The weight of the subsidy system on public universities

In Malaysia, there is a yawning gap between the cost of attending a public university and that of going to a private institution.
While a single semester at a private university can run into tens of thousands of ringgit, entire degrees in professions such as accountancy and dentistry can be completed for a fraction of the fees.
But whether the subsidy system employed to keep the fees down at public varsities is necessarily a good thing is the subject of some debate.
For Noor Azlan Ghazali, the former vice-chancellor of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM), the minimal fees do not reflect the achievements of Malaysia's institutions of higher education.
"Take Universiti Malaysia (UM) for example," he said. "It's ranked among the top 100 in the world, but its fees do not correspond with its position."
UM, Malaysia's oldest institution of higher education, has maintained its place in the top 100 of the Quacquarelli Symonds World University Rankings for five years in a row now.
Other universities such as UKM and Universiti Putra Malaysia ranked in the top 130 this year while Universiti Sains Malaysia placed in the top 150.
Taylor's University meanwhile has been named the number one private university in Southeast Asia for three years running.
For Azlan, a better performance by the university in question should be matched by its fees.
"I am more inclined towards the belief that if the university's services, for example in terms of education and academic programmes, are truly good, the fees should be higher," he said.
Subsidies
Fees are lower at public universities throughout the country for the simple reason that students are given government subsidies of roughly 90%.
Total tuition fees for professional majors such as accounting, dentistry or pharmacy stand at about RM40,000 for four years or eight semesters at a public university.
Majors in the social sciences, education, languages and the arts, meanwhile, involve costs of RM22,000 to RM25,000, depending on the university.
Students however are charged about RM2,000 to RM3,000 per semester, with the rest borne by the government.
Subsidies for tuition and education fees at public institutions were introduced in the late 1980s and expanded in the 1990s.
Today, they also remain an established practice in other matters such as textbook loans and supplementary meal plans.
But Azlan, who led UKM for five years, said many were taking advantage of the subsidies system.
He said the biggest mistake was assuming that all university students were poor and unable to afford an education.
"This is wrong, completely wrong," he said, adding that a profile check of the students enrolled in professional majors would, in many cases, show the opposite instead.
"We take it for granted, we assume that everybody is poor."
He said during his time as the vice-chancellor of UKM, he had proposed a new concept to the government in which tuition subsidies at public universities would be given in a three-tier system.
"First of all, the government must be bold enough to say: 'Yes, we will give subsidies, but only to those who need them'," he said.
This first tier would involve students from the low-income bracket, who would be subsidised to the point where they would only need to pay 10% of the total fees.
The second tier, meanwhile, would involve students in the middle-income range who would pay about 40% of the total tuition fees.
The most affordable students would be bracketed in the third tier, and would pay about 60% to 70% of the total fees.
Azlan, an economist by training, said his research and calculations showed that such a system would help universities achieve the status and prestige of a higher education institution of the same calibre as those in other countries.
"When you have three tiers like this, that in itself would actually go a long way towards supporting the university's income," he said.
"But in Malaysia, this method has been used for so long."
While providing education for low fees might look good, he said, it would ultimately affect many other things including the retention of a qualified workforce, infrastructure and facilities.
He recalled incidents in which the families of students had asked if the university provided single rooms and amenities such as air conditioning and hot water in the showers.
When told that it did, he said, they were very grateful.
"But they had to pay the highest fees," he added. "And they were willing to pay. If you asked me, if I had to pay a bit more, I would take it, too.
"This is why I say, we need to redesign the subsidy system."


Najib received RM49 million from 2 companies owned by Jho Low’s man, court told

A key witness in the 1MDB-Tanore trial involving Najib Razak confirmed that the latter had received RM45 million from a company linked to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho, in what could be a turning point in the case involving some RM2.3 billion in the former prime minister’s private bank accounts.Former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman, during re-examination by senior prosecutor Gopal Sri Ram yesterday, said money from Vista Equity International Partners Ltd (Barbados), was transferred to Najib’s AmIslamic bank account in five transactions between October and December 2014.Hazem said Najib received a further RM4.1 million in June of the same year from Blackrock Commodities (Global) Ltd, bringing the total received to RM49 million.Both Vista Equity and Blackrock Commodities are companies owned and controlled by Eric Tan, a trusted associate of Low who is also known as Jho Low.The RM49 million was part of bank loans taken by 1MDB from Deutsche Bank, secured by guarantees provided by 1MDB Energy and 1MDB Langat.The sum is part of the 25 charges in which Najib is accused of receiving RM2.3 billion originating from 1MDB through Tanore Finance Corp, a company owned by Tan.Sri Ram in his opening statement of the trial two years ago claimed that an “elaborate charade” was employed by several characters in the 1MDB scandal, with the ultimate aim of enriching Najib.The prosecution had set to prove that sham documents were produced to show that the monies received by Najib were a donation from a Saudi prince, including cheques which were never cashed out.“He took active steps to effect a cover-up of his criminal acts,” Sri Ram had said.The trial presided over by High Court judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah continues today with former 1MD chief financial officer Azmi Tahir taking the stand.


Minister's reply doesn't answer the question, lawyer says on Zahid's prison visit to Najib

A lawyer who recently questioned Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi's visit to former prime minister Najib Razak in prison has continued to press for answers from the home ministry, saying the response given by minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail fails to address the main questions at play in the minds of the public.
Saifuddin had said on June 14 that Zahid was allowed to visit and eat with Najib with special permission from the prison authorities.
Rafique Rashid, who first questioned the visit on June 12, however, said the explanation left a number of questions still unanswered.
"My question is, would other people have received the same special treatment given to Najib through Zahid?
"I am not questioning the power of the minister, nor am I questioning the authority of the commissioner.
"Would what was stated be permitted for other people and prisoners as well?"
Rafique was referring to Prisons Regulations 2000 which allows visitations from relatives and friends of inmates subject to restrictions "except by special authority".
Saifuddin had said at a press conference in Parliament that Zahid was allowed to visit and share a meal with Najib as he had been given special permission from the prisons director-general or minister.
But Rafique said no details had been released about the method Zahid used to obtain permission and access to such special treatment.
"Was it in writing or through a telephone call, through the deputy minister or the minister?" he asked.
"So in the end, it remains unanswered except for the minister saying, 'Yes, we have the power'."
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he added that there was nothing wrong with the statement as the law did allow the use of such power.
However, he reiterated his question of whether the use of this power would be extended to others as well.
"That is the question, because right now, the people are wondering about this special treatment and the special authority," he said.
"Is it because the minister asked that they were able to meet? Was it because the prime minister and deputy prime minister asked?"
Rafique also cited the support given to the coalition government by the 30 MPs from Barisan Nasional.
"If this special permission had not been extended, would Umno have retracted its support?
"This is another question that the people are asking," he said.
He added that the country's laws must be fair and imposed on everyone alike in order for Malaysia to progress.
"So back to the original question: what's so special about Zahid?"


Daily cases tumble below 5,000

Another 4,782 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,436,498.Another 7,414 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,334,783.Meanwhile 607 are in the ICU, including 514 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 300 are in need of respiratory assistance including 217 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 4,782 cases reported today, 96 (2.0%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 4,686 (98.0%) are in Category One and Two.


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Argentine Senate passes landmark abortion bill

Argentina became one of only a handful of South American nations to legalise abortion, after hours of debate in the Senate on Wednesday.Hundreds of thousands of illegal abortions are carried out every year in the nation of 44 million, and pro-choice campaigners have long-urged authorities to put an end to dangerous backstreet terminations by legalising the process.“It becomes law,” said Senate president Cristina Kirchner, after more than 12 hours of debate.Thousands of pro-choice activists cheered in the streets of the capital after the bill was approved 38 to 29, with one abstention.It legalises voluntary abortions at any stage up to 14 weeks of pregnancy.Ahead of the vote, pro-choice and anti-abortion demonstrators had gathered outside parliament despite coronavirus fears.“This fight was born in the streets,” Silvia Saravia, a pro-choice activist, told AFP.The vote overturns a similar one in 2018 which, although also passed the lower house, ultimately foundered in the Senate by 38 votes to 31.South America has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world. In Argentina, terminations were allowed in only two instances: rape, and danger to the mother’s life.‘Legislate for everyone’The bill was proposed by President Alberto Fernandez and passed the Chamber of Deputies on Dec 11, despite fierce opposition from the Catholic Church and evangelical Christians.“I’m Catholic but I have to legislate for everyone. Every year around 38,000 women are taken to hospital due to (clandestine) abortions and since the restoration of democracy (in 1983) more than 3,000 have died,” said Fernandez.“The interruption of a pregnancy is a tragedy. It abruptly ends another developing life,” said Ines Blas, a senator from the ruling coalition.However, Senator Silvina Garcia Larraburu, again from the ruling coalition, said she would vote for the bill this time despite voting against it in 2018.Love for all childrenDespite measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, thousands demonstrated in front of parliament, following the debate on giant screens.Pro-choice activists have campaigned for years to change the abortion laws that date from 1921, adopting a green scarf as their symbol.Anti-abortion activists had recently started wearing light blue scarves.“I know that in the heart of every senator there is love for their children, their grandchildren, and above all a hope that children give us,” said anti-abortion protester Karina Muzaquio.Outside Congress, anti-abortion demonstrators raised crucifixes, prayed and set up displays that simulated tombs, around a giant graphic image of a baby stained with blood.Across the plaza, pro-choice protesters held signs that reading: “We will never go underground again.”Earlier Wednesday Pope Francis, who is Argentine, tweeted: “The son of God was born discarded to tell us that every person discarded is a child of God.”While not explicitly mentioning the vote, his comment was interpreted by many as encouraging the senators to vote against the bill.Such changes have always been slow in Argentina: divorce was legalised only in 1987, sex education introduced in 2006, gay marriage approved in 2010 and a gender identity law passed in 2012.In Latin America, abortion is only legal in Cuba, Uruguay and Guyana, as well as Mexico City.In El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua, it is banned, and women can be sentenced to jail even for having a miscarriage.


3 teens killed in motorcycle collision with car

Three teenagers, two of whom had been riding pillion, were killed when a car crashed into their motorcycle at KM80 of Jalan Jerangau-Jabor, Bukit Besi near Dungun last night.
Dungun district police chief Baharudin Abdullah identified the victims as Muhammad Faris Haikal Mohd Faizal and pillion riders Muhammad Hafiqzie Mohd Zukri and Muhammad Salman Faris Samsun, all aged 14.
All of the victims, who were students of SMK Bukit Besi, died at the scene due to head injuries, he added.
Their bodies were sent to Hospital Dungun for a post-mortem.
Baharudin said the crash was believed to have occurred at 9.25pm. The preliminary investigation found that a Proton Iswara, which was heading towards Jerangau, had veered into the opposite lane in an attempt to overtake another car and collided into the Honda EX5 motorcycle which the three boys were riding.
“The driver of the Proton Iswara car, a man aged 50, and a female passenger, aged 45, as well as two boys, aged six and seven who were in the rear seat, were injured and sent to Hospital Dungun for treatment," he said when contacted early today.


Covid-19 condemns billions to poverty for a decade

The Covid-19 crisis is aggravating inequality, with the richest quickly getting richer while it will likely take years for the world’s poorest to recover, anti-poverty group Oxfam said Monday.In a report entitled “The inequality virus”, the group warned that the pandemic is the first time since records began that inequality is rising in virtually every country at the same time.“The 1,000 richest people on the planet recouped their Covid-19 losses within just nine months, but it could take more than a decade for the world’s poorest to recover,” said the Oxfam report.Oxfam also highlighted the fact that the impact of the virus is also being felt unevenly, with ethnic minorities in certain countries dying at higher rates and women being overrepresented in the sectors of the economy that are hardest hit by the pandemic.The report is timed to coincide with the start of the World Economic Forum’s virtual Davos event: an entire week of global programming will be dedicated to helping leaders choose innovative and bold solutions to stem the pandemic and drive a robust recovery over the next year.Oxfam argued in its report that fairer economies are the key to a rapid economic recovery from Covid-19.It calculated that a temporary tax on excess profits made by the 32 global corporations that have gained the most during the pandemic could have raised US$104 billion in 2020, an amount it said was enough to have provided unemployment benefits for all workers and financial support for all children and elderly people in low- and middle-income countries.“Extreme inequality is not inevitable, but a policy choice,” said Gabriela Bucher, executive director of Oxfam International.“The fight against inequality must be at the heart of economic rescue and recovery efforts” with investments in public services financed by a tax system where the richest individuals and corporations pay their fair share.


DAP questions GPS govt's plan to construct new residence for Sarawak Yang di-Pertua

A DAP leader in Sarawak has questioned a plan by the state government to construct a new official residence for the Yang di-Pertua, in a sign that the party is still at loggerheads with the ruling GPS despite their partnership at the federal level.
Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii said the state government must be "fully transparent" with its plan to build the new Astana Negeri, to be built near the current residence that was built in 1870.
He urged the government to disclose the cost of the project as well as the company awarded with the job, and whether it was done through an open tender.
"On top of that, they should reveal if it would be more cost-efficient to repair and upgrade the existing Astana building, which in my view, carries much more history and should be retained as the official residence for the head of state to preserve its heritage," said Yii, who is also the DAP Youth chief.

Bandar Kuching MP Dr Kelvin Yii. Photo: Facebook

Yesterday, state tourism minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the current Astana Negeri was "run down" and would be turned into a museum of past governors.
The Astana Negeri has served as the official residence of Sarawak governors since 1870 after it was built by the second Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke.
"If the state government can be transparent and justify properly the need for such a project, then perhaps the people of Sarawak would give their support as it would be good for the state.
"If not, there are other priorities and needs in Sarawak, especially in terms of improving basic infrastructure and utilities," he added.
"Even if we have extra revenues or resources, we shouldn't spend them excessively to avoid long-term economic repercussions for all Sarawakians."


MP slams Anwar man's appointment as head of Berjaya-owned retail store chain

A Bersatu MP today hit out at news of the appointment of Farhash Wafa Salvador, Anwar Ibrahim's former political secretary, as chairman of the 7-Eleven chain, questioning Pakatan Harapan's (PH) calls for good governance and reforms.
Citing as well Farhash's earlier appointment as group executive chairman of Apex Equity Holdings Bhd, Ketereh MP Khlir Mohd Nor said it was "public knowledge" that Farhash was  "a close confidante of Anwar".
"Farhash’s appointments to these positions right after Anwar’s elevation to the PM’s office amounts to a negation of good governance in Malaysia," he said.
"It aggravates and continues the unsavoury nexus of business and politics in this country, and it is distasteful and disgusting."
Berjaya-owned 7-Eleven Malaysia Holdings Bhd had said in an announcement to Bursa Malaysia that Farhash would replace Robin Tan Yeong Ching, the son of billionaire tycoon Vincent Tan, who was appointed as chairman on Nov 25, 2021.
Farhash was also appointed as group executive chairman of Apex Equity Holdings Bhd last week, replacing Ahmad Redza Abdullah who stepped down in September 2022 after three months.
In his statement, Khlir urged Anwar to explain how these appointments were consistent with either good governance or reform.
"Where are the endless promises made by PH of good governance and integrity in administering the nation?" he added.
"Farhash's appointments are proof that PH and Anwar’s so-called 'reform' agenda is a sham and nothing but a political tactic to dupe voters."


Malay duo fight to stay alive on Singapore’s minority-ridden death row

Singapore’s long-defended approach to engineering a sense of equilibrium in its multiracial population appears to have missed out the justice system, as statistics indicate that the country’s minorities are by and large at the receiving end of tough sentences.Some 90% of those currently on death row in the republic’s prison are ethnic Malays and Indians, whose communities comprise just over 20% of the population.“There are currently 55 people on death row in Singapore, of which 30 are Singaporean Malays, 20 Indians, and five Chinese,” an activist in the city-state told MalaysiaNow.It has also been learnt that of the 20 ethnic Indian convicts sentenced to death there, 15 are Malaysian.As Singapore does not release statistics on death row prisoners, these numbers are painstakingly collated by activists and lawyers.Malays make up about 13% of the republic’s population while Indians comprise 7%.In a recent case, global rights group Amnesty International condemned the imminent execution of Syed Suhail Syed Zin, who was convicted in 2016 of possessing 38.84g of heroin.A Singapore think tank has described the death sentence on Syed Suhail as “a grim reminder that Singapore’s factory of death has never ceased”.Under Singapore’s Misuse of Drugs Act, anyone caught carrying more than 15g of the drug is sentenced to death.Syed Suhail’s family members, who live in Malaysia, were informed just a week before his execution date on Sept 14 and told to make funeral arrangements – Singapore’s normal procedure for announcing the final days of those on death row.“No allowance was made for them to travel from Malaysia before the execution of the sentence, given the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions,” said Think Center, a rare but vocal critic of government policies.It also described Syed Suhail’s death sentence as “a grim reminder that Singapore’s factory of death has never ceased”.For now, Syed Suhail remains in prison as he managed to obtain a reprieve.As the fight against the death sentence continues, much of the weight appears to have fallen on the shoulders of lawyer M Ravi, who is known for handling high profile cases concerning human rights issues.M Ravi.Ravi, who represents Syed Suhail, is also counsel for another convict – Moad Fadzir Mustaffa, who is slated for execution on Sept 24.He recently complained that prison authorities had been leaking private communications from death row prisoners to the Attorney-General’s Chambers, even as attempts to thwart their death sentences continued.According to him, these included a private communication between Syed Suhail and his family.His revelation attracted condemnation from rights group Amnesty International.“It is alarming that private correspondence between Syed Suhail and his then-lawyer was shared with the Attorney-General’s Chambers without any judicial orders or supervision of the process.“This goes against a fundamental aspect of the right to a fair trial, which guarantees the right of defendants to maintain communications with their legal representatives within the professional relationship as confidential,” it said.A handwritten letter from Syed Suhail to lawyer M Ravi this month, accusing authorities of discrimination and cruelty.The fate of Fadzir and Syed Suhail now rests with the country’s highest courts, where their appeal to stay the execution order will be heard.But recent cases suggest that their attempts might end up as another exercise in futility.In May this year, 37-year-old Malaysian Punithan Genasan learnt with horror through Zoom that he had been sentenced to death by hanging.He was accused of having links with two couriers carrying 28.5g of heroin in 2011. His defence that he had no knowledge of them was rejected.Malaysian authorities extradited him to Singapore in 2016.“The death penalty is always abhorrent, but to deliver this sentence, the harshest a defendant can receive, through the impersonal remoteness of a Zoom video call, is utterly inhumane,” Human Rights Watch said on the manner in which Punithan was sentenced.But even against such odds, Ravi is determined to continue fighting for Syed Suhail and Fadzir.He is calling for an independent audit on how confidential information between prisoners and their lawyers was obtained by government prosecutors and used in court.Not one to mince words, Ravi has openly called for a reform of what he describes as a flawed system.“There must be a full audit on this matter before lives are deprived of, and a moratorium on the death penalty should be put in place immediately. The law minister must act before it’s too late.A letter from the prison to the family of Moad Fadzir, informing them of his execution date.“We can rectify the situation because Syed is still alive. No judicial or legal system is foolproof, hence the death penalty is unsafe because death is irreversible and humans are fallible and so are systems,” the lawyer wrote in a post yesterday.But beyond the rigid application of its mandatory death sentence, the Singapore government will also have to address concerns about the ethnic composition of those on death row, especially given its pride in the successful integration of its various communities.The integration policy, among others, ensures a fair composition of ethnic groups in various sectors, extending to the point of preventing “racial enclaves” and ensuring an even mix throughout the country.Since 1989, the Housing and Development Board has set a quota on who can reside in a public housing flat in a particular block or neighbourhood.While such a policy may not be implemented in the justice system, the disparity in the racial composition of its death row prisoners may eventually necessitate a closer look.


Continuous rain warning issued for Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Kelantan

The Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) has issued a continuous rain warning for Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Kelantan until Dec 22.
It said in a statement today that continuous, very heavy rain (severe level) was expected to occur in Terengganu, in Hulu Terengganu, Marang, Dungun and Kemaman; Kuantan, Pekan and Rompin in Pahang; as well as Kluang, Mersing, Kulai, Kota Tinggi and Johor Bahru in Johor.
Continuous rain at the alert level is expected in Kelantan; Besut, Setiu, Kuala Nerus and Kuala Terengganu in Terengganu; Jerantut and Maran in Pahang; and Segamat, Batu Pahat and Pontian in Johor.
MetMalaysia has also forecast continuous rain in Sarawak, in Kuching, Serian, Samarahan, Sri Aman, Betong, Sarikei, Sibu, Mukah, Miri (Subis, Beluru, Miri and Marudi) and Limbang from  Dec 23 to 24.
Continuous rain is likewise predicted in Sabah, in the interior areas (Sipitang, Kuala Penyu and Beaufort), west coast, Sandakan (Telupid, Kinabatangan, Beluran and Sandakan) and Kudat, as well as Labuan from Dec 23 to 26.


Top US general plays down chances of near-term Ukraine military victory

The top US general on Wednesday said Ukraine's chances of any near-term, outright military victory were not high, cautioning that Russia still had significant combat power inside Ukraine despite suffering battlefield setbacks since its invasion in February.
Ukraine has vowed to keep the pressure on Russian forces until it reclaims control of all occupied territory. Over the weekend, Ukrainian forces recaptured the strategic southern city of Kherson – stoking optimism about Kyiv's broader military prospects heading into winter.
Still, US Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, urged caution.
"The probability of a Ukrainian military victory – defined as kicking the Russians out of all of Ukraine to include what they claim as Crimea – the probability of that happening anytime soon is not high, militarily," Milley told a news conference at the Pentagon.
"Politically, there may be a political solution where, politically, the Russians withdraw. That's possible," he added, saying Russia "right now is on its back."
Milley added that the US would support Ukraine in defending itself for as long as it takes, comments echoed by US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin at the same event.
Milley and Austin addressed reporters after a virtual meeting between dozens of defense ministers supporting Ukraine's military with billions of dollars in military hardware as well as training, advising and intelligence support.
"Ukraine will continue to endure. Ukraine is not going to back down," Milley said, adding that Ukraine was free, "and they want to remain free."
Milley accused Russia of "imposing a campaign of terror" on Ukraine with its attacks on cities and energy plants.
"The deliberate targeting of the civilian power grid, causing excessive collateral damage, and unnecessary suffering on the civilian population is a war crime," Milley said.
The Pentagon has stressed the importance of military-to-military communication with Moscow during the nine-month-long war. Austin and Milley both spoke with their Russian counterparts last month after Moscow accused Ukraine of planning a "dirty bomb" attack.
But Milley acknowledged unsuccessful attempts to reach his Russian counterpart on Tuesday after a deadly missile strike in Poland raised concerns about spillover of the war into Nato territory. Ukraine is not a member of the trans-Atlantic defense alliance but aspires to join.
Nato leaders said on Wednesday that the missile that hit Poland was probably a stray fired by Ukraine's air defenses and not a Russian strike.
Austin said Ukraine knows that it would be a mistake to allow Russia to refit and rearm its troops.
"They have to continue to keep the pressure on the Russians going forward and I think (a) winter fight favors the Ukrainians," Austin said.


New cases drop to 10,100 as another 21 deaths logged

Another 10,177 Covid-19 cases were recorded yesterday, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 4,317,706.There were 15,132 recoveries, taking total recoveries to 4,128,963.There are now 153,463 active cases, of which 149,994 or 97.7% are undergoing home quarantine.Meanwhile, 310 (0.2%) are at quarantine centres while 2,964 (1.9%) have been hospitalised.A total of 195 are in ICU with 108 in need of respiratory assistance. ICU utilisation throughout the country stands at 53.4%, with Covid ICU utilisation at 22.4%.Another 21 deaths were reported with none brought in dead. Total deaths now stand at 35,280.


Japan says EU export curbs delaying Covid-19 vaccination plan

EU export rules are preventing Japan from finalising its coronavirus vaccination plan, a Tokyo minister said Tuesday, after the bloc introduced a controversial new mechanism for the shipment of jabs made inside its borders.With less than six months until the pandemic-postponed Tokyo Olympics, Japan has yet to set out when it will vaccinate its population of 126 million people, although it hopes to give the first doses later in February.The European Union, which is facing criticism of its own sluggish Covid-19 vaccine rollout, on Friday brought in a new rule requiring drug-makers to seek approval before exporting vaccines to non-EU countries.“Because of that, we have not been able to finalise our supply schedule,” said Taro Kono, the minister in charge of Japan’s vaccine programme.Japan has reached deals with Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca to buy enough vaccine doses for its population.But health authorities want to confirm the vaccines’ safety through domestic clinical trials before giving any of them a green light.The jab from Pfizer – which, along with AstraZeneca has factories in the EU – will likely be the first approved.Kono, the outspoken minister for regulatory reform, also called for international measures to prevent so-called “vaccine nationalism” impacting on global health.Delays have dogged both the procurement and rollout of vaccines in the EU, which has been embroiled in a furious dispute with AstraZeneca.The bloc accuses AstraZeneca of breaching its contract by delaying deliveries to EU governments while maintaining those under a deal it signed earlier with the UK.On Friday, the European Commission launched a scheme to monitor and in some cases bar exports of vaccines produced in EU plants – an emergency measure that has been criticised by the World Health Organization.Kono said he understood the EU’s predicament, but stressed that the export rules had come in after vaccines became available, and had “started to affect supplies”.“We realise that the EU has made initial investments and has not been able to secure vaccines that it needs,” Kono said.“My honest feeling is that I hope they would not do anything to impact a supply schedule that was already decided,” he said.


Defence, home ministry budgets passed by voice vote

The budgets for the defence and home ministry were passed by voice vote after the committee-level debate in the Dewan Rakyat today, notching the 24th and 25th wins for the Perikatan Nasional (PN) government.The allocations were passed without being put to bloc vote after the debate which saw the participation of 10 MPs.Senior Minister for Security Ismail Sabri Yaakob, in his winding-up speech, said the PN government is committed to reviving the National Service programme to inculcate a spirit of patriotism in youth.The programme was abolished under the previous Pakatan Harapan administration.He said the ministry is preparing a Cabinet paper which would put forth different modules and approaches to those used before.The defence ministry was allocated RM15.86 billion in the 2021 budget: RM11.355 billion for administration and RM4.5 billion for development.The home ministry meanwhile was allocated RM16.85 billion.The budget for 2021 – RM322.5 billion, the country’s largest ever – was passed at the policy stage on Nov 26 in what was seen as a crucial test of support for Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin.It was passed by voice vote after the opposition failed to garner enough support to force a bloc vote.


Wildfires rage in southwestern France amid new heatwave

Wildfires raged in southwestern France on Tuesday, destroying sixteen houses, burning 6,000 hectares and forcing the evacuation of almost 6,000 people in an area already hit last month by huge blazes.
France, like the rest of Europe, is coping with heatwaves and drought that have triggered multiple wildfires across the continent over the past two months.
"The fire is rampant and has now spread to the Landes department," local authorities of the wine-growing Gironde department said in a statement, adding that 500 firefighters were mobilised
The Gironde in southwestern France was hit in July by two wildfires which destroyed more than 20,000 hectares of forest and led to the evacuation of almost 40,000 people.
Fires were also raging on Tuesday in other parts of the country, one in the southern departments of Lozere and Aveyron, where close to 600 hectares have already burnt and where Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin is due to go later in the day.
Another fire is in the Maine et Loire department in western France, where 650 hectares have been scorched and 500 are threatened, according to local authorities.


Dewan speaker rubbishes Umno man’s claim that Agong ‘angry’ and ‘raised voice’

Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azhar Harun has strongly denied a claim by an Umno man that the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had reacted angrily to an explanation by him on the re-opening of Parliament during a royal audience yesterday.Saiful Bahari Baharom had quoted a “source” in claiming in a Facebook post that Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah had raised his voice at Azhar during a meeting with the king at Istana Negara yesterday.“I consider that a gross misrepresentation of what transpired,” Azhar told MalaysiaNow, when asked for a response to the claim.“In fact, it is a blatant lie,” he added.Azhar, alongside his deputies as well as Dewan Negara president Rais Yatim were called to the palace for an audience with Sultan Abdullah, at which the latter reiterated an earlier statement that parliamentary proceedings should be held as soon as possible.Saiful Bahari Baharom (right) and his Facebook post on his version of what transpired during a meeting between the Agong and speakers from both Houses of Parliament.Saiful had further claimed that everyone in the room had agreed with the Agong except for Azhar who gave “excuses” for why the Dewan Rakyat could not be convened.“I think he is in a parallel universe, as is his source,” quipped Azhar when told about the claim.“Contrary to what was alleged, Rais and I gave our highest commitment and readiness to hold a sitting as and when it is called.”Azhar however added that it would be a breach of protocol to discuss irrelevant details of what transpired during a royal audience.Azhar and Rais today issued a joint statement saying they had submitted a proposal to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin for a special sitting to be held before Aug 1.“We, along with our deputies, uphold the king’s decree and have stated the commitment and full readiness of Parliament to hold a sitting as decreed by His Majesty,” they said.A check on Saiful’s Facebook page shows a series of posts condemning Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and the government’s various efforts at containing the Covid-19 pandemic.In one of his postings today, he mocked a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office announcing that Muhyiddin had been admitted to hospital, saying the prime minister could have come down with diarrhoea as he could no longer take the attacks against him.In 2018, Saiful, in defending Najib Razak over the revelation that the former prime minister had received RM2.6 billion in his bank account, claimed that Dr Mahathir Mohamad had kept £65 million (RM373 million) in a London bank account.Among others, Saiful, who claimed that he had been close to Mahathir’s family, said the money was kept under his late father’s name in the London bank account. He further claimed that the money had since been returned to Mahathir.“So, I was surprised and disappointed when Tun Mahathir slammed Najib because of the RM2.6 billion account,” he wrote.


Cops to call former AG Thomas

The police have confirmed receiving a report from former solicitor general III Mohamad Hanafiah Zakaria regarding defamatory allegations against him by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas yesterday.Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Fadzil Ahmat said the report was made in Cyberjaya regarding the contents of Tommy’s book titled “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness” which was recently published.“Yes, we will call him (Tommy Thomas) as soon as possible to record his statement. The case is being investigated under Section 500 of the Penal Code for defamation,” he told Bernama.Hanafiah said in the report that an excerpt on page 248 was untrue and gave the connotation that he was incapable of leading and supervising the prosecution team in the SRC International Sdn Bhd trial involving former prime minister Najib Razak.He said in the case against Najib in 2018, he was the trial and appeals division head at the Attorney-General’s Chambers.


PM meets with Agong in Kuantan

Prime Minister Muhyidddin Yassin has arrived at Istana Abdulaziz in Kuantan for an audience with Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah.The vehicle carrying the prime minister was seen entering the compound of the palace at 4.40pm, escorted by a security team and several Pahang official cars.Also spotted was the official vehicle of Armed Forces chief Affendi Buang.Muhyiddin had earlier chaired a Cabinet meeting in Perdana Putra, Putrajaya, to discuss current issues and government affairs.Affendi was also believed to have attended that meeting.


‘Better enemies than traitors’: Emerging narrative from PKR, Amanah after Anwar’s failed plot?

A “better enemies than traitors” narrative is slowly taking shape within PKR and Amanah in the wake of Anwar Ibrahim’s failure to provide proof to the Agong of his claim of majority support from MPs to form the federal government.With anger growing among Pakatan Harapan (PH) supporters who took to social media to air their frustrations on what has come to be known as “disastrous Tuesday”, some leaders have been forced to explain to them that working with “enemies” is better than working with “traitors”.“Enemies here refer to Najib Razak and Umno leaders, and the traitors are Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Mohamed Azmin Ali,” a social media manager with PKR told MalaysiaNow.On Tuesday, Anwar was granted a half-hour audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, three weeks after he declared that Muhyiddin’s government had collapsed.But a statement by the Comptroller of the Royal Family and Household said Anwar had only stated the number of MPs he claimed were backing him to take over Putrajaya, a revelation met with both cynicism and anger.That same day, several PKR MPs indicated to MalaysiaNow that they were ready to quit the party, a move which could see Anwar’s bloc further thinning in the Dewan Rakyat.“In politics, there are no permanent enemies and friends.”DAP was not forthcoming in expressing support for Anwar’s trip to the palace on Tuesday, but analysts said any move by PKR and Amanah to enlist Umno MPs into a new bloc would be strongly opposed within DAP.MalaysiaNow previously reported that DAP leaders had “made it very clear” to Anwar that the party, with 42 MPs in the Dewan Rakyat, would not join any bloc made up of Umno MPs, “in particular those smeared by corruption”.“That is the reason why Anwar went ahead to secure an appointment with the Agong, hoping to get groundswell support from many more Umno MPs,” an aide had said.Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is facing 47 charges of corruption, criminal breach of trust and money laundering, has been among the key Umno politicians pushing for the party to quit the Perikatan Nasional alliance.Among Zahid’s complaints is that Muhyiddin had sidelined Umno for key government posts, including for the position of Sabah chief minister which went to Hajiji Noor, a Bersatu man who led an exodus from Sabah Umno in late 2018.Fazreen Kamal contributed to this report.


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North Korean leader condemns US dialogue offer as ‘facade’

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un condemned a US offer of dialogue as a “facade”, state media reported Thursday, and accused the Joe Biden administration of continuing a hostile policy against his nuclear-armed country.Talks between Pyongyang and Washington have been effectively at a standstill since the collapse of the Hanoi summit between Kim and then-president Donald Trump over sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return.Under Biden, the US has repeatedly offered to meet North Korean representatives anywhere, at any time, without preconditions, while saying it will pursue denuclearisation.But Kim condemned the declarations as “nothing more than a facade to mask their deception and hostile acts and an extension of hostile policy from past administrations”, the official Rodong Sinmun newspaper reported.Under the new administration, “the US military threat and hostile policy against us have not changed at all but have become more cunning”, he said in a lengthy address to the Supreme People’s Assembly (SPA), the North’s one-party parliament.North Korea has been largely biding its time in recent months as it assessed the Biden government and focussed on domestic issues.It has been behind a rigid self-imposed blockade since early last year to protect itself from the coronavirus pandemic, with the economy suffering as a result and trade with key partner China dwindling to a trickle.But Kim’s speech was the latest in a series of actions with international ramifications this month.This week, it tested what it said was a hypersonic gliding missile, and earlier this month announced it had successfully fired a long-range cruise missile, after holding a scaled-down military parade.The North’s nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programmes are banned under UN Security Council resolutions, and it is subject to multiple international sanctions as a result.The US condemned this week’s launch, but as recently as Wednesday, its North Korea envoy Sung Kim reiterated the offer of dialogue.“We are strongly committed to finding a diplomatic path to complete the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula,” he told reporters. “That hasn’t changed at all.“We had made a number of approaches to the DPRK and proposed dialogues on wide ranges of topics, but we haven’t heard back and we hope to hear back soon.”The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Thursday on North Korea, at the request of the US, France and the United Kingdom, diplomatic sources told AFP Wednesday.North Korea has not shown any willingness to give up its arsenal, which it says it needs to defend itself against a US invasion.In his SPA speech, Kim declared: “The most fundamental crisis tearing down the basic tenets of international peace and stability is the abuse of power and coercion by the US and its followers.”‘Double standards’Washington and Seoul are security allies, and the US stations around 28,500 troops in the South to protect it from its neighbour.Pyongyang has since then repeatedly excoriated the South and its President Moon Jae-in, and blown up a liaison office on its side of the border that Seoul had built.At the UN General Assembly this month, Moon reiterated his call for a formal declaration of the end of the Korean War, where hostilities ceased in 1953 with a ceasefire rather than a peace treaty.But Kim said the South “still follows the US,” and that “mutual respect must be guaranteed and unfair views and double standards attitude dropped” before an end-of-war declaration could be agreed.Nonetheless, he expressed a willingness to restore North-South communication lines in early October.Seoul is also spending billions on military development as both Koreas build up their weapons capabilities in what could become an arms race on the peninsula, with ramifications for neighbouring Japan, China and the wider region.This month, the South successfully test-fired a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) for the first time, making it one of a handful of nations with the advanced technology, and this week, it held a ceremony to launch its third submarine capable of carrying SLBMs.


Order for retrial of contempt proceedings against ex-returning officer set aside

The Federal Court today set aside the Court of Appeal’s decision to order a retrial for contempt of court proceedings against a former returning officer for the Rantau constituency.Chief Judge of Malaya Azahar Mohamed, who chaired a three-member panel, said the appellate court’s order for a retrial was not proper as there was a denial of Amino Agos Suyub’s right to a fair trial.In delivering the court’s unanimous decision, Azahar said the High Court’s refusal to allow Amino to call Daing Muhammad Rahimi Abdul Hamid as a witness was a gross violation of the rule of law.He said Amino should have been given the opportunity to be heard in his defence and the right to call any witness to support his defence.The panel, which included Federal Court judges Hasnah Mohammed Hashim and Rhodzariah Bujang, allowed Amino’s appeal to set aside the order for a retrial of the contempt of court proceedings against him.Azahar, however, said the court agreed with the Court of Appeal’s decision to quash the Seremban High Court’s verdict on conviction and jail sentence.Amino was jailed three months by the Seremban High Court in October 2018 for coaching a witness during the hearing of an election petition filed by PKR candidate Dr S Streram.Amino was the returning officer for the Rantau state seat during the general election on May 9, 2018.On May 17 last year, a three-man Court of Appeal panel led by Hamid Sultan Abu Backer sent the contempt proceedings for retrial before the same High Court judge, Azimah Omar.Hamid partially allowed Amino’s appeal against the conviction and jail sentence on grounds that the rules of natural justice had been breached.Umno deputy president Mohamad Hasan retained the Rantau seat in a by-election on April 13 last year after defeating his three challengers, including Streram.Amino’s lawyer G Rajasingam told reporters that following today’s decision, there were no more contempt of court proceedings against his client.Also representing Amino were lawyers Sathya Kumardas and Sharon Jessy while lawyer Amin Othman represented Mohamad Hasan. Streram, who was present in court today, was not represented.


Zahid confident govt MoU will endure

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi says he is confident that the agreement of cooperation among political parties in establishing the government will be long-lasting.
Zahid, who is Umno president and chairman of Barisan Nasional (BN), said his party had agreed to the cooperation as long as it covered the elements of defending Islam, the special rights of the Malays, the status of Bahasa Melayu as the national language, and the sovereignty of the royal institution.
He said these elements were the prime concern of BN during negotiations with Pakatan Harapan (PH).
"When the agreement was signed by the various (political) parties, the matter was never compromised, and was even deemed as the first foundation of the agreement, not only for now, but for the long term," he said in an interview programme broadcast live on NRChannel TV's Facebook and YouTube last night.
On Dec 16, the five major political parties, namely PH, BN, Gabungan Parti Sarawak, Gabungan Rakyat Sabah and Warisan, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in Putrajaya to form the government.
The MoU was signed by the parties' secretaries-general – Saifuddin Nasution Ismail (PH), Zambry Abdul Kadir (BN), Masidi Manjun (GRS), Alexander Nanta Linggi (GPS) and Loretto Padua Jr (Warisan) – and witnessed by the chairmen of the political parties involved.
Meanwhile, Zahid said that following the 15th general election (GE15) results, Umno and BN were better off with PH for their long-term struggle.
"In short, the (Umno) Supreme Council decided that with PN (Perikatan Nasional), there would be more harm as they could contest in the same areas we (Umno) contest… areas with large numbers of Malay voters.
"We will surely fight in the same arena. We see from the aspect of political analysis and we have conducted several projections that there is huge potential for us to win back the areas where we lost votes, we can regain the potential," he added.
On being together with PH, he said the coalitions in the government should move forward and work as a team as long as they are united in thoughts, values and deeds.
Zahid also said that Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim had agreed to seek the similarities in the manifestos of all parties in the government so that their cooperation would benefit the people.
According to him, Umno and BN’s aim is to create political stability and ensure the people’s prosperity within the new national political alignment.
Zahid added that he would explain in further detail to Umno members the new political landscape through a policy speech during the Umno general assembly scheduled to take place from Jan 11 to 14.


Do you think you’re still tough? PAS leader lectures Umno

PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man has delivered a strongly worded statement aimed at Umno leaders over their refusal to join hands with Bersatu in the next election, saying events have overtaken the Muafakat Nasional charter signed by PAS and Umno during their time in the opposition.Tuan Ibrahim questioned the confidence displayed by Umno leaders, saying the party had forgotten the basis of cooperation formed through the charter.“Do we think that just because the light at the end of the tunnel is bright, we must throw away the lamp that we carry?“Does one dispose of the umbrella once the rain stops? Are we so great that we have the strength of millions of members, that we are still set in the same mindset of the past?“Are two parties better than three, and are we so sure of victory just because we can contest in more seats?” Tuan Ibrahim said in a series of questions posed to Umno leaders.This comes after party president Abdul Hadi Awang today suggested that Umno had strayed from the original goals of Muafakat Nasional, and again urged for the strengthening of the Perikatan Nasional (PN) coalition.In the strongest sign yet that PAS and Umno have relapsed into their bitter, decades-old rivalry, Hadi also rejected any attempt to break its alliance with Bersatu, its partner in PN.Without explicitly naming Umno, Hadi also said his party rejected any cooperation with with those who show “disloyalty to the country and extreme behaviour that challenges race and religion”.“Let us accept this new offer, one that has integrity and virtue and is based on the Federal Constitution, which celebrates a multi-religious and multiracial society,” Hadi said today.Tuan Ibrahim said Muafakat Nasional was signed when both Umno and PAS were in the opposition, and was aimed at protecting mutual interests concerning Muslims and Malays.He said the agreement had also benefited the two parties in the by-elections held since the 2018 polls.“The aim was to prevent three-cornered contests that would result in the defeat of PAS or Umno. (The arrangement was) that if Umno entered a by-election, PAS would stay out, and vice versa,” he said.Tuan Ibrahim said the charter had clearly stated that both parties would accept any other party or organisation in efforts towards forging Muslim unity.He said following the formation of the new government which had the combined support of Umno and PAS MPs, presidents from both parties had invited Bersatu to be part of the charter.But Tuan Ibrahim said Umno had not responded to Bersatu’s agreement to join Muafakat.“This was because Umno was disappointed when PN was registered as a coalition,” he said, adding that Muafakat could not be registered as its name had already been taken up.Tuan Ibrahim said Umno’s resistance to PN had now come to a “point of no return”, with some its leaders urging PAS and Umno to focus on Muafakat.“However, for PAS, the basis of the formation should be seen in the contemporary framework, not before the formation of the PN government,” he said.Tuan Ibrahim also reminded Umno that politics was about “making more friends and fewer enemies”.“In any political consensus, there is competition for seats. If even within the same party it can be a point of contention, what more in a coalition of various parties?“But the method of agreement is that those with existing seats should not be stingy, and those who ask for seats should not be greedy. There are times when we must sacrifice the things that we love most in order to avoid greater harm,” he said.Tuan Ibrahim then gave Umno a warning, using lines from “Anak Kecil Main Api” (Little Child Playing With Fire), a song often played at Umno events to motivate members.“You can sing ‘anak kecil bermain api’, but if you’re not careful, you will get yourself burnt,” he said.


The danger of hypocrisy in Western views on Ukraine

The joint statement from the ambassadors, high commissioners and designates of Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, France, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the UK, and the ambassador of the EU delegation on the Russian invasion of Ukraine seems to sound more hypocritical and ideological than moral.“It states that freedom is a universal right – freedom to live in peace and security; freedom of speech; freedom to vote and elect legislative representatives and the government. These freedoms are enshrined in the United Nations (UN) Charter, to which there are 193 signatories worldwide, including all our countries and the 10 members of Asean.Tragically, these basic freedoms are under threat in Ukraine – a sovereign state and UN member since 1991, and the second largest country in Europe (by area).“If we do not work together to stop the atrocity in Ukraine, we will be making it easier for Putin and Russia to fulfil their despicable aims in egregious breach of international law. Failure to do so will weaken the democratic foundations and principles that underpin our global network of liberty and democracy, based on international law.“Global freedom, democracy and rights depend on how we all respond to this threat.”One wonders why such forceful condemnation does not apply to Israel which continues to deny the Palestinians inalienable rights for statehood. Why there are no global and effective sanctions against Israel when it rains bombs indiscriminately on the unarmed Palestinians? Even if the Palestinians provoked the Israelites, it is due to the Zionist regime’s blatant settlement and occupation of their land.The core of the principle that needs to be adhered to is to oppose the seeds of war in whatever form they take, whether the form of a Cold War-based alliance expanding to borders of countries that resist it, or the short-sightedness of ideologically simplifying issues to a fight between democracy and authoritarian rule by demonising nations that do not kowtow to Western hegemony.The truth is, people suffer injustice around the world due to the selective nature of proclaiming justice at the global level.The Ukrainians and Palestinians suffer a common effect of war and injustice.It is time for the West to stop picking and choosing issues of human rights that suit its ideological or hegemonic stand. This should be done by ensuring equitable justice in a global system that takes the security fears of all nations into consideration.The Russian state should be condemned for war on a sovereign state, and the West should be condemned for expanding a Cold War entity such as Nato to the eastern part of Europe that has provoked Russia towards war.This is something the Western ambassadors have not addressed in their statement. It is time the West opens its eyes to its own hypocrisy.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Quit now, Ku Li tells ministers as Umno assembly turns into Bersatu-bashing

The Umno general assembly is expected to move a motion urging all those from the party holding posts in the Cabinet as well as in government-linked companies to resign.Umno adviser Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said the Umno ministers should resign today, saying it would send a message to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin that he no longer has the majority to rule.“How can he insist he has the majority when our people are withdrawing? All this while, he has had our support. If our people withdraw… and stop supporting the Perikatan Nasional (PN) leadership, I think they will just collapse,” Razaleigh, or Ku Li, told reporters in response to the presidential address today.It is understood that an urgent motion could be tabled at the Umno general assembly today, calling on Umno ministers and deputy ministers to quit the Cabinet.Ku Li said it was only right for them to resign, adding that any decision to cut ties with PN meant that Umno would have nothing to do with the government.“They are supposed to withdraw if they follow the party decision.”In his speech today, Umno president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi claimed that the decision to cut ties with the PN government reflected grassroots’ sentiments, repeating his allegations that Muhyiddin’s Bersatu had relegated Umno to playing second fiddle.The decision was made in February during a Supreme Council meeting, with Zahid seeking the mandate from delegates at the general assembly.But party leaders earlier said that Umno would still remain in the government until the dissolution of Parliament to make way for the 15th general election.Ku Li has been against Umno joining hands with Bersatu, led by Muhyiddin, a view promoted by Zahid and former leader Najib Razak.Both have warmed up to overtures from PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim for an alliance.The duo had also supported Anwar in his failed bid to topple Muhyiddin last year, in a letter to the palace in October.Umno has the lion’s share of ministerial posts in the current administration, including the critical portfolios of defence and health, which are leading the battle against the Covid-19 pandemic.Umno’s Khairy Jamaluddin is also currently the face of the government’s massive Covid-19 vaccination drive.Even if Umno members quit the Cabinet, MalaysiaNow understands that Muhyiddin’s government will not be affected as the state of emergency is still in place.


Parents left waiting for birth certs as Sabah JPN runs out of paper

The issuance of birth certificates in Sabah has been delayed because the paper used for the document is not available, says Sabah National Registration Department (JPN) director Khairrul Aminus Kamaruddin.He said Sabah JPN had stock of 24,801 pieces of the birth certificate paper this year, but that they were used in October, affecting 3,200 applications.“A delay in the arrival of the paper which was imported from China to Malaysia was caused by a flood in the country concerned recently.“A check confirmed that the supply of the paper had arrived in the country and had passed the inspection of the Royal Malaysian Customs on Dec 6,” he told a media conference today.Recently, several individuals vented their frustrations which went viral on social media as they had waited for a long time and still could not get birth certificates for their children.Khairrul said the printing company had received the paper on Dec 8 and the birth certificates will be issued at the latest by Dec 20.“JPN wishes to apologise for the delay and the difficulties incurred which were beyond our control.“If any client is impacted or needs a letter of birth confirmation from JPN, for example, for purpose of flying to Peninsula Malaysia or Sarawak, they can apply at the Sabah JPN,” he added.Members of the public can contact the Customer Service Office of Sabah JPN at 088-488300 or 088-488301 or 088-488365 for further inquiries.


Young voters, the wild card in GE15

A political analyst has described the youth vote as a wild card ahead of the widely anticipated general election, to be held within weeks with the addition of nearly seven million new voters automatically registered to cast their ballots this time around.
MalaysiaNow previously reported that of the 6.9 million new voters, only 16% were in the 18-20 age bracket targeted under the Undi 18 movement.
However, Hisommudin Bakar of electoral think tank Ilham Centre said young voters would still make up a significant proportion of those eligible to vote in GE15.
"Even though the 18- to 20-year-old segment of voters is only on average 6%, if this is combined with the 42% average of voters aged 21 to 39, the total figure of young voters would be 48%," he said.
This, he said, would be enough to have a huge impact on the results if they chose to make a majority decision on which party would march into Putrajaya.
The automatic registration of voters came into effect late last year, following the unanimous passing of a bill to lower the minimum voting age from 21 to 18, a move linked to political parties hoping to ride on support from younger Malaysians by championing issues close to the group.
Where individuals previously had to sign up to vote, automatic registration now ensures that every citizen over the age of 18 can automatically cast their ballots.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, though, Hisommudin said those in the 18-20 age bracket were "fragile", and that it was difficult to predict which party they would support.
Citing research conducted by his think tank, he said the majority of voters in this category had less exposure to political matters.
Perak Youth Assembly member Yeap Thiam Hoong meanwhile said that the youth were more familiar with the internet and social media.
Yeap, a programme leader in media studies at Tunku Abdul Rahman University College, said that in order to gain their attention, election candidates should focus on making their strategies known online.
"From my personal experience, I occasionally discuss elections with my students, and how they need to cast their votes," he said.
"But their impression is, it's a holiday – they just want to sleep through the day."
He added that matters of a national scale such as corruption were not a major concern for young people.
"They are more worried about their education and career, and owning their first house."
Yeap's remarks echoed those of Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, the youth minister under the Pakatan Harapan administration who had strongly promoted the Undi 18 movement.
"Youths want career, education and public transport issues to be the focus," Syed Saddiq said.
"Those aged 18 to 20 will be first-time voters – combined with those in the 21-25 age bracket, this is a huge number."
Hisommudin meanwhile said that "every single vote counts".
"If they participate actively, votes from this group could contribute to an important percentage for any party."
Yeap agreed. "We always believe in the philosophy behind elections," he added.
"Don't underestimate your personal vote."


US health experts say monkeypox cases harder to detect

US health experts said Friday that cases of monkeypox that are being detected at the moment do not necessarily display the usual symptoms, making the disease more difficult to diagnose.The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stressed that identifying cases was crucial to curbing the spread of the disease.“We have seen presentations of monkeypox that are mild and sometimes only limited areas of the body, which differs from the classic presentation seen in endemic countries in Western Central Africa,” said Rochelle Walensky, head of the CDC.“This has prompted concern that some cases may go unrecognised or undiagnosed,” she added, urging increased vigilance among members of the medical profession and the public in general.Current cases do not always present flu-like symptoms, such as fever, body aches and swollen glands that typically precede the appearance of the rash characteristic of the disease.Additionally, while these rashes typically appear all over the body, many current cases are limited to certain areas.“It’s important to be aware that monkeypox cases may present similar to some sexually transmitted infections,” such as herpes, “and could be mistaken for other diagnoses,” Walensky said.The US has now recorded 45 cases, she added, twice as many as last week. No deaths have been reported.As of June 9, around 1,300 cases had been identified worldwide, she said.Transmission requires close and prolonged contact between two people. The United States is counting in particular on the vaccination of contact cases to stem the epidemic.The country has 100 million doses of the vaccine ACAM2000, but is in the process of getting doses of another more modern vaccine, Jynneos, she said.At the end of May, the US had only 1,000 doses of the newer drug, compared to 72,000 today, said Dawn O’Connell of the Department of Health on Friday.Another 300,000 doses are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, she added.


New cases dip again to just under 4,300

Another 4,298 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 2,658,772.Another 4,929 patients recovered, bringing total recoveries to 2,566,159.Meanwhile 471 are in the ICU, including 378 confirmed Covid-19 patients.A total of 264 are in need of respiratory assistance including 172 confirmed Covid-19 cases.Of the 4,298 cases reported today, 75 (1.7%) are in Category Three and above. The remaining 4,223 (98.3%) are in Category One and Two.


1MDB wanted to recover US$2.3 billion invested in overseas company, court told

The Kuala Lumpur High Court was yesterday told that 1MDB wanted to recover the US$2.3 billion invested in Bridge Global Absolute Return Fund SPC.Former 1MDB company secretary Goh Gaik Kim, 54, said the matter was discussed at a meeting she had attended on Nov 11, 2013.The 17th prosecution witness, who was referred to the minutes of the meeting, said that among the items discussed was the directive of 1MDB board members to bring back the investment in Bridge Global Absolute Return Fund SPC to Malaysia.“Former 1MDB CEO Mohd Hazem Abdul Rahman said there were no plans for the liquidation of the investment portfolio. He added that the first half-year dividend of about 3% had just been received.“KPMG Malaysia, 1MDB’s audit firm, also requested several documents to ensure that the 1MDB Group investment in the Bridge Global Absolute Return Fund SPC had been recorded at fair value,” she said when reading out her witness statement at the trial of former prime minister Najib Razak for charges of embezzling 1MDB funds worth RM2.3 billion.Previously, the court heard that KPMG had yet to sign off on the audit for 1MDB’s financial statement for the financial year ending March 31, 2013, as 1MDB had yet to provide the information that KPMG had been asking for since April 2013.Najib, 68, faces four charges of using his position to obtain bribes totalling RM2.3 billion from 1MDB and 21 charges of illegal money laundering involving the same amount.The trial will resume today.


Former MIC president Samy Vellu dies

Former MIC president S Samy Vellu died early this morning. He was 86.
Samy Vellu, who was Sungai Siput MP from September 1974 to March 2008, was the longest-serving MIC president, holding the post for 31 years.
He was also a long-time member of the Cabinet, serving as works minister from June 1983 to June 1989, and from May 1995 to March 2008.
He was also minister of energy, telecommunications and posts from June 1989 to May 1995, and minister of works and public amenities from September 1979 to June 1983.
When contacted by Bernama, former MIC president S Subramaniam said he was informed that Samy Vellu had died in his sleep.
"His contribution to the nation and to the Indian community will be permanently etched in our memories," Subramaniam said in a Facebook post.


No more random inspections of foreigners, top cop says

Inspector-General of Police Acryl Sani Abdullah Sani says he will issue a directive to prevent police officers and personnel from conducting random checks on foreigners.He said this was to prevent a handful of police officers and personnel from abusing their power at will.“I will issue a directive to stop the act immediately, which is to inspect them (foreigners) randomly without a reasonable or valid reason.“Besides that, the police cannot detain them at will, to be remanded for two weeks on grounds of confirming whether their immigration department-stamped passport or document is genuine or otherwise,” he told Bernama in Bukit Aman yesterday.Acryl said such practices and culture were one of the factors that would lead to abuse of power by the police.


Behind PN's choice of opposition chief

While the role of the opposition chief in Parliament is traditionally held by prominent coalition leaders of approximately equal status with the prime minister, an analyst says there is a reason for Perikatan Nasional's (PN) move to appoint Hamzah Zainudin to the position instead.
While Hamzah served as the home minister under both Muhyiddin Yassin and Ismail Sabri Yaakob, coalition-wise, he holds the relatively lower rank of secretary-general.
The break from the normal practice of naming a main opposition leader to helm the bloc in the Dewan Rakyat was pointed out by many on social media who said a better candidate would have been PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang, or Muhyiddin himself.
Some also questioned Hamzah's appointment given that he is a member of Bersatu while PAS as a party won far more seats at the recent general election.
But Anis Anwar Suhaimi, chief researcher at O2 Research Malaysia, said PN appeared to be focusing on strengthening its influence outside the four walls of Parliament.
Within the Dewan Rakyat, he said, the position of opposition leader could be given to an individual with enough experience to lead the coalition's MPs, and a character aggressive enough to provide checks and balances for the government bloc.
"Hamzah is one of the best options for this role," he added.
Jeniri Amir, a senior fellow at the National Professors Council, agreed.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, he said the Larut MP had been appointed to lead PN's 74 MPs in Parliament due to his potential and ability.
"Perhaps PN is more confident in Hamzah's ability as secretary-general to act as its main spokesman," Jeniri said.
"And Hamzah's relationship with Pakatan Harapan is not very good," he added, citing Hamzah's maiden speech in the Dewan Rakyat at which he had attacked Anwar Ibrahim, challenging him to act over a report by an international media outlet labelling the prime minister as a "full-blown homosexual".
"In truth, he wanted to tarnish the prime minister's image," Jeniri said.
"There was a kind of revenge there, a violent anger that blew up in the Dewan Rakyat."
But he said that Hamzah's willingness to speak up in Parliament made him a better candidate for opposition leader than Muhyiddin or anyone else from PAS.
Anis meanwhile drew comparisons with what had happened in 2018, in the aftermath of the 14th general election (GE14).
While Najib Razak was the prime minister until Barisan Nasional's historic loss at GE14, he remained an ordinary member of Parliament and did not assume the role of opposition chief once the Dewan Rakyat reconvened.
The same was seen in 2020, when Dr Mahathir Mohamad resigned as prime minister as well as chairman of Bersatu and Anwar became the opposition leader.
"Muhyiddin also took an approach similar to the previous leaderships," Anis added, referring to the PN chairman who was instead named as the coalition's chief whip.


Sexually explicit photos of Thai king’s consort released to critics of regime

Thailand’s King Maha Vajiralongkorn raised some eyebrows last year when he stripped his mistress and secondary consort Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi of all titles just three months after her appointment.Reports at the time of her fall from grace in October 2019 said she had tried to usurp the queen.However, this September he changed his mind, and Sineenat, known as “Koi ”, promptly returned to his court from prison.But not everyone was apparently cheering for her return, the London Sunday Times suggests, citing an “intense rivalry” between Koi and Vajiralongkorn’s official wife, which prompted an “international campaign to humiliate her” by leaking her “sexually explicit” images to the public.Sineenat Wongvajirapakdi, 35, born Niramon Ounprom, had made an impressive military career before joining the court, according to her official biography. She worked as an army nurse and Royal King’s guard, while also completing military training, royal bodyguarding and piloting.Now, hundreds of nude photos of her have been leaked to anti-monarchy activists.The sexually explicit selfies were allegedly leaked earlier this year to prominent critics of the Thai monarchy living abroad.“There were 1,400 photographs. Some of them were very intimate,” one of the recipients, British commentator Andrew MacGregor Marshall, told the Daily Beast.Marshall said he received a letter containing an SD card with the photos. The letter bore what he presumed to be “a fake return address” associated with German intelligence headquarters in Berlin.“I made the decision not to publish them,” said Marshall. “They had obviously been sent to me without her consent, but also I just saw this is as part of a factional palace game.”Marshall said he received the mysterious letter in August, around the same time that Koi was released from detention following a feud with Thailand’s queen to join the king’s harem of “sex soldiers”.Marshall also said he received a threat around the time he was sent the SD card.“Earlier in August my house in Scotland was surveilled and a threat was left on the doorstep, so it was quite a worrying time and the last thing I wanted was to get dragged into Thai palace politics,” he said.Marshall did not publicly release any of the photos, but he confirmed that another critic of the Thai monarchy, Pavin Chachavalpongpun had released them.“From the timing of the whole thing it was clearly an attempt to sabotage her return to court,” Marshall said. “In any royal court you get factional fighting. It is a notorious element of palace life.“When you are a monarch with a wife and queen and you appoint a consort, it is a recipe for vicious infighting.”Her return to the court back in September was highly criticised and coincided with a wave of anti-monarchy protests in Thailand, with demonstrators calling to curb the king’s powers, citing the arbitrariness of some of his moves.


Businessman Nicky Liow claims trial to laundering more than RM36 million

Businessman Nicky Liow Soon Hee today pleaded not guilty to 26 counts of money laundering and possession of illegal money amounting to more than RM36 million from 2016 to last year at the Sessions Court in Shah Alam.Liow, 34, made the plea after the charges were read by an interpreter before judge Helina Sulaiman.According to the first to 24th charges, Liow and three companies linked to him were charged with directly engaging in transactions from money laundering activities over RM33.7 million under Paragraph 4 (1)(a) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds from Unlawful Activities Act 2001 (AMLATFPUAA 2001) which is punishable under Subsection 4 (1) of the same act.On the other two charges, he was accused of possessing receipts of money from the same activities involving more than RM2.29 million under Paragraph 4 (1)(b) of AMLATFPUAA 2001, punishable under Subsection 4(1) of the same act.The offences were allegedly committed at two banks in Bandar Puteri Puchong and Ampang town from 2016 to 2021.If convicted, Liow could be jailed for a maximum of 15 years and fined not less than five times the total amount or value of proceeds from the illegal activity or equipment of the offence at the time the offence was committed or RM5 million, whichever is higher.The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Noor Zalizan Lazarous, Rozaliana Zakaria and Syafinas Shabudin while Liow was represented by Rajpal Singh, Jay Moy Wei Jiun and Mardhiyah Siraj.Deputy public prosecutor Noor Zalizan earlier asked the court to impose bail of RM3.6 million with two sureties with Liow to report himself to the Bukit Aman Commercial CID and hand over his passport to the court.Counsel Rajpal agreed with the application of the prosecution but appealed for bail of below RM1 million.The court allowed bail at RM1 million to be paid in instalments today and tomorrow with two guarantors. Liow was also told to report to Bukit Aman Commercial CID twice a month and surrender his passport to the court.The case will be mentioned on May 26.


Over 1,000 evacuated as floods rise in Kelantan, Pahang

The number of flood victims in Kelantan, Terengganu and Pahang had risen to 1,019 from 230 families as of 8pm yesterday compared to 635 from 131 families in the afternoon.In Pahang, Maran and Raub were flooded, causing the evacuation of 218 people from 60 families to 11 relief centres.The welfare department’s disaster information application reported that families were evacuated to five relief centres in Maran: the Pekan Sungai Jerik Umno information centre (65 victims from 16 families), Jengka 14 JKKR hall (13 victims, three families), Sungai Jerik multipurpose hall (13 victims, four families), Jengka 11 JKKR hall (nine victims, three families) and Ulu Jempol Umno hall (eight victims, one family).In Raub, six relief centres were activated at Balai Raya Kampung Pamah Rawas (45 victims, 15 families), Balai Raya Kampung Kuala Keloi (21 victims, seven families), Balai Raya Kampung Pamah Kulat (15 victims, three families), SK Tanjung Putus (13 victims, three families), Surau Kampung Peruas (12 victims, four families) and Balai Raya Kampung Bukit Pampong (four victims, one family).In Kelantan, the number of victims increased to 735 from 156 families compared to 548 from 108 families in the afternoon.Kelantan Civil Defence Force Disaster Management and Operations Division officer Mohd Hanif Omar said 10 relief centres were opened – six in Kuala Krai, two in Gua Musang and one each in Jeli and Tanah Merah.In Terengganu, the number of evacuees increased slightly from 63 from 13 families in the afternoon to 66 from 14 families as of 8pm.The Terengganu Disaster Management Committee secretariat in a statement said that the number of victims relocated to the Air Putih Civic Hall in Kemaman rose to 37 compared to 30 in the afternoon while the number of evacuees at the Kampung Pasir Raja Community Hall, Dungun remained at 29.Meanwhile, the Drainage and Irrigation Department on its reported that the levels of Sungai Tembeling in Jerantut and Sungai Kechau in Lipis, Pahang; and Kampung Jenob and Sungai Golok, Tanah Merah in Kelantan had risen above the danger point.


Bersatu willing to consider working with Pejuang

Bersatu is ready to consider cooperating with Pejuang in the 15th general election (GE15), its president Muhyiddin Yassin said today.
Muhyiddin, who is also Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman, said cooperation would be possible if Pejuang was serious about the matter, adding however that so far Pejuang had not contacted him to discuss it.
"So far, no one has contacted me regarding the matter. Furthermore, we are already in the preparation phase. We discussed the matter before, but after that nothing happened. (So) I'm not sure whether the proposal (for collaboration) is serious or not.
"If there are parties that are serious (about political cooperation), we are willing to consider. Although that is not my call because the matter needs to be brought to the Bersatu Supreme Council first to decide whether (cooperation) is necessary or not.
"Overall, where PN is concerned, we are ready (for GE15)," he told reporters in Putrajaya when asked about remarks by Pejuang chairman Dr Mahathir Mohamad that his party would consider cooperating with parties "similar" to it, to oppose Umno and Barisan Nasional.


Court throws out Najib’s suit against AmBank over transactions with Jho Low

The High Court in Kuala Lumpur today struck out Najib Razak’s suit against AmBank and its former relationship manager Joanna Yu Ging Ping for allegedly mishandling his bank accounts by disclosing transactions to fugitive businessman Low Taek Jho.Judge Khadijah Idris ruled that Najib’s suit was scandalous, vexatious, frivolous and an abuse of court process.She made the ruling after allowing AmBank, AMMB Holdings Bhd and Yu as the defendants to strike out the suit filed by Najib on Dec 9 last year.“This action (suit) by the plaintiff is not to seek damages but for a collateral purpose to bolster the plaintiff’s (defence) in the SRC International case and therefore an abuse of court process,” she said.She added that Najib initiated the suit after Yu testified in the SRC International trial and when the prosecution in that case said that he had never complained or sued Yu or AmBank over the alleged manipulation of his bank accounts by a third party.Yu was the 54th prosecution witness in the SRC International trial.Khadijah also said Najib’s argument that he only discovered the manipulation of his accounts during the trial was unsustainable.“Based on these grounds, the defendants’ application to strike the suit is allowed,” she said.The court ordered Najib to pay costs of RM30,000 to both AmBank entities and RM25,000 in costs to Yu.Lawyer Muhammad Shafee Abdullah who represented Najib said he would file an appeal against today’s verdict.Lawyer Yoong Sin Min acted for Ambank while Gurdial Singh Nijar represented Yu.Najib in his statement of claim said AmBank and Yu had committed negligence when handling his bank accounts (ending with 694, 880, 898 and 906) by disclosing them to Low, better known as Jho Low.Najib claimed that the defendants without authorisation had disclosed his bank statements, debit and credit remittance transactions, and balance of funds in account 694 to Low as a third party.He claimed that the defendants did not engage with him to report Low’s action regarding the said bank accounts and that the bank had facilitated an unauthorised third party to make money transfers between accounts 880, 898 and 906.The Pekan MP also claimed that he had been kept in the dark about the details of his own bank account statements and other related documents by the bank under Low’s instruction.He alleged that Low, with the help of other unauthorised third parties, had made 20 transactions to regularise the accounts totalling RM12 million through several local and foreign remittances of funds and that the accounts had been red-flagged by Bank Negara Malaysia.The former prime minister said the defendants failed to report and obtain direct instructions from him despite the accounts being red-flagged.Najib also claimed he only discovered the acts committed by the defendants during the SRC International trial after the prosecution revealed the conversations between Yu and the third parties.In filing the suit, he had sought special, general, aggravated and exemplary damages from the defendants.On July 28, Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohd Nazlan Mohd Ghazali convicted and sentenced Najib to 12 years’ imprisonment and fined him RM210 million over the SRC International criminal case.


US court rules Facebook can be held liable for sex trafficking on its platform

The Texas Supreme Court ruled on Friday that Facebook is not a “lawless no-man’s-land”, and can be held liable for sex traffickers using its platform to prey on children.The ruling means Facebook could be held accountable following three lawsuits in Texas, which involved teenage sex traffic victims who met their pimps through the social media platform’s messaging functions, according to a report by the Houston Chronicle.Three women who say they were forced as teenagers into prostitution by abusers on the site will now be allowed to go forward with a suit against the company following the ruling.In the suit, originally filed in 2018, the three unnamed women accused the company of running “an unrestricted platform to stalk, exploit, recruit, groom, and extort children into the sex trade.”One of the young women said she was recruited for a “modelling” job on Facebook at age 15, then raped, beaten and forced into prostitution. Two others were allegedly “groomed” as underage teens and then forced to become prostitutes by men who contacted them through Instagram, which is owned by Facebook.The social media company is now being sued for negligence and product liability, as prosecutors say it failed to warn about or block sex trafficking from taking place on its platform.The lawsuits also allege that Facebook benefited from the sexual exploitation of trafficking victims.Facebook’s legal team, however, reportedly argued that the company is protected from liability under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA), which states that online platforms are not responsible for third-party content posted on their site.The court however ruled that Section 230 does not “create a lawless no-man’s-land on the internet” in which states are powerless to impose liability on websites that “knowingly or intentionally participate in the evil of online human trafficking”.The court observed that the law does not hold internet platforms accountable for the words or actions of their users.However: “Holding internet platforms accountable for their own misdeeds is quite another thing. This is particularly the case for human trafficking,” the opinion continued.The ruling added that Congress had recently amended Section 230 to add the possibility of civil liability for platforms that violate state and federal human-trafficking laws, reports the Houston Chronicle.In an interview with 60 Minutes, one sex trafficking victim revealed how a predator used Facebook to lure her away from her family when she was just 15 years old. The woman is now suing Facebook, alleging that the social media giant fails to stop sex trafficking on its platform.Online commentators are saying that, “If they (Facebook) can censor political views they disagree with and ban the posters, then they can certainly keep a handle on child sex traffickers. But they choose not to.”Others have noted that, “Facebook is now blocking any reporting regarding its complicity in sex trafficking.”


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5 suspects in immigration hacking case to face 113 charges in court

Five suspects believed to have been involved in a syndicate that hacked the immigration department’s MyIMMS system and printed out temporary employment visit passes (PLKS) will be slapped with 113 charges in court involving a total of RM26.65 million.According to a source, the suspects aged 35 to 47 will be charged at six courts in Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Kelantan, Pahang, Terengganu and Melaka.The source said the charges would involve assets obtained through illegal funds from syndicate activities including cash, luxury watches, cars, land and houses.“A total of 113 charges involving RM26.65 million have been proposed against all of the syndicate members under Section 4(1)(b) of the Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act 2001,” the source told MalaysiaNow.The charges will be made throughout the month of March.According to the source, the arrest of the syndicate members began on April 6 last year through an operation known as Ops Hack, carried out together with the immigration department.The source said the detained syndicate members included immigration officers and the staff of vendors who were involved in the MyIMMS system.“Five investigation papers have been opened to look into the assets of the members believed to have been obtained through the gains made thorugh the illegal printing of PLKS.”Six people were arrested in April last year on suspicion of installing devices and software for the purpose of hacking the MyIMMS system.They included two technicians from the company supplying the system.The staff found to have conspired with the syndicate were believed to have received bribes.Authorities also seized several computers belonging to the immigration department that had been fitted with hacking devices and software.This followed the arrest of five others: the syndicate leader who had a “Datuk” title, and four members including a former immigration officer.A total of 147 accounts owned by 30 individual and 11 companies amounting to RM9.9 million were frozen, while an estimated 30 pieces of property amounting to RM11.9 million and 66 vehicles valued at RM13.7 million were also seized.


Nov 14 case management for Rosmah's appeal in solar graft case

A new date for case management has been fixed on Nov 14 for Rosmah Mansor's appeal against her conviction, 10-year jail sentence and RM970 million fine for corruption involving the RM1.25 billion hybrid solar project for rural schools in Sarawak.
Deputy public prosecutor Poh Yih Tinn said during online case management before Court of Appeal deputy registrar Mohd Khairi Haron today that Rosmah’s counsel, Jagjit Singh, informed the registrar that they had yet to collect the record of appeal.
Poh said the lawyer also asked for his client’s appeal against the decision of Kuala Lumpur High Court judge Mohamed Zaini Mazlan not to recuse himself from hearing and deciding on the solar case to be heard first.
"I told the registrar that the prosecution has no objection to Rosmah’s appeal to disqualify the judge to be heard first.
"The court then fixed Nov 14 for the next case management to check on the filing of the petition of appeal," Poh said when contacted.
However, another of Rosmah’s lawyers, Akberdin Abdul Kader, told Bernama that they had yet to file the petition of appeal.
On Sept 1, Zaini convicted Rosmah, the wife of former prime minister Najib Razak, of three charges of corruption, and sentenced her to 10 years in jail for each of the charges with the prison terms to run concurrently.
The judge also fined her RM970 million, holding her liable to a total of 30 years in jail if she failed to pay this.
The High Court granted her a stay of execution for the prison term and fine pending her appeal to the Court of Appeal.
Rosmah filed the appeal against her conviction and sentence on Sept 2.
She is also appealing against the High Court's decision to turn down her application to disqualify Zaini from hearing and deciding on her case.


Philippine politicians who have run for election behind bars

Philippine Senator Leila de Lima has spent five years in jail on drug trafficking charges, accusations so serious she is not eligible for bail. But she can still contest elections.Being accused or convicted of major crimes in the Philippines is no barrier to running for public office – unless the hopefuls have exhausted their legal options.Under the law, a person must be “sentenced by final judgment” to be disqualified from running. Therefore someone convicted of a crime can still run as long as he or she has an appeal pending with the courts.Here are five politicians who have campaigned – most successfully – from behind bars:Gloria ArroyoFormer president Gloria Arroyo faced allegations of corruption and election fraud that ignited coup attempts during her near decade in the country’s highest office.She was forced to stand down in 2010 due to constitutional term limits and won a seat in parliament – but was arrested the following year on charges of electoral sabotage.Due to a spinal disease she was allowed to be detained in a military hospital where she ran and won re-election twice as a congressman.She was released in 2016 after the Supreme Court dismissed a corruption case against her.Joel and Mario ReyesBrothers Joel and Mario Reyes ran for mayor and vice mayor respectively of the resort town of Coron on Palawan island in 2016 even though they were in jail accused of masterminding the murder of a prominent environmentalist in 2011.They lost, but it was not the end of their political careers.Mario, who was freed on bail in 2016, successfully ran for mayor in 2019 and is seeking re-election in the May 9 polls this year.Joel, an ex-governor of Palawan, was released in 2018 after a court voided the case against him.He is now running for his old job, despite having a corruption conviction on his CV and facing a warrant for his arrest over the revived 2011 murder case.Antonio TrillanesFormer navy officer Antonio Trillanes was in jail after leading a coup attempt against then-president Gloria Arroyo when he was elected to the Senate in 2007.During his trial that year for the failed mutiny, Trillanes and his supporters stormed out of the courtroom and took over the Peninsula hotel in Manila’s financial district – and again demanded Arroyo be removed from office.He was pardoned by Arroyo’s successor, Benigno Aquino, in 2010, and was re-elected in 2013.He is running for the Senate again in 2022 after a failed bid for the vice-presidency in 2016.Romeo Jalosjos SrRomeo Jalosjos Sr was a congressman when he was convicted in 1997 of raping an 11-year-old girl and sentenced to life in jail.He successfully ran for re-election from behind bars in 1998 and 2001.His congressional seat was declared vacant in 2002 after the Supreme Court dismissed his appeal with finality.In 2007, then-president Gloria Arroyo – his political ally – reduced his sentence and he walked free two years later.He tried to run for mayor of Zamboanga City in 2013 elections but was disqualified by the poll body due to his rape conviction.


More skills, more job market clout, survey finds

As more industries shift online in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, employees who are able to perform multiple roles will likely come out ahead in the new normal job market, a study shows.The UOB Asean Consumer Sentiment Study, conducted in July among 3,510 individuals aged 18 to 65 across Asean markets, revealed that 85% of Malaysian respondents believe companies will prefer to hire individuals who can perform multiple functions while 83% think employers will reduce headcount by stepping up their digitalisation efforts.A total of 78% meanwhile expect companies to retrench workers in order to cut costs.This is in line with the study’s findings that nine in 10 of Malaysian employees see reskilling or upskilling as crucial to staying relevant in the post-pandemic world.Job security was a big concern for those aged 18 to 23 – Gen Z – with 94% of respondents in this age group believing that employers will retrench staff to cut costs if needs be.This was followed by Gen X – 40 to 55 – and Gen Y – 24 to 39 – at 77% and 76% respectively.Lai Tak Ming, executive director and country head of human resources at UOB Malaysia, said the Covid-19 pandemic had underscored the importance of continuous learning and development.“This year has rapidly changed the way we work and these changes will continue to influence how organisations are run in a post-pandemic future.“It is imperative for companies to have a workforce that is agile and adaptable in order to weather the ever-changing working conditions brought on by uncertainty and disruptions,” he said.The study saw the participation of 1,030 respondents from Singapore and 2,480 from Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.The survey results of employees in Indonesia and Thailand closely followed that of Malaysia, with 93% in both countries believing that reskilling and upskilling are key to staying competitive.Singapore matched the 90% figure obtained by Malaysia while 93% of respondents in Thailand and 92% of those in Vietnam agreed on such a need.


Singapore names new finance minister amid succession overhaul

A top Singapore official who has been tipped as a future premier was named the new finance minister Friday, as the city-state overhauls its leadership succession plans following a setback.Lawrence Wong, currently education minister, was picked as the replacement for Finance Minister Heng Swee Keat in a major Cabinet reshuffle.Heng was widely seen as the prime minister-in-waiting until he gave up his claim to the job this month in a shock move that upended the tightly-controlled country’s carefully planned power transfer.The key finance portfolio is sometimes seen as a stepping stone to the premiership, although analysts said it was too early to tell who will take over from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.Lee, 69, is the son of Singapore’s late founding premier Lee Kuan Yew, and the upcoming leadership change is seen as sensitive as it marks the founding family handing power to a new generation.As well as education minister, Wong has gained prominence as the co-chair of a government task force coordinating the response to the coronavirus pandemic. Singapore has been largely successful in keeping its outbreak in check.“Lawrence… has the experience, and is a natural fit for the job,” Prime Minister Lee said as he announced the cabinet changes.Transport Minister Ong Ye Kung, also seen as a contender for the premiership, was appointed as the new health minister. Another leadership contender, Chan Chun Sing, moved from the trade ministry to lead the education ministry.Eugene Tan, a political analyst from Singapore Management University, said the three main contenders for the premiership all had key positions, and it was not yet clear who would be the next leader.With the reshuffle, Lee was trying to ensure the younger ministers were “exposed to new assignments” before a decision is taken on who will become prime minister, Tan added.