total of 608 cases of the virus and seven deaths. It has about 60 active cases. Life has largely returned to normal after earlier restrictions on large-scale events were lifted, and the island has never gone into full lockdown.Still, its borders remain effectively closed to most visitors.Taipei has also announced it will stop issuing visas to Hong Kong and Macau passport holders from Friday as the Covid-19 situation is worsening in neighbouring Guangdong province in China.


South Africa fights to contain Delta surge as vaccine shortage plagues Africa

South Africa has reintroduced tough restrictions including a ban on alcohol sales and an extended nightly curfew as it fights a fast-increasing surge of Covid-19 cases.President Cyril Ramaphosa says the delta variant that was first discovered in India appears to be driving South Africa’s new increase, reports the AP.South Africa recorded more than 15,000 new cases on Sunday including 122 deaths, bringing its total fatalities to nearly 60,000.Gauteng, the country’s most populous province, is bearing the brunt of the current surge accounting for 66% of new infections. The province includes the largest city Johannesburg and the capital Pretoria.Hospitals in Gauteng are running short of Covid-19 beds and patients are being taken to health facilities in other provinces.Health authorities are concerned that the country’s eight other provinces are likely to soon see spikes in cases to match those in Gauteng.“Our health facilities are stretched to the limit. ICU beds are in short supply,” Ramaphosa said as he placed the country on alert level four, just one level below a full lockdown.Authorities say the peak of the third wave – fuelled by the Delta variant first identified in India – will surpass that of earlier waves as the country struggles to quickly roll out vaccinations.The country’s vaccination drive has been slow. Around 2.7 million people have been immunised since February, but Ramaphosa said the inoculation exercise has gained momentum.Neighbouring Zimbabwe, Namibia and Mozambique are also fighting growing numbers of cases, hospitalisations and deaths.The head of the World Health Organization (WHO) lamented the lack of coronavirus vaccines being immediately donated by rich countries to the developing world.WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Friday that there was nothing to discuss during a recent meeting of an advisory group established to allocate vaccines under the Covax scheme.In his words: “There are no vaccines to allocate.”Tedros says concerns being raised by some donors that African countries don’t have the infrastructure to deliver vaccines or that there are vaccine hesitancy problems are inconsequential.He criticised rich countries that may be using that as a “pretext” not to donate vaccines.


World at risk of measles outbreaks as Covid-19 disrupts infant shots, report says

The risk of measles outbreaks is high after more than 22 million infants missed their first vaccine doses during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warned.Reported measles cases fell by more than 80% last year compared with 2019, but a higher number of children missing their vaccine doses leaves them vulnerable, a joint report by WHO and the US CDC showed on Wednesday.About three million more children missed the shots in 2020 than the previous year, the largest increase in two decades, threatening global efforts to eventually eradicate the highly infectious viral disease.“Large numbers of unvaccinated children, outbreaks of measles, and disease detection and diagnostics diverted to support Covid-19 responses are factors that increase the likelihood of measles-related deaths and serious complications in children,” the US CDC’s immunisation head, Kevin Cain, said.Measles is one of the most contagious diseases known, more so than Covid-19, Ebola, tuberculosis or flu. It can be especially dangerous for babies and young children, with pneumonia among the possible complications.In 2019, reported cases of measles were at their highest in almost a quarter of a century.The latest report said 24 measles vaccination campaigns originally planned for 2020 in 23 countries were postponed, leaving more than 93 million people at risk.“It’s critical that countries vaccinate as quickly as possible against Covid-19, but this requires new resources so that it does not come at the cost of essential immunisation programs,” said Dr Kate O’Brien, director of WHO’s department of immunisation, vaccines and biologicals.“Routine immunisation must be protected and strengthened; otherwise, we risk trading one deadly disease for another,” she said.


Grab shares crash as revenue plunges on promotions, driver incentives

Shares in Grab tumbled 37% on Thursday after Southeast Asia’s no. 1 ride-hailing and food delivery firm posted a US$1.1 billion quarterly loss and a worse-than-expected drop in revenue, hit by promotional offers and higher driver incentives.Singapore-based Grab Holdings Ltd has poured money into incentives to attract drivers as ride-share demand recovers from pandemic lows, and also offered aggressive food-delivery promotions as people began to dine out more with the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.But the incentives ate into sales in the fourth quarter ended Dec 31 – the first it has reported as a public company – which slumped 44% to US$122 million.“We plan to be judicious and disciplined in allocating capital, as we double down on the long-term growth opportunities of our on-demand, advertising and financial services businesses,” chief financial officer Peter Oey said in a statement.The loss for the whole year ballooned to US$3.56 billion versus US$2.75 billion in 2020.Grab is fighting to retain its market-leader position in the face of stiffer competition from GoTo, a company formed by the merger between ride hailing app Gojek and e-commerce firm Tokopedia, as well as Southeast Asian tech firm Sea Ltd.Shares of Grab skidded to their lowest ever on Thursday at US$3.09, wiping off more than US$7 billion from its market value.Since going public in December after a US$40 billion merger with a blank check firm, Grab’s stock has shed nearly three-quarters of its value.Still, the incentives managed to boost gross merchandise volume (GMV), a measure of transaction volumes, which rose 26%.Grab said it expects GMV growth between the second and fourth quarters of 2022 to jump 30% to 35% year-on-year, and predicted it would break even on an adjusted Ebitda basis in its food delivery unit by the first half of next year.“We believe the 30% sell-off in share price is unwarranted,” Citigroup analysts said in a note, adding that broad market weakness amid geopolitical instability might have prompted some investors to cut losses.Revenue from Grab’s mobility unit, which accounted for 86% of overall sales, declined 27% in the quarter. Revenue from its food delivery services unit plunged 98%.


Police officer dies while under self-quarantine for Covid-19

A policeman from the South Klang district police headquarters who tested positive for Covid-19 died while undergoing self-quarantine at home yesterday.South Klang district police chief ACP Shamsul Amar Ramli said the 53-year-old escort officer from the Internal Security and Public Order Division died at 9pm, and confirmed that the latter had been undergoing quarantine from Jan 23 to Feb 1.“But whether he died due to Covid-19 or otherwise, I cannot confirm,” he said when contacted by Bernama today.He was asked to comment on a statement by an NGO that an escort officer had died due to Covid-19.


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Bersatu in bid to challenge MACC freeze on bank accounts

Bersatu has filed an application for a judicial review to challenge the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) decision to freeze its bank accounts for investigation purposes.
The application was filed by Muhammad Suhaimi Yahya and Muhyiddin Yassin on behalf of the party at the Kuala Lumpur High Court yesterday through Messrs Chetan Jethwani & Co.
They named MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki and 19 others as the first to 20th respondents.
They claimed that the decision to freeze the party's bank accounts was made in bad faith.
They also claimed that the commission had abused its power by conducting selective political prosecution against the leadership of Bersatu, Perikatan Nasional (PN) or Muhyiddin.
They also sought a declaration from the court against MACC, that the commission should not follow the directives of the leaders of the ruling party who are in the government or the directives of the prime minister and/or deputy prime minister by enlisting MACC officers to initiate investigation against Bersatu, causing the issuance of an allegedly wrongful freeze order.
According to the court documents, the Bersatu president is also seeking an interim order allowing him to move freely and to make trips abroad without restrictions.
Muhyiddin is scheduled to travel to London on April 14 and 15 as a keynote speaker at the First Annual Conference of the Global Council for Political Renewal.
According to the application, the immigration department recently imposed a travel ban on Muhyiddin "illegally and without any reasonable grounds" and without serving any formal notice.
It claimed the travel ban was imposed as Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim was worried that Muhyiddin would appear at an international forum and speak about political changes that would touch on developments in Malaysia.
Muhyiddin also claimed that there were efforts afoot to accuse him or Bersatu of corruption and abuse of power.
The party also claimed that MACC had detained and charged its members as well as third parties to threaten them and influence them to associate Muhyiddin or Bersatu with fabricated offences.
Bersatu is seeking an order of certiorari to quash the freeze orders issued under Section 44(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001 on its bank accounts and to revoke them, according to the court document.
The Bersatu leader also wants MACC to unfreeze a sum of RM4.354 million for the expenses, operations and management of the party, and a court order for a mandamus for the MACC officers to abide by the purpose and spirit of the law in its investigative procedures and processes in a fair and just manner.
He is also seeking a declaration that as a validly registered political party, Bersatu has rights protected under the Federal Constitution and that its fundamental rights should not be infringed wrongfully for collateral purposes.


Variant accelerating India’s Covid explosion, says top WHO scientist

A Covid-19 variant spreading in India is more contagious and may be dodging vaccine protections, contributing to the country’s explosive outbreak, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) chief scientist said Saturday.In an interview with AFP, Soumya Swaminathan warned that “the epidemiological features that we see in India today do indicate that it’s an extremely rapidly spreading variant”.India on Saturday for the first time registered more than 4,000 Covid-19 deaths in just 24 hours, and more than 400,000 new infections.New Delhi has struggled to contain the outbreak, which has overwhelmed its healthcare system, and many experts suspect the official death and case numbers are a gross underestimate.Swaminathan, an Indian paediatrician and clinical scientist, said the B.1.617 variant of Covid-19, which was first detected in India last October, was clearly a contributing factor to the catastrophe unfolding in her homeland.“There have been many accelerators that are fed into this,” the 62-year-old said, stressing that “a more rapidly spreading virus is one of them”.WHO recently listed B.1.617 – which counts several sub-lineages with slightly different mutations and characteristics – as a “variant of interest”.Resistant to antibodies?But so far it has stopped short of adding it to its short list of “variant of concern” – a label indicating it is more dangerous than the original version of the virus by being more transmissible, deadly or able to get past vaccine protections.Several national health authorities, including in the US and Britain, have meanwhile said they consider B.1.617 a variant of concern, and Swaminathan said she expected the WHO to soon follow suit.“B 1.617 is likely to be a variant of concern because it has some mutations which increase transmission, and which also potentially could make (it) resistant to antibodies that are generated by vaccination or by natural infection,” she said.But she insisted that the variant alone could not be blamed for the dramatic surge in cases and deaths seen in India, lamenting that the country appeared to have let down its guard down, with “huge social mixing and large gatherings”.Mass election rallies held by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other politicians have for instance partly been blamed for the staggering rise in infections.But even as many in India felt the crisis was over, dropping mask-wearing and other protection measures, the virus was quietly spreading.‘Taking off vertically’“In a large country like India, you could have transmission at low levels, which is what happened for many months,” Swaminathan said.“It was endemic (and) probably gradually increasing,” she said, decrying that “those early signs were missed until it reached the point at which it was taking off vertically.”“At that point it’s very hard to suppress, because it’s then involving tens of thousands of people and it’s multiplying at a rate at which it’s very difficult to stop.”While India is now trying to scale up vaccination to rein in the outbreak, Swaminathan warned that the jabs alone would not be enough to gain control of the situation.She pointed out that India, the world’s largest vaccine-making nation, had only fully vaccinated around 2% of the 1.3 billion-plus population.“It’s going to take many months if not years to get to the point of 70 to 80% coverage,” she said.With that prospect, Swaminathan stressed that “for the foreseeable future, we need to depend on our tried and tested public health and social measures” to bring down transmission.The surge in India is frightening not only due to the horrifying number of people who are sick and dying there, but also because the exploding infection numbers dramatically increase the chances of new and more dangerous variants emerging.“The more the virus is replicating and spreading and transmitting, the more chances are that… mutations will develop and adapt,” Swaminathan said.“Variants which accumulate a lot of mutations may ultimately become resistant to the current vaccines that we have,” she warned.“That’s going to be a problem for the whole world.”


Covid self-test kits now available for RM6.90

Covid-19 self-test kits are now available for as low as RM6.90 a unit, says Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Alexander Nanta Linggi.He said this followed the move to expand the sale of test kits to supermarkets, convenience store networks and petrol stations in stages.“The domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry was told the prices offered at supermarkets and convenient stores are as low as RM6.90 each while KK Supermart is selling them for only RM6.60 each.“This is surely very good news for consumers in the light of the situation today,” he said when launching the Covid-19 self-test kit sales at KK Supermart in klia2 and inspecting the 2021 Deepavali Festive Season Maximum Price Scheme in Sepang today.Prior to this, Covid-19 self-test kits had received conditional approval from the Malaysian Device Authority (MDA) to be sold at selected clinics and pharmacies.The government fixed the maximum retail price for Covid-19 self-test kits at RM19.90 per unit while the wholesale price was RM16.00 a unit effective Sept 5.Nanta said the decision of the government to expand the sale of Covid-19 self-test kits would bring down the price with the readiness of stock and through competition in the retail sector.As of Oct 28, he said 2,570 business premises nationwide had been approved to sell Covid-19 self-test kits, 494 of which are under KK Supermart & Superstore Sdn Bhd including at klia2.On the new ceiling price for Covid-19 self-test kits, Nanta said this would be announced soon and that its determination would take into account all aspects including the interest of consumers and traders.“The business environment must be centred on supply and demand. It is not necessary for the government to use its power to restrict and regulate,” he added.


Trump ‘feeling much better’, ‘will be back soon’

US President Donald Trump who recently contracted Covid-19 says he is feeling better and plans to return to work soon, according to Sputnik News Agency.Trump, in a video released on Twitter, also thanked the doctors and medical professionals at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland where the clip appeared to have been recorded.“I came here, wasn’t feeling so well, I feel much better now, we are working hard to get me all the way back,” he said.“I’ll be back soon and I look forward to finishing up the campaign,” the president added, saying, “We are going to beat this coronavirus or whatever you’re gonna call it and we’re gonna beat it soundly.”In the four-minute clip, he also thanked people for their support, saying he was fighting for all Americans.“Over the next period of a few days I guess that’s the real test, so we’ll see what happens over that next couple of days,” Trump said.He said he had been told to stay at the White House during the coronavirus pandemic but that he could not stay locked up because, as a leader, it was his duty to confront problems.He also said said his wife Melania was feeling well as she was younger and young people tend to experience milder symptoms of Covid-19.“I am also doing well and I think we’re going to have a very good result. Again, over the next few days we’re gonna probably know for sure,” Trump said, thanking people in the US and across the world for their words of support.“The outpouring of love has been incredible, I will never forget.”US Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell wrote on Twitter on Saturday that he had talked to Trump over the phone and that the president sounded “well”.“Just had another great call with @POTUS. He sounds well and says he’s feeling good. We talked about the people’s business – fighting the pandemic, confirming Judge Barrett, and strengthening the economy for American families. Let’s keep our President & First Lady in our prayers,” McConnell said.Earlier on Saturday, Trump thanked the staff at the Walter Reed Medical Center, saying that tremendous progress had been made over the past six months in fighting the coronavirus.Trump departed for the medical centre on Friday after announcing on Twitter that he and his wife had tested positive for Covid-19.White House physician Dr Sean Conley told a media briefing that the president was doing “very well” and was responding positively to treatment.However, a source familiar with Trump’s health situation later told reporters that the president’s vital signs over the past 24 hours had been concerning.The White House said on Friday that the US president was experiencing mild symptoms but was in good spirits and would continue working through the presidential election in November as well as remain on the presidential ballot.


US intel report on UFOs ‘inconclusive’

The conclusion of a classified US intelligence report on the existence of alien UFOs is… inconclusive, US media reported Friday.US military and intelligence found no evidence that seemingly highly advanced unidentified flying objects sighted by military pilots were alien spacecraft, the report concludes, according to The New York Times and other media briefed on it.But it also could not explain dozens of phenomena and incidents, some filmed by the pilots, and so could not rule out the existence of aliens.According to The New York Times, citing unnamed senior administration officials, the report determined that most of some 120 incidents over the past 20 years had nothing to do with unknown or secret US military or government technology.Nor were they related to objects like research balloons, which some postulated were behind the reports.But it then could not explain what, for example, US Navy pilots saw when they recorded objects travelling at seeming hypersonic speeds, spinning and mysteriously disappearing.Serious defence concernsWhile speculation over alien life has long been a cottage industry for conspiracy theorists, the sheer number of what the Pentagon terms unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) has made it a serious issue, amid worries that US adversaries like China and Russia may be using unknown, highly advanced military and surveillance technologies.“We take all incursions into our operating spaces seriously,” Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said Friday.“It could potentially involve safety and or national security concerns,” he said, referring to the UAP reports the Defense Department has logged.The report, ordered last year, is to be submitted to Congress by the end of June by the director of national intelligence.The main report will be unclassified and can be made public, but there will also be a classified annex, the Times said, that will remain secret.The report, The Washington Post said, “will offer no firm conclusions about what the objects… might be”.Interest was piqued in the possibility of highly intelligent extraterrestrial life after the Pentagon released videos last year, in which Navy pilots express amazement at the fast-moving objects they see.Added to that were comments by top officials with access to intelligence, including former president Barack Obama, and a CBS 60 Minutes report in which pilots were interviewed about what they saw.“What is true – and I’m actually being serious here – is that there’s footage and records of objects in the skies that we don’t know exactly what they are,” Obama told “The Late Late Show” on May 17.“There are a lot more sightings than have been made public,” John Ratcliffe, who was director of national intelligence for the last eight months of Donald Trump’s administration, said on Fox News in March.“There are instances where we don’t have good explanations for some of the things that we’ve seen.”Luis Elizondo, who worked on the Pentagon’s UAP investigation and has urged it to reveal what it knows, said some of the sightings suggest extremely advanced technology unknown to humans.“If the New York Times reporting is accurate, the objects being witnessed by pilots around the world are far more advanced than any earthly technologies known to our intelligence services,” he said in a tweet Friday.“It’s time to release the full report, videos & data that we’ve seen in the Pentagon.”


The long road from paper to real life for Sabah-Sarawak rights

While constitutional amendments to empower Sabah and Sarawak were unanimously passed in the Dewan Rakyat late last year, political observers say it will take more than revisions on paper to effect any real change in the issues involved.The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 2021 was passed with a two-thirds majority after its second reading in the Dewan Rakyat on Dec 14 – only the second time that MPs had voted unanimously in support of a bill to amend the constitution, after the Undi 18 bill in 2019.Law minister Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the bill proved that Sarawak had a special status in the federation and would help reinstate its economic and territorial rights, especially in four major and non-negotiable areas: immigration rights, rights to taxation, protection rights within continental shelves, and state sovereignty over sea subsoil.But Sarawak analyst James Chin said constitutional changes alone would not be able to accomplish much in this regard.“In terms of MA63, I don’t think it can be done, especially the final four items,” he said, referring to the Malaysia Agreement 1963.He said the state government had been “chasing” the federal government as the latter had taken much of the land in Sarawak meant for public development, adding however that nothing appeared to have come of this.Veteran Sarawak observer Jayum Jawan agreed that major changes had yet to be seen.“Policies do not change just because a ruling party has gone through an election period,” he told MalaysiaNow.“Not even if leaders or ministers are changed, or one or two men have been dropped or recruited into the Cabinet.”While the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) government led by premier Abang Johari Openg had succeeded to some extent in extracting concessions by changing legislation relating to MA63, he said, the role of Sarawak in the aftermath of this had yet to be seen or felt by the people themselves.Both Sabah and Sarawak have long been seen as suffering the loss of their special territorial rights.Many had hoped that the recent amendments would pave the way for the restoration of these rights within the Malaysian constitutional order.But experts agree that much remains to be done.“Under the seven Federal Constitution laws and seven protective municipal laws of Sarawak, various offending matters need to be amended and repealed,” Sarawak legal expert Alex Ying said.Yet this too would be far from straightforward as constitutional amendments require two-thirds support in the Dewan Rakyat.At the moment, Sabah and Sarawak together hold about 25% of the 222 seats in the Dewan Rakyat. Sabah has 25 MPs while Sarawak has 31.Ying said the federal government should restore the original reading of Article 46 of the constitution, to ensure equitable representation.According to the original reading, states in the peninsula or Malaya and the federal territories cannot hold more than 65.4% of seats in Parliament.But Wan Junaidi told MalaysiaNow that Putrajaya could not simply amend the law as the review of seats is carried out only once in seven years.“The last distribution review for Sarawak was in 2015, and for Sabah in 2017,” he said.“This means that Sarawak can only look to increase its seats in 2023.”Wan Junaidi also said that neither the constitution nor MA63, the Inter-Governmental Committee (IGC) Report 1962 or the Cobbold Commission state that Sabah and Sarawak must hold a third of the seats in Parliament.“The one-third seats is only mentioned in the IGC report,” he added. “This states that the proportion of the number of seats allocated for Sarawak and Sabah should be maintained.”


West coast wildfire smoke reaches New York, east coast

Smoke from the wildfires devastating California and much of the West Coast reached the Big Apple on Tuesday, but the haze is so high in the sky, it should not affect air quality.“Widespread haze is likely today in NYC, as a plume of wildfire smoke from Western US wildfires moves overhead,” New York Metro Weather tweeted.“The smoke will remain elevated between 15,000 and 20,000 feet above our heads,” the forecasting service said, stressing that meant that “ground-level air quality effects will be limited”.The smoke plume is not expected to worsen air quality which is being predicted as excellent for today for New York on Accuweather.The main sign of the smoke, along with the haze, will be a “yellow or brown tinge” in the sky, the National Weather Service’s New York office said.The smoke reaching the city is one of two separate swaths blowing across the US from the out-of-control wildfires raging across vast areas of the West Coast, CNN noted.A separate plume has travelled across the southwest through Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky, ending in the mid-Atlantic states, the network said.A narrow strip of land between both smoke paths was spared, including parts of Nevada, Utah and Colorado, according to the report.The smoke has travelled around 5,000km across the continent, from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic.Weather services predict more is on the way.


Top Glove extends hand to its critics to improve workers’ welfare

Rubber glove maker Top Glove says it will work with its critics including the US authorities on the back of allegations that the company mistreated its foreign workers leading to export curbs on its products.The company said it would also continue to engage with the US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) which recently called for rectification measures in addressing forced labour issues.Top Glove chairman Lim Wee Chai also announced a collaboration with one of its fiercest critics, migrant worker rights activist Andy Hall, saying it wanted to to become “a leading manufacturer with the best possible environmental social and governance (ESG) practices across our industry”.“Top Glove also restated its strong commitment during the briefing to the welfare, health, and safety of its workforce, as it aims to be a leading responsible company in this regard, in Malaysia and worldwide,” the company said in a statement.Hall meanwhile welcomed Top Glove’s “increasingly positive momentum” to address forced labour indicators across the company’s network.He said US authorities’ reluctance to withdraw its forced labour trade-related findings against Top Glove would come into question as there were companies in Malaysia which were “doing far less than Top Glove” on workers welfare but were not subjected to trade enforcement action.“I look forward to working together with them to ensure migrant workers’ rights and worker welfare generally are continually prioritised within the company’s direct operations and its vast supply chain,” Hall said.Top Glove, which saw its profits skyrocketing amid a global demand for hand gloves and other protective gear during the Covid-19 pandemic, has been rocked by allegations of forced labour.Last month, the CBP said it would seize any product from Top Glove at US entry points, on top of a ban on gloves made by two of the company’s subsidiaries last year.The company’s after-tax profit came to RM2.9 billion, 24 times higher than the corresponding period last year.Its net profit in 2QFY21 also rose 20.76% quarter-on-quarter, from RM2.38 billion to RM2.87 billion.


PM urges MPs to support upcoming budget

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin voiced hope today that all MPs, including those from the opposition bloc, will support the 2021 budget to be tabled in Parliament on Friday for the sake of the people as well as the country.He was also optimistic that MPs would remain committed and cooperate in the nation’s interests.“At the last Parliament session, none of the MPs objected to the (Temporary Measures of Government Financing) Covid-19 Fund Act,” he said at a special media conference with Bernama and local television stations ahead of the budget.“Looking at the importance of Budget 2021 in pursuing our efforts to handle Covid-19, ensuring the survival of the vulnerable, and steering the economy, I really hope that all MPs from all political backgrounds will support Budget 2021,” he added.He urged all quarters to focus their efforts on helping those who have been badly affected by the pandemic despite the difficulties facing the entire country.“The issue before us is not merely a government issue, but a national issue.“If we love our country… we will try to save it by any way possible,” he said.Adding that the government carried a heavy burden of responsibility in this regard, he said the weight could be eased if everyone set aside their political views and helped.“The Cabinet can play their part, government officers can also play their part, but if the others could also help in any way, it would be a sacrifice that we really appreciate,” he said.He said he believed the budget would be supported and passed at the Dewan Rakyat as well as the Dewan Negara.“I hope this can be done so that the burden of the government and the people can be alleviated,” he said.He also said the budget was an inclusive budget as the views of various quarters, including the opposition, NGOs, businessmen and people from all walks of life were taken into consideration.It was also the first time in the country’s history that input from the opposition was taken into account in formulating the budget, he said.Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Tengku Aziz is scheduled to table the budget in the Dewan Rakyat on Nov 6.


Myanmar generals under renewed pressure after sanctions, mass protest

Myanmar’s military leaders came under renewed pressure at home and abroad Tuesday, with tightened sanctions from Washington and Brussels, and some of the biggest demonstrations against their rule since they seized power three weeks ago.Authorities have gradually ratcheted up their use of force against a massive and largely peaceful civil disobedience campaign demanding the return of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Three anti-coup protesters have been killed in demonstrations so far, while a man patrolling his Yangon neighbourhood against night arrests was also shot dead on the weekend.Overnight the US blacklisted another two members of the regime – air force chief Maung Maung Kyaw and fellow junta member Moe Myint Tun – after announcing targeted sanctions against other top generals earlier this month.“We will not hesitate to take further action against those who perpetrate violence and suppress the will of the people,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said.He called on the regime to end attacks on peaceful protesters, journalists and activists, release prisoners detained since the coup, and “restore the democratically elected government.”Washington’s announcement came hours after the European Union approved sanctions targeting Myanmar’s military and their economic interests.“All direct financial support from our development system to the government reform programmes is withheld,” said Josep Borrell, the EU foreign policy chief.But he said the bloc would not curb trade ties for fear it could hurt the wider population.The Myanmar military has deployed tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets against protesters, with isolated incidents of use of live rounds.They have also stepped up the presence of security forces in Yangon, Myanmar’s largest city and commercial hub.‘Pray for them’More than 680 people have been arrested since the Feb 1 coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group, with nearly all still behind bars.Overnight internet shutdowns have also become routine, fanning fears of anti-coup protester arrests during the blackouts.The crackdown has failed to quell weeks of massive street demonstrations, joined by large numbers of striking civil servants, bank staff and healthcare workers.Tens of thousands rallied on Monday in the capital Naypyidaw, a military stronghold. More than 100 people were arrested as police chased protesters through the streets.Demonstrators in Yangon ignored security forces and barricades set up around the city to hold impromptu vigils for protesters killed in the unrest.“We can only pray for them,” said student Thura Myo. “Even when we are sad, our voices will be heard by the international community.”The work boycotts have government administration along with business and the banking sector, and on the weekend the junta issued an ominous warning that suggested its patience was wearing thin.“Protesters are now inciting the people, especially emotional teenagers and youths, to a confrontation path where they will suffer the loss of life,” said a message aired on state media.Suu Kyi has not been seen since she was detained in a dawn raid but has been hit with two charges by the junta, one of them for possessing unregistered walkie-talkies.Her hearing is expected on March 1.


Khairy gets thumbs-up to replace Ku Nan in Putrajaya

A senior Putrajaya Umno leader has defended a plan to name Khairy Jamaluddin as the party’s candidate for the administrative capital in the next polls, as a leadership rift widens in the division.Putrajaya Umno deputy leader Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz said Khairy suits the constituency as he is considered a national leader.“I welcome someone with a ministerial position and the qualities to stand here as it will immensely benefit the people of Putrajaya,” he told MalaysiaNow.He was asked to respond to a report that incumbent MP Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, or Ku Nan, has been busy blocking any likelihood for Khairy to contest in the seat.MalaysiaNow recently cited Umno sources as saying that Khairy, the current Rembau MP, is likely to be given Putrajaya as a replacement seat in the next general election.Tun Faisal Ismail Aziz.Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan had in the past indicated that he would make a parliamentary debut through Rembau.With Ku Nan no longer qualified to defend the seat following a corruption conviction, sources say he has been promoting his son to take over his role in a bid to preserve his heritage.Since it was gazetted as a federal seat, Putrajaya, dominated by civil servants and considered a “safe seat” for any ruling coalition, has known no other MP than Ku Nan.In December, the Kuala Lumpur High Court found Ku Nan guilty of accepting a bribe of RM2 million from a businessman and sentenced him to 12 months in jail.He has filed an appeal against the conviction, but in the meantime must give way to his deputy, Faisal, to lead the Putrajaya Umno division.In what is believed to be an attempt to stop Faisal from leading the division, Ku Nan gathered a meeting to get the agreement of Putrajaya Umno leaders to refer Faisal to the party’s disciplinary committee over remarks critical of the president.Faisal, who is also the press secretary to Federal Territories Minister Annuar Musa, said he had seen the contents of a complaint lodged against him, and had already presented a lengthy defence against the accusations during a disciplinary hearing.He said the party has yet to make a decision.Annuar and party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi recently had a public fallout over the latter’s support for PKR president Anwar Ibrahim in his bid to topple the Perikatan Nasional government.Faisal meanwhile said he had been told of Ku Nan’s speech by those who attended the gathering, adding that he had explained the issues raised about him in the WhatsApp group of the Putrajaya division heads and the Putrajaya divisional committee.


Better a forced marriage than an unfaithful partner, Umno Youth chief says on govt

Umno's participation in the formation of the coalition government after the 15th general election was like a forced marriage but a forced marriage is better than an unfaithful partner, says Umno Youth chief Dr Muhamad Akmal Saleh.
In his comparison, Akmal said that although some of the parties that formed the government today had never worked together or had no "chemistry", that was no reason not to ensure equality and equity for the good of the country.
"Some people say that we are in a forced marriage but our parents, our grandparents, they didn't even know each other when they got married.
"If people are in love for 10 years but during the first year of marriage, the man cheats, what is the point?
"If we want to remain in the unity government, we must do three things: respect each other, understand each other and trust each other," he said when speaking at the Unity Government National Youth Convention 2023 at the Kuala Lumpur World Trade Centre.
Akmal also called for the wings of the parties which are part of the government to reject differences and find common ground, to guarantee political stability.
Angkatan Muda Harapan chief Dr Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen meanwhile said that every difference should be seen as a strength, not as an obstacle, to build unity.
"For me, in every struggle, in every work we do, the foundation is unity. Without unity we have no stability, without stability we have no development, without development we have no transformation and without transformation we have no well-being.
"I stand here with the leaders (of other political parties) to rebuild this beloved country on the basis and principles of respect and courtesy towards all races, religions and nations, and all these backgrounds are the foundation of the formation of the beloved nation of Malaysia," he said.


72.7% of adults fully vaccinated

A total of 17,026,781 individuals or 72.7% of the country’s adult population had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday, according to the Covid-19 Vaccine Supply Access Guarantee Special Committee.Some 90.9% of the adult population have received at least one dose, including recipients of the CanSino single-dose vaccine.Meanwhile, a total of 38,260,575 vaccine doses had been dispensed as of yesterday, including the single-dose and the two-dose vaccines.A total of 258,929 vaccine doses were administered through the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme yesterday.


Cyclone leaves 13 dead in Brazil

A cyclone tore through southern Brazil killing at least 13 people and forcing thousands from their homes, authorities said Sunday.
Authorities lowered the number of people declared missing amid the violent weather in Rio Grande do Sul state Thursday and Friday from 10 to four.
Torrential rain and strong wind caused damage in dozens of towns in that state, including its capital Porto Alegre, in the latest in a string of climate disasters in the South American country.
The death toll rose to 13 with the discovery of two more bodies in the town of Caraa, one of the hardest hit, the state civil defense agency said.
A four-month-old baby is among the fatalities, local media said. They broadcast footage of a car being swept into a cemetery by powerful winds.
"The water came up to our waist inside the house. Thank God, the firemen arrived quickly and got us out on boats. It seemed like a nightmare," a woman in the town of Sao Leopoldo told the newspaper Estadao, which did not give her name.
Other people were evacuated by helicopter.
A total of 3,713 people were left with damaged houses, and 697 were evacuated from areas at risk from the cyclone.
Rio Grande do Sul Governor Eduardo Leite visited the worst-affected areas by helicopter on Saturday together with government and rescue officials.
In Caraa, the governor visited a community centre used to shelter hundreds of people whose homes were damaged by the storm.
"The situation in Caraa worries us deeply. It is essential that we can, in an integrated manner, quickly map the main affected areas and identify the people who need support," the governor said in the statement.
Leite said state firefighters had rescued about 2,400 people in the past two days.
"Our main objective at this moment is to protect and save human lives. Rescue people who are isolated, locate the missing and support families," Leite said.
Brazil has been hit by a series of deadly weather disasters in recent years, which experts say are being made worse by climate change.
At least 65 people died in February when torrential rain triggered floods and landslides in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo.


New cases rise past 28,800 with 34 deaths reported

Another 28,825 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 3,194,848.Of the total number of cases recorded yesterday, 95 (0.33%%) were in Category Three and above. The remaining 28,730 (99.67%) were in Category One and Two.There were 18,514 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 2,919,196.A total of 1,521 cases were admitted to hospital yesterday, with 548 (36%) in Category Three and above and 973 (64%) in Category One and Two.Of the 95 cases in Category Three and above reported yesterday:* 28 (29.47%) were not vaccinated or had not completed their vaccination;* 49 (51.58%) had received two doses of vaccine;* 18 (18.95%) had received a booster jab;* 41 (43.16%) were aged 60 and above; and* 48 (50.53%) had comorbidities.There are now 243,342 active cases, of which 230,491 or 94.7% are undergoing home quarantine.Another 5,414 (2.2%) are at quarantine centres while 7,199 (3.0%) have been hospitalised.A total of 238 are in ICU with 130 in need of respiratory assistance. Overall ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 55.5% with utilisation for Covid-19 patients at 28.7%.Another 34 deaths were reported, including 12 who were brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 32,310.According to health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah, the country’s infectivity rate as of Feb 19 was 1.21.


China says does not ask companies to 'hand over data' gathered abroad

Beijing said Friday that it does not ask companies to hand over data gathered overseas, as Chinese-owned TikTok faces calls for a ban in the US.
China "has never and will not require companies or individuals to collect or provide data located in a foreign country, in a way that violates local law", foreign ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a regular briefing.
The Chinese government "attaches great importance to protecting data privacy", she said.
"The US government has so far not provided any evidence that TikTok poses a threat to its national security, but instead has repeatedly made presumptions of guilt and unreasonable suppression" against the company, Mao added.
"We have also noted that some in the US Congress stated that seeking a ban of TikTok is a xenophobic political persecution," she said.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew faced relentless questioning from combative US lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle Thursday over the video-sharing app's alleged ties to China and its danger to teens.
The Harvard-educated former banker failed over more than five hours to defuse an existential threat to TikTok as the app seeks to survive a White House ultimatum that it either split from its Chinese ownership or be banned in the United States.
"ByteDance is not owned or controlled by the Chinese government and is a private company," Chew told lawmakers in his opening remarks, referring to TikTok's China-based parent company.
"We believe what's needed are clear transparent rules that apply broadly to all tech companies – ownership is not at the core of addressing these concerns," Chew added.
At the crux of much of the fears over TikTok is a 2017 Chinese law that requires local firms to hand over personal data to the state if it is relevant to national security.
And in one particularly heated exchange Thursday, Chew was forced to acknowledge that some personal data of Americans was still subject to Chinese law, but insisted that would soon be changed.
The firm also acknowledged in November that some employees in China could access European user data and admitted in December that employees had used the data to spy on journalists.
But the group has insisted that the Chinese government has no control over or access to its data.


'Ruthless' England surge past Senegal 3-0 to set up France quarter-final

Clinical England overcame a pedestrian start to surge to a comfortable 3-0 victory over Senegal on Sunday as high-quality goals by Jordan Henderson, Harry Kane and Bukayo Saka swept them into a mouth-watering World Cup quarter-final clash with France.
England took a long time to impose themselves on the African champions, a team they had never faced before, and survived a couple of scares before two goals late in the first half changed the feel of the night and it was no contest after the break.
The impressive victory extended their all-time unbeaten run against African teams to 21 games, including eight in World Cups. Morocco, who face Spain on Tuesday, are now the only African team left in the tournament.
"The ruthlessness of the performance was excellent," said manager Gareth Southgate. "Every match you play is a different sort of challenge and different tactical problem to resolve. We've stepped up and are answering those questions.
"The quality of the moves was outstanding and the finishing was ruthless."
It was always going to be a stiff challenge for Senegal in the absence of the suspended Idrissa Gueye and injured fellow midfielderCheikhou Kouyate.
With Sadio Mane missing the tournament through injury the Africans also lacked a cutting edge to trouble an England defence that kept a third successive World Cup clean sheet for the first time in 20 years.
They were very much in the game though for much of the first half as England were slow and static and a series of misplaced passes gifted Senegal chances.
The best of them fell to Boulaye Dia and only the strong left arm of keeper Jordan Pickford prevented the Africans taking the lead.
Quick break
England finally injected some pace after 38 minutes, breaking down the left through Phil Foden and Jude Bellingham, who crossed for the late-arriving Henderson to stroke home the opener.
Kane's goal drought at this tournament then came to an end in emphatic style in first-half stoppage time.
Bellingham again drove from his own box and fed Foden, who rolled the ball into the path of the captain to smash in an unstoppable shot and become England’s eighth scorer in Qatar.
It also took Kane to within one goal of Wayne Rooney's national record of 53.
The goals knocked the stuffing out of Senegal and with England looking full of confidence after the break it no longer felt like a contest.
Saka, recalled by Southgate in his only change from the group stage win over Wales, cleverly lifted in the third after 57 minutes following a penetrating run and low cross by Foden.
It was England's 12th goal of the tournament, the most by any team in Qatar and a tally that matches their all-time record set four years ago when they went all the way to the semi-finals.
From then on England were able to go through the motions and keep out of trouble as they have yet to receive a yellow card and seem to have avoided any major injuries going into the France showdown.
Their only setback seems to be the absence of forward Raheem Sterling, who was not available for selection on Sunday for what the FA said was a family issue.
They know they will be unlikely to get away with a similarly slow start next Saturday against a French team who dispatched Poland 3-1 earlier on Sunday, but the holders will also be aware that their old rivals have the weapons to do real damage.
"We all want to play in the biggest games and no better game than playing France," said Foden, who had a hand in all three goals. "On our best game we can create chances and score. We're looking forward to what's going to be a big challenge."
Man of the match Kane was also a happy man. "We've shown great maturity through the tournament... 3-0 here against a really good side," he said.
"We feel good, we've got good players getting forward and we're solid at the back. A really good day for us."


New York City to reopen primary schools despite virus surge

New York City will reopen elementary schools on Dec 7 and offer in-person classes for special-needs students of all ages despite a recent surge in coronavirus cases, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Sunday.With many parents struggling to care for students at home and with data showing the virus largely spares young children, the city dropped a requirement for schools to close if the rate of positive virus tests exceeds 3% for a week.New York, home to the country’s largest school district, currently has a 3.1% rate.The mayor told reporters the reopening was possible “because we have so much proof now of how safe schools can be”.He said returning students would be subjected to weekly Covid-19 tests.The mayor also said on Twitter that five-day in-person instruction, rather than a partly virtual approach, would be the preferred model for schools with space to allow social distancing.Up to now, in-person schooling has been offered only two or three times a week.Schools vs barsThe questions of how and when to resume in-person instruction have been fiercely debated in cities around the world, with parents and officials seeking to balance safety concerns against fears that children’s schooling and social development have suffered.“We want our kids in the classroom for as much time as possible,” Mayor de Blasio, a Democrat, said. “Our families do, too. We’ll work to make it happen.”New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo voiced support for the city welcoming back its younger students.“Just about every professional says the schools, especially K-8, should be kept open whenever it’s possible to keep them open safely,” he said, referring to the first nine years of schooling in the US.Classes for New York’s middle school and high school students – except for those with special needs – will remain online.The city, under an agreement with the teachers union, had cancelled all in-person classes on Nov 19. That came amid a resurgence of Covid-19 that sent the city’s positive test rate creeping up from 1% during much of the summer to 3.1%.The decision infuriated many parents, who said it made no sense to close schools, with their relatively low transmission rate, while bars and restaurants remained open. They pointed to the example of Europe, where most schools remain open.Parents argued that schools have had a low positivity rate – just 0.23%, officials said – and that closings disproportionately punish the many children with working parents and the 60,000 lacking computers at home.New York first closed its 1,800 public schools on March 16 as the virus was surging. They remained closed through June.After the summer vacation, New York became the first big US city to partially restart in-person classes. About 300,000 of the system’s 1.1 million students returned to classrooms.


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Annuar says will stick with Umno although others 'made offers'

Ketereh incumbent Annuar Musa, who was dropped from the Barisan Nasional (BN) line-up for the 15th general election (GE15), today said that he had received but rejected offers from other parties, including Perikatan Nasional (PN), to defend his seat on their ticket.
Annuar said he also knew that PN candidate Khlir Mohd Nor had yet to receive an official appointment letter despite being announced as the candidate for the seat.
"Khlir is my friend, why would I stand in his way? I have told my friends and the parties that wanted me to join them not to fight each other. It’s enough that Umno members are fighting over me.
"I don’t want to cause trouble to anyone. Let it just be me," he said at a press conference after attending the presentation of appointment letters to Kelantan BN candidates in Kota Bharu.
Annuar said he rejected the offers as he had chosen to stay loyal to Umno.
"Some say that there is still time to spring a surprise. For me, it’s a matter of principle. I cannot join other parties. Not because I hate them, but it’s my principle," he said.
Annuar also said he would do his best to help the BN candidate for Ketereh, Marzuani Ardila Ariffin, win the seat in GE15.
"Her late father was my ardent supporter, her mother is still supporting me. Sometimes, when she cooks a meal, she will even send some to my house.
"These people have given me their undivided support. They have sacrificed for me. So it’s time for me to return the favour," he added.


NZ records first local virus case in 6 months

New Zealand recorded its first locally transmitted case of Covid-19 in six months on Tuesday, sparking efforts to trace the origins of the infection as officials pondered a response.The health department said the case was identified in Auckland, the country’s largest city, adding “a link between the case and the border or managed isolation is yet to be established”.It said ministers would meet later Tuesday to determine how to respond to New Zealand’s first community case since Feb 28.“A hard and early response is the best tool to stamp out any potential spread and everyone in New Zealand is asked to stay calm, be kind and play their part while we gather more information on the potential case,” the department said.Further details of the case were not released.New Zealand has won widespread praise for its coronavirus response, recording just 26 deaths in a population of five million.But its vaccine rollout has been less stellar, with only around 20% of the population fully inoculated.Auckland has been forced into several brief periods of lockdown since an initial nationwide response last year succeeded in largely halting the virus at the border.The most recent stay-at-home orders in the city of two million ended in March.Officials warned last week that the presence of the Delta variant in New Zealand would trigger “a short, sharp lockdown”.


For buskers, moving online means 70% drop in income

While many businesses have made the move online in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic which has seen all but essential services shuttered several times since the virus was detected on Malaysian shores, for some, things just aren’t the same in the virtual world.Some businesses depend on face-to-face interaction with others – and music is one of them.For buskers or street performers, their careers hinge on gigs and the contacts they make with others on the job.Meor Yusof Aziddin Meor Hassan used to be a full-time busker. For 10 years, he performed his songs live for a variety of audiences.After the movement control order (MCO) was reinstated in mid-January, though, he lost 70% of his earnings despite making the shift online.“It’s different from physical performances where passersby are never the same and performances are long,” he told MalaysiaNow.“I don’t earn as much busking online as I did before.”Meor, 54, used to perform at KL Sentral with permission from the KTMB management. For a decade, he sang to anyone and everyone who wanted to listen.With the money he earned, he was able to raise four children, the eldest of whom has completed her tertiary education and is now working herself.But everything changed when the MCO, known as MCO 2.0, was brought back.Unable to continue singing at his usual spot, he moved his music online. His Facebook account, Meor Pesta Jiwa, has nearly 5,000 followers.“I don’t earn as much busking online as I did before.”Still, this is no guarantee of earning what he used to.“I usually start performing in the afternoon, and I continue until 7pm,” Meor said.“But singing online is quite limited as only friends and fans will watch. The audience is always the same.”Meor is no stranger to the music scene. He has published 10 albums independently, writing most of the songs and lyrics himself.But there is a big difference between performing face-to-face and performing online.“The number of views is uncertain – sometimes more, sometimes less. The performance cannot be too long either as the viewers might get bored,” he added.As for earning a living, he understands that everyone has been affected by the MCO.“It’s impossible for those who have already contributed to do the same every day. Everyone has their own commitments,” he said.SacrificesIn addition to being a street performer and a songwriter, Meor used to write for newspapers and online portals on lifestyle topics like music and art.Now, though, it is difficult to keep writing. His three younger children are still studying and his son needs his laptop to follow the home-based learning system adopted by the government in the wake of the latest wave of Covid-19 infections.Meor Yusof Aziddin Meor Hassan plays his guitar in the living room while his son uses his laptop to follow a class online.One of his children is also disabled, and requires extra attention and care.“My third child in college needs a laptop, as does the youngest who is in Form 4. I prioritise their needs and make sure there’s enough in the kitchen so they always have something to eat.”Meor’s hope is that the pandemic will end and life will return to normal.“This would let me go back to performing and ease the financial burden on the family,” he said.Meor’s Facebook can be accessed here.


Recoveries pull ahead as new cases stay under 4,000

Another 3,499 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 261,805.Selangor recorded 1,345 cases, Johor 802, Kuala Lumpur 511, Sarawak 152, Penang 138, Perak 121, Kedah 111 and Sabah 101.Negeri Sembilan recorded 58 cases followed by Terengganu (46), Kelantan (44), Pahang (13), Putrajaya (three) and Labuan and Perlis (two each).Another 3,515 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 209,289.However, five more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 958.


Selangor MB denies abuse of power after police report on RM700 million SMG project

Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari today denied allegations of conflict of interest involving himself and a state exco after Perikatan Nasional (PN) lodged a police report on the Selangor Maritime Gateway (SMG) project worth RM700 million.
Selangor PN information chief Mohd Shukor Mustaffa had questioned the position of Amirudin and state exco Izham Hashim as directors in Landasan Lumayan Sdn Bhd (LLSB). "This company was awarded the SMG project for the cleaning and development of the Klang River along 56km from Mid Valley in Kuala Lumpur to Port Klang which is said to cost RM700 million.
"This police report is not to accuse anyone. We want an investigation to be carried out," Shukor said after making the report at the Serdang police headquarters.
Amirudin, the Sungai Tua assemblyman, said at a press conference this afternoon that he and Izham represented the state government's interests in the project.
He said the project was inspired by former menteri besar Khalid Ibrahim and continued by his successor Mohamed Azmin Ali with a loan of RM45 million to LLSB.
"I don't think there is an issue of conflict of interest as LLSB is a subsidiary of the state government."
He added that the project would be fully funded by Berjaya Land, while the state would only provide the land.
He said 500 acres of land had been earmarked for the development of the project.
Shukor at his press conference said the report was made so that an investigation would be carried out into the possibility of the misuse of power and conflict of interest, claming that Amirudin had used his position as menteri besar in the award of the project.
He said another report would be lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, depending on the developments of today's police report.
The issue was previously brought up by Abdul Razak Ismail, the secretary-general of  Parti Hijau Malaysia.
LLSB managing director Syaiful Azmen Nordin in a statement acknowledged that Amirudin and Izham were there to represent the interests of the state government.
He said LLSB was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Menteri Besar Incorporated, and that 98 companies had been invited for the request for proposal process.
He said none of the companies were interested in or met the necessary criteria, given that the land required high rehabilitation and infrastructure costs.
"After that, LLSB received a proposal from Berjaya Land to form a strategic cooperation for the holistic development of the Klang River," he added.
The project was meant to manage pollution and flooding problems at affected areas including Bukit Lanchong and Taman Sri Muda.