Afghan capital hit by attacks near ex-PM's office, Pakistan embassy

One person was killed on Friday in a suicide bomb attack near the Kabul office of the Hezb-e-Islami party, former Afghan prime minister Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said, the same day as an apparent failed assassination attempt at the Pakistan Embassy.
Multiple attackers were killed and several guards injured in the suicide bomb attack, according to three Hezb-e-Islami sources and one source with the ruling Taliban.
Party leader Hekmatyar said in a video statement that one person had been killed and two injured.
"I assure my countrymen, a failed attempt happened here by those who have done it many times but have failed," Hekmatyar said, adding it was not yet clear who was behind the attack.
"It cannot lower our morale or our resistance... we will stand with our nation," he said.
Kabul police and the interior ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Pakistan's foreign office said its embassy in Kabul had come under attack targeting the head of mission, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani, who escaped unscathed while a guard was critically injured. Taliban authorities did not immediately respond to request for comment.
Nizamani arrived in Kabul last month to take up the role at one of the few embassies that had remained operational throughout the period after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021.
The attack on the Hezb-e-Islami party office occurred near a mosque where senior party leaders present were unhurt, according to the party statement.
One Taliban and one party source said a vehicle belonging to the attackers and packed with explosives had detonated near the office. Firing took place and two attackers were killed while trying to enter the mosque, they said.
Hekmatyar said the attackers were wearing suicide explosive vests and that one was wearing a woman's burqa.
Several bombing and shooting attacks have taken place in Afghanistan in recent months, some of which have been claimed by Islamic State militants. A blast at a madrassa on Wednesday in northern Afghanistan killed at least 15 people.
The hardline Islamist Taliban, who seized power after US-led foreign forces withdrew in August 2021, have said they are focused on securing the country.
Hekmatyar founded Hezb-e-Islami in the mid-1970s as one of the main mujahideen groups fighting the 1980s Soviet invasion of Afghanistan from its base in Pakistan. He held the office of prime minister twice during the 1990s.


Nagaenthran to be buried in Ipoh on Friday

The remains of Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam who was executed at Singapore’s Changi prison yesterday will be laid to rest tomorrow at the Hindu cemetery in Buntong, Ipoh.His sister, 36-year-old Sarmila Dharmalingam, said his remains would be buried between 2pm and 4pm after a prayer session at their house.“We accept his demise with a heavy heart. Thank you to everyone who prayed for him in Singapore and Malaysia as well as on social media until now,” she said when met by reporters at her home in Tanjung Rambutan last night.Nagaenthran’s remains were brought back from Singapore to Ipoh by van.His mother, 60-year-old Panchalai Supermaniam, was also waiting at the family’s home.On April 26, the Singapore Court of Appeal dismissed her last-ditch legal challenge to set aside her son’s conviction and death sentence.Nagaenthran was sentenced to death in 2010 for trafficking 42.72g of heroin into Singapore in 2009.On Nov 7, 2021, it was reported that Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had written to his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong seeking leniency in Nagaenthran’s case.On Dec 3, however, Singapore President Halimah Yacob said he had been accorded full due process under the law.Nagaenthran’s lawyers claim that he was intellectually disabled.He was supposed to be hanged on Nov 10, 2021, but found temporary respite on Nov 9 after testing positive for Covid-19 when he appeared for a last-bid attempt to halt his death sentence.


Experts warn against slimming pill shortcut in journey to dream weight

Health experts have warned against turning to slimming products such as pills and supplements as a shortcut to shedding the desired pounds in the wake of a court verdict finding a pharmaceutical giant guilty of manslaughter in the deaths of hundreds who are believed to have died as a result of its weight loss drug.Dr Rosnah Ramly, a public health physician and sector head at the health ministry, said weight loss should be approached through healthy eating, adding that any other methods are not advisable.But given the allure of quick results often promised by such products, this is not always a popular option.“Eating healthily requires continuous commitment and effort, motivation and a supportive environment while the effects often show slow progress,” Rosnah told MalaysiaNow.The concern about slimming products that are touted as an easy and quick way to lose weight without the need to follow a healthy diet or exercise is that some of them may contain harmful ingredients which could cause side effects.If taken continuously, they could also lead to long-term ailments.Last week, French pharmaceutical firm Servier was found guilty of manslaughter over hundreds of deaths caused by its diabetes and weight loss pill Mediator.Initially intended for overweight people with diabetes, Mediator was widely prescribed to healthy individuals as an appetite suppressant.It was on the market for more than 30 years and used by about five million people before being pulled in 2009 over fears it could cause serious heart problems.About 500 people are thought to have died as a result of the drug, though experts say it may eventually cause as many as 2,100 deaths.Amrahi Buang, president of the Malaysian Pharmacists Society, urged those suffering from obesity to subscribe to proper weight management programmes or treatments.He also cautioned consumers to be mindful when buying health-related supplements or pills as some could contain substances prohibited or restricted by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA).Appetite suppressants like sibutramine and phentermine, for example, are commonly found in slimming products. The drugs are known to cause side effects like headaches, constipation, heartburn, back pain and painful menstrual periods if taken without a prescription.Amrahi said if such symptoms occur, people should consult a doctor if they do not go away or if they become worse.“If you experience more severe side effects such as increased blood pressure, heart palpitations, restlessness, dizziness, tremors, sleep disturbance, shortness of breath or chest pain, call your doctor immediately.”But despite these risks, and the enforcement in place to control the availability of such products, Amrahi said the problem surrounding weight loss products is “huge”.One reason is the ready supply of these products on e-commerce and social media platforms. Those who are lacking in health literacy are easily influenced by advertisements, Amrahi said.“There are thousands of online websites and social media platforms selling these products.”Rosnah agreed that many are lured into buying these products through convincing marketing strategies and the ease of access on online shopping platforms.And the glowing endorsements which often accompany them certainly help.“These products often use testimonies from celebrities and famous spokesmen and they are also commercialised on televisions and billboards,” Rosnah told MalaysiaNow.Amrahi warned consumers to be on the lookout for fake products and to avoid unknown online sellers. His advice is to always shop from community pharmacies.“Make sure the product is registered under the NPRA for quality, safety, and efficacy.”Where there is doubt, he said help or treatment should be sought from qualified pharmacists and doctors.Rosnah also cautioned people against falling for tall claims and testimonies.“These slimming products may be adulterated with slimming medications such as sibutramine or phentermine,” she said.


No state election, please: an appeal from Malaysia’s doctors

Will selfish politicians ever learn? Selfish and irresponsible is how one can describe politicians in the Melaka state assembly who decided to put “self” above the nation and stir the political pot at this time when the nation is seemingly on the road to recovery from the pandemic.Many say that we are in this current sad state of affairs because of the Sabah state election which sparked a chain of rapid transmissions of Covid-19 in Malaysia.Granted, a high percentage of our population has been vaccinated against the dreaded Covid-19, but the numbers being infected are still high. The current daily active cases number more than a hundred thousand with the daily death rate going above a hundred. Aren’t these sobering numbers to the politicians who are clamouring for an election to be held? Having a state election now would be like going out from the frying pan and into the fire.For a long time, deaths from severe Covid-19 were in the hundreds almost daily. Many children were orphaned and women widowed by the dreaded disease. There are many victims left behind suffering from long Covid with some tethered to oxygen concentrators for God knows how long to be. Do we want to add on to the numbers?Have we forgotten the fallen heroes from among the medical and non-medical frontliners? The medical frontliners have been battling the pandemic for close to two years now with many having their leave frozen, and an equally large number who either opt to stay out of their homes or dread going home after each shift for fear of bringing the virus back to their loved ones.Life has never been normal for the medical frontliners facing a never-ending stream of Covid-19 patients coming into the hospitals, PKRCs, CACs etc. The vaccination programme has just begun to bring a reprieve to these exhausted and dedicated frontliners.What happened to the truce that was called by politicians from opposing sides and their pledge to work together for the sake of the people?As far as the medical fraternity is concerned, we are dead against a state election being held during this time, not at least till the current situation returns to near normal.Dr Koh Kar Chai is president of the Malaysian Medical Association.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


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Put public health over 'basic right' to smoke, says DG Noor Hisham

Priority should be given to public health issues over the "fundamental right" to smoke, especially for young people, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says.
He said the public is also advised to help and support the actions of the health ministry to protect the younger generation from smoking tobacco and vaping.
"The Tobacco Products and Smoking Control Act and tobacco generational endgame (GEG) aim to create a generation that is free from smoking, including cigarettes and vaping for those born in 2007 and the years after," he said on Facebook yesterday.
Yesterday, the Tobacco Products and Smoking Control Bill 2022 which, among others, prohibits individuals born in 2007 and onwards from smoking, buying or possessing tobacco products or smoking devices, was presented for a first reading at the Dewan Rakyat.
According to the bill, individuals who smoke tobacco products or tobacco substitute products, use smoking devices or possess tobacco products, smoking materials, tobacco substitute products or smoking devices can be fined up to RM5,000, if convicted. Noor Hisham also cited historical facts about previous law enforcement such as the wearing of helmets and seat belts which concerned the people’s safety and lives.
"Thank God in 1975, 1979 and 2009, the MPs at that time used their power as representatives of the people well and contributed to saving many lives.
"There were no parties and lobbyists questioning 'human rights' to continue not wearing helmets or seat belts then," he said.


It’s dictatorship, says Anwar as health emergency looms

PKR’s Anwar Ibrahim today accused Muhyiddin Yassin of bringing the country into “dictatorship and authoritarianism”, ahead of a widely expected speech by the prime minister tonight to suspend Parliament using the Agong’s constitutional powers to declare a state of emergency.Anwar, who recently failed in his plan to engineer the defection of MPs including from Umno to topple Muhyiddin’s government, also labelled the current government as “lacking legitimacy”, accusing it of using the Covid-19 crisis to “justify its abuse of power”.“A state of emergency is declared when there is a threat to our national security. But when the government is itself the source of that threat then a state of emergency is nothing more than the descent into dictatorship and authoritarianism,” the PKR president said in a statement.This morning, MalaysiaNow reported that legal experts in Putrajaya were studying an option for a state of emergency as sanctioned by the Federal Constitution, following repeated appeals by senior health officials during high-level meetings this week.“At the heart of their concern is the budget next month. Any move to stop it from being passed could see the democratic process left with no choice but the dissolution of Parliament.“The scenario can’t get any worse than that, as they warned that elections will lead to Covid-19 infections going out of control,” a source who attended one of the meetings to fight the pandemic was quoted as saying.After chairing a special Cabinet meeting today, Muhyiddin travelled to Kuantan to seek an audience with Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah. He is expected to address the nation later tonight.Anwar said the government had failed to show leadership in handling the Covid-19 crisis, and “is instead resorting to undemocratic means to stay in power”.Last week, MalaysiaNow revealed that a group of MPs aligned with Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who supported Anwar in his efforts to take control of Putrajaya, could force snap polls if they did not vote to pass the budget to be tabled on Nov 6.In the absence of a clear majority for either bloc, such a scenario would force snap polls, seen as the worst case scenario which could lead to a multifold increase in daily Covid-19 infections.It is believed that any state of emergency to be declared would only apply to the political sphere, with all other daily routines allowed to continue.


More polling centres and streams if GE15 held under new normal

The Election Commission (EC) will set up more polling centres and streams to encourage the people to come out and vote if the 15th general election (GE15) is held under the new normal due to the Covid-19 pandemic.Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Parliament and Law) Shabudin Yahaya said this is to allay fear among voters as the pandemic would likely remain for some time more.“The EC has plans in place to encourage voters to vote. The increase in polling centres and polling streams will speed up the voting process and provide assurance to voters that it will be safe to come out and vote,” he told the Dewan Negara today.He was replying to Idris Ahmad on government efforts to increase confidence among voters if the pandemic has not ended when GE15 is called.To Idris’ original question on how prepared the EC is to conduct an election under the new normal, Shabudin said election SOPs to prevent the spread of Covid-19 have already been issued by the health ministry and National Security Council.“The guidelines to prevent the spread of Covid-19 will be adapted to the prevailing movement control order under the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 utilised during the Chini and Slim by-elections as well as the Sabah state election,” said Shabudin.


US carries out air strike to stop car bomb in Kabul

The US said it destroyed an explosive-laden vehicle with an air strike in Kabul on Sunday, hours after President Joe Biden warned of another terror attack in the capital as a massive airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans entered its last days.A Taliban spokesman confirmed the incident, saying a car bomb destined for the airport had been destroyed – and that a possible second strike had hit a nearby house.The US said it had only struck the vehicle, but added that secondary blasts indicated “a substantial amount of explosive material”.Local media reported possible civilian casualties, which the US said it was assessing.And with just two days to go until the agreed-upon date for US withdrawal, the Taliban revealed their supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada was in southern Afghanistan and planning to make a public appearance.“He is present in Kandahar. He has been living there from the very beginning,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.“He will soon appear in public,” added deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi of the leader, whose whereabouts have remained largely unknown and who has never made a public appearance.The US air strike came after a suicide bomber from the Islamic State (IS) group on Thursday targeted US troops stopping huge crowds of people from entering Kabul’s airport. About 114,000 people have been evacuated since Aug 15, when the Taliban swept back into power.More than 100 people died in the attack, including 13 US service personnel. Biden travelled Sunday to an air force base in Delaware to attend the somber ritual transfer of their remains.The attack and terror threats have slowed the airlift ahead of Biden’s deadline for evacuations to end by Tuesday.US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Sunday that some 300 Americans still in Afghanistan were seeking to leave the country.“They are not going to be stuck in Afghanistan,” national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on the Fox network, adding that the US had “a mechanism to get them out”.The Pentagon said Saturday that retaliation drone strikes had killed two “high-level” IS jihadists in eastern Afghanistan, but Biden warned of more imminent attacks from the group.The US embassy in Kabul later released a warning of credible threats at specific areas of the airport, including access gates.In recent years, the IS’ Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in those countries.They have massacred civilians at mosques, public squares, schools, and even hospitals.While both IS and the Taliban are hardline Sunni Islamists, they are bitter foes – with each claiming to be the true flag-bearers of jihad.Unthinkable cooperationThe IS attack has forced the US military and the Taliban to cooperate in ensuring security at the airport in a way unthinkable just weeks ago.On Saturday, Taliban fighters escorted a steady stream of Afghans from buses to the main passenger terminal, handing them over to US forces for evacuation.After a 20-year war, the foes were within clear sight of each other, separated by just 30m.Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said US troops had started withdrawing – without saying how many were left.‘Heartbreaking’Western allies that helped with the airlift have mostly ended their evacuation flights. Some voiced despair at not being able to fly out everyone at risk.The head of Britain’s armed forces, General Nick Carter, told the BBC it was “heartbreaking” that “we haven’t been able to bring everybody out”.A White House official said 2,900 people were evacuated in a 24-hour period between Saturday and Sunday, a drastic reduction from earlier in the week.France and Britain will on Monday urge the United Nations to work for the creation of a “safe zone” in Kabul to protect humanitarian operations, French President Emmanuel Macron said.But Macron said discussions with the Taliban about evacuations do not indicate France is recognising the hardline group as the new rulers of Afghanistan.“The Taliban are the ones in control… we have to have these discussions from a practical point of view. This does not mean there will be recognition,” Macron told TF1 television during a visit to Iraq, insisting the Taliban must meet “conditions” on humanitarian matters, especially women’s rights.And on Sunday, approximately 100 countries announced in a joint statement they would continue processing documents for both Afghans and foreign nationals to leave the country even after the US withdrawal deadline of Tuesday.“We have received assurances from the Taliban” that all those with the right travel documentation “will be allowed to proceed in a safe and orderly manner,” the statement, released by the US State Department, said.Also on Sunday, Blinken said he and foreign ministers from France, Germany, Britain, Turkey, Nato and other “key partners” would meet virtually to discuss an “aligned approach” on Afghanistan going forward.The UN said it was bracing for a “worst-case scenario” of up to half a million more refugees from Afghanistan by the end of 2021.


Amnesty International bank accounts closed by India

Amnesty International  is claiming the Indian government is conducting a witch hunt against it and other human rights organisations.The global watchdog says it has been forced to halt its India operations due to “reprisals” by India’s Hindu nationalist government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.Amnesty claims the bank account of its India office has been frozen by the government, forcing it to fire staff and call off important campaign and research work.“Amnesty International India has been facing an onslaught of attacks, bullying and harassment by the government,” Rajat Khosla, the group’s senior director of research, advocacy and policy, told the BBC.Governments in India have always looked askance at foreign funded NGOs, particularly human rights organisations.The current government has previously stated that Amnesty was being investigated over suspicions that the group was violating Indian laws surrounding foreign funding.Amnesty denies all such allegations.“We operate in over 70 countries, and the only other country previously that we were forced to shut operations in was Russia,” said Khosla. “I hope people around the world sit up and take notice.”Avinash Kumar, executive director of Amnesty International India, said in a statement on Tuesday, “The continuing crackdown on Amnesty International India over the last two years and the complete freezing of bank accounts is a result of our calls for transparency in the government regarding the grave human rights violations in the Delhi riots and Jammu & Kashmir.“For a movement that has done nothing but raise its voices against injustice, this latest attack is akin to freezing dissent.”The government has yet to respond to the accusations or requests for comment.


Sarawak cases surge as 2,551 more infections reported nationwide

Another 2,551 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 370,528.Sarawak reported 960 cases followed by Selangor (590), Kuala Lumpur (245), Kelantan (164), Sabah (143) and Johor (121).Penang recorded 91 cases, Negeri Sembilan 53, Perak 49, Pahang 47, Kedah 35, Melaka 28, Terengganu 16, Putrajaya six, Perlis two and Labuan one.Active cases stand at 18,600 with 227 in the ICU and 91 in need of respiratory assistance.Seven new clusters were detected:1. Jalan Sultan Iskandar (Bintulu in Sarawak; 440 screened, 27 positive)2. Jalan Balakong (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 29 screened, 19 positive)3. Jalan Kia Peng (Lembah Pantai, Kepong and Cheras in Kuala Lumpur; 18 screened, eight positive)4. DTI Sandakan (Sandakan in Sabah; 641 screened, 55 positive)5. DTI Lenggeng (Seremban and Port Dickson in Negeri Sembilan; 181 screened, 70 positive)6. Jepak (Bintulu in Sarawak; 402 screened, 50 positive)7. Sri Layang (Bentong in Pahang; 420 screened, 16 positive)Seven others ended, leaving 346 active clusters across the country.Another 1,524 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 350,563.However, two more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,365.


Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty’s husband arrested in porn production case

Mumbai police have arrested Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty’s husband, Raj Kundra, for allegedly producing and broadcasting pornographic films online.Police announced Kundra’s arrest late on Monday, calling the 45-year-old “the key conspirator” in a case involving the creation and publication of adult films via internet apps.“We have sufficient evidence regarding this,” police said in a press release, adding that investigations were continuing.The firm of businessman and actor Kundra had a tie-up with a London-based company that was involved in streaming pornographic content through a mobile app, Mumbai Police said on Tuesday.Addressing a press conference, Joint Commissioner of Police Milind Bharambe said that the police has not yet been able to any find any active role of Shetty in the case.“Crime Branch Mumbai this February registered a case related to pornographic films. New actors were promised roles in web series and short stories and they were asked to do bold and nude scenes in auditions. Female actors opposed this and approached the Crime Branch based on which a case was registered,” Bharambe said.He told reporters that all the pornographic content was being uploaded on a mobile application named “Hotshots”, owned by a London-based company.“During a detailed investigation, Raj Kundra’s company located in Viaan had a tie-up with London-based company Kenrin that owns mobile application Hotshots. All nude content created in Mumbai was published on Hotshots, which was operated from Mumbai. After complaints, this app was taken down by Google Play Store and iPhone,” Bharambe said.Kundra was remanded to police custody till July 23.The arrest is the latest scandal to hit Kundra, who has two children with Shetty, the 2007 winner of British reality show, Celebrity Big Brother.In 2015, Kundra was banned for life from all cricket-related activities, following an investigation into match-fixing during his stint as a co-owner with Shetty of the Rajasthan Royals, a franchise in the hugely successful Indian Premier League.Shetty, who has not issued a statement on her husband’s arrest, has been targeted by trolls on social media over the case.In fact, she did not show up on the “Super Dancer chapter 4” shoot on Tuesday. A source from the dance reality show set told indianexpress.com that she was absent from the set.They said, “Shilpa is quite disturbed with Raj’s arrest. She did not feel up to coming to the shoot today, and has been home, taking care of her kids.”In an interview earlier, Kundra had spoken about how anything that he does has a direct effect on his wife. He also admitted that because of this, it has become difficult for him to work in India.India has stringent laws against publishing and transmitting “obscene material”, but watching pornography in private is legal.According to the adult site, Pornhub, the nation of 1.3 billion was its third largest worldwide source of traffic in 2018.


Chinese tennis star Peng reappears, speaks by video with IOC president

Chinese tennis star Peng Shuai said she was safe and well during a video call with the International Olympic Committee chief Sunday, the organisation said, amid international concern about her well-being after her explosive claims of sexual assault.At the beginning of a 30-minute call with IOC president Thomas Bach, “Peng Shuai thanked the IOC for its concern about her well-being,” the organisation said in a statement.“She explained that she is safe and well, living at her home in Beijing, but would like to have her privacy respected at this time,” it said.“That is why she prefers to spend her time with friends and family right now. Nevertheless, she will continue to be involved in tennis, the sport she loves so much.”Earlier Sunday, Peng was seen attending a Beijing tennis tournament, in official photos of the event, marking her first public appearance since she made her accusations against former vice premier Zhang Gaoli, and they were scrubbed from the Chinese internet.The 35-year-old two-time Grand Slam doubles champion alleged earlier this month that Gaoli, now in his 70s, forced her into sex during an on-off relationship spanning several years.Following a global outcry, including from tennis superstars and the United Nations, Chinese state media reporters have released a flurry of footage purporting to show all is well with Peng.A video from the Fila Kids Junior Tennis Challenger Finals event, tweeted by Global Times newspaper editor Hu Xijin, shows Peng standing in a stadium among a group of guests whose names are announced to a smattering of applause.A Global Times reporter tweeted another video showing Peng signing autographs for children at what appears to be the same stadium before posing for photos with them.Hu also posted two other videos on Saturday, the first showing Peng walking into a restaurant wearing a coat, knit cap and face mask, and the second of a maskless Peng sitting at a table chatting with people over a meal.AFP could not verify the authenticity of the videos.Hu tweeted in English that the second video shows “Peng Shuai was having dinner with her coach and friends in a restaurant. The video content clearly shows they are shot on Saturday Beijing time”.The chat appears to be staged. Peng appears relaxed in the footage, which appears to have been taken with a mobile phone, but those with her are at pains to emphasise the date in somewhat stilted comments.‘Insufficient’Peng’s claims against Zhang were the first time China’s #MeToo movement has touched the highest echelons of the ruling Communist Party.They were quickly scrubbed from the Twitter-like Weibo platform, and concerns for her safety have mounted ever since.The Women’s Tennis Association has threatened to end lucrative contracts with China unless it gets word of Peng’s safety.On the restaurant videos, WTA boss Steve Simon said he was glad to see the images but “it remains unclear if she is free and able to make decisions and take actions on her own, without coercion or external interference”.“This video alone is insufficient,” Simon said in a statement.“I have been clear about what needs to happen and our relationship with China is at a crossroads.”A WTA spokesman later told AFP that Sunday’s images from the Beijing tournament still did not address their concerns.IOC Athletes’ Commission chair Emma Terho nevertheless said she was relieved after Sunday’s video call, in which she took part.“I was relieved to see that Peng Shuai was doing fine, which was our main concern,” Terho said in the IOC statement.“She appeared to be relaxed. I offered her our support and to stay in touch at any time of her convenience, which she obviously appreciated.”‘Independent, verifiable proof’A growing chorus of voices in the sports world and beyond has been demanding answers about Peng’s situation.US President Joe Biden’s press secretary said his administration wanted China to “provide independent, verifiable proof” of her whereabouts.Britain’s foreign office also said it was “extremely concerned” and urged China to release verifiable evidence, while France’s foreign minister said she should be allowed to speak freely to clarify her situation.The United Nations has insisted on a fully transparent investigation into the claims made by Peng.Some of the biggest names in tennis have spoken out about the case, including Serena Williams, Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Naomi Osaka.Peng represented China at the Beijing, London and Rio de Janeiro Olympics and won gold for China at the 2010 Asian Games.She is a former Wimbledon and French Open doubles champion.


Court throws out Shafee’s bid to expunge taxman’s witness statement

The Kuala Lumpur High Court today dismissed Muhammad Shafee Abdullah’s application to expunge over half of the written witness statement of a former Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) officer in relation to his money laundering case involving RM9.5 million.Judge Muhammad Jamil Hussin in his judgment said there was no probability that 33 out of 51 paragraphs of the witness statement of Syed Nasrul Fahmi Syed Mohamad, the seventh prosecution witness, prejudiced Shafee as the accused.“In my opinion, the 33 paragraphs in the written statement of the seventh prosecution witness are relevant to proving the third and fourth charges against the accused,” he said.He said the witness statement could always be challenged by the defence during cross-examination.He also said that whether or not the witness statement should be accepted and whether it could prove the charges against Shafee were different issues and for the court to decide.“The application to expunge the 33 paragraphs in the seventh prosecution witness’ written statement is hereby dismissed,” he said.On Sept 13, 2018, Shafee pleaded not guilty to two charges of receiving RM9.5 million in proceeds from unlawful activities through two cheques issued by former prime minister Najib Razak, deposited into his CIMB Bank account.He was also charged with two counts of engaging in transactions resulting from illegal activities, namely submitting incorrect tax returns – a violation of Paragraph 113 (1)(a) of the Income Tax Act 1967 – for the financial years ending December 31, 2013, and December 31, 2014.


India makes tobacco warnings mandatory for streaming sites

India unveiled guidelines on Wednesday requiring streaming platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video to display prominent warnings about smoking and other forms of tobacco use while airing shows with such scenes.
While film and television certification bodies already moderate public content in India, its laws have few provisions to censor content on popular online platforms.
The Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Amendment Rules, 2023 made it mandatory for such platforms to display "anti-tobacco health spots" of at least 30 seconds each at the start and middle of a programme, a notice from the health ministry showed.
The new rules also made it compulsory for the platforms to display an anti-tobacco health warning as a "static message" at the bottom of the screen while displaying tobacco products on screen. It also mandated audio-visual disclaimers about the ill-effects of tobacco use.
The stringent laws come after a survey by the World Health Organization found that nearly 267 million Indians of age 15 and above consume tobacco.
"India's new regulations will ensure that streaming services are not the next vehicle for Big Tobacco's aggressive targeting of Indian youth," said Yolonda Richardson, an executive from non-profit group Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids.
The amendment further states that the federal government will take suo moto action against streaming sites if they fail to adhere to the new rules.
Netflix and Amazon Prime Video and trade group Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI), which represents the interests of several streaming websites, did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
The tough rules come years after court cases and complaints filed to the police alleged that some content on streaming platforms was obscene or insulted religious sentiment.


'Endgame' bill about preventing future addiction, not immediate ban on smoking, say doctors

The Malaysian Medical Association (MMA) has stepped up support for the health ministry's bill to weed out the smoking habit from a young age, saying the so-called generational endgame (GEG) is not about an immediate ban but about sparing future generations from the consequences of addiction.
"We understand that certain industry groups may be unhappy about the move, but we believe it is time that Malaysians prioritise health and embrace a healthy lifestyle," MMA president Dr Koh Kar Chai said in a statement today.
"The country will gain economically by not having to bear the burden of people being afflicted with diseases associated with tobacco use and Evali (e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury)," he added.
"The whole idea behind GEG is to prevent addiction to these products."
The Tobacco Product and Smoking Control Bill 2022 was tabled for a first reading on July 27, with debate on the topic to continue at the Dewan Rakyat today.
If passed, the bill will criminalise the consumption of any tobacco product or substitute tobacco product by those born after 2007.
It will also prohibit the possession and use of smoking devices as tobacco and smoking substances, with offenders liable to a fine of up to RM5,000.
Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the bill was to protect future generations from becoming involved in smoking and addiction, and to reduce the percentage of smokers in Malaysia to less than 5% by 2040.
Government statistics from 2019 showed that one in five Malaysians aged 15 and above were smokers.
They also found that 17% of those aged 13 to 15 were smokers, as were 9% of children aged 12 and below.
In his statement today, Koh said addiction was "a disease that is extremely difficult to treat".
"We need to prevent early addiction by not allowing our young to pick up the unhealthy habit," he added.
"We all know and can see for ourselves that kids even as young as 14 are experimenting with cigarettes and vaping products. By the time they hit their 20s, they could very well be addicted if not already so while in their teens."
Urging MPs not to let the majority down in this regard, he called on the health ministry to press on with the implementation of the GEG.
"Even with the ban of sale of cigarettes to those 18 and below, we were not able to prevent new generations from smoking.
"With proper implementation, enforcement and public support, we believe the GEG will be effective in curbing a future of smokers and vapers," he said.


Daily caseload below 1,900 as 4 more deaths reported

Another 1,867 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,838,872.
There were 1,402 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,777,329.
There are now 25,174 active cases, of which 24,071 or 95.6% are undergoing home quarantine.
Meanwhile, 0 (0.0%) are at quarantine centres while 1,060 (4.2%) have been hospitalised.
A total of 43 are in ICU with 24 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 58.8%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 11.7%.
Four more deaths were reported, taking total deaths to 36,369.


Ismail’s nomination proves Umno is ready to face GE15, says Tok Mat

Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan today said that the party’s decision to nominate Ismail Sabri Yaakob as its prime ministerial candidate for the 15th general election (GE15) proves that it is stable and united in facing the challenges to come at the polls.He said the decision clearly showed Umno’s maturity, putting a stop to speculation that the party was in turmoil over who should be its “poster boy”.“For me, in facing GE15, we have to put our house in order first. If our house is in turmoil and we are fighting over who should be highlighted, that would raise questions and would definitely not be good for the party. So, when the leadership came out with the decision, we were relieved.“People said Umno was in turmoil over who should be the poster boy. We have shown them that we all agree that the prime minister is the best candidate… that Umno is united, calm and all set to face the election,” he said to reporters after attending the opening ceremony of the first meeting of the fifth session of the 14th state assembly in Seremban.Mohamad, who is also Rantau assemblyman and Umno election director, also repeated his stance that now until June would be the best time for the election to be held due to the overwhelming enthusiasm among party members following the victories in the Melaka and Johor state elections.He said he would start going to each state to monitor and scrutinise which seats were winnable and should be focused on after the Aidilfitri celebration.“There are seats that we want to retain, there are seats that we want to regain and there are seats were we want to minimise losses. That’s my strategy… we have to be realistic, we are not contesting all seats,” he said.


Many keen to invest in Langkawi despite Covid-19, says Mahathir

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad says popular tourist destination Langkawi continues to attract investors despite the country’s ongoing struggle with the Covid-19 pandemic.He said while tourist arrivals to the island had dropped because of the pandemic, investors are optimistic about the future of its tourism industry.“Many people are keen to invest in Langkawi although there are no tourists at the moment. They (investors) have high hopes for the future.“So the authorities that are responsible for approving investments should act quickly so that we are prepared when tourists can start to come to Langkawi again,” he told reporters after a walkabout at Pantai Chenang today.He also said that some potential investors are looking to open hotels, shopping malls and factory outlets.


Health ministry warns against spreading fake news that teens died after Covid jabs

The health ministry has urged people to remain calm and not to trigger public alarm following a video clip alleging that several people including teenagers had died after receiving their Covid-19 vaccinations.The one minute 40 second clip featured a woman who claimed that several individuals including two secondary school students in Ipoh, Perak, and a teenager in Lahad Datu, Sabah, had died due to the Covid-19 vaccine.Perak police chief Mior Faridalathrash Wahid had said that the claims about the students in Ipoh were not true.Deputy Health Minister Dr Noor Azmi Ghazali meanwhile said an investigation by the health ministry found that the students in Ipoh, both aged 17, had type 1 diabetes and congenital heart disease respectively.“The teenage girl who was a type 1 diabetes patient depended on insulin treatment. The student was infected with Covid-19 and died on Aug 18 before the PICK adolescent vaccination programme began.“The teenage boy who had congenital heart disease was taken to the hospital emergency unit due to a severe infection. Respiratory assistance and resuscitation were carried out but he died on Sept 17 and had not yet received the Covid-19 vaccine,” he said in a statement.He said investigations also found no deaths involving teenagers after the vaccination programme for students as reported in Lahad Datu, Sabah.The woman in the clip also claimed that two children in Ipoh had experienced adverse events following immunisation (Aefi).Noor Azmi said the health ministry had found that the youth, who are siblings, aged 16 and 18, had experienced side effects from the Comirnaty vaccine and were warded in a private hospital in Ipoh.He said checks by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA) found that no reports on their side effects had been received so far.However, he advised parents and guardians to monitor their children after they receive the vaccine as Aefi can occur although in most cases they are mild.“The health ministry wishes to advise all government and private medical practitioners who suspect that their patient is suffering from Aefi to immediately lodge an Aefi report with the NPRA.“Before issuing a public statement, ensure that the source of information has been verified by an authorised and responsible source,” he added.


At friendly forum, Umno, DAP and PKR men in one voice against Muhyiddin

Leaders from Umno, DAP and PKR appeared to be in agreement with each other during a discussion programme last night, as they questioned the legitimacy of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and his advice to the Agong to declare a state of emergency.In the programme streamed online, Kamal Amir, an Umno veteran who was in the Youth exco in the 80s, DAP’s Abdul Aziz Bari and PKR MP Abdullah Sani insisted that parliamentary proceedings must be held throughout the state of emergency so that Muhyiddin can prove he has support as prime minister.“People say, at the time he advised the Yang di-Pertuan Agong (to declare an emergency), he did not have legitimacy, but his legitimacy cannot be challenged now because there isn’t (parliament),” said Kamal.“Yes, I agree,” replied Aziz, who is the Perak opposition leader. “The Agong is only bound to listen to advice from a government that is legitimate,” he added.Aziz is one of three Pakatan Harapan assemblymen who filed a suit challenging Muhyiddin’s decision to advise the Agong to approve the emergency ordinance.The law lecturer-turned-politician had in October said the Agong’s decision is final, after Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah declined to invoke his powers to declare an emergency when it was first proposed.Pakatan Harapan (PH) chairman Anwar Ibrahim had urged MPs to write to the Agong to rescind the proclamation, but later said that he was only questioning the advice by Muhyiddin, as well as calling for Parliament to convene.Another panel member, Kapar MP Abdullah, attacked the government for declaring the movement control order (MCO) under which restrictions were placed on businesses as part of efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19.“We are actually blocking the process of economic growth. This is why I think the government has failed in its duties and allowed people to suffer with continued lay-offs.“Today, people are forced to steal, people have no food,” he claimed.Kamal agreed with Abdullah, saying the government was using the emergency ordinance as a pretext to defend its inability to govern.At one point, the moderator interjected, saying there was a friendly atmosphere and agreement between Umno and DAP.“The ideas seem to be in alignment,” he said.Aziz meanwhile accused Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun of misinterpreting the law by blocking attempts to topple Muhyiddin in parliament.“In Perak, we have a speaker who is not from a legal background, but is more honest than the Dewan Rakyat speaker who is a lawyer,” said Aziz.Since coming to power in March last year, Muhyiddin has survived two critical votes that could have forced him to resign after losing the majority support of MPs.In July, the government won a motion to replace the speaker with Azhar, and late last year, several attempts to turn the 2021 budget vote into a confidence vote against Muhyiddin ended in victory for the ruling bloc.Abdullah, a staunch loyalist of his party president Anwar, also scoffed at suggestions that those questioning the emergency proclamation were committing treason against the Agong.Instead, he condemned those who questioned Anwar’s royal pardon, saying they were the ones who had committed treason.“The Agong has pardoned Anwar, but they still want to challenge it in court. This is what is called treason. I don’t know what kind of scum they are,” said Abdullah.In September last year, Anwar failed to stop a suit in the High Court challenging his royal pardon in 2018, days after PH’s election victory.In his suit, lawyer Mohd Khairul Azam Abdul Aziz said the pardon contravened of Articles 42 (4) and (5) of the Federal Constitution, saying it should be based on the advice of the Pardons Board, which Khairul argued had not yet been formally established after the change of government in May 2018.


Govt to standardise regulations, taxes for hotels and Airbnb

The government will soon finalise the standardisation of issues involving the hotel sector and Airbnb including regulations and taxes, says Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mustapa Mohamed.He said this would give a new lease of life to the tourism industry, especially hotel operators whom he said had been more affected by the Covid-19 pandemic as they were bound by regulations.He added that discussions are ongoing between the tourism, arts and culture ministry, the housing and local government ministry, and state governments, with a committee chaired by Chief Secretary to the Government Mohd Zuki Ali tasked with resolving these issues.“In business, we have the concept of ‘level playing field’, meaning we have to be fair to all.“If one component is subject to various rules while another sector is not, of course this is not fair,” he said in a press conference after an event at Bandar Hilir in Melaka.He said the government was also in the final stages of considering applications from states for allocations under the 12th Malaysia Plan.Giving the example of Melaka, he said the state had applied for RM100 million for a cable car development and RM25 million for the maintenance of several tourist destinations.He said the matter would be discussed with the finance minister and prime minister before decisions are made.


California mandates Covid jabs for all teachers

All teachers in California will have to be vaccinated against Covid-19 or submit to weekly virus tests, the state’s governor announced Wednesday, as authorities grapple with exploding infection rates.The number of people testing positive for the disease has surged across the US in recent weeks, with the highly infectious Delta variant blamed for the bulk of new cases.That has worried parents and educators as the most populous state in the country readies to send its largely unvaccinated children back into classrooms for the new school year.“To give parents confidence that their children are safe as schools return to full, in-person learning, we are urging all school staff to get vaccinated,” Gavin Newsom said.“Vaccinations are how we will end this pandemic. As a father, I look forward to the start of the school year and seeing all California kids back in the classroom.”As it was for many children around the world, last school year in California was badly interrupted, with classes moved online, and many children without adequate internet connections missing out on huge chunks of their education.Along with the rest of the country, the state managed to tame the worst of its coronavirus outbreak earlier this year and life is largely back to normal.But the return to in-person learning for this academic year has been imperilled by growing infections; more than 10,000 new cases are being recorded every day in the state – a ten-fold increase over two months.Doctors say these infections are chiefly among the unvaccinated.Vaccinations are free and widely available in the US.Losing patienceThe order announced Wednesday – the first such state-wide mandate in the country – applies to public and private schools, and puts the onus on administrators to ensure either that staff are fully vaccinated, or that they undergo Covid-19 tests at least once a week.Parent groups welcomed the move.“We want to do everything possible to protect our most vulnerable children and ensure that all children can return to school as safely as possible,” said California state PTA president Carol Green.“We stand by our position that educators are essential workers and support the safe opening of schools to in-person instruction.”Around two-thirds of Californians over the age of 12 have been fully vaccinated, according to the state’s health department.Children under that age are not eligible for the shots.Vaccinations are a divisive issue in the US, largely along party-political lines, with the left overwhelmingly in favour and sections of the right opposed.Take up of the vaccines varies widely across the country, and is particularly poor in the South, but there are growing signs that government and business is running out of patience with vaccine holdouts.The Pentagon this week announced it would make vaccines mandatory for all service personnel by next month.New York City will soon require proof of vaccination for people attending indoor venues like gyms and restaurants, while Los Angeles appears to be moving the same way.California has already told all of its public healthcare workers that they must be inoculated.Major employers like United Airlines, investment bank Morgan Stanley, meat producer Tyson Foods and tech giants like Microsoft have all demanded employees get a shot.Italy this month said teachers had to have a Green Pass, which shows either that they have been vaccinated, have tested negative for coronavirus or have recovered from a bout.


A conversation with Charles Yeo, Singapore's latest dissident-in-exile

A Singapore rights lawyer who recently sought political asylum in the UK says he will continue exposing what he describes as the wrongdoings of the authorities, as part of a long history of dissidents choosing to live in exile in their fight against the PAP-led government.
Charles Yeo, who represented death row prisoners and courted controversy over his social media posts on Christians and homophobia, is wanted by the authorities in the city-state for breaching the conditions of the court approval for his overseas travel.
But the 30-something says he decided to leave Singapore as he feared he would not receive a fair trial if he stayed, adding that the charges against him were politically motivated.
In January, Yeo, the former chairman of Singapore's Reform Party, was charged with harrassing police officers and hurting the feelings of Christians after posting several statements on his social media account.
He is also being investigated for criminal breach of trust (CBT) and forgery in the wake of complaints lodged against Whitefield Law Corporation, the law firm where he was once a partner.
Last month, he was released on bail of S$10,000 for business-related travel to Vietnam from July 27 to 30. He was supposed to surrender his passport upon his return on Aug 1, but decided that he would not return to the city-state.
"This is all total rubbish," Yeo told MalaysiaNow in an interview from the UK. "I have been a Singapore citizen for 30 years and a lawyer for five years but no complaint was ever filed against me.
"After I stood for election, suddenly there were so many complaints against me," he said, describing the accusations against him as "ridiculous" and a consequence of his frequent criticism of the Singapore government.
This includes his opposition to Singapore's death penalty, and his work to defend death row prisoners.
Yeo dismissed the claim that he had insulted Christianity, saying he had only gone against those whom he labelled as "false Christians".
"They said that because I spoke out against homophobia in Singapore, I wounded the religious feelings of Christians," he said.
"But this is all nonsense because if you read my social media, I myself identify as a Christian.
"Actually, Christianity is about caring for the poor and loving the underprivileged."
The three charges of hurting religious feelings form only half of the total number of charges and investigations against him.
There are currently "five to six matters" in which he is "facing state prosecution", including charges of CBT and forgery involving a total sum of S$100,000.
"This one can go up to 20 years in prison," he added.
Yeo is the latest in a long history of critics of the PAP government fleeing Singapore due to prosecution under various laws aimed at silencing them.
Under the late strongman Lee Kuan Yew, the father of current Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Leong, activists and opposition leaders were frequently sued to the extent of bankruptcy and accused of being involved in communist conspiracy.
These include prominent opposition activists such as JB Jeyaretnam, Chee Soon Juan and Chia Thye Poh.
Yeo maintains that he is a political target due in part to his links with prominent rights lawyer M Ravi, who has also been vocal in the campaign to abolish the death penalty.
Yeo worked alongside Ravi to defend Malaysian death row prisoner Nagaenthran K Dharmalingam, whose execution in April sparked an international outcry and a deepening scrutiny of Singapore's use of the death sentence.
Nagaenthran, who was hanged despite a diagnosis of limited mental capability, had been convicted of smuggling a small amount of heroin into the city-state.
His execution coincided with what has been described as an atmosphere of fear among lawyers in the republic of representing death row prisoners due to concerns of reprisal by the attorney-general.
"The state wants to stop death row inmates from having legal representation," Yeo said.
"That is why they come and put pressure on all of us."
Singapore has carried out 10 executions in just four months, a record of sorts matched only by the recent executions of dissidents by the Myanmar junta.
The government has scoffed at growing international pressure, insisting that its death penalty is a deterrent for drug-related crimes even as neighbouring Malaysia moved to abolish its mandatory death penalty.
Yeo said he was not for the total abolition of the death penalty, although he believes that the sentence is unfairly meted out due to elements of discrimination.
"In Singapore, many people who are sentenced to death are Malays and Indians," said Yeo, who recently represented two intellectually disabled men convicted of drug trafficking, Singaporean Roslan Bakar and Malaysian Pausi Jefridin, whose executions were halted through a presidential decree.
"It is used by the state to keep the minorities in fear and to make them very afraid," he added.
"Those who commit a crime out of desperation – these people should not be sentenced to death."
On what lies ahead after his farewell to Singapore, Yeo said his main focus right now was his application for political asylum in the UK.
"But I will continue writing to expose the Singapore state for its hypocrisy and facist ideology," he said.
"I will continue to help and assist my party and lend my resources whenever I can to denounce the PAP."


Sorry.


Dancing, singing out in Sydney as virus cluster grows

Dancing, singing and chanting were banned across Sydney in a fresh round of restrictions introduced Sunday as Australian authorities raced to control a growing coronavirus outbreak in the city.As hundreds of thousands of people on Sydney’s northern beaches awoke to the first day of a snap lockdown, authorities announced another 30 coronavirus cases had been detected in the area.That brings the Covid-19 cluster in Australia’s most populous city to 68 cases since it emerged Thursday, causing alarm among health officials, who issued stay-at-home orders for several beachside suburbs.New South Wales state – which incorporates Sydney – on Sunday announced bans on dancing, singing and chanting at indoor venues across the city except at small weddings and religious services.“It is the season when we all love to be singing,” state health minister Brad Hazzard said.“But for the moment, it is probably one of the most dangerous exercises you can do, dancing and singing.”Sydney restaurants, bars and cafes will be forced to limit patron numbers to 300 people while caps have also been placed on visits to homes.Mask-wearing is being encouraged but has not been made compulsory.Officials have promised to review the rules Wednesday in the hope some restrictions can be lifted before Christmas day.The latest outbreak has thrown Christmas plans into disarray, as many Australians who hoped to reunite with family after long separations were forced to cancel travel after new domestic border closures.On Sunday, Victoria and South Australia became the latest states to announce Sydney residents would be subject to mandatory hotel quarantine for 14 days on entry.Australia has largely been successful in containing the virus, taking an aggressive approach centred on imposing early and often far-reaching restrictions in response to new outbreaks.The country has recorded just over 28,100 Covid-19 cases and 908 deaths in a population of about 25 million.


LHDN seeking RM1.4 million in tax arrears from businessman

The Malaysian government through the Inland Revenue Board (LHDN) filed a suit against businessman Zaidi Kanapiah, better known as Datuk Addy Kana, seeking payment of RM1.4 million from him in income tax.The government as the plaintiff filed a writ of summons and statement of claim through LHDN on Oct 1 at the Kuala Lumpur High Court, naming Zaidi, 31, as the defendant.Based on the statement of claim obtained through the court system, the government claimed that that an additional assessment amounting to RM380,025.73 and RM918,079.23 was made for the assessment years of 2018 and 2019, respectively.“As the defendant failed to pay income tax within 30 days as stipulated under Section 103 of the Income Tax Act 1967, an increase in tax of 10% amounting to RM38,002.57 and RM91,807.92 was imposed and added to the overall income tax for the years of assessment 2018 and 2019 that still remain unpaid,” the plaintiff said in its statement of claim.The plaintiff claimed that to date, the defendant had yet to pay to the plaintiff the amounts and penalties due which come up to RM1,427,915.45.As such, the plaintiff is seeking that the defendant pay RM1,427,915.45, interest of 5% per annum from the date of judgment until the date of realisation, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.The next case management has been fixed on Nov 22 to update the court on the status of the submission of the summons.On Oct 28, the government sought to forfeit more than RM500,000 seized by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) from businessman Alvin Goh Leong Yeong and the wife of Zaidi, Alyaa Syuhaila Mohamad Sharif, as well as a few of their companies.The Federal Court on April 27 ordered Zaidi and two policemen who were detained under the Prevention of Crime Act 1959 in connection with an illegal online gambling syndicate, be released immediately.Chief Justice Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat who chaired a five-member panel made the order after allowing the trio’s appeal over their applications for a writ of habeas corpus.


Police station chief nabbed while partying suspended from duty

A police station chief arrested for allegedly having a party at his own police station in the Kajang district on Tuesday has been suspended from duty effective today.Bukit Aman Integrity and Standards Compliance Department (JIPS) director Azri Ahmad said action was taken after the sub-inspector tested positive for ganja, adding that he had been remanded for two days to assist in the investigation.Azri said the remaining seven individuals – three policemen and four civilians –detained in the police raid had been released on bail.“JIPS is still conducting further investigations on the misconduct and indiscipline of the police personnel involved while the others have been handed over to the relevant divisions for further investigation and action,” he told Bernama today.On Tuesday, four policemen – the sub-inspector, two corporals and a support corporal – along with four women were arrested while partying in a special room at the police station in a raid at about 6pm.Police also confiscated several bottles of liquid suspected to be ketum juice, liquor, speakers, disco lights, a microphone and a television.


A mother’s lonely road after losing her son to Covid-19

Visits to the hospital were nothing new for Mohd Kamil Affendy Hashim who recently began experiencing problems with his eyes.His mother, Aminah Ibrahim, was also used to her son’s frequent trips to hospitals and clinics in Kuala Lumpur in order to receive treatment.But she had no idea when Kamil went to the hospital at the end of June that it would be his last trip.It started out as a routine visit to the hospital but after a week of being admitted, Kamil, fondly nicknamed Eddie, learnt that he had a more serious problem at hand.“At 3am he called me to tell me, ‘Mum, the doctor told me I have Covid,” Aminah recalled.“The minute he said the word ‘Covid’, God only knows what my emotions were.”Her fears were well founded – Eddie passed away a week later on July 8.“At 3am he called me to tell me, ‘Mum, the doctor told me I have Covid.”Aminah received the news from her daughter who phoned her to tell her that Eddie was gone.“That morning, she called me and told me to be strong – Eddie had passed away.“She was the one who arranged everything, even the burial,” Aminah told MalaysiaNow.Eddie, who was certified as disabled due to his problem with his eyesight, was the only one of her children who still stayed at home with her.Now, at 74, she lives alone.She recalls the trips she made to the hospital to visit Eddie before he was diagnosed with Covid-19.“He told me not to come, but I came anyway because I wanted to bring him some pizza,” she said, adding that his appetite had not been good towards the end.“He told me not to come, but I came anyway.”But even when he was sick, Aminah said, he still worried about her being at home by herself.“He told me, ‘don’t do heavy work’,” she said. “‘Don’t sweep outside the house.’ He was afraid I would slip and fall into the drain.”Aminah has good neighbours who keep an eye on her and bring her food every day. But without Eddie, life is lonely and much too quiet.She remembers Eddie as a kind and strong son despite his disability.Even after he was certified as disabled, she said, he never stopped trying to look for work. MalaysiaNow previously reported how Eddie had worked as a taxi driver until he began losing his eyesight.Mohd Kamil Affendy Hashim or Eddie, in his taxi which he had to give up after his eyesight began to deteriorate.He also kept the household finances in good order despite not having much money of his own.“I asked the landlord if I was behind in rent,” Aminah said.“The landlord said no, Eddie paid everything early on in the month.”All Aminah has to remember him by now are the stray cats that he would take in.“Near the end, he asked, ‘How are my cats? Do they have food?’ I told him not to worry. I said I had bought enough for them.”Alone with the cats, she remembers her son’s kindness and his duty to her, and she knows she will never leave the home that they used to share.


The radicals and extremists have long left the party, PAS deputy president says

PAS deputy president Idris Ahmad has denied the continuous allegations that the party is made up of radical and ultra religious individuals, saying those people have long abandoned the party's struggle.
Speaking at the Selangor Perikatan Nasional Election Convention in Shah Alam today, he said the party is now led by a leader who is neutral in thinking and leadership, referring to PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.
"Since the past, whenever various reforms, processions and such took place, Tuan Guru Haji Hadi said it could be done.
"But there are limits," he said.
Idris also recalled PAS refusing to participate in the fourth iteration of the Bersih rally in August 2015, which saw a decline in attendance compared to its previous iterations.
He said PAS was the party that mobilised the public and participants at the grassroots level, adding that participants from rural areas such as Jeli, Gua Musang and Baling took a month to gather funds to participate in the demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur.
"Some said PAS likes to brand others as infidels. The individuals concerned, too, have left the party.
"They also tried to portray PAS as a party that cannot befriend others.
"Two days ago, the home minister who is also my friend from university warned the opposition to stay away from sensitive issues involving the 3R (religion, royalty and race)," he said, referring to the statement by Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail cautioning political parties against engaging in 3R-style politics.
However, Idris questioned what the problem was if the opposition raises issues related to religion, race or the power of the Malay rulers, as these matters are clearly stated in the Federal Constitution.
This includes Islam as the religion of the federation and Article 153 which grants special privileges to the Malays.
"They know they are backward when it comes to this issue," he said.


Victory for GPS is also victory for me, says Ali Biju

Ali Biju has described his withdrawal from contesting the Krian state seat as a strategic decision, saying he is hopeful the gesture will be reciprocated by Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) at the next general election.“A victory for GPS is also a victory for me. If GPS wins, I win,” he said at a press conference in Saratok with Bersatu leaders Mohamed Azmin Ali and Rashid Hasnon.He said the Bersatu leadership had already advised him not to contest the election, but that he had listened to the strong requests from the grassroots.He said he hoped that his move to give way to GPS in Krian would be reciprocated at the next general election with Bersatu being allowed to contest the Saratok parliamentary seat.He added that negotiations are ongoing at the top levels of leadership in both parties.Ali, who won the Krian state seat on a PKR ticket in 2011 and 2016, had aimed to defend it for a third term as an independent in a four-way fight against GPS candidate Friday Belik, Musa Dinggat of Parti Sarawak Bersatu and Danny Kuan from Parti Bumi Kenyalang.This followed Bersatu’s decision to sit out the election, with president Muhyiddin Yassin saying this was out of respect for the wishes of the GPS leadership.Muhyiddin also said Bersatu had chosen to stay out of the contest because it believed GPS had the ability to win and that GPS had supported the Perikatan Nasional-led federal government when he was the prime minister.Azmin meanwhile said he had been sent by Muhyiddin to explain Ali’s withdrawal to the people in Krian.He said this was also to show appreciation to those who had been supporting Ali since he began serving as an assemblyman in 2011.“We would like to thank Ali,” he said. “He made a great sacrifice to strengthen relations between GPS and Bersatu at the federal level.“We are all well informed that GPS played a pivotal role when we formed a new government last year.”Azmin also said Ali’s move would help realise the work done to recognise Sarawak and Sabah as equal partners as enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963.“There were discussions on an understanding between Muhyiddin and Abang Johari Openg to look at things from a bigger political framework,” he said.“It is important to maintain our close relationship with GPS so that we can continue our mission to make sure that MA63 is implemented and to recognise Sabah and Sarawak as equal partners in the formation of Malaysia.”Azmin also assured that the party would give its full support to all GPS candidates in the election.


North Korea says will respond to threats with nuclear weapons

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said he would respond to US threats with nuclear weapons, state media said Saturday, after Kim personally oversaw Pyongyang's latest launch of intercontinental ballistic missile.
Since Kim declared North Korea a "irreversible" nuclear state in September, Washington has ramped up regional security cooperation, including joint military exercises, and is looking for ways to boost the protection it offers Seoul and Tokyo.
Kim slammed what he called "aggression war drills" and said that if America continues to make threats against the North, Pyongyang "will resolutely react to nukes with nuclear weapons and to total confrontation with all-out confrontation," KCNA reported.
KCNA said that Kim attended the launch "together with his beloved daughter and wife" and state media images showed a beaming Kim walking in front of a giant black-and-white missile, accompanied by an adoring young girl in a puffer jacket and red shoes.
It is extremely rare for state media to mention Kim's children, and this is believed to be one of the first official confirmations of his daughter, experts said.
North Korea has conducted a record-breaking blitz of launches in recent weeks, which Pyongyang – and some allies including Moscow – have repeatedly blamed on the US boosting regional security cooperation, including joint military exercises.
The Friday launch was of the country's "new-type ICBM" the Hwasong-17, KCNA said, adding that the "test-fire clearly proved the reliability of the new major strategic weapon system."
"Kim Jong Un said he came to confirm once again that the nuclear forces of the DPRK have secured another reliable and maximum capacity to contain any nuclear threat," it added.
KCNA said the missile travelled "up to a maximum altitude of 6,040.9km and flew a distance of 999.2km" before "accurately landing on the preset area" in the East Sea, or Sea of Japan.
The distance and altitude match the estimates given by Seoul and Tokyo on Friday, and are only slightly less than the ICBM Pyongyang fired on March 24, which appeared to be the North's most powerful such test yet.
North Korea also claimed its March 24 launch was also of a Hwasong-17 – one of Kim's largest weapons, dubbed the "monster missile" by analysts – but Seoul later cast doubt on that claim.
But this time, analysts said it seemed the North had succeeded.
"The Hwasong-17 is the largest road-mobile liquid-propellant missile ever designed and tested anywhere, so the North Koreans set a record of a sort with this successful flight-test," said North Korea expert Ankit Panda on Twitter.
Next generation of Kims
North Korea has fired scores of ballistic missiles this year – far more than any other year on record – and recent launches have been increasingly provocative, including firing a missile over Japan last month, triggering a rare air raid warning.
On Nov 2, Pyongyang fired 23 missiles, including one which crossed the de facto maritime border and landed near the South's territorial waters for the first time since the end of hostilities in the Korean War in 1953. Seoul called it "effectively a territorial invasion".
The next day, North Korea fired an ICBM – although Seoul said it appeared to fail mid-flight.
The most significant takeaway from Friday's ICBM launch is "the permanence of the Kim regime's weapons program because it is so integral to Kim's own survival and the continuity of his family's reign," Soo Kim, a former CIA analyst now with the RAND Corporation, told AFP.
"This even addresses some of the curiosity and questions surrounding succession," she said.
"We have seen with our own eyes the fourth generation of the Kim family. And his daughter -- along with potential other siblings – will surely be groomed by her father."


Record of sorts for Sri Ram amid endless bids to remove him as prosecutor

Gopal Sri Ram may have earned a reputation for having the most number of applications to recuse him as prosecutor in several high-profile corruption cases involving Umno leaders and their close associates.An application by Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, to remove Sri Ram as lead prosecutor in her corruption trial has been set for Sept 9, the latest such application against the former Federal Court judge.This will be Rosmah’s second attempt at removing Sri Ram, after failing in a similar bid last year to recuse him as a senior prosecutor in a case allegedly involving millions of ringgit in bribes to secure a solar hybrid power project for rural schools in Sarawak.Last year, Rosmah’s lawyer Jagjit Singh questioned Sri Ram’s role, saying he was already handling the 1MDB cases in which her husband is currently facing dozens of charges.Jagjit said his client was concerned about the abuse of power in Sri Ram’s appointment.Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal will hear on Sept 23 an appeal by Najib and his lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah to challenge Sri Ram’s appointment in the former leader’s 1MDB case.Shafee, who is himself accused of money laundering involving RM9.5 million, failed in an earlier bid in March to recuse Sri Ram as the prosecutor in his case.It is alleged that Shafee had received the money from Najib for his role as a fiat prosecutor in the sodomy trial of Anwar Ibrahim in 2014. At that time, Sri Ram was Anwar’s defence counsel.It is believed that at least seven attempts have been made by Najib, Rosmah and Shafee to recuse Sri Ram.Sri Ram’s appointment as the ad hoc prosecutor for high-profile graft cases was announced by former attorney-general (AG) Tommy Thomas, who had cited Section 376 (3) of the Criminal Procedure Code.The appointment was confirmed by Idrus Harun who replaced Thomas as AG.Sri Ram, one of Malaysia’s most prominent lawyers, once served as a judge in both the Court of Appeal and Federal Court, during which time he delivered more than 800 judgments considered as leading legal authorities and precedents in Malaysian and commonwealth courts.


DAP MP who campaigned for Azalina now says she's unfit as PM's legal adviser

DAP's Ngeh Koo Ham has urged Azalina Othman Said to quit as special adviser to the prime minister following her recent call for the attorney-general to be replaced, in stark contrast to the support from party leaders for the Umno MP just a year ago.
Ngeh, who was among the DAP MPs who came to Azalina's defence after a failed bid by Umno last year to appoint her as the Dewan Rakyat speaker, said he was shocked by her speech at a special meeting of Umno division leaders on Saturday.
"In the context she made the call, she is saying the PM should appoint an AG who will act according to the PM's dictates, including abusing the power of the AG acting as public prosecutor to withdraw charges against the corrupt and those who abused power, especially the Umno leaders," said Ngeh, who last year criticised Deputy Dewan Rakyat Speaker Rashid Hasnon for rejecting Azalina's nomination as speaker.
"This is totally against the rule of law. This is the very reason for the call to have the role of the public prosecutor be separated from that of the AG as top legal adviser to the government."
On Saturday, Azalina suggested that Ismail replace the attorney-general as it is within his power to do so.
"Whoever is prime minister must make the attorney-general his man," she told Umno members who attended a special gathering where speakers took turns condemning last week's Federal Court decision to send former leader Najib Razak to jail after losing his final appeal in the SRC International case.
Ngeh said Azalina, who was appointed to advise the PM on law and human rights, was unfit for the job.
"She should resign from her post immediately."
Azalina, who resigned from the deputy speaker’s post during the brief power vacuum last year, was among a group of Umno MPs aligned with Najib who retracted their support for Muhyiddin Yassin, triggering his resignation in August 2021.
Following her failure to make it to Ismail’s Cabinet, DAP leaders launched a campaign for her to be nominated as speaker.
They included Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh who openly called for Azalina to be given the post of minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of legal affairs.
"As a deputy speaker she is very consultative, and her track record shows she has engaged the opposition," Yeoh had said.


Storm dumps torrents on Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand

Torrential rainfall deluged parts of Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand on Sunday as tropical depression Linfa made landfall from the South China Sea, causing chaos as it made its way inland.In central Vietnam, almost a metre of rain fell and five people are known to have died with eight still missing as floodwaters inundated more than 33,000 homes, forcing more than 26,000 people to evacuate, the official disaster management authority said.Hundreds of families in three northern Cambodian provinces – Pursat, Battambang and Pailin – have been forced to evacuate amid extreme rainfall as the storm ransacked the Mekong region.In Laos, rising floodwaters damaged villages and drenched rice fields along the Xepon and Xebanghieng rivers in Savannakhet province.In Thailand’s Nakhon Ratchasima province, rivers overflowed, inundating properties as families scrambled to move their belongings to higher ground. Provincial Governor Vichien Chantaranothai said the Pak Chong district was the hardest hit, with 8,000 households and 12,000 people affected. Authorities were distributing food packages and urged people to evacuate to community shelters.There looks to be no let-up coming immediately.VietReader says meteorologists are predicting that in the next 10 days the central region should be prepared for two more tropical depressions that would bring more downpours and more flooding.


Solomon Islands greets first Covid-19 case, leaves dwindling virus-free club

The Solomon Islands has announced its first ever case of Covid-19.Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare told the Pacific island nation that a student who recently returned from the Philippines on a repatriation flight has the infection.The student, who was asymptomatic, tested negative three times in the Philippines before boarding the flight carrying 96 passengers.He was found positive in a test on return to the capital Honiara and is now in isolation with two other immediate contacts.“It pains me to say that we have lost our Covid-19-free status despite our collective effort to prevent the pandemic from entering our country,” Sogavare said on Saturday.He urged the population of 600,000 to remain calm and said contact tracing and other measures to prevent the spread of the virus had been activated and there was no need for a lockdown.Since the nation’s borders were closed in March, more than 400 islander students have been stuck in the Philippines, which has been particularly hard hit by the virus.The repatriation flights were organised in response to pleas from the students’ families.“My government is well aware of the risks involved in repatriating our students from the Philippines. We are also aware that keeping our children in the Philippines exposes them to even higher risks,” Sogavare said.“As a responsible government, we cannot close our eyes to the plight of our children and bringing them home was the humane thing to do.”There are now just nine remote countries left that have not reported a single case.


Waiving IP won’t boost vaccine production, says pharma group

Exempting Covid-19 vaccines from intellectual property (IP) rights will not speed up production or distribution of the jabs, a pharmaceutical industry association said Tuesday.Proponents of doing away with IP rights say more companies could produce the vaccine, which could then be used in poorer nations that have yet to receive any jabs.But the head of a pharmaceutical group said Tuesday that managing the complex logistics of rolling out vaccines was what was slowing down jabs, not patents.“Taking away patents now or imposing a waiver wouldn’t give you a single dose more,” said Thomas Cueni, the head of the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA).“It is really about the know-how, it is about the skill set… you still wouldn’t know how to roll them out on a large scale,” he added, speaking at a virtual briefing in Geneva.His comments come amid a push at the World Trade Organization (WTO) to introduce a temporary IP waiver during the pandemic.The proposal, which was first put forward last year by India and South Africa, has been gaining momentum with the backing of more than 100 countries.But several nations, including the US and Switzerland along with the European Union, oppose the move.The opposition means the proposal cannot move forward in the WTO, which makes decisions by consensus.10 billion dosesJim Robinson, in charge of the Covid vaccine manufacturing strategy at the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), warned against waiving vaccine patents.Pointing to the many people already sceptical about vaccines, he warned that poor-quality or unsafe vaccines by underqualified manufacturers could have devastating consequences.“We don’t want to stretch so far that we break the system and we do harm,” he said, adding that vaccine production has been much more successful than anticipated.Some 10 billion doses are expected to be produced this year – double the manufacturing capacity for all vaccines combined in 2019.But manufacturers have faced a number of supply chain issues and bottlenecks, and there are still “significant gaps” between the expected output and the current manufacturing capacity, Cueni said.So far, a full 75% of all vaccine doses that have been administered have been in just 10 countries, while more than 130 countries have yet to receive a single dose, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus this week blasted wealthy countries for hogging the vaccines through direct deals with manufacturers, which he said was preventing poorer nations from getting access through the Covax programme.Cueni said he did not agree with Tedros, and that companies were cooperating at an “unprecedented scale” to boost production and ensure doses reach poorer countries.“We are struggling to meet the expectations of equity, but it is simply not possible to push a button and then you have 10 billion.”


Malaysians in North, West India to be brought home

The government will conduct a special repatriation mission to bring home Malaysians from the northern and western regions of India as the country continues to set new records in daily Covid-19 cases and fatalities.Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the mission will be conducted with the cooperation of the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma) and the health ministry using a specially chartered aircraft from Malaysia.“The aircraft will depart to New Delhi and Mumbai, India, as soon as all related arrangements are made including approval from the Indian government for the special flight,” he said in a statement issued by the foreign ministry today.Hishammuddin said the decision to bring them back was made jointly by all agencies involved, taking into account the observations and analysis by Malaysian missions in India.Those who will be returning include home-based staff from the various Malaysian agencies and their dependents, all of whom will have to undergo Covid-19 tests before leaving India and upon arrival in Malaysia.“Apart from that, they are also required to undergo 14-day quarantine at the centres appointed by the government,” Hishammuddin said.He said Malaysians in the northern and western region of India keen on joining the repartriation flight should register with the Malaysian high commission in New Delhi and the Malaysian consulate general in Mumbai by emailing [email protected] or [email protected], at the latest by 5pm on May 7 (Friday), local time.He reminded all Malaysians in both regions to keep in contact with the high commission and the consulate general for the latest information relating to the mission or for consular assistance.Hishammuddin said the southern and eastern regions of the country are not included in the repatriation mission as the situation there is still under control.Wisma Putra through its consulate general in Chennai will continue monitoring the situation in both regions and evaluate the situation to ensure the safety and well-being of Malaysians there.Hishammuddin said the same mission was carried out during the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic outbreak last year where Malaysians were successfully repatriated from Wuhan, China, Iran and Italy.India set a new global record today after registering its biggest single-day rise in coronavirus cases of over 412,000 in 24 hours.Its health ministry reported 412,262 new cases, taking the country’s total number of infections to over 21 million. With a record 3,980 new fatalities, the death toll reached 230,168.


Targeted travel bubbles could herald a return to the golden age of tourism

Ever since the implementation of the movement control order (MCO) in March 2020, I have found myself looking through old pictures taken during trips with great appreciation. As I flipped through photos of the local delicacies that I sampled during one of my road trips, it made me wonder when we can do these things again. I am one of the millions of people experiencing a climbing desire for leisure and travelling activities after being idle for a long time.However, the Covid-19 pandemic will persist for some time, and no one knows the date that will mark its end. The endless control over tourism activities will not bring good to anyone. The pandemic has caused the country’s tourism sector to suffer an estimated loss of RM100 billion in the past year. Tourism service providers within the industry that could not morph to make ends meet have closed their businesses.On March 10, Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the senior minister for security, announced permission for a targeted tourism bubble. Tourists from states under recovery MCO (RMCO) will be allowed to travel to other RMCO states in groups. This initiative is called a travel bubble.Now, what is a travel bubble? Travel bubble is a term used to illustrate the partnership between two or more destinations known as travel bridges or corona corridors. This partnership allows people to travel freely within specified zones. Despite the explanation, the term still sounds bizarre. It is nothing more than the traditionally packaged tour that we used to have before the pandemic. The main exception is that travellers and tourism service providers need to observe a specific set of rules. Tour operators need to pre-arrange transportation, lodging facilities, and tourist spots to ensure a smooth travelling schedule. Additionally, all parties should observe the safety rules within the prefixed zone of no travel restrictions or the so-called bubble.Undeniably, before the environment stabilises, unplanned activities may create further threats to the public. Therefore, the travel bubble initiative is a resourceful solution, just in time to cruise out the doldrums within the tourism industry while helping combat the virus. It is also a livelihood for recreation among Malaysians.Many have questioned the domestic travel bubble initiative. Here, I would like to share some benefits that we could draw from it.Travel bubbles could encourage economic growth within the country. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) regarding the travel and tourism sector, domestic tourist spending in Malaysia accounted for a significant portion – 49% – in 2019. As international travel remains uncertain, efforts to encourage domestic tourism via the initiative may help restore some cash flow for businesses. It is also an avenue to warm up the industry players in the hope of welcoming the golden age of tourism again. In short, this is a way en route to the recovery phase for the tourism industry, spanning all segments from accommodation, transportation, and tour operators to all types of hospitality service providers.It is human nature to love freedom and to view new things out of curiosity. The pandemic has stirred significant fear among the public of its potential physical impact. This prolonged fear has indirectly impacted people’s mental health too. Besides facing financial and employment uncertainties, we get anxious about adjusting to the sudden changes in our lifestyle. As a result, we easily fall into the depression trap that has a crippling effect on our mental health.With the recent permission for domestic travel via travel bubbles, the sense of normality is re-established, which will indirectly promote a healthier state of mind.Having said this, we can only enjoy the benefits of travel bubbles if everyone takes full responsibility and follows the SOPs outlined by the tourism, arts and culture ministry while enjoying our “Cuti-Cuti Malaysia”. Soon, we will be busy searching for our passports that have remained untouched for some time.Leong Quee-Ling is an assistant professor at UCSI University’s Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Ku Li requests change to sitting position in Dewan Rakyat

Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah today requested a change to his current sitting position in the Dewan Rakyat, from the government bench to a seat nearer the independent bloc.In a statement, he said he did not wish to sit with the government representatives as he had never agreed to back the Perikatan Nasional administration.“I do not wish to continue sitting in the seat that has been provided for me in the Dewan Rakyat as though I have become a supporter of the current government,” he said in the statement addressed to speaker Azhar Harun.“I do not yet know whether other MPs from my party have made arrangements regarding their seats in the Dewan Rakyat.“But irrespective of their decision in this matter, I would like to request to be moved to another, more appropriate, spot, in line with the spirit of the struggle of Barisan Nasional/Umno, especially my voters, Umno members and the people of Malaysia so that I will not even in the slightest regard be seen as a supporter of this failed government.”


Private preschools: Why it takes a village to avert disaster

As a career early childhood educator, reading the tragic news of four-year-old Thanes Nair drowning at an Ipoh preschool both saddened me and sent shivers down my spine. Losing a child is an incomparable trauma for any parent, even more painful when it’s a toddler. My heart aches for his grieving mother.
The shivers I felt when recalling the near calamity that occurred only a few weeks earlier at my workplace, where two students about Thanes’ age almost drowned in the swimming pool. That day, four teachers were supervising "water play": two inside with the children, and two keeping watch. Yet, when the children slipped and sank underwater without warning, their caretakers wasted precious seconds screaming in panic.
Luckily, sanity prevailed, and someone pulled them out in the nick of time before tragedy struck. But luck, by definition, is a fickle friend, especially when teachers have no training as lifeguards and don’t receive regular CPR training. Given enough time, a tragedy like Thanes’ is inevitable at any big-name private preschool around the country.
But before we mount our high horses and furiously shake our fingers at the alleged negligence of preschool teachers, or breathe fire at the failure of school management, let me assure you this is a futile exercise. Doing so will change nothing; it won’t stave off future deaths because it always takes two – or in this case, the proverbial village – to tango.
Thanes’ untimely death is symptomatic of the systemic rot in early childhood education (ECE) in Malaysia, specifically in the private sector. Its origins are in the subtle, daily wrongs that have, over time, become business as usual.
Make no mistake, we are all responsible for Thanes’ drowning: the schools, the parents, the teachers, the system. Without earnest self-reflection, we cannot set in motion a roadmap to avoid a replay of this senseless tragedy.
Now, allow me to introduce the two principal actors in this long-running farce and how their attitudes keep perpetuating the slide in early childhood education standards:
First, private preschools. They take the lion’s share of the blame. To maximise their profits, they routinely hire unqualified individuals – those without early childhood education or special needs education degrees or diplomas – to teach. I ask you; can we really expect children to experience meaningful learning under these circumstances? Can we truly trust such individuals to help unlock a child’s latent potential? To keep them safe?
Case in point: the preschool under investigation now claims Thanes was autistic and his mother was remiss in her duty to inform them accordingly. So, if he was "normal", so to speak, they would readily accept the blame for his drowning? Here’s a hard fact: a trained special needs teacher has the tools to identify an autistic child in a brief interaction. How many of them do our supposedly "inclusive" preschools hire? Why doesn’t the government mandate such hiring?
It pains me to report that the term ECE practitioner has become a tired joke. Preschools have cast us as glorified nannies and not deliverers of crucial developmental learning.
Imagine yourself a teacher who spent tens of thousands of ringgit on your diploma and degree, choosing this profession because you believed it was your calling in life. How would you feel if your employer treated you the same as an SPM graduate? If they paid you the same rate as fast-food workers or manual labourers, even when they charged the parents exorbitant fees? How eager would you be to give it your best day after day, year after year?
Most preschool teachers are way overworked, underpaid, and underappreciated. Many of us never make a living wage and often the best and brightest quit the industry altogether.
Parents are the second guilty party. Somehow, there appears to be a proportional relationship between the affluence of parents and their utter disregard for the details of their children’s education. They’re easily smitten by the cosmetic grandeur of preschool facilities with scant regard for the quality of teaching or tangible learning outcomes.
What impresses them is flash over substance: swimming pools, smart boards, state-of-the-art curricula following some fill-in-the-blank Western nation, much of which is marketing fodder and implemented in name only. Hard as it may be to believe, never in my years working at preschools has a parent approached me or asked school management for proof of my qualification to teach or that of another class or subject teacher. Perhaps parents are unaware their indifference diminishes the return on their investment; perhaps they are clueless about the value of formative years’ education. Ultimately, it is the child’s loss – hopefully only in learning and not their very lives.
If we’re to treat ECE as a vital step on the education ladder, a total revamp of the system is imperative. First, preschools must hire qualified teachers, and anyone who doesn’t meet the minimum benchmark must undergo rigorous training to prove themselves worthy.
Next, preschool teachers deserve compensation on par with their qualifications: those who have spent years at university deserve wages reflective of their training.
Also, all staff must receive regular training in first aid and CPR, at least every quarter, if not sooner. This is doubly important because preschools experience a higher-than-average turnover.
Finally, parents must look past the preschool window dressing and concern themselves with the nuts and bolts of their children’s education. What use are first-rate facilities if their child can’t hold a pencil properly after two years?
I hope that Thanes’ death will not be in vain: that his mother will receive compassion and closure; that his passing will bring to light the many slight injustices that together conspired to take his life.
Jerrica Fatima Ann is an early childhood educator based in Ipoh.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


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