GE15 matters to be discussed at Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, says Ismail

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said that matters pertaining to the 15th general election (GE15) will be among the items discussed at the Cabinet meeting this Wednesday.
He said since there would be a Cabinet meeting before he left for New York to attend the United Nations General Assembly later this week, there was a possibility that the discussion on GE15 could be held before the meeting of the Umno top five as the Cabinet comprises various parties including Umno, Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) and Bersatu.
"We have Bersatu, GPS and Umno representatives in the Cabinet, so we will discuss the matters (of GE15) at the Cabinet (meeting)," he said in Putrajaya.
According to Article 40 (1) of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong shall act in accordance with the advice of the Cabinet or of a minister acting under the general authority of the Cabinet, except if otherwise provided by the Constitution.  Ismail said he had yet to meet with the Umno top five to discuss GE15.
"At the Barisan National (BN) Youth event (last Saturday), I mentioned that GE15 will be held very soon... but let me meet with the Umno president and top five first," he said.
The Umno top five refers to Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, deputy president Mohamad Hasan and the three vice-presidents: Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Mahdzir Khalid and Ismail himself.
When asked, Ismail said the top five meeting is normally convened before the party’s Supreme Council meeting, with the next scheduled for Sept 30.
"The Supreme Council has set the date for its meeting on the evening of Sept 30. So, maybe we (the top five) will have our meeting in the afternoon," he said. On former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s call earlier today for GE15 to be held immediately if the prime minister failed to manage the country’s economy, Ismail said the government had a minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Mustapa Mohamed, who was in charge of economic affairs.
"In terms of the economy, I have Mustapa with me to manage it, and we also have the National Recovery Council chaired by Muhyiddin himself. So, this is a shared responsibility... if it fails, it means that we all failed, even MPN," he said.


Malaysia to benefit from China's crackdown on gambling

China's move to ban gambling activities throughout the country with the exception of Macau is likely to boost citizens' travel to other countries, including Malaysia which is home to one of the leading casinos in the region.
The ban on gambling was enforced after the Chinese Communist Party took over the country's administration in 1949, indirectly transforming the industry and the development of casinos in other Asian countries.
Today, most of the 340 casinos in Southeast Asia are seen as part of efforts to entice tourists from China with a proclivity for gambling.
In Malaysia, the only casino countrywide is operated by Genting Group in the hilly tourist haven of Genting Highlands.
Lee Heng Guie, the executive director of the Socio-Economic Research Centre, said the growth in China's wealth market would encourage affluent citizens to try their luck at casinos throughout Asia, including Genting Malaysia.
"China's high rollers will be spending a lot of money at casinos in Asia, and Genting Malaysia will get a slice of the pie despite competition from neighbouring countries like Singapore, Australia and the Philippines," Lee told MalaysiaNow.
"So we have to maintain our image as a clean and safe leisure and tourist destination."
Malaysia as a whole has emerged as a destination of choice for Chinese tourists, whose numbers have increased over the past few years.
In 2019, before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, Malaysia recorded 3.1 million tourist entries from China, up from 2.94 million the year before.
While tourist arrivals suffered a drastic drop throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, falling to just 405,000 in 2020, Malaysia's travel sector is expected to begin benefiting from Chinese visitors once more following the gradual loosening of restrictions in the republic.
In the third quarter ending Sept 30, 2022, Genting Bhd recorded RM4.12 billion in revenue, up 75% from RM3.5 billion recorded in the same period the year before.
In a note to Bursa Malaysia on Nov 24, the group said that its surge in income was mostly due to the leisure and hospitality sectors in Malaysia and Singapore.
It said the resumption of operations at Resorts World Sentosa also reflected recovery in the regional travel sector, although this had yet to reach the levels seen before the onset of Covid-19.
"The rebound in gambling revenue is being driven by the presence of premium customers who stay longer in the country," it said.


Fake Covid-19 jab certificate sales skyrocket

With Covid-19 vaccination certificates becoming mandatory around the world, some people are turning to social platforms like Telegram to buy fake health passes.These are easily found online and reportedly cost around €100 (US$118, RM500), says Euronews.In just a few months, accounts selling photoshopped certificates that are being delivered via email have grown in number in Europe and around the world, triggering an increase in cyber-crime, experts at the cybersecurity company Check Point have said.“Scammers and channels on Telegram are very responsive. They ask you all the questions, details, etc. Everything that you want to put on the certificate,” Oded Vanunu, the head of products vulnerability at Check Point Software Technologies, told Euronews.Italy and other European countries have introduced smartphone apps to verify whether a certificate is authentic or not, but that might not be enough say security experts.Between March and December 2020, the number of certificate sellers went from around 20 to 1,500 and now the numbers are skyrocketing, according to experts at Check Point.Counterfeiters are always changing their products and offers to keep up with the latest rules being imposed by national governments, airlines, and global hotel chains.For those not anticipating international travel any time soon, increasing numbers of local restaurants, gyms and nightclubs now also need evidence before they can let customers in.Even large employers such as Microsoft and other Silicon Valley giants now require employees to be vaccinated before they can return to the office, which is not going down well with freedom-loving Americans, especially in ultra-liberal and ultra-conservative areas, who are intensely suspicious of anything they interpret as government overreach.Vaccine refusers and other unvaccinated people without official exemptions are the most likely to buy fake health passes, with people who have had just one dose of the vaccine next in line.“And let’s not forget there are billions of people around the world who didn’t yet manage to get vaccinated at all,” Vanunu added.Many authorities are turning to the multi-squared QR code to beef up security and deter counterfeiting.Italy’s Head of National Cyber Crime Unit warns likely pass-buyers that soon it will be extremely difficult to get away with a fake QR code to access events, places, or even countries.“On one hand, legal health passes contain a QR code that includes a computer-generated certification that proves its authenticity. On the other hand, you have an app that allows users to compare information contained in that QR code with the national database containing data on vaccinated people. That’s why it’s impossible to create a fake QR code,” Ivano Gabrielli, head of the national cybercrime unit in Italy, told Euronews.But despite national prevention systems becoming more efficient, tracking this type of fraud has also become extremely challenging, especially when it comes to international travel because border control authorities lack an international database of vaccinated people around the world.Experts say that no doubt the UN or WHO or similar global bodies are currently working on establishing such databases.


Cops to call up those involved in Dataran Merdeka gathering

Police will call the MPs and those involved in the gathering at Dataran Merdeka today to give their statements on the event.Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Abu Kassim said those involved are being identified and the case is being investigated under Section 9 of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, Section 269 of the Penal Code and the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342).“So far, police have received two reports on the event,” he told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur police contingent headquarters today.Earlier, police had stopped and dispersed the MPs who gathered at Dataran Merdeka and marched to Parliament in an attempt to call for the special sitting of the Dewan Rakyat to be resumed after it was adjourned on the advice of the health ministry following the spread of Covid-19.Despite the peaceful dispersal of the gathering, the police had noticed many violations of SOPs, especially in terms of physical distancing, committed by the MPs and other participants.Azmi said the police were alerted yesterday that a solidarity gathering with opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim would be held at Parliament.“We (the police) then checked with Parliament staff who said that there would be no Dewan Rakyat sitting today.“So we decided to conduct roadblocks at all roads heading to Parliament for security purposes,” he said, adding that approximately 500 police personnel, including from the Federal Reserve Unit, were mobilised to control the situation during the march.Yesterday, the health ministry recommended that all meeting sessions in Parliament be postponed for two weeks beginning July 29, following the detection of Covid-19 cases and concerns about the risk of infection.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said a total of 104 people were screened from July 26 to 28 in Parliament through the RTK antigen (Ag) saliva self-screening test, and that at 12.30pm on July 29, the ministry was informed of two positive Covid-19 cases who had been present at the Parliament building.Following the detection of the two positive cases, the ministry took immediate action by conducting similar tests on 1,183 individuals in Parliament, which found nine more Covid-19 positive cases and 48 close contacts.In another development, Azmi said police had received 19 reports on the Lawan rally held in the city on Saturday, and that 11 participants and organisers of the rally had given their statements to the police.He said the police were also in the midst of identifying and tracking down 47 other individuals believed to be involved in the rally based on the videos and pictures obtained.An investigation paper has been opened regarding the rally, also involving Section 9 of the Peaceful Assembly Act 2012, Section 269 of the Penal Code and the Prevention and Control of Infectious Diseases Act 1988 (Act 342), he added.


Elections loom in 6 states but will Undi 18 turn out to vote?

As 18-year-olds in six states gear up to cast their votes for the first time this year, questions remain over the direction of their support, with indifference and political apathy at the top of the list for some.
The so-called Undi 18 group – over a million strong comprising those aged 18 to 21 – became eligible to vote for the first time at the 15th general election last year.
Now, with state elections looming in Selangor, Penang, Negeri Sembilan, Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu, they will join other voters in heading to the polls once more.
But a number of youth in Selangor with whom MalaysiaNow spoke appeared more focused on pursuing their studies and living out their aspirations.
Fresh from receiving their SPM or Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia results, they said they did not care much about politics or politicians in general.

Muhd Arif Haikal

"We don't pay much attention to political issues," Muhd Arif Haikal of Hulu Kelang said.
"In school, we mostly talk about friends or our respective futures."
He added that this was the case at home as well, as none of his family members discussed politics with him either.
Marcus Francis Anandan from Cheras agreed.
"We don't talk much about it," he said. "If we do, it's not serious."
Marcus, a former student at St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur, added that he did not know whom he would vote for.
"I'll need to see the current situation," he said.

Marcus Francis Anandan

Nur Ain Sofea of Bukit Antarabangsa said that political discussions among her friends usually ended up in arguments.
"So I prefer not to talk about political issues," she said, adding however that she was excited to be heading to the polls for the first time.
"It makes me feel like a grownup, like my political opinions deserve a voice."

Nur Ain Sofea

Hope and votes
Political observer Mak Khuin Weng said that young people in urban areas might support Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is seen as a liberal.
However, he said that hope in Anwar often came hand in hand with indoctrination about the "evils" of Umno.
"So there is a conflict here that cannot be solved with propaganda alone, and this may lead to a loss in confidence of that 'hope' message," he said to MalaysiaNow.
"What happens when Undi 18 voters lose confidence? They may choose not to vote," he added, referring to Umno's participation in the coalition government despite decades of enmity with the other parties.
He also said that the government's move to meet with social media companies about political censorship indicated concern about the direction of the Undi 18 vote.
Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan, when officiating the launch of the women, youth and Puteri assemblies recently, also voiced concern over the waning support for Umno among the younger generation.
"We seem to have failed to gain their trust despite around 5.8 million new voters entering the electoral roll for the 15th general election.
"There was no significant increase in votes for Barisan Nasional between the 14th and 15th general elections," the defence minister said.
According to Mak, the Malay party lost the support of young voters after sacking former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin.
"Ismail Sabri Yaakob walking around with Khairy Jamaluddin and casually chatting while Ahmad Zahid Hamidi cannot do the same is very telling of where Umno stands with voters," he said.


Man behind free vaccines offer has history of unfulfilled pledges

Questions have been raised over offers of free vaccine from the private sector, amid conflicting claims by a business group and the minister in charge of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, Khairy Jamaluddin.This comes as Petra Group insists that its offer to procure 200,000 doses of Sinovac vaccine from China is genuine, a day after Khairy revealed that no such purchase had been made based on checks with the supplier and Pharmaniaga, the drug company authorised to distribute vaccines in Malaysia.The group said it held a discussion with Khairy yesterday, hours after the minister denied allegations by the company that authorities had snubbed the offer.“We explained to Khairy that in our correspondences to the government, we disclosed that we are able to bring in the vaccines directly and were seeking guidance on the correct means and appropriate channels to do so,” the group’s spokesman William Stevenson said, although he stopped short of confirming if the vaccines had already been procured.Earlier, Stevenson claimed the company had sourced “200,000 vials as part of our national service”, as quoted on a website operated by the Petra Group.MalaysiaNow could not independently confirm if the free vaccines offer from Petra Group was genuine or non-existant as Khairy had said yesterday.Vinod Balachandra Sekhar receives a shot of Covid-19 vaccine on May 5. Photo: FacebookThe key person behind the company, businessman Vinod Balachandra Sekhar, has a history of making heavily publicised announcements of sponsorship without fulfilling them.At least two such announcements of donations remain unfulfilled, according to an investigation by MalaysiaNow.Vinod, who has made no secret of his support for PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim’s prime ministerial ambitions, has been in the news due to heavily publicised announcements of huge donations by his company for charitable works around the world, from a football club in Singapore to a pledge to construct a medical faculty building for one of Scotland’s oldest universities.In 2010, Scottish daily The Scotsman reported that Vinod had yet to “hand over a penny” to the University of St Andrews for its new medical school despite his pledge to donate £8 million.The daily noted that Vinod’s pledge to the university was announced “with great fanfare” by him at a press conference held in Kuala Lumpur in 2008, adding that the amount was to have been “the biggest donation ever made to a Scottish university, a philanthropic gesture that would signify a new era of partnership between Scotland and Malaysia”.“The university eventually turned to other donations and funds to complete the state-of-the-art 45m medical and biological sciences building, which will be formally opened next month,” The Scotsman reported.When contacted by MalaysiaNow, a spokesman for the University of St Andrews said: “As yet, no funds have been received.”MalaysiaNow has sighted documents showing that the university has been given shares in Vinod’s Green Rubber Global Ltd, a company involved in the business of recycling rubber waste.The value of the shares, however, could not be ascertained.In 2008, meanwhile, Vinod pledged to help children affected by poverty and conflict in Africa.He pledged £2.5 million towards that purpose to Hopes and Homes for Children, a British charity, but this was never fulfilled.“Hope and Homes for Children never received the donation, unfortunately,” a spokesman for the charity body confirmed to MalaysiaNow by email.Closer to home and more recently, Vinod signed an agreement for the sponsorship of a football club in Singapore.Documents dated 2017 seen by MalaysiaNow showed that Petra Group was to pay a total of S$150,000 in jersey sponsorship to the Hougang United Football Club.MalaysiaNow could not confirm if the sponsorship was followed through, and is awaiting a response from the club.Vinod, 52, is the son of the late BC Sekhar, the man credited with modernising Malaysia’s rubber industry.On his company website, he is described as among the pioneer Malaysians “to venture into the former Soviet Union after its breakup”.Among other “contributions” mentioned is to “the globalisation of education and the education of children” for which he was made the first and youngest Asian fellow of Kappa Delta Pi, a US-based international Honors Society for Education, at the age of 23.The website further claims that the World Economic Forum had placed him among its top three “New Asian Leaders”.At the age of 40, it said Vinod received the Global Green Award from “Global Green USA for Green Rubber”.“He was the youngest, only Asian, and third ever non-American, after President Mikhail Gorbachev and Giorgio Armani, to receive the award,” the website added.But unlike his father, Vinod has found himself embroiled in several financial controversies.In 2005, the High Court declared him bankrupt over debts to several companies totalling RM12.38 million.A check with the Department of Insolvency showed that he was recently cleared of his bankruptcy status.In a 2019 interview with news channel Astro Awani, he praised his “friends” in the Pakatan Harapan government, defending them against criticism of slow reforms.“The work they do is enormous. You must understand, the mess left behind was far more significant than any of us thought. It’s taking a lot of time to fix it. I think they’re getting there,” he said.While it is not suggested that this donor will not keep to the current pledge of free vaccines, their past record is a matter of public interest now that they have involved themselves in the nation’s all-important vaccination programme.


4 schools in Tawau closed for disinfection

Four schools in Tawau have been closed until Sunday for disinfection as a preventive measure against the spread of Covid-19 in the district.District health officer Dr G Navindran said the schools in question are Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Jambatan Putih, Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Jambatan Putih, SK Kukusan and SK Bahagia.When contacted, he said further developments would be announced in time.As of yesterday, a total of 84 Covid-19 cases were recorded at Tawau prison.The Tawau district health office also denied a message circulating on social media about the temporary closure of 30 premises for disinfection. The message also claimed that the staff had been told to undergo screening for Covid-19.Navindran said the message was an old memo that had resurfaced, adding that it had nothing to do with the cases at Tawau prison.


Khairy ticks off Umno rep over anti-Rohingya remarks

Former health minister Khairy Jamaluddin has criticised an Umno assemblyman from Melaka for his anti-Rohingya remarks, saying they are part of the two-faced stance by politicians who embraced the Muslim refugees in the past.
"There's a term for this, Nimby, not in my backyard.
"In other words, 'we fight for the Rohingya issue but you don't come to my place'," Khairy said on the latest edition of Keluar Sekejap, a podcast he co-hosts with former Umno information chief Shahril Hamdan.
Khairy was referring to an online post by Barisan Nasional's Duyong assemblyman Mohd Noor Helmy Abdul Halem, who warned Rohingya refugees in his constituency that "there is a crazy YB who will always push".
Earlier this year, Helmy had called for Melaka to be free from Rohingya refugees, blaming the community for crimes in the state.
Helmy in a Facebook post had also urged the authorities to take action against refugees, and warned the public not to be "traitors" by protecting them.
Echoing Khairy, Shahril said the remarks were symptomatic of politicians using the Rohingya issue to boost their popularity.
"When it has political benefits, as we recall a few years ago, we were fighting for the Rohingya. When it is no longer popular in the community, we turn into heroes to condemn and resort to distasteful words," said Shahril.
In 2016, then prime minister Najib Razak led a major gathering to voice support for the Rohingya as the Myanmar junta stepped up its presecution of the Muslim minority.
However, four years later, the now-jailed leader, responding to growing xenophobia against refugees at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, said the government was not obliged to help the Rohingya community.
Last month, rights group Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) hit out at calls for violence against the Rohingya making the rounds on social media.
It also questioned the government's silence on the issue "despite its insistence on monitoring social media sites", saying investigations appeared to be focused on those who queried the government's integrity.
"The outrageous xenophobic content being spread around and the call to violence that usually accompanies it must be dealt with swiftly by the Malaysian Multimedia and Multimedia Communication," LFL had said.
Malaysia is home to more than 100,000 Rohingya from Myanmar fleeing the crackdown at home, who account for some 60% of over 180,000 refugees and asylum seekers in the country.


PAC to call Zahid to complete probe into non-delivery of combat ships

Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) will call former defence minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi early next month to complete its proceedings regarding the non-delivery of six littoral combat ships (LCS) to the navy.PAC chairman Wong Kah Woh said former Royal Malaysian Navy chief Abdul Aziz Jaafar and the main contractor of the LCS project, Boustead Naval Shipyard (BNS) Sdn Bhd, would also be called.“The appointment of BNS Sdn Bhd was made through direct negotiation, and as of October this year, RM6.083 billion had been paid but none of the LCS has been built.“According to the schedule, two LCS should have been built by now,” he told a press conference at the Dewan Rakyat today.Wong said the issue was reported in the Auditor-General’s Report 2019 Series 1 and the Governance, Procurement and Finance Investigation Committee (JKSTUPKK) Investigation Report published last yearHe said PAC would also visit the LCS shipyard in Lumut, Perak next month.“PAC views seriously the issue of the non-delivery of the six LCS involving the defence ministry (Mindef) and a procurement value of RM9 billion… as it reflects weaknesses in terms of governance, procurement and finance, which will give a negative impact on national security and defence,” he said.Wong said PAC was also of the opinion that a decision on the issue must be made by the government as soon as possible, hence the need for the committee to complete the proceedings and to table its report at the Dewan Rakyat.He said several witnesses had been called at the four meetings and proceedings conducted so far, including Auditor-General Nik Azman Nik Abdul Majid, Mindef Secretary-General Muez Abdul Aziz, and JKSTUPKK chairman Ambrin Buang.“PAC plans to complete and table its report on this issue at the Dewan Rakyat by March 2021,” he added.


Sorry.


After PAS states, now PH states too say polls can wait

Pakatan Harapan (PH) says the three states under its administration will not call for the dissolution of their legislative assemblies until the end of their terms, echoing the stand taken by PAS earlier today.In a statement signed by top PH leaders, the coalition said the decision was made taking into consideration the economic difficulties caused by the recent floods, as well as the rising cost of living.“The PH Presidential Council today decided that the state governments of Selangor, Penang and Negeri Sembilan which are administered by PH will not advise the dissolution of their legislative assemblies until the end of their terms in 2023,” it said.“The council stresses that all efforts at this time should be focused on saving the people and restoring the economy.”Earlier today, PAS secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan said the party’s central committee had decided not to dissolve the state legislative assemblies in Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, even if dissolution occurs at the parliamentary level to pave the way for the 15th general election (GE15).“According the constitution, an assembly has a five-year term starting from the first day of the assembly meeting. If we look at the term from the last general election, it hasn’t even been four years,” he told reporters.He added that there was no need to hold elections in these states as the country was still battling the Covid-19 pandemic.“This was our decision even before the issue of dissolution came up lately,” he said.Calls for the early dissolution of Parliament gained momentum in the aftermath of Barisan Nasional’s election victory in Johor, where analysts say the turnout of its loyal vote bank ensured it a landslide win despite only a little over half of eligible voters casting their ballots.At the ongoing Umno general assembly last night, the party’s deputy president Mohamad Hasan had repeated the call, saying Umno must “strike while its enemies are weak”, referring to a disparate opposition.Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob however has continued to shrug off the pressure, saying the matter comes under the jurisdiction of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.


Ex-MP tears apart Azalina's FAQs aimed at warning BN MPs opposed to Zahid

A former MP involved in the debate leading up to the passing of the anti-hopping law has torn into a claim by an ally of Umno president Ahmad Zahid Zahidi, who warned Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs that they could lose their seats if they do not toe the party line on the choice of prime minister.
This comes after Umno's Azalina Othman Said published a frequently asked questions (FAQ) document, claiming among others that MPs who do not vote according to the party president’s instructions will have to vacate their seats.
Azalina claimed that such a requirement was in accordance with Article 49A(1) of the recently added constitutional provision to prevent elected representatives from switching parties.
A parliamentary select committee report on the anti-hopping law however made it clear that any MP who diverges from the party line cannot be regarded as having switched sides.
"The committee agrees that the action of an MP in the Dewan Rakyat of voting contrary to the instructions of his political party (crossing the floor) is not considered as party hopping and he does not cease to be an MP," said the report by PSC sighted by MalaysiaNow.
"I am astonished that Azalina is unaware of this as she herself was a member of the select committee on the anti-hopping law which made this decision," the former MP said, adding that it was clear that MPs who do not vote according to party directions will not lose their seats under Article 49A.
"This select committee report was debated and accepted by the Dewan Rakyat. It is the speaker who will determine whether or not an MP has lost his seat, and the speaker is bound by the decision of the select committee," he added.
The FAQs prepared by Azalina also claimed that the anti-hopping law was aimed at component parties of a coalition, adding that quitting the coalition would mean them losing their seats.
"That is a ridiculous claim," the same MP told MalaysiaNow.
"Nowhere in Article 49A which deals with party hopping is there any such provision. Article 49A only deals with MPs leaving their political party. There is no mention of political coalitions at all.
"Any first-year law student would know that according to the laws of interpretation, you cannot interpret political party to mean political coalition."
He added that there was nothing to prevent a component party such as BN from throwing its support behind anyone to become the prime minister.
Azalina’s FAQs also appear to contradict her own statement on Nov 19, in which she said that Article 49A was "silent on political parties that decide to move from one bloc to another".
Azalina's FAQs are believed to be aimed at BN MPs who have been seen as defying Zahid over the choice of the next prime minister, as well component party MCA which has joined the chorus of calls for Zahid to step down.
Zahid, who is also the BN chairman, earlier warned the coalition's MPs that he had the final say on who they would vote for in the matter of forming the next government.
The Umno president, who is facing a rebellion following the party's thrashing at the recently concluded polls, was responding to reports that the majority of BN MPs would support Perikatan Nasional chairman Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister.


Siti Bainun abused Bella every day, welfare home resident tells court

The Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court was yesterday told that Rumah Bonda founder Siti Bainun Ahd Razali had abused a teenage girl with Down syndrome known as Bella on a daily basis for almost four months.Yasmin Nahar Mahmood, 18, a resident of Rumah Bonda, said the incident happened every night from March 2021 to June 24, 2021.“Aida (fellow Rumah Bonda resident) and I were also instructed by Siti Bainun to hit Bella,” she said when cross-examined by Siti Bainun’s lawyer Farhan Maaruf.Describing Bella’s personality when she first met the teenager, Yasmin said the 13-year-old girl was cheerful and chatty, but that her attitude would change when she saw Siti Bainun.“Bella was very afraid of Siti Bainun and she was scared to leave the room,” said Yasmin.Yasmin, the fifth prosecution witness, however disagreed with Farhan’s suggestion that she had endured the same fate as Bella.Asked by the lawyer why she did not leave Rumah Bonda, Yasmin replied, “Siti Bainun did not allow me to do so.”Meanwhile, Yasmin told the court that besides Bella, there was another Rumah Bonda resident, known as Kakak Hidayah who was also abused by Siti Bainun.She revealed this after disagreeing with Farhan’s suggestion that no such incident had happened to other residents of Rumah Bonda or the adopted children of the founder of the welfare home.Asked what Siti Bainun did to Kakak Hidayah, Yasmin replied, “Siti Bainun would not allow Kakak Hidayah to hold, look at and breastfeed her child if she did not listen to her instructions.”Yasmin also disagreed with Farhan’s suggestion that she wanted to be treated like a princess at Rumah Bonda.She said apart from cleaning the welfare home, she was also assigned the task of tidying up Siti Bainun’s bed and her clothes.Siti Bainun, 30, pleaded not guilty to two charges of neglecting and abusing the teenager to the point of the victim suffering injuries as well as emotional distress.The offences were allegedly committed at a condominium in Wangsa Maju between February and June 2021, under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 which carries a jail sentence of up to 20 years, a fine of RM50,000 or both, upon conviction.The trial continues before judge Izralizam Sanusi.


Covid-19 vaccine selection to be finalised by early 2021

Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Khairy Jamaluddin says the government is expected to decide on a Covid-19 vaccine by early next year, as data from several clinical tests will be analysed at year-end.He said the ministry is holding talks with the health ministry, finance ministry and Attorney-General’s Chambers about the legal implications and procurement model for the vaccine.“We are also in direct discussion with other international pharmaceutical companies for direct supply without having to undergo the Covid-19 Vaccine Global Access (Covax) allocation plan.“I have also requested for an agreement with China to be finalised as soon as possible as the draft is almost completed,” he said after an event in Kuala Lumpur today.Khairy also said negotiations with Covax on Malaysia’s participation in the facility to obtain the vaccine were ongoing.“We are still discussing some matters with Covax. The facility is for early purchase, so the procurement model is quite extraordinary. We pay for something that still doesn’t exist,” he said.Companies that have begun final clinical tests for Covid-19 vaccines are Moderna, Pfizer and BioNtech, AstraZeneca, University of Oxford and Johnson & Johnson.


Key Umno leaders set to be dropped as Zahid replicates PKR candidates selection method

A number of Umno Cabinet members and veteran leaders not aligned with Ahmad Zahid Hamidi will be dropped from the polls line-up to be announced tomorrow, in a move by the party president seen as replicating his PKR counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in naming general election candidates.
They include Federal Territories Minister Shahidan Kassim, Communications and Multimedia Minister Annuar Musa and his deputy Zahidi Zainul Abidin, as well as Pasir Salak incumbent Tajuddin Abdul Rahman, all of whom are seen as critical of Zahid and the so-called court cluster group of party leaders.
Shahidan, who had earlier received word that he would not be fielded to defend his Arau seat, announced that the Barisan Nasional election machinery had already ceased operations in the constituency.
"Tonight is a night of extreme sadness," Shahidan, one among a group of Umno leaders against Zahid's move to topple the Muhyiddin Yassin government last year, wrote on Facebook tonight.
Meanwhile Annuar, the Ketereh MP who has been more cautious about responding to the strong speculation that he would be dropped, took a jab at the top party leadership's method of selecting candidates.
"Although the constitution is clear on the scope and method of candidate selection, it seems that once again it has been ignored.
"It was promised that the Top Five would be given the authority to negotiate on behalf of the Supreme Coucil (which has the power to choose them), but the Top Five members confirmed that the list was further filtered by the higher-ups," said Annuar on Facebook, referring to the top Umno leaders led by Zahid.

Umno veterans Shahidan Kassim and Annuar Musa are most likely out of the GE15 race following their fallout with party boss Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

A party source told MalaysiaNow that the absence of both Tajuddin and Zahidi from the list was "a foregone conclusion", although another MP who has been vocal against the court cluster, Khairy Jamaluddin, may have a chance of staying in the race.
There has been strong speculation that Khairy, a three-term Rembau MP who was instructed by Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan to vacate the seat, could be fielded in Sungai Buloh, which is not a safe seat for Umno.
"So if at all he is fielded, it will be to end his political career."
The candidate selection process in Umno is seen as resembling that of PKR, which last Friday dropped several prominent leaders from the line-up while fielding some names in consituencies where they have no chance of winning.
Petaling Jaya's Maria Chin Abdullah and Sungai Buloh's R Sivarasa will not be defending their seats, while veteran party leader Chua Tian Chang, or Tian Chua, was dropped from the race in Batu where he once was the MP before he was disqualified from running in the 2018 polls.
Meanwhile, Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari is being fielded in Gombak, where he will be taking on his former mentor Mohamed Azmin Ali, who was sacked by PKR in 2020.
The move is widely seen as part of a cleansing drive in PKR to rid the party of any voices critical of Anwar.


Tiger euthanised in Covid-19 outbreak at Swedish zoo

A tiger, two lions and a member of staff at a zoo in Sweden tested positive for Covid-19, the country’s National Veterinary Institute (SVA) has said.The female tiger was euthanised on Jan 11 “for animal welfare reasons due to severe respiratory and neurological symptoms” after its condition deteriorated rapidly over a couple of days, the institute said, adding that at 17 she was an older animal with poor prospects of recovery.Samples from the animal were then tested for Covid-19, with positive results confirmed by the SVA.One member of staff caring for animals at the unidentified zoo tested positive for the virus, while three others who also showed symptoms are awaiting their test results.Two Covid-19 cases were also confirmed in an enclosure of four lions that showed “mild respiratory symptoms,” following an analysis of fecal samples.The disclosures came in an email sent by Sweden’s state epizootiologist, Karl Stahl, on Sunday and published by infectious disease monitoring service ProMED on Monday.The SVA’s autopsy of the tiger on Jan 16 indicated the animal was likely asymptomatic for Covid, although the full results are still pending.A male tiger in the same enclosure as the female also showed “moderate respiratory symptoms”.The zoo is closed for the season and the on-site vet has introduced “internal biosafety measures,” Stahl said in his email.Other animals have also contracted the virus around the world, including mink in Denmark, dogs in Canada and a cat in the UK.Three gorillas at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park are recovering from the virus in what experts believe is the first known case of transmission to primates, reports City News Service.They had tested positive on Jan 11, but zoo veterinarians reported on Monday that the entire eight-member troop is now eating, drinking, interacting and on the way to a full recovery thanks to professional wildlife care teams.A zoo statement read: “In addition to providing the best care possible for the gorilla troop, our teams could contribute to a deeper understanding of the impacts of this virus on animals and people worldwide.”


Mais appeal on unilateral conversion of 3 children to Islam postponed

The Court of Appeal today postponed the hearing of an appeal by the Selangor Islamic Religious Council (Mais) and the Selangor Chief Registrar of Muslim Converts against a High Court decision that the unilateral conversion of three children to Islam by their Muslim-convert father was invalid.A three-member bench comprising justices Suraya Othman, Azizah Nawawi and Hashim Hamzah postponed the appeal and sent the matter for case management.This was after lawyer Mohamed Haniff Khatri Abdulla, representing Mais and the State Registrar of Muslim Converts, told the court that there would be a similar unilateral conversion case before the Federal Court tomorrow where similar issues would be raised.Lawyer Sa’adiah Din, who acted for the Hindu mother and her three children, did not object to the request for the postponement of the appeal hearing.Mais and the Selangor State Registrar of Muslim Converts are seeking to reinstate the conversion status of the three children which the High Court had declared invalid.On Sept 29, 2020, Shah Alam High Court judge Mohd Zaki Abdul Wahab allowed the lawsuit brought by the mother to declare that the conversion to Islam of her children, who were then aged 13, 11, and eight, was invalid and that their conversion could not be registered by the Selangor Registrar of Muslim Converts.The High Court ruled that it was bound by the 2018 Federal Court decision in the conversion case of kindergarten teacher M Indira Gandhi’s children.In the Indira Gandhi case, the Federal Court held that the consent of both mother and father was required to change the children’s religion to Islam.In today’s case before the Court of Appeal, the father brought the three children to a mosque in Selangor in March 2016 where he then converted himself and the children to Islam.He then brought his children to the Hidayah Centre Foundation in Taman Melawati to fill up the religion conversion forms and to register the children’s conversion to Islam.Their Hindu mother, who has since divorced the father, claimed she was not consulted on the children’s conversion to Islam.The children meanwhile claimed that they had not agreed to embrace Islam.The mother and her children filed the suit in April 2018 against the man, the Selangor Chief Registrar of Muslim Converts, Mais, the Selangor state government and the Malaysian government.However, the claim against the Selangor government has since been dropped.


Russia working to ease visa regime for India, other countries, reports say

Russia is working on easing visa procedures for six countries, including India, Syria and Indonesia, the state Tass news agency cited Deputy Foreign Minister Evgeny Ivanov as saying on Sunday.
"In addition to India (procedures simplification)... is being worked out with Angola, Vietnam, Indonesia, Syria and Philippines," Ivanov said.
Earlier, Ivanov said that Russia is also preparing intergovernmental agreements on visa-free trips with 11 countries, including Saudi Arabia, Barbados, Haiti, Zambia, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico and Trinidad, Tass reported.
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine a year ago, which has killed thousands and displace millions, Moscow has turned to China, India and African nations, trying to seek closer ties there.
While the US, Japan and the European Union condemned Russia's invasion and imposed sanctions, China and India have not done either.
India kept a neutral stance, declining to blame Russia for the invasion while sharply boosting its purchases of Russian oil.


AG to advise Agong on equal citizenship

The Cabinet has decided that Attorney-General Idrus Harun will advise Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah on the issue of the citizenship of children born to Malaysian women married to foreigners.Foreign Minister Saifuddin Abdullah said the decision was made because the issue of citizenship according to the Federal Constitution involves the consent of the Conference of Rulers.“The Cabinet empathises about the situation and we have discussed the issue at length. But we are also aware that the issue is under the purview of the Conference of Rulers and we have to abide by the correct channel.“That is why the decision is for the attorney-general to seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong and we leave it to his wisdom (Idrus),” he told a media conference after attending a 2021 Deepavali programme at the Kuantan Malaysia Hindu Sangam Association today.On Sept 9, the Kuala Lumpur High Court decided that children born overseas to a Malaysian woman who is married to a foreigner automatically qualifies for Malaysian citizenship.However, on Sept 13, the government decided to appeal to quash the decision of the High Court.Earlier, Saifuddin received a petition and an open letter to the Cabinet from Family Frontiers, an NGO, on protecting affected mothers through a campaign, #TarikBalikRayuan.In another development, Saifuddin who is also Indera Mahkota MP said his ministry is looking into why half of the 48 alternative education centres of Rohingya children in the country are still unregistered.“The education centres are operated by NGOs and are not using public funds. However, we need them to register so that they can be monitored by the education ministry.“If they are not registered, we will not know of the curriculum and syllabus taught or be able to help with assistance from interest parties to contribute to the education centres,” he said.Saifuddin said among the countries which give education aid to the children of Rohingya is Qatar as the aspect of education is among the important elements they need when they return to their country of origin when the situation permits.


Top industrial alliance breaks silence, says data shows factories not to blame for Covid-19

The country’s largest industrial alliance representing over 10,500 companies today dismissed widespread claims that the manufacturing sector is to blame for the bulk of Covid-19 infections.In a statement, the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) cited data from the health ministry showing that the majority of cases, especially this year, have been sporadic infections not linked to clusters.“While it must be acknowledged that the risk of factory infections cannot be totally eliminated, especially now with the high percentage of sporadic cases and with the virus in the community, this most certainly cannot be equated to a lack of Covid-19 SOP compliance by factories, and is a very unfair conclusion to be made,” FMM president Soh Thian Lai said.Adding that the manufacturing sector had been a pillar of economic growth, he said the impact of factory closures would be “devastating”.“As the catalyst of growth contributing around 23% of GDP including 86% of total exports and the main source of demand for output from the other economic sectors, it is very clear that the manufacturing sector must be allowed continue to operate amid the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.“Businesses cannot be sustained if factory operations are closed or reduced in capacity, and it will lead to knock-on effects in the economy with significant loss of jobs due to the extensive supply chains and networks involved in manufacturing.”Adding that the virus could still enter factories through sporadic asymptomatic cases despite the SOPs and preventive measures in place, Soh said these sources of infection are often not traced back to the community where they most likely originated.Instead, he said, they would be traced back to factories where one community-related infection among the workers leads to the testing of more workers through close contact tracing.“This in turn is reported as a workplace cluster by the authorities, giving rise to the misconception that workplaces, especially factories, are the primary source of infection.”He urged the government to close only specific companies where cases of Covid-19 have been detected instead of declaring enhanced movement control order in an entire area.“Impose strict operation conditions on all businesses, as it is unfair to unaffected companies especially those that have a clean record and have maintained the highest levels of SOP and workplace preventive measures,” he said.“The importance of the manufacturing sector to Malaysia’s economy must be appreciated by all.”


Federal govt intact even if any bloc quits coalition, says Rafizi

It would "numerically" be difficult for the coalition government to fall after the state elections, as being claimed by certain quarters, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said today.
"Logically, how can that happen after the state elections? A vote of no confidence is not going to take place, you cannot switch parties (any longer), and if the largest block exits the unity government, the government stays, and it is numerically difficult," he told the media after an engagement session between the economy ministry and the federal territories department in Putrajaya today.
Razifi, who is also PKR deputy president, was responding to PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man's statement that the state elections this time will be unique, and how it could cause a rift in the coalition government if Perikatan Nasional is able to emerge victorious in five of the six states involved.
Six states – Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah, Negeri Sembilan, Penang and Selangor will be facing elections this year.
On the progress of seat allocation negotiations between Pakatan Harapan and Barisan Nasional for the polls, Rafizi said talks were almost done with 98% of seats finalised.
"There are a few overlapping claims which will be resolved later," he said.


US and allies would ‘take action’ if Taiwan attacked, says Blinken

The US and its allies would take unspecified “action” if China were to use force to alter the status quo over Taiwan, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday.Blinken was asked at a forum hosted by the New York Times whether the US would step in to defend Taiwan in the event of an attack by China. He repeated regular US statements that Washington’s role is to make sure the island has the means to defend itself, as is required under US law.“At the same time, I think it’s fair to say that we’re not alone in this determination to make sure that we preserve peace and stability in that part of the world,” Blinken added.“There are many countries, both in the region and beyond, that would see any unilateral action to use force to disrupt the status quo as a significant threat to peace and security, and they too would take action in the event that that happens.”Blinken did not say what sort of action he was referring to.US President Joe Biden caused a stir last month when he said the US would come to Taiwan’s defense if China attacked.Those remarks appeared to depart from a long held policy of “strategic ambiguity”, not making clear how the US would respond. But the White House quickly said Biden was not signaling a change in policy, and some analysts dismissed his comments as a gaffe.The Democratic chairman of the influential House Intelligence Committee, Adam Schiff, last week urged the Biden administration to be less ambiguous about what he called a US obligation to defend Taiwan from attack by China.Blinken’s remarks came ahead of a planned virtual meeting between Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which a source briefed on the matter told Reuters will be held as soon as next week.Asked if the meeting would happen next week, Blinken said it was “coming up soon” but was not more specific.


12 ways tigers made a comeback in 12 years

The Year of the Tiger roared in with increased tiger sightings, yet our Malayan tiger numbers are reportedly fewer than 150. The recent appearance of tigers roaming outside the forest fringes indicates that human-tiger conflict issues need to be addressed urgently. What we do now will determine the survival of tigers in the wild in Malaysia and globally.In a positive development, WWF’s latest report on tiger conservation has shown a reversal in the centuries-long trend of wild tiger decline. This marked a rare and hard-fought conservation success story for several tiger range countries in Asia.The report – entitled WWF’s Impact on Tiger Recovery 2010-2022 – highlights the efforts of tiger range countries including Malaysia, in preventing the decline of their wild tiger population since the Global Tiger Summit in 2010. Notably, it was during this summit that these nations pledged to double their tiger population by 2022 – a pledge known as “TX2”.Here are 12 ways tiger range countries, including Malaysia, have been working to restore the roar of wild tigers over the last 12 years.Tackling the snaring crisisWWF-Malaysia, in partnership with Maybank, launched an initiative called Project Stampede which drastically increased the number of patrol teams formed by people from the local indigenous communities. These teams carry out patrols, remove snares and collect data on poaching. They have reduced active snares in the Belum-Temengor Forest Complex by an incredible 94%. Increased funding and patrol teams are a positive step towards conserving Malaysia’s tigers but more needs to be done to prevent this glimmer of hope from fading.Connecting tigers across bordersIn the Russian Far East lies the Land of the Leopard National Park, a protected area and wildlife corridor that secures the main route for tigers moving across the border to China’s Northeast China Amur Tiger and Leopard National Park. Not only have tiger numbers tripled in this national park after a decade of conservation efforts, but the connectivity is enabling tigers to move between both countries.Community-based conservationWWF partners with local people in Nepal to become resource managers, beneficiaries, and stewards of the forests in which they live. Nepal’s Khata Corridor has recovered from just 115 hectares to 3,800 hectares thanks to the efforts of the local community. The functional corridor is also home to tigers which are free to roam between the forests of Nepal and India.Tackling the illegal trade of tigers, their parts and productsWWF and TRAFFIC have worked to facilitate government-led cooperation to break the India–China–Nepal tiger trade chain through improved transboundary wildlife law enforcement and coordination. Nepal’s National Wildlife Crime Control Coordination Committee was created to facilitate national multi-agency cooperation across police, customs and intelligence departments, with a similar model to India’s National Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.Expanding tiger rangeAs tiger populations have recovered, researchers have started seeing them in new areas. In 2020, the high altitude record of a tiger sighting was broken twice in Nepal – creating excitement about the prospect of tigers claiming new ground. The second high altitude sighting in Ilam increased the known tiger range in Nepal east by an incredible 200km. This is credit to the remarkable efforts of the government and communities in tiger landscapes over the last decade.Translocating tigersThere appeared to be little hope for tigers in the west of India’s Rajaji Tiger Reserve until a translocation bringing tigers back to the area launched in 2020. There had been no signs of breeding in the reserve since 2006 and the reintroduction of new tigers aims to change this. The process to translocate tigers requires a long time commitment with extensive planning that also relies on strong political will and social support.RewildingKazakhstan’s story on the other hand is very different. Tigers became extinct in the country over 70 years ago and a landmark effort is underway to return this iconic big cat to the country by 2025. It will take at least 15 years, and include three key stages: First, habitat preparation which started in 2018 and will last until 2024. Second is the tiger reintroduction phase which will last another nine years, until 2033. And finally monitoring will start in 2025 and continue for at least 15 years. At least 10 tigers will be translocated in this period and with the right conditions the Ile-Balkhash Reserve has the capacity to support 120 tigers.Supporting rangersThe “SMART Patrol” approach is used worldwide and supports rangers in their efforts to protect wildlife from poachers and other threats. Data such as wildlife sightings and illegal activity are logged through the SMART app and are then used to help rangers adapt their patrols based on the location of threats. Since 2012, thanks to the help of SMART and other conservation measures, tiger numbers in Bhutan’s Royal Manas National Park have doubled – an incredible and hard fought conservation success.Human-tiger coexistenceIn India’s Pilibhit Tiger Reserve Bagh Mitras – volunteer community response teams – have been trained to provide support in human-tiger conflict situations, understanding tiger behaviour, and pugmark identification. Their role is to provide support to local authorities and communities in preventing or responding to conflict situations when they arise.Restoring tiger habitatThailand is a leader in the Southeast Asia region for effectively managing its tiger sites. WWF-Thailand has partnered with the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation on a project to support the long-term recovery of both tiger and prey populations. Together, they are restoring important grazing areas and setting up artificial salt licks to supply wildlife with vital minerals. Three different tiger prey species have already benefited from these interventions – muntjac, sambar deer, and gaur – an important step towards tiger recovery.Enabling success with conservation toolsAnother piece of innovation that is supporting countries in their efforts to protect tigers is the Conservation Assured Tiger Standards (CA|TS). Being CA|TS approved shows that effectively managing a site according to best practises enables tiger conservation and where possible, population recovery. In 2020, the Indian government adopted CA|TS across the country’s 50 Tiger Reserves, which contain over 60% of the world’s tiger population.Sustainable financeThrough the Bhutan for Life project, the government – supported by WWF-Bhutan – has been securing a network of effectively managed and sustainably financed protected areas across the country. This is protecting tiger movement corridors but also key high-biodiversity and climate resilient habitats, and areas that connect them.On Sept 5, tiger range countries will converge at the second Global Tiger Summit in Vladivostok, Russia where it will be revealed whether the TX2 goal has been achieved. The countries will renew their commitment to protecting tigers as governments set their goals for the next 12 years.While there have been major conservation successes over the last 12 years in tiger range countries, the work is far from over.At the national level, WWF-Malaysia has relentlessly supported the establishment of the National Tiger Task Force, Tigers Working Group and Wildlife Crime Bureau. Now that they have been set up, we will continue pushing for the implementation of the next phase of tiger conservation.Tiger conservation in Malaysia might seem like an uphill battle with our wild tiger numbers down to fewer than 150. But it is not a battle which Malaysia fights alone. Efforts by all tiger range countries prove that tiger numbers can recover, slowly but surely. If everyone – from the highest office to enforcement agencies, corporates and NGOs to ordinary Malaysians – protects our tigers from all threats, we can turn the tide of extinction.After all, doubling wild tiger numbers does not happen overnight. When the next Year of the Tiger comes around in 2034, let the world hear our victory roar.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Bumiputera policy and the 12th Malaysia Plan

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob barely had one month to make his imprint on the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), and it shows. The 530-page tome was complete, with room only to insert his Keluarga Malaysia brand into the preface, introduction and conclusion chapters.But he had the chance to deliver the 12MP address in parliament, and of course he took it. This explains a quite peculiar – and unusually politicised – speech. The equity ownership aspects are being hotly debated, but there is more to it, beginning with subtle but impactful discrepancies between the 12MP document and the PM’s speech.The tabling of five-year Malaysia Plans is the pinnacle of policy speechmaking: grand, serious, comprehensive, and potentially momentous. Yes, there are also grandiosity, self-congratulation and claptrap moments, but typically we get a pointed summary of a massive document. The 12MP contains thirteen chapters aligned with three themes, four “enablers” and fourteen “game changers”. Instead of keeping to this laboriously formulated outline and buzzwords, though, PM’s speech reshuffled the contents into nine “focus areas”.The 12MP’s section on policies group-targeted policies for ethnic groups, women and others are bundled into Chapter 5 on “Addressing Poverty and Building an Inclusive Society”, which of course includes a Priority Area section on “Achieving an Equitable Outcome forBumiputera”. These contents are repackaged as Focus Area 6: Enhancing the Bumiputera Agenda and Keluarga Malaysia.PM’s speech departs from the 12MP document most starkly, and troublingly, in Focus Area 6. The power of the platform is evident; 12MP debates are revolving around the speech, not the document nor even its executive summary.Three discrepancies stand out. The first warrants clarification, the second and third demand answers.First, the speech magnifies a divisive and misleading statistical note. The Bumiputera agenda, PM asserts, must continue because “the median income gap between Bumiputera and Chinese is widening, quadrupling in 2019 compared with the gap in 1989.” The line is taken from the 12MP, but it is preceded by more important matters that the speech omits.In fairness, the Eleventh and Twelfth Plans have improved in specifying where pro-Bumiputera and other group-targeted programmes operate – albeit with major omissions, such as matriculation colleges and higher education, public procurement and public sector and GLC employment. The 12MP’s discussion of “key issues” faced by the Bumiputera begins with the general problems of poverty, inequality and unemployment, followed by a list of specific problems.Top of this list: Bumiputera business concentration in micro enterprise and low value-added activities, and dependency on government assistance. These are, objectively and constructively, the key shortcomings – and ought to be the key premises for Bumiputera policies, which would then establish higher education, SME development and capacity building as policy drivers.Alas, PM’s speech makes a big deal of Chinese-Bumiputera household income inequality in a manner that potentially sows discord – and paints a grossly misleading picture by suggesting that inequality between the two groups is widening.To set the record straight (with numbers rounded for simplicity), in 1989, median Chinese household income was RM1,180 while median Bumiputera household income was RM680. The difference was RM500. In 2019, the corresponding figures were RM7,400 for Chinese households and RM5,400 for Bumiputera households. The difference was RM2,000. The 12MP points out that this absolute difference has increased four times, which is technically correct, but this selective angle skews our perspective on the ethnic groups’ household income progress. Bumiputera household income has actually grown significantly faster: increasing by 700% between 1989 and 2019, compared to 530% for Chinese households. Proportionately, the gap has narrowed. In 1989, median Bumiputera household income was 58% that of Chinese households; by 2019, the proportion had risen to 73%.It is also inaccurate to only report the statistics at the national level, without taking into account urban and rural differences. Rural incomes are lower; the national Bumiputera median household income is deflated with the inclusion of rural households. The non-Bumiputera population is much more urbanized; the more valid household income comparison is between urban Bumiputera and urban non-Bumiputera.In 2019, the Bumiputera to Chinese median household income ratio was 81% – a narrow gap than the 73% obtained when we mix urban and rural populations. The Bumiputera to Indian income ratios tell a further story. Urban Bumiputera median household income was 102% of urban Indian households (yes, 2% higher). What this means is that half of urban Bumiputera households earned less than RM6,209; while half of urban Indian households earned less than RM6,097.In sum, household income trends actually show how much the Bumiputera community has benefited from economic growth and extensive preferential policies. These statistics should in fact be grounds for enhancing the system by making it more inclusive.Second, PM’s speech declares with certainty something that the 12MP merely proposes for further study and consideration. Unsurprisingly, the announcement of an “equity safety net framework” has provoked alarm and concern. This measure, on top of many other equity ownership programmes, supposedly ensures that “disposal of Bumiputera shares or companies [will] only be offered and sold to Bumiputera consortiums, companies or other Bumiputera individuals”. This is a drastic step, and many would add, a problematic and perilous one. Absent details, we are unable to engage much with the subject beyond raising the basic why, what and how, but it is imperative to demand answers.An equally crucial question is whether PM has overruled the 12MP and the policymaking machinery, which proposes this equity safety net as a “possibility” that “will be explored”. Has he dictated a decision before due deliberation?Third, and most simply, the PM’s address to parliament highlighted something that is not even in the 12MP. The Dana Kemakmuran Bumiputera, appearing foremost on a list of programmes for Bumiputera MSMEs, is nowhere to be found except in his speech. How will Dana Kemakmuran Bumiputera be scrutinised, debated, and monitored when it does not exist in the Plan?PM Ismail Sabri had little time to influence the 12MP; he had better make time to answer for his speech.Lee Hwok Aun is senior fellow at the Iseas-Yusof Ishak Institute.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Israel reboots fiercely opposed judicial campaign

Israeli lawmakers on Sunday began debating a bill that would limit the Supreme Court's powers, rebooting a fiercely opposed judicial overhaul instigated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's religious-nationalist coalition.
Anti-government demonstrations had prompted Netanyahu to suspend his judicial drive in March to allow compromise talks with opposition parties. He declared those talks fruitless last week and ordered some of the legislation to be revived.
The proposed changes, which included curbs on the court's ability to rule against the government, had sparked frequent street protests before the March suspension and on Saturday night anti-overhaul activists blocked a major Tel Aviv highway.
Coalition lawmakers have indicated that the new bill would be a far softer version of previous proposals that had sought to almost totally roll back the Supreme Court's power to rule against the executive.
The opposition, however, says the new bill would still open the door to corruption.
"You are renewing a legislation blitz meant to destroy the justice system's independence and badly hurt Israeli democracy's delicate checks and balances," Labour lawmaker Gilad Kariv said as the debate began.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Twitter urged Netanyahu to stop the legislation and revive negotiations "until we reach agreements that will safeguard democracy and prevent a national disaster".
The proposed judicial overhaul has also stirred Western concern over Israel's democratic health and spooked investors. Critics see it as an attempt to curb court independence by Netanyahu, who is on trial on graft charges that he denies.
The coalition says its goal is to balance the powers of the government, legislature and judiciary by reining in a Supreme Court they see as too interventionist.


Prominent academic Hoo dies

One of Malaysia’s most prominent economists Prof Hoo Kee Ping died today, hours before he was scheduled to appear as a panellist in an online discussion on Covid-19 vaccinations.It is learnt that Hoo, 70, suffered a heart attack at his home this morning.He was slated to appear in a webinar tonight entitled “Vaccine: How far can it be the saviour?”, alongside several public health experts.Hoo was sought after for his knowledge on Malaysian current affairs, and had been a frank commentator on contemporary politics and economics.His last stint was at the Kingsley Strategic Institute, a Kuala Lumpur-based think tank on Asia Pacific issues, where he served as an adviser.In one of his final writings which was also published by MalaysiaNow, Hoo predicted that a combined strength of Perikatan Nasional (PN), PAS and Barisan Nasional would trounce Pakatan Harapan (PH) in the next general election.He however said the alliance would see the diminishing role of Umno which once dominated the government.Instead, Hoo said the three parties would use a narrative of nationalism and Malay domination in facing PH.He said any electoral pact among the three Malay political blocs could see Bersatu, Umno and PAS winning between 90 and 100 parliamentary seats, in addition to seats from others under the PN bloc.He also said he would make it his “personal campaign” to convince Chinese voters to accept the union of Malay political blocs.“As long as Umno is not singlehandedly dominant, the Chinese will be prepared for Malay unity in its new diversity,” Hoo wrote.


Trains in LRT collision removed from crash site

The two LRT trains involved in a collision on Monday were successfully removed from the crash site this morning, three days earlier than scheduled, says Transport Minister Wee Ka Siong.Wee, in a post on Facebook, said the process of removing the two trains was completed ahead of schedule after staff worked three shifts non-stop.“(Train) TR40 safely reached Subang depot at 3.45am while TR81 arrived at Gombak tail track at 4.51am. Prasarana will focus on track repair work from Kg Baru station to KLCC station.“However, the recovery team had to ‘power down’ the entire stretch involved, namely from Dang Wangi station to Damai station, which involved five stations,” he said, adding that the five stations involved were Damai, KLCC, Ampang Park, Kampung Baru and Dang Wangi.He said the Land Public Transport Agency would conduct an inspection to confirm the track’s safety once repair work is completed.“For the LRT operations today, given the effect of powering down and the closure of one track after the incident, there is a bottleneck because operations are conducted using only one track from Damai station to Pasar Seni station (involving seven LRT stations). The time taken for a train to pass through the stretch is 16 minutes.“However, the ‘platoon’ method will be used to allow two trains entering the track in the same direction to reduce the bottleneck situation,” he said.Wee also said 58 LRT trains for the Kelana Jaya line would be fully operational without frequency reduction as announced yesterday after visiting the operations control centre.He assured that Prasarana would work hard to repair the track today so that the Kelana Jaya line can be fully restored soon.Wee said once the tracks are repaired, there would be no more bottlenecks and LRT services would operate at 50% capacity as required during the movement control order period with SOPs tightened until June 7 without reducing frequency.In the 8.45pm incident on Monday, a total of 47 passengers were reported to be seriously injured while 166 escaped with minor injuries, when a train carrying passengers and another train, said to have been test-driven following a fault, collided in a tunnel between the Kampung Baru and KLCC stations.


Russia reports attacks on oil refineries and town near border with Ukraine

Russia said Ukrainian artillery hit a Russian town for a third time this week and drones struck two oil refineries in an uptick in attacks on Russian territory as Ukraine prepares a Western-backed push to end Moscow's invasion.
Inside Ukraine, Russian-installed officials said five people had been killed in Ukrainian army shelling of a Russian-occupied village in the east, where Russia has fought months of bloody and inconclusive battles to try to seize more territory.
There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on the Russian reports, in a week when the two countries accused each other of spreading terror in their capitals with air strikes.
Thousands of civilians have been killed in Ukraine and towns and cities laid to waste since Moscow's forces invaded 15 months ago, but Tuesday marked only the second time Moscow had come under direct fire - from a flurry of drones - although oil and military facilities elsewhere in Russia have been hit.
In the Russian town of Shebekino on the Ukrainian border, two of four wounded people were hospitalised and shells damaged an apartment building, four homes and a school as well as power lines, Belgorod governor Vyacheslav Gladkov said.
Later, Gladkov told Russian television there had been more Ukrainian shelling of Shebekino and a fire had broken out at an industrial site.
Both sides say they are targeting the buildup of each other's forces and military equipment ahead of a Ukrainian counteroffensive, which it says will come in days or weeks, to try to drive Russian forces out of eastern and southern regions.
Away from the front lines of the conflict, the United Nations was trying to salvage a deal allowing safe Black Sea grain exports.
To that end, the UN has made a "mutually beneficial" proposal that Ukraine, Russia and Turkey begin preparatory work for the transit of Russian ammonia through Ukraine, a source close to the talks said on Wednesday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in his nightly video address, accused Russia of blocking all activity at the port of Pivdennyi, with 1.5 million tonnes of agricultural products unable to move.
"... the blockade of one port in Ukraine poses extremely serious risks for different nations, particularly those with relations that Russia tries to use for speculative purposes."
The UN and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative between Moscow and Kyiv last July to help tackle a global food crisis aggravated by Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a leading grain exporter.
Artillery fire intensifies in Bakhmut
Russian-installed officials in Ukraine's eastern Luhansk region - one of four Moscow claims to have annexed - said Ukraine had killed five people and wounded 19 in a rocket attack on a farm in the village of Karpaty.
In the fiercely contested eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, Russia was replacing Wagner private army troops with regular forces - paratroops and motorised rifle units - but intensifying its artillery shelling, Ukrainian military officials said on Wednesday night.
"The days to come will show whether the rotation strengthens or weakens them," Serhiy Cherevatyi, spokesperson for Ukraine's eastern grouping of troops, told Ukrainian television.
Russia's defence ministry said it had pushed Ukrainian forces back around two settlements in Donetsk province, part of a 1,000km front line that has barely moved despite months of fighting that has cost tens of thousands of lives.
Reuters was not able to verify either side's reports.
Refineries hit
Drones attacked two oil refineries 65-80km east of Russia's biggest oil export terminals on Wednesday, according to Russian officials, who did not attribute blame. They said a fire at one of the terminals was later put out.
Ukrainian drones struck wealthy districts of Moscow on Tuesday and two people were injured, according to the Russian capital's mayor. The Kremlin said Moscow's air defences worked effectively but had room for improvement.
Russia's ambassador to Washington accused it of encouraging Ukraine to attack. The White House said it does not know who carried out the Moscow drone strikes but reiterated that the US does not support attacks inside Russia.
The US, Britain and Germany are among Western nations to have supplied arms to Ukraine on condition it uses them to defend itself and retake Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia, which they say launched an unprovoked war of conquest.
The White House on Wednesday announced the latest in a series of US aid packages for Ukraine that includes up to US$300 million (about RM1.4 billion) worth of air defence systems and ammunition.
Russia says it is waging a "special military operation" to neutralise a threat from Kyiv's moves towards the West.


Major biting incident at White House

One of the Biden family dogs, a three-year-old German shepherd named Major, was involved in a second biting incident at the White House, it was reported on Tuesday.According to CNN, the incident, which involved a National Park Service employee, took place on the White House South Lawn on Monday afternoon. The employee was working at the time and needed to stop in order to receive treatment from the White House medical unit.Asked about this latest episode, first lady Jill Biden’s press secretary Michael LaRosa told CNN: “Yes, Major nipped someone on a walk. Out of an abundance of caution, the individual was seen by medical staff and then returned to work.”On March 8, Major first found himself in the doghouse after biting a Secret Service employee at the White House. The employee’s injury was concerning enough to require treatment from members of the White House medical team.White House press secretary Jen Psaki later downplayed the injury as “minor”, saying the incident was due to Major “getting acclimated” to his new home.The German shepherd was “surprised by an unfamiliar person”, she said.Following the incident, both Major and Champ, the Bidens’ other German shepherd, were sent to the president’s home in Wilmington, Delaware, but later returned to the White House.In March, President Joe Biden called Major a “sweet dog” and said he was undergoing training.“You turn a corner, and there’s two people you don’t know at all. And Major moves to protect. But he’s a sweet dog. 85% of the people there love him,” the president told ABC News. “He just – all he does is lick them and wag his tail. But I realise some people, understandably, are afraid of dogs to begin with.”However, as CNN previously reported, “Major is known to display agitated behavior on multiple occasions, including jumping, barking, and ‘charging’ at staff and security.”Major, whose bark may not actually be worse than his bite, was rescued and adopted by the Biden family in 2018.


Mahathir says willing to forget 'betrayal' in working with PN but Muhyiddin refused

Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday said he had been willing to forget Muhyiddin Yassin's "betrayal" so that GTA and Perikatan Nasional (PN) could work together to face the 15th general election (GE15).
Mahathir said the opposition parties could only defeat Umno by working together, and for that reason, he had chosen to propose the matter to Muhyiddin but was rejected by the PN chairman.
"I thought, it is okay even though he had stabbed me in the back before, for the sake of our people, country, and religion, we are willing to humble ourselves to cooperate with Muhyiddin, even after he had betrayed me. I was willing to forget about it.
"But… he said he did not want to cooperate with anyone, how arrogant," he said at a GTA rally in Alor Setar last night.
The Pejuang chairman claimed that Muhyiddin was confident that PN could win GE15 without cooperating with any party, and was still interested in becoming prime minister for the second time. Mahathir said GTA never refused to cooperate with any party to defeat Umno in GE15.
"I know people like to see opposition parties unite so that we can defeat Umno, but when we asked them to cooperate, they refused. We are ready, even in GTA we have four parties, we are united but they don’t want to (cooperate)," he said.
In the meantime, GTA deputy chairman Mukhriz Mahathir said the coalition aimed to contest about 120 parliamentary seats with the candidates to be announced on Nov 2.
He said the actual number of seats that GTA will contest would be finalised later, adding that it would field candidates in no less than 10 parliamentary seats in Kedah.


Four dead after landslide in Ampang

A landslide in Taman Bukit Permai, Ampang, yesterday evening claimed four lives while another victim escaped with light injuries in an incident that also affected 15 homes and 10 vehicles.The search and rescue (SAR) operation for the five victims began when nine firemen from the Pandan Fire and Rescue station arrived at the scene after receiving a distress call at 5.54pm.The first victim, an 84-year-old, man was pulled out at 6.54pm. He escaped with minor injuries but his wife was found dead at 7.53pm with her body pulled out at 9.15pm.About an hour and a half after that, at 10.58pm, the body of the third victim, a male resident, was extricated from the debris.The SAR operation ended at 2am after Ampang Jaya district police chief ACP Mohamad Farouk Eshak confirmed that rescuers had found the bodies of the last two victims, both males, one of whom was a worker of Pengurusan Air Selangor Sdn Bhd (Air Selangor).Their bodies were found at 12.46am and 1.59am respectively.Selangor Fire and Rescue Department director Norazam Khamis, however, said they would use K-9 Unit tracker dogs at the site of the landslide to ensure there are no other victims.The victims, who were brought to Ampang Hospital, have yet to be identified.A temporary relief centre was also opened at the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council hall in Taman Mega Jaya, but checks by Bernama found that no residents from the affected area had moved there as of 3am.During the incident, residents in the area heard a loud bang caused by two landslides that occurred in succession during heavy rain. The incident was also caught on camera as it happened.The Malaysian Meteorological Department had forecast heavy evening showers until March 14.


6,000 cows feared drowned in typhoon off Japan

Questions of animal welfare are being raised by the disappearance and possible drowning of thousands of cows at sea.A ship transporting live cattle from New Zealand to China is being searched for in turbulent waters off Japan.It appears that the ship, The Gulf Livestock 1, may have become a victim of Typhoon Maysak.The 133.6-meter-long ship, crewed by 39 Filipinos, two New Zealanders and two Australians, left Napier, New Zealand, bound for Tangshan, China.It left New Zealand on August 17 with a cargo of more than 5,800 cows, according to New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.The area in which it was last heard from, in the East China Sea, was being battered by the powerful typhoon, with winds of over 200 kph.Just one sailor has so far been rescued according to the Japanese Coast Guard. He is said to be in good condition, after more than half a day in the water.A New Zealand animal rights group told CNN the Gulf Livestock 1 disappearance illustrates why the export of live animals should be banned.“These cows should never have been at sea. To make matters worse they’re likely all pregnant,” said Marianne Macdonald, campaigns manager for animal rights group SAFE NZ.“This is a real crisis, and our thoughts are with the families of the 43 crew who are missing with the ship. But questions remain, including why this trade is allowed to continue,” Macdonald said.Australia and New Zealand export thousands of live sheep and cattle every year, especially to the Middle East, where frozen meat is deemed unacceptable by many, especially at holy festivals.


Multiple people dead in US Walmart shooting, including gunman

A shooting at a Walmart in Chesapeake, Virginia on Tuesday night has resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, and the shooter is dead, Chesapeake police public information officer Leo Kosinski said in a media briefing.
At 10.12pm, police responded to a report of a shooting inside a Walmart at Sam's Circle, Kosinski said, adding that "less than 10" people were dead, without disclosing the exact number.
It's still unclear if the shooter died of self-inflicted injuries. Kosinski added that no shots were fired at police "to his knowledge".
"Chesapeake Police confirm an active shooter incident with fatalities at the Walmart on Sam's Circle. The shooter is deceased," the City of Chesapeake said.
Walmart and the police department did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.


South Korea scrambles jets as China, Russia warplanes enter air defence zone

South Korea's military said it scrambled fighter jets as two Chinese and six Russian warplanes entered its air defence zone on Wednesday.
The two Chinese H-6 bombers repeatedly entered and left the Korea Air Defence Identification Zone (KADIZ) off South Korea's southern and northeast coasts starting at around 5.50am (2050 GMT Tuesday), Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.
They re-entered the zone hours later from the Sea of Japan, known in South Korea as the East Sea, together with the Russian warplanes, including TU-95 bombers and SU-35 fighter jets, and left after 18 minutes in the KADIZ, the JCS said.
"Our military dispatched air force fighter jets ahead of the Chinese and Russian aircraft's entry of the KADIZ to implement tactical measures in preparation for a potential contingency," the JCS said in a statement.
The planes did not violate South Korea's airspace, it said.
An air defence zone is an area where countries demand that foreign aircraft take special steps to identify themselves. Unlike a country's airspace - the air above its territory and territorial waters - there are no international rules governing air defence zones.
Moscow does not recognise Korea's air defence zone. Beijing said the zone is not territorial airspace and all countries should enjoy freedom of movement there.
Japan's Air Self Defence Force also scrambled fighter jets after the Chinese bombers flew from the East China Sea into the Sea of Japan, where they were joined by two Russian drones, Tokyo's defence ministry later said in a press release.
China and Russia have previously said their warplanes were conducting regular joint exercises.
In August, the JCS reported Russian warplanes entering the KADIZ, three months after Chinese and Russian aircraft made an incursion in May that was the first after South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol took office.
In 2019, South Korean warplanes fired hundreds of warning shots toward Russian military aircraft when they entered the KADIZ during a joint air patrol with China.


107 education clusters recorded in January

A total of 107 Covid-19 clusters in the education sector were recorded from Jan 1 to 25, involving 4,633 cases.Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the significant increase was recorded after the opening of the 2022 schooling session.He said of 107 education clusters, institutions from the education ministry contributed the highest number, namely 56 clusters (52.3%) followed by other educational institutions (24.3%), higher education (20.6%), and private educational institutions registered with the ministry (2.8%).“In the first epidemiology week (EW) in 2022, only three education clusters were recorded, but the increase in clusters was seen at the beginning of the school session, namely the second EW, when 15 clusters were recorded, and this was followed by an increase of 313% in the third EW.“In the fourth EW, until Jan 25, 2022, another 26 education clusters were reported,” he said in a statement.Noor Hisham said out of the 4,633 cases in the education cluster, 4,092 cases (88.3%) were fully vaccinated, and 112 cases (2.4%) had received a booster dose.He said 99.7% of the cases (4,621 cases) reported only suffered from mild symptoms (Categories One and Two), while only 0.2% (12 cases) were in Categories Three and Four, with all of them now in stable condition at healthcare facilities.“Based on investigations by the district health offices (PKD) on the cases and clusters reported, the infections were due to non-compliance with SOPs by educational institution staff while at school, as well as after schooling hours, especially for those living in hostels.“Other causes include individuals with symptoms still attending classes and being detected late; pupils quarantined at schools not complying with quarantine instructions and procedures; crowded areas not being regularly cleaned and disinfected; and poor ventilation systems in classrooms and dormitories,” he said.Noor Hisham said a special meeting was held on Jan 22 involving the health and education ministries, state health departments, the National Public Health Laboratory, the higher education ministry, Department of National Unity and National Integration and Department of Islamic Development Malaysia.Among the proposed improvements to reduce the risk of transmission of Covid-19 among students and educators is to fully comply with the Guidelines for School Management and Operation 3.0 issued by the education ministry.In addition, schools need to conduct risk assessments immediately so that students infected with Covid-19 can be isolated and immediate action can be taken on close contacts, while students need to immediately report to a teacher, warden or student representative, in the event they suffer from any mild symptoms.


Lockdown approach no longer appropriate, says PM

The government’s decision to reopen more economic sectors was made as the “lockdown” move is no longer apt and may have more implications, including on mental health, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.He said the reopening of the sectors could not only expedite the economic recovery process but would also give the people the opportunity to improve their lives.“The reopening of 11 economic sectors in states under Phase One of the National Recovery Plan (NRP) is appropriate due to the high vaccination rates (in the states).“In fact, the decision was made after taking into account the data from the risk assessments conducted by the health ministry and the domestic trade and consumer affairs ministry,” he said in reply to Mohd Salim Sharif (BN-Jempol) during question time at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.Salim had wanted to know the reasons for the reopening of 11 economic sectors when the country’s daily tally of Covid-19 cases was still worrying.Ismail said to date, 74.7% of the country’s adult population had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 while 91.6% had received one dose of the vaccine.He said the sectors were also reopened with SOPs, including allowing only fully vaccinated customers in the business premises with only fully vaccinated workers on duty.A total of 11 types of economic activities in the trade and distribution sectors were allowed to resume operations in Phase One of the NRP from Aug 16, including car wash shops, electrical and electronics shops, clothing, fashion and accessories shops, goldsmith shops, barbershops, as well as beauty centres and salons.Replying to Salim’s supplementary question on whether the decision to reopen the sectors had taken into consideration the risks of Covid-19 infection for the unvaccinated population aged 17 and below, the prime minister said the onus is on everyone to maintain discipline and self-control to prevent themselves, their families and their communities from being infected with the virus.“When we reopened (the economic sectors), people began to flock to holiday destinations and some were not even wearing face masks. The future of our country, in terms of Covid-19, depends on us. We cannot depend on vaccines alone. Self-control is very important or all our efforts will be in vain,” he said.Meanwhile, Ismail said the reopening of the 11 sectors was done according to data related to the Covid-19 clusters in those sectors.“For instance, many people said that (the reopening of) barbershops is dangerous because it involves close contact, but throughout 2020, only one cluster was detected to have involved a barbershop.“The same goes with car wash shops. Many people said the shops have foreign workers, so it will be easier to get infected but in 2020, there were no clusters involving car wash shops.“This data is the reason we focus on reopening only certain sectors,” he said.In a reply to a supplementary question from Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PH-Kulim Bandar Baharu) on the appointment of former prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin as chairman of the National Recovery Council (MPN), Ismail said it was only right as Muhyiddin had been the chair of MPN since its establishment.“He (Muhyiddin) has been the chair of the council since the day it was established, so that’s why we entrusted him to continue with it,” he said.


Gombak still Azmin’s fort, survey by Rafizi’s Invoke finds

A survey of voters in Gombak by Invoke, the outfit led by former PKR MP Rafizi Ramli, appears to confirm that the constituency remains a stronghold of Mohamed Azmin Ali, while also showing Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin trumping Anwar Ibrahim and Najib Razak in preference for the prime minister’s position.The survey in Gombak was part of a wider poll involving six constituencies including one DAP and four PKR seats.The DAP constituency is Seremban held by former transport minister Loke Siew Fook, while the four others are seats held by PKR leaders loyal to Anwar.They are Shamsul Iskandar Mohd Akin (Hang Tuah Jaya), Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir (Johor Baru), Chang Lih Kang (Tanjong Malim) and Tan Yee Kew (Wangsa Maju).The survey, commissioned by news portal Malay Mail, was conducted over a period of one month between Aug 26 and Oct 2 last year, to gauge support for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government which came to power after the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration.One finding of the survey was that three-term Gombak MP Azmin is highly recognised by voters, with 50% of them able to name him when asked who their elected representative was.In comparison, only 29% of Loke’s constituents in Seremban recognised him, while in Johor Baru, a mere 13% of voters polled recognised Akmal.The survey said Azmin’s recognition in Gombak was a factor in his chances of retaining the seat at the next election.“Whether this impact will be positive or negative for his chances is up for debate,” the survey said, as quoted by Malay Mail.The Malay-majority Gombak seat was an Umno stronghold before Azmin wrested it in 2008.In 2018, he won the seat with a 48,721-vote majority, defeating Barisan Nasional and PAS.Top PKR leaders have in recent times made Gombak a key seat to be won at the next polls, in what party sources say is a move to punish Azmin for leading several MPs out of the party, triggering the collapse of the PH government in a move to thwart Anwar’s prime ministerial ambitions.Anwar, who has fallen out with Azmin, was named by PH to replace Dr Mahathir Mohamad as prime minister before the coalition government collapsed in February last year.Meanwhile, the Invoke survey in Gombak found Muhyiddin far ahead in terms of popularity as prime minister with 46%, compared to Anwar (8%) and Najib (3%). Significantly, some 7% preferred a “younger candidate” for the top post.Details of findings with regards to the five other constituencies have not been reported.Invoke is a data analytics company founded by Rafizi, who previously crossed swords with Azmin in a bitter tussle for the PKR deputy president’s post.


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Chinese netizens evade censors, debate on invite-only US chat app

Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the American app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on human rights, national identity and other sensitive topics.Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly censored to remove any content that could threaten the ruling communist party.The Clubhouse app, launched in early 2020 at the start of the pandemic, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.Its chat rooms are only accessible via invites from current members, and on Sunday, invites to the platform were selling for up to 400 yuan (US$70, RM283) on popular Chinese e-commerce sites.Reuters directly listened in on several Chinese language club conversations where thousands of users listened to wide-ranging audio discussions exploring contentious topics including Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong’s National Security Law.China’s cyber authorities have become increasingly strict in recent years, widening bans on apps, media outlets and social media sites.While Clubhouse remains uncensored, it is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store, both major barriers for its widespread use in China although mainland Chinese users can access the app by modifying the location of their app store.It’s unclear why the app remains unblocked in China, though some foreign social sites with small Chinese followings manage to operate under the radar of censors.In one club chat centred on Hong Kong politics, activists, journalists and artists discussed former US president Trump and his support base in the former British colony.Another popular Chinese language club on the site on Saturday involved a rare open exchange between netizens in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over heightened political tensions in the region.“I don’t know how long this environment can last”, said one user in a Weibo post that was liked over 65,000 times. “But I will definitely remember this moment in Internet history.”“Clubhouse is a space for casual, drop-in audio conversations with friends and other interesting people around the world,” says the Clubhouse site. “Go online anytime to chat with the people you follow, or hop in as a listener and hear what others are talking about.”The audio-based social network features no pictures or videos, just public and private conversation rooms. Users have only profile pictures and followers. Chats are not recorded but users get around this by livestreaming conversations on other platforms, including YouTube, reports the New York Post.Only 5,000 users are technically supposed to be in each conversation. “General rudeness” is allowed, but hate speech, sexism and abuse are not, and a spokeswoman for the app told Reuters they’ve already had to ban some users.In December, Clubhouse was valued at nearly US$100 million. By the end of January, the valuation hit US$1 billion.