Singapore woman leaves over S$1 million to Africa’s poor children

Doris Chua Kheng Geck was a methodical woman and her obituary, which she had paid for herself, was prepared months before her death on March 20 this year.Her sister-in-law, Ivy Kuah, 60, told The Sunday Times, “Doris liked to plan ahead, and do things herself without troubling anyone if she could help it. The only thing she left blank in her obituary was her age when she died and the date of demise.”Doris had been diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer in 2018 which spread rapidly to other parts of her body.Her will stated that she wanted her family to sell her three-room Seastrand unit and donate the proceeds, valued at over S$1 million, to non-profit organisation World Vision Singapore to help underprivileged communities in Africa.Her older brother Eric, 65, said she had started thinking about helping African communities in 2015 after she read books on Nelson Mandela, the former South African president and anti-apartheid icon.She was divorced and had no children of her own and in 2016 she sponsored an Ethiopian girl, then aged 10.In December 2017, she visited the girl in Ethiopia, and on her return, amended her will to say her home should be sold to help the underprivileged in Africa.“This is in the hope that it will be able to help the children in Africa have a higher chance of receiving an education to help their country,” she explained in a video published by World Vision Singapore.After the reading of her will, a World Vision spokesman told The Sunday Times: “We are humbled by Doris’ care for the poor and her desire to help vulnerable children. Her legacy will impact many children in Africa seeking to have a better education to step out of poverty.”The girl in Ethiopia will continue to be sponsored until she turns 18, in accordance with Doris’ wishes.


A special court to expedite politicians’ graft trials?

A prominent lawyer has proposed a special court to try the scores of criminal cases involving politicians, saying the emergency period would be the best time to do so.Haniff Khatri Abdulla said the establishment of such a court would help resolve the bottleneck of cases involving former government leaders, and that the virus emergency declared last week could be used towards that end.He said with the emergency powers, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong could enact special laws that would allow all criminal charges involving politicians to be brought to a special court such as this until they are concluded.Since 2018, hundreds of charges have been slapped against senior politicians, with the 1MDB-related cases involving former prime minister Najib Razak in the international limelight.Apart from Najib, his former deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, as well as Umno leaders Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Ahmad Maslan, Abdul Azeez Rahim and Shahrir Samad have also been charged with multiple counts of corruption involving millions of ringgit.Following the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan (PH) government, a corruption case involving DAP’s Lim Guan Eng was also revived.Najib, among the politicians convicted of corruption, will be appealing next month to quash his 12-year jail sentence and RM220 million penalty on charges of misappropriating some RM42 million in funds from SRC International Sdn Bhd.Haniff is confident that the special court would allow trials to conclude more quickly as the presiding judge would not be distracted by other cases.“And with a guarantee that it would not compromise the right to defence or prejudice the legal principles,” Haniff told MalaysiaNow.Another senior lawyer said any establishment of such a court must be within a constitutional framework.“It should comply with Articles 121, 122AA and 122AB of the constitution,” constitutional lawyer Nizam Bashir said to MalaysiaNow.He said the appointment of judges to such a court should also fulfil Article 122B.Under the emergency powers, he said, the Agong could invoke his authority under Article 150(2B) to promulgate ordinances.“These ordinances will be valid for six months after which they will expire,” he added.Last week, Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin in detailing the state of emergency assured that the executive would not meddle with the judiciary despite the power to enact tough laws in efforts to battle the pandemic.His statement was interpreted by one analyst as a warning to the so-called “court cluster” – a pandemic-laced phrase used on MPs facing criminal charges – that they could forget about entering into any deal for an acquittal.“It is a warning to all those in the court cluster, not only Najib,” academic Shamsul Amri Baharuddin told MalaysiaNow.Najib has emerged as the most vocal critic of the Perikatan Nasional administration, taking daily potshots at the government’s Covid-19 containment measures under the movement control order (MCO).Restrictions under the MCO have led to the delay of many trials, including the 1MDB audit report tampering case involving Najib and the company’s CEO, Arul Kanda Kandasamy.The trial will now proceed at the High Court on Feb 22.Meanwhile, Zahid’s cases on multiple charges of criminal breach of trust, money laundering and bribery were last tried in October last year, while the undersea tunnel corruption trial involving Lim will begin in June.Haniff is confident that all these cases can be completed earlier if tried by a dedicated court.“But there need to be laws,” he added.


Taiwan’s chips too vital for war, says island’s major chipmaker

Nobody wants to see a war over Taiwan because nobody wants to disrupt the crucial global supply chain of semiconductors, the chairman of major chipmaker TSMC said on Thursday, in unusually direct comments about geopolitics.Tensions over the past year or so have risen around Taiwan as China seeks to assert its sovereignty claims, with repeated military drills near the island that have caused concern in Washington and other Western capitals, reports Reuters.Mark Liu, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing’s chairman, told an earnings call that the pandemic has already been disruptive enough for the global economy and no country wants to see instability around Taiwan.“As to an invasion by China, let me tell you, everybody wants to have a peaceful Taiwan Strait. Because it is to every country’s benefit, but also because of the semiconductor supply chain in Taiwan – no one wants to disrupt it.”TSMC, the world’s largest contract chipmaker and a major Apple supplier, is at the centre of global efforts to resolve chip shortages that have in some cases shuttered car manufacturing plants and affected consumer electronics.The US government has been pressing TSMC and other Taiwanese chipmakers to do more to ease the chip shortage, especially for carmakers.Asia’s most valuable manufacturing company tends to try and stay out of politics, though it has large business interests in both China and the US and has to ensure it does not upset either government.TSMC, which has a market capitalisation of US$567 billion, more than double that of US chipmaker Intel, announced in May last year it would build a US$12 billion factory in the US state of Arizona, an apparent win for the then-Trump administration in its push to wrestle global tech supply chains back from China as part of a broader China-US trade war.Liu said that under the Biden administration, geopolitical developments were “more predictable, more rules-based”.TSMC signed a deal this week to import Covid-19 vaccines from BioNTech SE, with another Taiwanese tech giant and Apple supplier, Foxconn.Taiwan’s government allowed the two to negotiate on its behalf following public pressure about the slow pace of vaccinations, and after Taipei blamed Beijing for blocking an earlier deal with the German firm, which China denies.“This could be political in the beginning, but in the end we completed the contract and we did get support from all sides, so I don’t think at the end it was as political anymore, otherwise this donation wouldn’t be successful,” said Liu.Once they arrive, the vaccines will be donated to the government for distribution.


Policeman wounded after being stabbed in southern France

A French policeman was attacked by a man with a knife claiming to act “in the name of the prophet” on Monday but was unharmed, the interior minister and police sources said.The sources had previously indicated that their colleague had been wounded in the attack in the southern town of Cannes, which saw the knifeman shot and seriously wounded.“The policeman who was stabbed has fortunately not been physically injured thanks to his bulletproof vest,” Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on Twitter.The police sources said the incident was being treated as a possible terrorist attack, and Darmanin announced he was heading to the scene.The officer was behind the wheel of a car in front of a police station in the town at 6.30am when the attacker opened the door and stabbed him with a knife, one source said on condition of anonymity.The attacker was severely injured by another police officer who opened fire, and was in a serious condition.French police have been targeted in a series of attacks from Islamic extremists in recent years, leading to calls for better protection and harsher jail sentences.In April, a police employee was stabbed to death in the secure entrance to a station in the quiet Paris commuter town of Rambouillet, while an officer was seriously wounded in a knife attack near the western city of Nantes in May.In October 2019, three officers and one police employee in Paris were stabbed to death in the headquarters of the Paris police by a radicalised IT employee.Each attack has sharpened attention on the danger of Islamic extremism in France, which has suffered a wave of violence over the last decade from radicals inspired by al-Qaeda or the Islamic State group.Security is also a key issue ahead of presidential elections in April next year.


Just under 60% of Malaysian drivers feel safe on the road, survey shows

Just under 60% of Malaysian road users feel safe on the go, with roughly the same proportion confident in the country’s progress in curbing high accident rates, a study by the UCSI Poll Research Centre shows.The study conducted among 937 Malaysians found that 58% of respondents felt safe on the road while 42% did not.Of those who felt safe, 61.1% said they were confident that other road users would generally adhere to traffic rules and regulations.Meanwhile, 53.7% said they were confident in their own driving knowledge and skills, while 47.3% said they were physically fit to drive.A total of 43.1% were confident that other drivers would show “good road manners” while 42.6% believed that other road users were generally “ethical”.Of the 42% who were uncomfortable on the road, 67.4% had little confidence that others would abide by traffic rules while 49.5% said the same about other road users driving with “good road manners”.Meanwhile, 47.9% said there were too many different vehicles on the road, while 45.4% said they had little confidence in the existing rules and regulations.A total of 44.9% said the roads were not in good condition.Of the 57% of respondents who believed the country was making good progress in curbing high accident rates, 70.9% said there was an effective system in place to ensure that only mature and knowledgeable drivers are allowed on the road.A total of 57.7% said there were rules and regulations governing the safety of vehicles allowed on the road, while 47.3% said enforcers act against offenders in a timely manner.Meanwhile, 46.6% said the road signs were enough to prevent confusion, and 46.4% said there was an effective system in place to identify road safety offenders.Of the 43% who disagreed on Malaysia’s progress in curbing accident rates, 64.8% doubted the system allowing only mature and skilled drivers on the road while 60.8% said there was a lack of robust rules and regulations governing the safety of vehicles.A total of 52.8% said other road users drive with “bad road manners”, 49.5% said enforcers do not act in a timely manner, and 49.4% said the roads are generally in bad condition.


New infections drop to 1,690, no new deaths in first since December 2020

Another 1,690 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,540,612.There were 2,108 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,478,936.There are now 25,944 active cases, of which 24,906 or 96.0% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 15 (0.1%) are at quarantine centres while 1,000 (3.9%) have been hospitalised.A total of 23 are in ICU with 15 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 58.7%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 5.2%.No new deaths were reported, leaving the death toll unchanged at 35,732.The last time Malaysia reported zero daily deaths due to Covid-19 was Dec 18, 2020.


‘Preacher Without a Face’ found guilty of recruiting for IS in Germany

A German court has convicted a radical Islamist preacher and three co-defendants of recruiting and radicalising young people in Germany for the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group.Ahmad Abdulaziz Abdullah, also known as Abu Walaa, is believed to be the jihadist group’s de facto leader in Germany, according to Deutsche Welle news.Walaa, known as the “preacher without a face” for always appearing in online videos with his back to the camera, was sentenced to over 10 years in prison on Wednesday after declining to make a closing statement at the end of his three-year trial.The court in the northern German city of Celle said the Salafist preacher and his network radicalised young people, mainly in the country’s Ruhr region, and sent them to IS combat zones in the Middle East.Three co-defendants received prison sentences of between four and eight years.Walaa, 37, was born in Iraq and arrived in Germany in 2001 as an asylum seeker.He became a preacher at a mosque in the city of Hildesheim in Lower Saxony, which became notorious for attracting Islamists from across Germany. The mosque was forced to close in 2017 when the government outlawed it.While at the Hildesheim mosque, Walaa was accused of radicalising at least eight young people to become IS fighters in Iraq and Syria.He was also accused of recruiting a pair of German twin brothers who carried out a suicide attack in Iraq in 2015, and of radicalising teenagers who in 2019 bombed a Sikh temple in Germany.Another of his recruits was a young woman who attacked a German police officer with a knife in 2016 in Hannover and was sentenced to six years in prison.The Tunisian who killed 12 people in a truck attack at a Berlin Christmas market in 2016 is also said to have had ties to Walaa.


Positive developments in PAS-Umno-Bersatu cooperation for Melaka polls, says Tuan Ibrahim

There have been positive developments in cooperation among PAS, Bersatu and Umno in facing the Melaka state election on Nov 20, says PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man.Without commenting further, he said this followed discussions among the three parties in a meeting held yesterday.“There was some good news last night, we had a meeting with PAS, Umno and Bersatu. Insha Allah in terms of discussing the preparations for the Melaka state polls, it seems that now PAS is wanted by all parties.“Umno decided to agree to be with PAS, we thank Umno for feeling the need to maintain political consensus. At the same time, Bersatu also wants to be with us,” he said at the 62nd PAS Youth Muktamar in Port Dickson.In the meantime, he said the consensus and cooperation among the three parties was greater than the fight for seats, while PAS also had extensive experience in the country’s politics.PAS Youth chief Khairil Nizam Khirudin, when delivering the keynote address in conjunction with the muktamar, said PAS has consistently called on Umno, Bersatu and other stakeholders to accept the principle of unity.He also said PAS youth had a big role to play as agents of peace.On the country’s political landscape, he said the automatic registration of new 18-year-old voters, or Undi 18, was a game changer, especially in facing the upcoming 15th general election.“The number of citizens aged 18 and above is 5.6 million, and of that number, those aged 18 to 20 are 1.2 million, while another 4.4 million are those aged 21 and above – they are eligible to vote,” he said.


Water supply company awarded RM100,000 over water pollution claim

The Court of Appeal has ordered two landfill operators to pay damages of RM100,000 to water supply company SAJ Ranhill Sdn Bhd for negligence.
A three-member bench, comprising justices Has Zanah Mehat, Che Mohd Ruzima Ghazali and See Mee Chun, made the order after allowing an appeal by SAJ Ranhill, which operates a water treatment plant in Simpang Renggam, Kluang, Johor, to set aside a High Court's dismissal of their claim in 2021.
In the court's 28-page written judgment dated May 19, justice See said the court found SWM Greentech Sdn Bhd and SWM Environment Sdn Bhd liable for negligence and ordered the company to pay damages to SAJ Ranhill.
SAJ Ranhill had sued the two companies claiming that it suffered losses due to the shutdown of its water treatment plant, which happened eight times between 2016 and 2018, due to leakage of untreated effluents and leachate originating from the landfills.
The spillage has caused ammonia pollution in Sungai Benut, where SAJ Ranhill extracts raw water for treatment at its water treatment plant before distributing the treated water to consumers in Johor.
In the judgment, justice See said SAJ Ranhill's expert Maketab Mohamed had testified that the cause of ammonia pollution in Sungai Benut on the dates of the shutdown of the water treatment plant was due to leachate overflow from the landfills.
She said Maketab's evidence on the spillage of leachate from the landfills to the ammonia pollution was supported by the evidence of the director of Badan Kawal Selia Air Johor (BAKAJ), Mohd Riduan Mohd Ali. BAKAJ had gone to the site on the dates in question to determine the source of the pollution.
Justice See also said the two companies, through a letter from their solicitors, dated April 27, 2018, admitted to incidents of leachate spillage into Sungai Benut in Nov 2016, and some instances in 2017 and in early 2018.
In the suit, SAJ Ranhill sought compensation of more than RM1.6 million for the shutdowns which included pure economic loss.
However, justice See said the court only awarded the company nominal damages of RM100,000 as well as legal costs of RM100,000 for court proceedings in the High Court and Court of Appeal.


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With nearly RM100 million in the collection bag, 'Mat Kilau' heads to Indonesia

Box office hit "Mat Kilau: Kebangkitan Pahlawan" will soon be screened in neighbouring Indonesia, after 40 days of encouraging ticket sales in Malaysia which have breached RM96 million so far.
Director Syamsul Yusof said "Mat Kilau" would hit the screens in Indonesia on Aug 31, the same date as Malaysia's 65th Merdeka Day celebration.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said his team had been invited by cinemas in Indonesia to screen the film throughout the country.
Part of the draw in Indonesia is the inclusion of martial arts actor Yayan Ruhian, who is also an Indonesian citizen.
"There are also fans of my previous films in Indonesia," Syamsul added.
"Especially Munafik 2 – that was the highest grossing Malay film in Indonesia. I am grateful to have such strong support from the cinemas and moviegoers there."
"Mat Kilau" will premiere in Indonesia on Aug 26. Talks are also underway to determine the number of cinemas at which it will be screened, as there are more in Indonesia than in Malaysia.
"Mat Kilau" began screening in Malaysia on June 23. It is still being showed, including in Brunei and Singapore.
It remains the highest Malaysian box office film locally and internationally, after "Munafik 2" and "Avengers: Endgame".


Saudis celebrate shock defeat of Argentina in World Cup

Saudi Arabia shocked Argentina in the World Cup on Tuesday with a 2-1 victory over Lionel Messi's side, prompting an outpouring of Arab pride amidst the first staging of soccer's top tournament in the Middle East.
It was a sweet moment for host Qatar, which has faced a barrage of criticism over human rights in the conservative Muslim country. Qatar's emir draped the Saudi flag over his shoulders at the stadium after the match.
"Wow! I have all the feelings right now. We beat Argentina, one of the great teams!" said Saad, a fan from Riyadh who is in Qatar for two weeks and was wearing a green Saudi Falcons scarf around his neck.
"Our guys played so well - everything went right inside the stadium today. It was amazing."
On his fifth and final quest for the only major trophy to elude him, Messi, 35, scored a 10th minute penalty in a dominant first half display by Argentina during which he and Lautaro Martinez also had three goals disallowed for offside.
But Saudi Arabia, the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament after Ghana, threw caution to the wind at the start of the second half, charging at Argentina's defence in front of a frenzied 88,012 crowd.
"Thank God, the players were up to it and we wiped them. They were relying on one player, we competed as a team and we wiped them, we are up to it. Watch out for Saudi Arabia because when it hits, it hurts," said Saudi fan Abdelaziz al-Khwatem.
A Saudi television station showed a long line of cars with veiled women standing in their open sunroofs waving the Saudi flag. Other cars carried celebrating children giving the victory sign.
The entire game was played in an extraordinary atmosphere at the Lusail Stadium, with Argentina's traditionally massive and raucous following matched by the thousands of Saudis who had come over the border to cheer on their team.
“We were expecting Saudi would be easy and to score five goals against them. But the strategy of the Saudis at the end was not to let us have the ball at all. They made the goals and that was it,” said 21-year-old Argentinian fan Juliana Vega.
Concerns for tolerance
Before the match kicked off, the issue of tolerance came up at a news conference between the Qatari foreign minister and his American counterpart. Qatar has come under criticism over its treatment of foreign workers and the LGBT+ community.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said it was "always concerning" to hear of limits on freedom of expression at World Cup games in Qatar, after Fifa threatened yellow cards for players if they wear armbands with LGBT+ rainbow colours.
"It's especially so when the expression is for diversity and for inclusion," said Blinken, who watched the US team's first match on Monday in Doha and also met with his Qatari counterpart for a US-Qatari strategic dialogue.
Qatar has come under intense pressure in recent years for its position on workers rights and restrictive social laws.
Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has said the Gulf Arab state welcomes everyone. "Its doors are open. Let us focus on football and what's happening on the pitch."
British foreign minister James Cleverly said on Tuesday he brought up the issues about being a welcoming World Cup host with Qatar during a visit for the start of the tournament, amid reports that fans wearing rainbow clothing had faced problems.
"I've just returned from Qatar. We raised the issues of being a welcoming host nation and the Qataris are very keen to do so," Cleverly told Reuters.
"My duty is to make sure that the English and Welsh fans that are in Qatar to enjoy the football are able to do so: enjoy themselves, be themselves, and be safe and secure whilst they're doing it."


Apple blueprints stolen by cyber-criminal gang for ransom

Authorities in Taiwan say they are looking into a ransomware cyber-attack on a major technology firm there.Quanta Computer is a manufacturer of many flagship Apple products, including its MacBook line.The hackers, known as the Revil group, also known as Sodinokobi, is one of the most prolific and profitable cyber-criminal cartels in the world.They have now published stolen blueprints for unreleased Apple products and are threatening to release more.On their darknet website, the hackers are attempting to extort a ransom from Apple Corp directly, writing: “We recommend that Apple buy back available data by May 1.”It is understood they are asking for tens of millions of dollars ransom.How close the alleged stolen blueprints will be to any actual future products is not clear. Bloomberg reports that the leaked materials include the schematics for a future MacBook laptop. The Guardian reports that a new Apple Watch is also among them.Apple has not responded to questions from Bloomberg, but Quanta confirmed a cyber-attack had taken place.In a press release, the company said: “Quanta Computer’s information security team has worked with external IT experts in response to cyber-attacks on a small number of Quanta servers.“We’ve reported to the relevant law enforcement and data protection authorities concerning recent abnormal activities observed.”The release of the hacked material came just hours before Apple’s major product showcase event on Tuesday.Revil said the timing was not a coincidence, writing that the data leak was “in order not to wait for the upcoming Apple presentations”.The Taiwanese Investigation Bureau, under the justice ministry, told Nikkei Asia: “We are aware of an alleged cyber-attack involving Quanta and we are taking an initial step to look into and understand the nature of the incident.”Revil is known to have previously hacked and extorted foreign exchange company Travelex.The cyber-gang and other similar groups are known to have successfully targeted many other companies that have paid up and not disclosed the theft of their data.


GTA to field 121 candidates for parliamentary seats at GE15

Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad today announced that the coalition will be contesting 121 parliamentary seats across the country at the 15th general election (GE15).
Mahathir said so far, Pejuang had announced candidates to contest in 59 parliamentary seats, followed by Putra (24), Berjasa (eight), Iman (five) and Gagasan Bangsa (11).
"Although we have given credentials to many of the candidates we announced earlier, there are still some areas where we have not decided the candidates.
"The names will be announced on Nov 3 and 4 by the GTA secretary-general. The state's top leadership will be announced by the state candidates tomorrow," he said at a press conference after the GTA candidate naming announcement ceremony this afternoon.
The former prime minister also announced that GTA secretary-general Marzuki Yahya will be contesting the Sungai Petani parliamentary seat in Kedah.
Mahathir, who will defend his Langkawi seat, said the election platform this time would also see three celebrities, namely film director Ahmad Idham, actor Eizlan Yusof and Azlan Sani Zawawi (Lando) contesting in Port Dickson, Sabak Bernam and Tanjong Karang respectively.
He said GTA would field candidates with integrity who have been cleared of any crime and were able to be good leaders for the country.
On rumours that the former inspector-general of police Abdul Hamid Bador would be fielded in a parliamentary seat, Mahathir said Hamid was not yet ready to be a candidate for any coalition.


Supreme Court justice Ginsburg and the American Dream

The first Jewish woman on the US Supreme Court, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, died Friday night as millions of American Jews were getting ready to celebrate the first night of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year.People in Washington, DC, gathered outside the Supreme Court singing the Mourner’s Kaddish for her.Blasts of a ram’s horn trumpet, or shofar, echoed over the plaza. The sound of the shofar is an ancient summons, interpreted as a wake-up call to the faithful to atone for their sins at the holiest times in the Jewish calendar.For Sheila Katz, hearing that sound from the Court’s steps somehow felt right. “The shofar is blown as a literal wake-up call to the Jewish people – a signal that we need to act toward bettering ourselves and healing the world around us,” Katz told NPR.President Bill Clinton nominated Ginsberg to the Supreme Court. During her confirmation hearing, she told the Senate her own story. She talked about her father, a Jewish immigrant from Odessa, Russia, and her mother, born in New York to parents from Krakow, Poland.“My family left the old country, when Jewish ancestry and faith meant exposure to pogroms and denigration of one’s human worth.”“What has become of me could happen only in America,” Ginsberg told senators.Years later, on Rosh Hashanah, Ginsburg surprised worshipers with a speech when she drew another link between Judaism and her lifelong pursuit of justice.“The Jewish religion is an ethical religion.” Ginsburg said. “That is, we are taught to do right, to love mercy, do justice, not because there’ll be any reward in heaven or punishment in hell. We live righteously because that’s how people should live.”Ginsburg fought for what she believed was just. She spent much of her legal career as an advocate for gender equality and women’s rights. Many of the rights women enjoy now in the US are a direct result of her struggle.In accordance with Supreme Court tradition, a black drape is now hanging over the courtroom door as a sign of respect and mourning following the death of a justice.


In rural Kedah, clean water supply still a pipe dream for villagers

Malaysia may have achieved independence more than 60 years ago, but many pockets of society are still struggling to get by without the most basic of amenities such as running water in their homes.At Kampung Iboi, a village in rural Baling, a district in Kedah bordering Perak and Thailand, water rationing is a fact of life. Here, villagers only have running taps from 12am to 2pm.They have lodged complaints with state water utility company Syarikat Air Darul Aman (Sada) time and again, but are told that low water pressure at the pumping station is the source of the problem.Malik Arshad, who oversees the village’s water supply, said the condition of Sada’s pumping station is at Level 4, which is classified as dangerous.“The Baling district officer met with Sada to discuss the situation after the frequent water disruptions,” he told MalaysiaNow.“When questioned on how to upgrade the pumping station, the Sada representative said the matter should be raised to the state government.”Villagers at Kampung Iboi in Baling, Kedah, have two taps in their homes: one from the state water utility company and the other from the local committee.Unable to rely on a steady supply of water from Sada, the villagers have taken matters into their own hands. At Kampung Iboi, every home has two taps – one from Sada and the other from the local committee which manages the villagers’ alternative water supply.“We have permission from Tenaga Nasional Bhd to use a hydraulic pump station to supply the villagers with running water,” Malik said.But this water source comes with problems of its own as well. Musang king durians are being cultivated near the water catchment area. Between this and the logging activities which villagers say take place in the forest around their homes, the river water is often polluted.“It is hard for us to get additional clean water supply from Sada within 24 hours,” Malik added.‘No clean water’Zaini Harun, who operates a food stall, has to keep containers of water in reserve in case his supply runs out while he’s working.“The villagers’ main water source is the river. Water is pumped to the houses similar to the regular water service, but everything is handled by the locals themselves.”But sometimes there is a heavy downpour which churns up the mud in the river.“Then the water turns muddy. Once I was doing my laundry and without me realising it, red, muddy water came pouring into the washing machine and damaged my clothes.”When this happens, there is no clean water supply in the village.A woman from Kampung Bukit Sebelah in Baling, Kedah, washes her clothes in the river as there is no steady supply of water to her house.It is the same story in the village of Kampung Bukit Sebelah where villagers use water from the river for their chores as a matter of course.Neng Sahab, who has lived there for three decades, said Sada sends water tankers to the village twice a week.But this does not solve anything, he told MalaysiaNow.“Many people come to Kampung Bukit Sebelah but the result is still the same. We cannot get water supply and we still need to rely on the river.”This doesn’t come cheap as villagers need to fork out their own money to buy the equipment needed to pump water from the river to their homes.Rahimah Yaakub, 70, has to depend on his children and grandchildren to pump water from the river.“I am old and cannot go down to the river or walk up the steps while carrying buckets to put at the pumping tube,” he said.Villagers from Kampung Iboi clean out the hydraulic dam which serves as their water supply.Over at Kampung Iboi, Mokhtar Mohd Piah said villagers do the same. He has spent RM2,000 so far buying a water pumping machine, pipes and a tank so that his family can go about their daily chores.“I live with 10 other family members so it is important to have enough water supply.”He spends another RM100 or so each month for maintainance of the equipment or to repair the damage if there is a leak.Sada spokesman Anas Aidi Md Rozai however said the utility company had never imposed water rationing as claimed in several locations.“Sada only provides the service to the residents,” he said. “If it involves upgrading the pumping station, the matter needs to be referred to the state.”He acknowledged that Sada had been informed of the problems but said the solution for now would be the provision of water tankers to the affected areas.


Bring out your bongs! Mexico court decriminalises smoking cannabis at home

Mexico’s Supreme Court has decriminalised the private recreational use of cannabis by adults, calling the current prohibition unconstitutional.The court ruled that adults would be able to apply for permits to cultivate and consume their own cannabis.Smoking marijuana in public and in front of children is banned though.The decision came after a legalisation bill stalled in Congress and the ruling does not mention the commercialisation of cannabis.“Today is a historic day for liberties,” Supreme Court president Arturo Zaldívar said.But some groups said the ruling was unlikely to result in major important changes.Mexico United Against Crime, an NGO, said the decision “does not decriminalise the activities necessary to carry out consumption” such as possession and transportation.Mexico’s lower house approved a bill legalising the recreational use of cannabis in March, but still needed final approval by the Senate. The legislation would let users with a permit carry up to 28g and grow as many as eight plants at home for personal use. At present, it is illegal to carry more than 5g.Supporters of legalisation hope it will reduce some of the violence related to illegal drugs trade, which claims the lives of thousands of people in the country every year.Attitudes to relaxing at home with a joint are changing around the world and more countries are pushing ahead with liberalising legislation.It was only in 2012 that Uruguay announced it would be the first country in the world to legalise recreational cannabis use.In large part, the move was aimed at replacing links between organised crime and the cannabis trade with more accountable state regulation.Now, possession of small amounts of cannabis is no longer a crime in countries including Brazil, Jamaica and Portugal, although the sale remains illegal.In Spain it is legal to use cannabis in private, while the drug is sold openly in coffee shops in the Netherlands.Still more countries and many US states now allow the use of medicinal cannabis.As public opinion – and consequently that of governments – changes, it seems increasingly likely that other countries will follow, raising questions about how they work together to manage the use and supply of cannabis.


‘Eyes will be plucked out,’ China warns anglophone allies over Hong Kong

The Five Eyes anglophone alliance this week criticised China for imposing new rules in Hong Kong which empower the city to expel elected legislators who cause Beijing trouble.They urged Beijing to reverse course and stick to agreements it signed up to when Hong Kong was handed back by the British in 1997, according to media sources.Five Eyes is an intelligence-sharing alliance of the five most powerful English-speaking countries: the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, set up during the Cold War to monitor the USSR and its allies.A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman told journalists in Beijing on Thursday, “They should be careful, or their eyes will be plucked out. The Chinese never make trouble and are never afraid of anything, no matter if they have five or 10 eyes.”He added that any attempt by foreign states to threaten or pressure Beijing to make concessions was “doomed to fail”.Last week, Beijing passed a resolution allowing Hong Kong’s government to dismiss politicians considered a threat to national security, following which the city expelled four pro-democracy lawmakers from its legislature.This was viewed by many as the latest attempt by China to restrict Hong Kong’s freedoms. In response, all of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy lawmakers resigned.Five Eyes foreign ministers urged China to reinstate the barred politicians, saying the move was a clear breach of Beijing’s legally binding commitments to protect the territory’s freedoms and autonomy. They also accused Beijing of undermining the rights of people in Hong Kong to elect their representatives, reported the BBC.Hong Kong was returned to China from Britain under the “one country, two systems” principle, which allowed it to retain more rights and freedoms than the mainland until 2047.As a Special Administrative Region, Hong Kong was to have its own legal system, multiple political parties, and rights including freedom of assembly and free speech, but in late June this year, China passed a controversial national security law in the territory after years of pro-democracy and anti-Beijing protests.The new law reduced Hong Kong’s autonomy and made it easier to punish pro-democracy demonstrators. It criminalises “secession, subversion and collusion with foreign forces”.Beijing says the law will return stability to the territory, but western governments and human rights groups say it effectively curtails freedom of speech and protest. After the law was introduced, a number of pro-democracy groups disbanded out of fears for their safety.


Speed up study on vaccine for kids, says women’s ministry

The women, family and community development ministry voiced hope today that a study on Covid-19 vaccination for children 12 to 17 can be expedited as part of measures to protect the group.Minister Rina Harun said this follows the worrying trend of Covid-19 cases involving children in the country, apart from deaths reported due to the infection.“We hope the vaccine study for children can be expedited because we can see that in other countries they are already giving vaccine to those aged 12 and above, such as Singapore and the US.“The effort is aimed at reducing Covid-19 infection risk among children, thus protecting the group,” she told reporters after visiting Covid-19 low-risk quarantine and treatment centre at the Melaka International Trade Centre (MITC) in Ayer Keroh.A total of 147 children have been placed at MITC to date. Of these, 99 are aged 12 to 17 and the other 48 are below 12 years old.Health Minister Dr Adham Baba was previously reported as saying that as of May 30, a total of 82,341 children and infants had been infected with Covid-19.Of the total, 19,851 cases involved children below four years old; 8,237 cases, five to six; 26,851, seven to 12; and 27,402, 13 to 17.Rina also urged parents to comply with the SOPs and to teach their children to practise the 3Ws – wash, wear and warn – to avoid crowded places and to adhere to physical distancing.“We also hope more special programmes for children will be aired on television throughout the movement control order so that they will not be bored,” she said.


No surprise strikes please, health minister says

Health Minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa has urged public health sector workers against involvement in unannounced strikes, saying these will not help solve any problems.
In a video on TikTok, she urged them to meet her face-to-face to find proper solutions.
"I actually understand very well the problem. My background is that of a doctor, that’s why I understand and I am determined to solve this problem, if possible today.
"But we must understand that it will take me some time to understand the issues deeper so that the best solution can be found," she said.
Zaliha also asked health workers to think more maturely.
"Insha Allah, we can meet face-to-face and eventually solve this problem together and everyone will benefit from it," she said.


Iranian fighter jet crashes, 3 killed

An Iranian fighter jet crashed Monday in a residential area of the northwestern city of Tabriz killing three people, including two crew, state television reported.The head of the local Red Crescent organisation said the plane smashed into a school and that one of the dead was a resident of the neighbourhood.Local official Mohammad-Bagher Honarvar told state television that the school was closed at the time due to the coronavirus pandemic.He identified the plane as a F-5 fighter aircraft and said it went down at around 9am (0530 GMT) in the central Tabriz neighbourhood of Monajem.An investigation is underway, the state broadcaster said.The official news agency IRNA posted on its website video footage showing firefighters putting out a blaze at the crash site.Iran’s airforce has mostly Russian MiG and Sukhoi fighter jets that date back to the Soviet era, as well as some Chinese aircraft.Some American F-4 and F-5 fighter jets dating back to before the 1979 Islamic revolution are also part of its air fleet.


More than a dozen killed in Indonesia's 5.6 magnitude quake, local official says

More than a dozen people were killed in a 5.6-magnitude quake that rattled Indonesia's West Java province on Monday, a local official said.
Herman Suherman, a government official from Cianjur, the town in West Java where the epicentre of the quake was located, told news channel MetroTV that up to 20 people had died at one hospital in the area.


Netflix looks to video games to boost growth

Global streaming giant Netflix on Tuesday said it added more subscribers than expected in the recently ended quarter and will add video games to its entertainment mix to fuel growth.The company ended the second quarter with 209 million paid subscribers and revenue of US$7.3 billion, some 19% higher than the same period a year earlier, according to an earnings release.Profit was reported at US$1.35 billion as compared to US$1.7 billion in the preceding quarter. The net income figure missed market expectations.The streaming leader said the pandemic had “created unusual choppiness” in its results after strong growth last year during the pandemic, which has now subsided.Netflix said it is continuing to invest in content as production recovers from pandemic-caused delays, and that it is “in the early stages of expanding into games”.“We view gaming as another new content category for us, similar to our expansion into original films, animation and unscripted TV,” the streamer said.“Games will be included in members’ Netflix subscription at no additional cost similar to films and series.”Netflix shares were up slightly in after-market trades following the release of the earnings figures.Game onNetflix seems to have reached a saturation point in the US in terms of reaching households, but has been nevertheless able to raise prices and increase revenue in the US market, according to eMarketer senior analyst Eric Haggstrom.“Expansions into video games, audio and merchandise may drive some incremental growth, but ultimately growth in subscribers and revenue should be much lower than in the past,” Haggstrom said.And he noted that Netflix had lost a bit of market share to relative streaming upstart Disney+, which is only in its second year.Netflix recently recruited a video game veteran from Facebook to lead its gaming team.Mike Verdu was hired to take charge of video game development at the Silicon Valley company, which has openly said hit games such as Fortnite are its competition for people’s online entertainment time.Netflix has dabbled with games before, releasing an interactive “Bandersnatch” episode of original series “Black Mirror” and also a free mobile game spinning off its hit show “Stranger Things”.The company has slowly added video game talent, but Verdu is a high-profile recruit that could signal ramped up plans.With the global gaming market now exceeding US$300 billion, according to an April study by consulting firm Accenture, Netflix’s move would open a new and highly lucrative stream of revenue for the tech giant.“Mobile will be first and included in the Netflix subscription,” Loop Ventures manager partner Gene Munster said in a tweet.“Smart move to retain and inch up paid subscriptions. Overall there are about 2B global monthly gamers.”Netflix’s push into video games plays to its strengths of storytelling and content creation, and is intended to help the core subscription service grow, according to executives.“We really see this as an extension of the core entertainment experience we’ve been focused on for the last 20 years,” Netflix chief product officer Greg Peters said on an earnings call.“This is going to be a multi-year effort; we are going to start relatively small.”Netflix chief executive Reed Hastings has repeatedly emphasised that the company’s main competitors are not just other big-name streamers like HBO Max, Hulu or Disney+ but also other online and mobile entertainment platforms.“In the race to entertain consumers around the world, we continue to compete for screen time with a broad set of firms like YouTube, Epic Games and TikTok (to name just a few),” Netflix said in the earnings release.Netflix pointed to Amazon’s pending purchase of storied MGM studios for US$8.45 billion as an indicator of consolidation in the industry, but said it did not expect the move to hamper growth of its streaming service.


China's students leap 'Great Firewall' to get homework help from ChatGPT

Chinese schoolchildren are turning to AI bot ChatGPT to slash their homework time – vaulting the country's "Great Firewall" to write book reports and bone up on their language skills.
With its ability to produce A-grade essays, poems and programming code within seconds, ChatGPT has sparked a global gold rush in artificial intelligence tech.
But it has also prompted concern from teachers, worried over the possibilities for cheating and plagiarism.
In China, where the service is unavailable without a virtual private network (VPN), over a dozen students told AFP they have used it to write essays, solve science and maths problems, and generate computer code.
Eleven-year-old Esther Chen said ChatGPT has helped to halve the time she studies at home, while her sister Nicole uses it to learn English.
Esther, who attends a competitive school in the southern megacity of Shenzhen, said she used to spend four to five hours every day on homework.
"My mum would stay up late until I finished all my homework and we would fight constantly," she said. "Now, ChatGPT helps me to do the research quickly."
Several students told AFP they had bought foreign phone numbers online or used VPNs to bypass restrictions and access ChatGPT.
One retailer allows users to buy a US number for just 5.5 yuan (RM3.56), while one registered in India costs less than one yuan.
And for those unable to scale the firewall, AI Life on the ubiquitous WeChat app charges one yuan to ask ChatGPT a question, as do other services.
AI book report
Chinese media last month reported major tech firms, including WeChat's parent Tencent and rival Ant Group, had been ordered to cut access to ChatGPT on their platforms, and state media blasted it as a tool for spreading "foreign political propaganda".
But Esther's mother, Wang Jingjing, said she wasn't worried.
"We've used a VPN for years. The girls are encouraged to read widely from different sources," she told AFP, adding she is more worried about plagiarism and keeps a close eye on her daughter.
Esther insisted she does not get the chatbot to do the work for her, pointing to a recent assignment in which she needed to finish a book report on the novel "Hold up the Sky" by Liu Cixin, a globally renowned Chinese sci-fi writer.
With a weekly schedule crammed with piano practice, swimming, chess and rhythmic gymnastics, she said she did not have time to finish the book.
Instead, she asked ChatGPT to give her a summary and paragraphs about the main characters and themes, writing the report from that.
'It's less pressure'
Students are also using ChatGPT to bypass China's lucrative English language test prep industry, in which applicants learn thousands of words by rote with expensive tutors ahead of the exams needed to enter colleges in the US, UK or Australia.
"I didn't want to memorise word lists or entire conversations," Stella Zhang, 17, told AFP.
So instead of spending up to 600 yuan an hour, she dropped out and now learns through conversations with the chatbot.
"It's less pressure... It also offers instant feedback on my essays, and I can submit different versions," she explained.
Thomas Lau, a college admissions counsellor in the eastern city of Suzhou, said more than two dozen students he works with have dropped out of language cramming schools and opted to prepare with ChatGPT.
But the tool has created new problems.
"I run all the personal statements and other application materials written by students through software to detect whether parts of it have been written using AI," Lau said. "Many fail the test."
'Ban it or embrace it?'
A flurry of Chinese tech firms including Baidu, Alibaba and JD.com said they are developing rivals to ChatGPT.
But Beijing is already primed to crack down and said it would soon introduce new rules to govern AI.
While tools to detect whether a text has been written using AI can be accessed in China, schools are also training teachers to ensure academic ethics are upheld.
"The big debate with ChatGPT in classrooms is whether to ban it or embrace it," said Tim Wallace, a teacher in Beijing.
But with some teachers using the tech themselves, telling students not to is a hard sell.
"Teachers use the tool to generate customised lesson plans within seconds," he said. "We can't tell students not to use it while using it ourselves."


Details emerge on case of Singapore woman facing death by firing squad in China

The Singapore government says its diplomats in China have been unable to visit two of its citizens who were sentenced to death there for drug offences after the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, as more details emerge on the circumstances leading to their arrest five years ago.This follows a claim by one of them that there had been no visit from officials for more than a year.The Singapore foreign ministry said its consulate-general in the Guangdong province had been visiting Siti Aslinda Junaidi and Mohd Yusri Mohd Yussof regularly before the virus outbreak this year.Aslinda, 35, and Yusri, 44, were convicted of drug trafficking and sentenced to death in July this year.Aslinda recently revealed in a letter that the Singapore consul had not visited her for the last 15 months.“I don’t know why. Quite worried here,” she wrote in a letter to her daughter sighted by MalaysiaNow.Meanwhile, more details have emerged about her case through court documents cited by CNN.The report said Yusri’s sentence could be commuted to life imprisonment, but that Aslinda who is considered to have played a more active role in the crime could face execution by firing squad if she fails in her appeal.According to court documents seen by CNN, Aslinda met a man online in 2014, who offered her between US$2,000 and US$3,000 to move goods such as handbags and toner cartridges between China and Cambodia.On Oct 24, 2015, customs in Shenzhen found 28 women’s handbags with 11kg of methamphetamine concealed in the lining. CNN said the drugs could have fetched up to US$220,000 in the US.The report named the man who had offered her the job as Chibuzor Onwuka although it is unclear whether he was arrested, with court papers saying his case was being “handled separately”.Aslinda is currently awaiting an appeal at the Guangdong High Court.Singapore woman faces death by firing squad in ChinaSingapore top court quashes death sentence of Malaysian drug muleMalay duo fight to stay alive on Singapore’s minority-ridden death rowOn Christmas Eve, her Singapore lawyer M Ravi, a prominent human rights campaigner in the city-state, said he had finally been able to find a lawyer in China who was willing to provide his services pro bono.“It is so expensive to hire a lawyer in China. Some of them asked ridiculous fees,” he added in a Facebook post.News on Aslinda was not carried by Singapore’s mainstream media until yesterday, with a report by The Straits Times.Ravi said progress had been made in giving Aslinda legal aid following the coverage by CNN.“The pro bono lawyer stepped forward following the CNN report this afternoon – power of the world media!” he posted on Facebook.On Dec 15, Aslinda’s 17-year-old daughter Ismiraldha told MalaysiaNow that there had been a lack of documentation on her mother’s case.“What I can say is that when this happened, I was just 12 years old. I’m not too sure.“But I can assure you that all these years nothing has been done,” Ismiraldha said.In a handwritten letter to Ismiraldha last month, Aslinda told her daughter that her sentence was “unfair”.“I must fight for my right no matter how. I know it’s difficult for you to accept this and I got to do something for this,” Aslinda wrote.


Iran to pay families of passengers on Ukranian airliner it shot down

Iran is to give US$150,000 (RM600,000) to the families of each of the 176 people who were killed when Iranian Revolutionary Guards shot down a passenger jet in January.The victims included 63 Canadians, as well as Afghans, Britons and Germans.In a statement, Iran’s government said it would pay the compensation “as soon as possible”.The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737 was struck by two missiles shortly after taking off from Iran’s capital, Tehran.After initially denying responsibility, and claiming the plane had suffered a technical problem shortly after take-off, Iran admitted it had shot down the aircraft “unintentionally”, calling it a “disastrous mistake” by the Revolutionary Guards Corps.Iran’s air defences were on high alert at the time. Hours earlier, they had fired ballistic missiles at two US bases in Iraq in retaliation for the killing of top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani by a US drone strike in Baghdad.On Wednesday, Tehran also said it had sent its final report on the crash to the investigating countries: Ukraine, the US, France, Canada, Sweden, the UK and Germany.Earlier this month an independent Canadian report questioned Iran’s investigation into the incident, saying, “The party responsible for the situation is investigating itself, largely in secret. That does not inspire confidence or trust.”It said many crucial details had not been disclosed, including the names of those determined to be responsible for carrying out the attack, and the reasons why Iranian airspace had not been closed that night.Iran also delayed releasing the plane’s “black box” voice recorder for six months, before finally sending it to France for examination in July.Ukraine’s foreign ministry has complained, saying that compensation amounts should be arrived at through negotiations according to international practice, and demanded those behind the attack face prosecution.“The Ukrainian side expects from Iran a technical report on the circumstances of the aircraft shooting down,” ministry spokesman Oleh Nikolenko said. “This situation is especially unacceptable since we are talking about the fate of innocent people.”


AstraZeneca Covid-19 antibody drug offers 83% protection over 6 months

AstraZeneca on Thursday cemented its lead in bringing a preventative Covid-19 shot for the non-infected to market for people who do not respond well to vaccines, saying its antibody drug cocktail offered 83% protection over six months.The injected therapy, called AZD7442 or Evusheld, had previously been shown to confer 77% protection against symptomatic illness after three months, in an earlier readout of the late-stage Provent trial in August.The Anglo-Swedish company also said a separate study in patients with mild-to-moderate Covid-19 showed a higher dose of AZD7442 cut the risk of symptoms worsening by 88% when given within three days of first symptoms.The latest results from longer-term follow-ups potentially position AstraZeneca, like rival Pfizer as a future supplier of both Covid-19 vaccines and treatments, with AstraZeneca having said the therapy’s “real advantage” was as a preventative shot.“These new data add to the growing body of evidence supporting AZD7442’s potential to make a significant difference in the prevention and treatment of Covid-19,” executive vice-president Mene Pangalos said in a statement.


Spanish waiter in court for ‘killing and eating his mother’

An unemployed waiter has gone on trial in Spain for allegedly killing his mother, cutting her up and eating her.Alberto Sanchez Gomez was arrested in February 2019 after police went to the home of his 66-year-old mother following concerns from a friend.The court was told of the macabre scene police found at the apartment in eastern Madrid.Police officers said they found body parts scattered around the apartment, some in plastic containers.Parts of the human remains were in the process of being cooked, El Mundo newspaper reports.Gómez has told the court he does not remember dismembering or eating his mother, María Soledad Gomez.However, he has admitted that he heard the voices of neighbours, acquaintances and celebrities telling him to kill his mother as he watched TV with her in their apartment, the Sun reported.He is reported to have been suffering from a personality disorder as well as a drug habit prior to his arrest and Spanish media say he was known to police because of past acts of violence against his mother.Police officials say that he was in breach of a restraining order at the time of his arrest.The defendant, who was 26 at the time, reportedly confessed to strangling his mother and said he had fed most of her to their dog.Prosecutors also want him to compensate an older brother with €90,000 (RM446,000) for his mother’s loss if he is found guilty of homicide and desecrating a corpse.The trial continues.


Some cash in on land boom near Indonesia's new capital, others despondent

As plans by Indonesia's president to build a new US$32 billion (about RM143 billion) capital city on Borneo island slowly start to take shape, the once sleepy settlement of Sukaraja is being rapidly transformed.
Headman Rizki Maulana Perwira Atmadja, 38, said land prices around his village - 10km (6 miles) from where a presidential palace is being built - had jumped four-fold. Some farmers had "suddenly bought a new car" after selling part of their palm or rubber plantations, he said.
His own business, a guest house and a cafe in front of palm trees, has also thrived with an influx of workers, Rizki said. He has rented out rooms for constructions workers while nearby, several homes have been turned into shops.
Four years after President Joko Widodo announced plans for a new capital, a site spanning nearly 260,000 hectares (642,474 acres) named Nusantara, construction is picking up pace in its central area. While some may be cashing in, others fear the transformation.
Yati Dahlia, 32, of the area's indigenous Balik tribe, has been trying to purchase land somewhere nearby, knowing her current home is located where government buildings are due to be built.
But she said prices had soared to Rp700 million to Rp1.2 billion (around US$45,500 to US$78,000) for a similar size plot just outside Nusantara's main area, up 10 times the government compensation for her land and a blue plywood shack where she now sells food.
"We feel like (the government) is killing us slowly," said Yati.
She and other members of the tribe are appealing for more, but many Balik people do not have proper documents for their land, which reduces leverage during negotiations with the government, Yati said.
Some people have also refused to move because they feel the land is their identity, said Balik tribe leader Sibukdin, 60.
"We only ask the government to give us special attention," said Sibukdin, who uses one name.
'For sale signs'
The project, being built in an area largely made up of forest interpersed with logging concessions, plantations, coal mines and villages, is envisioned as a green, smart city, but has been hit by delays due to the pandemic, while Japan's Softbank Group, which had promised funding, exited last year.
However, Jokowi, as the president is popularly known, has been adamant that his flagship plan to replace congested Jakarta is needed to spur economic growth in less developed parts of Southeast Asia's largest economy, outside the main island of Java.
This prospect of future growth has driven a land boom, with 'For Sale' signs every few kilometres (miles) along a dusty road just outside the designated city centre.
Land prices in places near a water reservoir had risen over 16-fold, said Junaidin, the village chief of Tengin Baru, a settlement of around 4,000 people within Nusantara's development zone.
In a bid to contain land speculation, Indonesian authorities have frozen administrative approval for land sales, though Junaidin, who goes by one name, said people had been conducting sales under the table.
Bagus Susetyo, head of the East Kalimantan chapter of the Real Estate Indonesia assocation, said transactions without land certificates were weak and could be cancelled if authorities ordered a crackdown.
He said large property companies had not sought to acquire land banks in Nusantara due to the moratorium on permits.
Land speculation
Numerous large projects in the country have faced delays due to land acquisition issues, including other key Jokowi projects such as a China-funded US$7 billion fast-train project in Java and Jakarta's mass rapid transit railway.
However, the Nusantara authority said land speculation should not affect development plans as compensation for land would be measured fairly by an independent party.
"The government doesn't decide (prices) on its own, the same way that the residents can't decide for themselves. If price disputes happen, it will be resolved through the courts," the authority's secretary Achmad Jaka Santos Adiwijaya told Reuters.
During a visit in February, President Jokowi said all problems related to land acquisition have been resolved and payments to locals would be made this month, according to a statement from his office.
Jokowi has set an ambitious deadline for construction.
In the first half of 2024, Nusantara will be declared the capital. Key government buildings, including a palace and a presidential office, must be ready by August that year. More than 16,000 civil servants, police and military officers will move in from Jakarta next year.
More than 7,000 workers are currently at the site, with thousands expected to reinforce later in the year.
There has also been an influx of people from other areas seeking work.
Alpian, 55, who quit his job at a coal mine in another part of Borneo to sell clean water from a dispenser in the soon-to-be capital area, said he was earning twice what he used to make.
"More and more water is needed.. the supply from the state firm is not enough," Alpian said from the back of his silver pick-up truck.


Unvaccinated civil servants may face disciplinary action, termination

Federal civil servants who fail to complete their Covid-19 vaccinations will be subject to disciplinary action or termination of service when the new policy on the immunisation of civil servants is implemented from Nov 1.The matter was stated in the Service Circular No 4/ 2021 on the Covid-19 Immunisation Implementation Policy for Federal Public Service Officers.Signed by Public Service Department (PSD) director-general Mohd Khairul Adib Abd Rahman, it said officers could be instructed to complete their vaccination from that date.“On or after Nov 1, 2021, if any officer fails to comply with the head of department’s instructions, this may result in disciplinary action or termination of service,” according to the circular which was uploaded on the PSD website yesterday.Meanwhile, officers who cannot complete their Covid-19 vaccinations due to health factors could be instructed to undergo a medical check-up with a registered medical practitioner.They may also be instructed by the head of department to undergo a Covid-19 test if they have been confirmed unfit to receive the vaccination for health reasons.“Officers are responsible for obtaining complete Covid-19 immunisation as prescribed by the government. This is to ensure a safe work environment and service delivery, as well as public service productivity of an optimal level,” read the circular.It noted that heads of department can also at any time order officers who have not completed their Covid-19 vaccine doses to undergo a health examination to determine their health status.They are also allowed to use appropriate methods to manage officers who have not completed their vaccination including instructing them to undergo Covid-19 screening at their own expenses.However, the government will pay the cost of Covid-19 tests for those who are not eligible for vaccination due to health reasons.All civil servants are subject to the provisions under Clause (2) of Article 132 of the Federal Constitution and are bound by the letter of undertaking that they signed under sub-regulation 20 (3) of the Public Officers (Appointment, Promotion and Termination of Service) Regulations 2012 [PU (A) 1/2012].The PSD in a statement on Sept 30 announced that all federal civil servants were required to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 before Nov 1.


Govt mulling further easing of SOPs once booster programme complete, says PM

The government is mulling a further relaxation of the SOPs once the Covid-19 vaccination process in the country, including the administration of booster doses, is complete, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said today.However, he said this would depend on the recommendations and advice from the health ministry.“When the people are fully vaccinated and have received their booster doses, I believe we can give a little more relaxation on the SOPs, but this will depend on the health ministry’s recommendations,” he said when addressing the Prime Minister’s Department staff in Putrajaya.He also said that overly rigid SOPs would affect the tourism industry.While the domestic tourism sector has been reopened, he said, foreign tourists are still not allowed to enter the country, and wage subsidies are still being given to tourism industry players.The prime minister said some countries had also relaxed their SOPs for foreign tourists, and that this was something for Malaysia to consider.“That’s why we feel that if the people have received their booster doses, we can relax the SOPs a little more,” he said.Ismail said at the moment, the government was still being cautious about reopening the country’s borders.He said even though the Malaysia-Singapore Vaccination Travel Lane (VTL) initiative had begun and VTL discussions with Indonesia and Thailand had been initiated, the increasing number of Covid-19 cases overseas had caused Malaysia to continue its suspension of international travel.He said the reopening of the international tourism industry would help revive the economy and make the situation better for everybody in the country.He also reiterated that the government does not plan to impose another movement control order (MCO) to restrict the movements of the people and the business sector.“There have been rumours that people cannot go back to their hometown (during Hari Raya) and that the business sector will be closed (again).“I have announced before that there will be no MCO or travel restrictions during Aidilfitri this year,” he said.


Pilot charged with murder of missing Aussie campers

An airline pilot was charged with the murder of two missing campers in Australia Thursday after the discovery of their burnt-out campsite in a rugged alpine region almost 20 months ago.The 55-year-old man, identified by local media as Greg Lynn, was charged after being questioned by police across three days over the disappearance of Russell Hill and Carol Clay, both aged in their 70s.“We are hopeful that this arrest brings us a step closer to providing the answers the families have been desperately seeking and richly deserve,” Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Bob Hill told media in Melbourne.The pair were last heard from in March last year when Hill made a radio call to friends from Wonnangatta Valley, part of a national park in the southern state of Victoria.Other hikers discovered their empty campsite, with the charred remains of a tent and fire-damaged car, the following day.Lynn, an airline pilot, was arrested at another alpine campground on Monday with investigators taking days to lay charges.“It has been a long haul, 20 months in fact of, you know, commitment, dedication, that’s been – as I said – extraordinary,” Assistant Commissioner Hill said.Police would soon begin searching a new area in the remote bushland of Victoria’s alps and they were still hopeful they would find the bodies of the pair.Five people – including Clay and Hill – have been reported missing in the area since 2011, according to The Age newspaper.Their disappearance sparked intensive searches through the rugged region and emotional pleas for information from family.“We can’t grieve for someone if you don’t know if they’re really missing or dead,” Hill’s daughter, Debbie, said in a video released by police last month.“It’s just left a really big hole, a deep hole.”Lynn will appear before Sale Magistrates Court on Friday morning.


Time to rethink the culture of collecting and sharing personal data

The latest personal data breach situation involving Malaysian Airlines Bhd is frustrating but not surprising. Like many people out there, the Consumers’ Association of Penang (CAP) is of the opinion that the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 (PDPA 2010) should be amended to include stricter regulations, and that the authorities should crack down on service providers that flout the law.In the event of a breach, the regulatory body concerned must make the company/institution accountable and answerable in a public manner. A mere statement or announcement that there has been a data breach is not enough. The public, especially the victims whose data has been exposed, must be given a detailed explanation of how this took place, who the culprit is (where available) and the extent of the breach.We would also like to focus on the culture of collecting and sharing personal data in Malaysia. There are two points we would like to address.One is that companies tend to over-collect their customers’ personal data. They ask for information that is not even necessary to the functioning of their services. An article in the news addressing this issue stated that service providers should not collect what they do not need to render their services and they must provide reasons for why the information is necessary. However, we have known for a while now that information equals wealth in this day and age. The more of your information a company has, the better it is for them.A possible way to combat this is for the PDPA 2010 to be amended so that it spells out exactly what information a service provider of a specific industry can collect from its customers, process and store.The second factor we must address is the culture of freely sharing our personal data. Many of us do not think of the possible consequences when we give out our full name as per IC, IC number, phone number, home address and email address to whoever for whatever reason.For instance, when a customer is offered a chance to enter a giveaway at a petrol station because they have spent above a certain amount there. By right, reaching the spending threshold should already be enough for the petrol station to give you a chance to enter the giveaway. All they really need is your name and phone number so that they can contact you if you win. If it is a giveaway only for Malaysian citizens, then you should be able to flash your IC to the cashier who can make a note of it on your application. Yet they insist on collecting all this information and we just give it to them without question.Do you remember all those forms you had to fill up all throughout your schooling years and how even the simplest forms would require you to fill up your personal information even though the school already has it? This repetitive action of mindlessly jotting down our personal information on paper throughout our childhood and teen years could be why this culture of oversharing personal data without question is so prevalent in our society.In brief, we ask that the authorities amend the PDPA 2010 to limit the kind of information that service providers can collect based on their industry, and we caution people to be more mindful of the personal data they give and to whom they give it to.Mohideen Abdul Kader is president of the Consumers Association of Penang.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


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Disappointment for King Charles as first overseas visit as monarch postponed

King Charles' first state visit to France as British monarch, postponed on Friday because of widespread social unrest, was supposed to be an occasion celebrating a new chapter of harmony in relations between London and Paris.
Instead, a visit that would have featured a banquet at the old royal palace at Versailles and a visit to the legendary Bordeaux wine-growing region has fallen victim to anti-government protests in France which have seen angry crowds setting buildings ablaze and clashing with police.
As well as an embarrassment to French President Emmanuel Macron, the postponement is a disappointment for Charles, taking the gloss off his first international engagement since succeeding his mother Queen Elizabeth in September.
"The king and queen consort were of course very much looking forward to the visit," a Buckingham Palace source said.
"But when the UK prime minister informed the king of his conversation with the French president, in which the president had recommended postponing, the king of course fully understood and was content to accept the PM’s advice to postpone."
On the first state visits of his reign, the new monarch and his wife Camilla, the Queen Consort, were going first to France before heading on to Germany.
The tour was designed to celebrate Britain's ties with the two European powers after its 2016 vote to leave the European Union and the tortuous negotiations that followed badly strained relations.
The French leg was to see Charles laying a wreath with Macron at the Arc de Triomphe and joining him for a state banquet at the Palace of Versailles.
The symbolism of the occasion at Versailles – the once home of the French monarchy and emblematic of its excesses for revolutionaries who ousted and guillotined King Louis XVI – was not lost on France's hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon.
"The meeting of the kings in Versailles is broken up by popular censure," Melenchon said on Twitter.
Charles had also been due to address senators and members of the National Assembly where Macron's government narrowly survived a vote of no-confidence this week over an unpopular pension bill, and travel south to Bordeaux.
Angry mood
In a stark demonstration of the angry protests that are gripping France over Macron's pension reforms, the main entrance of the Bordeaux town hall was set on fire on Thursday evening.
"It was going to be a great visit in different times. Now it jars with the angry mood in France," Peter Ricketts, a former British ambassador to France, told Sky News.
It was the right decision for the trip to be postponed in case it had been overshadowed by embarrassing incidents, he said.
"It must have been completely obvious to Buckingham Palace that it was very difficult for the French," he said.
State visits, which usually take months of careful planning, have long been part of the armoury of Britain's 'soft power' and Queen Elizabeth made more than 100 such trips during her record-breaking 70-year reign, including many to France.
Nor would the impact of dealing with protests be lost on Charles after angry demonstrators kicked and threw paint over a car carrying him and Camilla during rioting in London in 2010.
Both the palace and Macron said they looked forward to the postponed trip going ahead in the future when dates can be found.
"It's going to be several months clearly before the visit can be set up again in the diaries of the two men and with circumstances hopefully a bit calmer in France," Ricketts said. "But when it comes it will be a real celebration."


6 days of Covid tests scrapped for some international travellers

Travellers arriving in Malaysia from abroad through various programmes will not be required to undergo six days of Covid-19 tests upon arrival, effective March 3.In a statement, Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the new procedure would apply to travellers entering Malaysia through the air and land Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) programme between Malaysia and Singapore, the Langkawi International Tourism Bubble (LITB) and the One-Stop Centre (OSC) for short-term business visitors.The health ministry dropped the requirement for a Covid-19 RTK-Ag test on the second, fourth and sixth day for travellers arriving in Malaysia under the three categories.He said the health ministry had also dropped the requirement to undergo a Covid-19 RT-PCR or RTK-Ag (professional) test for travellers arriving in Malaysia under the LITB programme before leaving Langkawi island.Khairy said his ministry had also dropped the rule requiring RTK-Ag self-testing for travellers arriving from the UK, which previously had to be done on a daily basis throughout the quarantine period.Also lifted was the need for a liaison officer for short-term business travellers under the Malaysian Investment Development Authority who use OSC facilities to enter Malaysia.“However, they need to follow the controlled itinerary issued and approved by the OSC committee,” Khairy said.“The Covid-19 test which needs to be conducted two days before departure to Malaysia and upon arrival in Malaysia is still maintained as per the existing protocol.“I would like to emphasise once again that this new procedure only applies to travellers who enter Malaysia through the VTL, LITB and OSC programmes,” he said.For travellers who do not enter Malaysia through the three programmes, the existing SOPs and protocols remain in effect.


Nothing sinister behind emergency declaration, says PM

Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin today assured that there was no sinister motive behind the declaration of emergency, about which concerns had been raised.He said the declaration of emergency was made for a singular reason, to curb the Covid-19 pandemic.He said the sole rationale behind the declaration was to fast-track the necessary legislative measures related to the management of Covid-19.“This covers matters related to the use of private hospital assets, temporary land ownership, buildings or moveable property at private hospitals, and to allow the use of private hospitals to treat Covid-19 patients.“So please be assured that there is no sinister motive behind this declaration of emergency,” he said in his speech at a dialogue session with industries organised by the international trade and industry ministry.He also reiterated that the emergency would not be used to violate human rights, private property, or other legal rights.He said Malaysia was a firm believer in the rule of law and would not behave in a manner derogatory to the legal principles that it holds dear.“And it is imperative that the business community, both domestic and international, understand this,” he added.On Jan 12, Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah proclaimed a Covid-19 emergency, to be enforced up to Aug 1, as a proactive measure to contain the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.Muhyiddin said the battle against Covid-19 was a shared responsibility as the government, the private sector, civil societies and private individuals must come together and work to curb the pandemic.“Let us march forward together, for we may be bruised now but we will come out of this crisis more resilient, more resolute, and more resolved,” he said.


For some school-leavers, university no longer the destination of choice

Each day, Nurul Aifaa Shahbudin starts the morning by attending a two-hour online class on coding for beginners.
This has been her routine for a year now, since completing her Form Five studies in 2020.
She scored 6As for her Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia or SPM examination, but was determined to explore her options outside of attaining a conventional university education.
Apart from coding, she also attends online Mandarin classes and can speak enough of the language to converse with her friends.
Aifaa decided to take up coding to learn how to build data systems for clients with a variety of businesses and requests.
"My first job was for a kindergarten operator, developing a system for student registration and data for parents and teachers," she said.
"After that, I began building up my client base among entrepreneurs who want their own system to collect and store customer data."
In Negeri Sembilan, meanwhile, Mohd Fitri spends his time learning foreign languages, also through online classes.
At 18, his goal is to make a career from these languages. He has been fluent in Japanese since his days in school, and is now working to master Korean with a South Korean teacher.
He already has a steady stream of customers who require his services as a translator during meetings.
He has also been asked to translate subtitles for Korean dramas for local television stations and even Netflix.
Like Aifaa, he did well in his SPM exam, scoring As in nine of the 10 subjects he took.
They are among a number of young people looking to break with the "old script" of heading to university after finishing secondary school.
Data from the statistics department showed that in 2019, some 390,000 or 72.1% of SPM graduates were not inclined to continue their studies. These numbers were in line with the trend in other countries including the UK where, in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, only two-thirds of school-leaving students said it was important to attend university.
Sceptical
Both Aifaa and Fitri are sceptical about the direction of university classes which they describe as "old school" and not in line with developments in the digital era.
Then there is the matter of cost, which can run into tens of thousands of ringgit.
In comparison, Fitri and Aifaa pay less than RM6,000 a year in class fees.
For Aifaa, there are other considerations at play as well.
She had dreamt of graduating from university since she was a child, but coming from a low-income family with many brothers and sisters, she eventually decided to put aside her dreams and do what she could without furthering her education.
"I might not have any qualifications but my experience and record in building database systems for clients will be my benchmark for my career," she said.
Fitri meanwhile does not want to be stuck paying off a student loan.
He also believes that in order to realise the goal of Malaysians for progress and development, he must dare to break free from the prevailing narrative of education.
"People might think that I'm just learning new languages, but they don't know how many companies I have helped that were previously bullied because of language barriers," he said.
"A lot of them didn't get fair deals because of communication issues during negotiations."
Like Aifaa, he has nothing against the concept of a university education. He only believes that classes should be improved to ensure they remain relevant.
He also urged parents and teachers not to take a negative view of the statistics on students who are uninterested in furthering their studies.
He said these students might already have alternative plans in place for their career paths and lives.
"Internet users shouldn't look down on them, either," he added.
"Even if they don't go to university, they can still contribute to society in many ways."


Seoul bans seasonal parties to tackle ‘explosive’ surge in infections

South Korean authorities have announced that gatherings of more than five people will be banned in the capital region to suppress what they are calling an “explosive” surge in coronavirus infections.The Seoul region is home to half of South Korea’s 51 million people and has been at the centre of a recent viral resurgence. The country averaged about 960 new virus cases every day in the past week, more than 70% of them in the Seoul metropolitan area, reports the Associated Press.Acting Seoul mayor Seo Jung-hyup said on Monday that the ban will apply to all types of gatherings including year-end parties, office dinners, birthday parties and picnics. Only weddings and funerals can follow the current rule of up to 50 people.The mayor said the new restrictions will take effect from Wednesday and last until Jan 3 in Seoul, Incheon and Gyeonggi province.Seo said he knows the ban is “harsh” but stresses the current viral spread cannot be slowed without preventing transmissions among relatives and company colleagues.Seoul could face a complete lockdown if the current surge isn’t contained, he said.Earlier on Monday, South Korea reported 24 more virus-related deaths in the country’s highest daily fatalities since the pandemic began. The government added a total of 926 new cases, taking the country’s total to 50,591 including nearly 700 deaths.


First made-in-Malaysia armoured vehicle unveiled

A Kuala Lumpur-based company unveiled the first Malaysia-made armoured vehicle today, complete with futuristic artillery, grenade and mine blast functions.Mildef International Technologies, which specialises in providing automotive services for the defence industry, hopes its product the Mildef HMAV4x4 will lower Malaysia’s dependency on international suppliers and resolve the problem of spare parts and after sales support due to a host of international defence procedures.The company said the 4×4 high-mobility armoured vehicle, made for both local and international markets, performs well on man-made as well as natural terrains.“A lot of countries face problems when it comes to after-sales support. If we need spare parts from overseas, we require an export licence, a Nato number and other things. The lead time taken to receive these items is also very long,” Mildef CEO Mohd Nizam Kasa told MalaysiaNow.“We rely too much on international suppliers which will become an issue in terms of after-sales support within the army service. To resolve this, Malaysia needs to manufacture its own 4×4 armoured vehicles.”An interior view of the Mildef HMAV4x4.The company said the Mildef HMAV4x4 comes with a power-to-weight ratio of 24 horsepower/tonne, and a high ground clearance to easily run over obstacles.The vehicle uses a Remote Control Weapon Station (RCWS), enabling it to fire in full rotation while moving.It also guarantees the safety of gunners while shooting a target using a remote control and display for their aid.The vehicle is able to travel at speeds of over 110km/h during combat missions.Mildef hopes to enter the Asean market before exploring opportunities in other regions.


Hanoi imposes statewide stay-at-home order, halts many non-essential services

Vietnam’s capital Hanoi urged its citizens to stay at home from Monday and ordered a halt to many non-essential services due to new clusters of Covid-19 infections in recent days, city authorities said on Sunday.On Monday morning public address systems repeatedly told people to stay at home and city traffic was slightly down but sources say many office workers seemed to be going to work as usual.The city, which had already halted indoor restaurant service and closed salons as well as gyms, also stopped rail and bus passenger services to and from provinces in the south which have seen the biggest increases, Reuters is reporting.Hanoi has seen only over 400 cases since May, compared with more than 50,000 across the country, but authorities had already imposed restrictions on several parts of the city after the discovery of new outbreaks.Vietnam has managed to keep coronavirus cases relatively low due to targeted mass testing and strict contact tracing, border controls and quarantine measures, but new clusters of infections in recent weeks have triggered concern among health officials.“This outbreak is not the same as the previous ones,” Health Minister Nguyen Thanh Long said at a meeting on Covid-19 prevention on Sunday. “We are preparing and standing ready for worse and worse scenarios.”Strict restrictions were earlier introduced in southern areas of the country where three-quarters of the recent infections were detected.The country’s civil aviation authority today ordered domestic airlines to suspend flights to and from southern regions until at least Aug 1.Long said the health ministry had sent 2,000 ventilators and tens of thousands of its most highly-qualified health workers to the south.Hard-hit areas would also be prioritised with around seven million rapid Covid-19 test kits due to arrive in Vietnam next week.Vietnam’s daily Covid-19 cases hit a new record of 5,926 infections, raising its total cases to 53,830.The country also registered an extra 29 deaths from July 4-17, raising its total death toll due to Covid-19 to 254.Those deaths had initially not been reported due to technical errors, the health ministry said.


North Korean cyber spies deploy new tactic: tricking foreign experts into writing research for them

When Daniel DePetris, a US-based foreign affairs analyst, received an email in October from the director of the 38 North think-tank commissioning an article, it seemed to be business as usual.
It wasn't.
The sender was actually a suspected North Korean spy seeking information, according to those involved and three cybersecurity researchers.
Instead of infecting his computer and stealing sensitive data, as hackers typically do, the sender appeared to be trying to elicit his thoughts on North Korean security issues by pretending to be 38 North director Jenny Town.
"I realised it wasn't legit once I contacted the person with follow up questions and found out there was, in fact, no request that was made, and that this person was also a target," DePetris told Reuters, referring to Town. "So I figured out pretty quickly this was a widespread campaign."
The email is part of a new and previously unreported campaign by a suspected North Korean hacking group, according to the cybersecurity experts, five targeted individuals and emails reviewed by Reuters.
The cybersecurity experts suspect the hackers are targeting people who are influential in foreign governments to better understand where Western policy is headed on North Korea.
The hacking group, which researchers dubbed Thallium or Kimsuky, among other names, has long used “spear-phishing” emails that trick targets into giving up passwords or clicking attachments or links that load malware. Now, however, it also appears to simply ask researchers or other experts to offer opinions or write reports.
According to emails reviewed by Reuters, among the other issues raised were China’s reaction in the event of a new nuclear test; and whether a "quieter" approach to North Korean "aggression" might be warranted.
"The attackers are having a ton of success with this very, very simple method," said James Elliott of the Microsoft Threat Intelligence Center (MSTIC), who added that the new tactic first emerged in January. "The attackers have completely changed the process."
MSTIC said it had identified "multiple" North Korea experts who have provided information to a Thallium attacker account.
A 2020 report by US government cybersecurity agencies said Thallium has been operating since 2012 and "is most likely tasked by the North Korean regime with a global intelligence gathering mission."
Thallium has historically targeted government employees, think tanks, academics, and human rights organisations, according to Microsoft.
"The attackers are getting the information directly from the horse's mouth, if you will, and they don't have to sit there and make interpretations because they're getting it directly from the expert," Elliott said.
New tactics
North Korean hackers are well-known for attacks netting millions of dollars, targeting Sony Pictures over a film seen as insulting to its leader, and stealing data from pharmaceutical and defence companies, foreign governments, and others.
North Korea's embassy in London did not respond to a request for comment, but it has denied being involved in cyber crime.
In other attacks, Thallium and other hackers have spent weeks or months developing trust with a target before sending malicious software, said Saher Naumaan, principal threat intelligence analyst at BAE Systems Applied Intelligence.
But according to Microsoft, the group now also engages with experts in some cases without ever sending malicious files or links even after the victims respond.
This tactic can be quicker than hacking someone's account and wading through their emails, bypasses traditional technical security programmes that would scan and flag a message with malicious elements, and allows the spies direct access to the experts' thinking, Elliott said.
"For us as defenders, it's really, really hard to stop these emails," he said, adding that in most cases it comes down to the recipient being able to figure it out.
Town said some messages purporting to be from her had used an email address that ended in ".live" rather than her official account, which ends in ".org", but had copied her full signature line.
In one case, she said, she was involved in a surreal email exchange in which the suspected attacker, posing as her, included her in a reply.
DePetris, a fellow with Defense Priorities and a columnist for several newspapers, said the emails he has received were written as if a researcher were asking for a paper submission or comments on a draft.
"They were quite sophisticated, with think tank logos attached to the correspondence to make it look as if the inquiry is legitimate," he said.
About three weeks after receiving the faked email from 38 North, a separate hacker impersonated him, emailing other people to look at a draft, DePetris said.
That email, which DePetris shared with Reuters, offers US$300 (about RM1,328) for reviewing a manuscript about North Korea's nuclear programme and asks for recommendations for other possible reviewers. Elliot said the hackers never paid anyone for their research or responses, and would never intend to.
Gathering information
Impersonation is a common method for spies around the world, but as North Korea's isolation has deepened under sanctions and the pandemic, Western intelligence agencies believe Pyongyang has become particularly reliant on cyber campaigns, one security source in Seoul told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
In a March 2022 report, a panel of experts that investigates North Korea's UN sanctions evasions listed Thallium's efforts as among activities that "constitute espionage intended to inform and assist" the country's sanctions avoidance.
Town said in some cases, the attackers have commissioned papers, and analysts had provided full reports or manuscript reviews before realising what had happened.
DePetris said the hackers asked him about issues he was already working on, including Japan's response to North Korea's military activities.
Another email, purporting to be a reporter from Japan's Kyodo News, asked a 38 North staffer how they thought the war in Ukraine factored in North Korea's thinking, and posed questions about US, Chinese, and Russian policies.
"One can only surmise that the North Koreans are trying to get candid views from think tankers in order to better understand US policy on the North and where it may be going," DePetris said.