Over 9,000 evacuated amid floods in six states

Over 9,000 victims had been moved to temporary relief centres in six states last night, including Melaka and Pahang, the two latest states to be hit by floods.
In Melaka, the state disaster management committee (SDMC) secretariat said 22 evacuees from eight families had been moved to three centres in Jasin and Alor Gajah, and 18 victims from six families from Kampung Bukit Balai, Kampung Pondok Batang and Kampung Bukit Asahan in Jasin transferred to SK Asahan at 4.30pm.
“Meanwhile, four victims from two families from Kampung Bukit Tambun and Kampung Gadek in Alor Gajah were moved to Balai Raya Bukit Tambun, also at 4.30pm.
"The registration of evacuees at SK Chohong in Jasin is still ongoing after opening at 7pm today," it said in a statement.
In Pahang, a total of 293 people were affected by floods in four districts: Rompin, Jerantut, Pekan and Maran.
The Rompin district police, in a statement on Facebook, said 164 evacuees had been placed at three centres in Balai Raya Perwira Jaya, Balai Raya Kampung Rekoh and Balai Raya Bukit Ibam.
The Jerantut district Civil Defence Force (APM) meanwhile said that a relief centre had been opened at SK Felda Kota Gelanggi 1 to house 77 victims after their homes were inundated when Sungai Siam overflowed its banks due to continuous heavy rain.
In Pekan, 45 flood victims were placed at Dewan Semai Bakti Felda Chini 1 after flood waters rose up to 1.2m while a family of seven was affected in Maran at Felda Jengka 6.
In Negeri Sembilan, state APM director Mohd Nazri Mes Kam said there were six relief centres open in Jempol, Tampin and Kuala Pilah as of 9pm, housing 145 victims from 40 families.
The six centres are Sekolah Agama Rakyat Felda Jelai 4, Balai Raya Pasir Besar and SK Gedok in Tampin, as well as SK Felda Palong 7 and SK Felda Palong 1 in Jempol and Dewan Desa Dangi (Kuala Pilah).
In Johor, the number of flood victims continued to surge from 7,981 at 4pm on Feb 28 to 9,162 as of 8pm, with Muar becoming the ninth and latest district to be affected by floods.
"Segamat is the worst affected area with 767 families evacuated to 30 relief centres, followed by Johor Bahru with 609 families at 11 centres; Kota Tinggi with 404 families at 17 centres; and Kluang with 409 families at 10 centres," the SDMC said in a statement.
Also affected was the Muar district with 179 families housed at nine centres; Kulai (190 families at six centres); Mersing (14 families at two centres); and Tangkak (five families in two centres).
Meanwhile in Sarawak, the number of flood victims in the Kuching, Bau and Siburan districts dropped to 127 from 34 families last night compared to 169 from 50 families in the afternoon.
According to the Sarawak SDMC, as of last night, three relief centres were still in operation: SJK Chuang Hua Batu Kawa in Kuching housing 80 victims from 19 families, Kampung Mundai multipurpose hall in Siburan (27 victims from seven families) and the Datuk Seri Mohammad Hamdan hall, Bau fire station (20 victims from eight families).
In Sabah, the SDMC said that 108 victims from 24 families were still at the Kampung Simpang Entilibon mini hall in Tongod.


PrEP meds not to encourage unnatural sex, says deputy health minister

The health ministry today said that its provision of pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) medication to homosexual couples and those exposed to the risk of HIV infection is not intended to encourage unnatural sexual activities.
Deputy Health Minister Lukanisman Awang Suani said it was instead an additional method after cases of substance abuse became an obstacle to preventive advocacy measures, condom use and risk reduction.
He said the ministry had already held engagement sessions with religous authorities including the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) and Malaysian Islamic Development Department (Jakim).
"Of course we take into account the views of other religions as well," he added.
"I am of the opinion that the ministry is holding the PrEP programme to reduce the rate of infection, not to encourage unnatural sexual activities."
Lukanisman was responding to an additional question from Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat) in the Dewan Rakyat.
Yunus said the provision of PrEP medication to those who practise unnatural sex and are HIV negative did not appear preventive of such activities.
The Selangor Mufti Department previously said that the use of the drug by homosexual couples was controversial as it helped them continue in acts prohibited by Islam.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii meanwhile said the provision of the drug did not mean that the government was dropping its advocacy and prevention efforts.
Lukanisman, the MP for Sibuti, said that PrEP medication was not to treat or encourage unnatural sexual activites, but a step towards reducing the spread of HIV.
"The PrEP method reduce the spread of HIV and concerns about those who contract HIV as early as 18 years of age," he said.
"Prevention alone is not enough."
He said data from the health ministry showed that more than 77% of new HIV cases each year involve those aged 20 to 39.
Of these, more than 90% are male.
"This shows that exposure to HIV infection begins even at schoolgoing age," he said.
"Almost all of the cases – 97% – are contracted through sexual relations."
PrEP medication goes for RM90 to RM120 per bottle at private clinics.


Indonesia poll body to push ahead with 2024 elections despite court ruling

Indonesia's poll body on Thursday vowed to forge ahead with organising next year's presidential election, defying a surprise ruling by a district court to halt all election processes for more than two years.
The election commission, or KPU, said it would appeal Thursday's ruling by the Central Jakarta district court, which was issued over a lawsuit filed by an obscure party after its application to contest elections was rejected last year.
Indonesia's biggest party and the country's chief security minister dismissed the ruling and said a district court has no authority to decide election issues.
It was not immediately clear why the court ordered all election processes to stop, which at the earliest would push back to 2025 elections for a new president and legislature.
"Any laws regulating election processes and schedules are still legal and legally binding," KPU chief Hasyim Asy'ari told a news conference, adding it would continue its work regardless of the ruling.
President Joko Widodo's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP) said the court had no right to make such a decision and the judges should be investigated.
"PDIP thinks the court's ruling must be annulled," its secretary general, Hasto Kristiyanto, said in a statement.
"Any effort to delay the election is unconstitutional."
PDIP argued that the Constitutional Court had made clear in a ruling on another case on Tuesday that there could be no extension beyond a president's maximum two terms in office, which would effectively happen if an election were delayed.
Lively debate
The issue of extending a president's tenure has sparked a lively debate in Indonesia, with some senior political figures openly backing the idea of Jokowi, as the incumbent is popularly known, staying in office beyond his second term, which ends next year.
Jokowi has rejected the idea and critics have called it undemocratic.
The lawsuit decided by the court on Thursday was filed last year by the Just Prosperous People's Party, or Prima Party, which was formed in 2020 and has never contested an election.
It lauded the court's decision, describing it as "a victory for the common people".
"We hope all parties respect the ruling by the district court. Sovereignty is on the hands of the people," its chairman Agus Jabo Priyono and secretary-general Dominggus Oktavianus said in a joint statement.
Indonesia's law and human rights minister, Yasonna Laoly, declined to comment until he had seen the ruling, while Mahfud MD, the chief security minister, said the court had made a sensational ruling that it had no authority to issue.
"The verdict is wrong, the logic is simple. It is easy to deny this verdict, but it might trigger controversy," he said on Instagram, adding it should be legally challenged and rejected by the people.
The KPU said it had argued before the district court that the matter was for an administrative court to rule on.
Thursday's decision has divided legal experts over whether a district court has the power to delay an election.
Titi Anggraini of election watchdog Perludem said the court had acted beyond its authority, calling the verdict "weird, awkward and suspicious", while Andalas University law expert Feri Amsari said the court should have ruled on the party verification process instead of ordering an election delay.


IOC expels two Belarus coaches for trying to force sprinter to return home

Two Belarusian coaches have lost their Tokyo Olympics accreditation after allegedly attempting to force one of their own athletes to leave the games and fly home.The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Artur Shimak and Yury Maisevich have left the Olympic Village, the BBC is reporting.Krystina Timanovskaya’s plight garnered global attention after she refused her team’s orders to fly home, seeking Japanese police protection after she was taken to Haneda airport.Poland granted her a humanitarian visa and she is reportedly there now.Belarus says she was removed from the national team because of her emotional state. But the 24-year-old says this is not true, saying she was removed because she spoke on Instagram about the “negligence of her coaches”.In a statement, the IOC said it had removed the accreditations of the two coaches “as a provisional measure in the interest of the wellbeing of the athletes of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus who are still in Tokyo”.The body said a disciplinary commission has been established to investigate the incident and that both coaches would be “offered an opportunity to be heard”.The case has again put the international spotlight on Belarus, which has been ruled by authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko since 1994. Last year, nationwide protests over his disputed re-election were violently repressed by security forces.Timanovskaya’s removal came after the sprinter complained on social media about being entered into the 4x400m relay race at short notice after some teammates were found to be ineligible to compete.Her post led to criticism in state media, with one television channel saying she lacked team spirit.Timanovskaya said two coaches came into her room and told her to pack her bags immediately, ready to return home. She was told to say that she had been injured.In an interview with the BBC, she said she was being taken to the airport when her grandmother warned her it was not safe to return to Belarus after watching local news reports on the situation.At the airport, Timanovskaya showed officers a translated plea for help on her phone in an effort to avoid being put on a plane home.She was then given police protection before being moved to the Polish embassy in Tokyo. She travelled to Poland via Austria, on Wednesday.The mass protests that gripped Belarus last year saw security forces often use violence to break up the demonstrations and thousands of people arrested.Some of the protesters were national-level athletes, who were then stripped of funding, cut from national teams and detained.However, Timanovskaya insists that she is “not a political girl” and just wants to focus on her sporting career.“I don’t know anything about politics. I never was in politics,” she said.The sprinter told the BBC she wanted to return to Belarus, but that it was too dangerous at the moment.Her husband has also fled Belarus and has been given a visa for Poland, but the rest of her family remains in the country.In May, a journalist and his girlfriend were arrested after a Belarus military jet forced their commercial airliner – flying from Athens to Vilnius, in neighbouring Lithuania – to land in Minsk, the Belarusian capital.Outraged Western countries accused Belarus of hijacking the Ryanair plane.Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko defended the decision to divert the flight, saying: “We need to take appropriate measures to protect our country.”


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VP Harris tells Asia the US is 'here to stay'

Vice President Kamala Harris told Asian leaders on Friday that the US is committed to the region for the long haul, rejecting doubts about its engagement as China expands its clout.
Addressing a summit in Bangkok, Harris called the US a "proud Pacific power" and said that the longstanding US network of security alliances has allowed Asia to prosper.
"The US is here to stay," Harris told business leaders on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit, also attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"Our message is clear: The US has an enduring economic commitment to the Indo-Pacific, one that is measured not in years, but in decades and generations," she said, using the preferred US term for the Asia-Pacific region.
President Joe Biden's administration has focused on rallying behind allies and Harris will head from Thailand to the Philippines, where she will visit an island near waters increasingly contested by Beijing.
While the US has taken a firm tone on China, some Asian officials have questioned the level of US economic engagement.
Biden has largely followed his predecessor Donald Trump in turning the page on the era of free-trade agreements, seeing them as unpopular among working-class US voters.
Harris insisted that economic partnerships in Asia were "a top priority" for the Biden administration and pointed out that the US private sector invests around US$1 trillion (about RM4.5 trillion) a year in the region.
"America is a strong partner to the economies and companies of this region because America is and will remain a major engine of global growth, reinforced by our administration's approach," she said.
She said that goal had bipartisan support, with Washington set for greater gridlock after the rival Republican Party won control of the House of Representatives in elections last week.
Biden on a trip to Tokyo earlier this year launched the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework, which brings together countries to set common standards on technology and trade in the face of China's rapid advances but stops short of lifting tariffs like a traditional free-trade deal.
"We are all feeling the discomfort and the anxiety of the global economy today," US Trade Representative Katherine Tai told reporters Thursday.
"We need different outcomes, and that means that we also need to be innovating in how we engage each other in trade and economics and across the board," she said.
Despite US vows of engagement, Biden skipped the Apec summit to attend his granddaughter's wedding at the White House on Saturday.
He attended two other summits in Asia over the past week, however, in Cambodia and Indonesia.


UK approves increased submarine-related exports to Taiwan, risking angering China

Britain approved a sharp increase in exports of submarine parts and technology last year to Taiwan as it upgrades its naval forces, a move that could impact British ties with China.
The value of licences granted by the British government to companies for the export of submarine-related components and technology to Taiwan totalled a record US$201.29 million (about RM903 million) during the first nine months of last year, according to UK government export licensing data. That is more than the previous six years combined, a Reuters analysis of the data showed.
The data is publicly accessible but the most recent Taiwan-related figures haven’t previously been reported.
Beijing considers Taiwan part of China, known as the One-China policy, and strongly objects to perceived foreign interference with the island believing it to be support for Taiwan’s desire to be recognised as its own country.
When presented with the figures by Reuters, China’s foreign ministry said in a statement: "If this is true, it is a serious violation of the one-China principle, undermines China's sovereignty and security interests, and undermines peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait.”
“China is highly concerned about this and firmly opposes it,” said the written statement, which urged Britain to “refrain from providing military support to the Taiwan authorities.”
Britain does not recognise Taiwan and has no formal diplomatic relations with the island but it maintains economic and trade ties and there is a de facto British embassy in Taipei.
A British government spokesperson said in a statement the UK has a long record of “granting licences for exports of controlled goods to Taiwan, on a case-by-case basis, where those applications are consistent with the rules that regulate the exports of arms and dual-use products.”
"We consider the Taiwan issue one to be settled peacefully by the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait through constructive dialogue, without the threat or use of force or coercion," the statement added.
The increase in licences granted reflects greater demand from Taiwan, two government officials said on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Two lawmakers with knowledge of the exports and two former officials said the approvals reflected Britain’s increased willingness to support Taiwan. One of the lawmakers, who also spoke on the condition of anonymity, said authorising the export licences amounted to giving a "green light" to better equip Taiwan.
The data is from the Export Control Organisation, which is responsible for export licensing and sits within the UK Department for International Trade. It shows the government authorised 25 export licences to Taiwan during the first nine months of 2022 under the categories "components for submarines" and "technology for submarines."
The data doesn’t disclose which companies received the authorisation or detail what specific equipment it covers.
One licence type, called ML9, covers “vessels of war, special naval equipment, accessories, components, and other surface vessels," according to Britain’s list of strategic military items that require export authorisation. Another license type, ML22, includes technology that is required for the development, production, operation, installation, maintenance, repair or goods or software.
The British government on Monday announced a boost to defence spending as it unveiled an update to its defence, security and foreign policy priorities, setting out how it plans to “tackle new threats” from China and Russia.
Heightened tensions
Military tensions between Beijing and Taipei are at their highest in decades. Taiwan, some 100 miles south east from the Chinese coast, has said it is building a fleet of submarines to build up their naval defences. Taiwan has for decades been unable to buy conventional submarines from other countries because of their concerns of angering China.
Taiwan’s democratically-elected government strongly rejects China’s sovereignty claims, saying only the island’s people can decide their future.
As Reuters previously reported, an array of foreign submarine-technology vendors, with the approval of their governments, have been aiding the program.
In response to a request for comment about the submarine-related exports from Britain, Taiwan’s defence ministry said in a statement that its ship-building programme was "a major national policy, and the navy has promoted various projects in a pragmatic way under it."
"We hope that all walks of life will continue to give their support, to jointly maintain the security and peace of the Taiwan Strait," the ministry said.
Taipei aims to test its first prototype by September and deliver the first of the planned eight vessels by 2025.
Britain’s granting of submarine-related licences began to tick up after Taiwan announced it planned to build the submarine fleet in 2017.
Britain approved the export of 87 million pounds worth of submarine components and technology to Taiwan in 2020, up from 31,415 pounds in 2017 and none in 2016, according to the licensing data. The value of such licences approved in 2021 dipped to just under 9 million pounds.
UK 'tilt' to Indo-Pacific
Britain’s Integrated Review, a document laying out the country’s defence, security and foreign policy priorities that was published in March 2021, specified a “tilt” to the Indo-Pacific but didn’t mention Taiwan.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine last year has raised questions in Britain and elsewhere in the West about other possible future flash points around the world.
Britain’s defence minister, Ben Wallace, told Reuters last month that the West’s actions in support of Kyiv was a signal to other countries that grabbing land does not pay off. "This conflict is important because the world is watching whether the West will stand up for its values of freedom, democracy, liberal societies and the rule of law," he said.
Western lawmakers and other officials have been stepping up their visits to Taiwan, despite Beijing's objections. That included one in November by Britain’s then minister of state for trade, Greg Hands. "We urge the British side to stop any form of official exchanges with Taiwan and stop sending wrong signals to separatist forces for Taiwan independence," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at the time.
Tobias Ellwood, head of the UK parliament’s defence committee and a member in Britain’s governing Conservative Party who visited Taiwan in December, told Reuters the British government had to be careful about what detail it publicly provides about the equipment covered by the export licences.
"An announcement of the specific nature of these exports risks revealing sensitive information on Taiwan's defensive capabilities and some of the UK government's caution in discussing these exports is valid," Ellwood said.
One of the former British officials said: "Every decision around Taiwan is made very deliberately and usually cautiously." Asked about the decision to approve the increase in export licences, the official said: "You just don't do something like this without thinking through the implications very carefully."


France sees fifth weekend of protests against Macron Covid pass

Protesters opposing a health pass championed by President Emmanuel Macron to defeat Covid-19 massed in streets across France for the fifth successive weekend Saturday, refusing to give in after the measure was fully implemented.Macron sees the health pass – which essentially makes vaccination essential to carry on with routine activities like sipping a coffee in a cafe or travelling on a train – as the key to emerging from the pandemic and avoiding further lockdowns.But protesters – an eclectic mix of far-right, yellow vest anti-inequality activists, anti-vaxxers and civil liberties campaigners – say that the policy encroaches on the basic freedoms so prized by the French.Two separate protests were taking place in Paris – in a sign of the inability of the protesters to fully unite – with slogans like “free France!”, “stop the corona-madness” or “yes to the freedom to choose” being chanted and brandished.“I detest the idea that the authorities can go as far as they like,” said Marie Huguet, a pensioner, taking part in Paris in a protest organised by the yellow vests who shook Macron with mass protests from 2018-2019.Yann Fontaine, 30, who works in a notary office, said he believed the health pass is a measure that “kills freedom and is segregationist”.Unlike in the yellow vests demonstrations from 2018 there have been no reports of major incidents in these protests. But they have only been increasing in numbers and show no sign of diminishing.About 237,000 people turned out last Saturday across France, including 17,000 in Paris, the interior ministry said, exceeding the 204,000 recorded the weekend before and numbers extremely unusual for protests at the height of the summer break.Government defiantProtesters accuse the government of downplaying the numbers taking to the streets. A collective called Le Nombre Jaune published a detailed breakdown city by city on Facebook in a bid to show the actual numbers last week were 415,000.Other protests were taking place in cities, especially in the south, including Toulon, Montpellier, Nice, Marseille and Perpignan, where numbers have sometimes exceeded those in Paris.Macron, who faces re-election next year, has shown little patience with the demands of the protesters while his Health Minister Olivier Veran last week lashed out at a movement “about which we are talking far too much”.Analysts have said Macron thrives on taking on a protest movement – as was the case with the yellow vests – as it plays well with his core centrist supporters but the government needs to be attentive to the fact the protests are continuing.The government has also expressed alarm over anti-Semitic elements at some rallies and a teacher in the eastern city of Metz will go on trial next month accused of seeking to incite racial hatred after brandishing a sign at a protest last week that police said was clearly anti-Semitic.Implemented on Monday, the regulations make it obligatory to have either a full course of vaccination against Covid-19, a negative test or be recently recovered from the virus to enjoy routine activities like eating at a restaurant or a cafe or travelling by inter-city train.The pass has already been required since July 21 to visit cultural venues such as cinemas, theatres and museums. Its extension was approved by France’s Constitutional Council earlier this month.The vaccine rollout has gathered steam in France since the health pass plan was announced and the government wants 50 million people to have received at least one jab by the end of August.


India and China to stop sending troops to disputed border

The disputed Himalayan border between India and China has lately become increasingly militarised with undisclosed numbers of casualties on both sides.At many points along the Line of Actual Control, opposing units regularly camp within metres of each other and face offs have become more common.In a June clash in the Ladakh region near the border, 20 Indian troops were killed. Chinese casualties were not disclosed.After that fatal encounter both sides sent tens of thousands of extra troops to the border.Satellite sightings of the Chinese laying hi-tech communications cables from the border to rear command centres infuriated Indian troops who still have to communicate by unreliable telephones.Talks aimed at finding a peaceful solution have been intermittent and inconclusive.Now, military commanders from both India and China have agreed to “stop sending more troops” to the border region after high-level talks, New Delhi said on Tuesday.The Indian army said the two sides have also agreed to “refrain from unilaterally changing the situation on the ground, and avoid taking any actions that may complicate the situation”.Although remote geographically, the border dispute is very real and long lasting. The world’s two most populous nations fought a war over the frontier in 1962.As both nations have arsenals of nuclear weapons, any escalation of the conflict could have much wider consequences.


Aide denies rumour on Sarawak's Taib Mahmud

The Yang di-Pertua Negeri of Sarawak Tun Abdul Taib Mahmud is well and in good stead, according to Astana Negeri Sarawak, hence dismissing rumours about his health condition that were spreading on social media.
The governor's private secretary Junih Salleh Ahmad in a statement today said that all the viral and unverified news regarding the wellbeing of Abdul Taib, which was not from the Astana Negeri Sarawak, was completely fake and untrue.
"We hope that with this press statement, all adverse reports and rumours regarding (the health of the) Yang di-Pertua Negeri Abdul Taib Mahmud would be put to rest," he added.


MACC to seek DoJ’s help in probing Astro ex-boss

The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) today said it would seek assistance from the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in obtaining further information on the case of former Astro CEO Rohana Rozhan following recent claims by ex-Goldman Sachs banker Tim Leissner.MACC chief Azam Baki also confirmed freezing assets worth US$10 million belonging to Rohana.“We have already frozen US$10 million in assets and will continue to obtain further information from the US,” he said at a press conference in Putrajaya.“We will call her again if we need to record her statement. For now, the case is still being investigated under the Anti-Money Laundering Act 2001.”Azam also said that MACC would call several others whose names cannot be revealed at the moment.MalaysiaNow reported last week that MACC had issued a freeze order on assets and a bank account belonging to Rohana as part an investigation into Leissner’s claim that he had been blackmailed into buying her a US$10 million home in London.Rohana was called to the MACC headquarters in Putrajaya for questioning on Feb 24.When asked about Leissner’s claims, Azam declined to reveal details, saying the case is still ongoing in the US courts.


PM to answer questions on vape, contract doctors and China visit

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim will respond to questions on the liquid products used in electronic cigarettes or vape, as well as the services of medical contract officers today, the last day of the Dewan Rakyat sitting for this session.
According to the order paper, the government’s justification for removing liquid and gel nicotine products used in electronic cigarettes from the Poisons Act 1952 will be raised by Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PN-Kuala Langat).
Yunus will also ask about the government's consideration of the negative implications of the move.
The matter of contract medical officers will be raised by Wilfred Madius Tangau (PH-Tuaran), who will ask the prime minister about the total number of contract medical officers in the public service and the financial implications if they are absorbed into permanent positions.
Meanwhile, Fong Kui Lun (PH-Bukit Bintang) will ask Anwar to state the positive outcomes of his maiden visit to China in terms of economy and investment opportunities, as well as the benefits for Malaysians.
These questions will be posed to the prime minister during Ministers’ Question Time.
After the session ends, the minister in the Prime Minister's Department is scheduled to table the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill 2023, the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023 for first reading.
This will continue with the prime minister moving a motion on the appointment of Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) and Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) as chairman and vice-chairman respectively of the National Accounts Committee for the 15th Parliament.
The Road Transport (Amendment) Bill 2023, as well as the Land Public Transport (Amendment) Bill 2023, the Commercial Vehicle Licensing Board (Amendment) Bill 2023 and the Printing of Quranic Texts (Amendment) Bill 2023 will also be tabled for a second reading.


Fossil fuel pollution causes 1 in 5 deaths globally, study shows

Fossil fuel pollution caused more than eight million premature deaths in 2018, accounting for nearly 20% of adult mortality worldwide, researchers reported Tuesday.Half of that grim tally was split across China and India, with another million deaths equally distributed among Bangladesh, Indonesia, Japan and the US, they reported in the journal Environmental Research.The toxic cocktail of tiny particles cast off by burning oil, gas and especially coal was responsible for a quarter or more of the mortality in half a dozen nations, all in Asia.“We often discuss the dangers of fossil fuel combustion in the context of CO2 and climate change and overlook the potential health impacts,” co-author Joel Schwartz, a professor of environmental epidemiology at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, said in a statement.The potential to avoid millions of premature deaths should be a powerful additional incentive for policymakers to drive down greenhouse gas emissions and hasten the global shift from brown to green energy, he said.Worldwide, air pollution shortens lives by more than two years on average, earlier research has shown.Worst-hit is Asia, where average lifespan is cut 4.1 years in China, 3.9 years in India, and 3.8 years in Pakistan. In some regions of these countries, life expectancy is reduced by twice as much.‘Pieces of the puzzle’In Europe, it is shortened by eight months on average.The new study nearly doubles previous estimates of the number of people killed by fossil fuel pollution.The World Health Organization says that air pollution – including indoors – kills seven million people per year, with 4.2 million of those deaths due to ambient, or outdoor, pollution.The most recent Global Burden of Disease study – the most comprehensive catalogue of why people die – advances roughly the same numbers.Both of these estimates relied on satellite data and surface observations to determine concentrations of the smallest – and most deadly – calibre of pollution, known as PM2.5.But they cannot determine whether these microparticles come from burning fossil fuels or, say, dust and wildfire smoke, according to co-author Loretta Mickley, an expert in chemistry-climate interactions at Harvard.“With satellite data, you’re seeing only pieces of the puzzle,” she said.To get a more fine-grained picture of where particle pollution comes from and its health impacts, Mickley and colleagues used a 3D model of atmospheric chemistry, known as Geos-Chem, that divides Earth’s surface into 50-by-60km blocks.A new risk assessment“Rather than rely on averages spread across large regions, we wanted to map where the pollution is and where people live,” said lead author Karn Vohra, a graduate student at the University of Birmingham.The next step was to plug in data on carbon emissions – from the power sector, industry, shipping, aviation and ground transport – along with Nasa simulations of air circulation.Once the researchers had PM2.5 concentrations for each box in the global grid, they still needed to determine the consequences for health.Previous calculations of air pollution impacts – based on exposure to indoor second-hand smoke – seriously underestimate the danger, recent studies have found, so the researchers developed a new risk assessment model.Compared with other causes of premature death, air pollution kills 19 times more people each year than malaria, nine times more than HIV/AIDS, and three times more than alcohol.Coronary heart disease and stroke account for almost half of those deaths, with lung diseases and other non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure making up most of the rest.


Interstate travel expected to be given green light in October

Interstate travel is expected to be allowed from next month based on data after 90% of adults have been fully vaccinated, says National Recovery Council (MPN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.“It may be in early or mid-October, at the latest. You all will be able to move around but always remember the SOPs,” he said to reporters after chairing an MPN meeting in Putrajaya today.Also present at the meeting were Finance Minister Tengku Abdul Aziz, International Trade and Industry Minister Mohamed Azmin Ali, Education Minister Radzi Jidin and Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.Muhyiddin said the question of reopening the country’s borders was also being looked into by the relevant ministries and would be discussed with Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.“I hope this will be announced soon,” he said, adding that apart from inter-district and interstate travel, the reopening of the country’s borders was also important to speed up Malaysia’s recovery process.Muhyiddin said the discussions on this matter had covered the proposed reopening of the country’s borders to tourists, traders and entrepreneurs to enable them to come to Malaysia and for Malaysians to visit the countries that would receive those who had been fully vaccinated.“This was a decision that would have a big impact on the country,” he added.Muhyiddin said the MPN meeting today also focused on preparations for reopening of the education sector.The MPN was given a detailed briefing on the latest Covid-19 developments in the country by the health ministry, and the Plan on Reopening and Operations of the Higher Learning Institutions for the 2021/2022 Academic Session and Evaluation Report on the Reopening of Schools by the education ministry, he said.The meeting took note of the reopening of tertiary institutions (IPT) in stages from Oct 15 and schools, also in stages from Oct 3, and the SOPs enforced to protect the IPT and school students against Covid-19, he added.Muhyiddin said the meeting also approved the proposal paper on establishing State Recovery Councils to be chaired by the respective menteris besar or chief ministers.He said the State Recovery Council would play the role of ensuring that the decisions of the MPN are implemented at the state level, taking cognisance of recovery strategies and initiatives, and monitoring the impact of the recovery initiatives implemented at the state and district levels.He added that the proposed formation of State Recovery Councils and related mechanisms would be submitted to the prime minister and Cabinet members for consideration and agreement.Muhyiddin said MPN would focus on the country’s recovery involving the various sectors and affected groups.It will also focus on providing assistance to those doing business and to micro, small and medium-scale entrepreneurs for them to rise again and continue their businesses, as well as addressing post-pandemic poverty among urban and rural residents, he said.


Sydney virus lockdown extended by ‘at least’ 2 weeks

Sydney’s five million residents will be in virus lockdown for at least another two weeks, state premier Gladys Berejiklian announced on Wednesday, rejecting calls to tighten restrictions further.Australia’s largest city is already in its third week of a partial lockdown and struggling to bring a fast-spreading outbreak of the coronavirus Delta variant under control.In the past 24 hours, 97 new cases were recorded, more than the 89 reported the previous day.Australia had been widely lauded for its early handling of the pandemic.But a painfully slow vaccine rollout has left less than 10% of the population protected as much of the world gingerly reopens.“It always hurts to say this, but we need to extend the lockdown, at least a further two weeks,” said Berejiklian, premier of New South Wales state, of which Sydney is the capital.Under Australia’s “Covid zero” strategy, authorities are trying to stamp out community transmission completely.Sydney’s lockdown was due to end on July 16, but that date has now been pushed back until July 30.“I appreciate people are stressed and upset about what is going on, myself included,” Berejiklian said. “None of us want to be in this situation. But it is our job to keep the community safe.”Most Sydney residents are allowed to leave home for exercise, essential shopping, work or health reasons, but schools are closed and people are encouraged to remain at home.Authorities have rejected calls for the lockdown to be more stringent, with critics pointing out that “essential work” rules allow stores such as Ikea and Louis Vuitton to remain open.“I appreciate there are a lot of opinions out there, but please know every decision we take is based on that expert health advice,” said Berejiklian.‘Send Beer’Some hotspot areas are subject to tighter restrictions, including a Bondi apartment block that was fully locked down after nine cases were detected.On Tuesday, police guarded the front and rear of the building to prevent residents from leaving. A sign taped to one apartment window read “Send Beer”.Berejiklian did not rule out more stringent citywide restrictions if cases continued to rise.Australia’s latest Covid-19 outbreak began in mid-June and has since grown to 864 cases. Twenty people are in intensive care and two have died.The outbreak is believed to have begun with an unvaccinated driver who had been working with international air crews.Sydney is virtually cut off from the rest of the country, with residents banned from entering many states and cities.Australia’s international borders have been mostly sealed since March 2020, and are not expected to open before the end of the year.Since the pandemic began, Australia has recorded more than 31,000 virus cases and 912 deaths in a population of 25 million.


Has PH crossed the Rubicon?

I write to express my utter disappointment with Pakatan Harapan’s (PH) failure to stand up and be counted, literally. Last Thursday, when Budget 2021 was put to a vote at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat, the opposition bloc stood down.This was despite weeks of ramping up the pressure on defeating the budget and months of anticipation of toppling the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government during this crucial vote. And when the critical moment appeared, what did PH leaders do? They backed off!Opposition head Anwar Ibrahim has tried to justify PH’s decision by saying that the bloc did not want to railroad portions of the budget which were crucial, especially to frontliners battling Covid-19. And neither did PH want to go against the wishes of the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong.But that was not the picture painted to PH’s supporters from the day Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz tabled the budget on Nov 6. From the get-go, PH’s campaign focused on tearing the budget to pieces, whether in harping on Jasa, EPF withdrawals or the alleged insufficient health funds to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic.All the remedial action taken by the government to tweak the budget was not sufficient. And the opposition supporters lapped up PH’s drivel thinking that eight months of backdoor PN rule was enough and that the bloc should reclaim its rightful place in Putrajaya.But sheepishly, PH not just backtracked but also justified its decision with incoherent reasons. For example, if it did not want to go against the Agong by voting against the budget, would it not be doing so if it rejects the bill at the committee stage?We PH supporters would not have blamed Anwar, Lim Guan Eng and Mohamad Sabu had the attempt failed. Given the composition of the lower house, the vote could have swung either way. Besides, PN had the advantage of being in government.The road to Putrajaya is a long and winding one. It took 10 years from 2008 when Barisan Nasional first lost its traditional two-thirds majority in the poll. Even defeated last Thursday, we can always come back and fight again.But voters are upset that PH did not even try as a matter of principle, unlike Pejuang leaders like Dr Mahathir Mohamad who stood their ground. PH has only lent legitimacy to Muhyiddin Yassin’s administration. Anwar’s claim of a “strong, convincing” majority is just that – an unproven claim.If we can’t even trust PH to do things right when they are out of government, I don’t see how we can thrust them back into Putrajaya. Anwar at the helm, with his endless political theatrics, has only served to chip away whatever credibility is left of PH.At this rate, PH under Anwar will be crossing the Rubicon soon, if it has not already. Then, all dreams of PH wrestling back Putrajaya will be nothing more than pipe dreams.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


RM1.9 billion in seized 1MDB funds remitted from DoJ

The US Department of Justice (DoJ) has remitted RM1.9 billion (US$452,363,867.40) of funds seized in matters related to 1MDB into Malaysia’s Assets Recovery Trust Account, the finance ministry announced today.In a statement, it said the trust account which is under the Accountant-General’s Department of Malaysia had received a total of RM16.05 billion in seized and repatriated 1MDB funds.“Any balance in the trust account will be utilised to primarily repay and service 1MDB and SRC’s remaining debts,” it said, referring to former 1MDB unit SRC International.It said so far, the government has repaid RM12.4 billion of 1MDB’s debt and RM3.1 billion of SRC International’s.“The balance of debts still outstanding, comprising the principal and coupon/profit/interest of bonds, sukuk and term loans, currently totals RM39.8 billion (1MDB) and RM2.57 billion (SRC).”In the statement, Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz said the current balance is only enough to service 1MDB’s debt obligations for 2021 and 2022.“This balance excludes the settlement amount of RM2.83 billion that will be received from AmBank Group and RM336 million from Deloitte PLT,” he added.“Negotiations are also ongoing with KPMG. Once all recovered funds in the trust account have been utilised, the government will still have to continue bearing the burden of servicing 1MDB’s debt obligations, which were backed by the government’s guarantee and letter of support when these debts were created.”He said the government’s recovery efforts are focused on parties who have caused losses to 1MDB and SRC International during the execution of their duties as well as those who have wrongfully received money from SRC International “disguised” as corporate social responsibility activities.“All those involved will be made fully accountable for the wrongdoings caused to the country through their involvement in 1MDB and/or SRC.”This follows 22 civil suits recently filed by 1MDB and SRC International against entities and individuals accused of having been unjustly enriched by the wrongful receipt of money from them.The writs – six by 1MDB and 16 by SRC International – were filed on May 7 for the recovery of assets with a combined total in excess of RM96.6 billion, including some RM300 million against various local parties.


Thai police use rubber bullets to disperse protest over Apec summit

Thai police on Friday fired rubber bullets to disperse a protest against the Apec summit in Bangkok, a police official in charge of the event's security taskforcesaid.
About 350 protesters had gathered and clashed with police, Ashyan Kraithong said, about 10km (6 miles) from the venue where leaders of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group are meeting.
Videos on social media showed protesters trying to overturn a police car, throwing projectiles and charging at police, while officers in riot gear advanced on them with shields and beat them back with batons.
Youth activist Patsaravalee 'Mind' Tanakitvibulpon, who was at the demonstration, said people were protesting against the Apec summit and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha.
"The police have overreacted. They are using rubber bullets on us and tried to stop us many times," he told Reuters.
Police arrested 10 protesters.
"The protesters broke the law, physically assaulted police officers," Ashyan said, adding that five officers were injured.


Russia says ‘ready to ensure safety’ of ships leaving Ukraine ports

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Wednesday that Moscow was ready to ensure the safe passage of vessels from Ukraine as concerns mount over grain stuck in Ukrainian ports.“We are ready to ensure the safety of ships that leave Ukrainian ports,” Lavrov told a joint news conference with his Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu.“We are ready to do this in cooperation with our Turkish colleagues.”Lavrov arrived in Ankara on Tuesday amid stark warnings of global food shortages partly blamed on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Talks focus on efforts to open a security corridor to ship Ukrainian grain – cereals and wheat in particular – stuck in the war-torn country’s ports due to a Russian blockade.Cavusoglu called Russian demands for an end to sanctions to help grain onto the world market “legitimate”.“If we need to open up the international market to Ukrainian grain, we see the removal of obstacles standing in the way of Russia’s exports as a legitimate demand,” he said.Sanctions imposed on Moscow’s financial system have impeded the export of Russian grain and fertiliser.At the request of the United Nations, Turkey has offered its services to escort maritime convoys from Ukrainian ports, despite the presence of mines – some of which have been detected near the Turkish coast.“We are talking about a mechanism that can be created between the UN, Russia, Ukraine and Turkey” in order to open a safe sea corridor for grain exports, Cavusoglu said.He welcomed the UN plan as “reasonable” and “implementable”, while offering to host a meeting in Istanbul to discuss the details of the scheme.Russia and Ukraine produce 30% of the global wheat supply.Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Monday: “Right now we have about 20-25 million tonnes blocked. In the autumn that could be 70-75 million tonnes.”


Swiss MPs reject allowing arms transfers to Ukraine

Switzerland's lower house of Parliament on Thursday voted against a proposal that would have specifically authorised the transfer of Swiss-made arms to Ukraine.
The vote in Parliament came as Swiss President Alain Berset met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the European Political Community summit in Moldova, where the pair discussed the subject of exports of war material.
The National Council in Bern voted 98-75 against a parliamentary initiative put forward by a committee.
Jean-Luc Addor, of the populist, right-wing Swiss People's Party – the largest in the National Council – said in the council that "accepting this initiative means committing to one of the protagonists, which is also in its very title ("Lex Ukraine"). Therefore violating neutrality."
Switzerland's long-standing position has been one of well-armed military neutrality and the landlocked country of 8.8 million people has mandatory conscription for men.
The issue of Switzerland's tradition of neutrality has been hotly debated since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
While the wealthy Alpine country, which is not a member of the European Union, has followed the bloc's lead on sanctions targeting Moscow, it has so far shown less flexibility on its military neutrality.
Despite pressure from Kyiv and its allies, Switzerland has so far refused to allow countries that hold Swiss-made weaponry to re-export it to Ukraine.
To date, it has rejected explicit requests from countries including Germany, Spain and Denmark, pointing to its War Materiel Act, which bars all re-export if the recipient country is in an international armed conflict.
At the summit in Moldova, Kyiv and Chisinau pressed European leaders for more support against Russian aggression.
Berset said on Twitter that he had a "productive meeting with Zelensky about the situation on the ground, Swiss humanitarian aid and reconstruction".
Swiss national broadcaster RTS said the meeting lasted for 25 minutes.
They also discussed blocked assets, Switzerland's role in mine clearance, and the country's position on re-exporting arms, Berset told RTS.
"I believe that the position and the role of Switzerland are very well understood by the Ukrainians," Berset said, adding that he was ready to go to Ukraine at any time.
"We are applying our law. We have shown from the start that we were not indifferent to what was happening, we were strongly committed alongside Ukraine.
"Today, the most important thing is to be united, not to tolerate what is happening in eastern Ukraine and that one country is marching on another."


Decision on reopening borders only after transition to endemic phase, says home minister

The opening of the country’s borders to foreign tourists will only be determined after Malaysia moves into the endemic phase of Covid-19, Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said today.He said the country is still in the pandemic phase and that its readiness to transition to the endemic phase would be determined by the health ministry.“Once we are ready, the health ministry will announce it. Actually, the immigration department (the enforcement agency that controls the country’s entry and exit points) is ready, the General Operations Force (GOF) is also ready (and) we too are ready to re-open our borders,” he said after an event in Bukit Kayu Hitam today.He also said that permission to cross the country’s borders by Malaysians or foreigners would be subject to SOPs to be determined later.Commenting on the alleged leakage of information from the myIDENTITY personal database, Hamzah said only government agencies are allowed to use the information.“I have been informed that we only give access to government agencies, we do not give access to the private sector. So, that (allegations that information is being channelled to the private sector) is merely an assumption,” he said.On the dissolution of Aksem and the handing over of its functions to the GOF, which is under the police, Hamzah said it would make relaying the “command and control” from the top brass relating to operations and control at the country’s borders simpler and more structured.“We will ensure that our tasks are focused on the problems faced at the borders. We will combine all the assignments so that tasks which were previously under Aksem will be given priority by the GOF,” he said.He also said that all Aksem assets would be taken over and managed by the GOF, while all 909 Aksem officers and personnel would be returned to their respective agencies.On March 12, the Cabinet had agreed with the proposed rationalisation of Aksem through a restructuring exercise for it to be placed under the police, with the Aksem Act 2017 (Act 799) to be repealed after the restructuring process is implemented.Aksem, which was established on Dec 29, 2017, involves five agencies: the police, immigration department, customs department, tNational Anti-Drugs Agency and National Kenaf and Tobacco Board.


No need to bring back GST right now, deputy finance minister says

The government has not yet reached the stage where it would need to reintroduce the goods and services tax (GST), Deputy Finance Minister I Mohd Shahar Abdullah says.
He said this was attributed to the strong recovery momentum of the national economy with a growth of 6.9% in the first half of this year and supported by increased domestic and foreign demand as well as labour market recovery.
“In this regard, the government is confident that the national economy will achieve a growth projection of between 5.3% and 6.3% for the year 2022,” he said.
Shahar was answering a question from the floor on whether the government would reintroduce the GST during his ministry’s engagement session with the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Sarawak yesterday.
Shahar said in order to ensure the momentum of the country’s economic growth, the government's focus in the upcoming budget would be on reform initiatives to improve the people's well-being, especially through increasing income and social protection, business competitiveness and related value chains, as well as strengthening the country’s resilience against future shocks.
He said the national inflation level for the first six months of 2022 recorded a rate of 2.5%, much lower than the inflation rate in other countries, and remained under control due to the implementation of price control measures and the granting of subsidies by the government.
Following the move to continue and improve subsidies, he said expenditure on aid and subsidies was estimated to increase to RM77.7 billion compared to the allocation in Budget 2022 of RM31 billion.
“Without the subsidies provided for basic goods, it is estimated that inflation would reach 11.4%,” Shahar said.


What does Umno really want?

Just as daily Covid-19 infection figures are showing a downward trend and the economy in general is beginning to show signs of recovery, Umno is at it again with its politicking that will only cause instability to the country.One wonders what it is that Umno really wants.It has made crystal clear its intention since Day 1 of supporting the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government helmed by Bersatu with Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, based on the understanding to save Malaysia by forming a coalition government due to the failure of Pakatan Harapan (PH) – nothing more.In the early days of the coalition, there was a buddy-buddy spirit between the two due to their success in disposing the PH government, hence the question of Bersatu joining the political pact Muafakat Nasional (MN), formed between Umno and PAS, along with the possibility of the three parties becoming members of PN in the spirit of Malay unity which were discussed and entertained in a very cordial manner.There was even talk of seat negotiations among the three parties to face the 15th general election (GE15) to avoid multiple contests.But things started to change after July 28 when former Umno president and former prime minister Najib Razak was sentenced to 12 years in jail and fined RM210 million for his crimes of corruption.Two days later on July 30, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced that the party would not be joining the PN coalition. “Umno has decided to not join PN,” Zahid said in a statement.The party would instead strengthen the MN coalition together with PAS and Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties, according to the Umno president.“Our support for the PN government is only based on support from Umno and BN MPs and assemblymen to form the federal government and certain state governments,” Zahid said.What this basically meant was that while Umno had decided against officially joining the PN coalition, the party had not withdrawn its support for the PN government.The move, while apparently conflicting, allowed Muhyiddin to remain as the eighth prime minister. This was consistent with Umno’s stance on Day 1 of the formation of the PN government. The only new thing was its resolve not to formally join PN.The announcement came on the same day a snap election in Sabah was announced after then-chief minister Shafie Apdal dissolved the state assembly amid a political crisis.In the lead-up to the Sabah election, Zahid pre-empted Muhyiddin by announcing that the party in the Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) grand coalition led by Muhyiddin which won the most seats should have a say in deciding on the chief minister. He went on to nominate Sabah Umno chief Bung Moktar Radin for that position if Umno were to win the most seats.This was like counting chickens before the eggs were hatched, and a snub to Muhyiddin as the leader of GRS. Not to mention the nomination of Bung Moktar itself had initially generated controversy among the Sabah Umno members. And matters like this are best discussed behind closed doors as some sort of election strategy.In the end, Muhyiddin decided on the basis that the coalition in the grand coalition of GRS with the most seats should have the right to name the chief minister, and he did this only after the election results were known, unlike Zahid who brought it up in the heat of campaigning.And so, Sabah Bersatu chairman Hajiji Mohd Noor was named as the new chief minister because the PN coalition in GRS obtained the most seats (17 compared to BN’s 14).This did not stop Umno leaders later on from somehow alleging that Muhyiddin’s decision was an example of a small party (Bersatu) bullying a big party (Umno).Thing took a turn for the worse when, at the height of the ongoing saga of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim dropping his bombshell in September that he had strong, formidable and convincing numbers to form the government, it was alleged that Umno leaders Najib and Zahid had written to the Istana of their support for Anwar as the new prime minister.To this day, both Najib and Zahid have remained mum on the issue, while former BN secretary-general Annuar Musa has provided the evidence of it.The plot thickened when, in December, an attempt by Umno to take over the Perak government which was helmed by Bersatu succeeded with the assistance of opposition members of the state assembly – DAP and PKR.The funny thing about this takeover was that it was the result of a motion of confidence put forth by an Umno assemblyman for Bersatu menteri besar (MB) Ahmad Faizal Azumu, but when it came to voting time, the majority of Umno assemblymen voted against the MB.Normally, when a motion of confidence is put up by a party, the party concerned is duty-bound to support the MB, unlike a motion of no confidence. So, who is bullying who? This is perhaps the reason why Zahid had to make a public apology to Muhyiddin and PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang whose assemblymen had supported Faizal in the motion.It was at this time that the possibility of Umno working with Anwar and DAP was mooted which later led to Annuar Musa saying this was against Umno’s known policy stance of “No Anwar, No DAP”.More bad news came when two Umno MPs withdrew their support for PN in January, reducing the PN government’s majority to one, pouring scorn on Umno’s official intention since Day 1 to support the PN government.If this is indeed Umno’s official stance, why was there no action taken against the two MPs?Either this reflects a weak Umno under Zahid which can’t even discipline its own members or it has been the clear intention of Umno all along to pay lip service as part of the PN coalition government against PH until GE15.Perhaps it is timely for the advice of former deputy prime minister and former deputy president of Umno, Musa Hitam, for Umno to put aside leaders with criminal charges in order for the party to move forward, to be taken seriously.This is not to say that Zahid wasn’t elected democratically as the president but so that Umno would not forever be the “sick man” of PN.Through it all, the response of Bersatu especially Muhyiddin, was exemplary in being measured. It was the same trademark response of Muhyiddin towards Dr Mahathir Mohamad during the Bersatu crisis when the latter insisted he was still the chairman of the party. He wished the former prime minister well and there was no recrimination in his response against the former leader who had used harsh words in criticising the PM.Likewise, Bersatu’s recent response towards Zahid’s letter of cooperation with PN until GE15 was greeted by Muhyiddin in a gentlemanly manner.At the beginning of the article, I posed the question of what is it that Umno really wants.Some observers have posited that Umno is of one mind with the opposition, especially Anwar, in wanting to see Muhyiddin go, but it does not want to see Anwar as the new PM once Muhyiddin goes. And Umno at this moment is also clueless on who should be the new PM, hence its wavering on going all out in not supporting PN.If this is indeed true, let’s hope Umno and the opposition can be more patient in seeing the country free from Covid-19 and the economy on the road to recovery before putting this scheme into action. Otherwise, the country will face instability, instability and instability and the people too will suffer, suffer and suffer.Jamari Mohtar is director of media & communications at independent think tank Emir Research.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


North Koreans worry over ‘emaciated’ Kim Jong Un, state media says

Everyone in North Korea is heartbroken over leader Kim Jong Un’s apparent weight loss, said an unidentified resident of Pyongyang quoted on the country’s tightly controlled state media, after watching recent video footage of Kim.The rare public comment on Kim’s health comes after foreign analysts noted in early June that the autocratic leader, who is believed to be 37, appeared to have lost a noticeable amount of weight.“Seeing respected general secretary looking emaciated breaks our people’s heart so much,” the man said in an interview aired by state broadcaster KRT on Friday. “Everyone is saying that their tears welled up.”In the clip, which Reuters could not independently verify, Pyongyang residents were seen watching a big screen on the street showing a concert attended by Kim and party officials after a plenary meeting of their Workers’ Party of Korea.The broadcast did not provide any details on what had led to the weight loss.When Kim reappeared in state media in June after not being seen in public for almost a month, analysts at NK News, a Seoul-based website that monitors North Korea, noted that his watch appeared to be fastened more tightly than before around an apparently slimmer wrist.Given Kim’s tight grip on power in North Korea – and the uncertainty over any plans for a successor – international media, spy agencies, and specialists closely watch his health.Early last year speculation about Kim’s health exploded after he missed the birth anniversary celebrations of state founder Kim Il Sung on Apr 15, only to reappear in public in early May.In 2014, state media reported that Kim was suffering from “discomfort”, after a prolonged period out of the public eye.


Magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits Indonesia's Papua

An earthquake with a 6.2 magnitude struck off Indonesia's Papua province on Monday, the national geophysics agency said, adding there was no tsunami potential.
The epicenter of the quake was at a depth of 33km on land.
The quake was strongly felt in Jayapura, the capital of Papua, the local police spokesman Ignatius Benny Ady Prabowo said, adding there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.
Indonesia straddles the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the Earth's crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcano activity.


Terengganu expects to reach Phase 4 in October

Terengganu is expected to shift to Phase Four of the National Recovery Plan by the end of October at the latest, Menteri Besar Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar said today.He said this was based on the indicators and current developments such as the percentage of full vaccinations for the adult population which to date has reached 82.7% while those who have received a first dose have surpassed 90%.“God willing, there will be a special meeting of the pandemic special committee at the federal level tomorrow to be chaired by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob.“This matter (shifting to Phase Four) will also be scrutinised during the meeting. Based on the current situation, we expect to be able to move to the next phase at the latest in a month,” he told reporters after checking on the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme at SMK Pengkalan Berangan in Marang.A total of 1,470 Form One to Form Three students from four secondary schools in the Marang district received their first dose during the programme in preparation for the reopening of schools next month.Meanwhile, Samsuri who is also PAS vice-president said Terengganu would host the 67th PAS annual general assembly scheduled from Nov 6 to 7.All plans and preparations are underway to ensure the assembly including the selection of the top party posts goes smoothly, he added.“The assembly cannot be postponed anymore and we concur with the directive of the Registrar of Societies that it be held before Dec 31,” he said.


Moderna sues Pfizer-BioNTech for patent infringement over Covid vaccine

Moderna is suing Pfizer and its German partner BioNTech for patent infringement in the development of the first Covid-19 vaccine approved in the US, alleging they copied technology that Moderna developed years before the pandemic.
The lawsuit, which seeks undetermined monetary damages, was being filed in US District Court in Massachusetts and the Regional Court of Dusseldorf in Germany, Moderna said in a news release on Friday.
"We are filing these lawsuits to protect the innovative mRNA technology platform that we pioneered, invested billions of dollars in creating, and patented during the decade preceding the Covid-19 pandemic," Moderna chief executive Stephane Bancel said in the statement.
Moderna Inc, on its own, and the partnership of Pfizer Inc and BioNTech SE, were two of the first groups to develop a vaccine for the novel coronavirus.
Just a decade old, Moderna, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, had been an innovator in the messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccine technology that enabled the unprecedented speed in developing the Covid-19 vaccine.
An approval process that previously took years was completed in months, thanks largely to the breakthrough in mRNA vaccines, which teach human cells how to make a protein that will trigger an immune response.
Germany-based BioNTech had also been working in this field when it partnered with the US pharma giant Pfizer.
The US Food and Drug Administration granted emergency use authorization for the Covid-19 vaccine first to Pfizer-BioNTech in December 2020, then one week later to Moderna.
Moderna alleges Pfizer-BioNTech, without permission, copied mRNA technology that Moderna had patented between 2010 and 2016, well before Covid-19 emerged in 2019 and exploded into global consciousness in early 2020.
Early in the pandemic, Moderna said it would not enforce its Covid-19 patents to help others develop their own vaccines, particularly for low- and middle-income countries. But in March 2022 Moderna said it expected companies such as Pfizer and BioNTech to respect its intellectual property rights. It said it would not seek damages for any activity before March 8, 2022.
Patent litigation is not uncommon in the early stages of new technology.
Pfizer and BioNTech are already facing multiple lawsuits from other companies who say the partnership's vaccine infringes on their patents. Pfizer-BioNTech have said they will defend their patents vigorously.
Germany's CureVac, for instance, also filed a lawsuit against BioNTech in Germany in July. BioNTech responded in a statement that its work was original.
Moderna has also been sued for patent infringement in the US and has an ongoing dispute with the US National Institutes of Health over rights to mRNA technology.
In Friday's statement, Moderna said Pfizer-BioNTech appropriated two types of intellectual property.
One involved an mRNA structure that Moderna says its scientists began developing in 2010 and were the first to validate in human trials in 2015.
"Pfizer and BioNTech took four different vaccine candidates into clinical testing, which included options that would have steered clear of Moderna's innovative path. Pfizer and BioNTech, however, ultimately decided to proceed with a vaccine that has the same exact mRNA chemical modification to its vaccine," Moderna said in its statement.
The second alleged infringement involves the coding of a full-length spike protein that Moderna says its scientists developed while creating a vaccine for the coronavirus that causes Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
Although the MERS vaccine never went to market, its development helped Moderna rapidly roll out its Covid-19 vaccine.


Policewoman seen hurling insults in viral videos suspended, says home minister

A female police officer caught on video hurling insults at others recently has been suspended from work since last week, said Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail.
According to Saifuddin, the Bukit Aman Department of Integrity and Standards Compliance (JIPS) has opened six disciplinary investigation papers against her.
He said that the police have precise methods and mechanisms to deal with such behaviour that can cause unrest in the community and create a negative perception towards the force.
"Besides that, two police investigation papers were also opened under Section 506 and Section 186 of the Penal Code (for criminal threats and obstructing the duties of public servants)," he said, adding the investigation papers involved videos of two incidents in Taman Sri Gombak and one incident where she was caught arguing with a member of the public at a parking area, all of which went viral on social media.
He said this at a press conference after a ceremony for handing over of duties to the new inspector-general of police (IGP) and deputy IGP at the Kuala Lumpur police training centre today.
He said police recorded the suspect statement on Sunday and the case has been referred to the Classified Crime Investigation Unit, Bukit Aman Crime Investigation Department on Monday.
On Sunday, a video involving one "Inspector Shiela" hurling abusive words at a policeman went viral, drawing criticisms from netizens.
Another video was also found circulating on social media involving the same person insulting and provoking a member of the public at a parking area of a shopping mall in Brickfields.
Meanwhile, Saifuddin Nasution said a total of 40,000 police personnel would be assigned to the six states that are scheduled to hold state polls namely Kelantan, Negeri Sembilan, Selangor, Penang, Kedah and Terengganu, to safeguard security and allow the people to cast their votes without fear.


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PKR to field 27 candidates in Sarawak election

PKR today announced the names of 27 candidates who will represent the party in the Sarawak state election on Dec 18.Sarawak PKR leadership council secretary Joshua Jabeng said after much consideration, the party had decided to contest only the seats where it has a higher chance of winning.“The rationale behind this is not just to contest, but more importantly it is to win… that’s why we decided to contest in the seats that we are confident we can win.“Besides, we will not contest the seats contested by DAP… it’s to avoid overlapping. That’s our principle and spirit in Pakatan Harapan (PH),” he told a press conference at the Sarawak PKR headquarters in Kuching.Yesterday, acting Sarawak PKR leadership council chairman Abang Zulkifli Abang Engkeh said the party would contest 49 out of the 82 seats in the state election.Meanwhile, PKR state election director Dominique Ng said PKR had acted rationally by not fielding candidates in seats which the party had no hope of winning.“Actually, the 49 seats that we mentioned earlier were focused seats, but we didn’t say we will contest in reality. We would rather focus more on the winnable seats than put our candidates in areas where we have absolutely no chance.“Right now, it seems like a lot of other parties… so we decided to reduce our seats because we need to be realistic in our expectations. That’s why we rather had a drastic reduction,” he said.Ng said the party might make some last-minute changes and add a few more names to the list.“But certainly no big corner fights with DAP, because we are running in the same PH,” he said.The following is the list of PKR candidates for the 12th Sarawak state election announced today:Opar – Meneng BirisTupong – Ahmad Nazib JohariSatok – Nor Dahlia Esapian EyauBatu Lintang – Cherishe NgAsajaya – Mahmud EpahSerumbu – Micheal SawingTarat – Christo MichealTebedu – Senior William RadeSadong Jaya – Piee LingLingga – Abg Abd Kasim Abg BujangBeting Maro – Abg Zulkifli Abg EngkehSaribas – Patrick KamisBukit Saban – Mikail Mathew AbdullahNgemah – Satu AnchomMachan – M Fauzi @ Joseph UsitTelian – Mohd Arwin AbdullahBalingian – Abd Jalil BujangKakus – Joshua JabengKatibas – Munan LajaMurum – Ani AmatBekenu – Norhafizah JohariLambir – Zolhaidah SubohMarudi – Elias LipiTelang Usan – Philip Jau DingMulu – Roland EnganBatu Danau – Racha BalangBa’kelalan – Martin Samuel Labo


What next for the youth, post-GE15?

A handful of young voters who cast their ballots for the first time at the 15th general election (GE15) last year say they no longer believe in the political agenda for the youth announced by some parties during the campaign season.
For them, the calls for an increase in political awareness among the youth appear no longer relevant as they say that the leaders who were vocal on such issues then are now silent.
Akmal Hashim, a first-year dentistry student, said he had heard nothing about politics for the youth after going to cast his vote.
He said this proved that the focus on the youth during the election campaign period was only to fish for votes.
"One of the MPs even formed a party called Muda and put himself forth as a champion of the youth," Akmal said when met in Petaling Jaya, Selangor.
"But since GE15, there has been nothing. He just plays on TikTok with his cat and his friends.
"What about all of the youth politics that he promoted?"
Jack Lim, a friend of Akmal's who was there with him, said his family did not often speak about politics.
Lim, 19, said he became interested in the topic after coming across videos on social media about the ideas of the youth.
But now, he said, nothing seemed to be happening.
"Maybe we were fooled," he said, laughing.
Because of this, he said, it came as no surprise when his friends dismissed youth politics as mere rhetoric.
The youth vote became a focus for many at GE15 following the constitutional amendment to lower the minimum voting age and allow for automatic voter registration.
This led to an increase of about six million voters from the previous general election in 2018.
Those under the age of 40 currently make up the largest cohort of voters in the national election system.
Former youth and sports minister Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, whose party Muda worked with Pakatan Harapan (PH) at GE15, had fought strongly for the implementation of the so-called Undi 18.
However, the results of the election showed that many among the youth voted for Perikatan Nasional (PN) instead.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Syed Saddiq said he had pushed for Undi 18 in order to empower the youth regardless of political affiliation.
"Since when was my mandate to push through Undi 18 for PH? Or PAS or Bersatu?" he said.
"No, that's not for me. My mandate was to ensure its passage for the people and for the youth."
The Muda president also said that institutional reforms could not be supported if they benefit only one party.
In order to regain the support of the youth, he said, PH would need to continue defending their rights and ensuring their welfare.
"When you lose the support of the younger generation, you have to learn why it was so," he said.
"Not pressure the youth even more."
A group of young food delivery riders said the youth no longer saw politicians as a factor for change in their future.
They said they were more inclined towards entrepreneurs and social media influencers whom they claimed were more effective in bringing about change.
"Syed Saddiq can say what he wants," they said. "If you look at TikTok, the youth of today support the influencers and entrepreneurs.
"When people are in trouble, they act first. They give money and channel aid."
They also said that many of the youth supported PN because influencers such as cosmetics entrepreneur Wawa Zainal and her husband Aeril Zafrel openly advised them to do so.


MPs unanimously pass anti-hopping bill

The constitutional amendment bill preventing MPs from switching camps was passed in the Dewan Rakyat today with an overwhelming 209 votes out of 220.
Every MP present voted in favour of the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill (No. 3) 2022 on Provisions Preventing Members of Parliament from Switching Parties while the remaining 11 were absent.
The passing of the bill today also fulfils a key point in the memorandum of understanding signed by Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob with Pakatan Harapan (PH), the coalition which suffered a string of defections in 2020 leading to the downfall of its 22-month government.
Ismail said yesterday that there was no need for a new MoU in writing as the understanding meant to ensure the well-being of the people and political stability in the country could still be continued.
He also said that several matters stated in the MoU would be implemented, such as the constitutional amendment to prohibit MPs from changing parties and the political funding law.
Ismail earlier said that under the anti-party hopping bill, MPs who jumped ship would lose their seats.
However, he said MPs would not lose their seats if they are dismissed by their party or if their political party is dissolved or deregistered.


White House open to tighter curbs on TikTok

The White House on Tuesday said it is open to further action on curbing TikTok, as legislation to ban the Chinese-owned app in the US began making its way through Congress.
The video-sharing service has more than a billion users worldwide including over 100 million in the US, where it has become a cultural force, especially for young people, raising alarm bells among lawmakers and in the government.
President Joe Biden's administration is out to thwart China and other countries from "seeking to leverage digital technologies and Americans' data in ways that present unacceptable national security risks," said White House principal deputy press secretary Olivia Dalton.
"We'll continue to look at other actions that we can take and that includes how to work with Congress on this issue," Dalton told reporters aboard Air Force One.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee was set to vote later Tuesday on legislation introduced by Republicans that would give Biden the authority to outright ban TikTok in the US.
The bill then would go to a full vote in the House, where passage was also likely.
Appearing tough on China is one of the rare issues with potential for bipartisan support in both the Republican-run House and the Senate, where Biden's Democratic Party holds a majority.
The American Civil Liberties Union said it opposed the recently introduced bill, arguing it would curb free speech.
"Congress must not censor entire platforms and strip Americans of their constitutional right to freedom of speech and expression," ACLU senior policy counsel Jenna Leventoff said.
The law will begin to snake its way through Congress as Western governments continue to ban TikTok from government devices, following a similar ban signed into law by Biden in January.
The White House on Monday gave federal agencies 30 days to purge TikTok from all government-issued devices, setting a deadline to comply with a ban.
'Political theatre'
TikTok sharply criticised the bans as "little more than political theatre."
"We hope that when it comes to addressing national security concerns about TikTok beyond government devices, Congress will explore solutions that won't have the effect of censoring the voices of millions of Americans," TikTok spokesman Brooke Oberwetter told AFP.
"Unfortunately that approach has served as a blueprint for other world governments," Oberwetter said.
Denmark's parliament announced Tuesday that it asked MPs and staff to remove TikTok from mobile devices because of the "risk of spying."
The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, banned the app on work devices to "protect" the institution, while Canada's government this week banned TikTok from all of its phones and devices.
TikTok has waited months for the findings of a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US (CFIUS), a government agency that assesses foreign investments' risks to US national security.
"The swiftest and most thorough way to address national security concerns is for CFIUS to adopt the proposed agreement that we worked with them on for nearly two years," TikTok's Oberwetter said.
Owned by Chinese tech giant ByteDance, TikTok has become a political target due to concerns the app can be circumvented for spying or propaganda by the Chinese Communist Party.
TikTok has repeatedly rejected accusations it shares data or cedes control to the Chinese government.
US national security concerns over alleged Chinese spying soared in recent weeks after a Chinese balloon traversed US airspace and was eventually shot down.


How Covid-19 has disrupted the routine of special needs students

The Covid-19 pandemic which saw schools nationwide shut down multiple times since March has played havoc with the academic year, perhaps especially so for special needs children whose classroom routines and learning activities, along with everyone else’s, have been disrupted and replaced with online lessons and printed modules.These students include those with hearing disabilities, those who are visually impaired, those with speech impediments, the physically disabled, and those with learning disabilities.Their situation appears cemented by the latest directive under the conditional movement control order (CMCO) imposed across most of the country for schools to close for the rest of the year.But experts warn that the teaching methods employed in lieu of face-to-face sessions with educators will not work without effective cooperation between teachers and parents, especially to ensure that each student follows the classes according to their own pace.“Educators who teach special needs children are more aware of the abilities and needs of individual students.“They need to plan their lessons well so that every student can still benefit,” Che Aznan Ahmad, the special education unit coordinator for Universiti Sains Malaysia told MalaysiaNow.He acknowledged however that such learning methods would present a challenge to parents unless they have been trained as educators.He therefore urged teachers to tap their creativity instead of depending solely on virtual classes.For example, he said, teachers could limit the content and exercises given to students to avoid overtaxing them, and use video recordings which would allow them to follow each class as many times as they need to.“Progress evaluations by teachers could also motivate students to finish their lessons,” he said.Challenges for teachersA special needs teacher in Batu Pahat, Johor, meanwhile spoke of concerns among educators that students would drop out due to the closure of schools.The teacher, who called himself Cikgu Din, said hundreds of parents had complained that their children could not absorb lessons from home.“For them, there is no maths class at 9am and no Bahasa Melayu class at 8.30am. At home, they are free.“The parents’ response is, these students are rejecting such sessions. They don’t want to learn. This will lead to dropouts,” he told MalaysiaNow.“We are not focused on finishing the syllabus. Our focus is on helping them understand it.”He said students would also forget what they had learnt over the long school break.“So teachers need to determine their level of ability again once schools reopen,” he added.To resolve the issues that accompany learning from home, he said, teachers advise parents against ordering their children to participate in online classes.He said teachers do not force special needs students to complete every lesson module provided.“When we say that homework must be completed, the parents are the ones who do it while the students just watch. We want parents to be the teachers, not the students.“So let them teach and help the students along according to their individual ability,” he said.Qammar Fatihah however has had a different experience with the new normal in education. His students are actually more excited about attending online classes.“They can use all sorts of gadgets,” he said. “Sometimes classes can continue for two hours because it takes a long time to calm them down.”He and his fellow teachers have no choice but to take classroom sessions online during the pandemic, but he makes the effort to call up each of his students to ensure that they are able to follow their lessons and understand their homework.He also records explanations and problem solution methods for his students to refer to while completing their work.“We are not focused on finishing the syllabus. Our focus is on helping them understand it.”


Hajiji called to meet Sabah governor

Sabah Perikatan Nasional chairman Hajiji Noor was today called to meet Sabah Yang Dipertua Negeri Juhar Mahiruddin.Hajiji, dressed in a blazer, songkok and white shirt, arrived at Istana Negeri at 3.55pm.“I was called,” he told reporters when asked why he was there.Hajiji, who is Sulaman assemblyman, was earlier announced by Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) as the new chief minister.GRS secured a clear majority to take over the state government from Warisan in the Sept 26 election, winning 38 of the 73 seats in the assembly.


Pfizer draws criticism as profits from Covid-19 jab sales soar

Pfizer sharply increased its 2021 profit projections on Tuesday, citing much higher Covid-19 vaccine sales which will provide a “durable” revenue stream in the wake of the pandemic.With German partner BioNTech, the pharma giant is ramping up vaccine production and now estimates 2021 revenues of US$26 billion from the vaccine, up from the US$15 billion projected in February.But the company has drawn criticism as governments face pressure to ensure vaccines are provided to poorer countries.Pfizer is holding talks with “basically all governments of the world” about providing booster shots through 2024, chief executive Albert Bourla said on Tuesday.Bourla expects “durable demand” for Covid-19 vaccines, similar to that of the annual flu jab.“It is our hope that the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine will continue to have a global impact by helping to get the devastating pandemic under control and helping economies around the world not only open, but stay open,” Bourla said.Pfizer has won praise for developing a game-changing vaccine in record time but critics are calling the profits troubling given the divide in vaccine availability between rich and poor countries.World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus last month criticised a “shocking imbalance in the global distribution of vaccines” and called for efforts to beef up WHO’s Covax programmes, which aims to ensure that poorer nations can access the shots.India and South Africa are leading an effort in the World Trade Organization to waive intellectual property and patent rules, at least temporarily, which would open the door to broader production of vaccines at a time when the virus is causing mass misery in India and other countries.US President Joe Biden said on Tuesday he had not made a decision on whether to support a vaccine waiver, but that the US is moving “as quickly as we can” to export doses.Pfizer reported net income of US$4.9 billion, up 45% from the same period last year.Revenues also jumped 45% to US$14.6 billion, including US$3.5 billion in Covid-19 vaccine sales.As of May 3, Pfizer and BioNTech have shipped about 430 million doses of the vaccine to 91 countries around the world.The company has agreed to provide up to 40 million doses for Covax.However, the company on Tuesday pointed to a series of deals to expand offerings in richer countries, including the US, the EU, Canada and Israel.Pfizer has defended its approach to vaccine pricing, saying it has moderated pricing through a “pandemic phase” that could last into 2022 at levels “to encourage broad access”.


'Say cheese, just one last shot': Singapore's bizzare pre-execution photo shoots continue

An anti-death penalty activist today shared a picture of Malaysian Kalwant Singh, taken as part of the bizarre photo shoot practice by Singapore's prison authorities where death row inmates are told to dress up in their favourite clothes and smile for the camera just days before their execution.
Kokila Annamalai also spoke of Kalwant's final moments with his family members, and how she had accompanied them to buy him new clothes for this purpose at Singapore's popular Mustafa shopping centre.
This incongruous shopping trip took place just days before the death sentence handed down on Kalwant six years ago for trafficking 60g – about half a cup – of diamorphine into the island republic was carried out.
"They picked each item out so carefully, so lovingly," Kokila wrote on Facebook.
"They hunted for a T-shirt with the Manchester United logo, and decided on joggers instead of jeans because they didn’t know his waist size.
"I picked out shoes and a cap for him, and last night, during their final visit, he asked the family to tell me that he walked and ran up and down the corridor a few times, wearing his new shoes."
Kokilla added that the family's final hours together were "full of laughter and jokes".
The photo that she shared showed Kalwant dressed in a long-sleeved T-shirt and track suit, smiling with one leg resting on a stool.
The 31-year-old was executed at dawn today, hours after the Singapore court dismissed his final appeal for a stay of execution.
Critics have described Singapore's tradition of photographing inmates scheduled for execution as tasteless and cruel, although the authorities themselves have never offered any explanation of the practice which some say borders on the macabre.

Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam poses in a similar pre-execution photo session ahead of his hanging in April.

A similar photo shoot was carried out for Malaysian Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, who was hanged in April despite an outpouring of international concern over his intellectual disability, which would render his execution illegal under the international treaties endorsed by Singapore.
Nagaenthran had posed in a similar setting, wearing a collared T-shirt, jeans and a pair of sneakers.
Singapore rights activist M Ravi was among those who had questioned the photo shoot for prisoners condemned to death.
"They used to say, in China they would ask the family to buy the bullet or something like that, or to choose or something like that, so in Singapore, you have this kind of macabre, this kind of… it is another form of punishment, cruelty," the prominent lawyer said on a recent episode of MalaysiaNow's Talk, Now programme.
"Until today, I cannot figure out the reason, no official response on this."
He also recalled how the mother of Singaporean Shanmugam Murugesu, who was executed in 2005, had shown him smiling photographs of her son, taken just before his death.
"She said these are the pictures they gave just before he was executed, and it’s like so many pictures. He was like a model, behind the table, all in a suit, and then you give the family and then they hang the picture. I just don’t understand why they have to do all this. That is why this kind of cruelty is just unbelievable," Ravi said.
Singapore has stubbornly defended its death penalty for drug traffickers, although critics say many who have been executed over the years were drug mules from poor families, while the real kingpins have largely escaped.
The city-state has also moved in recent months to silence activists and lawyers who represent death row inmates, slapping them with exorbitant fines after accusing them of breaching procedures.


Gerakan Tanah Air submits documents for registration with RoS

Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) intends to use a torch as its symbol in the 15th general election (GE15) if the coalition’s registration application is approved by the Registrar of Societies (RoS).
The GTA sponsor committee met with RoS director-general Mohd Nawardi Saad today to submit the relevant documents and discuss the registration process.
On Aug 4, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad announced the establishment of GTA, comprising four parties: Pejuang, Putra, Berjasa and Iman.
"In order for GTA to qualify to contest in GE15, we are doing the proper process based on the law by registering this political coalition with the RoS," Mahathir, who is also GTA sponsor chairman, said in a statement read by the coalition’s secretary-general Marzuki Yahya in Putrajaya today.
Mahathir, who is also Pejuang chairman, is still undergoing quarantine at home after being discharged from the National Heart Institute (IJN) on Sunday. He was admitted to IJN after testing positive for Covid-19 on Aug 31. Meanwhile, Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir, who is also GTA sponsor deputy chairman, hoped that GTA's application for registration would receive due consideration from the RoS to enable the coalition to contest in GE15.
Mukhriz said GTA offered the people a new coalition comparable to existing coalitions such as Barisan Nasional, Perikatan Nasional and Pakatan Harapan.
"Preparations for GE15 are underway and the coalition members are moving together by sharing each other's strengths," he said.


Covid-19 sweeps through Thailand’s overcrowded prisons

A coronavirus surge sweeping through Thailand’s prisons has thrown the spotlight on the kingdom’s overcrowded penal system, where some inmates have less space to sleep than the inside of a coffin.As of Saturday, almost 25,000 people have tested positive inside jails, where inmates living cheek by jowl have been encouraged to keep wearing their masks even while they sleep.Authorities have floated plans to give early releases to prisoners with underlying medical conditions and have announced funding for more testing and medical care in recent days.But former inmates say those behind bars have been kept in the dark about the seriousness of the outbreak.“Prisoners don’t have the knowledge to protect themselves,” said Somyot Prueksakasemsuk, a high-profile activist facing charges under Thailand’s harsh royal defamation law.Somyot was bailed last month and told AFP that he had not been tested for Covid-19 once during his 10-week stint in custody.He was not worried about contracting the disease while in jail because he had no idea about the level of risk.“But after this I’m so scared (for everyone still inside)… if you are inside the prison you are at risk, it’s unavoidable,” he said.Thailand’s prison outbreak has skyrocketed from just 10 publicly announced cases a month ago and sparked growing public concern after a handful of prominent activists contracted the illness.Among them was student leader Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul, who helped lead a series of rallies last year demanding political reforms in the kingdom, and who tested positive after she was released on bail.‘Less room than a coffin’The Thai prison population stood at around 311,000 earlier this year, the International Federation for Human Rights said – more than two and a half times the system’s official capacity.Four inmates in every five are serving time for drug charges because of harsh anti-narcotics laws that can see offenders jailed for a decade for possessing just a few methamphetamine pills.Many cells are so packed with bodies that some inmates only have half a metre of space.“That is less room for a body than the inside of a coffin,” Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin told local media in February.Officials have tested more than 36,000 inmates in recent weeks and begun delivering Covid vaccines to inmates and prison staff.Somsak said he was examining ways to give early releases to prisoners with underlying medical conditions, possibly through a royal pardon.Even if the plan goes ahead, prisoners will still have to complete a quarantine before returning home.“For us to bail anyone or do anything, it has to be done properly,” Somsak told reporters on Monday. “We can’t allow them to spread infections.”Rights groups say the plan should go further and urged authorities to also free non-violent offenders in order to reduce overcrowding.“Authorities should reduce the detainee population… of those held on politically motivated charges or for minor offences,” said Brad Adams of Human Rights Watch.