Bollywood broken? Movie moguls' spell over India fades

Bollywood may be broken, and it has itself to blame.
That's the verdict of one of its biggest and brightest stars after the latest flop in a Hindi-language movie industry that's long mesmerised Indians, and the world, with its dazzling all-singing, all-dancing brand of big-screen escapism.
"Films are not working – it's our fault, it's my fault," Akshay Kumar told reporters last month after his new movie "Raksha Bandhan" tanked at the box office. "I have to make the changes, I have to understand what the audience wants. I want to dismantle the way I think about what kind of films I should do."
Indeed times have changed and Bollywood, a cultural pillar of modern India, is losing its allure.
The rise of streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime during the Covid pandemic has conspired with growing Bollywood fatigue among younger generations who view many of its movies as outdated and unfashionable.
Of the 26 Bollywood releases this year, 20 – or 77% – have been flops, defined as losing half or more of their investment, according to the Koimoi website, which tracks industry data.
That's about double the failure rate of 39% in 2019, before the pandemic shook up society and forced hundreds of millions of Indians to wean themselves off cinemas, for decades the bastion of Bollywood and its main source of revenue.
Christina Sundaresan, a 40-year-old mother of two teenage girls in Mumbai, used to see at least one Bollywood movie a week in the cinema before the pandemic. Now she rarely goes.
"I mean, they are okay to watch when you need a laugh but I would not go to a theatre for them," she said. "My daughters used to watch every movie with us, but now they're not interested either. They are very much into Korean shows and series which air on these streaming platforms."
They're not alone in converting to international streaming services, which came to India relatively late – Netflix and Amazon Prime launched in 2016 – offering varied content made in America and Europe as well as India and elsewhere in Asia, from Parasite and Avengers to Squid Game and Game of Thrones.
A quarter of India's 1.4 billion people now use such services, up from about 12% in 2019, according to market data firm Statista. The figure is expected to hit 31% by 2027, and there's room to grow; take-up is about 80% in North America, for example.
So what's the problem?
Indian box-office revenues had risen every year for a decade to reach around US$2 billion in 2019 before slumping during the pandemic. They show little sign of bouncing back.
Ticket sales have fallen every month since March this year, sequentially, industry trackers show. Revenues from Bollywood films specifically are expected to fall 45% in the July-September quarter versus pre-Covid levels, according to research from investment banking firm Elara Capital.
Bollywood can no longer take audiences for granted and has to adapt if it hopes to survive and thrive, according to Reuters interviews with film fans, as well as half a dozen industry players including producers, movie distributors and cinema operators.
Four of the executives painted a picture of confusion and worry in the industry as studios release films that were supposed to hit the market before the pandemic struck and consumer taste evolved with the rise of streamers, known in India as OTT or over-the-top services.
Producers are racing to rework scripts and considering linking actors' fees to box-office performance instead of handing over an upfront payment, said Rajender Singh Jyala, chief programming officer at India's second-biggest multiplex operator Inox, citing his discussions with filmmakers.
"No one knows what the actual problem is," he added. "During the pandemic there were no releases, everything was shut and people had a lot of time to watch on OTT and to watch different kinds of content. So what would have worked two years ago, that content is not worth today's time."
Yet it's not all doom and gloom, say Jyala and other executives. There's no turning back the clock to Bollywood's heyday, but they say a few big hits could breathe new life into the industry and that it could ultimately find a new balance with streaming services and the money they bring to the table.
Nonetheless, executives must adapt quickly.
Indian films rely on cinemas for nearly three-quarters of their revenue, researchers at O.P. Jindal Global University near New Delhi found. By contrast, movies globally draw less than half of their income from box offices, according to data from America's Motion Picture Association.
Storyline
Fans of Bollywood, a century-old institution, say it can evolve to stay relevant. Recent shifts to better reflect society include the introduction of gay relationships and characters who change their gender, for example.
For New Delhi college student Vaishnavi Sharma, studios simply need to step up their game.
"The storyline is the issue and since the past two years the audience has been exposed to so many new themes and they have been introduced to new concepts as well, so that is why I guess Bollywood is lacking in that area," she said.
The writing was on the wall last month when a pair of big-budget movies bombed despite starring two of Bollywood's box-office darlings, Kumar and Aamir Khan.
The poor showing of Kumar's "Raksha Bandhan", about the bond between a brother and his sisters, provoked the actor's comments about films not working.
Khan's "Laal Singh Chaddha", a remake of 1994 Hollywood hit "Forrest Gump", has only made around 560 million rupees in ticket sales – about a quarter of its budget – despite being released on Aug 11, on the eve of a festive long weekend.
The flops represented steep reversals for the two A-listers, action and comedy favourites whose films have been known to recover all costs within the first week over the years.
INOX's Jyala said the multiplex was reducing the number of showings of Laal Singh Chaddha by a quarter because of its poor performance.
A senior Bollywood producer, who has two big-budget movies lined up for release, told Reuters on condition of anonymity that producers were "re-calibrating everything" for new projects in the works, from budgets and scripts to the choice of actors
"We have to adapt to audiences and what they want," said the producer, but added: "I don't have the answers anymore."
'Cut off from the masses'
The cost of going to the cinema is another key issue cited by film fans and industry players at a time when India, like much of the world, is wrestling with a cost-of-living crisis.
A big-screen movie outing can typically cost a family of four 3,000 to 5,000 rupees (US$35-US$60), a high price in a nation where many people live in poverty, the average annual income is about 160,000 rupees and the monthly subscription fee for streaming services like Netflix starts at about 150 rupees.
"There has to be a correction somewhere – budgets need to be re-worked and the cost of going to the movies also has to reduce," said Anil Thadani, who owns a film production and distribution company and is married to Bollywood actress Raveena Tandon.
"The Hindi film industry is making films that are cut off from the masses. A large part of our population doesn't always identify with these films."
This sentiment was echoed by Sundaresan, the mother of teenage girls in Mumbai.
"Going to a theatre, sitting in one seat and not watching a movie at your own pace seems like a waste of time now," she said. "There are so many better things to watch on OTT."
Karan Taurani, media analyst at Elara Capital, said he expected a rebalancing in the fees paid to leading actors, with most producers moving towards a revenue-sharing model and more of a film's budget going on production and special effects.
"It has been more than five months that cinemas have been fully functional and only three films have been hits – and all these three are not by large stars," he added.
There will be no immediate Bollywood overhaul though, Taurani cautioned.
"The shake-up will happen early next year when the current crop of films which were made during and before the pandemic will be done."


Sorry.


'Everything Everywhere' enters Oscars as unlikely favourite

Hollywood's A-listers turned out Sunday for the all-important Oscars ceremony, with "Everything Everywhere All at Once," a wacky sci-fi film featuring multiple universes, sex toys and hot dog fingers, the highly unorthodox frontrunner for best picture.
Nominated actors Brendan Fraser, Jamie Lee Curtis and Hong Chau were among the first to walk the red carpet – which is actually a champagne color – at the Dolby Theatre.
Academy bosses hope audiences will tune in to see whether the zany US$100 million (RM451.95 million)-grossing hit can claim Hollywood's most coveted prize – and draw a line under Will Smith's infamous slap at last year's gala.
"Everything Everywhere" – which leads the overall nominations count at 11 – follows a Chinese immigrant laundromat owner locked in battle with an inter-dimensional supervillain who happens to also be her own daughter.
Michelle Yeoh's heroine Evelyn must harness the power of her alter egos living in parallel universes, which feature hot dogs as human fingers, talking rocks and giant dildos used as weapons.
The film has dominated nearly every awards show in Hollywood, with its charismatic, predominantly Asian stars becoming the feel-good story of the season.
"It's a group of very likable people behind the movie who it's impossible to not be happy for," Hollywood Reporter awards columnist Scott Feinberg told AFP.
But although the quirky film is widely expected to dominate Oscars night, it could hit a stumbling block for best picture.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences uses a special "preferential" voting system for that award, in which members rank films from best to worst.
The approach punishes polarising films.
One Oscars voter who asked not to be identified told AFP that some members – particularly among the Academy's older ranks – are "more divided about 'Everything Everywhere All at Once.'"
"It was very bold and unique, but not a traditional movie... it could be further down the ballot for a lot of people," the voter said.
If any rival can benefit, it is likely "All Quiet on the Western Front," Netflix's German-language World War I movie that dominated Britain's Baftas.
Another potential beneficiary is "Top Gun: Maverick," the long-awaited sequel from Tom Cruise – no less a figure than Steven Spielberg recently said the actor and his film "might have saved the entire theatrical industry" from the pandemic.
"It was that movie that brought audiences back to movie theatre," said the anonymous Oscars voter.
Toss-ups
While the best picture race has a clear favourite, the acting contests are incredibly tight.
"I can't remember a year, at least in the time I've been doing it, where three of the four acting categories were true toss-ups," said Feinberg.
For best actress, Cate Blanchett had long been favorite to win a third Oscar for "Tar," but "Everything Everywhere" love could propel Yeoh to a historic first win by an Asian woman in the category.
"I think that Michelle Yeoh will probably win," said the Oscars voter. "Cate Blanchett has already won twice... some people vote with that in the back of their mind."
Best actor is a three-horse race between Fraser ("The Whale") , Austin Butler ("Elvis) and Colin Farrell ("The Banshees of Inisherin").
And the supporting actress race may be even closer.
Angela Bassett, the first Marvel superhero actor ever nominated with "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever," is up against "Everything Everywhere" star Curtis and "Banshees" actress Kerry Condon.
One category does appear to be locked.
Ke Huy Quan, the former child star of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom" and "The Goonies," has won every best supporting actor prize going and looks near-certain to complete a comeback story for the ages.
'The Slap'
Hanging over the ceremony is the specter of "The Slap" – the shocking moment at last year's Oscars when Smith assaulted Chris Rock on stage for cracking a joke about his wife.
At a press conference this week, Oscars executive producer Molly McNearney said: "We're going to acknowledge it, and then we're going to move on."
Organizers were criticised last year for allowing Smith to remain at the show after the attack, and even collect his best actor award.
He was later banned from Oscars events for a decade, meaning he cannot present the best actress statuette this year, as is traditional.
A "crisis team" has been set up for the first time to respond to any unexpected developments.
Blockbusters
Partly thanks to "The Slap," last year's Oscars TV ratings improved from record lows, but remained well below their late 1990s peak, as interest in awards shows wanes.
This year, organisers have brought back Jimmy Kimmel as host for a third stint, and hope that nominations for popular blockbusters like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Avatar: The Way of Water" will bring viewers back.
In 1997, when the wildly popular "Titanic" won 11 Oscars, a record 57 million tuned in.
"If the public cares about the movies, they care about the Oscars, relatively more," said Feinberg.
Another potential draw for viewers: pop superstar Rihanna will grace the stage, just a month after her long-awaited Super Bowl halftime show, to sing the nominated "Lift Me Up" from "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever."
And Variety reported that Lady Gaga could make a last-minute appearance, after organisers initially said she was unavailable.


Bukit Aman’s top anti-terror officer tells why terrorists see Malaysia as ‘safe transit point’

A so-called friendly immigration policy has been identified as one of the factors in Malaysia being known as a transit country for terrorist groups.Normah Ishak, assistant director of the Special Branch of the Counter-Terrorism Division, said as Malaysia is only used as a transit country, it is considered a safe haven where terrorist groups will try and avoid any confrontation with the authorities.She said as such, groups would move quietly and without causing a commotion in the country.“Terrorists from West Asia and other countries including from Europe also transit in Malaysia and may go to South Korea or other countries because we have a friendly immigration policy where we accept visitors from most International Islamic Organization countries through visas,” she said.“That is one of the factors for them to come and transit before continuing their journey to other countries,” she said at a webinar on the role of women in financing terrorist activities.She gave the example of the January 2019 church bombing in Jolo, Sulu, saying she believed the individuals involved had used Malaysia to transit before arriving in southern Philippines.“The area may be seen as a location for jihad,” she added. “That is why there are extremist fighters from West Asia and foreign countries including Malaysia and Indonesia.“They only transit in Malaysia and during that time, they will try their best to avoid confrontation with the authorities,” she said.Normah also said that the police had arrested 558 people including 51 women involved with terrorist groups since 2013.She said about 80% of prosecutions involve the possession of items related to terrorist groups.“So far there have been no cases involving the financing of terrorist activities in Malaysia involving women,” she added.“But we do not rule out the possibility of their involvement in this regard. Perhaps some are involved, just not in Malaysia but in other countries such as Syria.”She said investigations had found that the main reason local women wanted to go to Syria was because they wanted to support their husbands or partners there.“Their dream is to live in an Islamic country, and they believe that this is the only one.“They also think that they will die as martyrs if they are killed in the conflict there,” she said.


88% of teens fully jabbed

A total of 2,768,673 individuals or 88% of adolescents in the country had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, 2,858,109 individuals or 90.8% have received at least one dose of vaccine.In terms of the adult population, 22,889,297 individuals or 97.8% have completed their vaccination while 23,172,722 or 99% have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.Meanwhile, according to the ministry’s GitHub portal, a total of 27 deaths were recorded yesterday, nine of which occurred outside of hospital facilities.


When it rains, it pours for senior citizen siblings

For decades, Rusnah Mohd Sidek, Mohd Sali Mohd Sidek and Johari Mohd Sidek have lived in a small wooden house inherited from their parents, located on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.In many ways, their home mirrors the houses found in traditional Malay villages, from the arrangement of the furniture to the kitchen filled with old and well-used utensils.Rusnah, the oldest, is 70 while Sali is 66 and Johari, 59. They have two other siblings living in Bandar Tun Razak while a sixth has passed away.They love their home but are well aware of its many shortcomings.The biggest problem by far happens every time a heavy shower occurs.The house is located on low land, which means that water flows down from higher ground and collects all around it.Johari Mohd Sidek unwraps some food for his brother in the kitchen which is located one level down from the rest of the house.There is a drainage system at the porch area but chronic clogging causes the water to flood into their kitchen and the back portion of the house.The water damage is never extensive but it is enough to bring trouble for the three siblings.Of the three, Johari, the youngest, is in arguably the best shape although he suffered a motorcycle accident in 2015. Rusnah has colon cancer and lymphoma while Sali is certified as special needs.Each time it floods, the three seniors struggle to put their home back in order.“Our house has been flooded more than 13 times this year,” Rusnah told MalaysiaNow.“During the fasting month and Hari Raya, it flooded a few times too. Sometimes the water comes in even at dawn.”This makes life especially difficult for Rusnah, who sleeps in a bed at the back of the house. The location makes it easier for her to navigate her way to the bathroom or to the kitchen to cook, but every time water enters the house, she must relocate.Rusnah Mohd Sidek, the eldest of the three siblings, lies on her bed at the back of the house.“I have to go up the stairs to the living room which is higher up,” she said. “It’s very tiring, going upstairs every time it floods.”Sometimes, she has no strength to make the trip and can only lie in her bed, hoping that the water level will not reach her.Rusnah, who was once a factory worker, used to go back and forth from the hospital for treatment for her cancer and lymphoma. But her treatment was interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic.She and Johari spend their days taking care of Sali who has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound.Whenever it rains, they do their best to move their furniture and belongings onto tables or chairs to keep them from getting too wet.“Sometimes I can’t handle everything on my own and I have to call the police to ask them to come and help,” Johari said.Johari, the youngest of the three, handles most of the household chores such as the laundry which he hangs out at the back of the house.He and his siblings have none of the electrical appliances found in many other homes but they consider this a blessing in disguise.“Thank goodness we don’t have a fridge or anything like that which could get spoilt every time the water comes in,” he said.He has contacted the local authorities several times before but there is little he can do except to keep clearing the rubbish from the drain outside his house.Sooner or later, though, the drain gets clogged up again and the flood waters come rushing in.He is primarily concerned about their safety as he sometimes sees snakes and centipedes coming into the house when it rains.Mohd Sali Mohd Sidek, who has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair-bound, eats his lunch in the kitchen. The three siblings receive charity aid of RM500 a month. They are also fortunate enough to have neighbours who keep an eye on them.They once tried to apply for aid from the welfare department as Sali had been certified as a special needs person since 2003, but they never received a response.They have enough to get by and food enough each day, but every time it rains, the water comes rushing back in and they can only repeat their familiar routine without hope of ever resolving their situation.


World Bank keeps Malaysia’s economic growth forecast at 5.5%

The World Bank on Monday maintained Malaysia’s economic growth forecast this year at 5.5%, driven mainly by a robust rebound in consumption demand.According to the Washington-based bank, Malaysia’s private consumption growth is forecast to reach 8.5% this year – its fastest pace since 2008, Xinhua reported.The strong recovery in household spending is premised on a further dissipation of public health concerns in the absence of a severe resurgence of Covid-19 caseloads, as well as continued policy support and gradual improvements to employment and income prospects, it added.The World Bank also projected that Malaysia’s economy would grow at 4.5% in 2023 and 4.4% in 2024.The Malaysian economy contracted by 5.6% in 2020 but grew at 3.1% last year on the back of a strong vaccination programme and the easing of mobility barriers.The economy continued to recover this year, expanding by a healthy 5% in the first quarter of 2022.The growth was largely driven by an increase in domestic demand following the resumption of most economic activity as pandemic-related containment measures were further eased.


Afghan resistance ready for conflict but prefers negotiations

Former Afghan government forces forming a resistance movement in a fortified valley are preparing for “long-term conflict”, but are also seeking to negotiate with the Taliban, their spokesman told AFP in an interview.Since the Taliban took control of the country following a lightning charge into the capital Kabul, thousands of people have made their way to Panjshir to both join the fight and find a safe haven to continue their lives, Ali Maisam Nazary said.There, Ahmad Massoud, the son of legendary Mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud who was assassinated by Al-Qaeda two days before the Sept 11, 2001 attacks, has assembled a fighting force of around 9,000 people, Nazary added.Pictures taken by AFP during training exercises show dozens of recruits performing fitness routines, and a handful of armoured humvees driving across the valley northeast of Kabul.The National Resistance Front’s (NRF) main goal is to avoid further bloodshed in Afghanistan and press for a new system of government.But Nazary said the group is also prepared for conflict, and if the Taliban do not negotiate they will face resistance across the country.“The conditions for a peace deal with the Taliban is decentralisation – a system that ensures social justice, equality, rights, and freedom for all,” said Nazary, the NRF’s head of foreign relations, adding if the Taliban do not agree there will be “long-term conflict”.Talks between local leaders from Afghanistan’s north and authorities in Pakistan were taking place until just days ago, he added.While the Taliban control the vast majority of Afghanistan, Nazary optimistically highlighted reports that local militias in some districts have already begun resisting their hardline rule and have formed links with Massoud’s NRF.“Massoud did not give the order for these things to happen but they are all associated with us,” Nazary said.“The Taliban are overstretched. They cannot be everywhere at the same time. Their resources are limited. They do not have support among the majority.”He said, however, that Masood had different views to Amrullah Saleh, latterly the country’s vice-president who is also holed out in the valley and last week vowed to lead an uprising.“Saleh is in Panjshir. He opted to stay in the country and not flee,” Nazary said, noting Saleh’s strong anti-Pakistan stance was at odds with Massoud who wanted good relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban-supporting neighbour.“Saleh is anti-Taliban and anti-Pakistani. That does not mean he is a part of this movement. He is in Panjshir and he is respected.”The aim right now is to defend Panjshir and its people, Nazary said.“If there is any aggression because our fight is only for defence; if anyone attacks us we will defend ourselves.”Safe zoneAlongside Massoud’s fighting force, Panjshir now hosts more than 1,000 displaced people from across Afghanistan who have poured into the valley looking for sanctuary, Nazary said.“We are seeing Panjshir become a safe zone for all those groups who feel threatened in other provinces.”He added the province has seen an influx of intellectuals, women’s and human rights activists, and politicians “who feel threatened by the Taliban”.Massoud appealed for weapons from the United States in an op-ed published in the Washington Post on Thursday. Nazary told AFP that they also require humanitarian assistance to feed and take care of the newly arrived.Massoud is determined to stand by the people of the valley and take up his father’s mantle, Nazary added, stressing Afghanistan needs a federated system of government to close its endless cycle of war.“War is just a byproduct of conflict in Afghanistan. What has caused the conflict is that Afghanistan is a country made up of ethnic minorities… (and) in a multi-ethnic country you cannot have one ethnic group dominate politics and others having a presence in the margins.”Nazary says Massoud’s resistance, and others across Afghanistan, are vital in making this change happen.“Panjshir has always been a beacon of hope.”


Indonesia, SpaceX launch satellite to boost internet connectivity

Indonesia and Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX on Monday launched the country's largest telecommunication satellite from the US, in a US$540 million (about RM2.5 billion) project intended to link up remote corners of the archipelago to the internet.
Roughly two-thirds of Indonesia's 280 million population already use the internet, but connectivity is limited in far-flung, underdeveloped eastern islands of the Southeast Asian country.
"Satellite technology will accelerate internet access to villages in areas that cannot be reached by fiber optics in the next 10 years," Mahfud MD, senior Indonesian minister, said in a statement ahead of the launch.
The 4.5-tonne Satellite of the Republic of Indonesia (SATRIA-1) was built by Thales Alenia Space and deployed into orbit from Florida by SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket, which then returned to an offshore site in a precision landing.
The satellite will occupy the orbital slot above Indonesia's eastern Papua region. It has a throughput capacity of 150 gigabytes per second and will provide internet access to 50,000 public service points, the Indonesian government said.
The project is a public-private partnership between the government and Indonesian satellite service provider PT Satelit Nusantara Tiga.


97.2% of adults, 86.8% of teens fully vaccinated

A total of 22,752,434 individuals or 97.2% of adults had completed their Covid-19 vaccination as of yesterday.According to the CovidNow portal, 98.6% or 23,071,502 individuals have received at least one dose of vaccine.Meanwhile, 90.1% of teenagers, or 2,838,110 individuals have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine, while 86.8% or 2,732,740 individuals have completed their vaccination.A total of 140,831 doses of vaccine were administered yesterday, with 7,332 as second doses, 4,708 as first shots and 128,791 as booster jabs.This takes the total number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 54,615,414 including 3,412,576 booster shots.


No foreign DNA found on Nora Anne’s body, inquest told

The Seremban Coroner’s Court today heard that no foreign DNA was found on the body of French-Irish teenager Nora Anne Quoirin, including her private parts.Nor Aidora Saedon, director of the chemistry department’s DNA forensic division, said this was based on an examination of the exhibits provided by the authorities.Nor Aidora, the sixth witness in the inquest proceedings, said the first exhibit was the swab test taken from a member of Nora Anne’s family, the second was from Nora Anne’s body and the third comprised samples taken at the scene.“My job is to analyse the exhibits from the crime scene and to my knowledge, the first report, 19FRB18998, was from the first exhibit sent in, when Nora Anne was yet found,” she said.“Therefore, you will see some swabs and exhibits from which I was able to get a profile and labelled as ‘Individual One’.“The third report, 19FRB99139, was from when Nora Anne’s body was found and we could ascertain the individual in the report as Nora Anne. Based on exhibits as well my analysis, we could not find any foreign DNA on Nora Anne’s body,” she said.She said this during her testimony before coroner Maimoonah Aid. When asked to clarify her statement that no foreign DNA was found, she said this meant any DNA found on the teenager’s body from swabs, fingernails or hair that did not belong to Nora Anne.The inquest proceedings will continue until Sept 4 with 64 witnesses called to testify.Nora Anne, 15, went missing on Aug 4 last year, a day after she and her family arrived in Malaysia for a two-week holiday at a resort in Pantai, about 60km south of Kuala Lumpur.Her body was found nine days later on Aug 13, near a stream in a hilly area about 2.5km from the resort.A preliminary post-mortem report revealed no criminal elements in Nora Anne’s death, stating her cause of death as gastrointestinal bleeding due to prolonged stress and hunger.The inquest continues tomorrow.


Daily cases continue to hover just over 3,000

Another 3,010 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,808,347.Another 2,584 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,735,355.Meanwhile 182 are in the ICU, including 146 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 83 are in need of respiratory assistance including 58 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 3,010 cases reported today, 28 (0.9%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 2,982 (99.1%) are in Category One and Two.


It sounds like him, Irwan says after Najib tapes played in court

Former treasury secretary-general Mohd Irwan Serigar Abdullah today told the Kuala Lumpur High Court that one of the voices in four audio clips linked to the 1MDB scandal sounded like Najib Razak.
The 42nd prosecution witness said this when the four audio clips were played in the courtroom before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah at Najib’s trial involving the misappropriation of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds.
He said two of the audio recordings were believed to be conversations between Najib and a Middle Eastern leader.
In another audio clip, Irwan identified that the voice belonged to Najib's former special officer Amhari Efendi Nazaruddin.
Meanwhile, during cross-examination by Najib's lead counsel Muhammad Shafee Abdullah, the witness said he was unsure if the voice in the audio recordings was Najib because he was not there when the incident happened.
Shafee: After listening to the recordings, can you say these are deepfakes?
Irwan: I can't say because I'm not an expert.
Earlier today, judge Sequerah granted the prosecution's request to admit the four audio recordings into evidence.
Previously, the prosecution sought to admit audio recordings for identification in the trial, to rebut the former prime minister's defence that monies that went into his personal bank accounts were donations.
The prosecution also submitted that the audio recording of an alleged conversation between Najib and a Middle Eastern leader was highly relevant to refute the accused's defence.
Najib, 70, is facing four charges of using his position to obtain bribes of RM2.3 billion from 1MDB funds and 21 charges of money laundering involving the same amount.
The trial continues on July 7.


New cases above 3,000 again as deaths increase by 12

Another 3,545 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 291,774.Negeri Sembilan recorded 1,392 cases, partly due to infections at the Sungai Gadut workplace cluster in Seremban, detected on Feb 22. A total of 1,338 cases came from this cluster, which is centred on a wood factory in the Sungai Gadut industrial area. Total positive cases from this cluster so far stand at 1,432, of which 318 are citizens and the rest foreigners.This was followed by Selangor (581), Kuala Lumpur (381), Sarawak (353), Johor (318), Perak (188) and Sabah (105).Penang recorded 95 cases, Kelantan 53, Melaka 26, Terengganu 22, Kedah 17, Pahang eight, Labuan five and Putrajaya one.Active cases stand at 30,677 with 189 in the ICU and 88 in need of respiratory assistance.Eight new clusters were detected:1. Jalan Enam (Petaling in Selangor; 173 screened, 15 positive)2. Jalan Ulu Choh (Pontian in Johor; 190 screened, 34 positive)3. Perindustrian Lukut (Kota Tinggi in Johor; 239 screened, 28 positive)4. Jalan Dato Yunus (Johor Bahru in Johor; 30 screened, eight positive)5. Sinsingon (Nabawan in Sabah; 106 screened, 18 positive)6. Pasar Bidor (Batang Padang in Perak; 112 screened, 25 positive)7. Lorong Bakau (Seberang Perai Selatan in Penang; 297 screened, 50 positive)8. Vista Hilir (Timur Laut and Barat Daya in Penang; 154 screened, 35 positive)Eight others ended, leaving 509 active clusters across the country.Another 3,331 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 260,009.However, 12 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 1,088.


Anwar gave last-minute memo to PH MPs after Najib backed out of budget threat

A last-minute instruction by opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to his Pakatan Harapan (PH) comrades saw MPs from PKR and DAP sitting out a call for a bloc vote on the 2021 budget, which was easily passed by voice vote.A PKR insider told MalaysiaNow that the task of spreading the message was given to the party’s chief whip Johari Abdul, the Sungai Petani MP.“The message made the rounds in the House by word of mouth. Unfortunately, not everyone received it in time,” the source said.It is learnt that Anwar’s instruction to the MPs was due to former prime minister Najib Razak backing out of his threat to scuttle the budget.Anwar however later told reporters that the decision to avoid a bloc vote was not due to a lack of numbers on his side.He also accused the Dewan Rakyat speaker Azhar Harun of being “blatantly biased”, saying MPs were not given the opportunity to air their views during Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz’s winding-up speech.During the budget debate which took place over the past two weeks, Najib had echoed Anwar in saying that his vote would be contingent on several amendments to the budget.“The message made the rounds in the House by word of mouth. Unfortunately, not everyone received it in time.”There was also speculation that Najib and at least four MPs from Umno would break ranks with their colleagues to vote against the budget.After Zafrul’s speech today, Azhar urged MPs who wanted a bloc vote to stand up.Only 13 did so, two MPs short of the minimum 15 needed for a bloc vote to take place.A bloc vote would have required each MP to individually vote before the budget could be passed.A check revealed that most Amanah’s MPs stood to call for a bloc vote, but not its top two leaders – president Mohamad Sabu and deputy president Salahuddin Ayub.The Amanah MPs who stood up were joined by Dr Mahathir Mohamad and three others from his bloc.Abu Bakar Mohd Rashid, a close confidante of Mohamad, claimed that the Amanah president had been about to stand up when he was stopped by DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.“Lim pulled his hand, and he sat down. When Salahuddin saw this, he too decided not to stand up,” Abu Bakar told MalaysiaNow in remarks which he also shared on his Facebook.Anger within PHMeanwhile, PH supporters, angered over opposition bigwigs’ refusal to call for a bloc vote, took to social media to question the decision.“An explanation is in order. We owe the people this,” Syahredzan Johan, a close aide of DAP stalwart Lim Kit Siang, said on his Twitter account.“I know what happened but I don’t why it happened. Sorry, friends,” he added.“Dont waste your time explaining cos I’m not going to waste mine reading,” said an opposition supporter in response. “The opposition can’t even get 15 fellas to stand. What more can the rakyat hope for?”An aide to a former deputy minister meanwhile posted a sarcastic tweet, believed to be targeting Anwar’s supporters who claim that the PKR leader has enough support to topple the government.“So much for being formidable lah,” said Izmil Amri.The vote on the budget today had been keenly awaited as any failure to pass the bill at the policy stage could mean the collapse of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin’s government and pandemic-season polls which health authorities have warned against.


Singapore grants provisional green light for 60-second Covid breath test

An easy-to-use breath test that can accurately detect Covid-19 within a minute has received provisional authorisation from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA).The BreFence Go Covid-19 Breath Test System was developed by Breathonix Pte Ltd, a spin-off company from the National University of Singapore (NUS).Breathonix is founded by three NUS graduates, Dr Jia Zhunan, Du Fang and Wayne Wee Shi Jie, along with Jia’s PhD advisor, Prof T Venky Venkatesan.It is supported by the NUS Graduate Research Innovation Programme (GRIP).“The pandemic is likely to go on for several years. Mass, repeated testing has to be widely adopted as a key public health strategy to support the safe reopening of economies, and Breathonix’s home-grown technology hits the right spot.“I’m confident that their novel technology will make a significant contribution towards protecting the safety and health of Singaporeans and the global community,” NUS GRIP deputy president of innovation and enterprise Freddy Boey said in a statement today.Breathonix is working with the Singapore health ministry to run a deployment trial of its technology at one of the land checkpoints where incoming travellers will undergo screening with the BreFence Go Covid-19 Breath Test System.The breath analysis will be carried out alongside the current compulsory Covid-19 antigen rapid test.The BreFence Go Covid-19 Breath Test System works by detecting volatile organic compounds (VOCs) present in a person’s exhaled breath.VOCs are produced by various biochemical reactions in human cells.As the VOC signature from a healthy person’s breath varies from that of a person with an illness, changes in VOCs can be measured as markers for diseases like Covid-19.The breath test is simple to administer by trained personnel and does not require medically trained staff or laboratory processing.A person only needs to blow into a disposable one-way valve mouthpiece connected to a high-precision breath sampler.The exhaled breath is collected and fed into a cutting-edge mass spectrometer for measurement.A proprietary software algorithm analyses the VOCs biomarkers and generates results in less than a minute.Any individual screened positive will need to undergo a confirmatory PCR Covid-19 swab test.The breath analysis system underwent clinical trials at three locations from June 2020 to April 2021.In Singapore, trials were carried out at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases and Changi Airport while the third trial was carried out in Dubai, in collaboration with the Dubai Health Authority and the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences.


UN elects ‘human rights abusers’ to Human Rights Council

China has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), straining the credibility of the organisation’s reputation given Beijing’s dismal human rights record.The People’s Republic is under scrutiny for its oppression of Uighur Muslims in Xinjiang, its imposition of a National Security Law in Hong Kong and its imposition of the Chinese language in Mongolian schools.Russia, which was also elected, faces continued scrutiny over allegations that Moscow was behind the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Alexi Navalny, its illegal occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and its involvement in the Syrian civil war on behalf of the regime of Bashar al-Assad.Other countries elected on Tuesday include Cuba, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, raising alarm among human rights groups that say the repression of freedoms in those countries threatens the legitimacy of the international body.The newly elected countries will serve for three years on the 47-member UN body, which is supposed to uphold human rights and address violations around the world.The body has long drawn criticism for hypocrisy for putting representatives of countries with gross human rights violations in leadership positions.“Serial rights abusers should not be rewarded with seats on the Human Rights Council,” Louis Charbonneau, UN director at Human Rights Watch told Al Jazeera.Human rights groups had earlier raised the alarm about repressive governments campaigning to join the council, saying the inclusion of “dictatorships” China, Russia, Cuba, Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia should be opposed.In the event, Saudi Arabia failed to secure enough votes to rejoin the council after a year of absence despite a relentless campaign.Thor Halvorssen, president of the nonprofit Human Rights Foundation, said last week, “The troubling fact that totalitarian regimes like Saudi Arabia, China, and Cuba are even eligible to stand for election to the council represents a rebuke and indictment to the very existence of this ‘human rights’ body.”


Two months later, Bentong flood victims still wait without a home

The clock on the wall showed 8pm as M Dewi was tidying up her small store at the side of the road in Telemong, Bentong in Pahang.For 20 years, the store had doubled as a home for her and her family. This made it easier for Dewi, who was now 65, to begin preparing food to sell immediately after waking up in the morning.Moving about the small, familiar space, she glanced out the window every now and then. It had been raining without end for nearly the whole day, but she expected it to eventually potter to a stop.What she could not see was the slow rise of water along the road outside.Only when it reached her store did Dewi realise that something was amiss.One of Dewi’s grandchildren plays under a damaged section of the roof which collapsed during the flood.Once inside the store, the water continued to rise. When it reached calf-level, Dewi decided it was time to move. She went to her son’s house which was located on slightly higher ground than the store.“I called to my grandchild to save the ducks and the chickens in the coop, and then I went,” she told MalaysiaNow.But as the night grew deeper, the water continued to rise. Soon, it had made its way even to her son’s house.Dewi watched as little by little, her store was swallowed up.“My family and I rushed to find shelter,” she recalled. “We took the path to the oil palm plantation behind the house.”With only the light from their phones to guide them, the way was slow and trecherous.Eventually, they made their way to a nearby hall where they waited for the water to subside.The chicken coop remains in shambles, two months after the flood.When they returned to the house, though, they discovered that Dewi’s store and home had been badly damaged.The roof had collapsed, and personal belongings were scattered while the entire area had turned brown with mud.Two months later, not much has changed.Others meanwhile have suffered even bigger losses. Dewi’s neighbour, V Thilagavathy, used to live just a few hundred metres away. But the flood that hit that night swept her entire house away, leaving only the foundation intact.“After the water subsided, I went back to see my house,” Thilagavathy said. “At the time, there were still some things there like the fridge and the television. But the next day, the scrap collectors came and took them all away.”V Thilagavathy stands on the cement foundations of her house – all that remains of her home which was swept away by the raging flood.Like thousands of other flood victims, Thilagavathy pinned her hopes on the aid promised by the government – but her hopes were in vain.“I applied for an interest-free loan of RM10,000 but my application was rejected because I am unemployed,” she said.“A government officer told us to find a new plot of land so that our house could be rebuilt. But where are we supposed to find this land?”Thilagavathy’s home had stood on river reserve land. She and her husband, who worked as a lorry driver, had also planted a few durian and oil palm trees in order to bring in a little extra money.In his New Year address, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob had announced several flood aid initiatives including cash assistance of RM1,000, vouchers for electrical appliances worth RM500, and cash of RM5,000 for repair works.Thilagavathy gestures at the fallen trees scattered around what used to be her house.He said homes that had suffered serious damage would be repaired by the government at a maximum cost of RM15,000 while in cases where houses had been completely destroyed, the government would provide up to RM56,000 for a new unit.Dewi and her family received RM1,000 from Sabai assemblyman Kamache Doray Rajoo.While the money has helped them cover their immediate needs, the more pressing matter for Dewi is her store and home.“Before this, they said they would help repair things but until now, nothing has happened,” she said.She and Thilagavathy are still waiting, but hope is wearing thin.For now, they are staying with their children but this is not a long-term solution to their troubles.All they want is for their homes to be rebuilt so that they can continue making a living without having to further depend on anyone else.


Youngest woman to row solo across an ocean

England’s Jasmine Harrison has made history by becoming the youngest woman to row solo across an ocean.The 21-year-old from Thirsk, a landlocked market town in Yorkshire, England, set a world record as the youngest female to row solo across any ocean.Her epic crossing began in Spain and ended 4,800km away in Antigua, one of the Leeward Islands in the Caribbean region.She took 70 days, three hours and 48 minutes to cross the Atlantic Ocean, finishing the 2020 Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge on Saturday.It was an eventful voyage. Tweets recorded some of the highlights: “A near collision with a drilling ship, two capsizes, lots of peanut butter and Nutella consumed, visits from dolphins and a world record.”She had been inspired to row across the ocean when she saw the 2018 Atlantic Challenge race finish while teaching swimming in the Caribbean.“It wasn’t just watching and holding the flares at Nelson’s Dockyard for the race finish that inspired me, it was also talking to a family member of a lad who had just completed the race who told me just how amazing it was,” she wrote.Being in Antigua for the finish of that 2018 challenge sowed the seed for her own adventure in her mind, she wrote on her personal website, and while travelling through Europe a year later, she made her decision.She thought, “Why not do it?”“I could be the youngest solo female to ever row an ocean and try and inspire more young people, particularly girls to just give something amazing a go,” she wrote before she set off.“The more it scares you the bigger the achievement. Anxiety is now such a common thing over some of the smallest of tasks, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t scared to do this knowing all the daunting obstacles that I will face, so I am asking support from everybody.“I enjoy travelling by myself because I see so many rewards. If you want to do something,  now is the time; I’m seizing this opportunity to go solo!”


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Top US, Chinese national security figures hold ‘candid’ talks

US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with his Chinese counterpart on Monday, the White House said, describing their lengthy exchange as a “candid” attempt to “manage the dynamic” between the rival powers.Sullivan’s meeting with Yang Jiechi in Luxembourg lasted about four and a half hours, a senior White House official told reporters, and it followed up on a May 18 phone call.The talks “included candid, substantive, and productive discussion of a number of regional and global security issues, as well as key issues in US-China relations,” the White House said in a statement, with Sullivan emphasising “the importance of maintaining open lines of communication to manage competition between our two countries.”No announcement was made on a new phone call or other contact between President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, who last spoke by video link in March.The administration official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity, acknowledged disagreement and tensions on a host of issues, including US-led attempts to isolate Russia over its invasion of Ukraine and Chinese sabre rattling around Taiwan.Just this Sunday, China’s defence minister vowed China would “fight to the very end” to stop any independence bid by Taiwan. This followed Biden’s statement during a visit to Japan last month that the US would defend Taiwan if it came under attack – a break with Washington’s decades-old policy of “strategic ambiguity.”The administration official said Sullivan reiterated the US policy of recognising Chinese sovereignty but expressed “concerns about Beijing’s coercive and aggressive actions across the Taiwan Strait.”Despite the disputes, dialogue is valued for “maintaining open lines of communication,” the official said.“We think about it not necessarily in terms of specific agreements but rather in terms of ensuring that each side understand one another’s intentions, one another’s priorities,” he said.“This is critical to avoiding potential miscommunication, misinterpretation, reducing risks.”Relations entered tense new territory under Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump, who triggered a trade war in response to what he described as China’s abusive trade practices.Biden says he is considering lifting some tariffs in an attempt to defuse roaring inflation at home.


Covid-19 raises risk of depression, dementia, study suggests

People diagnosed with Covid-19 in the preceding six months were more likely to develop depression, dementia, psychosis and stroke, researchers have found.A third of those with a Covid infection went on to develop or have a relapse of a previous  psychological or neurological condition, the BBC reports.Those admitted to hospital or in intensive care had an even higher risk. This is likely to be down to both the effects of the stress of hospitalisation, and the virus having a direct impact on the brain.UK scientists looked at the electronic medical records of more than half a million patients in the US, to analyse their chances of developing one of 14 common psychological or neurological conditions, including: brain haemorrhage, stroke, Parkinson’s, and dementia.Of the conditions searched for, anxiety and mood disorders were found to be the most common, and these were likely to be explained by the stress of the experience of being very ill or taken to hospital, researchers explained.On the other hand, conditions like stroke and dementia were more likely to be down to the biological impacts of the virus itself, or of the body’s reaction to infection in general.The study found that Covid-19 was not associated with an increased risk of Parkinson’s or Guillain-Barre syndrome, which is a risk from contracting flu.The study was observational, so the researchers couldn’t say whether Covid had caused any of the diagnoses, and some people could have had a stroke or depression in the next six months regardless.But by comparing a group of people who had had Covid-19 with two groups – with flu and with other respiratory infections respectively – the researchers at the University of Oxford concluded Covid was associated with more subsequent brain conditions than other respiratory illnesses.The participants were matched by age, sex, ethnicity, and health conditions, to make them as comparable as possible.Sufferers were 16% more likely to develop a psychological or neurological disorder after Covid than after other respiratory infections, and 44% more likely than people recovering from flu.On top of this, the more severely ill with Covid the patient had been, the more likely they were to receive a subsequent mental health or brain disorder diagnosisDr Sara Imarisio, head of research at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Previous studies have highlighted that people with dementia are at higher risk of developing severe Covid-19. This new study investigates whether this relationship may also hold in the other direction.“The study doesn’t focus on the cause of this relationship and it is important that researchers get to the bottom of what underlies these findings.”There is evidence the virus may enter the brain and cause direct damage, University of Oxford neurology professor Masud Husain said.It can also have other indirect effects, for example by affecting blood clotting which can lead to strokes. Also, the general inflammation which happens in the body as it responds to infection can affect the brain, he said.Professor Til Wykes, at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, said: “The study confirms our suspicions that a Covid-19 diagnosis is not just related to respiratory symptoms, it is also related to psychiatric and neurological problems.“Looking over six months after diagnosis has demonstrated that the after effects can appear much later than expected – something that is no surprise to those suffering from Long Covid.”


In major shift, EU says vaccine boosters should be considered for all adults

The head of the European Union’s public health agency Andrea Ammon said on Wednesday that Covid-19 vaccine boosters should be considered for all adults, with priority for those above 40 years, in a major change to the agency’s guidance.Recommendations issued by the European Centre for Disease prevention and Control (ECDC) are not binding on EU governments but are used to make health policy decisions.“Booster doses should be considered for all adult individuals prioritising persons above 40 years of age,” Ammon said in a recorded statement, noting that boosters should be administered at least six months after completing the primary vaccine schedule.In its previous guidance issued in September alongside the European Medicines Agency (EMA), the ECDC said there was no urgent need for the administration of booster doses to fully vaccinated individuals in the general population, but suggested that additional doses should be considered for people with weakened immune systems and could be used as a precaution for older frail individuals.“Available evidence emerging from Israel and the UK shows a significant increase in protection against infection and severe disease following a booster dose in all age groups in the short term,” the ECDC said in a report published on Wednesday.It advised giving boosters to all adults with priority “for those aged 40 years and over”.Ammon said that boosters will increase protection against infections caused by waning immunity and “could potentially reduce the transmission in the population and prevent additional hospitalisations and deaths”.She advised countries with low levels of vaccinations to speed up their rollouts and warned of high risks of a further spike in deaths and hospitalisations in Europe in December and January if the recommended measures were not introduced.The European Commission is expected to take the advice on boosters into consideration when proposing changes to the use of Covid-19 certificates later this week, officials said.Many EU countries have already begun giving booster doses to their populations but are using different criteria to select groups that are prioritised and using different intervals between primary vaccinations and boosters.Austria, which has this week reintroduced a lockdown amid a spike in cases, has decided to give boosters after four months, whereas in Italy the additional dose can be administered after five months.


Trump’s US$2,000 pandemic aid payments stall in Senate as Republicans block vote

US President Donald Trump’s push for US$2,000 (RM8,000) Covid-19 relief payments has stalled in the Senate, reports the Associated Press.Trump wants to increase the disaster payments from US$600 (RM2,500) for millions of Americans, but most Republican senators oppose more spending, even if they are also wary of crossing Trump.“There’s one question left today: Do Senate Republicans join with the rest of America in supporting US$2,000 payments?” Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said.Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said some of the US$600 payments might already have been sent by direct deposit to Americans’ bank accounts.The showdown over the US$2,000 payments has thrown Congress into a chaotic year-end session just days before new lawmakers are set to be sworn into office for the new year.The president’s last-minute push for bigger payments leaves Republicans deeply split between those who align with Trump’s populist instincts and those who adhere to what have been more traditional conservative views against too much government spending.Congress had settled on smaller US$600 payments in a compromise over the big, year-end relief bill Trump reluctantly signed into law.Trump repeated his demand in a tweet ahead of Tuesday’s Senate session: ”$2000 for our great people, not $600!”Many Republicans decried the bigger payments saying the nearly US$400 billion total price tag would be too high, plus the relief is not targeted to those who need it and Washington has already dispatched ample sums on Covid-19 aid.“We’ve spent US$4 trillion on this problem,” said Senator John Cornyn.Nevertheless, millions of Americans have seen their jobless aid lapse and find themselves in need again.Trump’s push could fizzle out in the Senate but the debate over the size and scope of the package – US$900 billion in Covid-19 aid and US$1.4 trillion to fund government agencies – is potentially one last confrontation before the new Congress is sworn in on Sunday.For now, the US$600 payments are being delivered, along with other aid, forming the largest rescue package of its kind anywhere.The Covid-19 portion of the bill revives a weekly pandemic jobless benefit boost – this time US$300, until March 14, as well as the popular Paycheck Protection Program of grants to businesses to keep workers on payrolls. It also extends eviction protections, adding a new rental assistance fund.Americans earning up to US$75,000 will qualify for the direct US$600 payments, which are phased out at higher income levels, and there’s an additional US$600 payment per dependent child.Biden supports Trump’s US$2,000 payments and said on Tuesday the aid package is merely a “down payment” on what he plans to deliver once in office.Economists said a US$600 payment will help, but that it’s a far cry from the spending boost that a US$2,000 payment would give the economy.


Covid-19 cases hit record high of 287

A total of 287 cases of Covid-19 were reported today, the highest number yet since the pandemic broke out in Malaysia.In a press conference, health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said all 287 cases were local transmissions.This brings total confirmed cases in the country to 11,771, of which 1,540 remain active with 22 in the ICU and four in need of respiratory assistance.Noor Hisham also said 81 patients were discharged, taking total recoveries to 10,095, while the death toll remained unchanged at 136.


Dissolution of Parliament on the agenda for PM's royal audience

Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob today said he would, if possible, submit a proposed date for the dissolution of Parliament to the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.
He added that today's audience with Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah would focus on Cabinet matters, with other issues to be discussed only if time permits.
"Not really sure if we will discuss it or not," he was reported as saying by Bernama after checking on the final preparations for the budget at the finance ministry in Putrajaya.
"If the discussion on Cabinet matters takes too much time or runs until the maghrib prayers, there will be no time to discuss other agendas."
He added that the meeting was expected to continue for longer than usual today as he would have to explain many issues to the king.
Reuters earlier reported that Ismail would meet with the Agong at 4pm for his weekly audience, citing a spokesman for the prime minister.
"It's just a normal, routine meeting that the PM has with the king before the Cabinet meeting," the spokesman was quoted as saying.
On the protest by Perikatan Nasional ministers against the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of polls this year, Ismail said they had the right to their opinion, but that the king had absolute power to decide on the matter.
He said under Article 40(2)(b) of the Federal Constitution, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong may act according to his discretion in the withholding of consent to a request for the dissolution of Parliament.
"So everyone has the right to give his or her opinion, including the prime minister, but it is the king who has the final say," he added.


41% of adults given booster jabs as total vaccine shots top 61 million

A total of 237,703 adults received a Covid-19 booster dose yesterday, bringing the cumulative number of booster doses administered to 9,609,454 or 41% of the group as at 11.59pm last night.According to the CovidNow portal, a total of 22,906,072 or 97.8% are fully vaccinated while 23,185,749 individuals or 99% have received at least one dose of Covid-19 vaccine.In terms of teenagers, 2,775,059 individuals or 88.2% have completed their vaccination while 2,862,198 individuals or 91% have received at least one dose of vaccine.A total of 242,705 vaccine doses were administered yesterday – 1,912 as first doses and 3,090 as second shots.This takes the cumulative number of vaccine doses administered under the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme to 61,135,763.According to the ministry’s GitHub portal, 16 Covid-19 deaths were reported yesterday with Selangor recording the highest number of deaths with five cases, followed by Terengganu with three cases and Negeri Sembilan and Penang recording two cases each.


More troubling questions for Anwar after his claim of rejecting Najib-Zahid support

Anwar Ibrahim appears to have gotten himself into deeper trouble with opposition supporters following his latest claim that he had rejected support from former prime minister Najib Razak and Umno chief Ahmad Zahid Hamidi in his quest to take over the top office two years ago.Insiders also say that Anwar, who heads the Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition, may have committed an offence by not reporting an attempt of bribery where Najib and Zahid allegedly agreed to support him in return for the dropping of criminal charges against them.A highly reliable source close to senior PKR leaders dismissed Anwar’s claim, saying the party president was contradicting himself by saying that his support did not take into account the duo due to the conditions they gave him.“This claim is mind-boggling, to say the least. Firstly, it is very clear that Najib and Zahid were leading the efforts to boost Anwar’s support by forcing Umno MPs to sign statutory declarations (SD) to be sent to the palace.“So if it’s true that Anwar decided to throw out Najib and Zahid’s SDs, would the other Umno MPs who apparently gave their support on the instructions of these two leaders still support him?” the source, who was privy to discussions on a plan to topple the Muhyiddin Yassin government in September 2020, told MalaysiaNow on condition of strict anonymity.It also said there was no way that those aligned with Najib and Zahid would have maintained their support for Anwar “which was given on the instruction of their party bosses”.“The support of these Umno MPs was premised on the support of their leaders. So it doesn’t make any sense at all that these MPs continued to back Anwar when the support of the very leaders who pursuaded them to support him was thrown out.”Najib and Zahid, who are facing scores of criminal and corruption charges involving billions of ringgit, had been at the forefront of attempts to dislodge Muhyiddin from the top office.In September 2020, some seven months into Muhyiddin’s administration, Anwar declared that he had a “strong, formidable and convincing majority” in his quest for the prime ministership, following which he had an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to show the numbers.The royal audience however ended with the palace ticking off the PKR leader for failing to furnish the names of the MPs said to be behind him.Earlier this week, Umno’s Pasir Salak MP Tajuddin Abdul Rahman revealed that not only had Zahid backed Anwar, the Umno president had also approached other MPs to pursuade them to support the PKR leader as well.PKR spokesman Shamsul Iskandar Akin said in a response that Tajuddin’s claim was proof that Anwar had not been lying when he said he had the necessary numbers.Following this, a Bersatu leader challenged Anwar to reveal what he had promised Zahid and the other Umno MPs facing criminal charges in return for their support.Anwar today claimed that he had the support of 120 MPs, but had decided not to take into account that of Najib and Zahid due to the conditions they had imposed.He also said that he was not prepared to fulfil their desire to have the charges against them dropped.“I was not ready to do this. So, even though I already had enough numbers and my road to become prime minister was clear, I was not ready to compromise the independence of our judiciary,” Anwar said as quoted by Malaysiakini.A PKR source said if it was true that such an offer was made, the matter should have been reported to the police.“This could be tantamount to not reporting the very serious crime of bribery being made to the leader of the opposition who was vying for the top post.“It is shocking that he kept quiet and still went to town to declare he had a strong majority,” said the long-time associate of the PKR leader who is no longer politically active.


Home ministry, Prisons Department mum on Umno president's prison dining with Najib

The home ministry and Prisons Department have remained mum on the recent disclosure by Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that he visited jailed former leader Najib Razak in prison.
Zahid, who is also deputy prime minister, said he had spent almost two hours with Najib at Kajang Prison along with members of the Umno Supreme Council.
He also said that he had brought along some of Najib's favourite food and enjoyed it together with the former prime minister.
"We were able to eat together. After meeting for half an hour, it was only the both of us for an hour and a half," he said when wrapping up the 2023 Umno general assembly last weekend.
MalaysiaNow contacted Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and his press secretary but did not receive a response.
The Prisons Department's public relations officer did not respond either.
Zahid's visit was questioned by lawyer Rafique Rashid, who had called for an explanation from both the home ministry and the Prisons Department.
Rafique said that Zahid and his colleagues had breached the rules and regulations for prison visits, including the 45-minute limit for visits and the tight supervision by prison officers and wardens.
Food and beverages from outside the prison are also restricted along with recording devices.
Visitors meanwhile can only communicate with prisoners by phone, through a glass divider.
Rafique said these procedures which he himself followed as a lawyer remained in force and had never changed.
"This means that the same applies to relatives and members of the public who visit inmates in prison," he said.
"Why the different story when Zahid visits Najib?"


Appeals court allows return of Isa Samad’s passport for UK trip

The Court of Appeal today allowed an application by former Felda chairman Isa Samad for the temporary return of his passport, which had been surrendered to the court, to enable him to travel to the UK for his stepdaughter’s convocation ceremony at a university there on March 30.A panel of three judges led by Kamaludin Md Said said the passport, which would be handed over to Isa on March 14, should be returned to the court on April 16.Kamaludin, who sat with Lee Heng Cheong and Ghazali Cha, allowed the application after hearing submissions from lawyer Wan Azmir Wan Majid, representing Isa.Deputy public prosecutor Afzainizam Abdul Aziz did not object to the application.Wan Azmir, in his submission, said his client had to leave for the UK on March 26 to attend his stepdaughter’s convocation ceremony and would return to Malaysia on April 9.“I request that the passport be handed over to the applicant as soon as possible because it needs to be renewed. My client will return to Malaysia on April 9 and I request that he be allowed to return the passport by April 16,” he said.He also informed the court that Isa had taken care of his stepdaughter since she was a child.On Feb 3 last year, Isa, 72, was convicted of nine corruption charges involving RM3 million in connection with Felda’s purchase of Merdeka Palace Hotel & Suites in Kuching, Sarawak.He was sentenced to six years’ jail on each count. However, he only has to serve six years in prison after the judge ordered the prison sentences to run concurrently.On Feb 4, 2021, the former Negeri Sembilan menteri besar filed an appeal against his conviction and sentence.The appeal has been set for case management before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron on May 11.


Sarawak Cabinet still lacks stronger Iban representation, says PRS

Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) deputy president Joseph Salang has welcomed the appointment of four party members to the new state Cabinet but says the ministerial portfolios should reflect the composition of parties under the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS).Speaking last night, he said the state Cabinet had yet to reflect a stronger Iban representation.“As orphans, we hope the chief minister will consider distributing portfolios according to the contributions of the party,” he said.He also voiced hope that Abang Johari Openg would allocate adequate portfolios for PRS and take into consideration the views of each component in the coalition.“It was very much in line with what we had suggested,” he said on the Cabinet line-up, “but had we been able to put our views across, maybe it needs slight improvements in terms of representation.”Adding however that this was only the beginning of the term, he expressed confidence that Abang Johari would fine-tune his Cabinet.“When realignments occur, hopefully PRS will be given better representation,” Salang said.The new Cabinet line-up comprises 10 ministers and 26 assistant ministers.Abang Johari himself oversees several portfolios as the finance and new economy minister, natural resources and urban development minister as well as the energy and environmental sustainability minister.PBB holds most of the ministerial portfolios with eight, while SUPP and PRS hold two and one portfolio respectively.Of the 26 assistant ministers, 17 are PBB members and four are from PRS.Samalaju assemblyman Majang Anak Renggi, the only new face, was appointed as assistant minister for infrastructure and port development; Batang Ai assemblyman Malcolm Mussen anak Lamoh is assistant minister for international trade and investment; Ngemah assemblyman Liwan Lagang is assistant minister for utility and telecommunication; and Balai Ringin assemblyman Snowdan anak Lawan is assistant minister for creative industry and performing arts.Kakus assemblyman John Sikie Tayai meanwhile is the state’s minister in the Chief Minister’s Department.Salang also spoke of his disappointment in failing to reach the chief minister soon after the election.“With all the congratulatory messages, it was so difficult to respond, and we were of course very hopeful that we would also be sharing the trophies once the Cabinet was formed.“But unfortunately, the next few days after the election, we were not able to successfully communicate with you and therefore our request and message could not have reached you,” he said.


Hollywood directors reach labour pact, writers remain on strike

Hollywood's major studios reached a tentative labour agreement with the union representing film and television directors, likely averting a work stoppage that would have piled pressure on media companies to settle with striking writers.
The Directors Guild of America (DGA) will ask its 19,000 members to approve the three-year contract, which was announced late on Saturday after three weeks of talks.
The agreement includes gains in wages and residuals plus guardrails around the use of artificial intelligence, according to the DGA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), which represents Netflix, Walt Disney Co and other major studios.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has been on strike since May 2, shutting down several TV and film productions, and has no new talks scheduled with the studios.
During the last WGA strike in 2007 and 2008, a studio deal with the DGA prompted writers to head back to the bargaining table. On Friday, WGA negotiator Chris Keyser argued that strategy would not work this time.
"Any deal that puts this town back to work runs straight through the WGA, and there is no way around that," Keyser said in a video posted on YouTube.
The DGA's board will consider whether to approve the deal on Tuesday before it goes to members for ratification. No date has been set for the ratification vote.
If approved, the deal could offer a blueprint for the striking writers and upcoming talks between studios and SAG-Aftra, the union representing Hollywood actors.
WGA representatives did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday, but some writers voiced reaction on social media.
"Spartacus" creator Steven DeKnight called the DGA deal "disappointing, but not surprising."
Writer Bill Wolkoff said he had mixed emotions. "Happy for gains DGA members made, frustrated we were stonewalled on all our asks. My resolve is only stronger," he wrote.
In the DGA's agreement, directors secured wage increases starting at 5% the first year, an increase in residuals from streaming, and a guarantee that "generative AI cannot replace the duties performed by members."
AI has emerged as a major concern of writers and actors, who see their jobs as especially vulnerable to the new technology.
Both the WGA and SAG-Aftra are seeking protections from AI in their negotiations as well as increases in compensation that they say has lagged as companies have benefited from the rise of streaming television.
SAG-Aftra has asked members to give its negotiators the power to call a strike if needed, and results of that vote are expected to be announced on Monday. Contract talks between the actors and studios begin on Wednesday. The current labor agreement expires on June 30.
The WGA work stoppage has disrupted production of late-night shows and shut down high-profile projects such as Netflix's "Stranger Things" and a "Game of Thrones" spinoff.


Not a penny in charity outfit was from govt or taxpayers, says Zahid

Former deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told the Kuala Lumpur High Court today that not a single sen of Yayasan Akalbudi’s funds had come from the government or the people.Instead, he said, the tens of millions in the foundation belonged to him.Zahid, 69, said the source of the foundation’s funds was his income when he was in the corporate sector before becoming an administrative member of the government.“Before I became a member of the administration, namely deputy minister, minister or deputy prime minister, I was in the corporate business sector. I used to head four companies listed on Bursa Kuala Lumpur and used to be the chairman of Bank Simpanan Nasional.“There were some contributions from friends and businessmen who had nothing to do with the portfolio I was holding, but not a single sen was from government contributions or the people’s money or from the taxpayers,” he added.He said this when questioned by his lawyer, Ahmad Zaidi Zainal, on the third day of his defence proceedings for 47 charges of breach of trust, corruption and money laundering.The Bagan Datuk MP also told the court that his income and allowances as the CEO, executive chairman and chairman of a corporate company exceeded his family’s expenses and needs.“So I was determined, on the advice of my father who was a mudir or the principal of a religious school in Bagan Datuk, to channel the surplus income to people in need through donations, alms, infak, tithe for welfare and religious purposes in Yayasan Akalbudi.“The funds in the Akalbudi Foundation fund were from my personal income as well as the allowances I received during my corporate business activities,” he added.Zahid also said he had received dividend payments from the companies concerned which he deposited into the foundation, adding that he had conducted stock market transactions for income.Zahid faces 47 charges – 12 of breach of trust, eight of corruption and 27 of money laundering – involving tens of millions of ringgit in funds belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.On Jan 24, the court ordered Zahid to defend himself against all of the charges after the prosecution succeeded in proving a prima facie case.The trial continues before judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah.


400 websites with child porn blocked as of August

The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) had blocked a total of 400 websites containing paedophiliac and child pornography content as of August, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.
Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff said this was the result of cooperation between the ministry, the police and MCMC.
"The ministry is working together to strengthen and empower (enforcement) with the police, especially the sexual, women and child investigation division (D11)," she said to a supplementary question from Shamsul Anuar Nasarah (BN-Lenggong).
Siti Zailah said the ministry was also implementing advocacy, prevention, intervention and social support service programmes to prevent online child sexual exploitation and abuse.
The ministry has also collaborated with government departments, NGOs, academics and social activists to develop a plan of action on child online protection, she said.


Melaka PN chairman quits after state polls

Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen today announced his resignation as Melaka Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman and head of the Melaka Bersatu leadership body with immediate effect following the coalition’s loss in the recent state election.In a statement, he said a formal letter of resignation would be submitted to Bersatu president and PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin.“I would like to apologise for all of the mistakes throughout my tenure as Melaka PN chairman and head of the Melaka Bersatu leadership body,” he added.He said his resignation would allow a new leadership for the state chapters of Bersatu and PN with enough time to prepare for the 15th general election.“My resignation will also allow me to focus on strengthening our position and the support of the people for PN in Tangga Batu and the Tangga Batu division of Bersatu, and to give my full attention to my duties as Bersatu vice-president ahead of GE15,” he said.Rafiq was PN’s candidate for the Telok Mas seat. He lost a four-way fight to Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Abdul Razak Abdul Rahman who won 6,052 votes against Rafiq’s 3,976. Pakatan Harapan’s Ashraf Mukhlis Minghat won 3,891 votes while independent candidate Muhammad Ariff Adly Mohammad won 153.He was also rumoured to be a prospective candidate for chief minister although PN ultimately nominated fellow Bersatu member Mas Ermieyati Samsudin.The Melaka election on Nov 20 saw BN scoring a comfortable victory, winning 21 of the 28 seats in the state legislative assembly.PH won five seats and PN, two.


Almost 9 million booster jabs given so far

Almost nine million Covid-19 vaccine booster shots had been administered in the country as of 11.59pm yesterday, says Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin.He expects the number to surpass 10 million next week as the government is gearing up efforts to encourage more people to take the booster jabs.“As a result of our accelerated booster programme plus the SOPs, hospital capacity remains under control despite the surge of imported Omicron cases,” he said in a Twitter post.Giving the example of Sarawak, Khairy said the state had recorded daily cases exceeding 3,000 before it started its booster programme in October.“We are now down to double-digit cases, with every indicator falling by more than 90% since September. Get boosted,” he added.Last week Khairy said four mega Covid-19 vaccination centres (PPVs) in the Klang Valley will begin to operate again tomorrow to offer booster shots in a bid to increase the take-up rate for the third dose.The four PPVs are at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur, Axiata Arena Bukit Jalil, Ideal Convention Centre Shah Alam and Soka Gakkal, Klang.


Ukraine marks ‘Day of Unity’ as US warns Russia may yet attack

A defiant Ukrainian leader urged citizens to celebrate a “Day of Unity” on Wednesday, as Washington warned once again that Russia remains poised to launch a devastating assault.President Volodymyr Zelensky chose the date for what he hoped would be a patriotic outpouring after US reports suggested Russian forces could attack as early as Feb 16.An intense diplomatic campaign is underway to head off the crisis triggered when Russia deployed more than 100,000 troops on Ukraine’s borders, backed with fleet reinforcements and powerful artillery and missile systems.On Tuesday, there were hopes for a breakthrough as President Vladimir Putin met Germany’s Chancellor Olaf Scholz to explore a route to a negotiated solution and Moscow said it had begun to pull back some forces.But US President Joe Biden – who has ordered Washington’s embassy in Kyiv closed and urged Americans to leave Ukraine – demanded that Russia prove its good intentions with a verifiable withdrawal.“Analysts indicate that they remain very much in a threatening position,” Biden said, in an address on the crisis. “The US is prepared no matter what happens. We are ready with diplomacy,” he said.“And we are ready to respond decisively to Russian attack on Ukraine, which is still very much a possibility,” he said, warning of “powerful sanctions”.‘Cautious optimism’Earlier, in the first announced withdrawal from among the troops Russia massed on the Ukrainian border, the defence ministry in Moscow said some soldiers were returning to bases at the end of planned exercises.Western leaders have accused Moscow of positioning the troops in advance of a possible invasion of pro-Western Ukraine, warning that any attack would be met with severe economic sanctions.After meeting Scholz in Moscow, Putin said Russia “of course” did not want war, and was willing to look for solutions with the West.“We are ready to work further together. We are ready to go down the negotiations track,” Putin told a joint press conference with Scholz.In response, Scholz said: “That we are now hearing that some troops are being withdrawn is in any case a good sign.”“For Europeans, it is clear that lasting security cannot be achieved against Russia but only with Russia.”Moscow released few details about the troop withdrawal.In Brussels, Nato chief Jens Stoltenberg said while there was not yet “any sign of de-escalation on the ground” there were “grounds for cautious optimism”.The crisis – the worst between Russia and the West since the Cold War ended – reached a peak this week, with US officials warning of a full-scale invasion – perhaps on Wednesday.Zelensky reacted with sarcasm to the warning, and declared Wednesday a “Day of Unity”.“Serious external and internal challenges have arisen, which require responsibility, confidence and concrete actions from me and each of us,” he said.“But our state today is stronger than ever,” he vowed.‘Dirty tricks’?On Tuesday, Ukraine said the websites of the country’s defence ministry and armed forces as well as two banks had been hit by a cyberattack that could have Russian origins.“It cannot be excluded that the aggressor is resorting to dirty tricks,” Ukraine’s communications watchdog said, in reference to Russia.In a separate move likely to anger Kyiv, Russian lawmakers on Tuesday voted to urge Putin to recognise two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine as “sovereign and independent states”.This would allow Russia to abandon the Minsk agreements peace plan for eastern Ukraine and potentially move in Russian troops – giving Putin a strong hand to play in any future negotiations with Kyiv.The European Union “strongly” condemned such a move, saying it would violate the Minsk agreements that Moscow had signed up to.Russia has repeatedly blamed the Ukraine crisis on the West, saying the US and western Europe are ignoring Russia’s legitimate security concerns.The Kremlin insists Nato must give assurances that Ukraine will never be admitted as a member and the alliance roll back its presence in several eastern European and ex-Soviet countries.Russia already controls the Crimean Peninsula that it seized from Ukraine in 2014 and supports separatist forces who have taken control of parts of eastern Ukraine, in a conflict that has claimed more than 14,000 lives.


Focus on Covid battle, forget about international ratings, economist says

An economist has urged the government to focus on battling Covid-19 instead of concentrating on perceptions of the country’s debt burden in global financial markets following Fitch Ratings’ downgrade of Malaysia last week.Lee Hwok Aun of Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute said the revised rating was only the opinion of Fitch.“It’s still too early to be taken as an accurate and strong assessment,” he told MalaysiaNow.Fitch, an international credit rating agency, downgraded Malaysia’s Long Term Foreign Currency Issuer Default Rating on Dec 4 from A- to BBB+.Lee said Malaysia should fight the Covid-19 pandemic with an eye to the management of economic affairs, budget allocations and assistance for the people above other matters.“This is to protect the welfare of households, employment and businesses, and to generate jobs ensuring the goals of education and the public health sector.”Fitch, in a statement last Friday, said the depth and duration of the Covid-19 crisis had weakened several key credit metrics.Adding that the impact on the economy had been substantial, it said while the government had secured passage of core legislation to implement relief measures, including the 2021 budget, “lingering political uncertainty following the change in government last March weighs on the policy outlook as well as prospects for further improvement in government standards”.This saw Pakatan Harapan (PH) calling for a motion of confidence against Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in the current Parliament sitting which will run until Dec 17.In a statement on Monday, the coalition said the downgrade was a huge blow to the government, particularly Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz.Zafrul in turn said PH was irresponsible for politicising the issue.He said PH’s stand on the issue was inconsistent as on Aug 24, its chairman Anwar Ibrahim had said that the rating should not be a concern as the focus should be on revitalising economic growth.He also said Fitch had downgraded 100 other countries this year including Britain, Hong Kong, Chile and Laos.Economist Madeline Berma of Universiti Kebangsaan Malysia said the assessment of credit agencies was a perception which most countries were not bothered about.Madeline, who is also a commissioner on the government’s Human Rights Commission (Suhakam), said Fitch’s downgrade was a minor hurdle as Malaysia still depends on foreign investments for its economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic.She said the downgrade to BBB+ would likely have two impacts on the economy, on the ringgit value and the view of foreign investors.However, she added that the downgrade is to be expected given that countries around the world have sustained heavy economic damage from the pandemic.“It’s been a long time since our rating value went down,” she told MalaysiaNow.


Big or small? Economists tell how Budget 2023 could help fight recession

With a global economic recession expected next year and Malaysia's economy still trying to regain its footing after the Covid-19 pandemic, much appears to be riding on the budget for 2023, to be tabled in the Dewan Rakyat this week.
Of late, the US dollar has risen to its strongest level in two decades, accompanied by a drop in value of other currencies including the British pound, China's yuan and the ringgit, making the import of goods such as food and raw materials more expensive for these countries.
Rising interest rates have also seen borrowers in countries such as the US and UK struggle to repay their debts and financial commitments.
In Malaysia, meanwhile, the overnight policy rate (OPR) has been increased several times and is expected to rise again in the near future.
Economist Geoffrey Williams said the government would need to maintain a small budget following the series of aid packages given to cushion the impact of Covid-19.
"The savings should be passed back to the people, to allow them to spend more of their own money however they choose, rather than having the government spend it for them," Williams, of the Malaysia University of Science and Technology, said.
"This would put money directly in the hands of consumers and businesses, and help sustain consumer spending, increase revenues for businesses – especially SMEs – and allow more private investment for growth."
He also urged the government to avoid a populist budget that could disrupt the market, weaken the ringgit, and put pressure on interest rates.
Ahmed Razman Abdul Latiff of the Putra Business School however expects the government to present its biggest budget yet.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he noted that it would be the last budget before the dissolution of Parliament and the holding of polls.
For him, the focus should be on individuals, households and businesses, through the provision of high-impact incentives.
"Larger allocations could help generate a more vibrant economy, but at the same time control the rise in inflation rate," he said.
"If this is not controlled, the OPR rate will rise alongside non-performing loans."
To control the increase in rate of inflation, he said, the government should continue with bulk subsidies to ensure that the price of basic goods and services does not increase.
Budget 2022, presented last year, had been the biggest budget to date with an allocation of RM332.1 billion.
Williams said keeping the interest rate at between 2.5% and 3% would be key to ensuring that there is no pressure from monetary policy following an excessive fiscal stance.
Beyond the "goodies" expected in conjunction with the election, he said, structural reforms should be carried out, including an end to subsidies based on specific products, brands or companies that are the cause of high transaction costs and corruption.
He said this would include introducing a cash transfer scheme or "universal basic income" through the reform of cash assistance schemes, and a tax system that could be made into fixed monthly payments for the low-income groups.
"This would replace the current complex welfare payments with one simpler system," he said.
"Essentially, we should avoid project-based handouts and focus on wider cash transfers directly to people and businesses."
He also suggested an overhaul of the duties and tax system, which would end the debate on the goods and services tax and sales and services tax.
Razman meanwhile said the government could offer home ownership methods other than bank financing, such as a "council home" method that combines rent and purchase payments.
"The government can come up with a budget that really deals with economic issues, not just a populist budget," he said.
"Every proposed initiative should have a significant positive impact on its recipients," he added, citing as example incentives for employers to increase their employees, Bantuan Keluarga Malaysia, career generators and financial financing for SMEs.


Riza Aziz claims film production loan from Saudi royals, not 1MDB funds

Hollywood film producer Riza Aziz and his two companies claim to have obtained a loan from the Saudi royal family or the International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) and not from 1MDB funds to produce several films in the US.IPIC is a company founded in Abu Dhabi whose managing director at the time was Khadem Abdullah Al-Qubaisi, who was a former aide to Sheikh Mansour Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates and also a member of the royal family.The matter was stated in the defence statement filed by Riza, Red Granite Pictures Incorporated and Red Granite Capital Limited, as defendants, through Messrs Scivetti & Associates on Oct 25.Based on the defence statement, Riza claimed that it was difficult for an unknown film producer to obtain loans from banks, which was why he decided to obtain loans from individuals or companies.Riza also claimed that he was then introduced to Prince Saud Abdulaziz bin Majed bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and Prince Faisal bin Turki bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud from the Saudi royal family, who showed interest in lending him money for the purpose of film production by Red Granite Pictures Incorporated.“I was informed that representatives of the Saudi royal family had agreed to provide the loan.“The loan would be disbursed by a company known as Alsen Chance Holdings Limited, which is a company beneficially owned by the Saudi Arabian royal family. In this regard, I entered a loan agreement with Alsen Chance,” he said.Riza claimed that after signing the agreement, he had received money amounting to US$1,173,104 and US$9,000,000 which was utilised to finance two companies, including the setting up and operating a production house, buying rights of scripts, books and producing films.The stepson of former prime minister Najib Razak also claimed that he had discharged his obligation under the Alsen Chance loan agreement by Oct 31, 2021, whereby he had repaid Alsen Chance in full, together with interest.“At that time, Alsen Chance has no nexus or connection with the plaintiffs (1MDB, 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited and 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited) and as such, there was no reason for the defendants to suspect the source of the funds,” said Riza.On the transfer of US$238 million to Red Granite Capital, Riza claimed that the money was used to finance the business of the two companies, including the operational cost of a production house, buying rights of scripts, books and producing films.Lawyer Hariharan Tara Singh, representing Riza and his two companies as the defendants, when contacted by reporters, said that during the case management before High Court deputy registrar Syeela Marlina Uttaman, the court had set Dec 6 for further case management.He said that all the defendants had filed statements of defence.1MDB and its three subsidiaries, namely 1MDB Energy Holdings Limited, 1MDB Energy Limited and 1MDB Energy (Langat) Limited as the plaintiffs, filed the writ of summons on May 7 through Messrs Shearn Delamore & Co, naming Riza and two of his companies, Red Granite Pictures Incorporated and Red Granite Capital Limited, as the first, second and third defendants respectively.The companies also named New York-based law firm, Shearman and Sterling, as the fourth defendant.The companies, in their writ of summons, said that in 2011 and 2012, Riza and his two companies received approximately US$250 million in funds from 1MDB and its three subsidiaries, which was allegedly misappropriated for their personal benefit and for the benefit of their associates, including for financing movie productions and purchasing various real estate.The companies claimed that Riza, who controlled the two Red Granite companies, ought to have known that the money that originated from 1MDB was misappropriated to them for their benefit.The plaintiffs sought a declaration that Riza was liable to account for the misappropriated funds and unjust use of the funds, as well as the repayment of the misappropriated funds.


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Sabah ready to convene state assembly if situation permits, says CM

The Sabah government is prepared to hold a state legislative assembly sitting at any time if the conditions permit, sayd Chief Minister Hajiji Noor.Hajiji said he had held a discussion with state assembly speaker Kadzim Yahya yesterday following the statement of Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, who expressed the view that Parliament should sit as soon as possible.“The state government has sought the advice of the National Security Council and is prepared to reconvene the state legislative assembly under strict SOPs,” he said in a statement today.The Sabah state assembly last met on Dec 18, 21, 22, and 23. Hajiji tabled Sabah’s Budget 2021 on Dec 18. It was passed on Dec 23.