Syria and the price of resistance

Few nations in recent decades have been targeted by a superpower the way the US has subjected Syria to various forms of attack. Apart from military assaults and acts of political subversion aimed at overthrowing the government in Damascus, the US has also imposed crippling economic sanctions upon Syria, sometimes regarded as the crucible of human civilisation.These sanctions which intensified in the last few years have impacted adversely upon a huge segment of the population. They culminated in the Caesar Act of 2020 which prohibits any country or entity from engaging in any economic activity with any firm or institution in Syria. For transgressing the act, the violating party can also be subjected to punitive action by the US.The wide-ranging sanctions would be one of the primary causes of the humanitarian crisis confronting the Syrian people today. Many of them are in dire need of the essentials of life. Making ends meet has become a major challenge for even the middle-class. It must be emphasised that before the mainly orchestrated unrest beginning in 2011, the government was able to provide for the basic needs of the population and managed one of the best-run health services in West Asia and North Africa (Wana) that provided free medical care to the poor and marginalised.Yet the mainstream Western media which is echoed by the media in most parts of the world has created the erroneous impression that the humanitarian crisis in Syria is due entirely to the mismanagement and corruption of the Bashar Assad government. While there are acts of omission and commission for which the government should be held responsible, they pale into insignificance compared to the intervention and manipulation by the US elite, Israel and their allies, such as Britain and France and those in Wana.The unjust imposition of sanctions aside, these actors from the West and Wana are also guilty of engineering a sectarian war between the Sunni majority and the Shia minority which failed miserably and of sponsoring terrorist groups such as the IS that caused death and destruction on a massive scale between 2011 and 2017.These organised and well-funded terrorist groups were defeated by the cohesive strength of the Assad government and its security forces buttressed by the determined support provided by the Hezbollah, Iran and Russia. On top of all this, Syria’s economy has also been robbed of millions of dollars by the systematic US theft of its oil in the north east of the country which is under opposition control. The truth about this theft, or about how sanctions, war and terrorism have contributed to the immense suffering of the Syrian people and the current humanitarian crisis has not been highlighted in the media but it is a reality that the Syrians are painfully aware of.The media has also distorted the first bombing of the Biden administration on Feb 25 against a militia in Syria allegedly backed by Iran. Most newspapers and television networks claimed that the bombing was in retaliation to a February 15th rocket attack in northern Iraq by that Syrian militia which killed a contractor working with the US military.Since the US bombing took place on Syrian territory, the Syrian government rightly condemned it as a violation of its territorial integrity. China and Russia also condemned it from the perspective of national sovereignty. The Western media as a whole side-stepped the sovereignty issue and instead presented the US bombing as a response to Syrian-Iranian aggression. Both Syria and Iran denied any involvement in the Feb 15 rocket attack arguing that they sought a period of calm to encourage as it were the Biden administration to restore the earlier nuclear deal with Iran which president Trump had unilaterally aborted.But the Western media’s agenda against Syria is so heavily skewed that it will not entertain any other interpretation of the US’s military action. The power of this biased agenda became even more blatant recently when the media ignored completely a huge scandal involving the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW) investigation into the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Syria in 2018.When the OPCW published its final report in March 2019, some OPCW inspectors involved in the actual investigation raised fundamental and substantive questions about the report’s conclusions. These questions cast doubt about the claims of Western governments and the Western media of Syrian government involvement in the chemical attack. The inspectors wanted their views heard by the OPCW management which refused to grant them a hearing. Instead it chose to publicly condemn the inspectors for speaking out.It is because of the unbecoming conduct of the OPCW leadership that five of its former inspectors and the first director-general of the OPCW Jose Bustani decided to express their deep concern in a public statement recently. The statement has also been endorsed by outstanding public figures such as Daniel Ellsberg, Noam Chomsky, Richard Falk and John Avery Scales. It is telling that the statement has received so little attention from the media.If news that is favourable to Syria within the context of the geopolitics of Wana is blocked out of the media, it is because those who dominate the region want it that way. The US, Israel and their allies do not want the truth about the interplay of politics and power in Wana to be known to the people. It is because Syria which is linked to Hezbollah and Iran has been consistent in opposing the hegemonic power of the US, Israel and their allies in Wana that it has had to pay such a high price. It is a price that the triumvirate of resistance is prepared to pay because it cherishes the independence and integrity of the citizens of Wana and the people of the world.Chandra Muzaffar is president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST).The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Kremlin says Putin open to any contacts on 'Ukrainian problem'

The Kremlin said on Friday that Russian President Vladimir Putin is still open to any contacts to discuss a resolution of the Ukraine conflict, Russian news agencies reported.
The comments came on the eve of a visit by African leaders to present a new peace initiative to Putin, nearly 16 months after he launched Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"President Putin was and is open to any contacts to discuss possible scenarios for solving the Ukrainian problem," Interfax quoted Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov as saying.
Russia has long said it is open to negotiations, but says Ukraine must recognise the "new realities" on the ground, where its forces control some 18% of Ukrainian territory.
Moscow claimed last autumn to have annexed four regions in eastern and southern Ukraine as well as the Crimea peninsula, which it seized in 2014.
Ukraine says its own peace plan, which envisages the withdrawal of Russian troops from all Ukrainian land, must be the basis for any settlement of the war.
The African delegation was due to hold talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday before meeting Putin in St Petersburg on Saturday.


Food waste during Ramadan increasing every year, says deputy minister

The amount of solid waste, in particular food waste, collected by the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) during Ramadan is increasing every year.
Deputy Local Government Development Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said 252,521 tonnes of solid waste were collected during Ramadan last year compared to 208,143 tonnes in 2019.
"The amount increases every year, and in the past five years, we have seen an increase of up to 21%.
"From the ministry’s point of view, the first step is to reduce the amount of food waste.
"Based on the data provided, a total of 44.5% of the solid waste collected is food waste, and that number is quite substantial in terms of value," he told a press conference in Iskandar Puteri last night.


FinCEN expose cuts deep into Singapore’s claim to financial transparency

Often regarded as the hallmark of financial transparency and accountability, Singapore ranks exceptionally in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), commonly known as TI-CPI, making it the only Asian country to reach the top 10.In 2019, TI-CPI ranked Singapore as the fourth least corrupt country in the world out of 180 countries with a score of 85.It comes as a major shock then that the island nation was named as host to several global banks that allegedly flouted international regulations and facilitated the movement of illicit cash, as it is strongly held that Singapore’s regulatory framework to combat money laundering strictly meets the international standards set by the Financial Action Task Force.This is according to the findings of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), comprising leaked suspicious activity reports (SARs) from the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) in the US.SARs reflect the concerns of compliance officers and are not necessarily indicative of criminal conduct or other wrongdoings.The FinCEN Files expose is a collaborative project with the ICIJ, BuzzFeed News, and more than 400 journalists around the world. The reports are based on the most detailed US Treasury records ever leaked.The expose revealed files pertaining to more than US$2 trillion worth of global transactions between 1999 and 2017. The information contained in the files was flagged as suspicious by the internal compliance departments of financial institutions, and the expose details how the banks moved large sums of allegedly illicit funds for decades despite red flags.The leak led to reports on the five global banks that appeared the most in the documents – HSBC, JPMorgan, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, and Bank of New York Mellon – and sent stocks plunging on Monday amid renewed calls for legislative reform.At least nine Malaysian banks were also linked to the dubious money trails, involving 23 transactions worth some US$18 million.The leaked documents provide comprehensive details on a journey of crime and corruption starring despots and politicians, dictators, criminals, and financiers, as well as the crucial roles played by the bankers, accountants, and lawyers. But from the perspective of financial transparency, they also reveal the failure of banks and financial institutions to thwart the flow of illicit money.As such, Singapore cannot afford to be linked to such activities.The republic’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) publishes the number of suspicious transaction reports it receives in its annual report.CAD noted that banks filed the most number of suspicious transaction reports – 16,314 – in 2018, followed by 4,823 reports filed by moneychangers and remittance agents.According to the leaked files, several banks in Singapore oversaw about US$4.5 billion (S$6.13 billion) in suspicious transactions between 2000 and 2017, with DBS Bank, CIMB Bank, and Deutsche Bank among those that processed the largest sums of such funds.DBS Bank was listed as sending US$596.8 million and receiving US$228.3 million in 461 suspicious transactions between 2000 and 2017.CIMB Bank was noted to have sent US$250.4 million and received US$34.3 million in 294 suspicious transactions, while Deutsche Bank sent US$224.3 million and received US$62 million in 19 suspicious transactions.Investigations show that dubious entities dispatched money to and from North Korea by way of China, Singapore, and Cambodia, using a host of shell companies to move millions through US banks, according to the SARs filed by the Bank of New York Mellon.The bank red-flagged those transactions, including money that went to companies with abstruse ownership, and some companies registered in high-risk jurisdictions like Cambodia. It also noted a lack of clear commercial reasons for the transactions, and the fact that they were always in round figures.The Monetary Authority of Singapore has stated that it is closely studying reports that Singaporean banks had informed US regulators of suspicious transactions.Several Singapore-based analysts declined to comment when contacted by MalaysiaNow.“You know, the Singapore government is very sensitive about any criticism, so I hesitate to comment,” said one.


The rise of self-harm among children during the pandemic

As 81% of children aged five to 17 are found to have experienced at least one symptom of trauma during the early phase of Covid-19, experts warn that the pandemic’s effect on their mental health will leave them with a deep scar that will stay for the rest of their lives.In addition, statistics show that child helplines worldwide have seen a 30-40% increase in calls related to psychosocial mental health since March, with a large number of calls related to self-harm among children.In short, while children are not affected by the economic downturn caused by the current health pandemic, the chaos, tension and instability of growing up during this crisis threaten to have effects on mental health for many children, particularly those who come from low-income and less educated households.And while school closures and work-from-home have been the global response to the Covid-19 pandemic, this has reorganised family dynamics and created a stressful home environment.Parents are not only squeezing in jobs or work-related tasks but also have to spend extra time home-schooling their children, taking care of them and dealing with their emotions.These changes have placed parents at increased risk of parental burnout as they have many environments coming together at the spur of the moment.This is backed by verbal evidence obtained from the Emir Research 3Q20 Focus Group Discussion, as some discussants highlighted how they are overwhelmed by the current situation (works and kids) and worried it could affect their mental health.Experts say parents’ parenting actions may become stricter and more aggressive as they undergo elevated levels of cumulative stress.This concurs with a study conducted by World Vision Malaysia which pointed out that 69% of children said their parents used physical punishment or psychological aggression due to the stress of lockdown measures and the loss of jobs.While children already feel isolated because of school closures and extreme shifts in their regular schedules, harsh parenting will, in turn, have a detrimental effect on their mental health and will intensify their behavioural and emotional issues.Apart from that, as children are required to adapt to online learning methods amid the pandemic, some seem to face an uphill task adapting to this sudden shift, especially those who come from the B40 economic group, some of whom may have limited access to the internet and electronic devices.This hampers their ability to fully participate and engage in online learning and may lead to a growing sense of isolation and fear of being left behind by the others.Studies show that this would negatively impact the development of their brain structure and damage the development of the nervous system’s support cells, which in turn affects the development of cognitive functioning (learning, thinking, reasoning, remembering, problem-solving and decision-making).Looking at the magnitude of this issue, what can be done to address this problem before it silently “kills” our children?First things first: as reported in Code Blue, since Malaysia only has 204 psychiatrists working at government facilities, the health ministry urgently needs to hire more psychiatrists and assign them evenly across the state as a means to improve access to mental health services.This problem should be tackled as a matter of urgency, as a low number of psychiatrists would decrease the ability and efficiency of these services which would, in essence, increase the waiting time for suffering children to get the care they need.The ministry also needs to introduce an early mental health screening service with free consultancy charges to make it easy and possible for everyone, especially the ones who come from B40 families, to get early identification so that early intervention can take place.This is also vital to lessening the long-term disability of affected children and prevent years of suffering.More investments should be made to educate members of the community and family members on mental health literacy through parenting workshops or peer assistance groups focusing on children as this will help create a supportive and enabling environment for the children.Next, in order to support mental healthcare delivery, the government might also want to support and expand virtual mental health services. This service is not necessarily to be delivered through a website or application but could also be delivered through phone calls.Although in-person treatment is best for the affected children, the pandemic and the potential for more waves make it imperative that we pursue options to address their needs.In order to support the remote delivery of mental health services, mental health providers must ensure that they offer personalised care tailored to the needs of suffering children as virtual services may lead to a one-size-fits-all solution.And most importantly, efforts must be taken to ensure patients’ safety and privacy in virtual care settings.Afifah Suhaimi is a research assistant at independent think tank Emir Research.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


You called for SC probe on Azam, why question its decision, Bersatu tells PH

Bersatu today criticised Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders for questioning the results of the Securities Commission (SC) investigation into claims of conflict of interest involving Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief Azam Baki, saying those intent on continuing to manipulate the case should abide by the SC’s decision.The party’s deputy president Ahmad Faizal Azumu said PH itself had called from the start for Azam to be investigated by the SC.“But when the SC made its decision, the SC itself was questioned in turn.“It appears that PH has declared war on public office holders who are dedicated and committed to carrying out their responsibilities for the sake of narrow political agendas by disparaging the government and its institutions such as MACC and the SC,” he said in a statement.Azam had been due for questioning by the Parliamentary Select Committee on Agencies under the Prime Minister’s Department, a committee comprising MPs from Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional, Barisan Nasional as well as GPS and Warisan.He was under investigation over claims of conflict of interest in the purchase of company shares following a series of blog articles by an activist linked to local NGO C4 Center.He later issued a demand letter to the writer of the articles, Lalitha Kunaratnam, with the MACC lodging a police report against her describing her claims as false and unsubstantiated by evidence.He had also been under fire from top PH leaders who called for him to go on leave and for MACC’s Anti-Corruption Advisory Board chairman Abu Zahar Ujang to be investigated after the latter cleared Azam of allegations of conflict of interest.But the SC yesterday said that Azam was in the clear, adding that the MACC chief had not breached any laws.“The SC has concluded its inquiry and based on the evidence gathered, the SC is not able to conclusively establish that a breach under Section 25(4) of Sicda has occurred,” the market regulator said in a statement, referring to the Securities Central Depository Act 1991.It also said in an email to Azam that it had closed its inquiry file on him.“Based on our inquiry and the documents obtained from relevant parties, we find that we cannot conclusively find/show that a breach of securities law under s.25(4) Sicda 1991 has occurred,” it said.Twenty-one MPs from the opposition had earlier today congratulated the SC for acting swiftly in announcing an investigation into the matter.They nonetheless called for the MACC advisory panel and other oversight mechanisms to conduct further investigations of their own.They also urged Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob to “restore credibility” to MACC by “ordering Azam to go on leave while a truly independent investigation is done”.Faizal said all parties should stop touting issues involving civil servants for the sake of “hidden agendas” as a full investigation had been held and a final decision made.He said to do otherwise would be insincere as well as unpatriotic.“It would undermine the spirit of the civil service, thus compromising the future of the country for the sake of a purely political agenda,” he added.


Dengue cases up from previous week, most hotspots in Selangor

A total of 1,474 dengue fever cases were reported in the 40th epidemiological week (ME 40) from Oct 2 to 8 compared to 1,460 in ME 39.
Health director-general Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah said the increase brought the cumulative number of dengue cases reported to date to 45,018 compared to 20,376 during the same period last year.
This is an increase of 24,642 cases (120.9%).
He said the number of cumulative deaths rose 100% to 28 due to reported complications from dengue compared to 14 deaths in the same period last year.
"A total of 53 hotspot areas were reported this week compared to 55 hotspot localities in the previous week with 31 hotspot areas in Selangor, 14 in Sabah, and eight in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya," he said in a statement.
Noor Hisham said Chikungunya surveillance saw three cases in ME 40 – two in Selangor and one in Kedah – taking total cases to date to 652.
As for Zika surveillance, a total of 1,544 blood samples and 16 urine samples were taken with the results returning negative.
Noor Hisham urged everyone to ensure that there are no water-retaining containers in the vicinity of their homes that could end up breeding Aedes mosquitoes and to dispose of items at disposal sites in a safe and proper manner.
He advised those affected by floods to conduct "search and destroy" activities to clear Aedes mosquito breeding containers immediately after the floodwaters recede.
He said the rubbish carried by the floodwaters could stagnate and become a breeding ground for Aedes mosquitoes.
"Also, avoid Aedes mosquito bites by using repellant and aerosol spray, and by wearing clothes that cover the body parts. No Aedes, no dengue, Chikungunya and Zika," he added.


What’s the motive? Questions raised on Zahid’s call for Tommy Thomas RCI

Opposition leaders have questioned the motive behind Umno’s call for the government to form a royal commission of inquiry (RCI) into revelations made by former attorney-general Tommy Thomas about political interference in matters concerning the judiciary.They also ask if it is a ploy by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and the so-called court cluster to escape legal repercussions.Amanah deputy president Salahuddin Ayub questioned the integrity of Zahid’s request despite its apparent grounding in the name of judicial reform.“Why only Thomas’ revelations?” he asked. “Is Zahid trying to save himself?“If he truly believes in justice for all, let him ask for investigations to be held into all cases,” the Pulai MP told MalaysiaNow.“If Zahid honestly wants an RCI to be formed, RCIs should also be set up to probe all high-profile cases, not just what Thomas has said.”“If he truly believes in justice for all, let him ask for investigations to be held into all cases.”Zahid made the call after a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council on Friday, its first since vice-president Ismail Sabri Yaakob was sworn in as prime minister.He said the request for an RCI into the revelations by Thomas in his autobiography, “My Story: Justice in the Wilderness”, was one of several matters discussed and agreed on during the meeting which Ismail himself had also attended.“Umno must be a pioneer in efforts for institutional reform in the various branches of government,” he said.PKR’s Petaling Jaya MP Maria Chin Abdullah said Zahid did not actually understand the revelations Thomas had made in his book, adding that the call should not be entertained.“If an RCI is formed, it should be on institutional reforms that affect us in terms of the economy and social issues, especially health and politics which involve all three branches of government,” she told MalaysiaNow.“If this is done, the proposals must be disclosed, debated and passed in Parliament.”Lawyer Haniff Khatri Abdulla agreed that Zahid’s call might be driven by an ulterior motive.If the Bagan Datuk MP was honestly interested in judicial reforms, he said, the revelations of former Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Becker should be included as well.He added that this had been mentioned by Dr Mahathir Mohamad on Feb 21, 2019.“If his request has basis, let it continue. The question now is why only Thomas? Why not include what was revealed by Hamid?” said Haniff who had represented Hamid in the case.“If the prime minister has agreed with Zahid’s request, I ask that it include Hamid’s revelations to prove that the new government truly has integrity. Continue what Mahathir wanted done before,” he said, referring to Hamid’s affidavit in 2019 detailing incidents of judicial interference.Zahid recently came under fire from social media users after his admission to hospital days before the start of his corruption case which had already been delayed several times.He was among those who had campaigned strongly to oust Muhyiddin Yassin as prime minister, resulting in the latter’s resignation after losing his majority support.Zahid is facing 33 charges of receiving bribes amounting to S$13.56 million (RM42 million) from Ultra Kirana Sdn Bhd as an inducement for himself in his capacity as a civil servant and home minister at the time to extend the contract of the company as the operator of the one-stop centre in China and the foreign visa or VLN system, as well as to maintain the agreement to supply VLN integrated system paraphernalia to the same company by the home ministry.


Enough with self-serving politicians

Your editorial, “Give me liberty, and death too?”, resonates with much of how I feel about the self-serving attitude of politicians on both sides of the political aisle in their respective bids for power and position, without bothering about the consequences of their actions on the well-being and welfare of us ordinary citizens, especially with the challenges our nation faces from the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and whatever adverse financial and economic impacts we would face should the 2021 budget be rejected in Parliament in November just to serve their political agenda.Several right-thinking ordinary Malaysians I have spoken to are fed up with this endless politicking and jostling for power.Hopefully, these politicians will now take heed of the Agong’s call for them to suspend their politicking and not to derail the 2021 budget in Parliament.If they still don’t take heed, and if an emergency is eventually declared to protect the interests of our nation and citizens, then so be it.Like many fellow Malaysians, I have had to deny myself the normal life which I enjoy for the past seven months due to Covid-19, and I do not take kindly to a tiny clutch of privileged politicians acting in a self-serving manner, claiming to be doing it on my and my fellow citizens’ behalf.Meanwhile, I have not paid much attention to the many articles by lawyers and journalists writing reams of words about the constitutionality of the Agong declaring an emergency to cool their politicking and protect the interests of me and my fellow citizens.These rather privileged, educated, mostly urban, English-literate, elite commentators should be thankful that Malaysia is not like Thailand with a “General Prayut” or a “General Sondhi Boonyaratgalin” who would force them to shut up, and I certainly won’t cry for them.The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the position of MalaysiaNow.


Malaysian academics among the top in ‘fraudulent’ publications found in global database

Malaysian academics form a large chunk of those whose works were published in more than 300 “fraudulent journals” found in a respectable global citation database used to gauge tertiary institutions worldwide in annual rankings.Fraudulent journals, also known as “predatory journals”, are publications lacking in research quality and with questionable content, which are often liberal in accepting articles without scrutiny, and in most cases, for a fee.A total of 324 such journals published from across the world have been found to have infiltrated Scopus, a Netherlands-based global citation database made up of more than 30,000 journals covering life sciences, social sciences, physical sciences and health sciences.The revelation, besides renewing a debate on the quality of research work by Malaysian universities, could also call into question the annual global rankings of universities.At least two major organisations, Times Higher Education and QS, rely heavily on data from Scopus in publishing their annual rankings of universities worldwide. With more citations of its academics’ works in Scopus, a university stands a greater chance of boosting its global rankings.The revelation is based on the work of two economists from the Czech Republic, Vit Machacek and Martin Srholec, who provided a country analysis of authors in questionable journals found in Scopus covering the period between 2015 and 2017.While many of these authors come from countries with large populations such as India, Indonesia, the Philippines and Egypt, Malaysia’s listing among the top countries of origin may reflect badly on the quality of local academic work.Among Scopus’ criteria for academic journals indexed in its database is the quality of their editorial board members as well as consistency in publication.By 2014, it was said that there were more Malaysian academic articles indexed by Scopus – some 47,000 – than from Thailand and Singapore.Machacek and Srholec’s study ranks Malaysia fifth among 20 countries considered as the biggest offenders in terms of predatory journals.At the top of the list is Kazakhstan with 17% of such articles, followed by Indonesia (16.7%), Iraq (13%), Albania (12%) and Malaysia (11.6%).Malaysia also appears in the top 20 lists for fraudulent work in three fields: health sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences, occupying the second place in the latter two.Machacek and Srholec’s study ranks Malaysia fifth among 20 countries considered as the biggest offenders in terms of predatory journals.“In these countries, predatory publication practices have apparently become a systemic problem at the national level, not limited to particular clusters,” Machacek and Srholec said about their findings.The findings are likely to highlight a long debated issue on academic fraud in Malaysian universities.MalaysiaNow understands that this time, some within the academic community have been unsettled by the possibility that many of the questionable research works published in these predatory journals were financed by public funds through research grants from the government.The government recognises five universities as research-based: Universiti Sains Malaysia, Universiti Malaya, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Universiti Putra Malaysia and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia.Successive governments have allocated hundreds of millions of ringgit to these universities in research and development grants.The latest revelations might lend credence to critics’ argument that Scopus – and world university rankings – should not be the benchmark for institutions to measure their research.“But with the obsession for better world rankings, many universities in Malaysia are left with little choice but to make Scopus a key indicator,” a senior academic leading a local public university told MalaysiaNow.[Editor’s note: There was a mistake in the earlier version of this report. We have made a minor amendment to show that the reference is to Malaysians whose works are published in predatory journals, and not to Malaysian journals.]


More aid for the people after special Covid-19 assistance, says PM

With payments of the Special Covid-19 Aid (BKC) to be paid out from today, Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob said the government would channel more assistance to the people starting next month.In a video conference with Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) staff from his residence in Petaling Jaya to check on the BKC payment process, Ismail said this was among the forms of assistance to help ease the burden of the people affected by Covid-19.“I hope all BKC payment processes planned by the finance ministry run smoothly. Hopefully, nothing untoward happens that can cause delays and so on,” he said.Ismail, who has been under self-quarantine since Aug 30 after coming into close contact with a Covid-19 patient, also advised BSN staff to ensure that BKC recipients who come to collect the aid comply with SOPs to prevent Covid-19 transmission.Joining the video conference were Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz who was at BSN Putrajaya and Deputy Finance Minister Mohd Shahar Abdullah who was at BSN in Bera, Pahang.“Hopefully, what the government is giving today, although it may not be much, at least it can help reduce the people’s burden,” said Ismail, referring also to information from Zafrul that more assistance would be forthcoming for the people.On Sept 1, Ismail announced that the BKC aid would be paid in stages with phase one payments credited from Sept 6 and expected to be completed by Sept 10, with funds amounting to RM3.1 billion already channelled to the relevant banking institutions for payments.The BKC is to assist the hardcore poor, B40 households with total monthly incomes of RM5,000 and below and senior citizens, as well as singles with a monthly income of RM2,500 and below, based on the eligibility criteria under the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat (BPR 2021) aid package.Those in the M40 group who report income tax with a total household income of RM5,001 to RM9,000 and RM2,501 to RM5,000 for singles are also eligible to receive BKC.Under the BKC, households in the hardcore poor category will receive RM1,300 and eligible senior citizens and singles, RM500. For the B40 category, households will receive RM800 while eligible senior citizens and singles will receive RM200; while in the M40 category, households will receive RM250 and qualified senior citizens and singles, RM100.Details on the BKC, including payment status, can be viewed at https://bkc.hasil.gov.myZafrul said the government would distribute various forms of assistance planned until the end of this year.“The prime minister has agreed to proceed with this assistance,” he said.This includes the Bantuan Prihatin Rakyat phase three amounting to RM2.32 billion which will be channelled at the end of this month and assistance for loss of income in October.


Zafrul schools Anwar on loans for ‘gambling’ firm after Genting-linked cruise company winds up

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz has hit back at Anwar Ibrahim after the opposition leader suggested that the government had allowed three banks with government shares in them provide unsecure loans to a cruising company owned by gambling firm tycoon Lim Kok Thay.Zafrul said although government bodies own shares in the banks, the decision to provide loans ultimately rests with the banks after having conducted due diligence in line with Bank Negara Malaysia’s regulations.“The fact is that the decision to lend is not determined by the finance minister, the finance ministry or the shareholders, but by the banks themselves.“Each bank has a due diligence and credit assessment process carried out by their respective credit committees to evaluate prospective borrowers,” Zafrul said.Maybank, CIMB and RHB Bank had provided combined loans of about RM2.5 billion to Genting Hong Kong, which recently filed a winding-up petition over a US$2.8 billion debt triggered by the bankruptcy of its shipbuilding subsidiary in Germany.The government’s Permodalan Nasional, Khazanah Nasional and the Employees Provident Fund have share ownerships in the three banks.This prompted Anwar to question Zafrul on why the loans were “easily” approved to a “gambling company”, a reference to casino operator Genting Group headed by Lim.“How could unsecured loans be given so easily to this gambling company?” Anwar had asked.Zafrul said Genting Hong Kong was among leisure companies around the world hit by Covid-19, adding that the decision to provide unsecured loans was made before the pandemic.The former banker said it was not unusual for banks to give unsecured loans such as in the case of Genting Hong Kong.“A bank may approve unsecured loans based on its willingness to take risks according to its risk appetite, as well as credit assessments that meet the criteria and approval based on internal governance,” he added.He said Malaysian banks were not the only ones who provided unsecured loans to Genting Hong Kong.“Does Datuk Seri want to give the impression that all of these foreign banks were reckless in providing loans to Genting Hong Kong?”Zafrul said as a former finance minister, Anwar should know that the shareholders of a bank do not interfere in its day-to-day operations.“If the finance minister or shareholders interfere in the day-to-day affairs of banks in Malaysia, it is wrong in terms of governance. I am sure that as a former finance minister, Anwar is also aware of the difference between the roles of board members and a company’s management,” said Zafrul, referring to Anwar’s position during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s first term as prime minister.Anwar served as deputy prime minister from 1991 to 1998 before he was sacked by Mahathir over allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of power.Zafrul also took Anwar to task for questioning loans to a “gambling” company, saying Malaysia has a progressive Islamic banking system that draws the line between conventional and shariah-compliant assets.“So if the issue is really important, how is it that when you were the finance minister, no instruction was issued to local banks barring them from lending to Genting Group?” he asked, adding that Malaysia’s banking sector had improved since the time of the Asian financial crisis in the late nineties, when Anwar was the finance minister.


From shy and overweight to TikTok fitness trainer

Dressed in sports clothes, 26-year-old Regine Wong strides confidently towards the entrance of a gym.
This has been part of her daily routine for several years now.
But her regular trips to the gym stand in stark contrast with her life just a decade ago.
As a teenager, at 175cm tall, she weighed about 85kg.
Shy and insecure about her weight, she kept to herself and did not mingle much with her friends.
"When I went to school, I ate rice, and when I came home, I ate rice again," she said to MalaysiaNow.
Today, though, her lifestyle and physical appearance have drastically changed.
"Now, I weigh about 60kg," she said.
Recalling her determination to lose weight and stick to a healthy lifestyle, Wong said such changes were good for both health and the pocket.
"If you watch your diet and exercise regularly, it's harder for you to get chronic diseases like diabetes and kidney problems," she said.
"You can save the money that you might have spent on treatment or expensive medication."
Not only has she managed to reach her ideal weight, Wong also works as a fitness trainer at her gym, earning the extra money that she needs for the cost of living in Kuala Lumpur.
Physiotherapy
But for Wong, confidence and a healthy lifestyle is not just about losing weight.
Her own challenges left her determined to help anyone who felt themselves physically inadequate.
After finishing school, she continued her studies in rehabilitation and physiotherapy at the Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology.
She subsequently found a job at a treatment and rehabilitation centre in the capital city.
After a while, though, she decided to begin working as a freelance physiotherapist, treating patients in their own homes.
Most of her clients are stroke patients, or accident victims who have suffered serious nerve damage.
Wong spends her mornings at the gym and her afternoons visiting her clients.
"I feel very happy when they can move again, and when they tell me that they can raise or bend their arms.
"That is the happiness that I want to achieve," she said.
Social life
Wong is also active on social media and spends much of her time roaming about, looking for content to put on TikTok.
She is known as a social entrepreneur, and has 38,500 followers on TikTok and more than 10,000 on Instagram.
She uses her social media platforms to share short clips on healthcare and fitness.
Right now, she is in the midst of opening her own fitness centre. There, she hopes to help even more people who are struggling with weight issues.
"That's one of the things we want to do, to increase their self-esteem," she said.
"Once they become aware, they will begin following the fitness programmes that we hold.
"Then they will know, what I and other people achieved, they can as well."


Another Singapore public servant nabbed for leaking pandemic curbs on WhatsApp

An unidentified public servant has been arrested for allegedly leaking details about the suspension of activities for youngsters under Covid-19 safe management measures before they were officially released publicly, the Straits Times is reporting.The 32-year-old man was arrested on May 19 for wrongful communication of information under the Official Secrets Act (OSA), the police said in a statement on Sunday.The statement said they received a report on May 18 that information regarding the suspension of sport, physical activity classes and programmes for children and youth aged 18 and below from May 19 to June 13 had been leaked to the public.The information was circulating via WhatsApp before Sport Singapore’s official announcement on May 18.The suspect, who was a public servant and an authorised recipient of the safe management measures for sport and physical activities, allegedly shared the information via the messaging app on May 16 with members of a private chat group who were not authorised to receive it.Group members then shared the information with others, resulting in a much wider circulation.Since the start of the pandemic, at least six other people have been charged under the OSA for unauthorised or wrongful communication of information, says CNA.In May, a Housing and Development Board officer was one of two men charged over unauthorised communication of information about flat inspections.Kalayarasan Karuppaya, a higher estate executive with HDB at the time of the offences, had allegedly leaked information on HDB’s impending inspections of a flat to a tenant of the unit three times in 2019.Chua Wee Lin, at the time deputy director at the National Library Board’s property and facilities management department, was also charged in May with sending information about Phase 2 reopening measures to a WhatsApp chat group with 18 other members.In April, a married couple was charged with leaking an unreleased statement about school closures during the “circuit breaker” last year.That same month, Zhao Zheng, then deputy lead of the health ministry’s Data Management Unit, faced more than 20 charges after she allegedly leaked daily Covid-19 case numbers to a private WhatsApp group chat before they were officially released.Those found guilty of wrongful communication of information under the OSA face a fine of up to S$2,000 and up to two years’ jail.The police said unauthorised recipients should delete and not further circulate any confidential information received, as they may otherwise be similarly liable under the OSA.


Plastic fragments from billions of face masks starting to pollute oceans and food chain

Over one billion of the 52 billion masks produced in 2020 will pollute the world’s oceans, warns a report published by an environmental group in Hong Kong.OceansAsia says the masks will contaminate oceans with plastic and harm already vulnerable marine wildlife.“Single-use face masks are made from a variety of meltblown plastics and are difficult to recycle due to both composition and risk of contamination and infection,” OceansAsia’s report says.“These masks enter our oceans when they are littered or otherwise improperly discarded. They travel out to sea when waste management systems are inadequate or non-existent, or when these systems become overwhelmed due to increased volumes of waste.”The report estimates nearly 7,000 tonnes of plastic could pollute the ocean and may take roughly 450 years to break down.“This plastic does not ‘go away’, but rather accumulates, breaking up into smaller and smaller pieces. Annually, it is estimated that marine plastic pollution kills 100,000 marine mammals and turtles, over a million seabirds, and even greater numbers of fish, invertebrates, and other marine life,” the report says.“Plastic pollution also profoundly impacts coastal communities, fisheries, and economies.”The report notes that mask-microplastics are already entering the food chain. When consumed by ocean creatures that form part of the human diet, these plastics will sooner or later be ingested by humans.To prevent ocean pollution, OceansAsia suggests wearing reusable, washable cloth masks if possible.


Couples in China now allowed 3 children

China has relaxed its family planning policy to allow couples to have a maximum of three children after a census showed its population is rapidly ageing, state media Xinhua reported Monday.For almost 40 years, China enforced a controversial “one-child policy” – one of the strictest family planning regulations worldwide – which was lifted in 2016 due to widespread concerns over an ageing workforce and economic stagnation.“To actively respond to the ageing of the population… a couple can have three children,” Xinhua said, citing a Monday meeting of China’s elite Politburo leadership committee hosted by President Xi Jinping.Despite government efforts to encourage childbirths, China’s annual births have continued to plummet to a record low of 12 million in 2020, the National Bureau of Statistics said last month.China’s fertility rate stands at 1.3 – below the level needed to maintain a stable population, the bureau revealed.The once-in-a-decade 2020 census results published last month also showed that China’s population grew at its slowest rate since the 1960s, reaching 1.41 billion.It comes alongside a sharp drop in the number of working-age people, once again raising fears of a looming demographic crisis.China’s gender balance has also been skewed by decades of the one-child policy, and a traditional social preference for boys which prompted a generation of sex-selective abortions and abandoned baby girls.


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US spies ‘stressed out’ by having to go back to the office

Employees at one of the most secretive parts of the American government have been forced to return to their offices, leading to widespread concerns about their exposure to Covid-19.Tensions inside the National Security Agency (NSA) – which is responsible for eavesdropping and digital espionage – boiled over last week, leading to an emergency meeting at the agency on Wednesday to address complaints, according to inside sources.The meeting followed employees posting frequently on internal message boards about their frustrations over the pandemic and the agency’s handling of it.The NSA, like other intelligence agencies, has returned to near full capacity working in the office, using increased shift work and other safety precautions, reports the AP.The tensions at NSA reflect divisions within government as it adapts to the pandemic. Some federal agencies are allowing their employees to work from home indefinitely, but agencies working on highly secret issues have less flexibility, and the NSA deals with some of the most highly classified programmes in government.Unlike many government offices, intelligence work often needs to be done in special locations which are protected from outside eavesdropping. Allowing intelligence employees to work outside secure government offices raises concerns about the security of home offices for even routine communications among undercover intelligence officers and their handlers.Many federal employees have put in for retirement, if they are eligible, due to the risks of the pandemic and their unhappiness at having to go back to the office.Over at the FBI, another agency deeply involved in classified intelligence work, employees are struggling with the fact that they are running low on administrative leave after many people used it in the spring.“There have been some Covid-19 exposure scares that sent people home as well, which makes them feel vulnerable,” said one former intelligence officer. “Everyone from street agents to senior officials is feeling stressed out.”


Trump indictment decision pushed back as jury fails to meet

The drama surrounding Donald Trump's possible indictment over hush money paid to a porn star took a new twist Wednesday, after a New York grand jury failed to convene as expected – pushing back a decision, potentially into next week.
Speculation that a historic indictment of a former president may be imminent has been building ever since Trump himself announced he was expecting to be arrested.
But Wednesday's grand jury session was called off, unnamed law enforcement officials told multiple US outlets, without giving a reason. The New York Times reported that such interruptions are not unusual.
With barricades outside Trump Tower and police on high alert, New York has been holding its breath over an expected indictment for days – with tension peaking on Tuesday, the day Trump said he would be arrested. He wasn't.
The jury panel usually meets on Thursdays too but Insider, which broke the news of the cancelled meeting, quoted one source as saying it may not gather again this week, meaning the earliest a decision might come is Monday.
The 76-year-old Republican would become the first former or sitting president to ever be charged with a crime if the panel eventually votes to indict.
The unprecedented move would send shockwaves through the 2024 election campaign, in which Trump is running to regain office.
It would also raise the prospect of a former leader of the free world being arrested, booked, fingerprinted and possibly handcuffed.
The Times has reported that Trump favours the idea of being paraded in front of cameras by law enforcement, in what is known as a perp walk. Prosecutor Alvin Bragg likely wants to avoid any spectacle that could rile up Trump's base.
Bragg formed the grand jury – a citizens' panel tasked with deciding whether there is a case to answer – in January following his investigation into US$130,000 (RM577,850) paid to Stormy Daniels in 2016.
Grand juries operate behind closed doors to prevent perjury or witness tampering before trials, making it virtually impossible to follow their proceedings.
A spokesman for Bragg told AFP that she couldn't comment "on grand jury matters."
Even once the panel takes a decision, it is unclear when Bragg would announce any charges.
Legal experts have suggested it could take some time before Trump, currently at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, is arraigned before a Manhattan Criminal Court judge.
The payment to Daniels was made weeks before the 2016 election, allegedly to stop her from going public about a liaison she says she had with Trump years earlier.
Trump denies the affair and has called the inquiry a "witch-hunt."
Trump calls for protests
Trump's ex-lawyer-turned-adversary Michael Cohen, who has testified before the grand jury, says he made the payment on his boss's behalf and was later reimbursed.
If not properly accounted for, the payment could result in a misdemeanor charge for falsifying business records, experts say.
That might be raised to a felony if the false accounting was intended to cover up a second crime, such as a campaign finance violation, which is punishable by up to four years behind bars.
Analysts say that argument is untested and would be difficult to prove in court. Any jail time is far from certain.
An indictment would begin a lengthy process that could last several months, if not more. The case would face a mountain of legal issues as it moves toward jury selection and pose a security headache for Secret Service agents who protect Trump.
Trump has called for demonstrations if he is charged, fueling fears of unrest similar to the Jan 6, 2021 riot at the US Capitol, but so far protests have been small and muted.
New York police have erected barricades outside the courthouse and Trump Tower.
Trump is facing several criminal investigations at the state and federal level over possible wrongdoing that threaten his new run at the White House, many more serious than the Manhattan case.
They include his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss in the state of Georgia, his handling of classified documents, and his possible involvement in the Jan 6 rioting.
Some observers believe an indictment bodes ill for Trump's 2024 chances, while others say it could boost his support.


Court accepts most of disputed witness statement in Zahid's graft trial

The High Court today accepted a major portion of the witness statement by Ahmad Zahid Hamidi’s ex-press secretary in the former deputy prime minister's corruption trial involving Yayasan Akalbudi funds.
Judge Collin Lawrence Sequerah however said that the court allowed the prosecution's objection to three paragraphs, namely the last lines of paragraphs 17 and 22, and the whole of paragraph 18.
He said these would be removed from the witness statement of Major General (R) Fadzlette Othman Merican Idris Merican, who is the second defence witness.
"I find that the rest of the questions, (paragraphs) 16 until 30 (of the witness statement) relate to facts directly in the issue which form the core of the defence case and, therefore, are not collateral matters under Section 153 of the Evidence Act 1950.
"With regard to paragraphs 16 and 17, I agree with the defence that the matters contained constitute a narrative introduction as to how the defence witness (Fadzlette) came to know the 90th prosecution witness, Zahid’s former executive secretary, Major Mazlina Mazlan @ Ramly," he said.
On Sept 19, the prosecution objected to parts of Fadzlette's witness statement on the grounds that they were irrelevant and inadmissible.
Yesterday, the defence argued that Zahid would be deprived of a fair trial if the court accepted the prosecution’s argument and stopped a defence witness from testifying.
Sequerah said he found that Section 153 of the Evidence Act applied to very specific circumstances, where the evidence adduced went only as far as to injure the character of the witness (Major Mazlina) and was irrelevant to the facts and issue (of the case).
"In those circumstances, once a witness has answered the question, Section 153 of the Evidence Act will operate to prevent any adverse party from introducing contradictory evidence.
"Applying this principle to the particular proposed witness statement of the second defence witness (Fadzlette), I find the part in paragraph 18, which the defence considers, falls under the prohibitory ambit of Section 153 of the Evidence Act," he said.
The judge also said in his decision that he would accept the four proposed witness statements in order to save the court's time.
"Therefore, those witness statements will be admitted as they are but without prejudice to the prosecution's right to ask for the offending paragraphs or portions of the witness statements to be expunged at the end of the case by way of submission of the whole case," he said.
The court then ordered for the witness statements to be amended accordingly.  The hearing continues with Fadzlette reading her witness statement.
Fadzlette was press secretary to Zahid when he was deputy prime minister. She is now the media director for the Umno president.
On Aug 30, Zahid completed giving evidence to defend himself after 17 days on the witness stand.
He faces 47 charges: 12 of criminal breach of trust, eight of corruption and 27 of money laundering involving tens of millions of ringgit belonging to Yayasan Akalbudi.


Singapore to drop most indoor mask requirements

Singapore will do away with requirements to wear masks indoors starting Aug 29, as the country sees its Covid-19 situation stabilise further, the health minister said on Wednesday.
For the first time in more than two years, people in the Southeast Asian city-state will no longer be required to wear masks indoors except on public transport and in high-risk settings like healthcare facilities.
The health ministry also updated rules for non-vaccinated travellers, dropping a 7-day quarantine requirement starting next week.
Singapore, which is a major Asian financial and travel hub, lifted most pandemic curbs, including travel restrictions, earlier this year.
About 70% of the city-state's 5.5 million population has already contracted Covid-19, Ong Ye Kung, the health minister said in a news conference, adding that the re-infection rate is so far "very low".
Singapore has vaccinated more than 90% of its population and has among the lowest Covid-19 mortality rates in the world.


‘Phenomenal’ Ronaldo praised after breaking 800-goal barrier

Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo moved past another career milestone by scoring twice against Arsenal on Thursday to take his tally to 801 for club and country, earning high praise from some of the great goalscorers of the game.The Premier League’s all-time top scorer Alan Shearer was stunned by Ronaldo’s performance in United’s 3-2 win.“You just have to sit there and say ‘wow’ and applaud the guy,” Shearer said on Amazon Prime Video.“It’s very difficult to get to the top but it is staying there too. You have to get up in the morning and go again and the whole world is looking for you to perform every week. It’s just phenomenal what he’s done.”Former Arsenal forward Thierry Henry said he would need “two lives” to better the 36-year-old’s latest record.Ronaldo has scored 686 club goals for Sporting Lisbon, United, Real Madrid and Juventus, and 115 goals for Portugal.There is some debate over his status as the most prolific scorer in men’s football, with Brazil’s Pele and Romario both claiming over 1,000 goals, but statisticians say the Portugal forward tops the scoring charts in official competitions.Former England international Gary Lineker said Ronaldo’s latest career milestone was “utterly bonkers”.“He is indisputably one of the greatest players in the history of the game. An absolute phenomenon,” Lineker said on Twitter.Ronaldo is United’s top scorer this season with 12 goals in 16 appearances in all competitions. His brace against Arsenal took United up to seventh.


Ministry mulls incentives for Menu Rahmah participants

The domestic trade and cost of living ministry is discussing the provision of incentives to the operators of eateries which provide Menu Rahmah meals to customers.
Deputy Minister Fuziah Salleh said the talks were still at an early stage, and that the form of incentives had not been decided.
"We have yet to announce the incentives as the matter is still being discussed.
"Maybe (for example) a mamak shop needs workers, so in that sense, we will help to get additional workers.
"We have not put any fiscal value in the incentive. The Menu Rahmah initiative is voluntary, where entrepreneurs can jointly develop an ecosystem which understands the problems faced by the people in dealing with the cost of living," she said at a press conference in Johor Bahru today. Fuziah said the ministry was also ready to negotiate and help entrepreneurs who want to prepare Menu Rahmah meals, in terms of getting supplies of raw materials.
On eateries and restaurant operators which limit the sale of Menu Rahmah meals to certain hours, Fuziah said although the initiative was voluntary, operators were expected to announce the sales hours so that customers do not miss out.


Belgian ambassador to South Korea apologises after wife assaults shop assistant

Belgium’s ambassador to South Korea has apologised for his wife’s “unacceptable” reaction to a confrontation with shop staff in Seoul.CCTV footage shows Peter Lescouhier’s wife, Xiang Xueqiu, slapping a shop assistant.The incident took place in early April at a store in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, South Korean media is reporting.Xiang was reportedly in the shop trying on different clothes for about an hour before she left.Staff of the upmarket clothing store were concerned she may have been shoplifting.She was followed out of the shop by one of the staff who wanted to check the clothes she was wearing – originally from the same store – were her own.After the check, the ambassador’s wife reportedly followed the staff member back into the shop and, in a confrontation caught on CCTV, appeared to push and slap another staff member who tried to intervene.“I didn’t know who the woman was when I was assaulted, but she looked confident and didn’t seem to be sorry,” the second employee, who complained of a swollen check from the slap, was quoted by South Korean media as saying.The embassy statement said Lescouhier “sincerely regrets the incident” and “wants to apologise” on his wife’s behalf. “No matter the circumstances, the way she reacted is unacceptable.”The Belgian embassy in Seoul released a statement saying Xiang, 63, is currently in hospital recovering from a stroke.She will cooperate with a police investigation into the incident as soon as she is able, the statement added.The case has provoked anger in South Korea amid claims Xiang will be able to claim diplomatic immunity in order to avoid prosecution.


UK being closed off by other countries as ‘more infectious’ Covid virus spreads in England

European and other countries are imposing travel bans on the UK because of the new, more infectious Covid-19 variant which the government has admitted is “out of control” there.Within Europe, Ireland, Germany, France, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands and Belgium are all halting flights from British airports.Outside Europe, Turkey and Kuwait have also banned flights from the UK.The measures mostly affect passenger traffic but the French have also banned freight from travelling across the English Channel. Usually, thousands of lorries move between the countries every day by ship.The Channel Port of Dover is now closed to traffic leaving the UK “until further notice” due to the border restrictions in France, port authorities said in a statement.In response to France’s ban, Eurotunnel has now suspended access to trains running under the Channel between Folkestone and Calais.An EU meeting on Monday morning will discuss a more coordinated response to the crisis.The new variant has spread quickly in London and south-east England, but cases are being reported all across the UK.Prime Minister Boris Johnson has scrapped a planned relaxation of rules over the Christmas period.Top health officials said that there was no evidence the new variant was more deadly, or would react differently to vaccines, but it was proving to be up to 70% more transmissible.Health Secretary Matt Hancock admitted the new strain “is out of control”.The UK on Sunday reported a daily increase of more than 13,000 cases – a new record, despite tough lockdown measures.


Life story of squash queen Nicol David to be turned into biopic

Nicol David, the most successful female squash player of all time, said she is “thrilled and overwhelmed” that her life story will be immortalised in an upcoming biopic.She is an eight-time world champion and spent an unprecedented nine years as world number one between 2006-2015.“I always dreamt of one day telling my story, to be able to inspire everyone to work hard for what they want to achieve,” she wrote on Facebook earlier this week.The 37-year-old retired from the sport just two years ago after a glittering career spanning two decades.The film, “I am Nicol David”, will be produced by Malaysia’s Ace Pictures. It will be in English, and producers are going to search for an actress in Malaysia to play David.The production is in its early stages, with the screenplay currently in development.David has also won five British Open titles, two Commonwealth Games gold medals, five Asian Games gold medals and three World Games gold medals.Her reign atop the world rankings came to an end in September 2015, but she continued to break records, achieving the longest unbroken run inside the world’s top five at 143 months.


Sabah swabs orangutans for Covid after park staff test positive

Dozens of critically endangered orangutans in Malaysia have been tested for the coronavirus, with vets in protective suits undertaking the tricky task of giving the apes nasal swabs.The antigen tests on 30 of the red-haired creatures in Sabah were conducted last Tuesday, and all came back negative, wildlife officials said.They were the first virus tests on orangutans in the country, and were ordered after staff at a rehabilitation centre and wildlife park became infected.“Testing for Covid-19 has been a vital tool in helping us get through this pandemic, and it is similarly important for this orangutan population,” said Sen Nathan, assistant director of the Sabah Wildlife Department.“The disease could prove vastly detrimental to their health and set back their rehabilitation.”Vets will continue to closely monitor the apes and tests will be conducted regularly, officials said.Animals have become infected with Covid-19 on occasion. At the weekend, a zoo in Atlanta announced that several of its gorillas had tested positive. Domestic cats, dogs and at least one ferret have also been infected.Malaysia is fighting a serious Covid-19 outbreak driven by the highly contagious Delta variant, and has been recording thousands of cases and hundreds of deaths each day.Sabah, on the northeastern tip of Borneo and home to vast tracts of jungle and a kaleidoscope of rare animals, has also faced a surge in cases.Bornean orangutans are classified as “critically endangered” by protection group the International Union for Conservation of Nature.Their populations have declined by more than 50% over the past 60 years, according to the WWF, as the animals’ forest habitat has been progressively cut down to make way for agricultural plantations.Borneo is shared between Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei.


State leaders agree to consider dissolving assemblies in June

The menteris besar and chief minister from six states have reached a consensus to consider announcing the dissolution of their state legislative assemblies in the last two weeks of June to make way for state elections.
Selangor Menteri Besar Amirudin Shari said in a Facebook post that the consensus was reached at a tea reception in Kuala Lumpur held in conjunction with the 261st meeting of the Conference of Rulers, which began yesterday.
"The six of us had the opportunity to meet in Kuala Lumpur in conjunction with the Conference of Rulers’ meeting today.
"To cut the story short, we have reached a consensus to consider the dissolution of our respective state assemblies in the last two weeks of June 2023," he said.
The six states holding their elections this year are Negeri Sembilan, Penang, Selangor, Terengganu, Kelantan and Kedah.
Amirudin said the consensus would be further discussed within the leaders' respective parties before being presented for the consent of the rulers and governors.


Russian oil tanker hit by US sanctions heading to Malaysia, data shows

A Russian-flagged crude oil tanker targeted by US sanctions is heading to Malaysia, shipping data showed on Monday, amid growing international scrutiny on businesses linked to Moscow following its invasion of Ukraine.The Linda, named in a US Treasury document detailing sanctions against Russia, was in the Indian Ocean and was expected to arrive at the Sungai Linggi port on Malaysia’s west coast on Sunday, according to data from ship tracking website MarineTraffic.com.It was not immediately clear whether authorities plan to allow the ship to anchor. The marine department and foreign ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comment.According to the US, Linda is owned by PSB Leasing, a unit of Russian lender Promsvyazbank, which has also been hit by international sanctions.In a statement sent to Reuters, Promsvyazbank said PSB Leasing did not own Linda, adding that the vessel was redeemed by its owner in April 2021. The bank did not say who the owner was.French authorities on Saturday seized another ship, Baltic Leader, that they said was owned by PSB Leasing.Promsvyazbank has similarly denied that its subsidiary owned the vessel.


Dissolution not on the agenda for 3 PAS-ruled states

PAS today hinted that the three states under its control would not dissolve their state assemblies to coincide with the general election widely speculated to be taking place this year.
"PAS, which leads the governments of Kelantan, Terengganu and Kedah, will not raise the issue of dissolving the state assemblies in the near future, in order to focus on preparations for the monsoon season expected from mid-November until March 2023, in addition to efforts and measures for economic recovery post Covid-19," PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang said in a statement.
This follows the decision by rival coalition Pakatan Harapan, which rules the states of Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Penang, not to call for elections at the state level as has traditionally been the case during general elections.
PAS, which is part of the Perikatan Nasional coalition, has repeatedly disagreed with Umno's calls for early polls this year, echoing concerns that an election would disrupt measures to prepare for the monsoon season, which causes floods on an annual basis.
Meanwhile, Hadi reiterated his party's resolve to unite the three Malay parties, a reference to Umno, Bersatu and PAS.
Hadi has called for Umno to include Bersatu in the Muafakat Nasional consensus, a proposal rejected by a faction of Umno leaders led by their president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
Zahid himself has given PAS an ultimatum to reconsider its ties with Bersatu if it wants to continue its cooperation with Umno.
But Hadi today said that Umno should show more flexibility in addressing its opposition to Bersatu.
"PAS is of the view that there should be flexibility in negotiations involving Umno and Bersatu, including on conditions presented as well as the seat negotiations currently underway."


13,255 teachers given placements under one-off recruitment programme

The education ministry today said that 13,255 teachers had been given placements as of March 28 under the special one-off recruitment programme to resolve the shortage of educators throughout the country.In an oral response to Bersatu’s Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid who had asked about the status of the recruitment drive, Education Minister Radzi Jidin said another 515 teachers would be given placements from April 11 onwards.“This leaves 4,932 vacancies under this special intake to be filled by qualified candidates,” he said.The one-off recruitment programme had sought to fill 18,702 positions at government schools throughout the country, under the jurisdiction of the Education Service Commission (SPP) as the appointing authority.Radzi said the intake of new teachers was based on vacancies as well as matching subject options.He added that the education ministry had introduced the subject cluster method for the one-off recruitment of teachers to open up opportunities for more graduates to apply, based on the mapping of their degrees with the appropriate subjects.In terms of selection criteria, he said priority for permanent placements is given to graduates with educational qualifications from public, private and foreign universities.“Candidates must also meet the requirements of the service scheme and subject cluster, and succeed at the interview stage with the SPP,” he said.Adding that the SPP had completed the appointment process, he said offers had been announced in stages with 13,770 candidates successfully offered permanent appointments so far.


Proposal for MACC to be placed under Parliament on the agenda at Dewan Rakyat

The recommendation by Transparency International Malaysia for the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to be placed under the purview of Parliament will be among the issues raised at the Dewan Rakyat sitting today.
According to the order paper, the matter will be raised by Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (PN-Masjid Tanah) in a question to the prime minister during the Minister’s Question Time.
Meanwhile, during the questions for oral answer session, Khairil Nizam Khirudin (PN-Jerantut) will ask the prime minister about the government’s strategies and solutions to address the rising cost of performing the haj and umrah.
Also on the list is a question from Wan Saiful Wan Jan (PN-Tasek Gelugor) to the domestic trade and cost of living minister regarding the actions taken to create more competition in industries associated with cartels or monopolies such as cement, chicken, eggs and sugar.
Wong Shu Qi (PH-Kluang) meanwhile is expected to ask the prime minister about the amount spent on flood rescue operations, financial assistance given to victims and other expenses during last year's floods.
After the question-and-answer session, the Dewan Rakyat session will continue with the debate and winding-up of the Supply Bill 2023 at the committee level.


WhatsApp delays enforcing new privacy terms

Facebook-owned messaging colossus WhatsApp on Friday retreated again from its plan to force users to accept new terms which critics said could expand data collection from its two billion users around the world.WhatsApp, which was set to enforce its new data-sharing policy on May 15 – following a delay in response to a user outcry – revealed on its website that it would not immediately cut off users who don’t accept the new terms, although it would send reminders to those who don’t opt in.The update will allow additional sharing of information from WhatsApp with Facebook and its other applications such as Instagram and Messenger, such as contacts and profile data, but not the content of messages which remain encrypted.The platform had claimed the update was chiefly aimed at merchants who use WhatsApp to chat with customers – allowing them to share data with Facebook.But critics feared it could open the door to broader data sharing with Facebook with potential implications for user privacy.“No one will have their accounts deleted or lose functionality of WhatsApp on May 15 because of this update,” according to the latest website update, which was seen earlier by The Verge and other media outlets.But users will get “persistent” reminders about the policy and may lose some functionality if they fail to accept the new terms.“After giving everyone time to review, we’re continuing to remind those who haven’t had the chance to do so to review and accept,” the web page said.“After a period of several weeks, the reminder people receive will eventually become persistent.”At some point, users will “encounter limited functionality on WhatsApp until you accept the updates,” according to the WhatsApp page.“You won’t be able to access your chat list, but you can still answer incoming phone and video calls.. After a few weeks of limited functionality, you won’t be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone.”The flap over WhatsApp’s privacy policy – described by Facebook as a misunderstanding about efforts to bring businesses onto the platform – is among the latest episodes highlighting concerns over the tech giant’s privacy and data protection policies.


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Bigger things to focus on, Fahmi told after concert tickets crackdown

A media and communications expert has urged Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil to concentrate on bigger issues in his ministry following his remarks on the resale of tickets for a Coldplay concert to be held later this year.
Speaking to MalaysiaNow, Abd Aziz Aizam cited basic communication and digital needs such as broadband coverage and postal services, as well as personal data issues which he said should be given priority.
Aziz, a senior lecturer at Universiti Teknologi Mara, said Fahmi should also be mindful of his position as a minister, which carried with it greater responsibilities.
"He must realise that he is no longer an opposition politician," he said.
"He is a minister now, and the minister for communications. He needs to be careful about issuing statements as anything he says will be considered an important matter."
Fahmi said earlier today that the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission had been instructed to act on advertisements for the resale of tickets for the Coldplay concert, scheduled for Nov 22.
This followed reports of tickets being resold for up to RM43,200.
Aziz said Fahmi should differentiate between the needs of the people in general and those of only a few parties.
"The people can judge for themselves how serious a leader is about carrying out his responsibilities and understanding the scope of his work," he said.


Biden overturns Trump’s ban on transgender troops

President Joe Biden has signed an executive order overturning former president Trump’s ban on transgender troops, creating one of the first jobs for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.Biden directed Austin to implement a policy that prohibits discrimination against troops based on their gender identity, saying the move would make the nation safer.“Today, I repealed the discriminatory ban on transgender people serving in the military,” Biden tweeted. “It’s simple: America is safer when everyone qualified to serve can do so openly and with pride.”The directive is one of Biden’s first moves to unravel Trump’s legacy in the military and elsewhere, says USA Today.In a statement on Monday, Austin called Biden’s repeal of the ban, “The right thing to do. It is also the smart thing to do.”The Pentagon will move immediately to ensure transgender troops are not discharged or denied reenlistment based on gender identity, he said. They will also receive medically required treatment for transition.Gender dysphoria results from the conflict between physical gender and gender identity and should not disqualify troops from serving, according to the American Medical Association and other major medical and psychiatric organisations.The Pentagon spends about US$50 billion annually on health care, of which about US$3 million goes on treatment for transgender troops.


Zafrul hits out at PH leaders over conflicting stands on Fitch Ratings

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz has taken to task opposition leaders for citing the Fitch Ratings’ latest downgrade on Malaysia to attack the government, calling them irresponsible for politicising the issue.Zafrul said Pakatan Harapan (PH) leaders were also misinterpreting Fitch’s revised rating of Malaysia’s Long Term Foreign Currency Issuer Default Rating (IDR) on Dec 4 from A- to BBB+, adding that he was not surprised the issue had been turned into political rhetoric.He said Malaysia is not alone in the downgrade of its rating, joining 100 other countries such as Britain, Hong Kong, Chile and Laos.He said opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim had said in August that the rating should not be a concern as the focus should be on revitalising economic growth.In the same month, he added, DAP’s Lim Guan Eng had urged the government to spend more during the Covid-19 pandemic despite an increase in fiscal debts.Zafrul was responding to PH leaders’ statement on Monday, saying the Fitch downgrade points to a greater urgency for a no-confidence motion against the government in the Dewan Rakyat.“We find it difficult to understand that only yesterday they asked that we do not be too concerned with ratings and debt, yet today they are hitting out at the government for the drop in rating,” Zafrul said in a Facebook post.Zafrul said Fitch in its report had made it clear that despite the lower rating blamed on political uncertainty, the firm acknowledged the government’s efforts.He added that the government has projected economic growth of between 6.5% and 7.5% next year.“PH claims this projection is too optimistic, but Fitch Ratings itself projected a growth rate of 6.7% in line with that of our own.“Other institutions such as the IMF (International Monetary Fund) projected up to 7.8%, higher than the government’s.“This shows confidence in the rebound of Malaysia’s economy,” he said.He also pointed out that despite the downgrade, Fitch had given an improved outlook from negative to stable.Zafrul said the public would question the conflicting statements from PH leaders, saying the opposition must make clear whether it is more concerned about ratings or spending for the people.


Putin open to talks on Ukraine, Kremlin says

President Vladimir Putin is open to talks on a possible settlement in Ukraine but the refusal of the US to recognise annexed territories as Russian is hindering a search for any potential compromise, the Kremlin said on Friday.
US President Joe Biden said on Thursday that he was prepared to speak to Putin if the Kremlin chief was looking for a way to end the war but that Putin had not yet indicated that.
"The president of the Russian Federation has always been, is and remains open to negotiations in order to ensure our interests," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters when asked about Biden's remarks.
"The most preferable way to achieve our interests is through peaceful, diplomatic means," Peskov said. "Putin was, is and remains open to contacts and negotiations."
Putin has said he has no regrets about launching what he calls Russia's "special military operation" against Ukraine and casts the war as a watershed moment when Russia finally stood up to an arrogant Western hegemony after decades of humiliation in the years since the 1991 fall of the Soviet Union.
Ukraine and the West say Putin has no justification for what they cast as an imperial-style war of occupation. Ukraine says it will fight until the last Russian soldier is ejected from its territory.


Malaysian space board to be launched in early 2023

The Malaysian Space Board will be fully launched early next year to enforce the Malaysian Space Board Act 2022 (Act 834) gazetted on Jan 25.
Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Dr Adham Baba said the board would enact regulations related to the act that had been passed to regulate and develop the country's space industry in accordance with international agreements.
"We will set up the space board on an interim basis next month (August). It will be chaired by science, technology and innovation ministry secretary-general Zainal Abidin Abu Hassan, with members from relevant ministries and agencies.
"The board will be responsible for advising the government on matters relating to the preparations for the implementation and administration of the act. This includes monitoring and evaluating the drafting of regulations as well as preparing appropriate guidelines and directives before they come into force in early 2023," he told a news conference after the opening of the International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium 2022 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre yesterday.
Adham said Malaysia was one of the first Asean countries to have its own space board, the second after the Philippines.
He said the jurisdiction of the board on space would range from an altitude of 100km above sea level to infinity.
"Currently, companies and industries are advised to register satellites or any space objects that have been launched through the ministry.
"Once the act comes into force, all space objects previously launched will be subject to Act 834 and must be registered within six months from the date the act came into force," he said.
Adham also said that having clear rules on the space act would allow the country to invite any operator who wanted to launch space objects in the country.
"If last month, we launched the Measat-3d Satellite in French Guaina, South America, then after this we can launch space objects from within the country.
"Malaysia is suitable for the launch site of space objects because it is located near the equator where the launch of objects into space is closer at a lower cost," he said.


Behind calls for solidarity and movements for change

Looking at a social media post that seemed to take a jab at PAS’ Chinese New Year wishes, which went against its previous stand, I wondered about the direction of advocacy for solidarity.There are many causes that end their statements with “we stand in solidarity with such and such” and appear as a beacon of hope in times of struggle while remaining problematic in everything they are trying to achieve, inadvertently or not.The call for solidarity is a mirror image of government-issued statements that end with “Yang menjalankan amanah”. We see the phrase way too many times, yet we still question if they are doing their work. The same goes for the call for solidarity – it carries the weight of an image without any actual solidarity with the people.I have not been involved in activism for long, and I am not one to call myself an activist. I have joined marches here and there, made a few statements, joined programmes and learnt about various issues. But as I become more involved in these causes, I begin to recognise a lot of issues that have risen and yet are not handled in a satisfactory manner or even given any thought at all.There have been numerous campaigns with tremendous and widespread reach which deserve praise. But what is not observable by those who were not in those movements may not live up to the standard that was preached.A lot of these movements for change are rampant with sexism and sexual harassment as well as discrimination, to the point where most of the time I have to question whether I should still support these causes by great individuals who may not actually be that great. With youth activism now on the rise, it seems that ageism is another issue to be considered as well, as the youth do exactly the same thing that the older generation did to them.Not to mention the blatant bullying that some causes have shown just to achieve some image of greatness that will soon be replaced by other causes which will do the same thing. I am reminded of a movement that planned an event with an invited guest only to have that guest become the scapegoat for a past mistake of their own. They would rather throw someone under the bus than have their cause smeared or owning up to their problems.I understand that mobilising change requires collectiveness, meaning that a lot of these like-minded individuals will flock together. They may start out good but as the causes grow, issues will rise, and they will eventually be prone to problems. But should these problems be excused just because the initial intention of the cause was pure? Is it justified for these causes to end up being a reflection of the movements and stands that they were against in the first place?A lot of the time these issues are a matter of letting someone have a fulfilled life by coming to terms with the trauma inflicted by harassment and discrimination. But at the end of the day, many still choose to dedicate themselves to the cause instead of bringing closure. Many will stand aside and let these things happen, all for the sake of some movements that will in time die out.What are we actually supporting? It seems that a lot of the time we are holding up a vessel with change written on it but which is empty of any humanity. What good is it if it leaves a bad taste for many who are actually in these causes? For all we know, we might have been looking up to another vile individual just dressed more humbly. Maybe in a white robe in keeping with the image of purity, or in flip-flops to look modest. Jesus said that the meek shall inherit the earth, but for many, meekness can also be another strategic move for influence without consideration for the vileness of the steps to uphold an image.Perhaps he realised this since he also warned against false prophets and idolatry. But maybe we, too, are misdirected in painting an image of falsehood on others and idolising too many who should not be idolised.I have seen many great minds and talented individuals chased away over trivial differences in ideology or because they could not stand the environment that eventually became too toxic for them to handle. But sure, we have great campaigns and awesome social media posts, never mind the lack of fulfilment for many in achieving those campaigns.It is exhausting to be excited and willing to do acts that seem to bring change only to end up being disappointed by those causes and yet still have to support them because of the realisation that no one else is doing what these individuals are.It all seems superfluous and futile in actualising any change. Sure, we can say that at least someone is making an effort to spread awareness and that advocating for change is always good – but beyond that, what has actually been achieved and at what cost?But then, perhaps I am not allowing myself to see the whole landscape of advocacy and movements of solidarity, and I am open to being corrected. It’s just that all these matters end up looking like PAS’ Chinese New Year wishes: ironic, and a call to solidarity for all the wrong reasons.


Recoveries hit new high but 11 more deaths take toll to 678

Another 3,346 Covid-19 cases were recorded today, taking total confirmed infections in the country to 183,801.Selangor recorded 950 cases, of which 805 or 84.7% were from clusters and close contact screening.This was followed by Sabah 431, Kuala Lumpur 390, Johor 378 and Sarawak 255.Terengganu recorded 179 cases followed by Negeri Sembilan (160), Melaka (152), Penang (90), Kedah (85), Kelantan (77), Pahang (63), Labuan (49), Perak (46), Putrajaya (38) and Perlis (three).Active cases stand at 41,667 with 265 in the ICU and 102 in need of respiratory assistance.Nine new clusters were detected:1. Jalan Sebelas (Hulu Langat in Selangor; 83 cases)2. Bukit Emas (Seremban, Rembau and Jempol in Negeri Sembilan; 46 cases)3. Tapak Bina Sri Petaling (Lembah Pantai in Kuala Lumpur; 44 cases)4. Tembok Taiping (Larut, Matang and Selama in Perak; 42 cases)5. Ladang Segama (Lahad Datu in Sabah; 22 cases)6. Kaluli Tujuh (Johor Bahru in Johor; 21 cases)7. Jalan Segama (Lahad Datu in Sabah; 20 cases)8. Tapak Bina Flora (Putrajaya; 13 cases)9. Jalan Tengar (Johor Bahru in Johor; eight cases)Two others ended, leaving 348 active clusters throughout the country.Another 4,427 patients were discharged, bringing total recoveries to 141,446.However, 11 more deaths were reported, pushing the virus toll to 678.


Muhyiddin warns Umno supporters of possible Zahid-Anwar pact post-polls

Perikatan Nasional (PN) chairman Muhyiddin Yassin last night sought to win over the votes of Umno supporters, warning of a possible cooperation between party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and PKR chief Anwar Ibrahim if the Barisan Nasional (BN) lynchpin lacks the votes needed to form the government on its own after the polls.
Speaking at an event in Kuala Berang, Muhyiddin said this might see Zahid inviting Anwar as well as the Pakatan Harapan (PH) components, "including DAP", to establish a government.
"Do those who support Umno want this to happen?" he was quoted as saying by Astro Awani.
"If not, then they need to support PN to prevent this from happening."
MalaysiaNow previously reported analysts' views of such a partnership, with Ahmad Martadha Mohamed of Universiti Utara Malaysia saying it would be unlikely.
Martadha had pointed to the differences in struggle and ideology between the two pacts, which met head-on as foes in the last general election.
Awang Azman Awang Pawi of Universiti Malaya, on the other hand, said a BN-PH government could be possible if both coalitions succeed in winning an even number of seats.
Speaking last night, Muhyiddin also said it was the responsibility of the PN election machinery to make Umno supporters aware of this possibility, and to embolden them to vote for PN at the election, the report said.
"This is the 'jihad' that we need to continue, to enlighten the Malays and Umno supporters," he said.


Venezuela breaks US blockade, resuming direct oil shipments to China

Venezuela has resumed direct shipments of oil to China after US sanctions sent the trade underground for more than a year, Reuters reports.Chinese state companies China National Petroleum Corp and PetroChina, longtime top customers of state company Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA), stopped loading crude and fuel at Venezuelan ports in August 2019 after Washington extended its sanctions on PDVSA to include any companies trading with the Venezuelan state firm.Imposition of the sanctions was part of a push by the Trump administration to oust Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but they failed to completely halt the South American nation’s oil exports or to loosen Maduro’s grip on power.PDVSA’s customers instead boosted shipments to Malaysia, where transfers of cargoes between vessels at sea have allowed most of Venezuela’s crude to continue flowing to China after changing hands and using trade intermediaries.A US Treasury Department spokesperson said on Wednesday that “those engaged in activity in the Venezuelan oil sector risk exposure to sanctions”.Earlier this year the US went after shipping firms that continued to do business with Venezuela. The resumption of direct imports may signal that China expects new policies from Washington after the presidential handover.The direct shipments from Venezuela come ahead of January’s transition of power in the US from President Donald Trump to president-elect Joe Biden, whose advisers have said he would retain sanctions but shift the focus of US strategy.The US State Department had no comment about the resumption of direct oil trade between Venezuela and China, says Reuters.China has joined Venezuela’s other close allies – Russia and Cuba – in publicly criticising sanctions on Opec-member Venezuela.Maduro’s government met with a delegation of Chinese officials and businessmen this month to tout a new law to promote investment despite what Caracas has called the “blockade” by Washington. The law allows the government to sign new oil deals confidentially.Maduro said during the meeting he would send a letter to China’s President Xi Jinping encouraging more robust commercial relations between the two countries.Maduro said, “We have to move forward with investments, with wealth creation, with new partnerships. The new anti-blockade law allows all that. Let’s do it in this new phase.”


Reverse migration, a step towards reducing urban congestion?

Being on the move is nothing out of the ordinary for Abdul Azim Che Abdul Rahim.As a boy, he would follow his father who was a teacher from one posting to another. Once he completed his studies, he finally settled down in Kuala Lumpur.But after just a few years of city life, Azim decided to return to his village in Kedah.“My soul was restless in Kuala Lumpur,” he told MalaysiaNow. “Maybe it was too much of a village soul, and it was looking for a way out of the city.”It was then that he decided to return to his home town, grow his own food, and embark on other activities normally associated with rural life.He found a window of opportunity in a permaculture course in Petaling Jaya, which dealt with the development of agricultural ecosystems with the aim of eventually becoming sustainable and self-sufficient.His new life began with a study of agriculture, a trip overseas, and his long-awaited return to his village.There, he and a handful of friends began a project based on the concepts of conservation, eco-tourism and education. They started out in Kampung Sungai Batu, then spread to Pulau Bidan in Yan.“I have been here in my home town since 2015,” Azim said.“I ended up at SRI Lovely Farm in Kampung Belantik, Sik, where I am learning about organic padi planting.”Azim is just one example of reverse migration, a phenomenon in which people move from urban to rural areas.Such U-turns from cities to the countryside come amid questions about the sustainability of life in major urban centres, especially the Klang Valley and the surrounding areas.Most recently, several main roads in Kuala Lumpur were submerged in flash floods leaving vehicles stranded in floodwater.These came hard on the heels of the massive floods which hit Selangor late last year.There are also Kuala Lumpur’s legendary traffic jams, which can see large parts of the city brought to a standstill during rush hour.One report estimates that Kuala Lumpur residents spend an average of 13.4 days a year stuck in traffic.During the recent Hari Raya season alone, major highways leading out of the capital city were flooded with vehicles with some drivers caught in congestion for more than eight hours.Nikmatul Adha Nordin, head of Universiti Malaya’s town and regional planning department, said reverse migration could help solve the problem of traffic congestion in the city.“The main factors at play are the economy and job opportunities in rural areas,” she told MalaysiaNow.“If these can be met, and rural areas equipped with good facilities and infrastructure, reverse migration could be a positive phenomenon to balance development, so that there is no significant gap between urban and rural areas.”She said problems arise in cities when those from rural areas look for better job opportunities in urban centres.Congestion in housing and infrastructure and a drop in quality of life are just some of the consequences.These in turn contribute to issues such as urban poverty.Records show that in Kuala Lumpur alone, the population has been increasing by about 1.05% each year, with numbers projected to reach 2.25 million by 2040.The government previously issued what it called the National Rural Physical Planning Policy, aimed at providing a holistic planning for rural development and to complement the National Urban Policy for urban areas in Malaysia.If the policy is successfully implemented, Nikmatul said, young people in villages will no longer have to migrate to the city in order to find jobs.“There are villages that are fully equipped with facilities, but some are still lagging behind,” she said.“The implementation of this policy still depends on the state government and local authorities.”